Posts by MMXIV

53

As You've Gotten Older Have You Changed Your Thoughts On Marriage?

by minimus in

jw
friends

many witnesses got married at a young age (because they felt they had to).

you can't sin, right?.

some people get married and for years, are very happy.

MMXIV

I had an old fashioned view of marriage that I should provide for my wife. That meant waiting for a long time for me to get a career together given I was a typical dub without qualifications. It was also a long time before I therefore popped the question and it was only after we were married did I find out that she'd hoped/expected/wanted me to ask for her hand on so many occasions. I screwed up on that one.

I/we tried very hard not to allow JW's to influence us - courting was tough, but we had the quiet, swish wedding we wanted - away from witlesses and the long honeymoon that meant no meetings. Now that was a holiday.

Would I do it again? Impossible to answer because I am the person today as a result of marriage. It would be the same girl, just different timing. Regrets? Not leaving the borg earlier so we could better enjoy the early years of our marriage.

MMXIV

14

Letter to London Bethel

by Hobo Ken in

this post links to the letter i sent to the london bethel following my judicial appeal decision.. this follows my series of podcasts recording the actions of the elders in my local area.. letter to london bethel.

please read the letter and judge whether these men acted fairly and in a just manner.. matt.

MMXIV

You've stated your case well. Not sure how these things will work but surely anyone reading it will have little choice but to investigate or review the evidence? Despite the clear mishandling of the case it may still boil down to how they consider your motives for your beliefs - that of apostasy or just someone who will wait faithfully on Jah to see if he will shed new light on the matter. The elders involved will do anything to cover their own backsides - I'd expect them to lie, but might be hard to change their story from the evidence they've already submitted.

May I respectfully ask if there is an outcome you actually want from this? Clearly being DF'd as a result of false witness is just a shocking injustice, but do you want to remain in, clear your name, take down a few dodgy elders in the process or prove these aren't decisions influenced by holy spirit?

Hope you get a response. Hope you get a result.

MMXIV

18

It was sad looking at all of my congregation members yesterday!

by RULES & REGULATIONS in

i went to the meeting yesterday and found it to be a sad experience.

(i've been fading over the years and down to 2 meetings per month).

i looked around and found that there are no new members.just family members and friends.

MMXIV

I would still be interested to see/find out how that little community I grew up in changed over the years. I only hear when another old timer passes on. When I was young - there was a generation of old ones who had built the congregation. That generation has now completely disappeared.

MMXIV

12

favorite comedies

by nancy drew in

jw
friends

the russians are coming the russians are coming, the freshman, the man who knew too little.

MMXIV

Life of Brian

There's Something about Mary

21

Do you do any volunteer work? If so, what?

by Quirky1 in

jw
friends

MMXIV

I volunteer to do photography for different charities - saves them money and I get to do something I enjoy. I also help out at a local disabled children's unit - assist in building projects.

MMXIV

31

New Here

by CuriousButterfly in

jw
friends

hi new to this message board.

i was trying to contact the admins or mods and the link at the botton if the message board does not appear to be working.

am i able to pm them?.

MMXIV

Welcome,

Girl – you’ve got self control – several years??? I Lurked for a while but gave in to temptation and became a member a few weeks ago. Wonderful therapy. I'm also a touch paranoid about discovery due to family still in but have learned so much here in a brief time and as long as I don't give personal details I know I'll be safe.

College - my sympathies. I was also impacted by this era and didn't have university as a realistic option (unless maybe I lived at home under the careful scrutiny of family and studied something that could have been useful in bethel – would have been a long shot). Watching younger kids go to Uni didn’t make it easier – I also felt betrayed – but interesting to hear it’s falling out of fashion again?

MMXIV

26

The reporting of field service time

by lepermessiah in

jw
friends

were any of you really bothered/still bothered by the practice of field service reporting?.

there was an old post on here that got me thinking how the practice got started.. instead of simply being a tool to monitor the progress of the faith, or to see if the work was done "throughout the earth", it appears to me that it was just a tool used to keep the presses rolling and to see how much literature to produce - along with controlling the rank and file.

the average jw gives it no thought, its just another "blessing" from the organization when you hear the monthly reports, etc.. the organization is so statistics-driven that they make jesus out to be a ceo with people who need to meet their sales quotas.i'm sure he really wouldnt care if peter and andrew got 20 hours one month and john got 25. wait, maybe thats why john was "beloved" .

MMXIV

after a while i started counting from the moment i started getting dressed for service, reasoning that from that moment on my day became different because of going in service

agent zero - creativity at it's best.

The WTS is run just like a business and they need some way of seeing if certain strategies are effective or not and what new trends are emerging. So I'd expect they will be closely watching whether the reduced meeting lengths will impact FS positively etc. Fundamental to capturing accurate timesheets within a business is that the process and motivations of those completing them have to be robust. Completing FS reports has changed over the years - does anyone remember when results were posted on the notice board - how competitive would that have been??!!

FS reporting is a perfect mechanism for faders - as long as you turn up to a few well attended groups - and go off on RV's you're sorted. I'd like to think I perfected this art.

Last time I went out though - I got caught by the PO who wanted someone to work with. Fortunately I had recent mags with me, was very positive about working with him and then proceeded to be incredibly zealous on each door. He did ask what articles I'd found successful recently to which I came up with a suitably humble response that some unlikely awake had been really popular despite my presenting it badly "sometimes the cover just speaks for itself" :-) I cheerfully carried on till we finished a long stretch in the cold. Last door I ever did.

MMXIV

20

JW boy and 'worldly' girl - love torn in two

by nekoreichan in

hey everyone, .

i have a question about being in a relationship with a jw boy.. we were friends since the beginning of our senior year in high school.

i called him oniichan ( older brother in japanese) so it'll just be for fun.

MMXIV

nekoreichan,

I can add little to the honest and heartfelt advice already written here, but your story is far from boring and I wish you well. Oniichan will be very confused right now from the shock of feeling good about life to suddenly being treated and no doubt feeling like a criminal in just a few days. I have experienced what this is like and it is something that will live with him for a long time. Part of his confusion is that he is being criminalised for doing what he enjoyed and was a beautiful thing - spending time with you - which he knows is wrong according to JW's but he didn't feel was wrong - in fact he loved being with you.

You can help by being there for an open communication when he is ready but ultimately he needs to face the consequences of what he wants - to either turn his back on a religion that condemns him for doing something that is normal and with it his family and all his friends. Or try and reconcile himself to the religion by working hard to prove he is a good JW again. Either way he has to make that decision and will take many years to come to terms with it.

For him - this is an emotional upheaval like his parents dying or being divorced by a long term partner - but in many ways worse. Most would consider this to be a very bad time to get involved in a relationship. So it doesn't mean it can't work but just be realistic what is involved and take your time.

I am sorry this is something you are involved with as you have done no wrong and it is the fault of a belief system with serious flaws. Let us know what happens if you feel you want to at some point in the future or if you have any questions.

MMXIV

57

New light on blood?

by Mickey mouse in

this is prompted by barbara's new article at freeminds and a message someone sent to my youtube account a month ago.. there are rumours that there will be "new light" this year about blood transfusions.

if this happens, i for one will be speaking up and asking who is accountable for all the lives lost due to the wt's death dealing policy.

this is an opportunity for all those who still have some connections with jws to make people think..

MMXIV

New medical evidence and research will continue to be released and show stats on how many JW's die (eg Netherlands research 1983-2006). They will be forced to change their stance for legal reasons - but it will be a subtle change so witlesses will argue - it hasn't changed. This will result in a field day by the press though - because officially it will have. When the GB still apply it on the quiet by making it a conscience thing (which of course they will) - the press will have them for still enforcing it the first time another dub dies on the operating table.

Well lets hope they do change the policy and save some lives - thousands once living could still be alive.

Is there anything stopping JW's from altering the wording on the medical directive to state they their stance on non-blood medical management is as a direct result of the the teachings from the GB?

MMXIV

12

Solving The World's Problems in 30 Minutes

by torn in two son in

jw
friends

i do not have many teachers that i admire.

(with the exception of a female eighth grade level english/history teacher, but that's another story).

no, today i'm talking of a different exception.

MMXIV

I wait until the appropriate article comes out in the WT, study it carefully doing additional research so I might be able to add an interesting but relevant point. I then reflect on the comments of my brothers and sisters as they share in fellowship and know that by myself I cannot solve the world's problems, but leave it in the hands of the creator to do so...or so I once thought...

...but my latest view (light bulb moment occurred some time between my coffee and sandwich - only 20mins) I think the best way to sort out the world's problems is ensure all "parents to be" are tested thoroughly for their worthiness to bring children into this world.

Crap parents = children with problems = another generation of problems (the term generation evidently refers to an overlapping generation without a time limit).

Stop nutters having kids and their influence will eventually die out. I would extend this to people who just don't care enough about giving their kids a great childhood (I did my best for them just doesn't cut it).

MMXIV