Posts by HappyOutsideTheBox

posted

56
A fresh start
by FormerlySandL in
1. jw
2. experiences
after the worst introduction i could ever make on the forum i would like to reintroduce myself and make a fresh start on the forum and hopefully over time i will be able to redeem myself.

i have changed my user name which was over dramatic and ridiculous in the cold light of day but for transparency and to show i am not trying to hide anything i have adapted the original name and it now has a more positive feel.

after reading a lot of posts on this forum i am feeling more optimistic about my future.
HappyOutsideTheBox

angry that I wasted my best years and didn't go on to university or do all the things I wanted to do.
As much as I hate to say it, it has damaged me.
At the moment I don't seem to fit anywhere ....too naive for 'the world' and too disillusioned for the JW's
I feel robbed and wish I hadnt known about 'the truth'
Those words echo pretty much how I (and probably a load of others) feel about the time we wasted. The range of emotions you feel will vary over time. Once you have built your new life with new friends and a totally different mindset - you will look back and be glad you made the choice to leave. We can't undo the past but we can certainly be positive that the future is ours...with no one making us feel subservient!
You sound much more positive today :)
Good Luck
HOTP
11
Survey
by Reborn93 in
1. watchtower
2. bible
i was recommended to this forum by a member of jw recovery.

i am a former jw studying a psychology degree in the uk.

i am conducting a survey looking at former and current jehovah's witnesses and their beliefs.
HappyOutsideTheBox

Done!
HOTB
24
Harry Holt - JW elder sexually assaulted 8 girls over 4 decades
by OrphanCrow in
1. watchtower
2. child-abuse
church elder who sexually abused vulnerable children was invited to speak at first victim’s wedding.

a church elder who sexually abused vulnerable children was invited to speak at his first victim’s wedding, a court heard.. a court was told harry holt, 71, now of rutland street, nelson, went on to attack seven more girls as young as nine after the jehovah’s witnesses failed to report him to police.when the matter was raised, a local beat officer advised parents to ‘just keep your children away from him’, the court heard.. holt is facing a lengthy prison sentence after being convicted of attacks against eight girls in scotland dating back over 40 years.. .

full article at link..
HappyOutsideTheBox

I was so shocked to read that article.
I have known him for over 30 years - albeit I haven't had contact for many years since leaving the 'truth'.
I would never have thought it of him. He was a down to earth bloke who worked hard and was well liked.
I remember speaking to him when he planned to move to Edinburgh. He told me there had been trouble in the kingdom hall which was being handled badly and he was moving to get away from it. He implied the BOE were at the route of it. I was so sympathetic as I knew how some BOE's could be horrible.
Unlike Ian cousins (from the same circuit) who was jailed for abusing his daughter, Charlie was not a sleaze bag in any way that was apparent to me.
I guess it goes to show - we never really 'know' anybody.
HOTB
17
Science Alert Quiz
by cofty in
1. watchtower
2. beliefs
take the test fellow hominids.... i got 7/7.
HappyOutsideTheBox

7/7
42
My dog just died.
by panhandlegirl in
1. jw
2. experiences
i just buried my beloved poddle, little brother.

he died suddenly.

i know to most people that is not an important event.
HappyOutsideTheBox

I'm so sorry for your loss.

Dogs are the most remarkable family we can have.

Their love is totally without conditions. The bring comfort, joy...and of course occasional frustrations!

Knowing their life is shorter than ours is difficult because it means we know that at some point we will lose them.

Every day I cuddle my dogs and tell them I love them (that's for my benefit!). They are completely in my heart but I'm under no illusion as to the pain I'll feel when they die.

Cry as much as you want over your beloved doggie. He'll be in a special part of your heart forever.

Sending you hugs accross the miles.

HOTB
70
DINOSAURS - What do Jehovah's Witnesses Believe?
by Bloody Hotdogs! in
1. watchtower
2. beliefs
as part of my deconversion catharsis, i have been building a(nother) website to highlight some of the more ridiculous jw beliefs.

im a looong way from done, but i wanted some early feedback on one article: dinosaurs.

http://www.jwbeliefs.com/dinosaurs/.
HappyOutsideTheBox

Paralipomenon,

Isn't that the dinosaur from the inside cover of the green bible?

Seems familiar!

HOTB
70
DINOSAURS - What do Jehovah's Witnesses Believe?
by Bloody Hotdogs! in
1. watchtower
2. beliefs
as part of my deconversion catharsis, i have been building a(nother) website to highlight some of the more ridiculous jw beliefs.

im a looong way from done, but i wanted some early feedback on one article: dinosaurs.

http://www.jwbeliefs.com/dinosaurs/.
HappyOutsideTheBox

I seem to remember from my early years that the creative days were all thought to be 7000 years long and hence why 1975 was such an important date.

The Watchtower taught that Adam was created in 4026 BCE. Add 1975 years (no year zero) and that adds up to 6000 years.

As there was no definite date for the creation of Eve there was a supposition that it may have been 30 or 40 years. After that God rested and the 7 th day began.

The 1000 reign obviously didn’t appear in 1975. Add on 40 years and et voila – 2015!

I wouldn’t hold your breath folks!

HOTB
49
My Story: from JW Elder to Born Again Christian to Agnostic
by passwordprotected in
1. jw
2. experiences
i first posted here on 3rd june 2008. at the time i was an elder, appointed the previous october, i was 36 and i was a born-in.

at the time i'd become disillusioned with the society due to the governing body's letter explaining why the book study in private homes was being abolished.

april 2008 saw me start questioning this decision, privately of course, and this eventually led me to this site, to jwfacts and to many youtube videos, all of which began to errode my faith in the leaders of the organisation.. in july 2008, having discussed my doubts with my wife, i attended the district convention, deciding to give the society one last chance to convince me it was the truth.
HappyOutsideTheBox

Great post

Delighted that you are finding the peace and happiness that being yourself brings!

HOTB
44
I now have a law degree!
by digderidoo in
1. jw
2. friends
hi guys, i don't really post on here much anymore, having been on here since 2001. this site helped me out in the early days and has been a great support system for all of my past jw issues.

like many others i was discouraged from an education so that i could window clean and pioneer in my youth during the 80's.

having spent many years post my jw exit in alcoholism and periods of drugs, i decided to clean myself up 7 years ago by attending aa, i was still a window cleaner ... at the time i wrote extensively on here about my issues.
HappyOutsideTheBox

Fantastic!

What a great achievement.

A new life, a new identity

I'm proud of you.

HOTB
44
Freaking out a Jehovah's Witness
by jgnat in
1. watchtower
2. beliefs
as you know, my husband has physically left the witnesses.

he nevertheless clings to many of the beliefs like a protective cloak, and every once in a while i trigger a dissonant episode where my reality clashes with his.

recently he listened in on my work research, a video of a futurist describing the a potential "disruptive change" event in the next fifteen years, as our culture shifts to autonomic (driverless) vehicles.
HappyOutsideTheBox

Here's an overview of Stephen Pinker's book - very interesting and totally different from what we were taught by the WT:

http://youtu.be/o5X2-i_poNU

HOTB