Posts by FreeAtLast1914

Great transcript! So now the overlapping "young" portion of the generation are, how did he put it, "advanced in years"???? And they will live to see the end of the world at the Big A?

Sounds like they're being forced to light a fire under rank-and-file Dubs to keep them on point. Could they be close to positing another date for Big A? I doubt it, but it would be pure pleasure to watch.

100

What's the most dumbest/petty thing you've heard of someone being "stumbled" over?

by Reality79 in

- some loser once took offense that i hugged a sister goodbye at a leaving do and ran back to the elders like a little child telling on me.

i was 15, this sister was in her 40s at the time.. - this elder said someone told him they saw me with a copy of the sun newspaper.

yes, this paper is known for its 'page 3' topless girls but far from pornagraphic and i wasn't even thinking along those lines.. - one brother who had a good job was 'counselled' because he was actually able to buy himself nice things including a new car (shock, horror!!

FreeAtLast1914

The dumbest thing I remember was a group of us were playing Halo years ago, and at the next meeting a sister approached me and told me she had dreams of Satan after playing it.

Sounded like a personal problem to me.

65

Things in the past that show you that your doubts started earlier than you thought

by sabastious in

i was just talking to my wife this morning about underlining or highlighting the wt paragraphs.. when i was 13 years old i would fight with my dad because i refused to highlight the answers.. the reason was because i wanted my comment to be genuine.

i felt that highlighting the "answer" made me lean on just using that as a crutch and not truly putting it in my own words.. i still hold that argument now, and i am 26. the only reason you would ever have to highlight something in a study book would be if you needed to remember it, maybe it is fairly complicated or subtle information that could be easily forgotten.. so many times in the wt the "question" has the same phrase that's in the paragraph!

it's literally like playing connect the dots.. so what i would do is not highlight during the family study.

FreeAtLast1914

I can't remember when certain flags began to fly, but I know it was early in my teen years. And not that I didn't believe I was in the true religion. I did. I thought I had won Life's Lottery and was among the only group of people that would never have to die.

But one of the things that stands out in my memory was eating meat in the New Order. Everyone around me said we wouldn't, that it's wrong to kill cows or something like that. But it didn't make sense. Meat tastes awesome. Even as a child I knew that was no accident. So anytime I was in a group of JWs and someone would bring up dietary situations in Paradise, I would throw out the fact that I was pretty sure we would be carnivores in that wonderful land to come.

Another thing was female homosexuality. I read plenty about how it was a great sin against God for two men to lie together. But I never saw that type of judgment against women laying with women, which made perfect sense to me as the thought of it was never a bad one. So once again, I would throw that idea out there for JWs to appear shocked that I even mentioned it.

I also doubted the typical JW position on violent entertainment. On and on they would hammer violent movies, sports, and games from the podium. And every time I would roll my eyes at the sheer lack of consistency in their arguments. If violence is so contrary to God's nature, why in the Bible did He resort to it so often to solve a problem? In fact, it was a study of the Bible that assured me there was nothing wrong either with violent or immoral entertainment, including demons and ghosts in movies and games. If these things were so bad to watch or read, why is the Bible full to overflowing with stories about graphic violence (burning children in fire, driving tent pegs through heads, shoving spears through genitalia), demonism, dragons, war, adultery, incest, human sacrifice, etc. Don't they encourage reading the Bible, one of the most violent, immoral books on the planet?

These were some of the earliest things I remember doubting the WT on.

115

Memorial - How many on here went and how many didn't?

by IMHO in

jw
friends

feel free to add why/why not?.

FreeAtLast1914

Nada, but we did come up with a cover story just in case the inquisition begins again.

21

Not "Rocking the Boat"

by What Now? in

jw
friends

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these thoughts were inspired by a comment made on my very first post, in which i mentioned that while my husband and i have had our eyes opened regarding this religion were not ready to give up the friends and family just yet.

FreeAtLast1914

My wife and I, a few years ago, were where you are now. And we sucked it up for awhile, but like many of the comments so far, there comes a point where you just throw your hands in the air and ask yourself, "What in the hell am I doing here in this building with these people?"

And staying can be dangerous as well. Two years ago, the last Memorial we attended, my wife busted out laughing during the talk. She said it just came out without warning, as the sheer amount of BS rose to comedic levels. A sister turned around and snarled at my wife and we just kinda had a Snickers-Wanna-Get-Away moment. After that, we realized we could no longer attend any of their comedy shows at the Kingdom Hall.

You will get to that point as well. It is inevitable. Sadly, it is also inevitable that when you do you will lose most of your 'friends' and family along with it. But the good news is that it is such a relief being outside of that cultish, hellish world the sting of the sacrifices tend to fade quickly.

31

The following is a test of the JW logical response system. This is only a test.......

by Mr. Falcon in

i was going to write this whole big thing regarding something that recently happened to me, but i wasn't sure how much feedback it would attract.

therefore, i'll just ask this question:.

has anyone here ever voiced displeasure or experienced difficulties due to clearly rude, incompetant, greedy or otherwise inappropriate behavior from fellow jws, only to be told that you are simply being "tested"?.

FreeAtLast1914

From my experience, anything related to the organization or its people that is even mildly unflattering is ALWAYS a test. A brother/sister exhibiting unchristian qualities? A test. A problem you find with their beliefs? A test. Not wanting to go out in field service? A test. Finding the talks repetitive/boring? A test.

How do you pass these tests? By sucking it up and waiting on Jehovah, of course. Just remember, they're never wrong. The problem's with you.

62

Why did you "BORN IN's" leave?

by stillstuckcruz in

i'm sure at some point you have mentioed it somewhere on the site, perhaps several.

but this question is i guess personal.

for those her were born into the jdub religion, why did you leave at whatever point?

FreeAtLast1914

Discovered I was in a religion that valued their own books more than the Bible. That was how it started. The rest, my leaving, happened quite quickly. Once the cards begin to fall, it doesn't take long for the house to collapse.

43

Does Jehovah hate beards?

by brotherunsure in

has the watchtower ever rationalized their obsession with depilation or claimed there was a biblical basis for banning beards, or is it simply because jehovah's corporation/faithful and discrete slave says so?.

FreeAtLast1914

I'm in the southern part of the US. Beards are literally viewed as outright rebellion against God and his organization. Unless you're on vacation, in which case they let you grow it as long as you wish. Only when you get back, you have to shave the thing because if you don't you're showing Jehovah how you feel about his beloved organization.

104

Witnesses are saying "END IS RIGHT NOW!"

by free2beme in

jw
friends

i have witness friends telling me, that this is the end right now!

that this globel issue of the nations of egypt, libya and others ... is the sign they looked for.

now with what is happening in the usa, wisconsin to be exact, more trouble is rising and this is it.

FreeAtLast1914

Recently I was forced to be among family due to a celebration I could not avoid. However I also could not avoid overhearing a conversation between a couple of them huddled in the kitchen about "how the scene of the world is changing", "how this turmoil in the Middle East shows that we are sooooo close to the great tribulation" and other wacky statements that JWs relish.

My first thought was . Then it was, "Seriously? The scene of this world is changing? Turmoil in the Middle East is a sign? When in the history of man has there not been turmoil in that region?" Then I thought, "Wait a minute. This isn't necessarily a bad thing anyway. People are standing up for their rights as human beings. How is that bad?"

But I didn't say anything. I just stood there out of sight, listening to them pat themselves on the back about how great it is to be "part of Jehovah's Organization", and how "the Society is always a step ahead of world events."

Then a smile crept across my face when the realization set in that I had successfully escaped such ridiculous, deluded thinking. That may well have been me seven years ago, standing there making a fool of my self-righteousness.

I left that party thankful things had played out in my life in a way that opened my eyes, but also disappointed that no one else in my family has experienced such relief. Maybe someday.