it's safe to say that in most instances, it appears that the catalyst for the final move away from jw's, the real start of a road toward a jw exit, is something that affected you personally, whether that was you or a loved one/family member.
we hit our personal bs level, can't take it anymore,.
then we start to examine the flaws of jw dogma.. i would suggest that most do not start a jw exit because they examine the dogma on a personal study project and find out that something isn't right.
Hate, intolerance, arrogance. How can anyone live peacefully while upholding such negative policies? I couldn't do it! It hurt me enough to leave my parents, brothers, aunts, uncles, cousins, grandparents, great aunts and uncles, great grandma, and all of my 'friends' to get away from all of the negative energy that surrounded that 'religion.'
I'm a lot happier and peaceful since leaving and my family notices.
Angie
i've started attending church, recently.
it feels great to be able to worship with vigor and feeling.
still have the occasional trappings of having been a witness and guilt about goung to satan's house.
Yes, I am a regular church goer. I love having a community to worship with that allows questioning and personal research. I also feel peace and His grace, love and forgiveness. I know this is how He wants meto feel. And I know that people from all faiths feel this, so I can see that He is ok with us as long as we are sincere in our worship AND loving toward others.
Oh and yes, leaving, the music is awesome! No more heav'n for me, haha
Angie
well, i picked my username because that's what i saw in front of me and i like the way it sounded.
no real story behind that.
i picked my avator because that's the way i felt.
I was just starting college at the ripe old age of 27 when I joined at Rocky Mountain College. My English professor was surprised at the mature writng he found in my first paper, meant to guage what he needed to teach. I look very young and most people place me btween 18-21, so he was shocked that I was about to turn 28, he said "you just look like a, well, a girl" I guess as opposed to a woman, haha. He still refers to me as a girl most times. Anyway, it was natural link. Rocky_girl I am. I didn't have an avatar when the forum changed hands so I have to wait to post one.
Angie
last year, i listened to a talk on cd from a member of the governing body, brother losch.
he says the dead bodies will be all over the place and we will have to bury them.
it has been mentioned on this forum many times.. so i knew that my family had not heard the talk, or else they would definitely have talked about it.
I asked my mom if the org would ever get rid of the Book Study "so close to the end" She went on and on about how the BS would be the last thing to go because it would be the only way to meet during the great tribulation. I mentioned how it would save gas and lift a burden from people. She said metings were not a burden and that the gas money was well spent. She said it was impossible for it to happen and that it shows that she is one of God's people and called me lazy in worship bcause I do one hour on Sunday and 2 on Wednesday for a private bible discussion group.
Two weeks later she was fuming as my Dad, who didn't know about the earlier discussion, told me how the org was responding to the burden of high gas prices by cancelling the BS. What a blessing! Hahahaha. Priceless. She said I set her up by misrepresenting the situation. BTW thanks for the heads up from this board that made that possible.
Angie
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/06/12/us/12coldcalls.html?hp.
june 12, 2009door to door as missionaries, then as salesmen .
by kirk johnson .
My brother and I always sold the most candy for school fundraisers as kids. Though, our neighbors were probably glad to see us out doing something normal for once and took pity on us. :)
*** jehovah's witness text adventure ***.
version 1.0. written by shawn colton.
you are standing in the kingdom hall of jehovah's witnesses.
What about
>stab with bloody knife
That was always my fave and it seems appropriate
were you dfed, did you find out some lies about the org?.
what was the last straw?
It started with a JC.... I was a regular pioneer for 3 years at the time and my dad is and was not an elder. My best friend was a new pioneer with an elder father and had been in trouble for messing around with boys at school. She told the elders that I set her up to be molested by my cousin. I knew nothing about any of it, I told them that and they questioned me for 2 hours before my dad made them stop. He would not let them question me alone because I was a minor, they tried to push the issue but he stood his ground. They ended it by asking me to apologize for not telling her parents that I knew she 'liked' my cousin. I refused.
For the next two years, those elders made my life hell. They pulled me into every situation involving young people and I was in more JCs than the average elder, even if it was to prove that I was not involved by providing an alibi. Then I was considered bad association because I was involved in so many JCs. That was it for me as a JW, though I went to memorial and other special talks from time to time. After about 6 years of not going to meetings I started looking at the org, looking at the teachings and reading the bible by itself. I didn't see love in the org and I decided that was a good enough reason to let it go inside as well as outwardly.
It is my standby answer for all my JW family, except my parents, "if it isn't loving, I won't be part of it"
Angie
never ever leaveyour child alone with a jw?.
i have friends who left their daughter over a weekend with her cousins.
she came back with crying fits, nightmares and general nervousness about the world ending.
My 6 year old came home from Grandma's (my ex's mom) and wouldn't look at the Christmas tree or touch it. He was usually all over it but now he was even trying to keep the 2 year old away from it. I asked him what was wrong and he said Gma showed him in the bible that God woud kill anyone who likes Christmas trees. WTF!!!!! I called her that night as soon as they were asleep and told her that I would never leave them with her again.
She cried and begged because the ex doesn't take them over to her, I relented when she promised not to indoctrinate them. I always ask kidlet if Gma said anything about Jehovah and he is pretty good about telling me anything she may say. I have since told her that she can talk about nature as God's creation, just no death and destruction. We have a working relationship and Nic understands that Gma just calls God that other name. Funny how she straightened right up when threatened with "shunning"
Angie
as i went out less and less and less.......i loved the look on the bro at the magazine counter when i said i need three fewer or whatever.....after i did this a few times he said "yeah...several others have had to do the same"......and then i noticed that not only did i bring a huge stack of "back issues" into the hall and place them on the counter when nobody was looking......but there was already a pile there......then i just started trashing them........ahhh.......those were they days...............
I went from regular pioneer, back when we had to do 1000hrs a year, to never going in service again. There was a pile of mags waiting for me after 2 months of no meetings. I said I didn't want them and the bro looked like he was going to cry because he thought I was going to get htem off his hands. Oops! It wasn't on purpose, though, I just didn't think to cancel them.
i will be having grilled asparagus sometime soon, what other two food items should i eat with it?.
I like grilled salmon with grilled asparagus. Add a rice dish and you have a light dinner.
Aged white cheddar and prosciutto, stuffed mushrooms and hard breads make for a good appetizer.
Then you can make an easy tiramisu with a few ladyfingers dipped in espresso, vanilla gelato or ice cream and cocoa shavings.
Tell me when you are cooking and I'll come over, haha!
