Posts by GLTirebiter

25

converting to catholic

by SloppyMcFloppy in

hello i was wondering if any ex jw have converted to catholic?

i have been tossing the idea around a bit and wondering if it was woth it from personal experience?

thoughts?

Tom Cabeen is an articulate former Witness who is now Catholic [interview on Youtube, discussed in this JWN thread]. There also is a JWN thread linking to an audio interview with Randall Watters. You can read several of Tom's articles at the catholicxjw.com.

77

In The Name of Love, Need Your Opinion

by thankyou in

i'm non-jw.. been following this forum.

most of you folks have been through hell, but are still loving souls.

i'm reeeally impressed and glad to be here.. my question is at the end of this.

GLTirebiter

What is the best way to deal with her JW mindset so that I can help her.

If she does not want to be helped out of the Watchtower organization, then there's not much you can do for her. It is more often counter-productive. Some people prefer to stay, because it is their comfort zone, especially when that comfort zone includes their relatives.

She didn't call. So today, to help her out, I added some minutes to her cell ph. When I called her to check if ph co. added the minutes, she ranted on about not to buy her cell minutes and not to call her.

It seems she has made a choice, and that she chose the Witnesses, Your best course would be to not pressure her. It is more likely to drive her further into the Watchtower, rather than draw her towards you. I think the best and most honorable course is to do as she wishes, and move on.

It is sad that it has turned out that way, but prolonging things is more likely to make things worse than to improve them. Cherish the memory of the good, recognize the difficulties, and move on.

77

In The Name of Love, Need Your Opinion

by thankyou in

i'm non-jw.. been following this forum.

most of you folks have been through hell, but are still loving souls.

i'm reeeally impressed and glad to be here.. my question is at the end of this.

GLTirebiter

(1) What, if any, is the consequence or significance of being deemed "spiritually weak"?

Officially, they should be encouraged to become better Witnesses. In practice, they often are avoided, left off invitation lists (a significant burden when your social circle consists almost entirely of other JWs), and gossiped about (the phrase "Holier than thou" comes to mind). "Spiritually Weak" is not the lowest spot in the Kingdom Hall pecking order, but it's very close.

Always remember that your friend is taking a risk just by being your friend, especially with you being a non-believer and of the opposite sex!

(2) What's the deal with a JW member who is unmarried and "disassociates" herself?

They would say "Sister X is no longer one of Jehovah's Witnesses." This makes the person a Bad Association, a person with whom a Witness should have as little contact as possible (generally limited to "essential family matters" for relatives, necessary interaction in the work place, and attempts to convince them to return to the flock). Disassociation means they have given a letter of resignation to the elders (which they may have requested, with being disfellowshipped the likely alternative.) Disfellowshipping would be considered a worse status than disassociation, though the treatment the person receives really isn't much different. Both tend to be worse than a successful fade, just quietly going away while attracting as little attention as possible ("fade" is a term you will see here among the ex-JWs, sometimes it works, other times you called in to see the elders and end up getting disfellowshipped, or involuntarily disassociating.)

However, being disassociated or disfellowshipped means they can feel free to ignore the Watchtower rules about who they can date and marry. Sometimes it's a case of "It's better to beg for forgiveness than it is to ask for permission."

Recommended reading: Dating/Witnessing to a Lapsed Jehovah's Witness, at the freeminds.org web site.

77

In The Name of Love, Need Your Opinion

by thankyou in

i'm non-jw.. been following this forum.

most of you folks have been through hell, but are still loving souls.

i'm reeeally impressed and glad to be here.. my question is at the end of this.

GLTirebiter

p.s. Since a JW is admonished not to even date a non JW. How has a JW spouse navigated things in such a way as to end up with a non JW spouse?

One way they do it is to leave the Watchtower religion temporarily, date the non-JW, become married, and then go back to the Kingdom Hall seeking reinstatement (this often happens when a baby is on the way, as others have mentioned). The returning JW will hear some stern talking-to from the elders, and effectively will be on probation while re-earning their status as an active, obedient witness. This is how I came to be married to a JW; my ex-wife left the Kingdom Hall before we met, and returned soon after we married.

Another way applies married couples where neither is a Witness. Then one spouse converts to the Watchtower Society, but the other. If the Un-Believing Mate loves their spouse and values the marriage, he will want to stay with his wife regardless of her religion. I use the pronouns' gender deliberately: a JW wife is supposed to be obedient and subservient to her husband, while if the husband converts to the Watchtower he is expected to exercise headship and make his wife do the right thing--i.e., go with him to every meeting at the Kingdom Hall and go with him for at least ten hours of door-to-door preaching (service) every month. He would be seen as spiritually weak if he does not convince her to do so.

Yet another way is if both once were JWs, but one of them either left the Watchtower religion (disassociated) or was kicked out (disfellowshipped). The former witness becomes a pariah, and often the subject of speculative gossip. The JW spouse and other family members are taught to limit their interaction with the former JW to essential family business. Their JW friends without family ties are expected to avoid the former witness altogether. That adds considerable stress to the marriage; divorce too often follows. Of the ways I have listed here, this is the hardest path for a JW and non-JW couple to follow.

----------------

(Words and phrases in bold italics have specific meanings to Witnesses. Learn their vocabulary, so you can understand what they are saying.)

[edited to fix paragraph beaks and to highlight reinstatement]

11

Notice that Satan in the bible never existed in the old testament

by Witness 007 in

he appears as a snake in genesis not as satan.

all the way to job no satan is mentioned.

satan and devil mean "resister" and can be apllied to other people.

GLTirebiter

See Job, chapter 1.

77

In The Name of Love, Need Your Opinion

by thankyou in

i'm non-jw.. been following this forum.

most of you folks have been through hell, but are still loving souls.

i'm reeeally impressed and glad to be here.. my question is at the end of this.

GLTirebiter

At least she has been honest with you, up to this point. If you continue, you will be pressured to convert...subtly, slowly, but surely. Dinner with her Theocratic family, where the main topics of conversation are Watchtower related: the meeting, going out in service, who is DF'ed, who was selected to go to Gilead (missionary school) or Bethel (headquarters), who will be the next ministerial servant, etc. Or you may be asked to go with her to a meeting "just to see what it's like" or to hear her cousin's first talk, or be invited to attend their "memorial" (of the Last Supper, this is the only annual JW holy day.) An elder may "just happen" to drop by and engage you in religious conversation. Most of all, if you are not a JW (or at least a potential convert) then you are not Acceptable Husband Material, and therefore not to be dated (JWs`are supposed to date only with serious intent to seek a spouse).

She said we cannot be boyfriend-girlfriend cause she is a JW.

The implication of this statement is that you have a choice to make, because she and the Watchtower religion are a package deal. If you continue to pursue her after she said this, it will be seen as an openness to Watchtower conversion. It is important that you understand that this is the way the Witnesses see the situation!

42

2015 10-20-BOE!

by Atlantis in

2015, 10/20/boe.. .. re: making wise use of printed magazines.. .. page 2: .

this postscript should neither be read to the congregation nor be posted .

on the information board.. .

GLTirebiter

a new category entitled "Video Showings" will be used to report the number of times we were able to show one of our videos in the ministry

Mark Zuckerberg is now the most productive publisher of them all. No wonder they're phasing out special pioneers! ;<)

15

Are baptisms under the age of 18 valid? Can one baptised/dedicated prior actually be dfed according to law?

by EndofMysteries in

in a business law class i've been learning all about contracts.

i wonder if for all of those who were baptized prior to the age of 18, if the wt/elders could be forced on our insistence that our dedication/baptism as a minor was made without proper mental capacity and that it be declared invalid, henceforth having never been baptized then family,etc, would be free in wt's eyes to treat as any non-jw vs shunning as an ex-jw.

.

GLTirebiter

The strange part is treating baptism, a religious rite, as a legal contract. Where is the <i>quid pro quo</i>? Where is YHWH's signature on the paper (or the paper itself, for that matter)?

The baptism agreement between you and the WTBTS is only as binding as you let it be.

34

Caleb and Sofia used to brainwash children

by shattered_origins in

okay, i need to vent.

as a newly awoken individual, i have yet to "come out" to my hard core jdub parents.

my plan was to lay low and use my unbelieving husband and baby as an excuse for my "inactivity", it has worked for the last few months.

GLTirebiter

How to deal with Caleb and Sophie videos...

9

Does anyone have copies of the WT tax exempt paperwork?

by WireRider in

the wt/jw has a presence in my town.

tax exempt status.

from what i understand the wt/jw is a for profit group that is taking advantage of the community as a whole.

GLTirebiter

Here is the latest form 990-T they filed with the IRS. But there doesn't seem to be much information there, mostly real estate income.