trebor

Joined

• started 3 topics
• posted 324 times   see topics posted on
• send a message

Posts by trebor

• 
  37

  Name Some Weird/Strange JW Beliefs

  by minimus in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  anything come to mind?.

  1. 
  2. 
  3. 
• 

  trebor

  Blood "fractions" ...It's what tipped the scales for me!
• 
  3

  Good to be back

  by iknewit in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  i've been off the board a while, a little longer than i wanted, but only recently could i sign back in.

  my old screen name was zack.. i have enjoyed reading all the posts and all the info that keeps me up to date on the goings on of the wts.. officially i am still in, although my life has changed radically.

  this memorial will be three years that i have not been to a meeting, and i resigned as an elder six months prior to that.. long and short, the wts has cost me my marriage.

  1. 
  2. 
  3. 
• 

  trebor

  Hi iknewit,

  I too am sorry to read about the situation with your wife. However, don't ever doubt the choice you made. It *IS* the right one.

  When I discovered the organization of Jehovah's Witnesses were not who they claimed to be one of the things I firmly established for myself is that no matter what I could not live a lie. I would sacrifice everything for the real truth.

  For me, I was fortunate enough my wife and in-law parents broke free of the Watchtower's bonds. My parents, siblings, and many uncles, aunts, and cousins have not. Indeed, intelligence has not a thing to do with it. I average 135-145 on IQ tests - and it took into my mid 30's to see and understand the Watchtower Society for what it is after being raised a J.W.

  Know that I admire your courage as you remain loyal to truth and to yourself.
• 
  36

  1975 Was Brought Up At the Meeting

  by dismayed in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  so i'm daydreaming through the service meeting last night, (the end of the "supermeeting") and the ms is giving a part on always being ready to defend our faith.

  blah blah blah.....you know the drill.

  so he invites up a brother to do the demo part.

  1. 
  2. 
  3. 
• 

  trebor

  Regardless of how 1975 was “defended” in the demonstration, hopefully it will get someone(s) to think about what was said.

  I recall a part in a District Convention once, where there was some sort of demonstration or experience where for one reason or another the one speaking made the statement, “Even if Jehovah’s Witnesses are wrong, it’s still the organization I want to be a part of”. That was followed by thunderous applause.

  I forgot about the experience and the response from the audience, until relatively recently when someone was posting what was the turning point for them in leaving the organization. I believe they were from Australia or Europe, but provided a similar if not the same aforementioned example which after hearing such a statement and realizing the audience’s reaction, he was stunned and knew something was wrong.

  For me the statement did nothing (Unfortunately – I must have had my cult-ears-and-think on), however for another it helped bring them out of the organization. Hopefully at that meeting some person(s) were affected in a way that will move them to at least think if not completely leave the organization.
• 
  31

  Knocking on doors.....How successful is it?

  by Quirky1 in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  i found this to be pretty unsuccessful during my time since i was a jw.

  i actually had my interest sparked with the jw's by family members and freinds that were jw's.. were you a statistic of the knock at the door?.

  1. 
  2. 
  3. 
• 

  trebor

  I once picked up a boxed ColecoVision along with several games for $20.

  It is my best experience ever in the Watchtower Society's ministry!
• 
  21

  JW marriage are they real

  by Luo bou to in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  usually we marry someone we know and love as a person.

  my marriage 20 years broke up after i began to question my faith in the wt my wife was so fearfull.

  so was i: i did not want to believe that i had been deceived but i could not deny what i learnt and continue to live a lie in the so called truth.

  1. 
  2. 
  3. 
• 

  trebor

  Tough question and tough call. As with many things, I believe you need to look on a case by case basis. There are many factors to consider including why a person married another person.

  For example, if you were looking for someone who was "real spiritual" per the Watchtower Society's viewpoint, and that was a high priority or number one quality in a person you were looking for spending you life with, then sure leaving the organization has a high probability of the marriage breaking up; especially if there were no other desirable factors besides the Watchtower Society's definition of spirituality.

  If you were marrying strictly for the sex and physical attraction, then sure, more than likely that marriage will fail whether you're a Jehovah's Witness or not.

  However, even with the above considerations, depending on what both parties bring to the marriage while in it and how hard both are willing to work on the marriage is also a huge factor.

  Ultimately, though in the case of a Jehovah's Witness, if one believes the organization's teachings whole heartedly while another does not or no longer believes the likelihood of breakup, divorce, or a miserable life remaining together is extremely strong.

  I was fortunate enough to know my wife as a person prior to her becoming a Jehovah's Witness, when she was a Jehovah's Witness, and even now after we are both not Jehovah's Witnesses. When I told her I loved her unconditionally, I meant it as did she. For both of us, we were both blessed.

  Sadly and understandably when some Witnesses tell each other they love them unconditionally, they are lying to one another. The condition is as long as you remain a Jehovah's Witness. That is true whether it is a husband and wife relationship, parent and child, sister and brother, etc.

  Again though, there are no set rules.
• 
  9

  I told the WT study last night that the Fresno woman on TV is a JW

  by BonaFide in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  one of my last threads i talked about how this brother calls me and we talk and he listens and we remain friends even though i tell the truth about the organization.

  because i always say, "no matter what, i support the organization and the gb.".

  some of you may think that's lying, which it is.

  1. 
  2. 
  3. 
• 

  trebor

  BonaFide, excellent work! Just to get them to think and rethink their positions puts wheels in motion which otherwise may have never moved.
• 
  18

  Being a Jehovah's Witness - What did it do to your mind?

  by jambon1 in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  i was raised in a non religious household that was very stable & loving.. through circumstances, i bacame a jw.. .

  during the 10 years that i had the misfortune to practice the religion, my young energetic & happy.

  mind became negative, worried & depressed.. .

  1. 
  2. 
  3. 
• 

  trebor

  It had played a similar number on me. I always kept the focus of this world/system is only temporary, that the “real life” ahead is what matters. Learning new things seems pointless to me as I figured so much would change in the new system and anything I had to know Jehovah would make sure was provided through his organization.

  On a more subconscious level I realized it made me hate to read or critical think and reasoning on matters outside of the Watchtower Society’s viewpoint as I wanted to have the one mind/same thought as Jehovah and not be influenced or tricked by the so-called Satan’s wicked system of things.

  I lost undoubtedly a complete life path and choices respecting education, work and many other minor details. I lost my job once (6 months after 9/11) and was out of work for a complete year, refusing to work meeting nights or Sundays. After all I had to put “spiritual interests first”. This is in spite of never missing a meeting and was always regular in the ministry. My wife and I acquired a large amount of debt as a result.

  Sad enough, regardless of the above, back then I still was a true-blue follower of the organization.

  Such blessings for being one of Jehovah’s Witnesses!
• 
  7

  Cruelty

  by WuzLovesDubs in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  im moving out of the house we have had for 10 years, and after 22 years of marriage.

  my two youngest are moving with me...to get away from their own father who really doesnt get what it means to be a dad or husband.

  and we are moving out of a 4000 square foot home that is torn apart from construction that seems to have no end (which isnt even worth what we owe on it any more and we couldnt afford to finish) .

  1. 
  2. 
  3. 
• 

  trebor

  Hi Wuz,

  I'm sorry to read of how your husband is treating you and your kids. However, there is solid indoctrination reminding him that the Jehovah's Witnesses are his"real" family; respecially other Jehovah's Witness family members. He's probably justifying in his own mind that he's the one making the sacrifice for the sake of jehovah and His organization. It's sick and twisted. i know.

  Thankfully, your children have you as a mother who has true unconditional love of her children which can teach them not to be the kind of person who shows such conditional twisted love and reasoning to loved ones as demonstrated by their father.
• 
  24

  If You believe that Jesus is God....

  by lurk3r in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  i know that everyone here is an individual with their own thoughts and beliefs,and i'm not starting this thread to debate whether or not jesus is god or not...but i am kinda curious about this.

  thank you in advance for taking the time to consider this with/for me.. jesus christ instructed people on how to pray.

  with the opening line of the lord's prayer he said (something to this effect) "our father, who art in heaven, hallowed be thy name" (hope i got that right).

  1. 
  2. 
  3. 
• 

  trebor

  After first leaving the organization, I came to have a fuller and better understanding of the concept of the Trinity. Absolutely, there can be a case made for and against. It is absolutely not as narrow-minded and simplistic as the Watchtower Society presents it. My suggestion to you is to continue to research and think for yourself. No one including any organization or religion has absolute control or “the truth”. There is good to be found in many different faiths and beliefs as well as bad.

  For a while I was very gung-ho about traditional Christianity and held a certain understanding of the Bible including the concept of the Trinity.

  If your research brings you to believe Jesus and the Father and the Holy Spirit are one God, or any other concept, that’s fine. But you do the research. I believe and respect people are entitled to their own belief but not one person can say without a shadow of a doubt their viewpoint is absolute.

  My journey thus far has brought me in believing there are greater, smarter and more intelligent being(s) than us humans in the universe – God or Gods as you may refer to it. What exactly that entails/details regarding human creation/life/purpose, I am still researching and pondering…BUT…

  …I live my life and enjoy it, looking to help and assist others when I can in real practical ways. I have also accepted the notion that I may never have all the answers I need or want. Interpret that as you will, for whatever there is – if anything that we can possibly relate to on a human or human-like conscious plane - after this life may make what we have now the most important aspect of “living” or a very insignificant part of our everlasting “life” journey.

  What I refuse to do is subscribe to any idea or notion just for the sake of it “sounding right” or since I don’t have a “better explanation” or “story”, the one I’m being told has to be right. This includes the Father-Son-Holy Spirit concept whether it comes from a Jehovah’s Witness, traditional Christian, or anyone else.
• 
  29

  Thanks and Who Am I...

  by trebor in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  first thanks to all for this board and forum and all the stories, information and thoughts that are shared.

  i have been a lurker now for almost a year, and now that newbies can get on board, here i am.. here's my story.

  baptized at 15 and made ministerial servant by 19. my father, mother, siblings and entire side of my mother's family are jehovah's witnesses.

  1. 
  2. 
  3. 
• 

  trebor

  Thank you again for all the warm greetings. In response to those who asked and are interested, here are some more details concerning me.

  Being raised a Jehovah's Witnesses never meant a big deal to me prior to my pre-teen years. My parents always provided much and sacrificed much for their children. My mother tended to be more of the straight-laced respecting the religion, while my father was more lenient. There were stretches in my childhood where both my parents worked two jobs, even three for my father.

  I remember being at my grandmothers around or on the holidays, being also with my Uncle and Aunt, cousins too. This of course was my father's side of the family. My mother's side lived/lives several states away and all were either somewhat strong or very strong in the faith of Jehovah's Witnesses. My parents ensured either right before or right after Christmas my sister and I received many presents from them; including buying gifts for us throughout the year. Making the meetings was somewhat sporadic, and being out in field service even more so, up until about the age of 11-12. Then things kicked into high gear.

  By the time I was 11 my mother was pregnant with my brother. That in part may have emphasized the need to make more meetings and the need and support of those in the congregation. Honestly, the hall we were currently a part of as well as the last ten years wasn't in the greatest neighborhood/area. The territory was also rough to work.

  As the years progresses, the reigns and restrictions were enforced harder and harder upon my sister and me. My mother could not work as much as she use to and my father seemed to work all the time. Maybe once in a blue moon he would make it to the Kingdom Hall. I also understood how my father appeared just to be going through the motions of being a Jehovah's Witnesses supporter for the sake of my mother. I swore by the age of 13 it was the case. I became disgusted by the religion in wanting to be "normal". As the reigns of the indoctrination tightened for me, the more I wanted to rebel. Something wasn't right, the religion was wrong, but I was too wrong and too ignorant to figure out what it was exactly.

  I approached my father at the age of 13 telling him I no longer wanted to go to meetings and I wanted to attend a birthday party. I thought for sure he would take my side and explain to me how we stick with it for the sake of my mother. That was not the case. Rather he told me that I could not attend the birthday party, and that by stopping going to the meetings would mean turning my back on God and he would not allow me to do that.

  I became more rebellious for the next couple of years, and became deeply entrenched with double life living. Never involved with drugs or anything else illegal, but had my "Jehovah Witness" persona, and who I really was and felt.

  Within the next couple of years, in hearing of the Berlin Wall coming down, the cries of peace and security from Europe, Global Democracy and such, as well as the generation teachings, I decided I was going to take being a Jehovah Witnesses seriously. After all, the world is about to end and Armageddon was about to come, Prophecy was being fulfilled according to the Society's teachings. Of course I did an "examination" of other beliefs - Courtesy of the "Mankind's Search for God" publication from the Watchtower Society, and that proved to me all other religions were no good, and I "knew" you had to belong to something. All the signs were being fulfilled just like the Society stated. So at 15 I was baptized. It was a combination of the believing the interpretation of prophecy by the Society as well as their teachings appearing to be correct to me at the time which brought that decision from me. Not to forget not wanting to die at Armageddon.

  As the years progressed, I took being a Jehovah's Witness and listening to the Society, including the Elders as being the mouthpiece for God. After all they were all appointed and chosen directed by God's Holy Spirit. How could I not listen to them?

  By age 17, my mother gave birth to my last sibling, my youngest sister. The organization was in full effect for our family as since 14 years old we moved to a different congregation in a much nicer area with members who appeared much more “normal” than the Jehovah’s Witnesses from our previous Kingdom Hall. See, in our previous Hall, there appeared to be two extremes. Either people who were into a lot of bad things and trouble, or those that were so straight-laced, some did not even have televisions. From that, there were a select few who appeared to be more “balanced”.

  In this new Hall, there were many Witnesses who appeared more “balanced” and only a few who were on either side of the spectrum. When the Generation teaching failed, and was changed, as well as the revision to the Awake! purpose statement, these changes appeared no big deal to me. Hey, I’m with some great people now, and the majority didn’t make a big fess about it; besides that all my friends and family which we actual talk to were all for it…Since my teenage years, from my father’s side of the family, my grandmother passed away and communication slowly but surely was severed from other non-Witness members.

  By my mid-twenties, I married. By my late twenties, more doubts came to the forefront of my mind. I pushed them asides as being fleshly tendencies and the need to wait for Jehovah. Some appointments didn’t make sense, the way the congregation operated didn’t appear to be spirit directed but more man oriented – I push those thoughts to the side though and blamed my imperfection again.

  In my early thirties I was still a Ministerial Servant. I didn’t auxiliary pioneer enough to make Elder. In this congregation, Field Service activity was seen as the measure of one’s spiritual activity. In fact, prior to my appointment at age 19, I was told if I would auxiliary pioneer for one month it would really help the elders make their case before the C.O. Even then, I thought that was somewhat strange, as Auxiliary Pioneering didn’t make me a better teacher or ‘magically’ more spiritual. But at that time I did it and it worked. I was appointed an MS. It was something I wanted. I wanted to do more for the Organization, and believed it was the will of God for me to do more within the Organization.

  I was older now and wiser. And while there was still this push by the Elders to reach out (aka be in the ministry) more, the title of Elder was just that – A title. I was in no rush, and believed Jehovah would have me appointed when the time was right; according to “His “time-table. After all, I was doing all I could.

  Circumstances, including the flooding of the Kingdom Hall caused my wife and me to change the congregation we were a part of. We thought at the time it was ironic, as there were many problems in the Hall we were a part of and figured God may have been cleaning house. Prior to that, my wife, along with her parents, my parents, my married sister and two other siblings all attended the same congregation. Months after the flood hit, my parents and sister move, my brother gets married and moves, and my sister and brother-in-law attend a different congregation altogether. My wife and I were in this new congregation and my thinking really started to kick into high gear.

  We needed to update/obtain new blood/medical proxies for being with the new Hall. After all, much of the previous records/files were damaged or destroyed by the flood and it wouldn’t hurt to have fresh records on hand anyhow. Our previous stance on blood fraction remained still unchanged, we decided against it as it was taking in blood no matter how you tried to break it down. It didn’t make sense to us. And that became the turning point. The more I thought about it the more it didn’t make any sense. It ultimately led to my research, investigation, study of the history and beliefs of Jehovah’s Witnesses, as well as an examination of the history of religion and the Bible in general.

  The results are as stated earlier. Mrs. Trebor and I have no regrets in leaving the organization of Jehovah’s Witnesses. While there may be many sincere followers, it doesn’t make it truth. We wish our other family members would see it the same way, but we understand them better now, and understand better what the Watchtower Society does to people and how some may never be able to break away. I just hope for their sake their never faced with a life or death decision that costs them their life for following the “current truth” of the Watchtower Society.

  Sorry for the book – Although the aforementioned is still very much abbreviated.