Like you Sky, although there were losses and missed opportunities because of our religious beleifs, I had an overall good childhood. There were good and bad JW experiences mostly good. If you talk to a child who came from an abusive situation they will likely have some fond memories to look back on as well. Most of my fond memories have to do with individuals (other JW kids )who were in the same boat as I was and with whom I formed a bond with because of it. We used to sit through 8 day assemblies in the baking sun yet my brother and I although miserable, hot and bored, as children will do, found a way to eke out a bit of fun for ourselves, even if it was only by scanning the audience for friends or snickering at people dozing off etc. I had some really nice times with people from all over the country and world that I would never have known had if I hadn't been a JW. I still have a youthful appearance and healthy body in part because I avoided or was sheltered from alot of behaviors that could have damaged my health or ended my life. However I realize that if I'd have been as heavily/fanatcally involved in other positive activities or belonged to another organization with people focused on doing good, I'd likely have ended up the same as I am now only I'd still be able to talk to my old friends and would likely have better social skills,occupational skills and coping skills that had to be developed well into adulthood because I found out the ones I had been relying on (ie, Everlasting life, Jehovah's spirit etc) weren't based in any kind of reality.
exwhyzee
JoinedPosts by exwhyzee
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57
Anyone with Happy Memories from being a JW born in, please post here....
by SkyGreen infirst up, happy new year .
hi everyone, ok i guess this is controversial, but im doing it as therapy for me - so im not bitter about the way i was raised.
plus i want to see if i can be the op of an "epic thread"!!.
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Visit to Austrailia
by exwhyzee inwe're trying to rebuild our lives after leaving the org, have new experiences and create new memories for ourselves.
we're planning out our trip to hawaii, nz, austrailia and tahati in february.
i thought i'd see if anyone on here could give us some advice on places to see/stay/eat in brisbane and thereabouts, as well as places to steer clear of.
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exwhyzee
We're trying to rebuild our lives after leaving the Org, have new experiences and create new memories for ourselves. We're planning out our trip to Hawaii, NZ, Austrailia and Tahati in February. I thought I'd see if anyone on here could give us some advice on places to see/stay/eat in Brisbane and thereabouts, as well as places to steer clear of. May have a car to use so if there's anything you can suggest seeing within a day's drive from there, I'd be most grateful.
Anyone been to Papeete Tahiti ? Have any suggestions for us ?
Thanks !
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exwhyzee
My Brother....nice guy, very popular, very successful JW but he does the religion....His Way.
He has been married 3 times, each JW wife is younger than the next. He gets older but his wives get younger. His current one is a few months older than his daughter. He has never even so much as been publically reproved. He does what ever he has to do, to get by and remain popular. He has told me he doesn't think JW is the only truth out there and that the Society doesn't really know anything for sure and is wrong about a lot of things, but he is regular in service, gives talks and makes comments smarmy on his facebook page talking about the nearness of the end and looking forward to paradise (gag). Everything he does is very self serving. He has always lived by his own version of things and has his own fantasy world that he lives in. He makes things up in his head and just acts as if they are true and doesn't bat an eye when you point it out to him. For instance the other day he posted a beautiful studio photo of our Mom when she was in her 20's, on his facebook page. She passed away when she was in her early 50's. The caption on the photo said. "Mom On Graduation Day From University....Looking Forward to Seeing Her Again in Paradise" Our Mom never even so much as went to Community College let alone a University, but having a pretty university grad for a Mom makes him look better and fits the fantasy he has of himself in his head. I just want to hurl when I see these things. I wonder what my Moms non Witness siblings think when they see this on his facebook. I could make a comment on there like "And what University did our Mom go to....tell me the name of it...I want to know because it seems like my self the rest of her kids would have known about this but this is news to me ! " This would make him look like a total fool but I don't want to go there. I'd end up looking like the jerk. It's happened before when he copied photos of me and my family on vacation that I had posted on my facebook and used them without asking to advertise with on his business facebook.
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exwhyzee
Haha - bugger stereotypes. Sydney had the wettest xmess I can ever remember. Last night's news, showed famous Bondi beach almost deserted. Only a few dedicated surfies riding waves.
Too late to see what Austrailia is like at Christmas time but looking forward to being in Hawaii,Tahiti and Austrailia in February....hope the weather's good by then.
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For JWs: Bible Verses Contradict Watchtower
by ABibleStudent inhave you ever wanted to have a witty comeback for a jw's thought stopping platitude or slogun, but couldn't think of one to plant a seed of doubt in a jw?
please share your witty comebacks and a bible verse(s) that contradicts watchtower thought stopping platitudes and slogans.. here are a couple of mine.. 1) watchtower thougnt-stopping platitude - "where else will we go?".
response - "don't you mean to whom?
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exwhyzee
Marked
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Does the Bible contradict itself?
by exwhyzee inour old jw friend who is about to shun us says,there's nothing in the bible that contradicts itself?.
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can anyone think of certain scriptures that could prove otherwise?.
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exwhyzee
You guys are amazing....thanks so much for taking the time to provide this information. Esp. Leolala, Terry and Finkelstien. You have no idea how helpful this will be !
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Does the Bible contradict itself?
by exwhyzee inour old jw friend who is about to shun us says,there's nothing in the bible that contradicts itself?.
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can anyone think of certain scriptures that could prove otherwise?.
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exwhyzee
Our old JW Friend who is about to shun us says,there's nothing in the Bible that contradicts itself?
Can anyone think of certain scriptures that could prove otherwise?
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New letter RE public witnessing.. omg they are setting up stands!!!
by BigE inthis link contains news of a letter sent to the elders about witnesses setting up stands to peddle literature in public places!
how desperate are they?
it sounds sad honestly... and they are told not to argue with apostates .
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exwhyzee
What with all the shootings going on in public places, it might be good to have a stack of books to dive behind. Life saving information indeed !
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Does it get boring....
by FaceTheFacts indoes it become boring/monotonous reading thread after thread about how terrible the gb is and how much of a cult jws are...etc.
etc.?.
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exwhyzee
I'm used to being bored. After all I did spend my childhood and young adulthood in endless meetings and assemblies hearing about how wonderful they are and hearing them explain once again how a lot of that stuff they taught me a few years ago has been changed once again. I also spent a lot of time hunkered down waiting for the end to arrive so.....
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Your earliest doubt?
by Apognophos inthis might be an unfair question for those who have been out of the organization for decades, but i'm wondering if any of you remember your earliest doubt -- maybe something odd that occurred to you as a kid (if you were a jw then).
please try to limit to two doubts at the most :-).
i think my first "doubt" was simply realizing that at the time of the flood, every animal that wasn't in the ark died (well, besides the fish, supposedly).
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exwhyzee
I think I always had a hunch there was more to the story than I was being told. We used to go Back Packing or tent camping in Mt Rainier National Park a lot when I was a kid. We had to hang our food to keep the bears away and take certain precautions to avoid encounters with them. I remember hiking by a mountain lake or waterfall and my Mom saying " Isn't it great to be out among Jehovah's creation ?" "Isn't he a loving God for providing such a beautiful home for us? " I said something like "Yeah, but why did he have to make it so there are also bears here that want to eat us ?" There was silence from Mom but I noticed my non JW Dad was supressing a smirk.