leaving-jws

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Posts by leaving-jws

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  41

  only part of meeting you enjoyed

  by martinwellborne in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  for me it was bible reading, where you could express your own opinion, in line with present truth of course.. pre the change it was awful listening to some fool telling you his opinion of bible highlights.

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  leaving-jws

  I loved the kingdom melody breaks so I could go to the bathroom and talk to my friends
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  8

  Would this be considered shunning?

  by dinah in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  hey folks!

  this is just an example of how the uber-dubs shun all of society.. my daughter and her best friend went skating the other night.

  my cousin's daughter (who is still a jw) was there.

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  leaving-jws

  Hi Dinah,

  This is definitely shunning! Stuff like this really makes me mad. I watch my dad do this to his sister all of the time. But the sad part is that your daughter got caught in the middle of it. It must be very painful for you to know your daughter was shunned by a family member.
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  33

  I NEED TO VENT

  by Cindi_67 in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  for the past weeks, i have gotten in touch with a lot of old high school classmates.

  a lot of them i've found over the internet.

  after reading their profiles and talking to them, to my surprise, a lot of them are professionals with degrees like doctors, engineers, business, etc.

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  leaving-jws

  Hi Cindy_67,

  When I read your post I totally understood you. There are so many JWs that put their lives on hold waiting for the big A. But you cannot let yourself feel discouraged because of your decision. At the time, you thought you were doing the right thing.

  But like what others have already written. It's not too late to make a change. Don't dwell on the past! I was in your shoes as well. But when I realized the hypocrisy in the religion, I quickly made changes and re-evaluated my life. I pursued my education and now I can called myself a professional.

  You can do it too.
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  11

  Being a JW: Like a Competitive Sport???

  by leaving-jws in

  1. jw
  2. experiences

  one thing i hate about being a jw is all of the competition.

  i've been actively fading for about several months now.

  but, to make the family happy i attended a meeting about a week ago.

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  leaving-jws

  It's all about the competition! After field service the first question that will be asked by the frontrunner (pioneer) at a street corner is "how many magazines did you place?" Not like they care. They just want an opportunity to tell you about all of the great success they had in placing WTs. I am so happy to be away from the rat race!

  Carmel: I understand why you would assume that I was projecting based on my vague statement of being eyeballed. But I have a buddy that everyone questions to get information about my whereabouts. And the people eyeballing me coincided with the people asking about me.
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  11

  Being a JW: Like a Competitive Sport???

  by leaving-jws in

  1. jw
  2. experiences

  one thing i hate about being a jw is all of the competition.

  i've been actively fading for about several months now.

  but, to make the family happy i attended a meeting about a week ago.

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  leaving-jws

  One thing I hate about being a JW is all of the competition. I've been actively fading for about several months now. But, to make the family happy I attended a meeting about a week ago.

  After the meeting I was reminded about the meeting times and field service arrangement locations and times by a few elders and elderettes. As if I did not already know this! People that hardly ever go the meetings were eyeballing me as if they were better than me as I never go to the meetings anymore.

  So here is my question, do you find being a Jehovah Witness is all about competition?? Doesn't it at times feel more like a competitive sport than an alleged religion??
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  59

  My Very First Post

  by leaving-jws in

  1. jw
  2. experiences

  i have been so reluctant to post basically because i am so torn about exposing my personal life.

  i happen to come across this website by mistake about 6 months ago.

  i agreed with your opinions of the jws view on higher education and independent thinking that i found on this website.

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  leaving-jws

  Hello Everyone!

  I just want to convey to you all that I appreciate all of the suggestions and thoughtful advice. I am very happy to have your support. Thank you so much...
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  9

  Need a Little Help With This!!!

  by leaving-jws in

  1. jw
  2. experiences

  i have a older sister that i have shared my feelings with about my doubt that jws are truly god's organization.

  the reason she can promise is because she doesn't go to meetings herself.

  " so i say, "well what if they did call would you open the door?

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  leaving-jws

  Thanks for the advice. You guys are right because when I first starting talking to her about what I was learning she threaten to talk to mom and dad. Then I reasoned with her that it wouldn't be smart to tell them about me if she was not 'serving Jehovah to her capabilities.' And I would make sure they knew that fact about her. So she got over it. But she doesn't know how I get my info. She thinks I'm doing my research with the WT CD-ROM and other WT publications. Anything I show her to prove my argument is always WT- based.

  But I think I will stop talking to her about it and just try to enjoy our relationship as it stands.
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  9

  Need a Little Help With This!!!

  by leaving-jws in

  1. jw
  2. experiences

  i have a older sister that i have shared my feelings with about my doubt that jws are truly god's organization.

  the reason she can promise is because she doesn't go to meetings herself.

  " so i say, "well what if they did call would you open the door?

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  leaving-jws

  I have a older sister that I have shared my feelings with about my doubt that JWs are truly God's organization. She is the only sibling I have that knows I am not going to meetings and has vowed not to tell mom and dad. The reason she can promise is because she doesn't go to meetings herself. And this is where the story begins...

  I was over her house about four months ago for lunch. There was a knock at the door. I went to look in the peephole and I noticed it was some of friends from her hall. I am not one to open up doors in someone else's house even if it is my sister's house. So I told her that there were some of her JW friends at the door.

  She tells me don't worry they will go away. They just want to know why I have not been at the meetings. But I said, "Sis, they know you are here. The windows are open, the music is on, they can see you. Look, they are waving at you through the windows right now! See!" (Visual --Friends are waving and smiling in the window as I speak). "I don't care, she says, they just want to bother me." "Next time I go to that meeting I'm going to tell them to stop coming over here without a phone call." So I say, "Well what if they did call would you open the door?" "No, she says, I will just make sure I'm not here when they show up. I don't have to answer to anyone." (Visual--Friends look upset, walk slowly back to cars, with frequent glances over their shoulders). I wonder how many times this happens? Also, it seems the longer she stays away from the hall the more callous she becomes about trying to fake that she likes them. I mean these people used to be her friends. She rarely returns their phone calls as well.

  My sister can be kind of rude sometimes..

  However, my point is when I talk to her about the WT mistakes with dates, the increase in the memorial partakers statistics and the possible changes in generation dates, she will not listen to me. She knows that the WT makes mistakes but she says that "it is not a reason to give up on Jehovah." But then I tell her that she has basically already given up based on ther track record with meeting attendance. She has never been regular at meetings since she moved out from mom and dad's. She will not address this and simply say, "That's something I need to work on." If the elders bother her enough with phone calls, she will make a few appearances and then split for a while.

  She has always lived a double life and has many worldly friends. Despite the fact that WT frowns on many of her behaviors, she persists in it. Even when I research things that she is doing that is wrong from the WT standpoint and back it up with WT articles and then conclude that this is why she should just give up. She will say "I don't believe what the WT is saying", "some people take what the WT say so seriously, I'm not like that" or "I don't see anything wrong with that." So then, I say, "Just give it up then." But she will say, "you just want me to be just like you."

  I really confused with her behavior and I just don't know what to make out of it. Any suggestions on how to reason with her?...
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  32

  District Assemblies Not All They are Cracked Up to Be

  by WTWizard in

  1. jw
  2. experiences

  you hear about them for so long.

  the grand boasting session is supposed to be the biggie.

  there is so much hype about the motels that are on the list, which will come out right around jan 1. you are supposed to call ahead, and usually people get busy signals and full motels.

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  leaving-jws

  DCs are nothing but 'sales meetings' to generate more money for the bank. It's always about the bottom line. And of course, to promote new memberships. I always feel sorry for Bible studies because they get fear mongered into making the big plunge to avoid 'dying in Armaggedon.'
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  59

  My Very First Post

  by leaving-jws in

  1. jw
  2. experiences

  i have been so reluctant to post basically because i am so torn about exposing my personal life.

  i happen to come across this website by mistake about 6 months ago.

  i agreed with your opinions of the jws view on higher education and independent thinking that i found on this website.

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  leaving-jws

  Hi everyone! I have been so reluctant to post basically because I am so torn about exposing my personal life. I happen to come across this website by mistake about 6 months ago. I agreed with your opinions of the JWs view on higher education and independent thinking that I found on this website. After that point, I became hooked and starting checking out your posts every week! I found out so much info about the JWs that I never knew about. However, a lot of suspicions were confirmed. Shortly after, I stopped going to the meetings and there was no way I could go out in FS. I cannot teach something I don't believe in!
  
  A lot of you guys feel the same way I do about things and it was weird because I was taught to believe that "apostates" have radical "demonic" ideas.
  
  I was raised "in the truth" from infancy. I never really believed that I could measure up to the lofty standards the slave class presents to their followers. Also, I have always found it hard to believe that people who are not Jehovah Witnesses will die in Armageddon. I remember talking to a JW buddy of mine about a year ago about "worldy people" and the channel of prayer. I always believed that Jehovah listens to all peoples' prayers because he loved the whole world according to the gospel. But a MS buddy told me that under no circumstances Jehovah listens to their prayers. And he is not the only JW that feels that way. But it doesn't make sense! Because the slave class is always having their experiences at the DC that "a worldy person was at home praying for spiritual guidance and a JW showed up at the door."
  
  So Jehovah only listens to ones that pray for JWs to witness to them? Otherwise, you are basically the odd one out if you don't want them to come to your door? It doesn't make sense.
  
  I had a strange one-hour conversation with my die-hard JW mother a few days ago. She basically told me that I she doesn't want me to have any children with my husband because "The End" is so close. She even stated that "the slave class is preparing us for the end that is why they are giving us a special WT." Can you imagine a mother giving up her opportunity to be a grandmother to chase after a pipe dream? Or even discouraging her daughter from having a fulfilled life with the children? It doesn't make sense. I am very disappointed in my mother which is what pushed me to write a post. I guess I just need encouragement. I wish that everyone I love could see things the way I do. The JWs do not have truth. It seems so crystal clear! But no one can see it but me...