the purpose of this thread is to tell everyone on this board who i am and why i am so different.. first of all, i have already apologised on another thread for posting zero drivel topics here.. i am a 29 year old male, born-in, baptised in 1998, df'd in 2003 for fornication, reinstated in 2008. i want to make it clear that i have never been a ms. after my reinstatement i continued to attend meetings with the same cong.
but moved to another cong.
earlier this year, reason being, the continued shunning by some hardcore self-righteous publishers.. i am still with the same cong until now, i go to meetings regularly, including taking part as well as giving bible reading talks.
Hi!
I don't post much, but read often. I wish the best for you AGBM... if you're being upfront, then you'd had a difficult life.
Still... I don't think that AGBM has answered the previous posters question about whether he was just recently DF'd as his recent post claimed. I also am curious as to what the scoop is there.
What's the answer AGBM?
Expanded-Mind
hello!.
a couple of months ago i posted about this "reunion" but since this event is now less than a month away, i thought i'd repost an invitation to attend.. to be held in schaumburg il (outside of chicago) on saturday september 18th 2010.. this is associated with the northwest suburbs transitioning jehovah's witnesses meetup group in the chicago suburbs.. http://www.meetup.com/exjw-429/.
if interested, please go to this website to get the details and to rsvp.. the more the merrier... hope to see you there!.
Hello!
A couple of months ago I posted about this "reunion" but since this event is now less than a month away, I thought I'd repost an invitation to attend.
To be held in Schaumburg IL (outside of Chicago) on Saturday September 18th 2010.
This is associated with the Northwest Suburbs Transitioning Jehovah's Witnesses MeetUp group in the Chicago Suburbs.
http://www.meetup.com/exjw-429/
If interested, please go to this website to get the details and to RSVP.
The more the merrier... hope to see you there!
Best,
Expanded-Mind
i was talking with my wife today about college and i asked her about why the society makes such a big deal about witnesses not going to college.
in typical dub fashion, my wife tells me that they do not discourage college, but they do not encourage it either.
instead, they encourage placing kingdom interests first.. now i told her about you (billy) and how you were at bethel and are now starting college at the age of 40 (i think that is correct).
Hi!
I also was a JW teenager during the 1970's and, especially before 1975, the stress was on the door-to-door work and not pursuing supposedly unnecessary higher education since the end of the system was so close. Desiring to be faithful to Jehovah I determined to pioneer upon graduation. My folks, who were not JWs, wanted me to go to college and would have paid for the whole thing, but it wasn't in my plans. Before beoming a JW (my Junior year of HS) I absolutely planned and desired to go to school.
But it is never too late if you want to go! I am currently in school full time and will graduate in the spring of 2011 and I'm in my 50's. Interestingly, I had a great job that paid fairly well, but I had this dream of completing my undergraduate degree, so I quit my job and.... now here I am. I am hopeful that it will open up some additional opportunities for me. But completing this will be fulfilling a life-long dream.
Best of luck to all of you considering going back...
Expanded-Mind
i just googled kingdom halls in stockton ca and it appears there are several.
anyone go to any of these halls?
i was wondering if anyone could tell me anything about the witnesses in this area.
Hey Wasblind!
If you read my sentence in context, the word "unfortunately" relates to the shunning I've received from my family, not from the fact that I left the WT organization.
Its just a sad consequence --- in my case --- that because of following my God-given conscience (leading to the rejection of the organization) I lost the association and friendship of some very dear people.
Expanded-Mind
i just googled kingdom halls in stockton ca and it appears there are several.
anyone go to any of these halls?
i was wondering if anyone could tell me anything about the witnesses in this area.
Thank you all for you replies and comments!
Yknot--- I can only hope that the girl with the blue streak in her hair was one of my relatives! <smile!>
Eveyone have a good fourth of July weekend!
Expanded-Mind
i just googled kingdom halls in stockton ca and it appears there are several.
anyone go to any of these halls?
i was wondering if anyone could tell me anything about the witnesses in this area.
Hey Wasblind!
Unfortunately, because I disassociated, my relatives who are JWs will no longer speak or associate with me, so trying to aski them any questions about our mutual JW relatives in Stockton is not likely to happen --- and relatives that are not JWs have essentially been cut off by the JW relatives, so my guess is that none of them have any information.
Thanks for your welcome back... I appreciate it!
Expanded-Mind
i just googled kingdom halls in stockton ca and it appears there are several.
anyone go to any of these halls?
i was wondering if anyone could tell me anything about the witnesses in this area.
Hi again, Wasblind!
Hope you read my last post. I would never ask someone who wasn't comfortable with doing so, to discuss specifically which Kingdom Hall they attended or reveal any information that might expose them. And of course I would never want to cause a person undue hardship just because I want to know something (I think this is clear from my other posts). But if someone IS comfortable talking about it, then that is THEIR decision.
If I could ask my relatives, I wouldn't be asking for help. But I will NEVER say (in your words) "good riddance to 'em"... my family and friends are precious to me and my door and my heart will always be open to them....
Expanded-Mind
i just googled kingdom halls in stockton ca and it appears there are several.
anyone go to any of these halls?
i was wondering if anyone could tell me anything about the witnesses in this area.
Hey, Zeroday!
Really? You've never heard of an elder questioning or leaving the organization? If I am remembering correctly, there is at least one (if not more) current elder who posts on this site and I bet there are a ton of former elders who post here. I believe Randy Waters was a Bethel elder (and he posts here) and remember, if a governing body member like Ray Franz can have his eyes opened up, then there is hope for all.
Expanded-Mind
i just googled kingdom halls in stockton ca and it appears there are several.
anyone go to any of these halls?
i was wondering if anyone could tell me anything about the witnesses in this area.
Hey Wasblind!
I understand what you wrote and thanks... I didn't mean to come across as a "troll"... yikes (but I do understand how my question sounds)!! My question was really meant to get a general feel for what the congregations are like in that area, not for anyone to name a specific hall or give their names.
If there is anyone who is comfortable corresponding via private messaging, I would be glad to give you my information and the names of the people I am inquiring about. Actually I don't know that they go to a hall IN Stockton, just that they live in Stockton, so it may be like trying to find a needle in a haystack.
I was a Witness for about 14 years and left the organization in the mid-1980's... been out for a while, but still have several family members and many friends who are still in.... so I am continually hoping that they have their eyes opened up and we are able to restore our family times and friendships.
Expanded-Mind
i just googled kingdom halls in stockton ca and it appears there are several.
anyone go to any of these halls?
i was wondering if anyone could tell me anything about the witnesses in this area.
Thanks for the welcome, Carla! I haven't posted much recently... have actually been a member for about 7 years but posted under ExpandedMind (without the "-") and forgot my password and didn't know how to retrieve it, so I had to re-register. <smile!> Anyone know how to get your old password? I wouldn't mind getting my old "name" back...
Hi, Zeroday! From my own experience and from reading posts on JWN I've learned that there is some diversity among JW congregations... some congregations are definitely more conservative than others. I do think that there are congregations that aren't as hard-nosed as others... it probably depends on who the elders are in the congregation. My hope is that my relatives are in a liberal hall, one where they may not feel as compelled to submit as strictly to the Society's rules and regulations. Just perhaps they will get a little taste of freedom and start thinking critically and.... hopefully.... have their eyes opened. Who knows? Maybe they are in a hall where even an elder or two are questioning the Society. It may not be likely, but one can hope! <smile!>
Expanded-Mind
