a very close friend of mine has gotten his letter.
although he was planning to leave willingly, he told me that he can't help but feel a sense of being stabbed in the back by a bunch of self righteous traitors.
he gave tours for years, always telling the visitors "this is the best way of life, i would never change anything here and i'll never regret making this decision to come here.
Everyone's so feisty on this thread!
My favorite quote from David:
People react to criticism in different ways, and my way is to definitely come out fighting.
The mood of this thread's a little icy for me...gonna grab my skates and take off.
Edit: Quote is from David Beckham
these numbers and letters:--gbr659967--are the only identifying markson this boe..the "informant" who sent it said:.
"this letter came through the congregation inbox and so hasn't got theusual identifying information.
the name of the file is probably thebest way to identify it.
S-77 is df-ing form isn't it? Wonder what they've changed. Less information required?
i stopped attending meetings all together in january 2015. before that my attendance was irregular at best.
my husband followed suit a few months ago after months of research, agony, and indecision on his part.
from the very beginning i laid low and did not share with anyone what i found out about the witnesses because i did not want to be df'd.
Personally I converted from CofE, my parents were disappointed because they thought (rightly) that jws were a cult, but they continued to support me and my jw husband emotionally for over 20 years. My husband converted from Catholicism, again his family were confused, disappointed, but they continue to love, support and communicate with him to this day.
My parents were ranting one day about not speaking to someone who they consider apostate (this person is, but was smart enough to fade years ago). I reminded them both that, by definition, they were apostates from Catholicism, having written formal letters of disassociation. I then asked them how they would feel if both of their families had completely cut them off, refusing to even speak with them. It was comical to see them make excuse after excuse that "it was different because we have 'the Truth'".
hi, not sure if this has been covered.. http://www.abc.net.au/news/2015-11-13/peter-hollingworth-says-sorry-to-victims-child-abuse-brisbane/6939804.
i don't have much time for peter hollingworth.
he has always acted like a pompous prick when i have met him or seen him on tv however he humbled himself and made an apology for his actions and the actions of the church.. any bets on if the gb would ever do this?.
i was at a wedding the summer before i left the jws and i met an old friend.
he had been reinstated for 6 months, he was dfed for 4 years.
so it took him 3 1/2 years before they would let him back in.
As a person who is physically ill may be restricted from eating certain foods or from engaging in certain activities until his condition shows marked improvement, so a person who is spiritually weak may be relieved of certain responsibilities in the congregation until there is evidence of his regaining spiritual strength.
So apparently "certain responsibilities" includes commenting at the meeting? So let me get this straight-- Sr. Pioneer's female Bible study who openly has a live-in boyfriend, finishes her cigarette before entering the KH, and who wears pants to the meeting (horrors!) is free to comment during the meeting. Of course she does not qualify for the ministry because of her personal conduct,
BUT..........
...the baptized sister who is "on reproof" is not permitted to raise her hand and comment during the meeting due to her personal conduct, yet she is still expected to be active in the ministry.
Sure, that logic makes sense.
with the ending of large scale catering at all bethels what has happened to the farms?.
i may have missed this but cannot find any reference to them.
or are they producing delicacies for the private kitchens serving the elite?.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ay5of0nxm44.
What they forgot to include is a clip from their first "date", when Sister Chaperone is watching the whole time from the backseat.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ay5of0nxm44.
Not a JW here BUT at 150 is he and she not in a rather Professional Career environment? I so thought that this was NOT the Jehovah Witness way. The preach one thing then put something else in their video how confusing is this?
Being a nurse is okay, because that only takes 2 years of college. Becoming doctor is what would cause everyone to question her spirituality. Of course once she's actually a doctor, suddenly the WT would ask her if she'd like to donate her time to treat Bethelites for free.
His 2 waiters, His Teaching Helpers, just think, if they were all Mormons they would all be wearing the extra special protective underwear, dreaming of the time they get their own planet.
It was so strange that he felt the need to clarify that those two guys were not, in fact, "real Bethel waiters", but actually "secretaries in the Office of the Teaching Committee" (surprised he didn't announce how long each had been in full time service).
Then they just stood there at attention for an awkward long pause in their burgundy cummerbunds and bow ties like some bizarre "service a la russe" moment.
i've seen it mentioned by a few on the forum that at some point there was a realization that had they not been born a jw, they never would've converted no matter how many times the jws tried to study with them.
this was my experience too, and i'm wondering how universal it is for those that were born-in but eventually left.
i think i started having this thought (more specifically that if i were not born a jw, i would surely have become an atheist by now) in my late teens.
2nd Gen here. Me and all my siblings (and our spouses) have all openly said in the past that we'd never have become JWs on our own, and that the only reason we were today is because our parents joined. This even applies to my sibling who's been serving in a full-time assignment for decades.
Wow...strange to step back as an adult and think about that.
