TimeBandit

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Posts by TimeBandit

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  27

  Shunning ... when it's Convenient

  by xelder in

  1. jw
  2. experiences

  i have a lifelong buddy (g) who is now df'd ....doing great and happy.

  he has a nice boat.

  a while back he gets a call from a very well known elder who, of course, shuns him.. elder: "hi g. i know this is a little strange, but i don't know who else to call".

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  TimeBandit

  I would have refused to help. Maybe you felt like it was the moral thing to do, but they just USED you.
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  20

  shaking hands

  by man in black in

  1. jw
  2. experiences

  when i was a witness ( esp.

  as a youth) it seemed that whenever i went to a meeting, or assembly.

  i would send an incredible amount of time shaking hands.

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  TimeBandit

  I knew this sister who made her husband follow brothers into the men's room and observe whether or not they washed their hands. If you didn't receive a handshake from her, you knew to wash your hands the next time you went to the restroom.
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  52

  How many here smoke?

  by cantleave in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  i don't and am very unlikely to after seeing my father dying of a smoking related lung disease (even though i would like to try a high quality cigar).. but i am curious to see how many people take up smoking after leaving the org.. .

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  TimeBandit

  When I was 16 we were an inactive jw family living in Athens, Ga. I had no freinds but eventually made a couple. One was a latchkey kid named Jerry. One day Jerry offered me a cigarette. I accepted, and lit it up right away. I didn't cough or choke. I inhaled the smoke smoothly. I liked it. We walked down to the convienience store and I bought my own pack. Ever since that day, I've been a smoker.

  I'd spend a few years as a jw with my nose clean concerning smoking, then I would slip up and smoke for a while. I'd usually end up with feelings of guilt so I'd confess to the elders and get a slap on the wrist here and there. I got myself disfellowshipped (in part) for smoking twice.

  I know it's bad for me but I love smoking. It's one of my few comforts in life. I've been thinking about quitting again, but I know I'll end up smoking at some point in the future. I smoke less then I used to (Unless we're talking about weed) so I feel good about that.

  Chris-
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  36

  Today's WT: A Warning To You Loyal Witnesses

  by metatron in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  it happens without warning.

  you have a stroke.

  you get ms. you are in a car accident.. they put you in the hospital.

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  TimeBandit

  Because of a choice I made to leave the cult and a choice my parents made to shun me (worse than shunning, they told me i'm dead) I will never know what becomes of my parents. Ever. Now that I'm past all the hurt the thought of never seeing them again isn't so bad.

  My only hope is that when they're on their death beds, dying all alone with no family or freinds around to comfort them, the last thought that comes to their minds is : " Holy Fuck! I just wasted my whole life! I threw all of my children away because they had different beleifs than mine. I destroyed my own family! Holy shit now it's too laaaaaaaaaaaaaate..."

  The only thing I can do is try to banish them from my mind so I don't go crazy.

  Chris-
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  25

  What do you think would happen if a SISTER shaved her head?

  by keep in

  1. watchtower
  2. beliefs

  to donate all her hair to cancer?

  discuss..

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  TimeBandit

  The elders would be all "the worldly cancer victems will be taken care of by Jehovah's kingdom, if they agree to bible studies first. Screw them, we don't feel comfortable with a bald sister in our congregstion!"
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  47

  Was Any Part of it Real?

  by Big Tex in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  i'm sort of following a stream of consciousness so bear with me.

  i was flipping around on tv and ran across an old movie.

  a couple had a one night stand and when she realized he had just used her she was shocked and told him he had said he loved her.

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  TimeBandit

  They're hard wired to throw people under the bus if they see you as a threat to their salvation. Don't hold it against them for following their programming. Have you ever shunned a disfellowshipped or inactive person? If so, no one here will hold it against you, we've all done it. What would really suck is if they knew the organization for what it is and still turned thier backs on you. I've lost a good many freinds myself. I am moving onward though. Why not focus on replacing those fair weather freinds with REAL freinds. Build up a social life. 'Worldly' people are not all bad. There are many people out there that will be more loyal than any jw.
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  10

  Protected during prayers? Really?

  by TimeBandit in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  protected during prayers?.

  did any of you ever hear stories or myths about faithful jws that when in prayer had been protected from something bad happening to them?.

  maybe like the story i heard about the two sisters out in service who were about to be attacked by a viscous dog?

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  TimeBandit

  Some of the fallout after our wreck:
  
  1 Up until the crash, our passengers had been best friends to us. A single mother and her teenage son. Yeah they were poor and we helped them in many ways through the years. Soon after the wreck, they deleted us as friends from Facebook and started to ignore our emails. After some further emails asking them why the cold shoulder all they could come up with was "we need some space, some time away from you". My wife and I were like WTF? I know we were in a horrible crash together but they both knew it wasn't my fault. Both of them said that themselves many times. It remains a mystery how one minute we could be fast friends with these guys, and having them dump us the next. Fair weather friends I guess. Well that sucked because they were the only freinds we had in the congregation.
  
  2 Our kingdom hall going to days were pretty much over following the wreck. We only went to a few more after that. My wife and I began to enjoy our Saturday and Sunday mornings off...Bev would come home after a 12 hour shift (graveyard)at the hospital on Thursday morning and trying to get her up and ready for the meeting that night was trying. She was still exhausted from working and groggy. I always hated the fact that sometimes she missed out on vital rest because of the damn Thursday night meetings!
  
  3 By the next summer my wife and I had turned in our DA letters and exited the cult. I am so lucky my wife saw the pain and disbelief on my face as I told her about all my research findings that prove the jws are wrong and a cult. She took it surprisingly well. It turns out, she had been having doubts herself and was looking forward to getting her weekends and Thursday nights back! Bev, you're my favorite!
  
  4 The lady that hit us had full coverage insurance, so they paid my brand new Kia Sorento off and we didn't have that debt any more. Luckily we had a second vehicle (though unreliable mechanically). Now after two years of waiting we may be getting a settlement from her insurance company. I hope we get a decent amount, we need it.
  
  5 I sent Sister fairweather friend and her son copies of my disassociation letter with the invitation to kiss my ass. I think that's a pretty happy ending.
  
  Chris-
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  10

  Protected during prayers? Really?

  by TimeBandit in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  protected during prayers?.

  did any of you ever hear stories or myths about faithful jws that when in prayer had been protected from something bad happening to them?.

  maybe like the story i heard about the two sisters out in service who were about to be attacked by a viscous dog?

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  TimeBandit

  Up until the point of my accident I had had several mishaps with prayer where the loving provider of escape did absolutely nothing to help me in a desparate situation. Many little things (and some big things) were adding up to my leaving the jws.
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  10

  Protected during prayers? Really?

  by TimeBandit in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  protected during prayers?.

  did any of you ever hear stories or myths about faithful jws that when in prayer had been protected from something bad happening to them?.

  maybe like the story i heard about the two sisters out in service who were about to be attacked by a viscous dog?

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  TimeBandit

  Protected during prayers?

  Did any of you ever hear stories or myths about faithful jws that when in prayer had been protected from something bad happening to them?

  Maybe like the story I heard about the two sisters out in service who were about to be attacked by a viscous dog? According to the story they were working in a rural setting. As they were walking onto a property a viscous dog started running toward them with the intent to rip them apart. One of the sisters began praying for Jehovah to help them and suddenly the dog veered off and bit a cow instead? Ever hear that one? Does that give you goose bumps or what? Well I got my own story to share.

  My wife and I along with two JW friends were on our way home from the district convention in June or July of 2010. We were returning Monday morning from Albuquerque, NM . On the way north later that morning we were on a highway that goes around Santa Fe in order to avoid traffic. Everyone in the car except me was asleep or dozing.

  I was getting bored. I decided to pass some time in prayer. I used to pray a lot. I was just driving along kissing Jehovah’s ass when suddenly from the left a car ran a stop sign and plowed right into the driver’s side of my Kia . Everything was in slow motion for me for the next several seconds as I tried to swerve and avoid her.

  I was going 55 miles per hour and she was going full speed too. I heard a loud CRACK and then the vehicle began spinning to the right. My vehicle went airborne and flipped three times in the air. We touched down hard and took out a metal street light pole. That saved us from continuing to flip and roll down the embankment. The spinning stopped and the car crashed to a halt. Now things sped up again and my wife who had this rude awakening was screaming with terror. My friends in the back were also appropriately excited.

  I asked everyone if they were ok and they all seemed ok, just shaken up terribly. Next I directed that we all get out of the car as fast as possible. Who knows, maybe it’s about to blow up…We manage to force open the crumpled passenger doors and try to climb out. Did I mention that we’re all strapped in and upside down?

  Yes, we all survived and are grateful to have our lives. Praying had nothing to do with us walking away from the crash alive. Nope. It was the steel reinforced doors, the extensive airbag system and other safety features that were built into the Kia. Why would Jehovah allow something this bad to happen to a carload of loyal jws? Hey man, I was even praying to Jehober himself when it happened. Why didn’t he protect us?

  Just to let you all know, for every story you ever heard about god miraculously protecting his followers when praying there is a story like mine….

  Chris-
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  1

  A forum post earlier in my exjw recovery...

  by TimeBandit in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  a forum post from earlier in my exjw recovery.

  just looking back this morning :.

  "i've always been hurt and cut personally when seeing injustice occur.

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  TimeBandit

  A forum post from earlier in my exjw recovery. Just looking back this morning :

  "I've always been hurt and cut personally when seeing injustice occur. I've also been quick to root for the underdog. It is devastating for me to see people who are truly good , with kind hearts and deeds, get trampled by those in power.

  I have just completed reading Brother Ray Franz's book, Crisis of Conscience. It made me so mad to see such a true Christian be waylaid the way he was. Him and his faithful and loyal brothers that were demonized as apostates. Just thrown out on their asses after a lifetime of loyal service.

  I am in shock to know what I know now about the organization. I know now without doubt that the organization could not possibly be God's channel for bible truth and salvation.

  I mourn for Brother Franz. I am deeply saddened that he devoted his whole adult life to what he thought was service to God, only to be knocked down and kicked with the size 12's of the GB. I have been crying because it's hard to fathom someone as kindly and selfless as Ray Franz being treated in such a cruel and heartless manor.

  My thoughts are with him, and his loving widow, Cynthia. I wish I could send her my condolences, some flowers, and maybe even a contribution.

  Ray, wherever you are, I send you my love and thanks for the fine example you have set for other good people to follow. Thanks for opening my eyes brother, rest in peace."

  Chris-