This site really helped me to realize I wasn't alone. When you are a JW and you start questioning your beliefs you have no one to turn to really. You can't discuss your feeling with another friend which would be a JW and you can't discuss your feelings with a non JW because they don't understand.
lv4fer
JoinedPosts by lv4fer
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38
What Have You Learned From This Site?
by minimus ini see that some people feel that jwd is a godsend.
they've learned so much in so short of time.....have you been helped by this site and other similar ones here on the internet?
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High rates of depression in Org.
by chuckyy ini noticed after being a jw for a while that many members of my congregation were having to take antedepressants.
(i counted at least 30 out of 100).
after a few years i too began to have bouts of depression and problems with anxiety.
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lv4fer
There is definitely a high rate a depression in the JW's. Also if there is an article in the AWAKE about some disorder 1/3 of the people will say they think they have it. In retrospect if you are sick with something that gives you an excuse not to have to go out in service as much, and to be able to miss a few meetings. So they say they have Chronic Fatigue Syndrome or whatever the latest Syndrome. Because deep down no one really enjoys all those meetings and or Field Service. If they are sick though they can make and excuse and try not to feel guilty about not going.
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Met a JW elder for the first time since leaving JW
by coldfish ini left about 14 months back and stopped attending meetings cold turkey.
so i haven't seen any jws for ages and for some reason i've never bumped into them at the mall or in town - and i guess that means they haven't seen me either or know what i'm up to.. i was at a cafe with a male friend today, we look like a typical couple that is we're the same age, shop together etc but its purely platonic.
but you know how it is with jw .
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lv4fer
You can bet they will be after you now! I have to laugh at him walking away without saying goodbye. The cross you see gave him a reaction much like a vampire. They can't stand to look at a cross, it is evil!
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To those that believe in a god; Please help me believe
by AlmostAtheist inhey gang,.
this isn't a debate-for-debate's sake thread.
i enter with an informed but open mind.
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lv4fer
You should read some the books written by Lee Strobel. A Case for Christ, A Case for Faith etc. He was a confirmed Athiest for many years and then turned Christian after much research and he wrote some books debating the issues. They are excellent.
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Best Bible Translation?
by mywifeisaJW inmy wife has been a jw for about 10 years (we have been married 15 years).
over the years i have tried various strategies to deal with this, which i won't go into here...except that i have agreed to "read the bible" with my wife...and i get to pick the translation.. what translation would be best recommended to help highlight the errors of the nwt and jw thinking in general?
i have seen here that today's english version has been recommended...anything else?
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lv4fer
The NIV is my favorite. But a good interlinear is very important to have on hand. Because then when you realize they totally changed the meaning of certain texts it shows it without a doubt in an interlinear.
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How does the society explain 5 more partakers at the Memorial?
by lv4fer ini think it's kind of funny.
how do they explain more people this year than lasts?
i thought the number was suppose to get lower as they died off?
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lv4fer
I think it's kind of funny. How do they explain more people this year than lasts? I thought the number was suppose to get lower as they died off? If someone fell away then someone would replace them that is 1 for 1 an even swap. Do you think Jehovahs messed up on his count and thought he had 144,000 when he realized that he only had 143,395 and needed to add 5 more?
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The Book of Revelation
by under74 inokay, if anyone's seen my last post i'm doing a research paper on adventist groups.
right now i'm reading revelation since it's a big thing amongst adventists.
my own conclusion is that revelation had to do with the time it was written in.
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lv4fer
I think it talks about the future. I do think John saw the future/wars etc and described it in a way he could because he was seeing things he didn't understand (airplanes, bombs, war, etc.) He described them as stinging scorpions, flying locusts etc. Actually planes, helicopters do look kind of look like huge flying insects. Hal Lindsey's books have some interesting insight into this. This is just my take on it
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For those of us with active JW parents
by JustTickledPink inthere seem to a commonality around here about active jw parents shunning us.. my question is: if your parents weren't a jw, do you think they would be normal, act kindly, be a real parent to you?
or would they still be cold and callused towards you, controlling, etc.
my thought is this, so many times i used to think i wish my mom wasn't a jw because then i thought she would be this wonderful caring mother that i could go to lunch with, share shopping days with, recipes, and we'd be close.
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lv4fer
Ok. I've given this a lot of thought. First I'm going to say that my Dad is a JW. I am the one who brought him into the organization. He was just appointed an elder about 6 months ago. He is 81 years old. He is very active in service and gives talks etc. When I explained to him why I left, he promised me he would never shun me because he doesn't agree with it. The funny thing is, my "elder dad " is flying in to spend Christmas with me and my sister and our families. Of course, no one knows this and if they questioned him he would say he was just spending time with his family, however he asked me to get some presents for his great grandkids because he doesn't know what to get them. I can't figure this out, but I'm not complaining. When I was a witness, I played by the rules and looking back I was a "Good Witness" If my children had left I know I would never be able to shun them completely, but there would be a bit of coldness there because of the disappointment in them. I might add that I love my kids more than life itself. We are very close. You would hope that by shunning them, that their love for you would be a draw for them to come back and when your a witness that is all that you want. You believe that if they don't come back they are going to die if armageddon comes tomorrow. So really your parent is just trying to get you to come back, if they just treat you normally, what reason would you have to come back. They are also in fear for their own life because they believe if they don't do accordingly that they won't live through armageddon and that they are being disloyal to Jehovah. It is really crazy. My husbands mom and sister and most of his aunts, uncles and cousins are witnesses. His sister talks to me very little and his mom talks a bit to me at first when we left she told me that my daughters blood was on my hands (my daughter was 13 at the time) His other family members have nothing to do with us we are not invited to any family functions on his side of the family. I'm so glad my family except for my dad is not JW's. I feel so bad for those of you who have lost your parents because you left. It must be so difficult. It is probably heart wrenching for your parents because they feel they have to act the way they do and that they are doing the "right" thing by shunning you. Your parents are missing out on so much, by not having a relationship with their children.
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IF YOU ARE FADING?
by vitty indo you still go to the memorial?
and if not is this a reason to dfs you?.
and if or when you stopped going did you feel guilty?.
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lv4fer
No they won't disfellowship you for not attending a memorial. You know what is funny. They last meeting I went to was a memorial 3 years ago. I would NEVER go back. I only went to that one because I was trying to save face and fade w/o having a bad impact on my family. It didn't works they still shun us and we are not df'd or da'd. Unless they did and didn't tell us.
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Who here still finds it hard to celebrate Christmas?
by dh ini was raised a jw and as i've probably said before, i left when i was around 18... i'll be 27 in a few days, and as i get older realise how i do not really know how to celebrate anything.
being raised a jw we never had xmas or birthdays (or any celebration), and since none of the friends i had when i left the jw's were christian either, i have to this day never celebrated it... i am not christian and will openly admit that i couldn't care less about the religious side of christmas, but what i see around me, everywhere in the world are people who aren't really christian either, celebrating christmas, either for kids or friends or whatever, but i've never done that or had anyone around me to do that with... people look forward to this time of year so much, they buzz and rush around like it's a real event, and to this day i've never been able to feel that way.
most of my christmas/birthdays since leaving jw's have been spent by myself, completely devoid of celebration, i want to get into that feel good spirit, but i don't know how, and if i try to fake it, i know it is fake.
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lv4fer
I was not raised a witness, but I became one right after I go married, so my children wer raised JW's. We left 3 years ago and the first Christmas we went to visit my sister and did the whole Christmas thing and as we were sitting around eating Christmas dinner after spending the whole day with the family exchanging gifts playing games, my son who at the time was 17 said you know mom I can see why we avoided this for all my life....this is just truly evil and wrong. We had a good laugh. This is the first year my husband has gotten into it actually buying gifts etc. the first two years were awkward for him he was a witness from the time he was 12.