they think it takes people away from religion!
omg!
i apologize if the link doesn't work, i don't know how to do that yet but you can find it with what i have here i think.
What Finally-Free said.
I hate all the politically correct nonsense as well.
Regarding the film, I think it may be more of a Ratzinger issue than a Catholic one, after all I believe JP II okayed the Harry Potter films. The Vatican's stance is usually highly dependent on the opinion of the one sitting on the throne.
my dad woke up about 3 years ago and said nothing.
my sister woke up about a year ago.
my mom about a month ago, myself shortly after.
Welcome to the board torn in two son.
I am in a similar situation to you in that I am awake to the Watch Tower. I am not a teenager but am in my twenties and still living at home as I have just recently finished university. I planned a slow fade but in the end it just turned into a lightning fade because I could not stand the meetings anymore.
None of my family are awake, although some are aware of my complete disbelief in Watch Tower doctrine. Things are difficult when around such people and, as you can imagine, the cult-speak is often intolerable. Having said that, the fact that your immediate family is also awake is good news as you can speak freely and openly to them; when I try that I am just told to shut up or am shouted at. I am currently seeing a counsellor and I can't even speak to my family about what I tell her as, when I try, they get angry at my speaking badly about "the truth." I cannot tell you how wonderful it would be for me to be able to speak to my family openly. I must emphasise again that you are fortunate in this respect.
The fact is, whatever happens, you will not lose your immediate family no matter what now. It is unfortunate, but in order to be true to yourself the time may come when your other friends will shun you.
As far as beliefs were concerned, I was relieved when I found out it was all wrong. It was as if a large weight had been lifted from my shoulders. I am still a Christian and my lifestyle has changed little (contrary to what the Witnesses always predict). As for your own beliefs, whatever path you take, I think and hope that you eventually settle down into something which feel comfortable to you.
All the best.
most congregations in this area had no meeting last thursday,.
they have now cancelled tomorrows meetings .
perhaps snow is worse than the internet!.
Yes, Poztate has a good point. I tried to emphasise the crocodile infested river stories to my elder relatives as they were debating on whether to phone round to cancel the meeting.
Unfortunately they did the sensible thing and cancelled, which means that I now don't have the house to myself for a few hours to do some proper Watch Tower research
most congregations in this area had no meeting last thursday,.
they have now cancelled tomorrows meetings .
perhaps snow is worse than the internet!.
Thank you Sad emo
most congregations in this area had no meeting last thursday,.
they have now cancelled tomorrows meetings .
perhaps snow is worse than the internet!.
Yeah don't I know it. It was cancelled on Thursday and is cancelled tomorrow.
Witness family being home will certainly hinder my apostate research. Why could this never happen before I decided to fade? All my prayers for meetings to be cancelled in previous harsh winters went unanswered but as soon as I stop going they can't wait to cancel them.
At least nobody in my home has blamed the weather on Satan....yet. That would really push me over the edge tonight.
out of all the 'friends' i had while in the jws, only a few (4) still have contact with me - 2 of them being very close to me to this day.
one of these girls is about 6yrs older then me, so she has always been my 'big sis' so to speak!
anyhow she and her mom are jws and they live together, but are very 'relaxed' in their stance against me in that when i go out of town (which is on a regular basis) my gf will stay at my place to #1-get my mail, and #2-get a break from being up under her mom everyday!
I know how you feel to some degree. I have been out mentally for almost one year now and am fully convinced that the Watch Tower is false.
Some of my immediate family (including an elder) know about my full blown apostasy and are willing to let me exercise my conscience, thank goodness.
Naturally, I am not allowed to talk about it as it causes arguments but when one of these family members tries to bring up how brilliant the organisation is or how corrpt "false religion" is, then I have to speak up. Like you, I sometimes feel quite guilty, especially where the older family members are concerned as the Watch Tower has been their life. This guilt is even worse when I gain the upper hand in a debate: I just feel pity as I see the disappointed look in their eyes as they flounder about trying to defend the society.
I don't know if this is normal but I certainly feel like you in this matter. Part of me feels guilty for trying to smash up their belief system and hence a large part of them. On the other hand I just want to free them so that we can all live a normal life: I don't want them shunning me if I get disfellowshipped; I don't want them boycotting my wedding if ever I get married etc.
It's a tough situation and I don't know what to advise. I just thought that I would share my own similar feelings so that you would be aware that you are not alone in feeling this way.
as i listened to the brother giving the public talk.
sunday, he mentioned several times how close we.
are to the end.
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.
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!
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.
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?.
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.
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?
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.
