Posts by EmptyInside

269

Have your JW Relatives Explained about Generation/Overlap Change to You ?

by flipper in

jw
friends

after reading on the way out's thread about his mom explaining the generation overlap to him it kicked this idea into my head to make this thread .

i thought it would be helpful to see if anybody here has had jw relatives or friends try to explain this " generation overlap " theory to you as a faded or inactive witness and what happened in the conversations.

so please feel free to post your experiences.

EmptyInside

I talked with the ones still-in about it. I just pretend to not understand it and have them explain it to me. They don't believe it's anything new. Some are sticking to the 2008 definition. I have a brother who just feels the end won't come in his lifetime. And my brother who is an elder isn't even trying to understand it, but he knows we have the "truth". And my mother was confused about it, but now I explained it to her. I did this hoping she would see how ridiculous it sounds. But, she responded by saying,"Now, I understand, it's clear to me now." So it backfired on me.

I haven't brought it up since though. I give up for now.

39

The spanking room

by dgp in

i just got "the spanking room: a child's eye view of the jehovah's witnesses", by william coburn.

the author says that their old kingdom hall didn't have a spanking room, so the spanking took place in the ladies' room.

there was always a line, either for ladies wanting to make use of the toilet the way it was intended to be used, or for ladies waiting their turn to spank their children.

EmptyInside

Fortunately, for the most part, the new generation of parents aren't always rushing their kids in the back to punish them. But, I remember when I was young in the 70's there was always someone getting beat. It never happened to me though, but the thought gave me nightmares.

When the parents took their kids back they always made a big scene about it. And looking back,a lot were quite abusive. This one grandmother was a bit nutso, to put it mildly, she was always wailing on her grandkids. A sister had to follow her back to the bathroom and tell her to stop, that was enough. Plus, I know of one young boy who got beat with a belt clear into his teens. He's grown with children of his own. He still is a Witness, but doesn't let his parents see his children. They have apologized to him, but too little too late. The damage is done.

When I look back at all the nonsense that took place at my old hall, I wish I would have woken up a long time ago. I look at my mother and think, I was just a kid, what's your excuse. Well, the rest of the story is a whole other topic.

27

Immunizations?

by crazy2try in

jw
friends

i have a question.

today at work a woman was saying that she was upset because the foster mother of her children had taken the children to the dr and they received their immunization shots.

she told a co-worker that she was mad because they did not respect her beliefs.

EmptyInside

I think most Witness parents get their children vaccinated. But, my friends were worried about vaccinations, not because of the blood issue, but because of side effects. Because, many parents with autistic children believe a particular vaccine caused their children to be autistic. I'm not saying it does, but it's a controversial, medical issue, not a religious one.

I have a question though, why is her children in foster care? She sounds like a Bible study to me and not a Witness yet. I just get that feeling.

100

What's Your Pet Peeve?

by minimus in

jw
friends

i've got a lot of them but i'll share one: drivers going well under the speed limit on a single road where you can't pass.. that drives me nuts!!!

!.

EmptyInside

And also noisy eaters, especially people who slurp their soup.

And poor grammar. I can't give away my region, some here know where I live, but my city has a habit of putting r's in words that don't belong, and cutting whole syllables out. It's awful. It's funny how the local news always finds the ones with the worst accent to interview.

And when I have to call a company for information or need assistance. It's hard getting a real person on the other end. And when I do, it's someone with a thick foreign accent I don't understand. Then, they get insulted because I can't understand a word they are saying.

Wow, this thread has unleashed a lot of repressed anger in me. I better quit while I'm ahead.

100

What's Your Pet Peeve?

by minimus in

jw
friends

i've got a lot of them but i'll share one: drivers going well under the speed limit on a single road where you can't pass.. that drives me nuts!!!

!.

EmptyInside

Close talkers-people who invade my personal space during conversation. I move two steps back and they move forward and continue to be in my face.

People who talk during a movie. Pick one, either watch the movie and be quiet or go somewhere else to visit. The price of movie tickets has certainly gone up, but when I need an evening out I usually choose the movies. But, it never fails, their is always a group of teenagers sitting around me goofing off and talking during the movie. It always ticks me off.

People who don't mind their own business. My former congregation was full of especially sisters who didn't mind their own business. And thought they had a say on everyone else's life. The congregation I'm semi-attending now, isn't as bad about this. But, I find the Witnesses in general are a nosy bunch. Now, that I'm fading, I could care less what anybody does. It's really freeing.

18

Research studies on the mental health of Jehovahs Witnesses

by Doug Mason in

research studies on the mental health of jehovahs witnesses.

http://www.jwstudies.com/scandinavian_medicine_march_8_1946.pdf.

http://www.jwstudies.com/paradise_postponed_jerry_bergman.pdf.

EmptyInside

Why, yes you may use them, but they're only my observations, nothing profound. But, if I had a nickel for every time I heard a Witness say to me, Well, I'll wait to do that in the New System,no time now. These are simple things, like gardening, having a pet, learning to play the piano.

And then, on the other end is the ones that are obssessed with the state of affairs in the world. It's all negative, because they're hoping this really is the sign of the last days.

18

Research studies on the mental health of Jehovahs Witnesses

by Doug Mason in

research studies on the mental health of jehovahs witnesses.

http://www.jwstudies.com/scandinavian_medicine_march_8_1946.pdf.

http://www.jwstudies.com/paradise_postponed_jerry_bergman.pdf.

EmptyInside

I also think that the high rate of depression with the Witnesses is the result of waiting for the "real life". A lot put their life on hold while waiting for all their problems to be solved in the new World. They are told to put Kingdom interest first and have the fullest share in the preaching work.

So, they give up on hobbies or other activities that would enrich their life now. Plus, many with no advanced education have to struggle to make a living at low-paying jobs. They give up their secular dreams and talents. All the while, not feeling like they are good enough or like they measure up to the high standards set by the organization.

Then,if they ever give into temptation and sin, they live with the guilt the rest of their lives. I know a few that even after a matter was taken care of , beat themselves up emotionally for years afterward.

I think these are some of the reasons so many in the congregations are on all kinds of anti-depressants. I was in a conversation of two sisters and they are both on two, three different medications for depression.

28

Aussies Are Very Friendly

by snowbird in

jw
friends

just an observation.

.

syl.

EmptyInside

Yes, I agree. They also for the most part seem more laid back then us sometimes rather uptight Yanks, just my observation. I mentioned on here before I have a close friend from Australia, "worldly too", oh my.

9

I just made a scene at the DC hotel!!!

by JediMaster in

jw
friends

ok, so this weekend was dc for me.

i still need to go from time to time and attend them just to see the old "friends" and keep a reasonably civilized relationship with my family.

kudos to those of you who've endured the whole thing, i've already got a knot on my stomach.

EmptyInside

Glad you got new accommodations. There are some hotels on the rooming list that are also just filthy. And I know friends have complained to the rooming department, but the hotels stay on the list year after year.

20

I need to vent.

by EmptyInside in

jw
friends

i needed to post here to vent.

because, the person i really want to give a piece of my mind to is an elder and my, sometimes, self-righteous brother.

twice in my presence, he brought up cases of sisters marrying unbelievers and how they should be "marked" because of marrying outside the "truth".

EmptyInside

That's a good one sweet pea.

Think About It, thanks, I'm working on starting to live my own life.

BANE- I know the scriptural reasons. But, just as Jesus showed compassion to the woman who had the flow of blood for 12 years, maybe, they should take it all case by case, and show some compassion. If it's so bad, why isn't it a disfellowshipping case.

Plus, can't someone get removed from being a pioneer if they post on apostate boards?