Posts by FirstLastName

52

What was your "Aha!" moment?

by Hortenzie in

for me it was when i learned that gb makes their decisions by 2/3 majority vote, not by direction of holy spirit..

I had faded because I was so unhappy years prior. But my "AH!" momment for me was when my fiance (now husband), gave me the most confused look when I told him that JW's believe in the Flood and Noah's Ark. He started to ask me question after question about their beliefs. I had never questioned anything the JW's told me. And when he started to ask questions, then it dawned on me how backwards the entire religion sounded. The questioning process never started for me before than.

He still thinks its so funny that my parents believe in the Ark. And NOW I agree.

47

Introduction

by Pyramid God in

i'm somewhat new here, even though i've posted a few times, so i decided it was time i properly introduced myself.

i've been lurking for several months.... .

i was born into the jw and served for 21 years.

FirstLastName

Welcome !

113

Elders receive a report that I am openly displaying false religious symbol

by confusedandalone in

when you look at the image above what do you see?

a sneaker or an outward display that i am now following after another religious group?.

well yesterday i had a 10 minute conversation with an elder who finally got the balls to call me.

FirstLastName

OMG....I drive a Mazada. I guess I should be expecting a call.

I got a visit when I was 17 or 18, from 2 elders in my hall because they had heard a report that I was observed at a resturaunt by the CO, wearing chains and tattoos. Also I was being loud and causing a scene. I WAS wearing a temporary tattoo in my ankle and my belt was a link (chain?) belt on my shorts. I was with a group of friends eating dinner, I dont recall causing a rucus, so denied the "loud" charges. Nothing came of it.

It was very petty. Just like the issue with your shoes. I am glad you did not give them any control.

20

Assembly resolutions - did anyone ever take them seriously?

by LogCon in

is there any site that has the assembly resolutions for download?.

FirstLastName

I only remember that you always said "yes". What was discussed or written did not matter. UGH - I was such a sheep.

26

Did you suffer humiliating childhood experiences as a JW?

by yadda yadda 2 in

in john cedar's (jwsurvey.org) latest excellent article on his blog about a us teacher that got reprimanded for trying to force a jw boy to salute the american flag, he relates a similar childhood experience where he was terribly humiliated at school in view of his classmates.. this reminded me of a similar humiliating experience i suffered at school, when i was 11 years old.

during our school's end of year 'prom night' (not actually called that in the country i live) which was in the style of a disco night, my unbalanced jw mother came to pick me up early and stormed right into the hall and grabbed my arm and pulled me out in front of all my friends right in the middle of the dancing.

on the way out she gave the teachers a lecture about the music being far too loud and how unwholesome the whole thing was for children of my age.

FirstLastName

My mom always met with my teachers before school started and gave them some magazines and explained what I would not be participating in. In that respects, my teachers always gave me alternate activities and never embarrassed me. I think sometimes they did feel sorry for me and a couple teachers would sneak me birthday cake (or they forgot), which was always a guilty pleasure.

I probably get more joy than I should standing for the nation anthem now and singing it. Feels a little rebelious :)

That being said, I realise that everyone is going to have a different experience and my heart goes out to those who were treated so poorly.

30

New! Borg instruct to report tract placements

by pixel in

there's a new letter coming up next week to be read instructing the publishers to begin reporting the number of tracts placed in the ministry, including copies of kingdom news 38, annual invitations, district handbills and other tracts.

lol.

see, the borg is allegue about numbers, and why on earth do they tell you to start counting placement in the middle of a campaing, like the one they are doing now witk kingdom news 38 and not before it started??.

FirstLastName

My hubby called me this am. He was getting ready for work when the doorbell rang and he did not answer it. When he finally went to the door there was a JW tract in the door mat. I guess we just became a return visit!

18

Were You Tough On Your Fellow Witnesses?

by minimus in

jw
friends

when i was younger, i saw things as a young, inexperienced man.

i thought i knew it all, but time would prove otherwise.

i believed that as long as you accepted "mother's" counsel, then everyone should just follow jehovah's organization's guidance.. i realized some witnesses actually loved that thought, that it's either black or white.

FirstLastName

thanks Minimus. I am ashamed of my past behavior. I like me better now:) I think a lot of people on this board learned to be better humans post JW.

18

Were You Tough On Your Fellow Witnesses?

by minimus in

jw
friends

when i was younger, i saw things as a young, inexperienced man.

i thought i knew it all, but time would prove otherwise.

i believed that as long as you accepted "mother's" counsel, then everyone should just follow jehovah's organization's guidance.. i realized some witnesses actually loved that thought, that it's either black or white.

FirstLastName

I am afraid that I was a horrible "rat". If I went somewhere I was not suppoed to go (say a rave), and I saw a JW there, I would run to the elders to tell them who I saw. I am disgusted that I only did this to beat those people to the punch , since I was at the event also. I could not think for myself.

I have spend my adult life trying to be a better person, a good friend, and a great wife. I have guilt for doing those things. I think its a reason that I give everyone the benifit of the doubt in my life.

16

Why do some JW`s get married multiple times ? Isnt that an indictment against jw beleifs ?

by smiddy in

this isnt a slight against any here who have married more than once.

and of course if you have left the religion you are not bound by their doctrines.. however i am concerned with jehovahs witnesses, people in good standing within the congregation who have married multiple times , and it seems it is not a rare occurence .their seems to be many who have married 2 or 3 times.

i personally knew a sister that was married 5 times and was a sister in good standing .admittedly this may have been an exception .. however divorce is not an isolated incidence with jehovahs witnesses , nor is it isolated that the witnesses themselves initiate divorce proceedings .. another thing , jehovahs witnesses are only 8 million world, a wide a small sect compared to other major religions.. so i just wonder what the ratio of jw`s compared to mainstream religion is regarding divorce .. can anybody fill in these figures ?

FirstLastName

I am thinking of the JW friends I had in my teens and early 20's - and they are ALL divorced - myself included.

I think its a combination of getting married to young, poor education, lack of social skills and a bad organization.

45

I will give my husband the divorce he wants

by losingit in

jw
friends

not because i agree with him.

because i do not want the divorce.

but because i love him and i want to respect him.

FirstLastName

Losingit - I feel that we have very simular stories, but I never had kids. It took my 6 years to leave the situation because I did not know how to support myself or were to go. I held on to the bitter end, even through all his threats of divorcing me. And you know what? When I was finally over it and told him I was leaving him, he paniced and did not want me to leave.He refused to sign papers, negotiate property, demanded counsiling, anything he could to slow me down.

But I had already shut that door and decided my next move. It was humbling, but I moved in with my parents for 6 months until I got my own place.

I understand your in a more difficult position with kids, but I promise you - it gets better. And you will move on. And your life will be richer for it. I dont like wishing people luck, cause I feel like luck it what YOU make of life. So get out that and do what you need to do.

Best - FirstLastName