Posts by StoneWall

i consider myself an intelligent woman...maybe not strong on the 'common sense' front, but academically i've done pretty well...so...how on earth did i not see through it all when i was studying in the beginning???.

i remember worrying about their 'sales pitching' styles and their arrogance of believing they had the 'truth' ...but still i got involved and became totally immersed in it all.

i feel like i sacrificied our whole family to them, who now shun me.. yesterday, my new son in law, he's a lawyer, asked me how i could have believed it wasnt a cult (topical word this week here) he said he didnt understand how i could have been persuaded to believe it all and trust them with so much and for so many years...... i feel ashamed of myself that i did and that i brought all this upon our family...anyone else relate?.

StoneWall

There is a poster on another forum I frequent that has a quote that I like at the bottom of their description which reads:

There is no shame in not knowing. The shame is in not finding out.

I have to say that is how I view it at this time. I was born in and raised around the WT organization.

Even as a youth I felt something was just not right or what it appeared to be in the organization. Whenever I would

question something I could always figure on getting the stock answer of Jehovah will straighten it out in his own due time,

or now is not the time to worry with such things, that the important thing is to get to all the people before the end comes.

As the years went by the more I started fitting pieces of the puzzle together, the less the image/picture on the puzzle

looked like what I was told it should look like. No matter how hard I tried to get the pieces to fit in with what was told

to me, they just would not fit. There was a few pieces that looked like they could fit, or even that they should fit, but as time went on I could see that no matter how hard I wished they would fit, they just would not match up.

9

Wanted to pass along some interesting news about some of the local KH's I found out

by StoneWall in

jw
friends

at least 2 of the 4 closest congregations to me had lower attendance at the memorial this year.. i didn't go to the memorial this year but at my own congregation it not only went down some but by a considerable margin.. last year we had 200+ for the memorial, this year down to 157.. second congregation nearby had a drop of over 20. from approx.

i do believe we have been making tremendous inroads in my area.

so many have just stopped going.

StoneWall

At least 2 of the 4 closest congregations to me had lower attendance at the memorial this year.

I didn't go to the Memorial this year but at my own congregation it not only went down some but by a considerable margin.

Last year we had 200+ for the Memorial, this year down to 157.

Second congregation nearby had a drop of over 20. From approx. 187 down to 165.

I do believe we have been making tremendous inroads in my area. So many have just stopped going. Inactive.

Yesterday while I was bike riding on the public trail I came in contact with a long time friend that was telling me the

Circuit Overseer met with her disfellowshipped sister while he was here and asked if there was anything they could do to

help her return to the congregation. Her sister told him in no uncertain terms that she never wants to go back.

Also I was told that 2 Elders are being sent in to this area to help with congregation matters.

Not sure what all this entails at present but something looks to be in the works.

I've personally had 4 Elders visits in the last 3 months. I keep a little record book everytime they come by.

So far they've been nice and tried to be "encouraging" but I can't help but feel that I've got a big bullseye on my back

and that they are trying to get me in their crosshairs.

A few of us "inactives" have been comparing notes and they've also been hit lately with unannounced visits.

We feel that maybe they are no longer content to let us be as inactives because of maybe influencing others in some

form by merely talking to them and such in public.

From what I gather that others have posted on here recently/lately it looks like a big push might be on to force people

to get in or get all the way out.

Could be instructions from corporate but as of now I've got my eyes and ears out to glean anything I can.

12

Where Is Homerovah the Almighty?

by Scott77 in

.

StoneWall

I'm confused as to why this was listed under "Physical Activities"

38

Gratitude from a long time lurker!

by Thetis in

i cannot begin to tell you how grateful i am to you!

you reassured me while i was one of the walking wounded.

you know that line from the movie "shadowlands", when the student says to c.s.

StoneWall

Oh that is so much better on my eyes.

And ya on the welcome on the other thread I just kinda rolled it in with the response so it was all good.

That way they couldn't get you or I for being hi-jackers..heehee

38

Gratitude from a long time lurker!

by Thetis in

i cannot begin to tell you how grateful i am to you!

you reassured me while i was one of the walking wounded.

you know that line from the movie "shadowlands", when the student says to c.s.

StoneWall

Thetis I can overlook the spelling for now.

You know why? I can't hardly see anything. The font size is too small.

Any chance we can sweet talk you into increasing your font size?

Size does matter.

22

Did/Do you witness to Prostitutes while doing Street Work?

by african GB Member in

did you simply ignore them, or did you try to "help" them with magazines while witnessing in the streets?.

StoneWall

I remember telling a prostitute I was doing street work.

She said," oh what a coincidence she was working the street too."

Then there was the one from Canada. She asked me to come in to her place of business.

I asked what type of business she was in. She said a magical performer.

I asked what types of tricks did she perform. She said,"Do you have 20 dollars?" I said yeah.

Then she took me by the hand and said come upstairs and I'll show you how I can make that 20 dollars disappear.

She was by far the best magician I ever saw. She did tricks I've never seen any others pull off.

It was by far the best $20 I ever had just "disappear"