LovingLifeNow - just a warning - it isn't the putting lights up, it's the taking them down. Learned that last year. Snow and ice and frozen lights. My plan this year is just to leave them up until the spring. : )
jesscd
JoinedPosts by jesscd
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18
How do you feel about your JW childhood?
by Emily1987 ini was 5 years old when my mother was baptised.
we went from celebrating xmas to no presents or decorations.
we would still go to my unbelieving aunty's house on xmas day, all of my cousins would be playing with their new toys and would wonder why i didn't have any.
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jesscd
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42
"World conditions have never been as bad as they are now"
by Sour Grapes ini went to a funeral yesterday and ran into a jdub.
of course, he approached me and it didn't take more than a minute into the conversation for him to get into the jdub gloom and doom mode.
he said that world conditions have never been as bad as they are now.. i looked straight into his eyes and said, "i think that world conditions were a lot worse during world war two.".
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jesscd
My mother who left the JW's physically to only become even more religiously dogmatic and rather scary says this all the time. She reminisces at about how life was so idyllic in the 50's when she was a kid. I stopped her in her tracks when she last visited by saying "yes it was certainly idyllic for a white only child with financially stable parents, however you grew up in the south and I am sure it wasn't so idyllic for those of color who were not allowed to even attend the same school as you, use the same bathroom or water fountain". I also asked her what it was like to be a women back then and not be able to have ones own bank account or credit card? Although I am not sure how deep it got to her it did make her pause. Others have mentioned other horrific times and peoples that have been treated horribly. It is easy for those who lived in idyllic conditions to talk about how these days are the worst and these are signs of the last days - I personally am glad as a woman and a mom that I live in our time rather any time in the past. I am sure many others for many reasons feel the same - no it isn't perfect...but reality isn't petting pandas.
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35
What is the strangest book or craziest book the JWs have ever printed?
by blownaway inwhat do you think the crazies or strangest book they ever printed is?.
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jesscd
Original My Book of Bible Stories - some parts of the book were terrifying as a small child.
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81
Roll Call for the benefit of Newbies and Lurkers. In One Sentence tell why you left the Org.
by Wasanelder Once inroll call for the benefit of newbies and lurkers.
in one sentence tell why you left the org.
not 2 sentences.
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jesscd
When I was pregnant with my first child I started really thinking and realized I could not raise a child as a JW and have a clean conscience.
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8
Old Bethelities
by new boy inmy book is going to my editor this week.
just a few lose ends to deal with.. does anyone here knows what has happen to any of the following ex-bethelities and hopefully ex-jehovah's witnesses.
mark bivins.
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jesscd
Ken Dowling ended up in western ma. 3 daughters would be in their 30's now.
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40
What would you say?
by Freedom rocks inif you had 2 minutes with an old witness friend or with a family member to convince them the 'truth' is a lie and the gb isnt being directed by god what would you say to get their attention that might make them question their beliefs?.
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jesscd
I would ask my family members what my grandparents (the ones who came in first) on both sides would think of the religion if they were resurrected and walked into a hall or convention or read one of the publications? Would they recognize it as the same religion? Would they be horrified? Seeing as my grandparents motivation for becoming JW's were they were sickened by the constant money grabbing in their Catholic church and the fact that the priests told them they were too uneducated to ask questions or research anything they didn't understand - I think I know the answer.
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35
Do You Feels That Your Life Was Ruined Because of Ypur JW Experience?
by minimus ini know that some are upset because of the time lost because of ever having been a witness.
have you moved on as an ex jw or are you stil devastated because of your past jw lige?.
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jesscd
I can't say my life was ruined - I spent... at this point 3/4 of my life as a JW. No life no matter how difficult, no matter how different can be viewed as a total waste. Everything is experience. Would it have been easier, more fun, happier...if I had not spent the majority of my life as a JW? Maybe, but I can't go back. I can go forward and I am still breathing - so my life has not been ruined. In fact in some ways I think my life has been made richer - I have a much more different and varied life view than many of my peers. Having to start ones life over at 33, with for the most part, no friends, no family - a blank slate - kind of steels you for the further adversity and trials that you face as you have a family, reach middle age, recognize the concept of mortality. There is still anger, there is still insecurity, but a ruined life - not at all.
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46
What Makes Someone Become a JW?
by minimus inmy excuse is that i was born in the religion.
but if someone wasn’t, why would they become one?.
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jesscd
I am/was a 3rd generation born-in on both sides. My grandparents on one side came in because they had a son that died and the concept of the resurrection pulled them in. My grandparents on the other side - well my grandmother was and still is kind of a whack job and the concept of a world that was all unicorns and rainbows where you never died and went around petting pandas and everything tasted like candy canes and maple syrup is all she has ever wanted - well that is what she believes paradise is and that it is right around the corner - been believin' that now for 70 years. My grandfather had an eighth grade education and the concept of being able to advance in the ranks - to become someone important in the congregation was what really brought him in and kept him in - ironically it is also probably what killed him early - in fighting within the elders brought on a fatal heart attack at 56.
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jesscd
We have tofurkey - no animals harmed. : )
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25
Who has a harder time leaving JW's - Born Ins or those who converted?
by HeyLittleGirl inmy freind (who is also out) and i were talking about this the other night.
i was a born-in, 3rd generation jw and she converted when she was in her late 20's.. when she left, she said that she knew the world wasn't as bad as she was told as a jw, so she knew she would be fine.
also, she still had lots of "worldly" family who welcomed her back with open arms.. it was harder for me - i had nobody in the "world", no family or freinds.
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jesscd
As a born in I have no other point of reference, but I have to say it just seems like it is harder in every way. I was a 4th generation born in - there was no other world. All my family - friends - my life up to my early 30's was JW. I was home-schooled so I didn't even have the association and counter-balance of "worldly" school. Basically my social life was a blank sheet at 33 - like I was dropped in a foreign country knowing no one and only knowing the most basic of social concepts. One of the most strange things was figuring out the proper ways to form friendships - the time and necessary space. I was taught everyone who is a JW is instantly your brother or sister - relationships are really much more complicated and not so shallow - who knew?