Posts by happpyexjw

36

horse slaughter, what's your position?

by John Doe in

jw
friends

http://www.nytimes.com/2009/04/07/us/07horses.html.

murray, ky. emaciated horses eating bark off trees.

abandoned horses tied to telephone poles.

happpyexjw

This is a problem that has been very much in the news in the west, where I live. The BLM (Bureau of Land Management) is struggling to care for about twice the number of wild horses than it has proper rangeland with adequate feed for. Some 30,000 wild horses and burros are currently in holding facilites in New Mexico and other states. These maginficent animals, born to run free on open range are being held in corrals and pens because there is no other place to hold them. Even adoption events, where horses that have been saddle broke and gentled by prisoners, are offered to anyone who can show they have proper homes to offer, have seen a dramatic decrease in successful adoptions due to the ailing economy. As a result, the government is considering slaughtering some of the animals to reduce the herd size.

Anyone who thinks it is OK to send animals to Mexico for slaughter should do a little research into what happens at some of these facilites - it is truly sickening. The animals are subjected to ghastly conditions, both during transport and at the slaughterhouse. Horses are sensitive, intelligent creatures and they are terrified as they go through these places. For those who wish to joke about this, I am not going to comment, except to say your comments are offensive to animal lovers everywhere. If these creatures must die, whether in Kentucky or here in the west, then we are obligated to do it in a humane way.

26

Why did you leave and did you still hold on to some beliefs for a while?

by happpyexjw in

jw
friends

when you left the wts did you leave over something specific?

did you, or do you, still believe in some of the jw ideas?.

in my own case i left over a family issue i have mentioned elsewhere.

happpyexjw

It is striking to me how varied the places where we all have landed are. From atheism, agnostism, satanism, mainstream Christian groups, eastern religions and just about everything in between has been mentioned here. Many are satisfied, but some of us are still searching and others are just content to simply be where they are and enjoy the freedom from such a controlling religion. Thank you for sharing. This is very interesting stuff!

99

April 15th WT- Satan = Apostates = Critical Towards Brothers = Shun Them

by flipper in

jw
friends

wow.

and so the wt society tightens down the screwdriver a bit more !

one of my wife and my lurking jw friends sent us this article which has some very pointed words in it inciting all jehovah's witnesses to take an even harder line view of apostates in this recent april 15th wt.. on pg.

happpyexjw

The comments about "reformed" child molesters make me crazy! My ex father in law molested two of my kids. After we went to the elders with this it came out that other children both in and out of the congregation had also been molested by him. He has since been given a clean bill of health by the elders. He is in his 80s now and part of me will rest easier when he dies.

25

Wife is Pregnant - Twins!

by KW13 in

jw
friends

i am happy to say, megan my wife is pregnant with twins!

two girls .

.

happpyexjw

How exciting! congrats!

26

Why did you leave and did you still hold on to some beliefs for a while?

by happpyexjw in

jw
friends

when you left the wts did you leave over something specific?

did you, or do you, still believe in some of the jw ideas?.

in my own case i left over a family issue i have mentioned elsewhere.

happpyexjw

Thanks for all the great comments. It's interesting how individual our paths out of the wts influence have been. In many ways, I relate most to AK Jeff who said, "Today I practice no religion at all, but retain a spiritual nature of sorts, though I would hesitate to call it belief in anything specific."

I have tried some churches but I just can't quite get into it. I am reluctant to 'JOIN" anything. Some have mentioned they have been able to attend a church and take what they like and leave the rest, but that doesn't work for me. To me, it is OK to believe whatever you want as long as it hurts no one and you aren't forcing your own ideas on anyone else. Live and let live.

Mary

64

I'm disgusted by YOU

by skeeter1 in

jw
friends

posts on fluff are fun...i admit.. posts knocking jws are therapy...i know.. posts revealing wt lies, deception, etc...well, they help those who are still in.. but...... how come no one wants to do any grass roots, writing letters, etc.

to the governments about the jws?

ireland is about to set national policy for its hospitals and doctors on how to handle jehovah's witness patients.

happpyexjw

Black sheep makes a good point here when he says "I get the feeling that Skeeter wants me to get involved in legislation the takes away the rights of JWs." Even if we personally believe that the JWs are dead wrong in their beliefs about blood, it is just as wrong for the government to take away their right to refuse blood as it would be for them to refuse a potentially life-saving surgery or medication. In our zeal to save others from making what we believe to be erroneous choices, we run the risk of trampling on the very rights we say we hold dear. Just something to think about.

26

Why did you leave and did you still hold on to some beliefs for a while?

by happpyexjw in

jw
friends

when you left the wts did you leave over something specific?

did you, or do you, still believe in some of the jw ideas?.

in my own case i left over a family issue i have mentioned elsewhere.

happpyexjw

When you left the wts did you leave over something specific? Did you, or do you, still believe in some of the JW ideas?

In my own case I left over a family issue I have mentioned elsewhere. I still carried around some of the JW ideas for a long time. For example the aids epidemic started around the same time and I thought, "Wow, I guess they were right about avoiding blood." Even now, I have trouble with mainstream religion because I just can't wrap my brain around the whole trinity idea and I really don't like it when they seem to be calling Jesus God. I still believe that they are father and son, two distinct beings, based on what scripture says.

Anyway, I am interested to hear what your experiences have been in this regard.

15

QUIT PUSHING IT AWAY.................PLEASE..........................

by Warlock in

jw
friends

i have noticed that part of, if not all of, the problem with some ex-jw's is that they insist on pushing their jw experience away.. look, you were jw's and that is a fact that you cannot change!.

converted, or born-in.

it is a fact of your life.. quit pushing it away!.

happpyexjw

LouBelle, I agree with you. On one hand, I would rather have missed some of my JW experiences. On the other, those very things refined me as a person and all together have made me the person I am today, someone I rather like. So I just don't spend too much time regretting the past, but rather relish the present and look forward to the future.

19

In a Jam and Without One Friend

by cameo-d in

jw
friends

.

has that ever happened to you?.

happpyexjw

Cameo, I think I know how you feel. When I walked away from the wts I had no one. No family (my kids were all upset with me) and of course, having been a good witness, no worldly friends either. Ironically, that was part of my re-education. Someone I worked with noted my pain and approached me in a very kind manner. We talked and confided in each other and fortunately for me, she was a very well educated, bright person about my own age. She was outraged when I told her about my experiences and she helped me to see that I was being victimized. She taught me a lot about setting boundaries and standing up for myself and we became like sisters. I learned to trust that there were truly good people out there and have since made some wonderful friends. It took time, but it did happen.

IMO the isolation of people that wt teaching causes is one of the most destructive things the organization does. When you try to leave you may have no safety net whatsoever to help you. In my own case I was financially destitute, had no vehicle and a very poor job. However, I hung on and in time all that changed. I agree with the comment made on this thread that it can make you strong though. I know I'm a much stronger person now than I was before.

I hope things turn around for you soon. Meanwhile, your friends here do care.

15

I'm so upset

by Newborn in

jw
friends

hi friends!.

sorry, i just have to vent my frustration again over the fact that my fleshly, still a jw sister, treats me as if i'm dead, since i was df'ed.. i can't get over it.

i'm still writing her regularly.

happpyexjw

Newborn, I am so sorry you are going through this. But perhaps I can give you some hope. All of my family (from my side) were DF'd at one point except for me. I was very young and really co-dependent with my husband's family who really stoked the fire of my self-righteousness. They and the wts went to great lengths to "encourage" me to stay strong in my rejection of those who had "left the faith." I tell you these things not to excuse my bad behavior, but to let you know what might be going on from the other side.

Obviously, I eventually came to my senses and left the organization when my own children were harmed by a pedophile relative from one of the good witnesses on his side of the tribe. When I saw how that situation was handled I began to see how wrong some of the wts teachings were and after struggling with it for several years, I left. My reason for telling you all this is to show that you can't know what might happen in her life to open her eyes to the truth about the so-called truth. Leave her alone for now as she has requested and simply wait. I know it's hard for you to do this, but perhaps in time things will change.

Those who have already posted here and said it will take time to recover from the wts are correct. Hang on though, and in time it does start to get better. Support communities such as this one can do a lot to help you along. Just reading the experiences of others on here has been a great source of comfort and encouragement to me. You are not alone Newborn and this group will be here to support you.