Posts by CandleLight

32

To the Christians...

by VoidEater in

jw
friends

to the christians on the board:.

thank you for living up to the best your beliefs have to offer.

with very few exceptions, my flailings and rantings as i refine my own "truth" have been greeted with patience and kindness, or kindly ignored.. i do not foresee that i will ever return to a belief system that you hold dear, yet i do respect your beliefs - and appreciate your insights.

CandleLight

Hi Mouthy and snowbird!

We were released from a religion full of walls. Remember how they used to say we had to stay safe by staying in the organiztion? Yep, kinda like a sheep pen... alot of walls. Funny thing is, Jesus is the door to open pasture, not a man constructed building.

Snowbird, I like the observation on the scripture. Notice it was man who put the wall up, hiding with shame, covering themselves. It made me think of the promise in the scriptures.

Heb 10:19 Therefore, brothers, having boldness to enter into the Holy of Holies by the blood of Jesus, :20 by a new and living way which He has consecrated for us through the veil, that is to say, His flesh; :21 and having a High Priest over the house of God, :22 let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled from an evil conscience and our bodies having been washed with pure water. :23 Let us hold fast the profession of our faith without wavering (for He is faithful who promised),

Boldness before the throne and the face of God, quite a difference then what happened in Genesis huh?!

CL(not a fan of organized religion)

29

Women - do you love being around men?

by Mr Ben in

jw
friends

women - do you love being around men?

i only ask because i realise that for over 20 years i just love being around women.

it's not just for sexual reasons either, though that's important sometimes, i just really like being around women.

CandleLight

Yes, I enjoy thier company.

Growing up I had two brothers, who taught me alot. My best friend in Highschool was a guy, and best friend now is a man. Been married for 17 years to a facinating man who has enlightened me more than anyone I have ever met.

Not to say I don't and didnt have friends who are female. But I have to say, I pick them wisely. I have learned something about the female gender. They are ruthless and alot cannot be trusted to not stab you in the back. There seems to be some type of competition and jealosy factors that tend to make women fierce with each other. I have spent my life, trying to not be that kind of women.

CL

32

To the Christians...

by VoidEater in

jw
friends

to the christians on the board:.

thank you for living up to the best your beliefs have to offer.

with very few exceptions, my flailings and rantings as i refine my own "truth" have been greeted with patience and kindness, or kindly ignored.. i do not foresee that i will ever return to a belief system that you hold dear, yet i do respect your beliefs - and appreciate your insights.

CandleLight

Void~

Just when I was thinking no one would want to listen to what i have to say, you go and say something nice.

Problem with labels is that it groups people together under an umbrella that ignores the facts. Someone may claim to be a Christian and a follower of Christ, and walk an entirely different strut.

What is the person's fruitage? It tells all, no matter what the label says. There are very few walls that really exist when it comes to serving God. If only Men would stop errecting them.

Love

CL

41

What's Your View Of Jehovah's Witnesses As Individual Persons?

by minimus in

jw
friends

do you think they make the best parents?.

the best children?.

the best workers?.

CandleLight

They are a group who claims to be "above" the world in their standards.

Sadly we all can see that is a lie. As individuals, we cannot say they are any more moral or honest than another person. I know some less and more moral persons of all religions.

Their association with the JW religion does not affect them as individuals. It is a washing of the outside of the cup, while the inside can remain filthy. This type of "works based" religion lends itself to harbor very immoral, dishonest, and decietful persons, who can hide behind a front of purity. The rules and standards they submit too, do not make them better persons. If it worked that way, then Jesus would not have called the Pharasis "off-spring of Vipers".

I love many of the Wittnesses I knew. They were some great people, who if ever freed from their chains could fully bloom. I also have known some of the most depraved, who are still lurking in that black hole organization.

May the good be sifted soon.

Love

CL

42

Are Believers Truly Humble?

by serotonin_wraith in

if you are non religious, do you still feel those with religion show a higher level of humility than others in society?.

on the face of it, i feel most would answer in the affirmative.. but breaking it down, i find it harder and harder to accept.

in fact, i'd call it the opposite of humility.

CandleLight

Those who are truly arrogant are ones who absolutely believe themselves to be special and others to be lower classes of life. I find it tricky to know exactly who such ones are for I am unable to read hearts accurately.

I find it tricky too. All we have to go on sometimes to tell us about people is words and actions. And this cannot give us the depth needed to see a heart. Good thing it is not my Job! I would have to resign.

Whether someone claims to be religous or not, one cannot be humble without loving others. And if they do love others, they have (perhaps inadvertantly... for perhaps an athiest) reflected the qualities of God, and Jesus. Amazing isn't it. The qualities we most value in others, no matter what religion or non religion they are.....are the same ones attributed to our Father. Our hearts want him, even if we are not aware of it.

JW beliefs would never lend to an understanding that our Father (whom they call Jehovah) is a humble God. Perhaps that is why as a group they have a very hard time reflecting that quality.

I love Jesus words "those whom have not sinned, cast the first stone."..

Putting my stone down

love

CL

61

My tomb stone

by mouthy in

thursday i bought my stone.

they lay it in 6 weeks.

cost me $1 thousand 500 dollars.

CandleLight

Mouthy,,.. or is it Granny or Grace?

No one your age is every useless. Very valuable would be a better way to put it. You have years of wisdom we younger wippersnappers need to hear. I love talking with people your age. Facinating, intelligent, and onery.... wonderful!

As for the tombstone. Good for you! A little morbid, but I understand, My grandmother did the same thing when Grandpa died about 10 years ago. When I go visit the grave, I have to say it is disturbing to see her name, knowing that she is at a garage sale!

Hope for our sakes you are with us much longer

Love

CL

57

Will Women Eventually Start Being Used As Servants?

by White Dove in

as the men in the congregations suffer from burnout and quit helping out as ms and elders, do you think the situation of shrinkage will become so desperate that the wts will be forced to start using women in positions of authority?

they have a huge commodity that they are refusing to use.

that makes no sense at all.

CandleLight

NO

About as likely to happen as them admitting there is no such thing as little flock and other sheep.

45

JW's from "The World" have a easier time going "Back Out Into The World"?

by BBOARD in

jw
friends

we all know how hard it is, usually, for those rasied in the truth to readjust "outside in the world" once they leave ... so not to undermine them (esp.

for those who came in later in life - regardless of how many times from the podium you were instructed not to "leave the love you had at first" many of you are here because you found out the "truth about the truth" whether it was the people or doctrine or combination ... and were willing to open your mind, realize the "truth about the truth" and leave.

not to undermine all those years and mind numbing propaganda you endured in the jw's, but i have always felt: .

CandleLight

Hmmmmm

Good question. I was raised a JW. My husband converted when he was 17. Maybe we could do a study on who fairs better? After being out a year it has definately been hard for both of us, but in different ways.

He still had family, as none of his ever converted. I have no fleshy family left. We both lost lifetime friends, but I lost ALL of mine, and he has one or two remaining(he was in a while). The transition mentally has been the most telling. The reprograming for me has been much more extensive, and he has helped me alot, which he actually did before we got out, here and there.

We both though have done well because we found a new road. Makes leaving the ugly one behind easier.

CL

31

Are we hyper-sensitised to JW changes? Do we exaggerate their importance?

by yadda yadda 2 in

jw
friends

sometimes i think we lose all perspective at times on here.

that we are just as prone to over-magnifying any meaning behind relatively minor changes like this in the organisation in the same way jw's are prone to over exaggerate every bit of bad news in the world to mean armageddon is near.. when you sit down in the cold light of day, this change to the bookstudy arrangement for example, is it really that much a big deal?

i strongly doubt it really, despite initial reactions (including my own).

CandleLight

Honestly?

I have been reading this site for the news update! If you want to know what the Witnesses are up too these days, and what changes are made, come here and read, cause someone will have posted it.

There is good and bad about being senstive to every change they make.

Good.~We know don't we! We see the hyprocrasy just overflowing from their mouths and we sit back and wonder how others just can't see it. Makes us sad for the rest of those who are still trapped but happy in our hearts that we got free. It is nice to recognise the truth.

Bad~ in the sense of moving on. Are we obsessed with a religion we have rejected? Where is our life now? Time is so very wasted looking backwards when the path ahead is where God is leading us. Lingering and examining every single change wastes our precious engery that could be spent going forward. If our lives are still centered around what was, and what we went through (speaking from experience here.. my story is wild) they still have our hearts captive.

His peace to all

CL

29

Please Share your Experiences of Abusive Judicial Committee Meetings

by flipper in

jw
friends

i had noticed on the board recently of several posters mentioning what they , or someone they know has gone through being brought before a jehovah's witness judicial committee - so i thought it would be good to share experiences so we all can get an idea of what has worked for some of you in dealing with it , and also methods to use when dealing with the elders , and it might open some lurkers eyes to the injustices suffered by many - which by the way usually isn't discussed in the rank and file witnesses .

many of you know my experience - so i will be brief.

long story short i was inactive for 3 and a half years , scripturally free to remarry , had not attended meetings for that long.

CandleLight

Growing up a JW I have to say I had my share of Judical comittees... The ones I remember as a teen were humiliating. Nothing like a teenage girl have to go into detail about her indecresions with three middle age elders. They were asking such specifics, I felt like I was abused by them. Left humiliated. Even though It was apparent I was remorseful, cause I was an elder's daughter, and others invovled, and example had to be set. The story of my life I am afraid.

As for the one for Apostacy. Well, That one never happened. We refused to attend their tribunal. They were furious. We spoke with two elders who went back to the PO and within 40 minutes they asked for a meeting. When we said no, the PO was actually sreaming on the telephone. They were so thrown off, they had no idea what to do with us. So of course they wrote the society. In the meantime marked us in the Congregation. That is the last we heard until the night of our announcement. My husband happened to call the PO and find out what the society said.. "Well, they said you have disassociated yourselves by your actions." When asked when the announcement would be, cause I had JW family.. they curtiously replied. "tonight". Which was a whole 30 minutes away. These were people I had known for 15 years, and I could hardly recognise them. But it gets better.

We decided we wanted to hear our own announcement. So we went to the KH. We were barred from entering. Told we were no longer members and that it was a business meeting. Well from the crazed look in the elders eyes, and the hate I saw, it just sealed my decision. This is not God's house.

I shortened a long story... sometime I'll have to share some of the rest. But reading here I have to say. Do not be afraid. Your life will NOT end when you get out. Sure, it will be difficult for a while... kinda like the pain of removing a thorn.. hurts while it comes out, but heals up afterwards. Never thought I could have done what I did, Lost my family and friends. But took a stand for truth, and it feels wonderful. God replaces the holes in our life with beautiful things and people, no fakes here anymore. Fear stifles us, and makes us linger in situations we should have gotton ourselves out of a long time ago. Throw off the chains! Following Jesus is free.

Love

CL