Posts by Hopscotch

29

Documented transition from being an elder to becoming a free man

by TastingFreedom in

it has been a year since i stopped attending meetings with the jehovah's witnesses.

as one year anniversary has passed, i thought it would be helpful to highlight some of the main events during this transition.

it may help others that are going through the same experience.

Hopscotch

Hi Tasting - It's great to see you and your family doing so well now that you are out. You and your wife both have great thinking and reasoning ability and it would have eventually destroyed you if you stayed in the WT cult that supresses thinking and reasoning skills.

And it is fantastic that you are out while your children are young giving them the opportunity to grow up normally without all the ridiculous boundaries, rules and pressures put on young people within the JWs.

The shunning takes a lot of getting used to. Even if you have prepared for it as you did it still can hit you like a ton of bricks. In my case with my whole family shunning me, it took me well over a year to go through the grieving process. It was like having your whole family wiped out. At least you have some non JW family to connect with.

One of the things I also 'discovered' very early in my fading (before I even realised I was fading) is that 'worldly' people are not the evil, horrible, selfish people that we were led to believe whilst JWs. There are so many lovely caring, genuine people out there and doing what you and your wife are doing, getting involved in groups and clubs is an ideal way to make new friends.

So well done to you and your wife for coming this far. It hasn't been an easy ride but certainly one that was well worth every painful minute.

Wishing you both all the best.

Hopscotch

ps - I so enjoyed the couple of weeks I spent with you both last month.

62

What silly things have you been counselled on or simply been told off for?

by 3Mozzies in

so what silly things have you been counselled on or simply been told off for?.

back in my early 20's, i had a pair of comfy old jeans that started to tear in about 3 places on the leg.

it was the fashion at the time so not only did they feel great to wear, they also looked 'in', not that i cared for that, but it was a bonus .

Hopscotch

Not long after my husband and I got married a couple of the elders got all the newly married couples in the cong together and counselled us on showing affection during the meetings. We were told that the only acceptable thing was that we could hold hands and that if during the song or prayer the husband put his arm around his wife he was not to move his hand up and down, it must be kept still etc

Well just a couple of weeks after that we have our CO visit. This CO was newly married himself for the 2nd time to a girl 27 years younger than himself. During the meetings he couldn't keep his hands off his wife - his arm/hand was going up and down her back and on her neck etc for most of the meeting!

Wonder what the elders thought of that?

Hopscotch

75

Brother EE fancies himself an amature photographer..

by elderelite in

jw
friends

and it is a clear night here on the east coast of the usa.. so i took a few shots of the moon.

here is one that i liked.... .

anyone else a shutter bug?.

Hopscotch

Wow EE that is a fantastic pic. Is it taken using a telescope as the lens or just with your camera?

Hopscotch

12

The ABC's of JW Life

by LisaRose in

jw
friends

i composed this as a sort of therapy, it expresses some of the feelings i have in looking back over my former life, thought i would share.. a is for armageddon.

in which we though wed die.

if we didnt believe in.

Hopscotch

That was fantastic LisaRose.

Hopscotch

18

Pardon Me, but I Hate My Husband.

by compound complex in

jw
friends

inspired by the poisonwood bible, my life as a watch tower missionary and tales of truthful jehovah's witness wives:.

i pray god will forgive me.

i hate my husband.. once i was crazy about nathan.

Hopscotch

Dear CoCo

Nathan is a product of years of training by the mysoginist WTS who want their married women followers to be submissive little mice, doing everything for their lord and master husbands, putting up with all kinds of neglect and abuse and most importantly, to keep quiet about it all.

Nathan is a victim too just as his dear wife Betty is.

Hopscotch

9

Major Weirdness

by metatron in

jw
friends

see:.

http://www.unexplained-mysteries.com/column.php?id=189988.

metatron.

Hopscotch

That is very weird

Hopscotch

29

Can You Now Clearly See That You Were In A Cult?

by minimus in

jw
friends

the longer away from "the truth", the easier it is to see that i was in a "cult"..

Hopscotch

Yes

Hopscotch

40

I'm new today !!!! 43 years in and now out 15 months!!!!

by Hairyhegoat in

jw
friends

what went on in my old congregation will shock you all !!!

as it's late i will post asap and leave nothing out!!!.

ps.

Hopscotch

Great to have you here Hhgoat. Can't wait to hear your stories.

Hopscotch

60

Anyone Know JW's who Donated Inheritances, Estates,$$$ to WT Society ?

by flipper in

jw
friends

if so - without divulging any names , approximately how much was donated to the wt society ?

if you are aware of approximate amounts.

as many know the wt society yearly puts out calls in their publications for witnesses to donate trust funds, wills, inheritances, estates, jewelry, cars and whatever else they have to promote the aleged " kingdom interests " in furthering the " good news " around the world.. personally i feel it's all been a scam to continue exercising control over witnesses by influencing them to financially deprive themselves so the wt society can continue it's operations.

Hopscotch

Hi Flipper

I personally know of an old sister that left her house to the local congregation who then sold it to my sister and her husband (his dad was the executor).

And we had a witness couple in our congregation that we were friends with who had a large piece of land that they donated to the local congregation to build a kingdom hall on. This couple had their own successful business but a few years after giving away that land they lost their own home due to a couple of big unpaid debts to their business. This couple are now quite elderly (he's 80 and she's 75) and have very little, meanwhile that block of land would now be worth millions.

Reading through the replies on this thread made me wonder if one of the reasons the society now seems to be going all out to disfellowship those who are fading or who faded/left (even if it was many years ago) is because they know from experience that in a lot of cases that parents will cut their disfellowshipped kids out of their will, which then opens up the possibility of the inheritance going to the WTS instead.

Hopscotch

PS - Hope you and Mrs Flipper are ok with the fires in the mountains

10

Out and feeling lost, with no friends? Have faith! (my uplifting experience :D)

by teel in

maybe not many of you remember my anguish through the last year since i joined jwn.

in the meantime i lost my wife (the official divorce is due in ~two weeks), lost all my friends (thank god no family though, except the wife), battled the wts and sort-of lost.

just like most of you when you got through this experience i was lost and confused, coult not found my place in life.. i owe much gratitude to this board for giving me the much needed information and support that i am not alone, and what i'm feeling is not something unusual.

Hopscotch

Thanks teel that is really an uplifting experience. I'm very happy for you that you have been able to find new friends and move on from the JW experience. It gives me hope.

All the best

Hopscotch