Posts by Billy the Ex-Bethelite

19

Marriage outside the religion punishable?

by Pattytheperfectone in

now i know they have always discouraged marrying outside of their so called 'truth' but since when has it been a punishable offense?

my sister recently married and they are discussing wether her being married to an outsider will stumble others and if they need to reprove or disfellowship her for it..

Billy the Ex-Bethelite

"My sister recently married and they are discussing wether her being married to an outsider will stumble others and if they need to reprove or disfellowship her for it."

The question becomes: Who will be getting stumbled? If the congregation punishes her, how will every "outsider" who hears about the situation feel? If they're looking to completely alienate the husband and his family, and any of her non-JW family, go ahead and go JC crazy! That will drive more people away from the bOrg! That happened with more than one of the kids I grew up with. They left and never looked back.

Or if they think they're going to make an example of her by punishing her in front of all the children in the congregation, is that really going to work? They've been DFing people like crazy for decades and they are still losing about 2/3 of their kids. (Higher in my congregation.)

10

Congregation "Bible Study"

by Blackfalcon98 in

so i was riding along with an uber dub.

the conversation veered to mentioning how one elder gave a very encouraging comment (he is the of loving type).

the issue was no one remembered exactly what the comment was, so i said "i know it was during the book study, i mean the congregation bible study.

Billy the Ex-Bethelite

"Bible Study"

No "study" is involved, and the material is from a book about another book.

Imagine spending time every week doing a paragraph by paragraph rehash of a book about a different book.

"The conversation veered to mentioning how one elder gave a very encouraging comment (he is the of loving type). The issue was no one remembered exactly what the comment was"

The rehash of a book about another book is then followed by a conversation about a comment someone made during the rehash of a book about another book... and nobody remembers what the comment was, but they agree it was a good one.

I find this hilarous... because it's so true of JWs, and so sad.

Were they all sipping Jesus Juice during the study?

18

Friend Told Me To "Get Over My Doubts & Keep Going Like Everything Is OK!!

by NoMoreHustle in

had a coversation with a very close friend (of 15 years) and understands how i feel about the wt org.

he himself is a serious doubter.

i on the other hand am not a doubter, i know with every living ounce of myself that this is a cult!

Billy the Ex-Bethelite

There is probably a large percentage of dubs who have lots of doubts, but just keep going like everything is okay.

I'm glad to not be living that kind of life anymore.

35

Hello!

by mikeypants in

jw
friends

wanted to say hello to you all.

i am new to the forum and just wanted to introduce myself.

i was raised a witness, never baptized (yay) and am married to a lovely baptized witness of jehovah.. i had been trying to get back into it due to both our families being j dbs but just never could get it into my heart.

Billy the Ex-Bethelite

Welcome!

What passes for "spiritual food" in WTland is nothing but Tony Morris talking about the tightness of pants.

12

It's all coming back...

by SoJo16 in

jw
friends

i joined the board this month and holy cow, are there ever some interesting points of view here.. a bit about my background: my dad was an unbaptised born-in who nevertheless went to vietnam and college where he met my mom.

mom was lutheran, but dad told her the only religion he was interested in belonging to was the jdubs.

they married in the early 70s and were both baptized.

Billy the Ex-Bethelite

Welcome!

79

My Memes

by ozbrad in

jw
friends

i've been using my photoshop skills for good rather than evil.. and it also helps relieve the shunning frustration.. .

.

Billy the Ex-Bethelite

Great Stuff! Thanks for the laughs!

70

Feeling sad over a wasted life in watchtower

by wannaexit in

jw
friends

it's been 12 years since i first read ray franz's books and the scales came off my eyes.

by that time i was in my forties.. since 2002 i went back to school and have worked with 3 very professional organizations.

but my biological clock is ticking away and while my peers are looking forward to retirement, i am only beginning.

Billy the Ex-Bethelite

I was in my 40s when I finally started waking up. Now I have a degree and a good job that I find interesting.

It is very depressing when I compare myself to where I could be in life, or when I compare myself to other classmates that have racked up the money and family and other measures of success.

But you know what? We survived the WT experience and have lived to tell about it. I've had 6 JW friends and acquaintences that committed suicide. But I didn't. Although my life isn't what it could have been, at least I've still got it! Although it might have been wonderful to get out of WT sooner, at least I'm out now and don't have to sit through hours of "blah, blah, blah, do what we say, blah, blah, tight pants, blah, blah, blah." And I may not be rich and famous, but I can go out for a very nice brunch rather than endure a Pub-bleck Talk and Botchtower Study in a windowless KH. (Hey Tony da Turd, ya know what gays call "brunch"? It's called "Gay Church". Now you can bash both brunch and tight pants in your next talk. Wearing tight pants to brunch makes Jehovah sad.)

So lets all look on the bright side: I got my weekly paycheck today! None of it is going to WT, inc.

10

Great Apple Pie!

by Atlantis in

forget the apple pie and just grab this booklet!.

2008 child custody booklet.. .. click the link by that little blue arrow.. .. https://www.sendspace.com/file/xvdh8l.

.. this booklet should be shared with every attorney you can find.

Billy the Ex-Bethelite

Nobody lights a lamp and sets it under a basket... except the Watchtower Legal Department.

Thanks for letting this light shine Atlantis!

40

Revelation, its Grand Climax.... remember when?

by wallsofjericho in

i remember being at the assembly in 1988?

when this was released.

everyone was so excited that we finally had a simple explanation of revelation with pictures.

Billy the Ex-Bethelite

The first time we studied it, I thought it was interesting. By the last time we studied it, I thought it was foolishness. Either I had to conduct the mess to disinterested dubs or try to read the mess through all the insertions of "new light".

"Revelation--It's Grand Climax at Hand!"

Even the name screams "false prophecy"! Since when does "at Hand" imply 30 years later?

42

Ongoing frustration with wife

by Flipping El in

i've tried taking the slow, patient approach with my wife.

i believe i first posted here about 13 months ago about my wife.. we've always had good communication and could talk endlessly about philosophy, neuroscience, sociology and then when i learned the ttatt, i clammed up a bit about spiritual things.

i'd always been fairly liberal, suggesting other alternative ideas, but then i told my wife about the un/ngo scandal (i ran across the guardian story doing a talk as an ms, lol!

Billy the Ex-Bethelite

Not sure if you've read this thread:

http://www.jehovahs-witness.net/jw/friends/254990/1/exJW-Psychology-102-How-to-Ask-a-Question-When-Questions-Arent-Allowed