Posts by saltyoldlady

22

How Much Did It Cost You Financial Being or Leaving The Witnesses

by Was New Boy in

jw
friends

it these tough economic times many of us have looked back at the decisions we made concerning money with much dismay.

the organization has cost many people 100's of thousands of dallors or more over the course of their life time.. 1. all the time and gas spent on knocking on doors.. 2. brothers that ripped you off in business.. 3. all the money i gave my exwifes dead beat relatives.. 4. making just minumum wage for two years of poineering.

than going to bethel for four years making only $22 a month, 9 dallors of which went for subway tokens.

saltyoldlady

My exit has done nothing but save me moolah. I truthfully hadn't realized how much a month it was costing me to be a JW.

For starters as everyone else has mentioned the savings in car expenses alone are immense - I now use about 1/4 as much gasoline a month and that translates to even greater maintenance savings because my miles per year are now less than 3,000 - amazing.

Then the change in apparel has saved me big time - I now live in jeans and sweatshirts, or in the summer shorts and tees - no more dry cleaning or fancy high falutin garb - savings in shoes, gloves, coats, hats, dresses, skirts, blouses, etc. etc. also amazing. Life is so simple now. And I still participate in a Bible Study class at the Senior Center but all of us just show up in whatever garb makes us comfortable - have noticed no one wears a dress - LOL. And none of the fellows wear ties. LOL. And none of the gals wear heels! Etc. Etc. Etc.

And no more NYLONS! I must have snagged a pair of those every week, it seemed.

Then the savings in food has been enough to now make my income seem adequate and comfortable. I used to be "stressed out" over never having enough - now I eat all the goodies I never felt I could afford because facts of the case were I was feeding friends frequently or else going out to restaurants that charge way too much for what they deliver just so we could visit after meetings or field service. Convenience factor that cost PLENTY in the area I live.

And then there's the savings of not having to pay for all that literature we placed that no one really wanted and that they secretly just tossed in the rubbish soon as we left their porch! LOL I hate to think of all the trees we wasted - yes, I'm a tree hugger.

And then there's the freedom from feeling like I must help the needy ones among us - haven't even met a needy one in my new Bible Study Class nor any con artist types either in the last year plus. That is truly Amazing. Did the WTS lay claim to all those? Now am considering contributions to some truly great causes and feeling enriched by the opportunity to do something that makes a difference in the community instead of just being an enabler for those accustomed to getting handouts from others.

A very conservative estimate would be it has saved me about $300/month - and I wasn't expecting that.

21

What has work for you, stop smoking.

by jam in

jw
friends

i stop smoking when i became a jw, so for 18-19 yrs.

i stop.. this time around it,s very hard to stop.

any suggestion..

saltyoldlady

Welcome Pelznickel - So glad you found a successful way to quit smoking. They say it's better for the health and I'm convinced that is true. Of course I've fought bronchial asthma much of my life so I never took up the habit. Guess that saved me much stress from trying to cease an addiction and I've heard smoking can be more addicting than even some of the hard drugs. So I feel for any that have struggled to make that change.

46

My Study Conductor Jumped Ship - Any Possible Explanations?

by InterestedOne in

jw
friends

my study conductor has informed me that he & his wife are switching to a foreign language congregation that is far away from the territory they live in (it will involve a lot of driving back & forth).

because he is switching congregations, he said he will not have the energy to devote to my study and recommended another brother who could take over, and i have met him.

however, this change happened simultaneously with a decision i have made.

saltyoldlady

Hey Interested One - I'd study with you via email - or even here on the board if you like - but it wouldn't serve the purpose of getting you into a Congregation of the WTS since I have formally cut my ties with the outfit. LOL But I'd be delighted to wrestle any concepts you have questions about - and from more than one point of view - having spent over 30 years teaching as one of WTS adherents I can present their concepts for you but I'd also encourage scrutinizing them for their flaws and what improvements can be made. That kind of study would be fun. Of course you can easily do it without me too - there are so many on this site with great knowledge and smarts (much better than mine) you could probably just pose your questions as they come one by one on this site and we could all join in on the effort.

55

The Watchtower, a cult that worships the FDS and GB!

by VM44 in

with the continual emphasis that the watchtower places on following and trusting the fds and the gb in particular, one can only come to the following conclusion:.

the watchtower (and the jehovah's witnesses) are followers of a cult that worships the fds and the gb!.

essentially everything in the bible refers to the fds/gb.. everyone must listen to and follow what the gb says.. everyone must consume the "rich spiritual food" provided by the fds and the gb!.

saltyoldlady

VM44 - Thanks for that chart from the 71 WT. It is really unbelievable they could ever have put it out like that. Guess those were the days they admitted the truth of how they were operating more blatantly. Notice the ministerial servants don't have to go thru the elders - but direct to the GB - now that is a new one. Maybe this was someone's new brainstorm at the time cause I don't believe it has ever operated like that. And today's chart would not have any lines drawn up to Christ - it all stops point blank with the GB - a grand bottleneck me calls it! And I think also the chart for today would just eliminate the nice big box for FDS since in truth they operate like the GB is IT - period.

They also call themselves the Temple of God because their definition of that is "WHERE true worship is practized" (msp on purpose) - so they have set themselves down in The Temple of The God as an object of reverence - see 2 Thessalonians verse 4. See Chapters 5 and 6 of Paradise Restored to Mankind - pages 89 or 121 applications of Haggai's Chapter 2 to themselves. This was pointed out to me by a current GB member himself when I was contesting that we are ourselves a temple of the living God - 2 Cor. 6:16. He was very visibly upset by my "misapplication" of what He believed to be the correct view.

39

Awesome quotes from JWN posters

by jay88 in

jw
friends

i will start it off with-thetrueone.

"postulating religionists are really illusionists by using suggestive words to accomplish a state of believability.

".

saltyoldlady

I personally will never forget the post Outlaw made - we need the picture here, anybody? I don't know how to do that.

But the quote was something to the effect "Don't eat a bucketload of shit just because there are a few kernels of corn in it."

81

How Many JWs Have You known Who Have Commited Suicide?

by Was New Boy in

jw
friends

james olsen and richaed wheellock both bethelites.. rich templet.

rich and james out of guilt, richard out of depression.. james and rich were both under 30 years old.. after richard wheelock (a bethel heavy) killed himself the society changed it's stand on whether suicides could be resurrectioned or not..

saltyoldlady

I haven't kept count over the years but it has been way too many - even one is too many - but I mean there have been several. One case I remember that was especially horrible was the brother that killed his wife and two children - and then after leaving a suicide note killed himself also. He explained that he knew they would all be resurrected to paradise and the current system was just too difficult for all of them. It was "just better this way." And the hideous thing is one can easily see why he reasoned like that considering our belief systems we were taught. Scary results for what we considered "beautiful" material to present to the public. Mental illness was of course involved but the concept of the Paradise earth can be misconstrued by the mentally ill as a legitimate excuse for such heinous crimes.

30

Did I handle this okay?

by headisspinning in

jw
friends

i finished 'crisis of conscience'... i am just reeling.

if any one book has changed my life, then this one is definitely it.

it's incredible really - two weeks ago i was so confused and disturbed and felt like my whole life had been turned on it's end but that book made such a difference for me.

saltyoldlady

I think your letter is GREAT! You tried very diligently to help her understand by being understanding yourself of her position. And I like the fact that you laid out the facts for her - that it is the organization that is dragging their feet about exercising loving-kindness. That helps to open her eyes even though it may not in fact be the most accurate representation of your position right now, but the truth is she is not ready to deal with your internal changes yet, either. So slow and easy is the best course for the moment is my thought on the matter. The day for exposure to Ray Franz will come - pushing it too soon will kill its chance of acceptance. Take your time - she is in distress because she honestly believes you will be destroyed if Armageddon were to come - makes our hearts sad to see them blinded by this deception but just keep praying on the matter and Jehovah will open the doors to their realization they have been deluded - but He will do it at the best time and you and I are not capable of discerning that one. Patience on that matter will win the war. Just keep exercising love toward her - it has the ability to melt all opposition given time. I am so happy she has softened a bit already.

Another book I thought was just great was Don Cameron's Captives of a Concept. It helps you understand what you are up against in trying to open people's eyes and it is quick and easy to read, very short in comparison to Ray Franz's works. Other treasures for me were Carl Olof Jonnson's Gentile Times Reconsidered - be sure to get the latest edition which I believe is the 4th one. He is another individual who stayed cool, calm, and detached inspite of the witch hunt mentality and slander hurled his way. While I haven't come to personally agree with all of his positions, he offers abundant proof that the 2520 years did not conclude in 1914 which is the basis for so much WTS belief. And then the books by Edmond C. Gruss were also treasures for me - especially Jehovah's Witnesses - Their claims, doctrinal changes and prophetic speculation. What does the record show? Very very well presented - mountains of evidence that your husband might especially like investigating in view of his former position. It results in one realizing we have had anything BUT the truth on ever so many matters and may help him feel much better about his change in circumstances. It is never easy to step down from a position of honor such as he had. I also found Edmond C. Gruss historical survey of the Four Presidents of the Watch Tower Society well done, objective and informative.

It is a thrill to watch your progress as you continue learning and to see how well you are handling the difficult curves you have had to negotiate. May Jehovah and His Son, our Lord Christ Jesus continue blessing your course. Love, Salty

43

What changes have you noticed in the Witness

by d in

i have noticed are more angrier then when i was a child in the 90's and that they seem more uptight.what changes have you seen?.

saltyoldlady

Just prior to my exit which is a little over a year ago now - I saw a group that was despondent, zombie-like, going thru the motions but lacking any fervor or delight in the "Good News" - giving lip service but the hearts were far, far away. They appeared like a group of heavy-laden donkeys, some actually balking, a few braying, but for the most part just plodding along fast enough to avoid the "stick." It was very very sad to me - the older ones were disappointed the end hadn't come, the middle aged were busy trying to make ends meet and hadn't time for spiritual concerns, meeting attendance was the max for their efforts, and maybe 2 hours a month Field Service if they could fake it somehow at the coffee shop, and for the most part the young ones seemed sullen and withdrawn, many disappeared entirely. There were exceptions of course but they were few and far between per my experience.

And probably the biggest change was a total lack of new converts - the baptismal lines were 97% made up of children that had been raised up in the WTS, with maybe about 3 adults out of 100 that were actually found in the territory or thru incidental witnessing, friend of a friend type stuff. In fact I think I've made that estimate too high in truth - the ones coming in were not found in the territory - they were most often relations of someone else who was already in the WTS.

45

I Am Craving Bacon/Fatback Grease & Corn Bread

by snowbird in

that's a fact.. even though i'm not supposed to think about such fare.. syl.

saltyoldlady

Palmtree - Tofu and Pita Bread - as a substitute for bacon fat and cornbread? Forget it. In fact YUCK! (Sorry, I actually like both of them but they just won't replace the craving for grease and cornbread - never ever!)

Bacon fat craving means you are in need of more saturated fat in the diet - and yes, we do NEED some saturated fat. Too many people eliminate it these days. The cornbread is a great source of Magnesium - much missing in today's diets and magnesium deficiency is one of the major causes of Heart attacks and Cancer. We need a balance between unsaturated and saturated types of fat - today's emphasis is overboard on the unsaturated side.

Plus the research behind fats and cholesterol are much skewed. It is not the fat per se but the rancidity factor of the fat that causes the problems. Good fresh butter, cream, or bacon fat - not even sausage CAUSE high cholesterol. (Ala info I learned from Jeffrey Bland, PhD = piled higher and deeper!) Plus research shows those with moderately high cholesterol levels - say 240 but a proper ratio between the high density/low density factors live longer. Those with low cholesterol shorten their lives. So three cheers for fatback grease and cornbread. The French love the high fats too but they wash it down with the best of wine and don't suffer the heart attack level you have been convinced will happen if you indulge yourself in the good things of life.

And who was it that made the crack about a 58 year old being too old for the Internet? I'm nearing 78 so you are making a false assumption, lad or lass - whomever you may be. Many blessings to ya! Salty and PS - don't eliminate the salt from your diet either! LOL

18

I need some scriptual skill Here (what is the good news?)

by TheLoveDoctor in

please give me scriptures as to what the 1st century christians were two preach including the body of christian teachings at the time.

then we can compare that to what gb says the good news is and why one must answer 80 or so questions.

it will also help me with the ability to prove why i do not wish to be in the door to door work including any scriptual proofs that could be used to show not all should be preaching..

saltyoldlady

Boy - we are beginning to get a nice list here - wow jgnat, you did a lot of work. Let me add one more since I am currently working on the 1st letter of Timothy - 1:15 "Faithful and deservinhg of full acceptance is the saying that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners." In verse 16 we get the info that "those who rest their faith on him will receive everlasting life." The same thought has been given above more than once but in summary a major part of the "good news" is Jesus Christ gives us LIFE, the means to everlasting life. Without him and a knowledge of him we would be limited to just the few years of existence we now experience in this system of things. John 12:47 tells us he did not come to judge the world but to save the world. John 16:33 Take courage because I have conquered the world and he tells us we too will be able to conquer the world with our faith in him and obedience to his commandment to be loving one another even as he loved us. John 10:27 states "My sheep listen to my voice, and I know them, and they follow me. And I give them everlasting life, and they will by no means ever by destroyed, and no one will snatch them out of my hand, because the Father has entrusted them to me, and no one can snatch them out of the hand of the Father. He is greater than all else." Another translation of this passage indicates these sheep are "precious" to the Father via the words "what my Father has given me is something greater than all other things." Either rendition will do as both add insight that is correct except of course the Father is the One who is greater than all else if we were to get technical here. And at the end of John Chapter 17:26 we are given the good news that the love with which the Father loved Christ, His Son, may also be in us and we will be in union with the Christ. The ramifications of that one are immense - worthy of meditation.