Posts by Hopscotch

31

I'm starting to develop a real hatred toward this religion

by man in black in

jw
friends

this past week i flew out of town to attend a seminar for work, then afterwards i drove 150 miles extra to go and visit my dad.. two years ago my mom died, and the lack of concern/caring from the so-called "friends" from two different states was a major reason why i walked away from the jw religion.. anyway, my dad is depressed and his local hall has him doing more fs, and attending the meetings,,, ok so that could be a good thing for him.. but i noticed that service and meeting attendance is the only thing that they are pushing on him.

nobody seems to check up on him, he just jumped at the chance to go out to eat with me.

and the negativity !!!

Hopscotch

man in black - that is so sad about your dad. It stories like yours that really show up just how evil this jw cult is - the way they steal a persons life, hopes, dreams and ambitions. And all for what - basically $$$$.

Roski - Is there something you can do to stop this happening with your mothers house? If she has dementia can you quickly get a letter from her doctor and then contact someone about it. Over here in Australia we have the office of the Adult Guardian who will take care of an elderly persons affairs if it looks like they are being ripped off such as your mother is. Again another example of the evilness of the jws -they have stolen her life now they are stealing her house

All the best to you both

Hopscotch

24

How to decorate your first Christmas Tree

by Lady Lee in

jw
friends

ok today's column is up on freeminds but there is a problem and the images aren't up.. well it's time to tackle a new adventure!

but where do you start?

yesterday's column discussed some of the factors to take into consideration before buying your tree.

Hopscotch

Lady Lee that tree looks beautiful.

I haven't taken the plunge and put up our first xmas tree yet. After 45 years of not doing xmas it's still taking some getting used to. I still remember the last time we had a christmas tree - 1964 when I was 5! But your lovely picture certainly inspires me to think seriously about giving it a go, it just looks so pretty.

Hopscotch

55

Update on Jamiebowers - not sure what to think...

by sd-7 in

jw
friends

i just got a call from jamie this afternoon, saying she found her husband in the bathroom, not breathing.

i've not had the chance to speak to her, she left me a voice mail.

but i'm very worried.

Hopscotch

What an awful ordeal for you and your husband Jamie. I'm so glad he came through and is getting the medical attention he needs to recover. Take care of yourself during this stressful time.

Sending thoughts of healing and strength for you both.

Hopscotch

8

New kid on the block

by fadinfast in

jw
friends

new to writing yes, to reading no, been reading here for 18 months or so.

[ been trying to join for a while now, but kept getting an error message, until i read in the tech section, throw out your cookies, so i did, my wife brought me a cup of tea and cake, and here i am, even us "bushies" know what cookies are, round pastry things, cooked to golden brown... anyway] i don't know how many have read the writing "it hurts" at doc browns http://www.docbob.org/wordpress/?p=822 i am sure many can connect to one/some of the things written at one time or other, i certainly could.

but "if laughter be the best medicine" as someone i cant remember once said, then i would like to put you people on notice, "you will all be facing a jc hearing soon" as you have had me pissing myself laughing, from the time i've been reading here, and as you all should know, laughter is a nono" not ever mentioned in km agenda "so your all bad" and i am thanking you for being so.

Hopscotch

Hi and welcome Fadinfast. Great to have another Aussie on board.

Hopscotch (QLD)

12

I just watched time disappear ...

by compound complex in

good morning, fellow posters.. i got up a few minutes ago to watch time disappear, right before my very eyes - an entire hour, to be exact.

as the computer clock approached 2:00 a.m. i knew that this would be the first time i had ever done this: see the time go from 1:59 a.m. to 1:00 a.m.. the earth has moved beneath my feet .... please share your clock-watching stories.. or is this going to be a dead thread?.

thanks, and happy dst.. coco.

Hopscotch

Hi Coco

I recently had a time disappearing experience. In August I ventured from my home in Australia and visited California for a few weeks. (Had some great times with some of the posters on this board by the way).

When it was time to come home something very strange happened with time. I left California at 11:30pm on a Wednesday evening and arrived home in Australia at 6 am Friday morning. Yet I was only on the airplane for around 13 hours. So where did those 17 and 1/2 missing hours of the Thursday go? Time really did disappear that week!!

Hopscotch - time traveller

18

For those still trapped in the cult, be careful with your sanity

by TastingFreedom in

jw
friends

i relate to your pain and suffering.

you remind me of the struggle i had for over a year, where i was pushing myself to go the meetings and even gave public talks because of friends and family, even when i knew it was all bullshit.

i was so sick to my stomach, that i literally felt like puking during the meetings.

Hopscotch

TastingFreedom this part of your post really stood out to me as being so very true

The emotions you are experiencing can be like a volcano, waiting to erupt. There is so much anger and frustration, that it can be dangerous to your health. The sense of loss and the feelings of being stuck or trapped can cause a lot emotions, including anxiety and depression. You need to deal with it, confront it, because it can lead to dangerous ways of coping such as addictive behaviors.

While these comments apply to ones who have woken up to the lies of the WTS but are trapped, I thought your comments also go a long way to explain the number of cases of depression, nervous breakdowns, alcoholism, paranoia disorders etc that seem to be rampant within the congregations of JWs. I have personally witnessed many cases of mental health breakdowns in the congregations I was in for the last 10/15 years or so as a JW - including some in my own JW family.

And what I feel adds even more to these mental health problems is constantly being told that JWs are the 'happiest people on earth' and that they are in a 'spiritual paradise'. So when someone does start to feel depressed their cult training leads them to believe that it is they who have a problem and that maybe they are not doing enough. So this guilt and the stress caused by trying to do more only adds to this downward spiral into fullblown depression/breakdown/alcoholism.

There have been many personal stories posted on this board of ones who were on antidepressant medication as JWs and found that within a short time of leaving the organisation they no longer need such medication.

Great advice in your post by the way.

All the best

Hopscotch

11

The WTS - The Thief of Dreams and Souls

by Hopscotch in

jw
friends

recently i heard this song called "who will take my dreams away' from the movie the city of lost children.

the movie is about an evil scientist who kidnaps children to steal their dreams for his own selfish means.. .

the first two lines of the second verse are:.

Hopscotch

Recently I heard this song called "Who Will Take My Dreams Away' from the movie The City of Lost Children. The movie is about an evil scientist who kidnaps children to steal their dreams for his own selfish means.

The first two lines of the second verse are:

"Who will take your dreams away
Takes your soul another day."

For those of us who were JWs for most of our lives isn't that exactly what the WTS did to us. They stole our dreams and hopes and ultimately our souls - the very essence of who we are. And as we have read in so many tragic stories on this board recently, in some cases they have stolen our soulmates and families as well.

And after waking up to the lies of the WTS after 20, 30 or 40 or more years it is so easy to feel like lost children.

What gives me hope is these words in the last verse:

"Now our mission is complete
And our friends are here.
Evil things brought down by the light,
Life goes on until the end."

So here is the song Who Will Take My Dreams Away sung by Marianne Faithfull.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_p6JgqfmYu4

Hopscotch

75

I'm coming out

by MsDucky in

jw
friends

i just found out that i have breast cancer on thursday (see topic http://www.jehovahs-witness.net/watchtower/medical/190249/1/i-was-in-the-hospital ).

my sister has breast cancer too.

she has had it longer than me.

Hopscotch

MsD I'm sorry to hear of your diagnosis and am sending you thoughts of comfort, healing and hope.

Hopscotch

106

Our Independence Day - Getting Disfellowshipped Tonight!

by SweetBabyCheezits in

well, it's the big day.

time to go over the checklist..... .

shoes shined.

Hopscotch

Tim congratulations to you and your wife and beautiful family on your freedom. It has been wonderful to read your escape story and how you did it on your terms. Well done to you both.

My husband and I and our teenage son all escaped together (not da'd or df'd just faded) but are being shunned by our families. But even the pain this shunning has caused would never ever make us give up the freedom to live life as a normal member of the human race.

All the best to you and your family

Hopscotch

44

Another Bro Fading

by FadeToGrey in

hi all.. my story.

it's been a while coming.. i have been lurking around here for 10 months or so.. reading just about everyday.

thank steve jobs for the iphone.. i haven't worked out how to post from the iphone.

Hopscotch

MM - got your pm and have replied

Hopscotch