Posts by independent

32

Thanks to each and everyone of you

by StoneWall in

jw
friends

after many months of lurking and researching on oh so many different topics, doubts, concerns, and viewpoints i decided to get my feet wet and start posting.

many times i wished to contribute something to a thread but was to apprehensive to get an account.

then as time passed and i read many more of the post from various members the uneasiness subsided somewhat and my desire to proceed into previously uncharted waters grew.

A birthday in "bizarro world"

by changeling in

jw
friends

i'm sitting in the living room reading jwd on my laptop.

my elderly parents are in the adjacent dining room having lunch.

my mother pulls out the "daily text" and asks: "what day is it?

independent_tre

Wow, this is going to be the first time I've said (typed) this in years but here goes...

HAPPY BIRTHDAY!!!!

and many more.

According to the borg, you were just seeking some immodest attention for this milestone in your life, and your parents are unfortunately following along. Stupid religion....

18

My story

by Newborn in

jw
friends

dear all, thank you for your warm welcome!

this is my story in short (pls excuse wrong spellings, english is not my native tongue and that it still became quite long).. i'm 34 and was born into the truth by parents who in their turn were baptist in young age.

i have one older sister who is currently serving at bethel with her husband and a younger brother who never embraced the truth (which was my big sorrow for many years).

independent_tre

I've never felt more happy and free as now and are even in love again but will take it very slow. I'm still young and hope I've many happy years in front of me

Thank you so much for sharing your story with us. You and I are the same age and the statement quoted above gives me hope as well. I'm so happy for you and you have a lot of freedom and life ahead of you. So many of us enjoy reading other stories and experiences because it offers valuable encouragement to everyone.

Another point you made stuck out with me, the one about other people being smart enough to realize this is a cult. I struggled with that for years and that had kept me in because there really are many intelligent jw that you think this must be the truth, how could they be fooled (my parents included)? But I realize that it has not so much to do with being smart or dumb, but it's much more complex and deals with emotionality, the unknown, life experiences, etc.

Congrats again on your exit, I'm working on finding my way out to. Looking forward to your posts.

15

Hallelujah

by Newborn in

jw
friends

i finally got it!

i'm finally free!

i'm so happy to be leaving this cold, love less, money making, manipulative sect.

independent_tre

In a way I think a lot of folks feel like newborns. Nothing like starting a new life!

WELCOME!

7

Another trip down memory lane

by lost_light06 in

jw
friends

the boe in my childhood congregation was probably the nicest and most sincere group of elders i have ever come across, at least the boe i grew up with.

i still hold each of them in high regard, they were truly very kind and caring people.

however, apparently before i was born (pre 79) and when i was a small child there was quite a bit of trouble in that cong.

independent_tre

It didn’t occur to me until my exit from the watchtower that as a child I was witnessing the crumbling of a congregation from the backlash of 1975, and the great apostate purge of the early ‘80’s.

Wow. I've just finished reading the chapter in COC that deals with the 1975 issue and the 1914 problem ( middle of the book) and I was wondering what effect that must have had on the cong. My mother became inactive for a little while right around this time. I can only imagine seeing this kind of thing happen, although I would have been too young to understand.

Thanks for sharing your experience.

8

A memory from my childhood.

by lost_light06 in

jw
friends

i just remembered this today, though i would share.. .

there was one sister in my childhood cong.

that was mentally challenged.

independent_tre

This is really sad, and something you can't forget.

70

Name something that JWs believe in that isn't in the Bible

by Awakened at Gilead in

my favorites are:.

"paradise earth": not in the bible.

"great crowd" of "other sheep" - two unrelated texts... put them together, and voila!, you just changed the destiny of millions!.

independent_tre

No rap music. Even with so called ok lyrics. This was pushed in inner city congs. for a long time. My brother swore he'd never be a witness, cause then he'd have to throw out 90% of music.

39

If you weren't born in, how did you get in?

by ecuador in

i am not a jw, but know several, and i am curious as to why adults get involved with the jws.

any one have an answer from personal experience?

independent_tre

Was getting invited to all sorts of places, but now realized they were doing it to count service time.

Sucks doesn't it? It was the same for me when I was studying, until one day 6 months or so down the road, I was running late from work. I called the sister to tell her that I was on my way on the train, but that I'd be about 30 minutes late.

"Oh just forget it!" she said in an irritated tone. "I'll already be done with my time for today."

Hit me like a ton of bricks. We weren't real friends. I was just some time to report.

24

The ''truth'' that lead me to question the WTS.

by RULES & REGULATIONS in

the truth that leads to eternal life says on page 13:.

we need to examine, not only what we personally believe, but also what is taught by any religious organization with whichwe may be associated.

are its teachings in full harmony with god's word, or are they based on the traditions of men?

independent_tre

I think for some of us, it was the collection of little things that had no scriptural backing - ( field service reports, no beards), for others it was the huge gaping holes in their doctrinal teachings, or maybe even a combination both.. It just seems like once that can of worms opens, the questions in the back of your head never go away and depending on how good you are at suppressing them, the average person will desire to seek out the 'real truth'

To use a popular movie quote, some people just 'can't handle the truth', so they sweep all of their doubts under the rug in their mind, and just keep going along with the whole program.

25

Do active JW's on this forum still practice shunning?

by Thechickennest in

just wondering if active jw's on this forum or jw's just watching this board still put into practice in one way or another, shunning?.

what is the motivation do so?

is it to save face or relationships?

independent_tre

I think very few active jws here will admit to shunning, since they are likely to chastised on this board for still doing this, when so many here are on the other side of the 'dub snub' ( hee -hee, I like that term BFD )

What I've noticed has been quite the opposite, however. DF'd persons who still attend meetings tend to show a lot of respect and will tell someone who unknowingly speaks to them, that they're DF'd. I have had that happen to me several times where I've missed the announcement or visiting another KH, and spoke to someone and they've let me know that they are DF'd. Maybe they are trying to get reinstated, I don't know, but I don't think I've ever seen a DF'd person trying to actively socialize at the hall.

I don't run into many jws outside of meetings, although I work with several, one of whom is DF'd and I speak to him all the time. Just 'hi' and 'bye'. I pretend I don't know about him being DF, but in actuality I just don't care. I would probably speak to anyone that I ran into, although I doubt I'd be hi-fiving them at the meetings. I'm much more likely to make eye contact and definitely smile. ( as a matter of fact I do this on purpose, because I know it's hard on them, especially the younger ones)

independent_tre

Posts by independent_tre