Happy birthday. Thanks for sharing your story. I agree about your comments about being young. I thought the end would come a long, long, long time ago. But looking in the mirror, as you did, surprises me how old I became.
straightshooter
JoinedPosts by straightshooter
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82
My 66th birthday is today!!
by Terry inonce i was little boy in fort worth, texas living with my maw maw and paw paw and mommy.. then, i was an 18 year old 6'4'' skinny 165lb religious nut being dipped in a baptismal during a local assembly.. suddenly, i was 20 and listening to a jail cell door clang behind me as a conscientious objector.. wow!
23 years old and put on parole until my 6 years sentence was ended!
i got married to a nice jw girl and had 3 kids!.
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91
What Was Your "Status" Within The Organization?
by minimus inwere you a sought after associate?.
were you often invisible?.
did other witnesses view you as "exemplary"?.
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straightshooter
I was an elder for 5 years before leaving. I was considered "exemplary", until the day the C.O. said I needed to be the Secretary in the cong and I said NO. Then the wheels of the org started to punish me for not volunteering for any duty.
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Good Lord Sweetie!
by allyouneedislove inso my spouse was just telling me how he/she was having a conversation with a doubting active witness.
my spouse was telling them the doubt he/she had regarding blood transfusions and how he/she wasn't sure anymore.. .
i was like "cautious as serpent, innocent as a dove".
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straightshooter
Wow that is brave on your spouse's part. Hopefully the reasoning seed will grow in that jw. Keep us in the loop.
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191
Have You Prepared For The "Flu" And Do You Get A Flu Shot?
by minimus ini try to keep my hands clean regularly and stay away from areas and people that i know are sick.. i have never gotten a flu shot and i do know that many that do get one, get the flu anyway.. still, the flu is considered very very bad this year..
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straightshooter
I have received the flu shot the last 2 years. I did not receive the flu during this period so far. I am fortunate that I very rarely got the flu in the past. I have absolutely no idea why. The only reason I started getting the flu shot was because my employer offered it free and I am now at an age the CDC reccommends should get a shot.
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Jw;s like family
by d ini was wondering do you ever miss certain jw's?
i mean not all but just some, becuase even though we may rant and rave against jw's at times.
we have to remeber that for those that were born in the jw's theywere like family.which is why it is so hard at for me to let go completely.. although i have been out for about 5 yrs and it feels good.
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straightshooter
Yes there are jws I missed greatly. Though they looked with eager anticipation to the coming of the new order, they have now fallen asleep in death. The jws I know who are living are nothing like my former friends. My former friends, even some elders, questioned info from the WTS and promoted multi-cong gatherings. I miss them greatly.
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Just joined
by Gojira_101 inthis is my first time posting on here.
i've been inactive for 3 months now and my husband and i are going the fading way.
i was born and raised in this religion and now after almost 30 years, they have taken most everything from me.
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straightshooter
Welcome. It is extremely sad about your aunt's reactions. But jw show their true hatred toward those who are not "strong" in the WTS. It is so hurtful how they treat former and inactive jws.
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How Much Did You Actually Study the Bible as a JW?
by Ding inthe wts says that people should read the bible daily, but did you really do that as a jw?.
or were you kept so busy reading wt literature, attending meetings, and going door to door, that you basically had little time for the bible itself?.
also, doesn't the wts teach that no one can understand the bible without "the slave" to teach its true meaning?.
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straightshooter
I generally did daily Bible reading, except when it was a holiday or vacation period.
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My Story
by nolongerconfused inwell...where do i start.... i was raised in the truth...always knowing that there was nothing better out there besides the wt...however, recently i have a made a determination to not go "anywhere"...in all of my almost 35 years of being part of this "organization" i can honestly say i never read the bible as i do today...my "personal" study of the bible has more meaning today than it ever did...after reading the bible i have found many inconsistencies in the wt organization...i hold no grudges or hard feelings towards anyone in the organization, including the so called governing body...i just believe that human imperfection has taken it's toll on this organization...however, that is no excuse to act as a false prophet or assume things that only belong jehovah and his son...the bible is the truth, and jesus said such truth will set us free...i served as a pioneer all of my youth, and served as a ms...as of today i don't partake in that kind of manmade "service"... i'm truly against monthly time reports, special titles of service, asking for donations, judicial committees, among other things...some people may ask why?...well, none of these things are biblical!...some have told me, well the gb is now the faithful and discreet slave...and i say, as determined by who?...nowhere in my personal reading of the bible does it say that there was or there would ever be a gb...this group of men was self appointed...anything self appointed or self made up is definitely not discreet or faithful...jesus never ever appointed such a group.... a family member of mine passed away 2 years ago...he was never a "witness"...but i did preach to him once in a while so he "knew" about god...he just never wanted to be part of this organization...yet, when he passed away i was told repeatedly by the brothers and resurrection publications that i will see him in paradise... i thought to myself, but jehovah is the only one that determines or says who will resurrect (weather heavenly or earth)...i always thought...we as men are nobody to classify or determine that being part of a certain "organization" is the only way to salvation...jesus never said such thing...yet some may say that jehovah has always used an organization giving an moses and the israelite "organization" as an example...but then i say, well jesus is the end of the old covenant...we don't need an organization to be our mediator between us and the true god...jesus is the only mediator.... i could just say so many other things, but i felt like sharing this with all of you...as i cannot share this with any family members or brothers since i would be considered an apostate...i truly believe god is the only judge and i will hold myself accountable to him and no one else.... thanks for reading.... .
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straightshooter
Welcome. Thanks for sharing your experience.
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Greetings from a new member
by EdenOne ingreetings everyone.. just wanted to say hello to everyone, being a new member from western europe.. some may know me from another forum (eden, from e-jehovas-witnesses.com), but most don't, so this is my little intro.. male, in my early 40's.
still an active member in good standing of a jehovah's witnesses congregation in my country, and honestly not planning to change that status, despite my unorthodox beliefs.
sometime i will elaborate the reason why i don't feel i must leave.
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straightshooter
Welcome and thanks for sharing your website. The book of Daniel is very interesting.
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How Was Your First Day of the New Year?
by cognac ini have a sick kid.
how was your day?
any new year resolutions?.
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straightshooter
I did not mind the New Year celebrations, but some in the neighborhood decided to celebrate at 3:00 am.