Posts by FreeAtLast1914

12

Do they still call you "for your time" for this month?

by TJ - iAmCleared2Land in

jw
friends

we got woke up this morning (again) by a call from one of the elders or his ms assistant, looking for "our time report" for this past month.

i've been out for over two years (faded), my wife and the kids haven't attended hardly any meetings since the memorial... talk about clueless.

no "shepherding calls" on her (thank goodness!

FreeAtLast1914

I simply told them that it was against my conscience to meet with them. Never heard another peep. Can't argue with conscience, I guess.

4

What constitutes going to church?

by TJ - iAmCleared2Land in

i beg to differ!

it can be quite the spiritual experience!

.

Favorite Places to contemplate your new Freedom

by designs in

one of my favorite is the yerba buena gradens in san francisco and the martin luther king memorial.

a beautiful waterfall cascading over sierra granite with the words of the prophet amos etched in the stone which were spoken by rev.

king, 'righteousness rolls down like water and justice like a mighty stream'.. so much to think and meditate on with those words and that setting and the sound of that waterfall.. we will go, my wife and i, to celebrate love, peace and freedom, 35 years of marriage, children, grandchild, and friends who stayed by our side.

FreeAtLast1914

Anywhere on a beach, enjoying a fine cigar and bourbon. I never feel closer to God or more appreciative of my exodus than when I'm doing that.

30

Re-reading "Crisis of Conscience" again....

by ziddina in

the 'revelations' hit me even harder, the second time around..... i purchased two copies, the version copyrighted 1983 and the version copyrighted 2004. i kept the old version [1983] and just donated the 2004 copy to my local library - with a quick warning that 'cult' members may be inclined to steal the expose.

i decided to read it again to try to visualize how a "worldly" person who is unacquainted with the jws would view the book.... in reading the book again, i am more forcefully struck by the blatant contradictions between the 'official' stance of the watchtower society and their 'behind-the-scenes' behavior.... chapters 3 & 4 - "governing body" and "internal upheaval and restructure" - contain some eye-popping material... the earlier portion of chapter 3 touches on the intrusive regulation of sexual practices between husband and wife [i'll bet any worldly person reading that would find that chilling, to say the least...], and then goes into the power struggles between russell's followers and rutherford's ousting of said followers during his successful bid for control.. very revealing... i was also struck by the fact that the wtbts was a religion with a single man leading it, until the very end of nathan knorr's period of leadership, despite the claims of the watchtower magazine that "god's organization" was being run by a "governing body" of spiritual "caretakers" for several years prior to the actual existence of said "governing body"!!!.

as ray franz states, page 65 of 1983 version: "[quote from 12/15/71 watchtower...]: "thus, too, even though there were no apostles of christ on hand in the nineteenth century, god's holy spirit must have been operative toward the formation of the governing body for his anoited remnant ... the facts speak for themselves.

FreeAtLast1914

I still think Alice will see "the truth" one day (soon) and come out her false religion. Being on this forum is a first step toward the light.

Keep coming, Alice. You're almost there. Open your eyes and you will find yourself defending the indefensible.

You can make it. I have faith in you.

5

This really disturbs me... doubting teens still join JWs

by Aussie Oz in

i find this very disturbing and personally so as i have teenagers being groomed for the watchtower society that do not believe everything and get up to mischief.... i am really bothered by the number of people on here who can recount the doubts and 'worldly' behaviors of their teens and yet still got sucked in to the jws.. while i am pleased with my children not being as dumb as i was, i mean, i feel like i must have been a sandwich short of a picnic when young.

i seriously never questioned anything.

aside from discovering playboy magazine i never did anything wrong.. even though they are more switched on than me, it's not going to be enough i fear.. oz.

FreeAtLast1914

Aussie, I feel your pain. All my brothers and sisters are still inside the WT. They are raising their kids to be the same. And, like you, I never has a solitary doubt growing up in this religion. But this generation is different. These kids are aware of so many things that I never was. They are exposed to so many more things than I ever was.

They understand what it means to be an individual, what it means to think outside the box. They are flat-out more advanced early on than our generation.

All of this gives me hope that some of them will make the choice I have: to ask questions, to seek truth, to eventually realize their religion is a cult, and then to get the hell out.

My fingers are crossed.

20

My wife's out and we're very happy

by 10p in

i feel a bit guilty.

people on this forum were very friendly and helpful to me when i was in the in-between phase between brainwashing and freedom.. i also got a lot of help and advice and sympathy when i was trying to get my wife out.. but when she did leave, i forgot all about you guys, and we got on with our lives, and have never been happier.

honestly, life is soooo damn good now, i worry i might have reached the peak and things will only get worse from here.. we are amazed at how much our children enjoy birthdays and christmas - how healthy, normal and fun these things are.

FreeAtLast1914

10p, I loved reading your experience and the joys you're finding on the outside of that religion. Good luck with your journey!

18

Details of next service years Circuit assembly & Special Day

by dozy in

jw
friends

2010/11 circuit assembly.

theme: you are no part of the world.

saturday talk full time service protects us how?.

FreeAtLast1914

I've been out long enough that sometimes I forget how similar these programs are. Year after year after year. So freaking glad to be out. Just wish my family would do the same.

17

Has there been a JW Facebook directive?

by Gregor in

jw
friends

or is it just the usual internet cautions?.

i have an jw aunt who abruptly de activated her fb account yesterday..

FreeAtLast1914

I've had FB issues with JW family myself. Some fear it like the plague. Others use it with no problem. I doubt there's been an official ban, but give it time. I put nothing beyond the GB when it comes to controlling their flock.

105

What if WBTS is right?

by african GB Member in

people, please don't be angry at me, but do you sometimes ask yourselves this question?

i do..

FreeAtLast1914

As the conversation with my dad went...

Me: What about all the things they're wrong about?

Dad: They've never been wrong.

Me (trying not to puke): Are you kidding? They've never been wrong???

Dad: They're always right about the things that matter.

Me: And who decides what 'matters'?

Dad: They do.

This religion demands the respect of a group who speaks for God, but then fails to have the nads in living up to the countless times they've been wrong, passing all responsibility on to their adherents. They are disgusting.

34

Magazine Distribution--Your Area?

by blondie in

jw
friends

i found out that in a local congregation the service overseer has directed that magazines not be given by jws to:.

a) inactive jws.

b) return visits that are not coming to the meetings after 6 months.

FreeAtLast1914

It's been a couple of years since JWs have visited my door in the field. But my wife's mother still gives her the mags. My family gave up on me a few years back.