Posts by FreePeace

31

I'm not alone

by imnottheonlyone! in

for years i have felt i was the only one on earth that was reeling from my involvement with jw.

i stumbled upon this website and feel an overwhelming desire to dance.

here is my story:.

FreePeace

Damn, INTOO, you brought a tear to my eye! I guess one doesn't always know when they make a difference.

I had no idea that you had already discovered JWD. Maybe I missed that in our conversation. I'm glad you posted.

Doug

26

Mom slipped me an Awake magazine

by Mulan in

jw
friends

last week my mother gave me a woman's magazine that she had read at the home where she lives.

it had organization tips and recipes she thought i would enjoy.

i hadn't looked at it until two days ago, after she asked me if i had read it yet.

Hey Mulan, when I was in my twenties and speaking more from the platform, my dad once told me that the average audience has an 8th grade mentality, and that I should do my talks accordingly. I'm pretty sure that was the conclusion he arrived at from all of his experience with talks at the KH and assemblies. I tried to resist that assumption by adding deeper things to my talks.

Now that I speak professionally to managers and leaders, I don't think it's true. It's a little higher, however, some managers are below an 8th grade mentality.

I guess I don't really have much of a point to make, just an observation. Maybe the WTS feels the same way, and the Awake is just one more attempt to keep the dubs "dumbed down."

Edited to add that your mom slipping the mag in the other mag was a very codependent thing to do. She is trying to passively control you.

Hope you are well!

Doug

31

I'm not alone

by imnottheonlyone! in

for years i have felt i was the only one on earth that was reeling from my involvement with jw.

i stumbled upon this website and feel an overwhelming desire to dance.

here is my story:.

FreePeace

Hi INTOO,

I'm glad you found your way here and jumped in! I know you'll find much acceptance here!

FYI for everyone else here... I was in that small cong that INTOO grew up in. I knew her as a young girl, I knew her parents, and family. Last week I get the "Blast from the past" email from her, and was excited. I was always hoping someone from my past would leave the bORG and look me up on the net. She did and it was great.

We spoke on the phone last night for the first time in at least 10 years. It was great catching up, and she is doing great.

INTOO, keep up the good work and keep posting!

Doug Kelley

21

Calling All Poetry Lover's

by HICFlyGirl in

jw
friends

i am a person who is infatuated with writing.

i use it as a means to express my feelings.

however, i don't feel i have found my unique way of writing that expressed me on the paper as i want to be seen.

FreePeace

I wrote this poem for my dad when he died in October, 2002. He was a dub, and our relationship was strained up until the end. This poem won an Editor's Choice Award and was published in a book of poetry by Poetry.com.

Adversity?s Surrender: Requiem for a Man

by Doug Kelley

After the Rain, Calm quickly descends, The gale of Unrest no longer wins.

Out of the Shadows, sweet Truth is discerned, Lessons ignored become life-lessons learned.

The Tempest has indicted; the Man declines defeat: ?Your wrath equals not the renaissance of my peace.?

__________________________

For you Dad; I will see you on the other side. Doug Kelley October 29, 2002

This poem is a tribute to my father, F. Richard Kelley, who died on October 29, 2002. He successfully battled the ?Rain? of adversity in life, and overcame it permanently in death. He learned many lessons?some repeatedly. But, he also learned a ?sweet Truth,? for he wrote, ?We ought not live in the shadow of our worst moments.? Adversity accuses humanity with fundamental failure?like a ?Tempest??but it could not break his spirit. He now enjoys a renaissance, or rebirth of peace, whatever that may ultimately mean. May we likewise grow beyond ?the shadow of our worst moments.?

Edited to correct formating

37

American Idol - did I see a NWT?

by No Apologies in

jw
friends

so i am watching american idol(yes i have no life) and one of the winners came out screaming and holding what looked like a nw translation - black cover.

can anybody with a tivo confirm?

it was like just before the horrible guy in the purple shirt came on.

FreePeace

Tracy and I watched the show, and when that gal came out holding a black book, I said, "Hey, she's got a NWT!" I'm glad others saw it too. I didn't hear any comments by Simon about the Dubs tho.

Doug

14

Ten Signs you're a fundamentalist christian

by IronGland in

jw
friends

10 - you vigorously deny the existence of thousands of gods claimed by other religions, but feel outraged when someone denies the existence of yours.. .

9 - you feel insulted and "dehumanized" when scientists say that people evolved from other life forms, but you have no problem with the biblical claim that we were created from dirt.. .

8 - you laugh at polytheists, but you have no problem believing in a triune god.. .

FreePeace

Great post! I love it!

Did you write this, Iron? Can I post it on my ex-JW site? (beam.to/truthquest)

Doug

27

Out of the Blue, An Elder Calls

by FreePeace in

last night, my cell phone rang and it was a number i didn?t recognize.

i answered, and the voice said, ?is this doug??

and he said, ?this is dd ?

FreePeace

Last night, my cell phone rang and it was a number I didn?t recognize. I answered, and the voice said, ?Is this Doug?? I said ?yes,? and he said, ?This is DD ? (an elder I used to ?serve? with).

It has been six years since I left, 5 1/2 since I was df?d. I have not heard from them since that time.

I immediately asked, ?How did you get this number?? He said, ?Your mother gave it to me? (thanks mom). He asked if I wanted to get together and talk. I said, ?Oh, are you thinking about leaving the organization?? He said no. I asked what he wanted to talk about, and he said something about seeing if I wanted to come back.

It is funny? the explosion of different emotions that converged on my brain at that moment. Anger, bitterness, resentment? I found it hard to speak without my voice shaking.

I handled the call calmly, with respect and dignity for him; I did not yell, however I firmly made my position crystal clear.

I said, ?I appreciate the intent of your call, but let me explain my position, DD. I am happier than I?ve ever been. It is soooo much better NOT being a Witness than it ever was BEING a Witness. I am no longer religious. I do not believe in the bible at all, or god necessarily. I am agnostic. I am as much of an apostate as you?ll ever find, and I am never coming back. Furthermore?just to make my position perfectly clear?IF it is all true and Armageddon does come, I will die flipping Jehovah off while I tell him, ?Fuck you!??

I stated again that I appreciated the intent of his call, that I had nothing against him personally, and the reason for my being so direct was to emphasize that I am NEVER coming back, and to NOT CALL ME AGAIN unless you are thinking about leaving the organization.

I told him that the WTS was corrupt, that they lie, and that they are blood guilty for hurting so many people. I brought up the UN issue, and told him that it was provable that they were part of the ?Beast? for 10 years? all he had to do was call the UN and ask.

He remained silent through all this, and then said something about us being friends at one time. I said, ?Yes we were. But your beliefs preclude a friendship with me. You will only accept me as long as I believe like you do. I, however, will accept you no matter what you believe.

After a few of his awkward comments, I told him, ?Please relay what I?ve said to the body. Don?t call me again. If I ever want to come back, I?ll call you.?

He said ?Okay,? and asked if I spoke for Tracy (Think41Self) as well. I said, ?Yes, and you are welcome to ask her personally IF you can find our [unpublished] home number, because I?m not giving it to you. However, if you do talk to her, I?m not sure she?ll go as easy on you as I did.?

He said, ?Okay,? and the call ended.

So why did he call? Well, it is that time of the year to check in with df?d people, and recently, my brother gave a talk in his congregation while visiting my mom. Apparently, my brother asked him to call me (Farkel and AlanF knows my brother). That pissed me off too. Why can?t my brother call me? Maybe he is afraid? maybe he?s too emotionally involved to deal with it.

Any rate, I trust they won?t be calling again.

Doug Kelley

Edited to correct formatting

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