Reopened Mind

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Posts by Reopened Mind

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  65

  Hi, new to this forum. Figured I'd let everyone know about my story before I got involved.

  by JonathanH in

  1. jw
  2. experiences

  if you just want the juicy details where i leave, i'll make disclaimer where it begins, if you just want to know what happened with the elders and organization after i realized it wasn't true, i'll mark that seperately.

  we didn't do jack shit in service, or in the congregation.

  maybe this was how jehovah came about?

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  Reopened Mind

  WHEW! Just read your long introduction. I prefer tea---Earl Grey, hot. Anyway welcome to the board. Keep writing my friend and keep us posted.

  Good science and religious mythology just cannot be reconciled. I too began seriously questioning the flood story, the frequency of earthquakes, WT's medical advice, and how a sudden creation just didn't jive with the fossil record. It made a lot more sense to me to listen to people who had spent the majority of their lives studying a particular subject than to people who never got beyond high school.

  Reopened Mind
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  24

  Moving 1000 miles in 28 days need suggestions

  by TotallyADD in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  as many know my wife and i will be moving and starting a new business this summer.

  in many ways it will bring freedom to us for no one knows us where we are moving.

  being a born-in i would like to ask all of you what are some great ways we can meet new people and make friendships outside the jw cult?

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  Reopened Mind

  Many years ago when TotallyADD and I were MUCH younger we moved from TN to FL, about 600 miles, with 3 kids with chicken pox and ten cats in a VW van.

  Reopened Mind
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  40

  Admitted!

  by Billy the Ex-Bethelite in

  1. jw
  2. experiences

  just wanted to drop in and share the good news that i have been accepted to "the big city university" this fall.

  sorry i haven't been around much lately, this is a busy semester as i'm just getting on with a really exciting life.. wow, has my life changed as i look back over the years!

  and jwd/jwn has been an important part of the positive direction that my life is now headed.. my previous thread and history are in the private section for members.

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  Reopened Mind

  Billy,

  That's great news! You have your whole life ahead of you. Make the best of it on your own terms.

  Oh and GOOD LUCK

  Reopened Mind
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  45

  My 16 year Old is Having Surgery Tomarrow

  by lovelylil in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  boy am i glad we are not witnesses anymore.

  my son is having two large cysts removed tomarrow, they are in sort of a delicate area.

  because of where they are located, the potential for heavy blood loss is high.

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  Reopened Mind

  Thanks for the good news.

  Reopened Mind
• 
  45

  My 16 year Old is Having Surgery Tomarrow

  by lovelylil in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  boy am i glad we are not witnesses anymore.

  my son is having two large cysts removed tomarrow, they are in sort of a delicate area.

  because of where they are located, the potential for heavy blood loss is high.

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  Reopened Mind

  Lovelylil,

  My best wishes for you and your son as he undergoes his surgery today. And yes it is good not to have the added burden of having to reject a procedure that could make a big difference in your son's recovery. And aren't you very glad that his surgeon and his medical team spent their time getting a real education instead of a WT education?

  TotallyADD and I will be awaiting your update later today.

  Reopened Mind
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  16

  out but not out

  by focariedu21 in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  from australia very difficult life in the truth always fighting for the young ones as they had it very tough in the italian cong and i being a ms was always repramanded for it.

  been in the truth for over 30 years together with my sibblings and mother.

  mum passed away last year with parkinsons desease.

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  Reopened Mind

  So sorry forcariedu21 for what you have had to go through with your JW family. WT is constantly demanding our loyalty even to the point of interfering with the care of family. Years ago the Watchtower harped on how there was no natural affection in the world any more. Yet they themselves have completely removed natural affection from the equation when it takes away from serving them. They stick their noses in family in all aspects of you life if you let them. You have commedably kept them at bay when it comes to the loving issue of caring for your aged parents. Your conscience is clear. A hearty pat on the back for doing the right and loving thing regardless of what your other JW family chose.

  My husband and I are on the other side of the world from you in the US. Still we have a very similar scenario playing out here as a result of WT policy and abuse.

  Hugs to you. There is a light at the end of the proverbial tunnel.

  Reopened Mind
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  31

  my story....

  by losecontrol in

  1. watchtower
  2. scandals

  well i am new to this, and i must admit that at first i was very opposed to this site.

  i grew up being a witness and was warned about looking into apostate things, which is exactly what this site would be that they are referring to.

  i always tried to live my life the best that i could under the societys control, and never really got to have any life experiance at all.

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  Reopened Mind

  WELCOME TO THE BOARD LOSECONTROL

  I agree with OnTheWayOut. Show your wife what you have written here. You wouldn't have come here let alone posted if you weren't serious about saving your marriage and questioning WT doctrine.

  My husband and I started tiptoeing around each other about 3 years ago with doubts we each had about JW teachings. We are currently fading together. This has been a slow process for us because we have grown children and grandchildren still in. It sounds like you and your wife are poised to leave together. Having each other's support will make the process so much easier.

  Please, please, please stay with us. You will learn so much and get a lot of support on your journey.

  The number one book you both should read is Crisis of Conscience by Ray Franz. He shows in a nonjudgmental way what the inner workings of the Governing Body is really like. Also explore freeminds.org and jwfacts.com.

  Looking forward to more of your posts.

  Reopened Mind

  ps. My husband posts here as TotallyADD
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  26

  whats everybody doing this weekend?

  by deservingone26 in

  1. social
  2. current

  whats everybody doing this weekend?

  i have no plans tryin to figure out what im gonna do tired of doing what i usually do which is go out and drink .

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  Reopened Mind

  Cleaning, sorting, packing. Hubby and I are getting ready to move at the end of this month so we can come out of the "WT closet".

  Reopened Mind
• 
  17

  Three years ago TODAY !

  by wobble in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  it's my anniversary !!!.

  i just realised that three years ago, on 25th march 2008, i walked out of the kingdom hall and thought, "i can never go back".

  it was a strange and worrying feeling that night, i knew (or thought) i was heading for being df'd, i had been in for 58 years, all my extended family were in, all my life-long friends were in, all my social circle were in, and as i walked away , i knew jw life was at an end, and i would have to start a new life from scratch... it is the most wonderful decision i have ever made in my life, second only to when i impulsively asked my girlfriend of a few months to marry me, she did, the fool, and we are still together after 40 years.. i have enjoyed immensely the feeling of relief, freedom and excitement that has been with me since i left, my journey since leaving has been a fascinating one of exploring ideas and visiting different religion's services, learning about evolution, philosophy, critical thinking, etc.etc.. three years well spent, and the rest of my life in freedom !!

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  Reopened Mind

  HAPPY ANNIVERSARY WOBBLE

  And many more.

  Reopened Mind
• 
  27

  When do you begin counting time?

  by pubtruth in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  for those who were in or still are.. when do/did you begin counting time?

  as you left for the house group, or after the meeting was over?

  did you count the car trip to and from?

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  Reopened Mind

  When I pioneered I would I would start my time by calling a RV to go over the day's text before heading out to the meeting for field service.

  When I had a study come to the meetings I would count the time from when that person arrived at the hall (if I picked her up, even better) until the time she left. Of course I would sit next to her and explain things during the meeting.

  There were trailer parks and apartment complexes in our territory where we couldn't get in to witness so we counted time driving through copying addresses. Then I counted time writing out by hand the form letters.

  I could also add another 4 hours a month studying with my unbaptised children. When we had unbaptised children with us in our car group we kept our time going from the time we formed the group until we stopped for the day.

  So many useless rules on time.

  Reopened Mind