ReallyTrulyAthena

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Posts by ReallyTrulyAthena

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  73

  C.O. Jonsson's response to Watchtower's latest 607 articles

  by wannabefree in

  1. watchtower
  2. bible

  http://kristenfrihet.se/vtsvar/vtsvar1.pdf.

  (thanks to augustin for bringing this to our attention in another thread.

  ).

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  ReallyTrulyAthena

  Marking.
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  105

  I've lurked a long time: JW's produce some of the most paranoid humans

  by Unlearn in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  i'll keep this brief for now.. long time lurker (4 years or so).. born-in, elder, used on district level (last talk i gave before i left was the baptisimal talk), and lots of hard time put in...before i finally made the move to split.

  it's a long stoy, much like many of yours...but with it's own little interesting twists.

  more details in the future, perhaps.. as i said, ive lurked here for a while.. its funny: for a long time i'd only come on late at night.

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  ReallyTrulyAthena

  Welcome, Unlearn! First of all, don't be sorry. Not one bit. Share away! I look forward to future posts from you.

  Nice to meet you all. Thanks to many of you for circling around my flickering flame and protecting it for years...even when you didn't know I was there.
  You didn't even know you were aiding-&-abetting in the act of saving what was left of my life.

  Nice to meet you, too. Like many other long-time lurkers who finally joined and started to post here at the wonderfully wild & woolly JWN, I too felt a sense of gratitude towards those here who "aided & abetted in the act of saving my life". I've learned a LOT here and what is "the truth about the Truth". It truly is a place of gathering, of like and dislike, of here and there -- and yet, it all is all good.

  ...the layers keep coming off. I expect they will forever. When you're long-time born-in...it's a process that I believe never ends.

  Born-in here. It's a continuing process for me, too. DF'd for 20 years to boot. Just when I think I've peeled away all the layers, when I'm finally "done"...I find more layers below. But I keep plugging away. To share one of my favorite quotes: "Courage doesn't always roar. Sometimes courage is the voice at the end of the day saying, 'I will try again tomorrow.' "

  Love & friendship to you

  ~ RTA
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  40

  Any Runners Here?

  by zoiks in

  1. social
  2. physical

  anyone else like to run?

  i started running regularly in the past year or so and am becoming addicted.

  participated in my first 5k earlier this summer, a large even with about 2,500+ runners.

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  ReallyTrulyAthena

  Hi zoiks - CONGRATS on running another 5K today!!! Awesome

  I started a running program over the past year via a podcast called "Couch to 5K" by Robert Ullrey. It's a 9-week program that's designed to get a person off their lazy duff, that would be ME...uh, get a person motivated and trained to do a 5K! Yeah, that's it. At any rate, this podcast turned thissa-here non-runner into someone who enjoys the sport now......AND I just ran my first "official" 5K today in Denver's Race for the Cure! It was such an inspirational thing to do, good feelings all around, and I'm looking forward to my next event.

  So yeah....I'm sorta kinda hooked on running now. Talk about getting your ya-ya's out

  ~ RTA
• 
  49

  told my parents to never ever tell me they love me again....

  by oompa in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  ...i told them in a very serious sitdown in their living room....said..."because if you cant show it then it does not count...that is not real love no matter who tells you it is....because it is how it makes me feel that determines if it is love....not if you just say it...and me and my sons do not feel that love at all now"....and i stayed calm and talked slowly and barely shed a tear as i held them back...and i had asked them to not say a word but just listen...dad said they would as long as it was not about religion as i knew he would.

  this was two of the worst days of my life in a row..i told them the pain me and my boys feel from their shunning is worse than if they had died...that then i could grieve naturally and move on because that is normal....grief helps you cope...my grief is different because they choose to act like i am dead and normal grief does not seem to work on that.

  i shared an epiphany with them i had about mens rules vs gods great idea of dna (but no i am not sure about a god anymore)it went kinda like this:.

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  ReallyTrulyAthena

  (((oompa))) This was a very brave, courageous thing for you to do. You have our support, many listening ears and shoulders to lean on. My heart goes out to you & your boys.

  Like Morbidzbaby, this was difficult to read. Truly poignant; like a voice crying out in the darkness - it went straight to the heart. I wanted to reach out to you and give you a big hug. There was a lump in my throat and a flush of anxiety went through me reading your post, especially this:

  ... their shunning is worse than if they had died...that then i could grieve naturally and move on because that is normal....grief helps you cope...my grief is different because they CHOOSE to act like i am dead and normal grief does not seem to work on that

  Over a year ago - I sent a letter to my father to firmly yet respectfully ask him (all trying to show the utmost care and love) to stop going after me about rejoining the JWs. To stop blaming me for our dysfunctional family and that if only I'd come back, we could have a "normal" relationship. I was tired of the burden placed on my shoulders for the tragedy that is our family. A part of the letter dealt with the fact that HE was the one who CHOSE to treat me as if I were dead. As if I were the lowest, vilest thing on this earth, not worthy of even god's love. I told him I would love to have a real relationship with him: the man, the father...if he were to only want and CHOSE to have a real relationship with me: his blood, his daughter. I ended the letter with the message that I would always love him, no matter what...and unconditionally.

  Since then, I've rec'd no response from him. Some days, I'm OK. Others - I cope. And then even others...I die inside. But I had to stand up for myself and speak MY truth, come what may.

  As painful as this was/is - you stood up for your truth. Even if they don't choose to change their behaviors after your talk with them, you took what wasn't yours to carry anymore and said you just wouldn't and couldn't do this. To take a stand, draw a healthy boundary and also put down a burden in this life = courage.

  I have to share that recently a friend of mine (never a JW) remarked, "I'm sorry to say this, but it's almost as if you will have a sense of release and closure, when your father passes on." You know what...for as heartless as this might sound - she's probably right. Like you said, oompa - at least then I could grieve and cope properly. I could finally and truly let go...and move on.

  Peace, love and strength to you.

  ~ RTA

  PS - I'm so sorry to hear about their not visiting nor reaching out to you after your surgery. Their ill treatment/shunning, under the guise of 'tough love', makes a person's heart hurt.
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  15

  I've Run Out of Stuff

  by Farkel in

  1. watchtower
  2. beliefs

  i have no more steam, and no more passion.. i've run out of stuff to write about.

  what is left to write about a religion that is so fucked up that everyting is already written about how fucked up they are?.

  i don't think anyone can trump my article about berta and bonnie.

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  ReallyTrulyAthena

  Farkel - I lurrrrrrrked for a very long time and just signed on this board (all 'ficial-like n' stuff) last year. I've read posts of yours over the years and by gawd, you are scary smart and witty. Yes! - Berta & Bonnie was especially well-written. And, er....eye-opening. I think I popped a bowl of popcorn to accompany my reading of that particular post! Dang, but The Judge was somethin' else!

  Well, maybe no-one will trump that article - except you. I hope that someone of your writing caliber will keep on a-scribblin'.............pretty please with a cherry on top?

  But instead of posting the link to B&B, I'm going to be a slightly contrary ex-JW and post another piece you penned that I also loved - and LAUGHED....

  http://corior.blogspot.com/2006/02/history-of-everything-stuff.html

  http://www.jehovahs-witness.net/social/humour/77330/1/The-History-of-Everything-and-Stuff

  ~ RTA (of the (a) I Couldn't Wait for Thursday Night's TMS to End So I Could Go Afterwards to Perkin's Restaurant Class, and (b) The Admiring of Farkel's Style Class)

  PS - OK, I'm slightly in fear of you. Here's the link to the Bertha and Bonnie post: http://www.jehovahs-witness.net/watchtower/scandals/77915/1/Rutherford-Exposed-The-Story-of-Berta-and-Bonnie To those of y'all who haven't read this...please do!
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  38

  So then, which publication did you HATE by the society?

  by TimothyT in

  1. watchtower
  2. beliefs

  i gather from my other thread that many liked the creation books, the mankind search for god book, the greatest man book and the ministry school book.. but which book did you absolutely detest?.

  here is mine:.

  i thought it was a vile, hate filled book!.

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  ReallyTrulyAthena

  TimothyT - I detested:

  

  Ugh, ugh, ugh. We kids were terrorized by our father making us study this book on Wednesday nights. ACK - the memories of that...I think I shall require a drink now.

  ~ RTA
• 
  69

  More apostate hating from the Watchtower

  by Igot2bme in

  1. watchtower
  2. beliefs

  i ran across this post on fb-.

  the november 15, 2011 study version of the watchtower, has this to say in an article praising jehu's actions against the family of ahab.

  "the prophet elisha sent one of the sons of the prophets to anoint jehu as king and to instruct him to kill every male of the apostate house of ahab.2 ki.

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  ReallyTrulyAthena

  Chemical Emotions -

  Omg.

  It's like they're reverting back to their 50's articles. So much hate.

  I was reminded of the same thing.

  Watchtower 1952 November 15 p.703 "Being limited by the laws of the worldly nation in which we live and also by the laws of God through Jesus Christ, we can take action against apostates only to a certain extent, that is, consistent with both sets of laws. The law of the land and God's law through Christ forbid us to kill apostates, even though they be members of our own flesh-and-blood family relationship. However, God's law requires us to recognize their being disfellowshiped from his congregation, and this despite the fact that the law of the land in which we live requires us under some natural obligation to live with and have dealings with such apostates under the same roof. ? Satan's influence through the disfellowshiped member of the family will be to cause the other member or members of the family who are in the truth to join the disfellowshiped member in his course or in his position toward God's organization. To do this would be disastrous, and so the faithful family member must recognize and conform to the disfellowship order. How would or could this be done while living under the same roof or in personal, physical contact daily with the disfellowshiped? In this way: By refusing to have religious relationship with the disfellowshiped."

  Despicable.

  ~ RTA

  Edit: sorry for the funky formatting. Long day.
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  51

  What Do You Like For A Drink?

  by minimus in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  i'm usually a cognac drinker.

  i love armagnac too.

  and i enjoy a martini i invented---mandarin vodka with a slight bit, usually about a capful of chambord served in an ice cold martini glass.. this saturday i'm mixing with my gf's friends and family in conn. with some affluent people and i might want to try something different.

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  ReallyTrulyAthena

  I like a nice vodka (Svedka, preferably) and tonic with a splash of OJ.

  In fact, I like it so much I'm having one right now. Thank gawd the work day is OV-AH!
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  87

  All of you should start a splinter JW group..

  by fortbethel in

  1. social
  2. humour

  forgive me if this comes off as harsh,.

  i've read & read many posts here mostly very negative.

  alot of you have family that have shunned & continue to shun.

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  ReallyTrulyAthena

  Who says that just because I'm out of one religion means that I have to go form another? Religion isn't the answer...it's the problem.

  Start a reformed movement that holds on to say 1/2 of these beliefs you once believed in as a stepping stone down for your family members that won't have anything to do with you.

  1. As a born-in, I didn't believe much of what was forced on me by the JWs anyhow (and knew that from a very young age).

  2. Stepping stone down, my tuckus. I've stepped UP.

  3. As to the last part of your sentence re: family: why the flip would I want to do that, just so they will have something to do with me? I'm done with conditional love and acceptance. So much for their so-called Christian love. It's everything but.

  ~ RTA
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  5

  22 Minutes Left! LivingSocial Deal: Half Off At Whole Foods Market

  by Justitia Themis in

  1. jw
  2. friends

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  http://livingsocial.com/deals/123805?ref=addthis-share2-26768359&rpi=26768359.

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  ReallyTrulyAthena

  This is a nice little deal (gotta love Whole Paycheck)...thanks Justitia! I just purchased one as well :)