As if God would take away holy spirit from an entire congregation because of one elder's sin? Sounds like one tricky bastard.
the real life
JoinedPosts by the real life
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10
What does a congregations 'record' say about it?
by babygirl30 inthe cong i belonged to was very large...it was the 'popular' hall!
i say that because it was a new building (double-khall), a lot of families went to this hall whether they were in the territory or not - if their relation went there or their 'friends' were in this cong - they came too!
lots of young couples...they drank together, they partied together, they go out clubbing together, and they all had their kids together.
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Relationships after "The Truth"
by Cthulhu ini just saw the last thread started by highdose about her date with the nonwitness gentleman (and you have both my congratulations as well as best wishes).
but then it occured to me as a single guy that i have had very little luck in the dating department since leaving the cult.
i understand why, to a large degree, this can be a problem for folks after they have had their minds and social skills depleated.
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the real life
Sorry, friend, but you're coming off as a jerk.
It may just be the way you are wording your frustration. I understand the importance of being able to have meaningful conversations. If you're not finding people who are able to do that, maybe you are looking in the wrong places. I think the best way to meet like-minded people is by getting involved in activities that matter to you - volunteering, taking a class, etc.
If you feel like someone is completely uninteresting or stupid, challenge yourself by trying to draw them out a bit. Try to find what is interesting about them. You can be an intellectual and still appreciate the perspective of people who don't categorize themselves that way. If you get better at believing that there's something unique and interesting in everybody, you still may not find the right person, but maybe you'll at least enjoy your dates.
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Hi - new kid on th block
by nearlyfree ini have been looking at this website for about 2 months now and feel i am now ready to say hi and intoduce myself.i dont want to give out too much info at this point in time as i still am in the org, but have only been to 2 meetings since the district convention in august and last time i went out on service was in march.
i was basically raised in the truth as my parents became jw when i was 2. i was married in my late teens and after 21 years of being married to a total control freak he left me (yay).
anyway since me ex left, i had been doing a lot of thinking about being a witness, and i wasnt really going to a lot of meetings - just didnt feel like it.
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the real life
Welcome !
I had kind of a similar experience as far as just realizing I didn't want to do it anymore. I went through a divorce situation, and throughout it, both of us stopped going to meetings slowly, I think out partly because we didn't want to face the old friends that thought our marriage and spiritual life was perfect. And after slowing down a bit, I realized I just couldn't ever be sincere about being there again. The research and things came later, but the first reason I left was purely because it didn't correspond to who I really was and wanted to be.
Courage and hugs for your journey out!
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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 ini 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
One friend of mine said that he always thought witnesses looked really sad, which was why he was never tempted to take any literature. Kind of funny considering that they think they are the happiest people in the world.
And finding my way - I like it that you talk about everything! It keeps things interesting =)
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the real life
I was flipping through my old NWT a few weeks ago and I decided to look up all the scriptures listed in Topics for Discussion under 'Earth', 'Life', 'Kingdom', etc. and I found the doctrine about a paradise earth extremely difficult to deduce from the scriptures used to support it. It's a vague possibility at best.
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Would you go back for the social aspect?
by highdose ini mean aside from wanting to keep in touch with family who are still in.
would you ever go back just to have the social aspect in your life?
i personaly wouldn't but i'd like to hear from you all about it....
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the real life
I have family members who continue to go just for social purposes. I think this is the case with people who feel like the don't have the time or are afraid to make new friends.
Personally, the friendships I've made outside of the org have been much more meaningful to me.
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8
Sean Connery
by glenster inhttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-rbtkmcgmvk.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qgehl3ohvhe.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pb48xzzsjgs.
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the real life
Connerie in French means "a foolish thing" or "stupidity" And when the French talk about Alfred Hitchcock, it sounds like Itch Cock And Vladimir Putin's last name has to be changed in newspapers to Putine because otherwise it would be pronounced like the equivalent of a naughty word (putain) Yep.
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How long did it take before you started talking to others about being an ex-dub?
by the real life ini 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 guess my situation might be a little bit unique in that I faded over a period of about a year in my hometown, then spent another year there as a non-witness, and then left the country entirely. So I had very little contact with people that may have known me before. I feel like I started a brand new life and it doesn't seem to have much relevance to my life now - but I am a lot more comfortable talking about it now than I used to be.
Also, I was raised in, so it's not a decision I made that I can explain.
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73
After 3 yrs, 2 mos......MY WIFE HAS AWAKENED!!! JOIN US IN A TOAST!
by Open mind in.
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 ini 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?