Posts by MMXIV

64

Hello..this is my story..

by Lozhasleft in

jw
friends

i'm pleased to have found this site...i've browsed a little ...read quite a lot and gasped at some stories, giggled at the one liners and nodded in recognition of others' strong opinions and can relate to a great deal.. i'll try and keep my intro as brief as possible for anyone kind enough to listen.. i got involved with the witnesses in the late 70's in the uk.

i was in my early 20s and had had a love and fascination for the bible since my difficult childhood.

i soon brought my life into 'line' although it took a long time for me to pack up the smoking which didnt go down well in those days when 6 months of study should have been enough and if you hadnt cracked it then it was suggested that you were some kind of loser.... i reared my 4 children in the 'truth' as well as i could but i cant claim that we were a 'strong' family in their terms...just muddled along really..my husband at the time was a very difficult and abusive man and home life wasnt easy for any of us with his anger, jealousy and violence.

MMXIV

Hi Loz,

Thank you for sharing your experience with us. I've been thinking about it during the morning. To a far lesser extent some of your earlier story reminds me of my parents although I made sure I didn't follow in my father's footsteps and he mellowed considerably with age. I'm truly sorry that you had to go through so much. I strongly believe that the WTS fosters bullying in the home and your experience sadly demonstrates this. I'm sure that you never expected to get to where you are today so it's great to hear how you have managed to get through this - although not quite sure how.

Welcome

MMXIV

24

Watchtower 1974- Obviously a Bethelite writes all fat people who eat more than others will be destroyed!!!

by Witness 007 in

bethel lunchtime....their is always a young brother who eats more potatoes or chicken etc.

leaving the plate empty and others from his table scrounging from other "less hungry" tables.

so some writer with a chip on his shoulder writes this article.. watchtower 1974 p.167 "glutton...fails to show love for jehovah.

MMXIV

Ever known of anyone to be disfellowshipped for being a glutton? Seriously? The WTS could easily support this with scripture. On the ministry you can be clearly idenfied as being a glutton. If you smoked on the ministry or were drunk you get DF'd - so what's the difference?

MMXIV

(enjoying another slice of chocolate cake)

22

V's memorial teaser - its time to get busy with your email campaigns :-)

by besty in

they had better wine glasses at this hall, but otherwise everything was the same.

we had one at our hall last year.

so the people in the side rows get to hold the wine glass twice.

MMXIV

Captures the memorial experience very well - good post besty.

Not wanting to hold the emblems is an unusual angle and it's true that it is considered compulsary to observe. First-timers at the KH are expected to have understood enough from the talk to pass the emblems. As I recal kids at a very young age participate by touching the emblems as they pass - and are not really likely to be able to comprehend what it means. So why isn't one able to politely refuse to observe without raising serious questions in the minds of surrounding JW's?

MMXIV

8

Baby Dies at Hands of Babysitters JW connection

by sweet pea in

jw
friends

three year old killed after weeks of abuse .

baby ryan's mum was brought up a jehovah's witness and gave birth to ryan when she was 16. begs the question, what made her go off the rails?.

and does anyone know of the hancox family in the midlands?.

MMXIV

Shocking. The article doesn't say if the injuries were over a period of time or in just one attack. One assumes the latter as the mother would surely have observed injuries and known something was wrong.

It is easy to criticise after the event but any babysitter - no matter how well recommended could potentially flip - as indeed can some parents. Although these were not registered child carers (£40 would buy you day care for a day not a week). I dare say the mother will have a "life sentence" for having left her child with murderers.

MMXIV

31

One year in jail for JW man who circumcised son at home

by behemot in

jw
friends

one year in jail for metro vancouver man who circumcised son at homeby andrea woo, vancouver sunmarch 25, 2010comments (46)metro vancouver -- a metro vancouver man who circumcised his four-year-old son at home with a razor blade and blood coagulant meant for horses has been sentenced to one year in jail followed by two years probation.

in april 2007, the man, identified only as djw due to a publication ban, gave his son, dj, honey wine before placing him on garbage bags on the kitchen floor.

djw then cut away the boy's foreskin with a razor blade.. .

MMXIV

Shocking as this story is - in some places "home" female circumcision has been practiced routinely and doesn't get the media coverage it should - granted these countries are few and far between.

If this was in your local congregation - wouldn't you feel a collective responsibility towards the boy. There must have been some kind of warning signs that the dad wasn't the full picnic.

MMXIV

17

What will you be drinking this weekend??

by on the rocks in

jw
friends

whisky.

MMXIV

A white russian. or two

MMXIV

28

new light over the next 5 years?

by dozy in

the next new light?.

ok a bit of idle speculation here feel free to add your own thoughts.. a few changes that the wts might make over the next 5 years and my odds:.

144,000 is symbolic odds 2/1.

MMXIV

I predict "Brighter Light" on how to treat those disfellowshipped. I think a loving provision will be made to allow you to talk to them at the KH only - as long as it is upbuilding conversation and the DF'd person isn't allowed to question doctrines. All contact at the KH can then be monitored. Outside the KH the current policy stands.

In practice it means you'll still be treated like a 2nd class citizen but the WTS can defend it's policy more easily and ensure association is on it's terms under it's watchful eye. Not many disfellowshipped will hang around the meetings unless they want to come back so it'll be trying to bring them back to the fold in a slightly less nasty way.

Wobble - not sure tithing will happen but I think you're definately on the right thread - contributing more. Pay Caesar's things to Caesar and God's things to God. I can hear it now... Brothers - how much do you pay to Caesar? Is it 10% of your salary. 20%? How much more so should we pay God's things to God. Let us make a personal resolution today to give more - the widow gave every last coin that she had. Let us therefore not waste money on a vacation that we return from "tired". Let us instead joyfully help support the preaching work in countries where it is most needed.

MMXIV

61

What Do You Value in your Life Now that you Exited the Witnesses ?

by flipper in

jw
friends

i was talking with a friend of mine on the board yesterday and the discussion gave me the idea for this thread !

( thanks friend !

) and it seems as we were talking the thought came up that many of us when exiting the mind control of jehovah's witnesses we really come to appreciate the freedom to think how we want and be able to have access to other views which helps us to have a broader scope , or broader world view than just the tunnel vision of the wt society.

MMXIV

I value time. I can wake up at a weekend and do what I want and when I want without having to worry about making excuses or being seen. It's great not having a meeting hanging over me during the week too.

I can base my desicions on logic, common sense and experience rather than someone's interpretation of the WTS literature and don't feel like I need to justify myself.

MMXIV

63

Best Music Concert you Attended - Favorite Live Musicians ?

by flipper in

jw
friends

since spring weather is upon us - thought those of us that enjoy live music may have fun with this one !.

my favorite live musicians i have seen are follows :.

and which show or group was your favorite ?

MMXIV

Radiohead 2008 - Live on BBC Radio - 300 lucky winners in the audience sitting on comfy chairs - I was 8 metres away. Incredible acoustics - that's what a band sounds like in your living room.

U2 2001 Earls Court London - just before Bono's dad died - he knew time was running out

Radiohead 2003 - Veladrome Berlin

The Editors 2008 - Oxford academy - intense performance

Madonna 2004/5? Wembley Arena - cost a small fortune - worth it.

MMXIV

28

How To Hurt The Watchtower Financially Don't Contribute And Get Gobs Of Books and Burn Them

by frankiespeakin in

jw
friends

for those who still have to go to meetings or are still in for one reason or another but no longer beleive, why not hurt the wt finacially as much as you can by ordering books and getting as much literature as you can and not paying for it.. i would not want to suggest dipping your hand in the contributions destined for the wt coffers as that would be illegal but it has crossed my mind and morally i see nothing wrong with stealing from these frauds..

MMXIV

What are you 12? Maybe you could wet yourself at a different seat during each meeting? or you could regularly accidentally spill water over the sound equipment? or tread some sardines into the carpet and watch the dubs turn their noses up at the smell until they are forced to buy a new carpet.

Walk away - you could be the one person who makes their annual membership a decline that triggers a butterfly effect of changing policy snowballing into mass exodus and financial ruin. Didn't work for me but maybe just maybe it could be you.

MMXIV