I agree with you Virgochick! Had all the same as an elder's daughter. But believe it or not, it was even worse when I later married a man who desperately wanted to become an elder. The other elder's in the cong told him he couldn't become an elder until I started "commenting" at the meetings. We even had a shepherding call purely for that purpose! Every meeting became a nightmare for me. Sitting there and sweating in my seat and wondering which was worse: regurgitating vomit into a microphone in front of 150 people, or the verbal beating from husband and other elders if I didn't.
Posts by wavvy
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43"Commenting" at Meetings
by cameo-d ini don't quite understand why you call it commenting.. when i attended meeting the question at end were read.. when people "commented" it was never a real comment.. it was just reading back word for word a sentence or two from the paragraph that answered the question.. i would think "commentary" would be something you put in your own words and give a personal statement about it.. .
why do you call it "comments" when it is more like reciting?.
or is it different in other kh?.
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17
Were there any "dynasties" in your congregation?
by truthseeker indid your congregation have any so-called dynasties, or "a succession of rulers who belong to the same family for generations"?.
my last congregation had a family who had or seemed to have complete control over most aspects of congregation operations.
they like to run the show and make it obvious that they are in charge.. then there are those who receive unearned privileges because their father is an elder who fast tracked his son to eldership.. .
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wavvy
I am from a family that might qualify as one of your "dynasties". And let me tell you: the kids do not like the attention! I used to beg and cry not to have to go up on the stage. Hated having to be in every assembly part and demonstration. My dad (as much as I love him) was terrible for putting me on the spot. I was always a bit shy. Would rather have stayed quietly in a corner.
As for buying us houses! Ha ha ha ha ha! If only!
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29
Lovebombing =Pats on the back for me going back to Meetings...I want to punch someone!!!!
by Witness 007 inafter being away for 3 years i have agreed to attend some meetings with my wife who is suffering depression.
she has no friends except witnesses.
every meeting i get pats.......pats on the back during the damn meeting, elders and servants patting me on the back, mouthing "hello" giving me the thumbs up.....the last elder who did it, i almost stood up and punched him....i invented love bombing and they dare use it on me...me!
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wavvy
One of my most recent 'love-bombs' came in an email from a 'sister':
"We love you...miss you etc....", but the PS was stunning: "Prov 16:18 - Pride comes before a fall"
What??? I don't think I was ever that insensitive even at my peak!
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...I Don`t Believe That!!...
by OUTLAW in1975 was getting close......1975 was the topic of the day,for any jw during that time......our vancouver bc assembly was in full swing.......pretty jw girls wandered the area looking for cute guys like me!..lol!!
......my best friends annointed,apostate dad,was outside the assembly with a bullhorn..telling everyone about wbt$ lies..we all thought he was crazy,we were right!..lol!
!........................jw assemblys in those days,were huge events..nothing like today..local media always showed up.................it was the 2nd day of the assembly..the 2nd day had ended..we went home and turned the tv,to the new`s..............the local tv station was covering our assembly..the announcer said jw`s believed armageddon would be here by 1975......right at that moment,i knew i did`nt believe that.....i was supposed to believe it,but i did`nt..................have you ever had a similar experience,with any jehovah`s witness beliefs?.....................................outlaw.
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wavvy
Oh yeah...I forgot the one on higher education.......that always gets me too.
Shouldn't that just raise alarm bells in everyone? The idea that the more educated you become the more likely you are to give up 'the truth'?
Recently my mum said to me that I 'have' to start going back to meetings again, cos the longer you don't go, the more you will start to think you don't need the meetings. Exactly! Can't she see that if you have to attend regular brain washing sessions in order to keep on believing...there's something wrong.
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...I Don`t Believe That!!...
by OUTLAW in1975 was getting close......1975 was the topic of the day,for any jw during that time......our vancouver bc assembly was in full swing.......pretty jw girls wandered the area looking for cute guys like me!..lol!!
......my best friends annointed,apostate dad,was outside the assembly with a bullhorn..telling everyone about wbt$ lies..we all thought he was crazy,we were right!..lol!
!........................jw assemblys in those days,were huge events..nothing like today..local media always showed up.................it was the 2nd day of the assembly..the 2nd day had ended..we went home and turned the tv,to the new`s..............the local tv station was covering our assembly..the announcer said jw`s believed armageddon would be here by 1975......right at that moment,i knew i did`nt believe that.....i was supposed to believe it,but i did`nt..................have you ever had a similar experience,with any jehovah`s witness beliefs?.....................................outlaw.
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wavvy
I always had trouble believing that God didn't know that Adam and Eve were going to eat the fruit. Isn't he supposed to know everything?
Never could see what the fuss was about birthdays. THat reasoning always looked a bit like grasping at straws.
Had trouble believing that my elder husband (ex) was more spiritual than me just because he was a charismatic speaker...
And as for all the stuff about women in the congregation......AARRGGGHHH...dont get me started.
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36
Friends, Study Partners, and then GONE...
by ptucker8357 inabout a year and 12 ago, after much conversation with a jw co-worker, we began a formal study.
we studied religiously (no pun intended) almost every week unless i was on business travel or there was a sickness or other item that precluded us from getting together.. .
during that process, we became very strong, close friends... at least that is what i thought was happening.
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wavvy
OMG...I am so squirming in my seat when I read this stuff...
To think that I treated people this way once! I can think of bible students I had that I did that to...
It really is horrible isn't it?
Since leaving myself, I have noticed how any contact with a Witness really does seem to have an agenda. Amazing how old friends come out of the woodwork around Memorial time...don't seem to care about you the rest of the year. But I did all that myself once! OUCH!
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wavvy
Thanks! I was hoping to sneak in unnoticed...but anyway, glad to be here and to read all these interesting posts.
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14
Did you come here on JWD/JWN because of congregation injustice?
by asilentone ini did, but i have never told my story, i could not tell you my story here because it would be too revealing as to who i am.
if i did not experience like what i have experienced, i would probably avoid those damn apostate sites like this site!
well, i think it is a blessing for me to join this site because i have learned alot!
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wavvy
I agree with Shalimar too....to a point...
Yes, there are good and bad in every religion. But if the KH is just a 'hospital for sinners' then why would you want to be there? In that case, what makes the Witnesses so special? They are just like everybody else...some wonderful people and some very nasty people. But that is not what they would have you believe: instead there is this exclusionist belief that Witnesses and only Witnesses are on the right track. That is one major thing that has ultimately turned me off. I personally have not experienced any great injustice, but can believe that others have. I don't think that means all Witnesses are evil. But I cannot stand that they believe they are so much more spiritual and special than everyone else.
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10
It's not fair
by Luo bou to incut off from my family rejected by my wife ( spiritual endangerment ) and there was and still is not a damn thing i can do about it.
pisses me off.... no justice.
hey i am not looking for sympathy my life is pretty good its just frustrating to have family that are not dead yet might as well be..
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wavvy
I don't know whether its willfully mean or not...perhaps with some it is.
It's amazing though what kind of behaviour becomes justified when you believe you have the special approval of God. That's the danger in the whole thing to me.
I think they are all just blind and I remember the days of my own blindness with great shame. Now I just keep trying to remind myself never to think that I'm better than anyone else...even them! Thats the old trap the Witnesses fall into, and it is dangerous thinking. No doubt there is a lot of sincerity there. God knows, I was totally sincere in my time. I totally believed I was doing the right thing. Now I cringe when I think of the way I treated some 'worldly people'. Even on the other side we could still fall into the same kind of thinking!
I agree with what Johnny says: don't buy into their madness, by treating them better than normal!
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10
Our Strengths...a list of attributes post-cult
by alamb infound this tonite while online.
i was comforted to know that we have all come out stronger...and why.. compassion & empathy: having survived cultic abuse, you may be readier to empathize with someone else's grief.
it's easy to see the difference between the care and concern our commenters show each other and the hurtful sarcasm so prevalent in the blogosphere.
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wavvy
Thanks! Thats so beautiful. Sometimes its hard to avoid bitterness over past experiences, but I really think we are a special bunch of people to have come through all that and now to be able to bask in the sunshine of our freedom.
Thanks for sharing that with us!