its_my_life2001ca

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Posts by its_my_life2001ca

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  26

  A General Knowledge Picture Question.

  by Englishman in

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  here is the question, it relates to the pic below:.

  in which picturesque township do the residents live in houses like this?.

  clue: i might give one later if no-one gets the answer.. .

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  its_my_life2001ca

  Would it be Jethro Tull or the Moody Blues?
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  Honest Research: Why?

  by Adonai438 in

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  i am trying to gather info.

  on why people leave the wt.. i have read many personal stories but thought it would be easier to just post the question:.

  if you can remember, what was the very first thing.

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  its_my_life2001ca

  When I first left, it was not over doctrinal issues either but my eyes were later opened after reading C of C. I guess loneliness was one problem for me. No one had time for anyone else and I was wondering what happened to the love we were supposed to be noted for.There were cliques in our congregation and a disparity in justice. If you had a problem with an elder, you were supposed to be patient and wait on Jehovah. If a publisher was the problem, it seemed like they were ripped through the tribunal in no time. Also, service was discouraging, days at a time speaking to no one and feeling there were better ways of spending my time but accomplishing as much good. I also got tired of having to explain why I missed a meeting or wasn;t at the service arrangement... feeling like a kid who has to justify everything they do and not enjoying life as it came.I guess what it all comes down to was they took my joy away from serving God and made everything a burden. You only have a small pool from which to select your prospective mates and even your friends and if there's no one among them that you 'click with' then tough luck.
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  Resurrection...to where???

  by lv4fer in

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  can anyone give me scriptural proof that we will be resurrected to life on earth?

  i can't find anything except scriptures that talk about a resurrection to heaven.

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  its_my_life2001ca

  To me it only seems reasonable for man to have an earthly hope. The bible says that God gave the earth to man and the way it was created satisfies our desires.The majority of us have never had the opportunity or time to really enjoy life here the way we were meant to and for some it's a fleeting existence. Does God need us in heaven?..is there a shortage of angels?..unless we pre-existed there, why would we want to return there forever? Granted, I would love to see God and Jesus, but meaning no disrespect, I would prefer to live on earth and explore it's every crevice. Really enjoy life the way we have imagined it. Anyway, time will tell and we do have the assurance that God has our best interests at heart.
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  JWs: Hedging Their Bets?

  by Room 215 in

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  2. friends

  this is directed at long-time jws.

  it's quite apparent to me as an observer of the movement for more than 50 years, that jws are nowhere near as obsessed with the imminence of armageddon as they once were.

  when i was young, i would notice attractive young jw girls would wear ``aaa' (``available after armageddon'') badges at assemblies.

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  its_my_life2001ca

  Hi Roomie

  I think in some situations it's a case of observation. They look at some who sacrificed personal goals for the sake of the kingdom and now have very little to show for it. Many of my personal friends pioneered and specialled for many years, most of us marrying late and none of us having children, save myself who inherited 2 from my husband's previous marriage.We used to talk glowingly of our pioneer experiences but memories are not enough to grow old with.They see the financial stress we are under, concerned for our retirement, lack of fulfillment for not having tapped into our talents in pursuing some type of career which would have added another dimension to our lives.Mind you they are growing up in a world that says you have to have it all now so after a token year of pioneering they go for it. In spite of the society trying to rein in it's members, many are pushing ahead to pursue happiness.
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  44

  Were you atheist/agnostic BEFORE you came here?

  by gumby in

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  something has puzzeled me for a long time since i came to this board.

  first i would like to say i'm not judging any in what i'm about to say as we all are at different places in our lives and i respect that.. here it is: at what point in your life did you no longer believe in god or believe the bible?.

  how many came to this conclution after coming to this db?.

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  its_my_life2001ca

  I believed in a creator before I studied with the witnesses and I still do. Some people left the borg because they felt living by the Bible was too restrictive and wanted to live a looser lifestyle. That's their choice. Many leave because of the societies policies and some of their teachings but their love for the brothers remain and love for God. They will usually look for another avenue to serve him. What happens with your family will largely depend on what's in their hearts.
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  36

  Some things that annoy me about the WTS

  by Leander in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  i'm still currently a jw myself and i'm serving as a minsterial servant in a limited capacity.

  (a few weeks ago i was vocal about the doubts i've had and the elders made the decision to allow me to stay on as a ms but without giving talks) .

  1. recently as in the last few years i've been paying more attention to the various members in the congregation and i've observed some interesting things.

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  its_my_life2001ca

  I found pioneering to be stressful although if anyone ever asked me my opinion, I always said it was the way to go. Never wanted to get caught complaining. Being single and having no responsibilties, it was understood that this was our duty. Service all day and cleaning all night tooks it's toll after 13 yrs. By the end of the month, I was almost crying because I just couldn't keep up, working away til the last hour knowing the next day it started all over again. I felt like a rat trapped on a treadmill, moving but going nowhere. When I finally stopped pioneering, I felt such a failure and guilty that I had lived up to my committment. Being in the truth was so hard, feeling like a second rate christian. Now that I'm out, I can worship God with a lighter heart and have more joy. No more man made burdens. Life is refreshing now like cool clean air of spring. I feel like I've been reborn. I will never give up my christian freedom again to anyone.
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  Aaaah, Sweet Gossip

  by mindfield in

  1. jw
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  gossip is nothing new... we hear it everywhere, at work, with friends, even on this message board.

  it's nothing special, and it will stay with humanity for a long, long time, if not forever.. however, if one claims to be in god's only organization on earth, part of god's plan for a *paradise earth*, then one must therefore be free of such *petty* things as gossip.

  at least that's what the gb says, right?.

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  its_my_life2001ca

  You did the right thing Billygoat.It can makes us unpopular, but at the same time it earns the respect of the kind of persons we would want for friends. 99% of the time, these gossips would shred your reputation when not in the room, but others appreciate that you would not do it to them. Gossip is a trap we all fall into from time to time . For many, their own self esteem comes from belittling others because they themselves feel inferior. If we remind people often enough about our stand, in time they will avoid doing it around us. We all at times like a juicy tidbit, but afterwards, I feel bad because it was at someone's expense and not all gossip is true.My reputation was smeared in one congregation, totally based on lies, but because I was the new person, my word didn't count. I never felt comfortable in that hall again especially when I found out later that many had marked me. This was so hurtful coming from my "brothers and sisters".
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  18

  Bethel Memoirs, Good and Not So Good

  by Room 215 in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  in an earlier post, i mentioned a recent trip to a local assembly hall to catch up on the latest in jw rhetoric -- which incidentally sounds pretty much like it always has.. .

  while being regaled with exhortations to elevate the importance of meeting attendance to the status of that approaching a patient on life support, i couldn't help but chuckle as how so many -- not all, mind you, but many bethelites during my tenure there in the late sixties, honed their skill at ducking meetings to the level of fine art.. because it was policy that work assignments took precedence over all other obligations including and especially meetings and field service, many would find some pretext to stay back and piddle away at their desk or workbench.

  this was particularly true of the stafers assigned to the maintenance of the bethel home.

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  its_my_life2001ca

  I've been reading "In Search of Christian Freedom" and Franz brought out how several members of the governing body rarely engaged in field service. Most didn't attend the book studies and didn't share in the group service activity, among them Knorr, Suiter, Fred Franz, and Henschel. I think of the poor brothers in the congregations who had to work long hours to support their families, prepare meetings and regularly participate in field service or suffer the consequences. Family life and any personal interests went by the wayside. As mentionned above, most brothers don't get in the travelling and visits to exotic places that the higher ups do...such a double standard...how can they expect God's approval on themselves or do they really care?
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  44

  Should People Be Disfellowshipped?

  by Frenchy in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  a reply i made on another thread prompted me to post this.

  i was going to do so on the other thread but that was really not the topic and i didn't want to corrupt it by flying off on another tangent.. i have no problems with disfellowshipping from an organization such as jehovah's witnesses.

  i don't think a person should be allowed to remain within an organization while practicing things that are condemned by that org., things which they, themselves profess not to believe in.. my objection is to the shunning.

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  its_my_life2001ca

  I too agree with disfellowshipping. I was always amazed at stories of people who lived a life of crime yet were still able to benefit from sacraments of the church. They should have been excommunicated because their life bore out that they had know real appreciation for Christian principles. The same goes for the witnesses, if a person openly goes against Bible teachings. However, many who have been disfellowshipped ie for adultery sincerely regret their actions but the mere fact they don't return to meetings is justification to ostracize them. Meeting attendance is no proof of repentance because many people live a double life. Also, some who leave don't do so to pursue an ungodly life , their love for God and his word are still strong and in some ways they have developed a closer bond with him.Just the mere fact they have lost faith in a man made organization is enough for the witnesses to consider them unfit association. I wonder if the shunning was ever abolished , if there would be a huge exodus from the org. as alienation from ones family and friends is more than some people could bear.
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  15

  "Real Friends" - the Greatest Watchto...

  by metatron in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  my daughter taught me an important lesson a couple.

  years ago.

  df'd.

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  its_my_life2001ca

  Amen to all previous comments. The hardest part I have found since leaving the org. is the emotional vacuum that I find myself in.Having spent the greatest part of my life in the 'truth', I can kiss those 'friends' goodbye, never furthered school connections because that was discouraged and my family was worldly so they weren't good association either. Like many of you, I had numerous acquaintances but very few friends, the kind you could pour your heart out to without everything you said going cross country. You were discouraged from activities outside the congregation so that was another outlet cut off. I do cleaning so the only people I get to meet are my boss and the occasional policeman when the alarm goes off. Thank heavens for my husband, who id df'd because our situation has brought us closer to gether. He is very gregarious and people are drawn to him, so he is having an easier time of it.I am much shyer and even though I pioneered for many years, it was very difficult but I did it for Jehovah. It's taking alot out of me to get the nerve to put myself out there again, because when you're indoctrinated into believing that everyone not in the 'truth' is evil, you put up an invisible barrier. Mentally it takes time to cross it. It has helped reading many of the posts here because when you know you're not a unique case, you don't feel such a freak.