the real life

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Posts by the real life

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  73

  After 3 yrs, 2 mos......MY WIFE HAS AWAKENED!!! JOIN US IN A TOAST!

  by Open mind in

  1. jw
  2. friends

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  words fail me.. .

  om & wife!.

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  the real life

  Cheers!!
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  29

  How long did it take before you started talking to others about being an ex-dub?

  by the real life in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  i was just wondering if any of you took time to speak openly about being an ex-witness.. sometimes, when it came up naturally, i told some of my friends; in other cases, i felt really uncomfortable talking about it.

  in fact, it's a little strange, but i felt more comfortable telling casual friends rather than the people closest to me.

  i often felt like it was a huge revelation to make, often to find that people weren't really that shocked.

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  the real life

  I was just wondering if any of you took time to speak openly about being an ex-witness.

  Sometimes, when it came up naturally, I told some of my friends; in other cases, I felt really uncomfortable talking about it. In fact, it's a little strange, but I felt more comfortable telling casual friends rather than the people closest to me. I often felt like it was a huge revelation to make, often to find that people weren't really that shocked. A lot of people think it's hilarious to imagine me knocking on doors, etc.

  I usually told people I was raised in a strict "christian" or "protestant" religion, but didn't say which one. It took me four months to tell my boyfriend. I'm not sure why it was like that, because we are very open with each other and I'm closer to him than I've ever been with anyone in previous relationships. One time we were reading and laughing at random verses in a Bible he had found in my room, and I noticed a little yellow slip in it (the follow up slips for return visits) and I threw it out the window to avoid discussing it! When I finally opened up to him about my experiences in leaving, it only made us closer and he was very supportive and proud of me for all the changes I had to make. I'm not sure why it's been such a block for me at times. Ultimately, I think it's because I feel like that part of my life was not who I really am. I have a hard time reconciling it with who I am today.

  What were your experiences with telling people?
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  13

  Don't Know How To Tell Your Parents? Here's a Video...

  by Tuesday in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  hey everyone!.

  sorry i haven't been on a whole lot lately, i've been extremely busy with a bunch of goings on in my life.

  i made a set of videos due to receiving a pm on youtube asking me specifically how i left the jehovah's witnesses.

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  the real life

  Nice video! I didn't leave until long after I was out of my parent's house, so it was interesting to hear your experience. You must have been a pretty insightful kid to have researched your questions thoroughly at such a young age - and then to patiently and respectfully go through the motions to maintain your relationship with your parents is pretty impressive. Are you on your own now? And is your relationship still good with your parents?
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  17

  real fake friends

  by diamondiiz in

  1. jw
  2. experiences

  i wondered how did your "best" jw friends react to when you told them you're leaving wts?.

  after i found out all i needed to know i called up my old friend who i thought was a good friend but i knew he was a die hard dub and i told him to write down a book and read it.

  i was refering to russell's thy kingdom come.

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  the real life

  I think they don't have a concept of real friendship, but it's not their fault. They're trained to be that way. They think they are showing love by trying to get you back, even if that's the only interest they show toward you. I remember getting angry that my former friends seemed to think that I'd gone off the deep end. They didn't respect the fact that I'd given a lot of thought to my decision. To remain in the cult, you have to believe that others are crazy not to believe it. It's just the way cults work.
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  17

  Elder's past pics on facebook!

  by asilentone in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  i found something very interesting about an elder on facebook.

  actually, i was very surprised.

  he was raised in the "truth".

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  the real life

  I think we should leave people alone. Don't use the same hurtful tactics they use against others.
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  12

  Obama Family Photo by Annie Leibovitz

  by leavingwt in

  1. social
  2. current

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  the white house has released an official photo of the first family, a fine portrait of the obamas that is just as notable for the photographer who took it: annie leibovitz.. .

  http://content.usatoday.com/communities/theoval/post/2009/10/620000361/1.

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  the real life

  What a beautiful family!
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  17

  I knew this day would come

  by Girlie in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  just when i thought i could be successful in my fade and out of the radar, an elder from my old congregation has started the search and rescue mission on me.

  he and his wife came to my parents' home yesterday looking for me.

  thank god i wasn't there.

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  the real life

  Hi Girlie,

  I was in a similar situation a few years ago. I hadn't been going to meetings for awhile and an elder I really liked (a long-time friend of the family) kept trying to contact me. I felt bad ignoring him, but I basically just kept telling him I was going through a lot and wasn't ready to talk about it. Eventually I did talk to him privately since he was a friend of the family. I was pretty honest about all my doubts. I'm not sure what he said to the other elders, but no one tried to contact me after that. I wasn't disfellowshipped. I think that was a rare situation, though. In any case, I think if you politely put off the discussion, you should be fine. You don't owe anything to them, so don't let them have any more control over your life. Take your time and don't say anything that could put you in an awkward situation until you feel you are ready. I did the same with friends - I told them that I had some doubts, but that I didn't want to discourage them, so I'd rather not talk about it.

  Hang in there!
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  68

  Please Describe Your Autumn

  by compound complex in

  1. watchtower
  2. beliefs

  welcome fall!.

  please describe autumn in your community.

  its feel.

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  the real life

  Sunny in the afternoons, there's still some green on the trees. In certain neighborhoods the trees are bright orange and yellow - for some reason this seems to coincide with the neighborhoods where the buildings are also bright brick red. I always feel like I'm in Brooklyn in those neighborhoods. If you get out of the city to overlook the river valley, it looks like tufts of halloween colored cauliflower :) The river snakes through tie-dyed cauliflower land and you can see the Eiffel Tower, and the suburban towns surrounding Paris tucked on their little hills.

  Of course, this is the view from far away. Inside Paris, the air has gotten very crisp. Some of the trees on the street have changing leaves, but the big parks are still green. In any case, we can all feel winter coming. Coats and hats and scarves have come out and I'm daydreaming about mulled wine and hot chocolate.
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  11

  Closing Scene of Bill Maher's Religulous

  by the real life in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rgfv6rxjmca.

  this is an entertaining and moving documentary on the idiocy of religion.

  i especially liked the closing speech.. "the plain fact is, religion must die for mankind to live.

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  the real life

  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RGFV6RXJmCA

  This is an entertaining and moving documentary on the idiocy of religion. I especially liked the closing speech.

  "The plain fact is, religion must die for mankind to live. The hour is getting very late to be able to indulge in having key decisions made by religious people, by irrationalists, by those who would steer the ship of state, not by a compass, but by the equivalent of reading the entrails of a chicken...

  Faith means making a virtue out of not thinking. It's nothing to brag about. And those who preach faith and enable and elevate it are intellectual slaveholders keeping mankind in a bondage to fantasy and nonsense that has spawned and justified so much destruction.

  Religion is dangerous because it allows human beings who don't have all the answers to think that they do. Most people would think it's wonderful when someone says 'I'm willing Lord, I'll do whatever you want me to do.' Except that since there are no gods actually talking to us, that void is filled in by people with their own corruptions and limitations and agendas... The only appropriate attitude for man to have about the big questions is not the arrogant certitude that is the hallmark of religion, but doubt. Doubt is humble and that's what man needs to be, considering that human history is just a litany of getting shit dead wrong.
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  30

  To all the newbies: How I've have adapted to life outside the Org

  by tooktheredpill in

  1. jw
  2. experiences

  i havent been active in the forum for some time, but i keep reading your comments every few weeks.

  ive noticed that there are many new members.

  welcome to jwd!!!

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  the real life

  Finding My Way -

  I had a similar experience when I finally realized that I just didn't want to be a JW. When I actually said that out loud, I started crying it was such a relief. I learned over time that I wasn't a bad person with a wicked heart for refusing to let someone else think for me. On the contrary, it was the first step in becoming a more sincere, thoughtful person. I love the freedom, but also the humility that comes from not having all the answers.

  Love and peace to everyone on the same journey !