Posts by Shanagirl

59

Our JW Friend told by Elder "Satan is using a Pedophile to Break your Faith"

by flipper in

jw
friends

i was given permission by a jw friend of my wife and me to post this experience.

she's anonymous and posts on the board.

she is married to a witness still but is fighting on behalf of children in her congregation to not be a next victim of a pedophile who attends her congregation.

Shanagirl

Flipper, the bottom line is that your friend is realizing in her heart of hearts that this is not a religion that represents God. It has nothing to do with what the elder told her about Satan testing her faith thru the pedophile. It has to do with her awakening to the fact that her religious community is no longer a safe place to be with and her religious leaders are blind to the fact that this pedophile is a real threat to the safety of the children in her religious community, and they don't give a dam about it. This is so identical to a situation I experienced when I finally stopped pioneering, and left that horrible religion. I hope your friend does not subject herself to going there, and even pay a visit to the prosecutors office and report what she is seeing.

Shana

40

Here we go again. The next hate letter from our 2nd Son.

by Still Totally ADD in

jw
friends

yes it happen again with our youngest son.

this last monday we got a letter from him telling us how unloving we are because we are no longer jw.

cult and not had kids.

Shanagirl

ADD, As a parent of adult children, I can only imagine what you must be going thru. My family all got out together even though 2 of my children married JW's, now divorced. I often applogize to them for raising them in that cult. The only thing you can say is that you could no longer stay with that belief system because it was stealing your integrity if you remained an elder. Let your son know you will always love him and if he chooses to visit and bring the children, he will always be welcome in your home. Obviously he loves you too and is angry right now. He's angry and this letter is a way to try to engage you in some way. JW's always blame those that leave for the reason they have to shun them. Try to speak lovingly to him and that you left not to hurt him but because you could no longer consciencously follow this religion and have a clear heart.

I remember when I suddenly knew in my heart I could no longer stay with it. I was out in service one day and was a regular pioneer, and I began crying, and filled with tears telling the elder ovrseer that I could no longer preach and it was no longer in my heart to do so. I went thru a rough time leaving but I did stop going after a lot of therapy and the support of my husband and children who were then just out of highschool. My youngest was 11 tho, and when we stopped attending a friend from the Hall who's daughter played with her, told me they would continue to pick her up and bring her to the meetings even if I couldn't bring myself to go. I said absolutely not, because I knew if I allowed this they would turn her against me. She grew up "out of the truth" and celebrating holidays with us and had a "normal' life. I'm so glad I took her out. My other kids do still have old JW issues, but no longer consider themselves part of that religion anymore. Interestingly, my husband and I got disfellowshipped, but none of my children did. Our older son was a Bethelite and I pioneered with my daughter when we were in.

So I guess because of their JW roots, they totally don't get the holidays the way my husband and I and our daughter do. We all celebrate together, but I see only my youngest daughter with the genuine holiday spirit.

I do hope you can work it out with your son. It's so sad the way this religion ruins natural family relationships.

Shana

23

King of Jordan on Charly Rose: WW3 in progress, Islam extremism is a generational conflict. --

by prologos in

an eloquent major figure questioned, well worth listening to: on the multi continental conflict among muslims and their push against the secular world.. can be heard on you-tube.. .

Shanagirl

HI Prologos,

I found the YouTube videos on the topic you mentioned. You didn't list them in your post. So here you go! I also listed the interview with Chalie Rose on CBS News.

http://www.cbsnews.com/news/jordan-king-abdullah-on-isis-middle-east-conflict/

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y3-5YPS1GnM

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jzHTvS_6y7A&feature=youtube_gdata

Shana

7

Matthew 24:19-21

by Pete Zahut in

jw
friends

but woe unto them that are with child and to them that give suck in those days!

and pray that your flight be not in the winter, neither on a sabbath for then shall be great tribulation, such as has not been from the beginning of the world until now, no, nor ever shall be.. this scripture was always used to frighten us about the upcoming great tribulaton.

when i was in high school my late mother found out she was pregnant with my youngest sister.

Shanagirl

When we were pregnant with our first child, my mother-in-law and the rest of the JW relatives and sisters would tell me "Armegeddon is so close" you will most likely give birth in jail during the persecution during the great triblulation. Makes me sick to think about it.

Shana

6

Were we spiritually abused? Did or do we need spiritual healing?

by Fernando in

and if so what are our options?.

Shanagirl

Yes, I believe we were spirtiually abused. Years ago, my therapist talked about this with me. The WT was the abuser, like an authoritarian abusive parent, and we the members, were like the co-dependant family, experiencing the abuse, tiptoeing around the abuser, and acutally silent when seeing our other siblings being abused. The worst abused siblings are those who co=dependantly deny there is an abuse by the abusive parent, and acutally side with the abuser against the abused sibling who tries to speak out. This goes on in many pedophile cases when the victim speaks out and the family and WT tries to silence them, knowing full well the abuser has vicitmized. So yes, we were spritually abused by an authoritarian abusive religion and it's spritiual leaders going along and carrying out the abuse.

Shana

21

Jehovah's Witnesses are a Hate group

by Watchtower-Free in

.

Shanagirl

WTFree -

I agree that they are taught to hate what they believe is hateful to their god. This causes them to behave in hateful ways towards those of us who choose to leave their beleif system, and those who are "worldly" or "gay" "idolators", "adulterers" etc. however they don't outwardly display thier hateful bigotry in ways other well known hategroups do.

Shana

51

Your favourite dog breed ...?

by LoveUniHateExams in

in an earlier thread, i mentioned that i wasn't a particularly doggy person but that my parents got a husky last year that i've come to regard as a kind of brother.. huskies superficially resemble wolves and for me it's been fun to compare and contrast husky and wolf behaviour.

huskies howl but rarely bark, and seem to have a strong prey drive and a strong pack instinct - a nod to their wild cousins.

this is why i love huskies, i think.. do you have a favourite dog breed and why?.

Shanagirl

Great Dane

great-dane.jpg (480×600)

Shana

42

My dog just died.

by panhandlegirl in

i just buried my beloved poddle, little brother.

he died suddenly.

i know to most people that is not an important event.

Shanagirl

panhandlegirl,

Having been an animal lover and especially my dogs, I know the grief you are feeling, because we have always had dogs and sadly lost those who lived out their lives over the years. Many people just don't get how painful it is when this great friend passes out of your life. I truly believe dogs have a spirit soul that moves on and stays with us for awhile before going on to another realm. Dog is spelled God Backwards, and I just feel True God knows the strong heart of our loyal loving dogs. Last year I lost my beloved Great Dane to a neurological disease which caused him great pain and loss of mobility. It still hurts to think about him. I used to volunteer for Mid Atlantic Great Dane Rescue League as a foster Mom for incoming orphans until they found their forever homes. I already had one and brought in others in foster until they were adopted. He came into foster as a 5 month puppy, and I had just started chemortherapy that week. He ended up being my therapy dog during chemo and radiation and we adopted him. Life without him now is hollow. I also have 3 pug dogs and Budgies. But it seems to me that it is the dog who is the one with a soul. We also had4 horses, and loved them dearly. To look into the eyes of your beloved horse is to see it's soul. Another painful experience is to have to lose your horse. Stay grounded and keep mementos around you of your beloved friend. It helps and keeps your good memories alive.

Shana

55

What's Your Favorite Perfume or Cologne?

by minimus in

jw
friends

it is xmas time and perfumes and colognes are on the list.

what do you really love for a scent if you were being given a gift?.

Shanagirl

Champs-Elysées by Guerlain

Shana

95

Michael Brown verdict discussion policy - take II

by Simon in

i had originally thought that making the rules clear about what was and wasn't going to be allowed when discussing the michael brown verdict that we'd be able to avoid some of the unpleasantness that surrounded the subsequent trayvon martin trial discussions.. michael brown verdict discussion policy.

i had hoped that once the evidence came out there would not be as many people promoting opinions that contradicted it.

unfortunately, that appears to have been naive of me.

Shanagirl

http://wtvr.com/2014/11/29/cop-hugs-boy-holding-free-hugs-sign-at-ferguson-rally/

It’s the picture we needed to see after a week like this.

Photo of Portland officer hugging crying 12-year-old during Ferguson rally

A 12-year-old black boy, tears streaming down his face, and a white police officer embrace in the middle of a Ferguson-related demonstration in Portland, Oregon.

The boy, Devonte Hart, was holding a sign offering “Free Hugs” during a Tuesday protest over a grand jury’s decision not to indict Ferguson police Officer Darren Wilson in the death of 18-year-old Michael Brown.

Portland police Sgt. Bret Barnum approached Devonte and extended his hand, the boy’s mother, Jen Hart, wrote in a Facebook post.

“He asked Devonte why he was crying. His response about his concerns regarding the level of police brutality towards young black kids was met with an unexpected and seemingly authentic (to Devonte), ‘Yes. *sigh* I know. I’m sorry. I’m sorry.’ The officer then asked if he could have one of his hugs,” Hart wrote, according to the Oregonian.

Shana