I met John when I was nine. My mother had me enroll in the Ministry School at the Webster, NY hall back in 1958. "Hall" was an upstairs apartment gutted to make a gathering place. There was no air conditioning & the building was on Main St. The meetings were stifling hot & the evening meetings were even worse. As sleepy as I was, I would always perk up when John was on stage. He was an articulate man who new the value of entertainment in education. As the school conductor, he was a valued teacher & mentor as my father had no interest in any religion. I remember him telling my mother that there was no need for college as " the end was near". He and his wife Marceil had no children for the same reason. They were invited into the circuit work & I didn't see him for years. They lived in a small trailer & were assigned all over the US. As they got older, a brother in the Palmyra, NY congregation donated some land & we all volunteered to build them a home. I was happy to see him again & was by this time an elder. He was appointed as the presiding overseer & we shared a lot of time together. During one of the CO's visits, I was questioned about not studying with my college age daughter. I thought the issue was dead but received the surprise of my life when the CO recommended my deletion. John had known about this all week & didn't even give me a heads up. I was told I could appeal, but I was out. That was the beginning of my path out. I stayed PIMO for a number of years watching John get older & weaker. All he had was the love of his life, Marceil. I was always so jealous of that relationship. On a trip from her sister's home down south, she fell ill. She died in a hospital on the way home. I had never seen a love like that. Had never seen the consequences of losing the love of one's life. John fell apart. Alone, he would look at me & start crying. They would play a favorite song at the hall & he would quietly sob. He suffered every day until his death. The memorial was held at the assembly hall. It was packed. I look back in retrospect & wonder what he felt as all his convictions died in front of his eyes. All those I knew, all so sure they were going to live forever are gone. All personal stories, all lost like "tears in rain".
mrquik
JoinedPosts by mrquik
-
3
John Caister; A Personal Story
by mrquik ini met john when i was nine.
my mother had me enroll in the ministry school at the webster, ny hall back in 1958.
"hall" was an upstairs apartment gutted to make a gathering place.
-
-
-
34
Rising allegations
by Freedom rocks inhi does anyone think that with the rise in abuse cases in the uk and the rest of the world and the w5 video as well as many others exposing the organisation that the society might use the loyalty to the organisation as brainwashing to keep people in?
they might say its all lies and an attack by satan and have to stay loyal and not believe any of it.
i bet quite a few will leave.
-
-
mrquik
The answer to " where else to go?" you get from witnesses is as follows: The answer was never "where to go". It was always "when to go". With the realization that 1914 wasn't the beginning or ending of anything, witness logic is forced into the following line of reasoning: No 1914; no end of Gentile Times. No end of Gentile Times; no beginning of Christ's Kingdom. No beginning of Christ's Kingdom; no only true religion. No only true religion means that all religions today, including Jehovah's Witnesses, are part of Babylon the Great. Bible expressly commands all true followers to leave false religion.
-
32
Welcome to all the newbies and lurkers that have joined this forum lately.
by smiddy3 ini`m sure you have all noticed the ever increasing number of newbies and lurkers who have visited this site over the past months and i am sure we could all collectively welcome them to this site and support them on learning the ttatt .
and helping them to navigate how they can look up older publications and quotes of the wtb&ts that they would rather remain hidden.. we all know jehovah`s witnesses /governing body never apologizes for mistakes they make they just don`t mention them anymore and explain it away as new light from god.. actually a big cop out.. welcome to all you who are new to this site .. every day their seems to be someone new posting which is great .. and if this is any indication of what is happening in all other ex jw sites the wtb&ts are in deep trouble .
.
-
-
mrquik
Two more congregations in the Rochester, NY area now defunct. Good-bye to Webster & Irondequoit. I was at the Palmyra congregation for years. They kept waiting to buy property & build a new hall. The GB sold the hall & scattered the members to the wind. Yes sir, the GREAT INFLUX at this TIME OF THE END is just a marvel to behold. I no longer look to argue with life members such as my ex mother-in-law. This is all they have. A life invested in a lie.
-
28
The end of an era ......
by snare&racket ini have written some time ago, about how the religion i grew up in no longer exists.
i was an 80’s jw kid who became a pioneer then a bethelite.
they have new meetings, new elder roles, new acronyms, new core teachings, new songs and even a new bible.
-
-
mrquik
I got indoctrinated in 1958. I was 7. Knew enough to pass on the "International Assembly" in NYC. Next youngest brother in line got that trip. Yes, the Borg has certainly changed. I was in El Paso & Juarez last week & caught several cart witnesses just standing there in both Texas & Mexico. They remind me of "stone people". If you think the cult has changed greatly since the 80's, you should see them from my vantage point.
-
6
The Indignities Of Cart Witnessing For A Corporation Losing Mega Bucks In Child Molestation Lawsuits
by Brokeback Watchtower infirst it's like wearing a big sign on one's forehead:.
.
-
-
mrquik
We finally got a JW cart at the intersection in town. They sit alone. No one ever approaches. It must be humiliating to older witnesses who remember actually engaging householders in conversation. At least it gives them time to reflect what a cult this has all become. We have a large Mennonite community here. They make them look mainstream.
-
40
How Are Ex Elders Treated In The Congregation?
by minimus inare they pretty much left alone?
are they respected for their having been elders at one time?
are they treated like crap?.
-
-
mrquik
I was the golden boy with the presiding overseer. He had been a circuit overseer for many years before retiring to Palmyra, NY. We would decide the fate of all the other elders. I had the circuit overseer ask me about my college age daughter who was living at home at the time. He asked me about studying with her. I replied " She's 20 years old and had decided the religion was not for her." He never said another thing. At the elders' meeting, he brought it up again & recommended my removal as an elder. The presiding overseer had never even gave me a heads up before the meeting. I WAS PISSED. I TOLD THEM DON'T BOTHER TO VOTE OVER THIS, I'M OUT. The presiding was apologetic. I never asked to be an elder again. It was the beginning of the end for me.
-
16
JW Grandparent Drama
by What Now? inmy mom and sisters have not had any contact with my family for the past year and a half.. we even recently announced a new pregnancy and none of them acknowledged it or called to say congratulations or anything.. this past week my non-witness grandfather passed away and i had thought that for the sake of his death and funeral, it being "necessary family business" that they would at least be civil in front of our other family.
all of them still ignored me, my sisters didn't even speak to my children at all - to be honest i don't think my kids even knew who they were.
for the sake of my grandmother i made a small attempt at the end of the day to say goodbye to my mother and she kind of just brushed past me and said goodbye without really looking at me.. anyways my grandmother told me later that my mom spoke to her and said "i love my daughter and i love my grandchildren and i'm so upset that she won't allow me to see them".
-
-
mrquik
There's a difference between family & blood relatives. I have a number of blood relatives, including a daughter, sisters & brothers who I don't consider family. As they were told by the cult, the cult is now their family. So be it, but expect me to cut all ties as well. I have others who are not blood relatives whom I view as family. People who care about me & will stand with me. These have become more than enough especially considering they aren't blood relatives. People who love & care for you are family; that's the bottom line.
-
29
why does no one ask questions ?
by midnight ini always felt bad for asking questions , did anyone else ?
what question did you ask or want to ask but feel it was wrong ?
mine was regarding the circuit assembly and the amount defecit anounced .. also 1975 i got a stern reply too when i was studying in the 90,s.
-
-
mrquik
What happened to "The Make Sure of All Things" book or "Make the Truth Your Own" ? How about the Boreans who were praised for " examining closely" what was told to them? How, in fact, can you prove anything to be true without asking questions. If it is indeed the truth, questioning it will only make it stronger. The cult has become delusional if it believes the members aren't looking for answers.
-
82
How Far Up The Ladder Did You Go In JW Land?
by minimus ini pretty much did it all.
vacation pioneered as a youngster and became a regular pioneer out of school.
i became a ms then an elder.....the organization pushes you to be somebody within the confines of their realm.
-
-
mrquik
Father-in-law was born in 1898. One of the anointed. Knew Rutherford personally. There was a letter Rutherford had written to a local in the Newark, NY area looking for spiritual guidance. Rutherford sent him to my father-in-law. Letter was framed & hung in the Palmyra, NY hall for a number of years. The father-in-law knew everyone. The Schroeders' were close family friends. I met a number of DO's, CO's & Bethelites. Many were regular guys you could talk to. I climbed up the ladder quickly thanks to the family. Servant, elder, worked the stage at all the assemblies, assembly talks, school overseer, worked on the RBC plumbing crew for a number of years. Looking back on 50 years in the cult, I view it as all a waste; that I had made First Mate on the Titanic. All these older ones that I looked up to, that I trusted, that told me I was going to live forever.... all dead. Thanks....
-
52
last convention before global attack on witnesses
by Phoebe inso it's not enough that i'm dealing with post traumatic stress/anxiety and panic attacks all related to my life as a jw (50 years baptized -- i stopped going a couple of months ago) at 3 a.m. i get an email from the other side of the world.
'you have to go to the convention.
bro sanderson says we must watch the news, things are happening.
-
-
mrquik
"Armageddon cars". Hadn't heard that phrase since going out in service in 1965. The elder we rode with had a 1964 Ford sedan that was his "Armageddon car". He's gone as well as all his cars. Take a deep breath & repeat after me: "It's a cult, it's a cult, it's a cult, it's a cult......" After 50 years in, I've been out about 8. It gets easier every year. Here's a new goal for you. Repeat it to yourself every day. " Live Well...Enjoy Life..."