Posts by Tea drinker

24

Do JW's Really Believe That the End is Near?

by Sour Grapes in

as i listened to the brother giving the public talk.

sunday, he mentioned several times how close we.

are to the end.

Tea drinker

I think that there are two main groups within the Witnesses as far as this belief is concerned.

There are those that don't fully believe it--whilst somehow convincing themselves and others that they do, so as not to appear weak--and are being financially responsible by making sure that they have a decent job, some savings and a pension plan.

On the other hand there are those that do just enough work to tide themselves over as they "work for Jehovah." I am acquainted with a newly married self-righteous pharisee and he is the epitome of the smug, overly-righteous type who truly believes and who has no plans for the future. In fact one of his circle rudely laughed in my face when I said that I was currently working towards a professional career with a good pension scheme. I wonder who will be laughing in forty years time. I try not to think such vindictive thoughts, as the JWs really deserve pity, but they truly do make it difficult for one to be charitable sometimes.

It is truly saddening when contemplating the future of the "true believers" who have been taught that financial irresponsibility is a virtue.

20

Are you a lonely JW this xmas day? read on...

by highdose in

jw
friends

this is a post for all those jw lurkers out there who were once like me but probably think they are all alone and that noone else is going through what they are.... xmas day as a lonely jw is a real bitch!

what happens is: you spend the whole day alone, knowing that all those jw familys in your area are all together today having a great time!

if you have a family thats not jw then they are also all together having a great time... but you can't join in.... so you sit there watching tv, all the xmas films coming on... showing familys together on xmas day.... but wait a second!

Tea drinker

Thanks for the message highdose. I'm no longer attending any Witness meetings but most of my family are still in. We all get together on Christmas day but in a way I would rather spend Christmas Day alone to be honest--the cult-speak is now absolutely unbearable to me and I sometimes have difficulty in keeping my big mouth shut. Maybe I should count my blessings while they last though, as by next year my free thinking/speaking might have got me booted out.

Thanks again for the lovely thought and I wish everybody reading this a Merry Christmas, especially the lurkers who are still stuck in.

27

The most apostate thing you could do..?

by iMARX in

it's taken me a while to start watching films with ghosts in - even a christmas carol - and then eventually i started smoking pot and it didn't bother me at all.

but there are still some things i would have trouble with doing because of the remains of my christian conscience.. anything you guys still haven't brought yourself to do yet?.

Tea drinker

I sent Christmas cards for the first time this year and I also secretly attend church as regularly as I can.

I also do plenty of thinking for myself and it drives my Witness relatives crazy.

7

Conscience Matters

by greenie in

jw
friends

has anyone ever compiled a list of things that are now conscience matters for jws?

if not, do you guys know what things are currently considered conscience matters?

is the list too long or obscure so that this is a bad question?

Tea drinker

Ah yes! Conscience matters. I have always found that the unwritten list of conscience matters varies from one congregation to the next--it can even vary within a single congregation depending on which clique you associate with.

You can be rest assured though that WHATEVER the "conscience matter" is there will always be some self-righteous busy body who tries to impose their conscience on you and others. I've seen squabbles over whether one should or should not eat Christmas pudding or Easter eggs. It's funny how the so-called "spiritually strong" ones are always disputing over trifles.

Whenever I was unfortunate enough to have a run-in with one of these people I would always get the apostle Paul quoted at me, being told that I should not do it if it stumbles others (i.e. them and their fellow members of the "easily stumbled self righteous brigade"). I would quote Paul right back and point out that he also said that such ones were immature and weak in faith and then go on to say that they were displaying spiritual immaturity. As you can imagine, that always went down like a lead balloon: pioneers and MSs did not like to be smacked down by someone who always reported single figures and never answered up.

35

They "can give gifts on any day of the year"... But do they?

by Albert Einstein in

jw
friends

how many times we had heard from jw (commenting on christmass, mothers day or bithdays) "they dont need a pecial day set to give gifts, because the can give it on any day" .... but whats your experience if you compare jw and non jw ... are they really giving?.

my sons (7) example:.

he has non jw grandparents: gets all kinds of gifts all the time, sweets, magazines, toys,.

Tea drinker

A relative of mine once took several bags of presents to a family that had two little girls. Upon reaching the door she was told that the children were just going to bed. One of the little girls joyfully cried out "presents" when she saw my relative but she was told to go back upstairs. The mother took the bags without so much as a smile or a thank you.

What really hurt my relative was that she did not even receive a card, a note or even a verbal "thanks" even though this family sat behind our row regularly at the Kingdom Hall.

50

Did You Ever Secretly "Sin" & The Elders Never Knew About It?

by minimus in

jw
friends

we, as elders, would every so often give a little talk about keeping the congregation clean and that if anyone felt the need to talk to us, to get whatever is bothering them off their chest, we would be readily available to them.

you'd be shocked to see how many would tell us some naughty things they were feeling guilty about.. i'm sure there were plenty of smart people who simply kept quiet and didn't say a word.. here's your opportunity to tell us what you wouldn't tell them..

Tea drinker

Oh yes.

I was constantly intimate with a former non-Witness girlfriend of mine who I was "bringing into the 'truth.'" I would often spend the night at her place and she at mine (though at my place we had to keep one eye out for family members walking in).

Unbelievably, we never went all the way as I had a great deal of self-control. I could kick myself now!

12

Does anyone play an instrument just for fun?

by keeshondgirl in

i like to play the piano, the drums, and i am teaching myself to play the flute.. i can play the trumpet too but i have to practice it more..

Tea drinker

I play the piano and the pipe organ.

17

real fake friends

by diamondiiz in

i wondered how did your "best" jw friends react to when you told them you're leaving wts?.

after i found out all i needed to know i called up my old friend who i thought was a good friend but i knew he was a die hard dub and i told him to write down a book and read it.

i was refering to russell's thy kingdom come.

Tea drinker

I have not been to a meeting for a few months now but whenever I see a Witness they are courteous enough and small-talk is generally made. Some members of my family have been treated rather shoddily this past year so I am using that as a cover to fade.

A good elder friend of mine stepped down a few years ago, married a non-Witness and moved far far away (she is now attending meetings though). Needless to say he was treated badly by many members of the congregation before he moved and people even made verbal jabs at him during the Watchtower studies. When he found out that I was not going to meetings, and that I had no intention of going back, he wrote me a long letter saying that he loved me and my family for coming to terms with his decisions in a non-judgemental way, that we were a true Christian family, that I was free to disagree with him and his advice and that it would not affect our friendship one bit.

As you can imagine, I was touched by this true friendship. I have not spoken to many about my disputes with regard to doctrine (of which there are many) and plan to keep it that way unless intolerably pressed. If it does come to me being outed as an apostate I don't know what he will do but I'm hoping that he will continue to display the same attitude (he was always a thinker rather than a follower and was never afraid to debate the rights and wrongs of the society's views with me).

It does appear that true friends can be found within the Witnesses.........I hope.

28

Assembly Survival Techniques

by KingAgag in

jw
friends

i told my wife some time back that i would fade, and i compronised that i'd still attend the memorials and assemblies (at least for now).

november 1st is the 'special' assembly day.

she said she doesn't care if i listen or not, it is more to help her with the baby.

Tea drinker

I just used to sit there reading the Bible. I read it through once a year and used to use assemblies as a marathon reading session so that I could then have a couple of weeks off to spend more time reading other things.

I sometimes used to help with other people's children too. This allowed me to draw pictures for them (well, for relieving my boredom really) or take them for a walk around the grounds.

I like the new name by the way.

27

don't marry that unbaptized meeting going sister, or loose your privileges

by DaCheech in

i've got one of those forever single friend.. he tries to be friends with every kind of "spiritual" sister out there.

they use him for gifts, rides, and paying their diner meals when the friends go out.. he's in his late 40's and has himself been used by 5 sisters in a 15 years span.. he says he's found a good one, but she goes to meetings and is studying the "troof".

his elders and nosybody acquantences have told him to lay off of her until she's baptized and then some (2-3 years for prooving herself in the lord) or else loose his priviliges.. i tried to nonchalantly telling him that was hogwash, but the pharasees have a grip on him.

Tea drinker

Great! What is he waiting for? He's found a nice young lady to court and he gets to jettison his "privileges" at the same time.

Some people have all the luck! I wish that had happened to me while I was still going.