Hmmm... I don't want to be insulting.... but, in that case, what makes you different from the JWs? You are still judging the rest of the world. Just swapped one church for another, but quite possibly you are no more open-minded than you were as a JW. Correct me if I'm wrong.
Posts by wavvy
-
29To all the Christians on here...
by homeschool ini realize you believe the bible is the truth.
do you believe it is the only truth?
i wonder how you feel about other major religious books, like for other religions who have and never will be christian.
-
-
-
42
ethical question - maybe you can help
by besty inthis is hypothetical, but it must happen and i don't recall it being addressed before on jwn.
we are df'd about 2 years now.
our jw friends shunned us.. if one such friend now reaches out to contact us that would surely be a good thing, yes?
-
-
wavvy
Another thought: JWs believe that the only scriptural end to a marriage is if there has been infidelity. In my case my husband was an elder and had been abusive for years. When I left him the pressure to go back to him from all sides was pretty intense. I slept with another man in order to get that pressure off my back. In my confused and emotionally battered state it seemed the only escape.
I do believe that marriage is sacred, but I think that if you still believe, as the JWs do, that there is no good reason for needing to get out of a marriage and that 'families' should never break up for any reason... then you are still caught in the mind-trap.
In my opinion the reasons for the marriage breaking up are a private matter between the couple. Nobody else ever knows the truth about it. You should offer support to either party if asked for it. Both of them have suffered. However, if this person is still a Witness at heart you might want to limit your contact with them. After all, they could end up shunning you again after they go back. Offer your support, but wait and see where they are really at. You may have a chance to help them see that its really better on the outside. If they have cheated on their partner they are obviously wanting to find out about life on the other side anyway.
-
121
November 15 Watchtower (Study Edition) - discourages showing affection to your spouse
by CrazyBlonde inanother gem from the same edition - article to be studied december 28 - january 3 (which most will miss lol coz of summer vacation) entitled "what do your prayers say about you?
" page 6 para 19 reads:.
19 when we are being represented in public prayer, we need to display reverential "fear of god.
-
-
wavvy
i've always hated the way there is so much emphasis on what other people 'might think'. It creates an organisation of people who do everything for show. Nothing is genuine. Sick.
-
27
has your life been "blessed" since leaving?
by tigeress inwhile in the org we are constantly told that if we just tow the line and behave that will we be blessed and everything we want will come to us.
personaly i havn't found that to be the case in the 30 years i spent trying to tow the line.. but now i've left wonderfull things are starting to happen in my life and i'm so very happy!.
so i wondered, have you encountered more "blessings" or less since leaving?.
-
-
wavvy
Definitely! I now make more money than I ever have before. I am healthier because so much stress has been erased from my life and the life I am living is one that I have chosen for myself and one that suits me. I am happier because I can choose friends based on whether I like them and whether we have things in common, not just on the basis of their religion. I am happier because my days are filled with doing things I enjoy. And I now have a husband who does not think he is my boss, but is prepared to live with me as an equal.
-
12
Did a householder ever "break your spirit" at the door?
by kitten whiskers inthe thread on creepiest things at the door got me to thinking about the field service.. when i was having my initial doubts, and keeping up with "theocratic" requirements was hard (we had a new born and a two year old diagnosed with asthma which had us in the hospital several times, and only one vehicle), i had mine broken.. i can't really remember what the man said.
he was angry and took out all of his frustrations on me.
i had never been so abused before.
-
-
wavvy
yeah doofdaddy...ironically, it was sometimes the ones who were the nicest that made me feel the worst.
-
12
Did a householder ever "break your spirit" at the door?
by kitten whiskers inthe thread on creepiest things at the door got me to thinking about the field service.. when i was having my initial doubts, and keeping up with "theocratic" requirements was hard (we had a new born and a two year old diagnosed with asthma which had us in the hospital several times, and only one vehicle), i had mine broken.. i can't really remember what the man said.
he was angry and took out all of his frustrations on me.
i had never been so abused before.
-
-
wavvy
I can't think of a householder that broke my spirit, but the partner I was working with did...
Was going through the dilemma of whether to stop pioneering due to severe health issues, and was told that the number of hours I put on my report was a direct reflection of how much I loved J. Incredibly hurtful.
-
37
What Freedoms Do You Enjoy That You Couldn't As A Witness?
by minimus inas jws, we were in bondage to the organization, its rules and its whims.
now, we do not have to follow their direction and believe that whatever we were being told was by "theocratic" arrangement.. so, what freedoms do you have now that you have been liberated?.
-
-
wavvy
except for the porn...lol
-
37
What Freedoms Do You Enjoy That You Couldn't As A Witness?
by minimus inas jws, we were in bondage to the organization, its rules and its whims.
now, we do not have to follow their direction and believe that whatever we were being told was by "theocratic" arrangement.. so, what freedoms do you have now that you have been liberated?.
-
-
wavvy
All of the above! and with a huge smile!
-
19
Should I just keep my distance?
by wavvy inreading other people's posts, its obvious that those of us who still have contact with our jw family are constantly bombarded with sick propaganda designed to make us feel guilty and scared.
we are all so happy to be out, yet these contacts with our family revive all the bad feelings.. my parents are always calling me to meet up with them for coffee or something.
i don't want them to be a part of this new life of mine because i don't need that kind of crap all the time.
-
-
wavvy
rebel8 - thanks. I do think my wellbeing is more important than anything. Balance is the key I think. I don't want to push them away from me altogether, but I do think I need to limit my contact with them. My mother is a very pushy woman, always has been. She isn't going to change.
But, the responses to this thread have made me think that just as many of us were scared when we left the dubs about all the bad stuff that was going to happen to us...demon attacks etc, my parents are also worried that this is happening to their little girl. I guess the less they see of me the more they will worry. If I can let them into my life enough for them to see firsthand that:
1. I have not become an alcoholic or a drug-abuser
2. I am happily married to a man who treats me like a princess, although he's not a JW. He's not an alcoholic, drug-abuser, or adulterer either!
3. I have never had a 'demon attack' in my life.
4. I am financially secure, and a productive member of society who likes to think they contribute to the community in some way.
5. My life is peaceful and full of love and contentment.
Hopefully it may reassure them, perhaps maybe even make them think twice about the whole idea that life goes sour when you leave the borg. But, chances are they are still going to be unable to resist the need to preach to me... But, so what? I love them, and I am happy with who I am and where I am in my life. Yes, it'd be nice if my parents could see that and just be happy for me and approve of my life. But, if they don't, I'll probably feel hurt for a few minutes, but ultimately, I won't let them destroy my peace.
-
-
-
wavvy
God and the New Physics - Paul Davies. Not entirely about evolution but touches on it.