Posts by Judith

21

Anyone read the book "Was Jesus Married?&q...

by Judith in

jw
friends

i was given this book by a psychiatrist 30 years ago.

the thought behind the book was that jesus would not have stayed single and they gave the reasons why.

now that i am looking for more insight into religion, i would like to have the book again.

Judith

I was given this book by a psychiatrist 30 years ago. The thought behind the book was that Jesus would not have stayed single and they gave the reasons why. Now that I am looking for more insight into religion, I would like to have the book again. It is out of print and no one has been able to locate it for me. Any suggestions where I could obtain a copy?

The book was thrown away when I had the "extreme privilege" of entertaining 10 couples from the congregation. The women descended upon my book shelves and pulled out books that would "just have to go." Not proper for a witness to have. They went through my honeymoon album and were horrified at some of the pictures and said they would have to go. No proper for a witness to have. "How would I feel if an elder saw those pictures?" me in bikinis, nothing more, nothing less. I know, I know. How did I give into such pressure. But I did and the pictures and negatives are gone and so are many of my books.

Any info on "Was Jesus Married" book will be appreciated.

25

Funerals

by Xena in

jw
friends

i haven't been to a "worldly" funeral...well ever that i can remember.

all the funerals i have been to have been jw ones where they use it as another opportunity to preach to everyone in sight.

they usually make a token mention of the dead loved one and then begin with the resurrection and earthly paradise and how you have to be a jw to get there.. today i went to my aunts funeral.

Judith

Hi Xena. Sorry for your loss.

I attended a few Witness funerals and I had that same embarrassing feeling during the service. Yes, it was all about a witness the the non-witnesses.

My daughter-in-law died on September 16, 2001 after an 8 month battle with leukemia. She died on her 28th birthday.

The funeral was the most caring, special one I have ever been to. We set up tables of white linens and placed all of her accomplishments on these tables for everyone to see what a special person Robyn was. There was no religious service. Friends and family chose to speak about Robyn and their love for her. Since this was Robyn's last big event, we made it as special as she was. We decorated to the hilt. Took us 5 days of many people to get it just right. So many people commented that it was the most beautiful funeral because of the love and words of feelings about Robyn. They also mentioned the non-religious nature of the proceedings and were somehow amazed that it was so beautiful.

My son and his wife were agnostic and Robyn made her feelings known that she would not want a religious funeral. My son has since told me that he is now heading towards atheism since the death of his wife. He was never baptized and was only attending meetings for 5 years. He also commented that many people turn to religion for their comfort when someone dies but he doesn't feel that way. He feels less so now that he lost someone he so deeply loves. Says he is more sure that there is nothing out there. That you live and then you die so live to the fullest while you are still here.

I was still attending meetings at the hall when Robyn died. One witness couple came to the funeral where there were over 400 non witnesses. Great show of support for the witnesses - NOT. Several witnesses sent cards to my son with all the propaganda about death and resurrection which disgusted him because they sent reams of stuff instead of some well chosen words which he would have read. And they couldn't come to the funeral but they could count their time in sending a witness. (vomit)

17

Did Jesus Teach Parents Should be Honored?

by JosephAlward in

matthew says that jesus tells his disciples to "honor your father and mother" (matt 19:19), but luke thinks that jesus requires his followers to hate their parents, "whoever comes to me and does not hate father and mother...cannot be my disciple.

" (luke 14.26) .

couldn't god find a way for one to be a disciple of jesus without having to hate one's parents?

Judith

Hillary_step

Funny that Alfie didn't know a thing. Thanks for checking with him.

It was just something that came to my mind after my post - what's it all about (life that is) Is it possible that I created a God in my mind because I needed someone to worship, someone to listen, someone to believe in. Now when I awake during the night, I have no one to talk to because I don't know if anyone is out there. And praying. "Hey God, whoever or whatever you are, ah help me out here will you? I don't have a clue. And by the way, the Watchtower Society are the ones that did this to me and so many other. Can you speak to them about this."

17

Did Jesus Teach Parents Should be Honored?

by JosephAlward in

matthew says that jesus tells his disciples to "honor your father and mother" (matt 19:19), but luke thinks that jesus requires his followers to hate their parents, "whoever comes to me and does not hate father and mother...cannot be my disciple.

" (luke 14.26) .

couldn't god find a way for one to be a disciple of jesus without having to hate one's parents?

Judith

For 28 years I believed that the bible was the word of God and that he dictated what he wanted in it just as a boss would dictate a letter to a secretary. I believed that God had to have an organization and that, if there was a true religion, it had to be Jehovah Witnesses. I held onto these beliefs even being inactive and eventually disassociating. Just thought that I was going down in the end because I couldn't keep up with the rules of being a witness. So I lived my life thinking God was going to destroy me. But it wouldn't be so bad since I would die and just not be resurrected.

Now after all that I have found out about the organization and bible errors, I don't think I believe anything that I did for 28 years. I feel angry and numb. Believing was so important. Finding a purpose to life was so important. Knowing that there was a God was so important. Now I am heading towards believing that we are just here and we live and then we die. No hereafter, no resurrection, no turning into a cow, or being reborn. "What's it all about Alfie?"

4

Religious Sexism

by Judith in

i attended college for the first time at age 46 after quietly walking away from the jw's.

i really wanted my children to go to college and thought my going would inspire them.

by the way, it worked.

Judith

I attended college for the first time at age 46 after quietly walking away from the JW's. I really wanted my children to go to college and thought my going would inspire them. By the way, it worked. They have all graduated.

Here is a paper I handed in for my Sociolgy of Religion course.

MARTHA AND HER HUSBAND

Having engrossed myself in the latest religious magazine, I failed to notice the emptiness of the toilet-paper-holder as I sat and read. Unpon discovering this error on my part, I prayed to God, realizing this was his punishment for my sloth; taking my leisure on the toilet when I could be doing more productive things for the benefit of God and to praise and honor Him. Filled with shame, I called Martha up to amend my situation, and having it thus amended, together we prayed to ask His forgiveness.

A most peculiar incident. Martha excused herself from the morning bible reading after we had just begun. She claimed her intention was to wash the breakfast dishes so they would not sit in the sink all day. So what if they were to remain in the sink all day? What of it? Is it not more important to read our bible study ? I am curious and will watch her closely.

It is now afternoon and I am worried about Martha. I suppose that I should not let my personal feelings interfere in doing what is proper and good in the eyes of God. I shall tell of what caused my concerns. I arrived in the kitchen for my noon meal only to discover that none had been prepared. I questioned Martha over the absence of food and she answered, quite angrily, that she "just didn't feel like it." I reminded her of how we were all put on this earth for a purpose, and how woman's purpose was to serve her man. Martha appeared even more distressed. I begged her to accompany me in prayer for guidance from our God, but she refused. She then stormed off and proceeded to sulk in her bedroom. I, myself, prayed for guidance but haven't received an answer as of yet.

It is now late afternoon and Martha's cat, Jezebel, was sharpening her claws upon the sofa. I called out for it to stop but the beast continued. I arose to strike it away and Martha cried out against me. I was shocked, a woman admonishing her husband? The cat ran off

I won't bother to bore you any further with this story for it goes on and on. Religious sexism must have been on my mind as I sat at the Kingdom Hall week after week, year after year. Watching the men lord it over the women and being told that was our place. No wonder so many of the Witness women are depressed. They have to live with the boot of a man on their necks. Not just their husband but all of the rulers at the Kingdom Hall.

I remember one talk that was on battering of women. The brother gave all the details of battered women and then he made a statement that started a huge laugh from my feet to my head. I had to get up and run to the bathroom because of the laughter. The statement that made me laugh (laughing at the stupidity of the statement that is) "Can you believe brothers and sisters, that there are some women who actually hit their husbands." All the while he was shaking his head as he made that statement. Yet he calmly talked of the women who were being battered by their husbands. RELIGIOUS SEXISM

18

Population BOOM!

by nicolaou in

jw
friends

let's assume that there are about 9,000,000 armageddon survivors (baptised jw's and their children), after just 30 years every survivor will be sexually mature and with increased vigour and health.. .

chemical contraception, condoms, i.u.d's etc will all be long gone so any married couple with a normal sex-drive will be producing children at an average rate of about 1 per year.. .

world population at the beginning of the 20th century was less than 1.5 billion.

Judith

I asked the question of over-population 28 years ago when I first started studying and was told that there would be no sex for the resurrected ones - so no children would be born to them. And there would be children born to those who came through the big A and then no more children once the world was full. Then sex would be done away with.

I wondered how the resurrected ones would feel about not having sex while the ones who made it thru were doing their thing. But I dismissed it after being told that Jah would take care of everything.

I just kept studying because I thought things would become clear and I would stop thinking about what didn't make sense. Sure and it happened as the brainwashing continued.

Good to be enlightened and away from the UNtruth.

1

Taliban/JW shuffle

by messenger in

jw
friends

.

http://www.madblast.com/flash_shows/taliban.cfm

Judith

nt

9

UN stuff

by why144000 in

i have been watching the wt/un issue unfold.

while i am personally disappointed with the limp response from the 'spindoctors' from the society i believe that we are flogging a dead horse.

many of the people who would leave the society over this issue are already at a stage that they only need the 'straw to break the camels back'.

Judith

Zev

When the WT locked it's doors on 9-11 I was disgusted. They changed their little tape on their site many times and that brought out how they lie and change things to suit themselves. How could they sit and do nothing to help? Then I found out about the blood issue and felt sick to my stomach. All the operations I have had, all the times I have been in the hospital, and I always wrote (In Big Red Letters) NO BLOOD. Then they told my son that he would not be able to study the bible on his own, that he needed the organization for that. In other words, he is stupid?

I watched the people at the meetings and how depressed they seemed. I sat at all the meetings listening to the same boring redundant junk that I used to listen to years ago before I DAed. Glassy eyed people, sad and trying to keep awake. A young girl taking her 9 month old to the back and hearing her cry so hard because her mother was punishing her for not sitting still.

Then I read Crisis of Conscience and that was the final nail in the watchtower coffin. When I finally realized that it was all a sham, I felt a great sense of relief but also a deep sadness. I am so happy that we are out, my son and myself.

You may have to go a little at a time. It was easier for me because I had been away from the Kingdom Hall for many years and was only back for 4 months. Good luck, don't give up, and list all the things that don't add up. And all the changes, and all the missed dates of the end, and the UN thing. I asked my son to write it all down for himself so he could look at it for what it is.

Imagine, after 28 years of believing that I must die rather then take blood, I am free to accept blood if I need it.

9

UN stuff

by why144000 in

i have been watching the wt/un issue unfold.

while i am personally disappointed with the limp response from the 'spindoctors' from the society i believe that we are flogging a dead horse.

many of the people who would leave the society over this issue are already at a stage that they only need the 'straw to break the camels back'.

Judith

The information on the UN listed on this site is what helped my son, his girlfriend and myself escape the clutches of the WTS. I was on my way to being reinstated. My son and his girlfriend were studying and we were attending all the meetings. Alot of things were not adding up but we kept going. I started looking around on the internet for information after the 9-11 business with the Watchtower in New York. I found this site and the UN info, printed it out and passed it on to my son. He in turn gave it to the two that were studying with him and asked for an explanation. One said that it was apostates making it up. The other said if it was true, there would be alot of explaining the Watchtower Soc. would have to do. They also told him that he should not listen to anyone outside the organization and to stay off the internet except for the official JW site. They would not take the UN letter but one of them did write down the phone number to call.

In one week my son made up his mind that there would be no more studies and he was not going back. He left a note on his door telling them to never return.

Of course there were other things, like the blood issue, that added up to the final decision to back away from the JWs. But the only thing he would listen to when I was telling him that so many things were wrong, was the letter about the UN. So three of us were able to escape.

33

fading away quietly

by DIM in

jw
friends

my wife and i are moving 3000 miles away so that we can fade away as jehovah's witnesses.

i am looking for suggestions as to what i should do about our publisher record cards (keep them in pa?, get them forwarded to seattle?

) so that we can start our lives on the west coast with a fresh start and so we'll just be left alone...any thoughts would be greatly appreciated.

Judith

I was baptized in 1984 and faded away in 1986. They found me in 1994 and I sent a letter of resignation which they said would be better for me then being disfellowshiped. Ha! I believed them. Now I find out that one is a damning as the other.

My youngest son started back (not baptized) seven months ago and I told him he would not be able to speak to me once he was baptized. He asked the elders, they said that he could speak with me but I knew that was a lie. So gues what I did? I started back too so that I could be reinstated and not lose contact with my son.

Because of several things we are no longer attending. This group was instrumental in pulling us back from the brink of Watchtower insanity. Thanks for your efforts.