Posts by FirstLastName

33

Something that has helped me understand why people continue to go to church

by JimmyPage in

jw
friends

the more i realized how ridiculous religion as a whole is the more i wondered why so many people even bother to continue going to church.. but someone on this board made a comment recently that has stuck with me- it's something that i could never relate to because i was brought up a jw.

and maybe many people here have trouble relating too for the same reason.. the comment was simple: people go to church because they enjoy it.

it was a new thought to me because as a jw meetings have always been such a bland and boring affair.

FirstLastName

I got a GREAT quote from this board a while ago and saved it cause I thought it was so meaningful to me. I do not know who said it, but its telling:

"I don't think its particularly surprising to discover that some victims of spiritual abuse are no longer interested in being preached to."

That being said, I have never sat through another religious service (except weddings and funerals). I always felt that sitting through a religious service would insult my intelligence, so I have not opened myself to that experience yet.

However I am open to new experiences and trying to find out what drives different people, so I would not say never again.

68

Is there a correlation between personality type and leaving the WT?...

by Tuesday in

jw
friends

on facebook tonight there was a post asking to take a personality test, in posting the personality tests a trend started emerging that certain personality types seem to leave around the same time.. i came out as an intj which is introverted intuitive thinking judging.

which a good paragraph describing it was:.

intjs apply (often ruthlessly) the criterion "does it work?

FirstLastName

ESTJ

11 - Extraverted

1- Sensing

50- Thinking

67- Judging

I am a Guardian Supervisor....sounds serious. I am gonna have to read more about that.

I am 34, faded about 8 years ago. I left cause they asked me to stay in an abusive relationship, because " well, atleast he loves Jehovah" , and that was just not acceptable to me anymore.

Now - I have all new reasons (besides the very good first one), for reasons to NEVER go back due to reading: Crisis on Conscience, Combating Cult Mind Control, Releasing the Bonds and The God Delusion.

36

Do you type or do you hunt and peck?

by JimmyPage in

jw
friends

i was just thinking how thankful i am that i took a typing course in school years ago.

i would think it has to be very difficult posting on a board like this hunting and pecking all the time.

so how fast can you type?

FirstLastName

I took typing in 7th grade and was horrific at it. I pecked the key board for years - I think now I have a peck/type style now that is not at all conventional, but seems to work with how I type.

I was watching and I move my right hand around a lot.

18

A Typical Witnessing Letter from JW Family

by mummatron in

thought i'd share this as this is a typical example of the kind of letters i get very occasionally from my jw family.

in this instance it was sent as my daughter had spent some time in hospital.

note, very little information in terms of family news.

FirstLastName

You have my complete sympathies. That would drive me batty. I am fortunate enough that my family never talks about the borg with me around. The only evidence that they are still in is the Watchtower and Awake she startegically places on the coffee tables whenever I come over.

35

Where the need is great

by noontide in

jw
friends

[if gte mso 9]><xml> <w:worddocument> <w:view>normal</w:view> <w:zoom>0</w:zoom> <w:donotoptimizeforbrowser /> </w:worddocument> </xml><![endif].

wow, havent been around here in a while and it's nice to see some familiar names as well as new ones.. .

well, its that time of year again when some members of my family decide that they need to go preach where the need is great.

FirstLastName

This post brought back many memories in my JW elder home as a kid.

I had some very good friends that moved about 3 hours from us in a more rural area. Somehow every summer, the need was great in their area and we would visit them for a week. We had about 4 families that would travel up to their house and camp out on their property. Every day for a week we went out in service with their congregation. I bet that hall loved it - I think we covered their entire territory every summer.

Also, I remember grimacing at conventions when they would interview young people on stage. The elder would ask " what do you want to do when you grow up", and the canned response was always " I want to serve were the need is great"

94

Who Do You Think Are Overrated Singers Or Movie/TV Stars?

by minimus in

jw
friends

i think patti labelle is too much of a screamer when she "sings".. i don't think jerry seinfeld is all that funny.. i'm just not into george clooney.

he's way overrated!.

FirstLastName

OMG Cult Classic said it before me - If I ever see JLo again it will be to soon. She is so over exposed.....

10

Summer reading suggestions

by breakfast of champions in

a great read for this summer @the beach is:.

the origin of the brunists by robert coover.

this is one of the best books that no one has ever read or heard of.

FirstLastName

I love to read and I am going to look for that Origin or Brunist - sounds very interesting!

I am a runner, picked up Born to Run by Christoper McDougall and I was inspired.

Also, any books by John Krakauer are a great read. If you have to pick one - Under the Banner of Heaven is about the Mormon faith - and have some simularities to JW.

42

The Generation(s) That Wasted Their Lives

by undercover in

jw
friends

growing up as a jw, you see the world differently than most everyone else.

you see the world as something that is going to end very soon.

all that we know will be gone by the time we're adults.. when we were young, we were living in the last days and were expecting armageddon before we grew old.

FirstLastName

I remember very specifically being told when I was in Junior High School that I would never finish High School, and being SO excited cause I HATED school and so I would never have to finish! Yeah ! I get to go straight to paradise and pet lions and not worry about school !!

and now 15 years after HS.........

Were is that damn lion for me to pet ???!!!!

48

True Friendship Only Found In the Organization?

by What Now? in

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often times, i read in the magazines that only among jehovahs people will you find true friendship.

FirstLastName

True friendship does not exist for a JW. It is completely conditional on the basis that you are a "good" JW and then you can fit in with the group. If you deviate in any way - your "true friends" will abandon you.

I do not have a single remaining JW friend. And I would say that those old friendships were based on lies I created to make me looking like a good JW anyway. What kind of basis is that ? But I have "worldy" friends, who know the TRUE me - and are better than any fake JW I ever knew.

Sorry to ask, what I am sure has been covered - what is RW?

77

Association: Am i being lied to?

by roxanesophia in

i don't hesitate to bring up with the girl i study with, my criticisms of the religion, and one of those is the association.

i keep reading on here that jw's don't make friends outside the cult, and this is what i used as an excuse for stepping further away from being baptized.

she tells me it's not true, and they can have what ever friends they want.

FirstLastName

I was born in and not allowed any wordly friends. I had girls who were my "friends" at school that could not understand why we could never hang out.

Even music you listen to can be bad associtation. I remember a talk from the platform, were the elder said that "when we listen to music we are inviting that band, or person, into our house. What if Jesus was a guest at our house - would he approve ?"

And as stated before, although she is not "lying" - she is definately not telling the "truth", cause you CAN be friends with anyone - but " would Jesus want to be friends with that person?"