google_ad_section_start hi everyone, i am just new to this site and thanks for a very dear friend that has encouraged me to post my story and would love to hear feedback from all you out there xx.
this is my story.
we were introduced to the religion in 1982, not soon after we were unbaptized publishers (a bit to soon for me even at that age) i really didnt miss the celebrations as much as were werent that well off and my parents worked 6 days a week to pay the bills.
Such a heart wrenching story, i am so sorry that this happened to you.
Elders need to show a little more humility i just don't understand why they can't utter the word sorry?
The meek will inherit God's kingdom (meek meaning = showing patience and humility)
humans are unique.
each one is unique in his/her own regard.
like your thumbprint, your life is unlike any life in existence.. .
Job's Sons Celebrated Birthdays
Job was a blameless and upright man (see Job 1:1) and, therefore, raised his children properly. and the evidence indicates that his sons - and most probably Job, as well - celebrated birthdays.
And his sons went and rested in their houses, everyone his day; and sent and called for their three sisters to eat and drink with them. (Job 1:4, KJV)
Strong's Exhaustive Concordance of the Bible indicates that the word interpreted as "day" (yowm) in this scripture can be used figuratively as a space of time and can be rendered, with other Hebrew words (such as "his") to mean birthday. The Revised Standard Version is a better translation of this verse:
His sons used to go and hold a feast in the house of each on his day; and they would send and invite their three sisters to eat and drink with them.
But, The Living Bible probably gets to the meaning, of what is meant, best of all:
Every year when each of Job's sons had a birthday, he invited his brothers and sisters to his house for a celebration. On these occasions they would eat and drink with great merriment.
I have never agreed with the Watchtower stand on this passage from Job, eventhough they admit they dont know 100% they say it indicates them celebrating each their harvest day. Yeah right!!
This scripture indicates that birthdays was celebrated.
If you want to go on the root of paganism, well let me name a few things that are pagan that JW's seem to accept:
The days of the week are named by pagan gods,
Rings are pagan,
A wedding veil was worn by pagans to warn of wicked spirtis in a marriage,
Wearing a white wedding dress has pagan roots,
I have alist that goes on and on.
Anniversary has the same concept as birthdays it is an annual celebration, it is the same thing!!
this article is quite ridiculous.
please prepare yourself.
my heart goes out to those of you who are being shunned right now, i hope one day your family are free and that you can spend quality time with them.. .
I am disgusted by this practice, even listening to this all my life on why we "do it" thank God i never believed in it. Compassion always over came me.
A Uncle of mine was disfellowshipped when i was little, and eventhough i was given the spill to not talk to him i always disobeyed, even at a young age i knew it was wrong.
I am actually very open on this subject and most witnesses (mostly of the younger generation) agree.
A few years ago my husband and I went out for a night, we were enjoying a drink and listening to music when a ex sister walked in ( we grew up together in the same cong) i immediately went over to her and gave her a big hug, when she whispered in my ear that she was disfellowshipped, and i replied and "so what", i then said for her to come and sit with us, we talked and enjoyed each others company, religion wasn't mentioned it was really lovely. I did not care if i was going to be pulled up by the elders, my come back on this matter is that we are taught to do what Jesus would, and in my opinion i just can not see Jesus agree to shunning, i think its wrong and disgusting behaviour.
I call this behaviour: Bullying
We have laws against bullying in the work place and schools why not in religion?????
Shame on parents who do not talk to their own kids!! Shame on kids who do not talk to their own parents!! Shame on siblings who do not talk to each other.
if a child of mine came to me and said mum i am gay, of course i wont be happy about it just like any other sin, but i will never ever shun them my kids are always my kids and i am always their mother, no religion, no person will ever disrupt my relationship with them, in the end thats Gods doing and his judgement, whatever he says and rules then i will accept it, but never from another imperfect human.
well my mom and i got into a pretty bad argument today over the phone.
it basically came down to the fact that she couldn't handle what i was saying about the organization, etc and all she could come back to me was that i "hated her?
" i guess i just wanted to share and vent a little too....thanks for letting me do so.. .
meangirl thank you for posting your story, this kinda hit home.
I think we are starting to see a mass backlash from our generation who had parents who got the truth, and for some reason became fanatical, and pushed their fanatasism on to their kids, and as kids we had no choice, kids naturally want the love of their parents, we want them to be proud of us, in a JW family that means getting baptised and becoming a pioneer, we did these things for parental approval, and no matter what any prim and propper witness says they know deep down what i am saying is very true.
Parents are meant to have unconditional love, but i just don't see that in the JW's, it seems the more spiritual you are the more love they have for you.
much love to you
it's been a while since the society has been specific about what kind of music to avoid hasn't it?.
the last i remember was when the said to stay away from rap and heavy metal.
that was a while ago.
Michael Jackson had to be turned off everytime his music was on the radio
The Macarena was banned apparently the dance had origins to pagan worshipping
At one assembly they made a strong point to parents to go through their kids stash of cd's, then they did the stupid spill about children obeying their parents, well my parents did as they were told, and actually went through my personal stash of cd's, not impressed as i was at the age of 20!! they went and discarded 80% of my cd's whilst i was at work, i then came home to a stern lecture and a massive fight, as i had bought those cd's.
In my stash was TLC's crazy sexy cool, they got rid of that cause it had the word sexy on the title
The governing body also seem to define loud music as being unchiristian too!!
If you go to a nightclub, then you have invited Satan into your life cause discos and night clubs is basically an evil invention, ya know if you do go there then you will surely have sex
Another goodie was they used to have Talks about young ones and parties and a responsible youngster would go to the inviter and ask them what songs will be played, he was to get a list of music and discuss and research them with his parents, then he would decide whether to attend or not attend.
my bf is one of jw mainly to please his parents, since he doesn't believe half the stuff they preach.
now i'v been going to the meetings for over 2 years partly because is pretty much the only way i'd get his parents approval.
i am in the process of studying the bible to become baptized.
A big mistake if you do. If you get baptised and already have disagreements with the teachings, you will only resist for a short time by keeping your mouth shut, then you wil expolde like an atomic bomb, even looking at so called apostate sites such as this one can warrant a disfellowshipping, any disagreement even mentioned casually will alert to many Jw's that you have apostasy tendencies, you are not allowed to free think, you have to agree with everything they teach.
if you end up getting disfellowshipped you will loose all contact with the witnesses which will put a massive strain on your marriage.
Your boyfriend is most likely too scared to voice his opinions as he is most likey in the religion to please his mum and dad and so he won't be shunned by them.
He meet you as you not a JW so why cant he stand up to his parents and just say this is the girl i love i don't care that she is not a JW, why do you have to bend for him ???
hi all.. my story.
it's been a while coming.. i have been lurking around here for 10 months or so.. reading just about everyday.
thank steve jobs for the iphone.. i haven't worked out how to post from the iphone.
Hello Fadetogrey!
I too am a newbie, very disillusioned with the organisation for a very long time.
Thanks :)
I have been looking on here for years and mostly agreeing and nodding in agreement, also reading peoples personal experiences which are almost parrallel to mine is extremly therapeutic.
I am at a cross roads and have a tugg a war happening inside of me as i really do love God and i really have the yearning to follow him.
I know in my heart that this religion has alot of holes in it, and i am not willing to accept them blindly anymore.
I was raised very strrictly, to the point where it has affected me, My father was a total control freak, and dictated my life, i was always accused of getting up to no good when i actually did not and can honestly say i have a very clear conscious before God.
I was physically and mentally abused in the name of Jehovah, things that were done to me will stay with me and i cant help have bitter resentment towards the religion that breeds such lunatical behaviour.
The hypocrisy really gets to me!! Funny how people accuse you of something only cause they did it, I was and am a good girl and true to my beliefs eg no sex before marriage yet i was still accused for doing it because i acted lovey dovey towards my then fiancee ( who is my darling husband now) then you find out that the ones that actually did the deed before marriage are good upstanding brothers and sisters in the congregation. Yet cause i am weak in the service and meeting attendance i am almost treated like a lepper and have been called the "bad egg" by my parents!!
it angers me!!
Sorry guys i think my fingers got a little trigger happy and i hit the the enter button lol.
I was raised a Jw, and from my teen years i have had always that niggly feeling that there was something fundamentally wrong with this religion.
I had a horrible childhood, constant unhappiness in the so called perfect christian JW family, My father was an elder and my mother an eccentric
, put them together and our life was hell.
