Posts by laverite

85

From Pioneer to Professor: My Story

by laverite in

jw
friends

i wanted to say hello.

i knew i was gay.

i wanted to study and learn about everything i could.

laverite

Wow, GMA, thank you for your very kind words. I am so lucky to have my sweet, wonderful children. They are so amazing.

Many of the younger JWs seem to be a little more "liberal" minded on gay issues compared to the older Brothers and Sisters. I know some of my cousins are. And, it's funny, because I've even referred to them as "liberal" JWs and they get all defensive: "What do you mean liberal??? I'm not liberal!!!" But they really are compared to older folks.

On the JWs missing out -- they sure have a lot of strange ideas about gays. I was visiting my grandmother in the hospital (she had a rough patch that she went through a couple of years back) and some JWs were there with her. After I left the room for a bit, I could hear as I stood in the hallway for a second their conversation with her and my aunt. "But he looks so clean cut!" Truth is, I could blend in with any JW group just fine. That day, I was in slacks, a nice button up shirt, nice shoes and my 1950s style men's glasses. Short hair, too. All I would have needed would have been a tie and I would have looked like I stepped right out of any Watchtower magazine. That blew them away. They just couldn't believe I could be who I am and an ex-JW and appear presentable. I don't know what they were expecting...and they probably didn't have any clear idea either. Perhaps if I had long hair and beard, tats and needle track marks up and down his arms stinking of alcohol and body odor slurring his words that would have made sense to them. But not a clean cut well spoken individual.

85

My Letter to Brooklyn about the Parousia that got me disfellowshipped

by cofty in

this is the letter i wrote back in '96 about the parousia.

following the '95 watchtower that disconnected the "generation" from 1914 i began to look carefully at end-time prophecy and soon discovered what i knew were basic errors in what i had been taught.. i was a loyal jw at the time and was still serving as an elder.

i used only watchtower publications in my research.

laverite

Very detailed and well written letter, Cofty! One thing stood out at me, but then I had to admit truth of what you wrote: " I also wish to state emphatically that I have had no contact of any kind with apostates whose divisive works I despise." I suppose we are divisive.

85

From Pioneer to Professor: My Story

by laverite in

jw
friends

i wanted to say hello.

i knew i was gay.

i wanted to study and learn about everything i could.

laverite

LostGen - I know the path I took was the right one for me. But it's never too late for those who had a delay in their escape.

29

JW visit

by laverite in

for some reason my neighborhood gets worked over by the jws constantly.

they are here every week going up and down the streets.

it's a comfortable, safe neighborhood with nice houses.

laverite

Lost Gen - I should actually just have them put me on the DNC list and get it over with. (19 days is a LONG time to not have them here on this street; they work the street every week!!!).

85

From Pioneer to Professor: My Story

by laverite in

jw
friends

i wanted to say hello.

i knew i was gay.

i wanted to study and learn about everything i could.

laverite

Something that has bothered me a lot -- my real name is not Alex. I wanted to put a detail or two like that in there out of paranoia to throw anyone off as to my real identity if they tried to look me up. I was being overly paranoid. I still have limited (family business) contact with my beloved JW grandmother who is well into her 90s. I don't want to lose that. The Watchtower TM is her everything. None of us will be living forever, after all. So, one day my precious Grandma will pass away. I love her so much. At that point in time, I will (without any reservation) happily post my name and picture. I will have no reason to withold any details, other than pure embarrasment and shame that I was ever a part of the Watchtower TM cult. I find that utterly mortifying.

Also, I am protective of my professional status. I have published several books now that are used nationally and internationally at many universities. I am working on a fairly high profile book for a big publishing company right now as we speak. I worry that others will find out about my JW past. The thought of others finding out I was a JW makes me want to hang my head in shame. But maybe I have a bit of a "free pass" given I was "born-in" and didnt' have a choice? "It wasn't my fault!!"

85

From Pioneer to Professor: My Story

by laverite in

jw
friends

i wanted to say hello.

i knew i was gay.

i wanted to study and learn about everything i could.

laverite

LostGen: That's why I posted it to let people know that we really can get out and life will be good! I wasn't ever a regular pioneer, but I did Aux Pioneer at times. So I hope the title wasn't too misleading. It was meant to be catchy.

I am still pretty much shunned by family. That's life in the bOrg for you. I'm definitely the black sheep of the family. The ones who are in never contact me for any reason, but I do have some limited contact with them (family business). I have a few family members who are now out, and some JW cousins who are more "liberal" JWs. It is so nice to have that kind of family contact. I am very grateful for that.

I honestly cannot imagine my life had I remained in the bOrg. It is utterly unthinkable.

29

JW visit

by laverite in

for some reason my neighborhood gets worked over by the jws constantly.

they are here every week going up and down the streets.

it's a comfortable, safe neighborhood with nice houses.

laverite

Hey everyone, I got another JW visit today. The first in 19 days based on the original post date to this thread. They seem to be much more regular around here than a 19 day absence. Hmmm...Anyway, here's how it unfolded:

For the first time in more time than I can remember, we were having a slow relaxing morning. My children were actually calm(ish), letting me do some relaxing (as a parent with young children, this is rare) which actually took the form of having an extra cup of tea and chilling out a bit.

So I was getting some much needed down time, when the kids start screaming that someone rang the doorbell. We have a large home, and I cannot hear the doorbell at all when I am in my master living and bedroom zone uptstairs. So I ran downstairs in a t-shirt and my underwear (!!!), looked out and could see it was the witnesses. I opened the door, hiding my underwear clad self behind the door, letting them know I wasn't available right now and just shut the door. My hair looked mad scientist crazy, I hadn't shaved yet, and wasn't dressed appropriately to answer the door. Ugh. Can anyone say Karma? I mean, I know I seriously deserve this for all the people I have disturbed in their homes by ringing the bell at an ungodly hour. So after closing the door, I just said to myself: "Yep, totally deserved this!!"

Well to relate this back my OP, the Friends TM who showed up were a Brother TM who looked to be in his 70s along with a MUCH younger Sister TM of a different ethnicity. The reason I mention her ethnicity is that I immediatley thought, "Hey, I bet her picked her out at an international District Convention TM ! Sounds bad to think that, but I've seen that sort of thing before. Anyway, back to my story. He had a tract, I could see that. But I really didn't give them a chance to talk. It was kind of disappointing because I'd love to chat with them a bit for fun. I know it won't go any place, but it would be nice to feign ignorance, and ask some hard questions.

We went 19 days without a visit. I don't know if they are back due to what I expressed previously (or stayed away for 19 days because of it!!) but they are constantly working this street, year in and year out. It's as if they have discovered this street, decided they really like it and have committed thorougly to it. Other streets and territories aren't getting worked like this one. Probably because it's the one street where no one is ever at home! When they ring the bell, you know you have a good long 5 or 10 minutes to answer because they will be there waiting for you. They work this street slowly. It can take a few hours. Bless their hearts.

38

2014 means "LUCY, you've got some splainin' to do" for Jehovah's Witnesses

by Terry in

next year the watchtower society will be forced by world events (i.e.

no armageddon yet) to confront a full century of christ's presence.

with nothing to show for it!.

laverite

Love the imagery, Terry.

14

Gut wrenching situation

by laverite in

jw
friends

i have a close relative who has a baby with a terminal medical condition.

he could go at any moment or last a few years.

but the ultimate outcome is that he will die very young.

laverite

Aude: Such great observations about the Sister TM flaunting her hope to a mother who is in the process of losing her beloved child and the "maybe" qualifier! Thank you so much for sharing your VERY INTERESTING experience with the SisterTM you were working with on the talk. It's remarkable on so many different levels. When was that experience? Perhaps that sister at the age of 60 (and after believing for decades) came to realize she had been duped about how close Armageddon was, and that perhaps the Society TM was wrong about their scriptural interpretations. The Society TM had to get more and more creative with their explanations as things weren't panning out as previously thought over the years. It is now to the point that we have the Overlapping Generation explanation that strains all possible credibility to waaaaaaaay beyond the breaking point.

It's not too tough now to see the Society TM is grasping at straws in doctrinal desperation. There is still a lot of clean up that will need to happen to explain away the failings of Freddy Franz's fanciful imaginings.

Even with more people waking up, there are so many who, no matter what, do not doubt anything coming from the publishing corp's Brooklyn HQ. I have family who, if they were told in the literature via New Light TM that everything they've been taught is to currently be considered Old Light TM and what they now need to do is to give every penny to Brooklyn HQ and lie naked in the streets squeezing their nipples until they bleed, waiting for a personal chariot from Jehovah to carry them to a shiny new planet where the real paradise is, they would be falling over themselves to be the first one to get naked for Watchtower Corp TM .

Honestly, it wouldn't matter how ridiculous the New Light TM gets, they are believers in the Watchtower Corp TM , not the Bible.

14

Gut wrenching situation

by laverite in

jw
friends

i have a close relative who has a baby with a terminal medical condition.

he could go at any moment or last a few years.

but the ultimate outcome is that he will die very young.

laverite

Xanthippe: Thank you for your reply. You make a good point about the differences between those who do think about these issues and those who don't. The outlook between these two different groups is polar opposite! The questions you ask about the "maybe" qualifier in the FB post are the exact same ones I am wondering. It seems to be a new thing among some Dubs -- the thought that "maybe" Armageddon is coming? Wow!

Mr. Flipper: Thank you so much for your kind comments. Yes, the insensitivity is just terrible. :(

Billy: Of course, they don't see it that way. But when you put it that way, it does make things pretty clear. Too bad they can't see that.