Posts by garybuss

42

What Did You Hate About The Circuit OV.'s Visit?

by minimus in

jw
friends

i think that there a number of things about the circuit overseer's visit that stinks!

one thing that i hated was how all the elders got together to "shepherd" the flock right before the co's visit.....what bothered you about the week long visit??

?

garybuss

I loved the extra hour on Thursday night when the activity chart was swung out on it's hinges to be criticized by the circuit servant while brother Boner pointed to all the lines discussed with a 1/4" dowel purchased at the hardware store for $.25. I especially liked the way He said Jehovah's spirit on the whole congregation was being blocked by someone and we all thought we were the reason for the loss of spirit. Everyone except pious Pete went hone feeling transparently guilty.

My favorite was really the special Saturday night meeting called New Things Returned. We all looked forward to listening to the same information we had just considered at last Sunday's Watchtower Study. They must have given sister Hugehips both the songs so she could practice. She only hit 32 sour notes each.

Saturday was really special with the all day service. The Circuit Servant only was with the brother Ritz group and his new Chrysler New Yorker in the morning and gone with the Company Servant all afternoon. His wife was nice. Cute for a mousy little woman. She had to go with us all afternoon to the hillside territory where every house has at least a hundred steps up to it. I spent all afternoon wondering what it would be like to do it with her.

Sundays were easy. Only service all day and the meeting from 7 till 9:30 PM, then a half hour talk that went till 10:30 where we were reminded that we could all be pioneering if we really wanted to and it is a sin to be materialistic. He always thanked us for providing for him and his (slurp) wife and he never forgot to remind us how much the Society needs donations for the new factory.

All in all I liked his visits very much.

The Way I See it http://www.freeminds.org/buss/buss.htm

20

Some will go back

by JH in

jw
friends

i would like to know how many people here are thinking of going back to the hall if the elders go and visit them.

we had stories of people telling the elders that they had enough and wanted to get out.

on the other hand, i am sure a few will go back, but we will not hear their stories as much because they fear the reaction of this board.

garybuss

Millions now dying have never lived. Nope, me not go back.

9

QUESTION??

by Siddhashunyata in

jw
friends

after leaving jehovah's witnesses we experience much confusion.

what should we believe about god, religion, death , life , war, health, sex etc.etc?

usually we search out other ideas or beliefs and again find ourselves groping for another "world view" that will , at last give us peace.

garybuss

Hi Siddhashunyata,

I had to challenge my core beliefs with skepticism. Some stood up to the challenge and I kept those. Some failed and they were discarded. Some are work in progress.

All were kept or discarded with reason in the context of my best perception of reality. All decisions were made with the benefit of examining both the pro and the con.

My short term rules were:
Don't hurt anyone on purpose.
Leave everyone as if it were the last time I ever see them.
Plan for tomorrow but live for today.
Don't let the sun set on a bad deal.
There is no good bad deal.
Wait three days to act on emotion like anger.
Wait three more if emotion is not gone.
Live as close to my values as possible.
Minimize expectations.
Be skeptical of all claims of a superhuman nature.
Avoid all confrontation.

These helped me stay out of new trouble while I sorted out the rest.

Best wishes to you. I bet you will do fine.

The Way I See it http://www.freeminds.org/buss/buss.htm

20

Do not blame the workers in the field

by whyhideit in

jw
friends

often when discussing with jehovah's witnesses the problems of the organization, it is common for them to say they think you are lying.

they may feel in some way or another that you have fallen away from the pure light, and have become blinded to jehovah, and opened your eyes to satan's false teaching.

these words, and the thinking i have expressed, should sound very familiar to any reader who has spent time in the organization.

garybuss

whyhideit, You started a thread titled Do not blame the workers in the field. To blame, by definition, is to assign responsibility. If you drive your car into mine, you are responsible for the damage, not the person or institution that taught you to drive or printed your reading material.

If you snub me by order of Reader's Digest, I could care less about assigning responsibility to Reader's Digest. I am pissed at you. When I was a practicing Witness I liked the high road. When I accepted my own responsibility, I stopped.

Bad behavior is bad behavior and willful ignorance and religious motives do not count. To understand a principle, take it out of context. If a Witness shoots someone and kills them but they are ignorant that the Headquarters held an association with the United Nations they will still be held blamable, or responsible and will be sent to prison. The crimes most Witnesses commit are usually less severe than murder but the principle stays the same.

Am I getting through at all?

20

Do not blame the workers in the field

by whyhideit in

jw
friends

often when discussing with jehovah's witnesses the problems of the organization, it is common for them to say they think you are lying.

they may feel in some way or another that you have fallen away from the pure light, and have become blinded to jehovah, and opened your eyes to satan's false teaching.

these words, and the thinking i have expressed, should sound very familiar to any reader who has spent time in the organization.

garybuss

You write:

Had they known both sides and the complete picture . . .

They snub! What's to know? They shun! What's to know? They intimidate people who need blood medical treatment, many of those die! What's to know? They harbor pedophiles! What's to know? They willfully choose ignorance! What's to know?

What am I missing?

20

Do not blame the workers in the field

by whyhideit in

jw
friends

often when discussing with jehovah's witnesses the problems of the organization, it is common for them to say they think you are lying.

they may feel in some way or another that you have fallen away from the pure light, and have become blinded to jehovah, and opened your eyes to satan's false teaching.

these words, and the thinking i have expressed, should sound very familiar to any reader who has spent time in the organization.

garybuss

You wrote:

Remember, do not blame the workers, as they really think they are doing a good job.

They are the ONLY JWs I know. They are the ones who lied to me. They are the ones that encouraged my wife to suffer and die without proper medical treatment. They are the ones who told my sons I am bad association. They are the ones who shun and snub me. They are liable. I do blame the JWs I know and I promise to work to their detriment.

I find your analogy interesting but your apology outrageous. Obviously you have never suffered a mortal wound inflicted by the faithful.

35

Watchtower says "BEAT your CHILDREN!"

by UnDisfellowshipped in

the watchtower february 1st 1956 issue, page 95:.

the watchtower february 1st 1960 issue, page 80:.

the watchtower august 1st 1962 issue, page 460:.

garybuss

Thanks for the thread. Physical abuse was taught from the platform, openly practiced, and expected all during my 23 years exposure. Hatred and abuse is the format of the Watch Tower Publishing Corporation sponsored activities.

Their contempt for decency on many levels needs to continue being told.

The Way I See it http://www.freeminds.org/buss/buss.htm

30

Would You, Could You, Marry Your Wife Again?

by Englishman in

jw
friends

a couple of years back, 2 friends of ours decided that they would like to have their marriage vows renewed in our local church.

the main reason behind this was that they had married abroad some years back, and they thought that a sort of "second wedding" would be a nice thing for the mums and dads who had missed out on the original.

it was fine, very enjoyable.. hmm, i got to thinking, her ladyship and i did not marry in church, but settled for a registry office bash because of parental jw pressure, and also, because i had been married before it was, back then, very difficult to obtain a church wedding if one had been divorced.

garybuss

I was married in the basement of a hardware store by a Chevy auto mechanic. He gave us some very good advise. Change your oil every 3,000 miles and rotate your tires every 6,000 miles.

He asked, Do you promise to use only original equipment manufactured parts and do you promise to wash and polish your car every week? And I said, "I do!"

Best minister I ever knew. I would use him again if I ever trade models.

ggbb

17

Being a JW has made me bitter

by mamashel in

over the last year after leaving the organization, i have done much research and read many books on the topic of jw's.

i have found peace in the fact that i truely believe that it is a false religion and that i want nothing to do with it ever again.

my problem is that i have been through, like most of you alot of emotions such as fear, anger, stupidity, (that i could allow myself to get involved so deeply in something), and many other feelings too.

garybuss

Hi Shelley

For me the anger covered fear and guilt and all the other emotions and all the unfinished business. Only after I researched my own core beliefs and dis-beliefs and accepted or rejected those with reason was I free in my mind. Only after I confronted all the Witnesses in my life and laid out my rules to them was I free in my heart.

My hardest job was accepting just how bad I had been treated by the Witness people I associated with. I kept making excuses for them and giving them more opportunities. They were very disruptive influences in my family and were successful in segregating two of my sons from the family. I will never forgive them for that and I will never give them access to my family again under any circumstances.

gary

20

Do all witnesses shun you?

by JH in

jw
friends

there are always a few tender hearted, who know that shunning is stupid and keep on talking to df'd people, when no one is looking.

are there still a few who keep on talking to you, even if you are df'd?

i'm sure that elders wouldn't shun you if you talk to them, so why do others have to shun you?

garybuss

No Witness associates with me because I do not consider them good association and they are not welcome in my home. I do not snub them if I meet them in public unless I have had a bad experience with that person, then I snub them. I could care less if they snub or shun me. This is MY game and I make the rules.

These people as a group have harmed me and people important to me and have not asked for forgiveness, nor have they quit their harmful behaviors. They continue to support the business corporation that sponsors the abuse. They support the group, and by association, they align with the rules that divide families, cause premature deaths, and punishes the victims of abuse while harboring the abusers.

I refuse to lower myself to that level anymore and I refuse to expose my family to any more divisive elements.

I shun them. I do not love them. I do not like them. I do not want them back in my life.

They can't hurt me. I am bullet proof:-)

Happy day everybody,

gdb

The Way I See it http://www.freeminds.org/buss/buss.htm