Reopened Mind

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Posts by Reopened Mind

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  51

  Who Or What Influenced You The Most To Leave The Organization?

  by minimus in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  any person or situation ?.

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  Reopened Mind

  For me the catalyst was an article in the Gainesville Sun in January 2007 regarding Jehovah's Witnesses and their refusal of blood tranfusions featuring Kerry-Louderback Wood. Up until this time I had been a staunch supporter of the WT's stand on blood. Back in 1982 on the day my second son was born the doctor who was the head of the pediatric intensive care unit came to me to get me to OK a transfusion for my baby. He told me my son would not live the day out unless I consented to let him have blood. Then I was threatened with a court order to force blood. Well, as it turned out, my baby did not receive a blood transfusion and he lived and thrived. But when I read the newspaper article and looked up the website ajwrb.org which was cited in the article, I slowly began to see a different side to the story. From there I followed all the links and researched more topics on the Watchtower. What I found brought into focus all of the little questions I had had over the years as well as opened my eyes to scandals within the organization to which I had been blissfully unaware (UN, Malawi/Mexico, pedophilia, Ray Franz). I'm glad I reopened my mind.

  Reopened Mind
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  29

  Good News to Share...My Wife Said to me...

  by onemore in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  my wife said to me last night....im done...im not going back to a kh.

  i have to say that the wt did it all for me.

  and the program at this last circuit assembly: ...not part of the world was the final nail in the coffin.

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  Reopened Mind

  To onemore, now there are twomore, and soon to be threemore.

  Reopened Mind
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  23

  Update on my daughter Ali... finally some good news!

  by coffee_black in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  i've posted several times over the past 6 months about my daughter, ali's severe heart failure due to a virus.

  it has been a roller coaster ride.

  recently her leads from her pacemaker and defibrilator became displaced due to strong coughing due to bronchitis.

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  Reopened Mind

  We are so happy to hear that your daughter Ali has had her surgery and is doing well. Having insurance that covered the expenses and a job that was kept open for her I'm sure has relieved a lot of pressure. She is so blessed to have you for a mother. The next couple months may be a stretch for you both financially but you willl get through it. Sounds like the worst is over.

  Hubby and I have lived most of our married lives of 37 years without health insurance. We have survived despite his knee surgery last year.

  Best wishes for a continued recovery.

  Reopened Mind and TotallyADD
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  25

  Spent last few days in Hospital with our 23 yr old son

  by troubled mind in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  severe abdominal pain turned out to be pancreatitis !

  very scary .... his levels of enzymes should have been 180 ,but were 4,500 .

  all the tests xrays , ulta sound and mri showed no gallstones or blockages just one mother of an inflamned pancreas .

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  Reopened Mind

  troubled mind,

  TotallyADD and I send our best wishes to your son for a speedy recovery. It must be heartbreaking to see your child in so much pain. Perhaps the flood is the key to the correct diagnosis.

  The times TotallyADD was in the hospital his JW mother never visited him. He was very hurt by it.

  From one longtime caregiver to another, get some rest and take care of yourself. You will then be better able to take of your son.

  Reopened Mind
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  89

  Want to quit Bible study

  by confusedstudent in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  hi i was just looking for some advice.

  i have been studying with the jw's for over a year now, and attended 2 memorials and the district/assembly conventions.

  at first, and up until very recently i truly believed what i was learning was the truth.

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  Reopened Mind

  Dear Confused Student,

  You have been given much good advice on how to gracefully bow out of your study. Getting a full-time job will help.

  If you become an unbaptized publisher (hopefully you will decline) you will be told how to count your time. Believe me the sisters who study with you are turning in a report on you every month. They count the time they spend with you, they count you as a Bible study, and every time they visit you they count you as a return visit. You were probably counted as a return visit when the sister took you to the emergency room and she also likely counted that time spent with you.

  I, like DagothUr, became a Witness as a result of a Bible study. Thirty eight years later I wish I had had the courage to say "no".

  Do not worry about hurting their feelings. You need to worry about what is right for you and your family. I am sorry that you miscarried your twins. Think really hard about what raising children in a cult would be like. For starters there are no holiday celebrations, no birthdays, no Christmas, no mother's or father's days. The only thing the Witnesses "celebrate" is a death----the Memorial. You will be expected to keep busy with "theocratic activities", ie. meetings, field service, assemblies, conventions, to which you will be expected to bring your children. There are no activities designed for children.

  You did a good thing by coming here. Now listen and learn from our mistakes.

  All the best,

  Reopened Mind
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  21

  JW's attempt to sabotage a funeral was foiled (for now)

  by TastingFreedom in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  i had to share this sad experience... even if it's not in my top priority list.. my older brother from my mom's first marriage unfortunately passed away last night.

  he had been struggling with health issues, the last few years.

  this is a very sad time in the family as you can imagine, specially because my mother lost her youngest son just five years ago.

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  Reopened Mind

  Tasting Freedom,

  My deepest sympathies on the loss of your brother. Your SIL's attempt to sabotage the funeral was unbelievably crass!!! Do your best to hold your ground, knowing you are doing all you can to honor your brother.

  (((((HUGS)))))

  Reopened Mind
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  77

  How HIGH did you climb the ranks as a JW? Did you like the STATUS?

  by unshackled in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  so what were your biggest jw accomplishments as a rank & file?

  curious as to what level you climbed the r&f ladder while in the org, or if you still are in.. did you regular pioneer, or auxiliary pioneer?

  bethel?

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  Reopened Mind

  Unshackled:

  Reopened Mind: Well that's cool...didn't know you and TotallyADD were married. Funny being "first lady of the congregation"....I observed that mentality in a few congregations. Being the PO wife seemed to include being the leader for other sisters. How did that title make you feel? Did you like it?

  As I said I was simply amused by the comment. I never considered that I had a position by reason of being anyone's wife. I always thought a position should be earned. Actually I was a little uncomfortable and I never referred to myself as such. I was just Sister Reopened Mind.

  Reopened Mind
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  39

  Your Age at Baptism (into JWs, not Catholics or Baptists - duh)

  by undercover in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  leavingwt mentioned on another thread the age of his wife when she was baptized.

  she was a child.

  how can you expect a child to make such a decision?.

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  Reopened Mind

  I was a teenage Bible study too. I was baptised at 20 after I left home because my parents didn't approve of my becoming a Witness. I married at 21.

  I don't care what age one was when one was baptised. Nobody is told fully what he/she is signing on for or that "current truth" will become "past truth" to be replaced with "new light". Makes my head spin just thinking about it.

  Reopened Mind
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  77

  How HIGH did you climb the ranks as a JW? Did you like the STATUS?

  by unshackled in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  so what were your biggest jw accomplishments as a rank & file?

  curious as to what level you climbed the r&f ladder while in the org, or if you still are in.. did you regular pioneer, or auxiliary pioneer?

  bethel?

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  Reopened Mind

  Another female here. I was the wife of an MS and an elder (TotallyADD). I auxiliary pioneered for 2 years, then regular pioneered for 2 years. I was amused when a friend called me the "first lady of the congregation" because my husband was the PO. I was interviewed on a CA and did a demonstration on a DC. TotallyADD forgot to mention that he worked in the baptismal department for CAs where I assisted in the sisters dressing room.

  Reopened Mind
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  42

  BIG-JW Sues over Blood demand

  by Refriedtruth in

  1. watchtower
  2. medical

  jehovah's witness battles in kansas court for bloodless transplant .... kansas city star - brad cooper-1 hour ago.

  but she also would have to compromise her jehovah's witness principles, because she would receive a blood transfusion, something she believes violates god's ...transplant case pits religion, medicaid rules -kansas.com.

  get in and comment expose deadly watchtower dogma shows how unpractical bloodless elective surgeries can be wants $250.000 k for operation.

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  Reopened Mind

  The problem could be solved quite easily if and this is a big IF the Watchtower Society or at least her circuit or district would pay for her bloodless surgery. It would be the loving thing to do.

  Reopened Mind