When I was a JW I always felt I was playing on a losing team. It was more embarassing then spiritual..... especially going out in service. When a 'new' person came to the Hall I'd listen to the talks or WT study as if I was that new person and feel humiliated that I was a witness who went along to get along. Got out at 23.
Giordano
JoinedPosts by Giordano
-
44
Being A Jehovah's Witness is Simply A Waste Of Time!!!
by minimus ini hope that if any witness sees this thread, they understand that being a witness = being a time waster.. please understand this.
if you don't believe me, i'm sure others here will agree.. if you can salvage any of your time that is left, do it!
get out of this false religion.
-
-
-
75
Elder body removed Watchtower letter
by Marvin Shilmer inelder body removed watchtower letter.
an elder body was removed last year in california.
most folks have never seen a watchtower letter breaking this news.
-
-
Giordano
Well if they've got a good case some attorney will take it on. At least lets hope. But if they win this will be a big problem for the WT especially if they move to DF them. You know they sound like decent guys who pushed back at the CO. I hope their congo is backing them up ......but there's a reason we were called sheep.
-
75
Elder body removed Watchtower letter
by Marvin Shilmer inelder body removed watchtower letter.
an elder body was removed last year in california.
most folks have never seen a watchtower letter breaking this news.
-
-
Giordano
Mad from what I am reading, thanks to you and others who have explained the issues involved, the case will not be about freedom of religion but about California corporate law. The only standing anyone has are those named on the corporate papers that are on file. If they win the WTBTS will have to reinstate them since the court will have found that they acted honestly and in the best interests of their congregation. If they win and the WTBTS has them DFd then the next case may be about civil rights or the Whistelblowers law or about intimidation. The WTBTS has provided enought rope to hang themselves.
If they have a legal fund I would be happy to contribute to it.
-
42
Was there anything different about you that helped you escape the WT?
by Giordano infor me i know it was because i was a reader.. i began reading books at the age of 13, this was in the 1950's.
because there were some serious family problems i had two escapes i could count on reading and associating with my friends at the kingdom hall.. as i devoured steinbeck, hemingway, wolf etc.
my world view expanded....it had to.
-
-
Giordano
Listening as a 'worldly' person made me feel I was on a really lame losing team.
-
42
Was there anything different about you that helped you escape the WT?
by Giordano infor me i know it was because i was a reader.. i began reading books at the age of 13, this was in the 1950's.
because there were some serious family problems i had two escapes i could count on reading and associating with my friends at the kingdom hall.. as i devoured steinbeck, hemingway, wolf etc.
my world view expanded....it had to.
-
-
Giordano
Very interesting response's. S ome common threads have emerged that I hope can be put to good use by those who are attempting to free their loved ones who are still in. The fact that a number of us were readers didn't surprise me but what I hadn't realized was how powerful the habit of reading could be in opening up one's mind and one's world view. Reading is such a personal experience that apparently it can provide a counter balance to the incessant JW propaganda. Being an independent person came up as well. This prized quality is extremely difficult to nurture in the JW world where conformity is prized. Others mentioned being highly intuitive. When first exposed to the blood issue and Armageddon I was not able to rationalize those positions or the consequences they would cause. Not because I studied Greek or read the opinions of bible scholars but because it just didn't 'feel' right. Most of the Bible doesn't feel right .......like we are not getting the entire story....there seems to be too many ancient agendas getting in the way of simple thoughts. How women are treated by the society is another thread. Those understanding and respecting the important accomplishments that women have made in the past 150 years or so are at odds with J.W women having to turn back the clock to the male dominated social and organizational systems of the 19 century. When many witnesses have had enough the fade begins.
-
42
Was there anything different about you that helped you escape the WT?
by Giordano infor me i know it was because i was a reader.. i began reading books at the age of 13, this was in the 1950's.
because there were some serious family problems i had two escapes i could count on reading and associating with my friends at the kingdom hall.. as i devoured steinbeck, hemingway, wolf etc.
my world view expanded....it had to.
-
-
Giordano
Believe it or not this was composed with paragraphs, I have no idea why it condensed.....sorry about that.
-
42
Was there anything different about you that helped you escape the WT?
by Giordano infor me i know it was because i was a reader.. i began reading books at the age of 13, this was in the 1950's.
because there were some serious family problems i had two escapes i could count on reading and associating with my friends at the kingdom hall.. as i devoured steinbeck, hemingway, wolf etc.
my world view expanded....it had to.
-
-
Giordano
For me I know it was because I was a reader.
I began reading books at the age of 13, this was in the 1950's. Because there were some serious family problems I had two escapes I could count on reading and associating with my friends at the Kingdom Hall.
As I devoured Steinbeck, Hemingway, Wolf etc. My world view expanded....it had to. At the same time I realized that many of my friends young and old in the congregation never spoke of books or ideas. In most of our gatherings we spoke about other people. Apparently a steady diet of WT writing and meetings dulled the palette and discouraged curiosity. My first doubts about the WTBTS began to surface. I guess the brothers were right when they tried to discourage me from reading.
As my childhood years went by I continued to read and question but this was pre internet and pre Franz. I was no scholar and was loath to go to the library and read about other religions or compare scriptures. I already felt overwhelmed by my theocratic activities and underwhelmed by the witness life style. Then A friend loaned me a copy of Eric Hoffer's The True Believer and it was the life line I was looking for. Oddly enough it never mentioned the JW'S it didn't have to. It presented disturbing insights into other controlling groups and the reasons for the mindset of the organization and it's devoted followers. Finally I could put words to what had been observations and feelings.
Later the Rise and Fall of the Third Reich convinced me that god didn't care. It didn't matter if they were Jews, JW's or Gypsies god didn't care, or if he did, he couldn't or wouldn't do anything about human suffering.
One final book finished off my childhood belief system, James Michener's The Source which is a historical novel of the history of the Jewish people told through an archeological dig. It was an excellent read, very enjoyable as well as informative but two things really struck home. He was very critical of a religion (nameless) that tried to pass off Jehovah as god's name, a position I agreed with as I had always been embarrassed by it's miss use and thought it as ill conceived as inserting science into the name of the 19th century Christian Scientists. Why go out of ones way to play the fool?
The second thing that struck home was just how far back the history of the Jewish people went and how long they have persevered to protect their beliefs. After reading that book I concluded that the JW's were a poor version of god's people, childish in comparison, too silly to be taken seriously.
I was out at 23. Decades later I still read daily.
-
160
I'm new here..... Studying with the Witnesses
by PenelopePaige inhi- i just wanted to say that i have been checking the website out for a few weeks and have read some horror stories and some sad ones.
but i have been studying with witnessess for about six months and can't help but feel that they're completely sincere and maybe even, the true religion.
i love the watchtower and awake and to me, none of that seems crazy.
-
-
Giordano
Some other things to consider: http://ed5015.tripod.com/JwPewSurvey121.htm
The Pew Survey
of
Religion and Public Life and Jehovah's Witnesses
The Pew survey of Religion and Life association researches the intersection of Religion and public life to better understand the role of religion as a whole in public life in America today. The 2008 survey reveals a great deal of information about religion in society as well as about the Jehovah's Witnesses (JW) religion.
One major finding was that Jehovah’s Witnesses “had the lowest retention rate of any religious tradition” – only 37 percent of those who were reared Jehovah’s Witnesses still identified themselves as Witnesses as adults (2008, p. 26)."
" The Witnesses had one of the lowest levels of education of all the religions surveyed."
"About half (42 percent) of the Jehovah's Witnesses had incomes below 30,000 and only nine percent had incomes above 100,000 dollars. Only those involved in historically black churches had incomes below the Witnesses (p. 60). "
" More females identified themselves with some theistic religious tradition than males for most all religious traditions, including the Witnesses. Of the Witnesses, the divide was greater than for most all religions, namely only 40 percent of all Witnesses were males, and 60 percent were females."
Pentelope trust your husband on this one.
-
28
The magazines didn't used to be so dumb and boring
by Lore inhere's an excerpt from this weeks watchtower study in 1950: .
*** w50 6/15 p. 180 a victory dedicated to jehovahs honor ***.
the strategy, and the attack.
-
-
Giordano
I remember the 1960's pretty well and they were dumb and Fred Franz was the village idiot.
-
16
Running into a brick wall- conversations without logic
by Joey Jo-Jo ini had this experience with a family member, lets say you say something against the witnesses doctronic and they dont say anything back, you ask them why are you not replying and they say "well you dont believe in us anymore".. what should i say back, something that wont offend them but goes straight to the point, you see they dont want to use their brains, they just want to listen at their halls about the end and apostates and how special they are and how false the rest of the world is and how they are the only true religion that follow the commandment to preach.
but it does not matter what i say, doesn't matter how big it is it seems to have the reverse effect, it was alot easier before but now a conversation comes which they dont like they shun my conversation, yet they show me love, they dont touch whats the big issue, the big problem which is communication, and they maybe expected me to wake up, go back to the hall like nothing ever happen, like preaching is only for people who like what they hear.
im babling on but you get the idea.. .
-
-
Giordano
The frustration you experience is common ......... JW's don't value people who are not practicing witness's in good standing. You can't be a 'bystander witness', someone who stands around and doesn't get involved. No matter how decent a person you are or how successful or how many good deeds you do your achievements will not bridge that feeling of being dismissed by them. At the extreme end there is shunning but even without that you can sense that the relationship has changed and what you have to say about anything is of small interest to them. Books, movies, politics, science, religion your opinions are not going to matter, because you stopped being a witness.
At the heart of my arguments, which were meaningless to them, was my desire to get them to see me as a person who had value. That I could think for myself and that our disagreement should not change how we felt about one another. After some forty years my parents and sibling have passed away.
I have had a good life and have a great family and wonderful friends but there's a dead space in my heart when I think of my parents and sister. All of the missed opportunites to share our lives, joyful visits etc.