Reopened Mind

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Posts by Reopened Mind

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  85

  Most Awkward, Embarrassing, Comical things you Experienced as a Witness ?

  by flipper in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  many of us i'm sure experienced embarrassing or comical moments as a witness.

  some things we'd rather just forget , i'm sure, but some things helped us think on our feet, quickly in helping others .

  here are a few of mine.

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  Reopened Mind

  Love this thread! Just found it as a link from freeminds2. I was 20 something at the time. I had told an older German brother about my cats. Well, when I entered the KH one Sunday morning he greeted me and asked rather loudly, "How's your little pussy?" Another time I was at the door with a sister who was a little off, to put it mildly. She was presenting the Awake! that featured the subject of suicide. She told the householder she had contemplated suicide but this magazine changed her mind. At the service meeting one night the brother giving the part got no response to the questions at the end of the article. He proceeded to chastise the congregation for not studying. That is until one brother raised his hand and told him he did next week's lesson. Reopened Mind
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  20

  How did you spend your Saturdays?

  by MissConfused in

  1. social
  2. entertainment

  it's been 3 weeks and every weekend is so much fun, spending quality time with real friends who dont pretend... last week was bbq, this sat was potluck, next one is long weekend away from home... all in all love my life again.... how was your saturday?

  :).

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  Reopened Mind

  Saturday morning TotallyADD and I manned a booth at the local farmers' market for Penn State Master Gardeners. Grabbed some lunch then over to a friend's apartment to help her move out.

  This morning back to her apartment to finish up and clean up. Then home to can tomato sauce, freeze some green beans, and dry some dill from our garden.

  Much more productive, not to mention enjoyable, than knocking on strangers' doors to recruit for a publishing corporation.

  Reopened Mind
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  14

  Personality Disorders Attracted to JWism

  by skeeter1 in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  are there personality disorders that find the watchtower an appealing fit?

  i have read it before that people with personality issues are attracted to extreme religions, and that extreme religions can make a "normal" person mentallly ill. .

  to start off with, i was reading about obsessive-compulsive disorders and this "profile" seemed like the "normal" jws i know:.

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  Reopened Mind

  Good summation Julia.

  Reopened Mind
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  23

  Incest

  by LoisLane looking for Superman in

  1. watchtower
  2. child-abuse

  as a born in, one of my earliest thoughts has always been jehovah has an angel that writes down everything in a big book, all the good things that happen to me/others and everything bad that happens to me/others.

  i faithfully and honestly believed that.. in march of this year i read c of c. by 5 am the next morning i was out.

  24 hours before, a true, steadfast believer.

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  Reopened Mind

  Lois,

  As a convert in my late teens I often made the statement that I wished I had been raised a JW. Later when I would say this to my husband TotallyADD who was a born-in he would give me the strangest look. As the years went on and he would tell me what went on in his household growing up. I still thought that was just how he was raised. Surely not all were like that! We raised our 2 boys in the cult, not realizing the damage we were doing to them even though we raised them differently than my husband had been raised.

  My eyes have truly been opened since I have been reading experiences of those raised in on this board. Truly, truly, you have all been through more than I could have imagined. Now I am grateful for my nonJW upbringing. I was not molested as a child. I had birthdays, Christmas, with extended family.

  My sincere empathies go out to you Lois and all others who were forced to grow up in this destructive cult. I do not know what to say.

  Like you I woke up rather quickly after reading an article in our local newspaper on blood and Jehovah's Witnesses and visiting a referenced website. (I read CoC later.) Trouble was TotallyADD was the PO at the time. Well, he had been to Bethel doing temp work and came back with a lot of questions. We carefully danced around each other for a while. It wasn't long after that that we planned our exit.

  Reopened Mind
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  25

  So very confused and scared!

  by MissConfused in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  i am so nervous and waited for long to speak to someone on my faiths and beliefs!

  i am from a non-christian background, a hindu.

  i got to know 'the truth' (or myth) from my hubby while we were working.

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  Reopened Mind

  MissConfused,

  You are discovering that the "truth" taught by the Watchtower is not the truth at all but a cleverly packaged bundle of lies. Their "truth" makes you a slave of the organization, it has nothing to do with freedom. Freedom of mind comes from exploring different ways of thinking and getting a well-rounded education. There is no free will as a Jehovah's Witness, only following the will of the vacillating governing body.

  You are right. Love from the Witnesses is absolutely conditional. As soon as they get a whiff that you are having doubts they will kick you to the curb. I hope you have kept a relationship with your family and have made friends with non JWs, those who will not judge you on what you believe or don't believe. Keep posting and reading here. There are a few converts like myself who were recruited, but unlike you I was in for 38 years and raised a family in the organization before waking up.

  If you haven't already please check out jwfacts.com.

  Best wishes to you and welcome to the forum.

  Reopened Mind
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  34

  Who Taught You The Truth(tm) OR Who Counted Time, On You?

  by LoisLane looking for Superman in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  my mom's lover would bring his handsome youngest son, to our house, and along with my dad, would study with my brother, sister and i. wed 7 pm.. next an elder's wife, who was a regular pioneer and worked part-time, who had a daughter my age, came to our house, after school wed. ruth was the head of the house and wore the pants.

  her husband was part of the 3 men who sat on all judicial committees in our congo and would tell ruth everything, which in turn ruth would tell the sister's.

  ruth was very pious but at the age of 15 gave birth to her only child, and beat on her daughter all the time, never letting her forget what "trouble" her only daughter caused her.

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  Reopened Mind

  When I was about 14/15 two JW girls in my school started a study with me in the "Truth" book. My parents didn't like me studying with the girls so we studied on our lunch break at school, at their houses, at the park, at the mall, or wherever we could meet during the summer. When I was old enough to have my own car I would go to one of their houses before school for a study. While they pressured me to get baptised when I finished the "Truth" book I resisted as I didn't see how I could dedicate my life to Jehovah while living at home with parents who opposed. I continued to study with the two original girls and another sister for five more years before moving out on my own at 20 and getting baptised.

  Every August I was trotted out as the example of one who came into the "truth" from someone witnessing at school.

  Reopened Mind
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  11

  I had a dream.

  by TotallyADD in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  as many know reopened mind and i have had a very angry letter sent to us by our oldest son.

  cult.

  cult.

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  Reopened Mind

  My dear husband while I haven't dreamt that our son will return to us I have kept it in my thoughts every day.

  May your dream and my thoughts come true!! For now we have each other and for that I am thankful.

  Love,

  Your wife, Reopened Mind
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  24

  My First Birthday!!!!!

  by Gojira_101 in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  my birthday isn't until the end of july but yesterday i got my first birthday gift in the mail.

  my best friend (stubborn disbeliever) sent me my gift early.

  i know what it is, but seeing it all wrapped up and knowing on my birthday i can open it...it really struck a cord with me.

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  Reopened Mind

  gojira_101,

  HAPPY FIRST BIRTHDAY!!!

  Like freeinmichigan said, "Life is precious we chould celebrate it!" Now you can. You are free at last.

  Reopened Mind
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  14

  Today is our 22nd anniversary!!!

  by jeremiah18:5-10 in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  i just wanted to take a moment to acknowledge today as my 22nd wedding anniversary.

  fortunately its the 5th one for my wife and i outside of the borg.

  i've been working out of town, my job has moved me to tulsa, family soon to follow, but get to spend a happy day with my wife (enlightened ephesian) today.

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  Reopened Mind

  HAPPY ANNIVERSARY to you and your wife.

  Reopened Mind
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  19

  Gorby's wife hospitalized, received surgery

  by Gorbatchov in

  1. jw
  2. experiences

  this week my wife was hospitalized and received surgery.

  we are happy she is allright now.

  thank god!.

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  Reopened Mind

  gorby,

  May your wife make a speedy recovery.

  Isn't freedom of choice wonderful?

  Reopened Mind