Raised in the org but I was always fairly cynical and skeptical about the whole thing. I actually like the Bible and historical study, etc. Publicing speak and all that stuff came easily for me and I was quite good at it to be honest. I did value some of the friendships and the family relationships so I rolled along and made a successful career for myself in the business world and had a parallel success in the organization. My idea was that I would do the best I could to help people and control the bad guys as best I could. Became really tired of the monumental level of ignorance in the organization. Nauseated by the actions of many COs and DOs. Got real fed up with the way my kids were treated when they got University educations, got removed as an Elder and to my shock quickly learned how many people had actually resented intellectually stimulating Watchtower Studies and Book Studies. Became irregular. Moved and went to a congregation where no one knew me and had no idea of my capabilities. Nearly everyone in the new congregation where about as bright as fence posts. Very tiresome hearing weekly expositions about how God was directly intervening in everyone's life. Became inactive. Decreased meeting attendance to occasional. Congregation boundaries changed and I arrived one day to find I was in a different congregation where no one knew me from Adam and wasn't the least bit interested in me at all. Said to myself, "That's great!" walked out the door and never went back.
Jazzbo
JoinedPosts by Jazzbo
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59
Was Your Leaving The Witnesses A Very Gradual Process Or A Quick One?
by minimus infor me, it took many years.. even when i would read all the changes over the years from the "truth", i still would ignore it and "wait on jehovah" and try to be a positive force in the congregation.. eventually, i just couldn't take it anymore and resigned as an elder, and slowly but surely made my fade.. what about you?
were you out, in a short or longer time?
?.
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Former Longtime Elder- Met up with a Former CO,DO
by James Jackson inat a convention recently, i met with don wallace, a former co and do.
he told me he came off the road 6 years ago and is living in scottsboro al.
him and his wife are in their late 70's.
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Jazzbo
Good for him! People are responsible for their own actions and if he chose to make preparations for the future then more power to him. Everyone else has had the same opportunity whether they choose to excercise it or not. Personally, I never lost sight of the fact that the liklihood was that I would need money in the future and I acted accordingly. I can't recall one occasion when anyone said anything critical to me about saving and investing and I was not secretive about it.
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Jazzbo
Simon, One of the many things you are ignoring is the fact as stated above: Zimmerman was told to stay in his vehicle! Another thing you are ignoring is that since Mr. Trayvon Martin was killed, Zimmerman made any claim he could and Mr. Trayvon Martin is not here to defend himself or tell his story of what happened. But the main fact remains that Zimmerman was told not to get out of his car and was told not to do anything. And because Zimmerman blatantly ignored that official instruction, THAT is why this tragedy and now this TRAVESTY OF JUSTICE has occurred. And anyone with even an IOTA of FULLY INTEGRATED HONESTY can see that. WORF
You can repeat this BS as many times as you like, it doesn't make it correct. Some low rent telephone operator DOES NOT have the legal right to issue orders to the guy on the other end of the phone. That's the law and it was also addressed in court. Zimmerman's actions were in all cases completely legal which was also addressed in court.The evidence showed Zimmerman was innocent and the fact that Martin wasn't there had nothing to do with it.
The truth is that justice was done when Zimmerman pulled the trigger on a violent thug who attacked him and justice was done again when a jury acquited him of all charges. Your race baiting ideology and the moaning of the rest of the hand wringers who believe in black victimhood in this case has been trumped by the legal system. It's a good day for justice. The jury deserves a medal.
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How many of you followed the WTS direction on education years ago and have been screwed by it?
by Julia Orwell ini'm really interested in this question because i've heard for years that if you forgo further education and go pioneering, when you have a family down the track you will get a good job because jehovah will provide for you because you pioneered.
as long as i was a kool-aid drinker, even then, i thought, "how does pioneering pay your bills?
surely education should come first.
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Jazzbo
I don't know. Are you a brain surgeon or do you say, "Do you want fries with that?"
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119
How many of you followed the WTS direction on education years ago and have been screwed by it?
by Julia Orwell ini'm really interested in this question because i've heard for years that if you forgo further education and go pioneering, when you have a family down the track you will get a good job because jehovah will provide for you because you pioneered.
as long as i was a kool-aid drinker, even then, i thought, "how does pioneering pay your bills?
surely education should come first.
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Jazzbo
It kinda piszez me off to read people acting like giving up a college education was nothing for them and they have been so successful. The old "I'm so talented I didn't go to college and still make $100,000's a year, plus bonuses, plus retirement, plus investments, health insurance etc., crap touches me and it turns to gold. " If that's your attitude, perhaps you need to be on a convention encouraging the youth to not seek further education. Perhaps you should teach you own children that they won't need an education, just look at yourself. I'll bet you won't, and your making plans to send your kids now to a University near you.
JakeM2012 I guess that is directed at me. The truth is that I sent all my kids to college and two of them got Masters degrees. They're doing well. If you want to wallow in your situation then that is certainly your privilege but I suspect your embrace of victimhood is as much responsible for your situation as the fact that the Organization made it difficult for you to pursue a college aducation. The sad truth is that I've run into way too many Witnesses and ex Witnesses that pretend they could have been brain surgeons if only the evil Organization had not interfered with their educational plans when the truth is that they struggle to stand behind a counter at a convenience store. I do not apologize for being successful, if you don't like it that's just too bad. Enjoy your wallow.
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How many of you followed the WTS direction on education years ago and have been screwed by it?
by Julia Orwell ini'm really interested in this question because i've heard for years that if you forgo further education and go pioneering, when you have a family down the track you will get a good job because jehovah will provide for you because you pioneered.
as long as i was a kool-aid drinker, even then, i thought, "how does pioneering pay your bills?
surely education should come first.
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Jazzbo
I'm a little torn on this. I was a quite bright young man and had the opportunity to attend a number of universities, accepted at MIT, University of Chicago, etc. Didn't go even though I'd taken the SAT, etc. and had applied to a number of places and made preparations to go. Did the pioneer thing instead for a number of years and supported myself with pretty hard manual labor though I never lost my interest in things academic. Finally got married and after a while decided that things just were not working out. I've always believed life is what you make of it and so I decided to make something of myself. Got a job with a large company, boot strapped myself up the ladder in spite of the fact that I didn't have a degree, became well known in my field as an expert in a number of areas.
The truth is that I've been very successful. I'm a published author, I work with people who have advanced degrees and some of the report to me. I've made quite a lot of money and my salary is six figures plus bonuses plus stock plus stock options. I will retire in a very good financial situation. So as far as success is typically judged I guess you could say I've achieved it.
What I truly regret is missing the opportunity to learn more and to work in fields that would have been more intersting to me. I also wish that it hadn't been quite so difficult for me to climb the ladder because not having a degree made it a lot harder, induced a lot more uncertainty and in some ways limited my opportunities.
Truth be that had I achieved a degree in the field that I wanted I would probably be less well off financially but it might have been more fun. Another truth is that not everyone can follow the path I have followed and that path is more difficult now that it was when I started. You have to have the right company and the right circumstances and have the mental horsepower to pull it off. I still believe that if you really want it you can achieve at least financial goals, you just have to be ready to do what is necessary to acheive those goals and maybe do things other people don't want to do or go places other people don't want to go.
It still really annoys me that the bunch in New York were able to interfere in my life the way they did.
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Your earliest doubt?
by Apognophos inthis might be an unfair question for those who have been out of the organization for decades, but i'm wondering if any of you remember your earliest doubt -- maybe something odd that occurred to you as a kid (if you were a jw then).
please try to limit to two doubts at the most :-).
i think my first "doubt" was simply realizing that at the time of the flood, every animal that wasn't in the ark died (well, besides the fish, supposedly).
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Jazzbo
When they said pant suits were forbidden but boob jobs weren't.
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Minimus' Post Gave Me Courage To Finally Post My Questions, New Here
by toweragent ini have been "lurking" for about four years now.. it was an incredibly weird experience just to look at a site like jwn or freeminds.
he came off very loving.. so, i decided that i would talk to one of my elders about the things i read.
if any of you have time to read this, thank you.
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Jazzbo
John 13:35 is such a great scripture.
You might ask your wife, "If you polled 10,000 people what's the first thing they would say to describe Jehovah's Witnesses?"
"What percentage would actually say that those people (JWs) really love one another?"
I bet it would be less than 1%, if any actually said that.
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to date JWism has defined my life and i hate that TRUTH
by oompa inand i am finding the adjustment to the real world far more difficult than i ever imagined...i f...it has been about five years since i totally woke up to the fraudulant nwt and then all my other doubts i had carried for years were proved true as well.
but almost all of my few friends are exjw or slack jw's and i feel so isolated...my sons friends are mostly exjw too but not their gf's and they have way more normal friends .
how have you done at replacing lifelong friends and family?
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Jazzbo
Find yourself some worthwhile group doing something your are interested in and volunteer. Lots of people looking for volunteers. Become a Master Gardener, you'll meet people at the classes and then you are obligated to something like 50 hours doing things for the community. Onced that's done then become a Master Naturilist. Attend CERT classes and then you'll have more opportunities to volunteer than you know what to do with. There are a thousand things to do that really need to be done. Volunteer at the Zoo if there's one close by, pick up trash on the beach, etc. etc. You need to stop focusing on yourself and try to see how you can assisst the community. Too many ex Witnesses end up wallowing in their misery and enjoying every minute of it. DO NOT define yourself as an ex Witness, worst thing you can do.
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AGEING CONGREGTIONS
by sieborg inhi everyone on this forum,this is my first post but i have been lurking around here for about a year.
i was at the hall this morning and as i was looking round i noticed that, if 20 years down the line i was stood a the back looking around, more than half of those at the hall i attend would be dead due to old age.
if anyone still goes to a k/h ,are the ones in your k/h ageing.
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Jazzbo
The last few congregations I visited seemed to be composed of mostly people over 50. I'd say something approcahing 80% Very few young families, if any. For a long time the Organization has depended on organic growth so I'd say this is going to become a real problem for them.