Posts by BeautifulMind

19

Word spreading back home

by BeautifulMind in

you all know how much jws loooove to gossip.

so...i just finished a email conversation with one of my self-righteous, super jw relatives back home.

let me preface this conversation by saying this relative is someone i don't communicate with, at all.

BeautifulMind

Harvard Illiterate 411. One of my younger 1st cousins.

Exactly ToesUp. I think it upset him when I said it wasn't a discussion. No discussion = no opportunity to convince/guilt me into going back.

19

Word spreading back home

by BeautifulMind in

you all know how much jws loooove to gossip.

so...i just finished a email conversation with one of my self-righteous, super jw relatives back home.

let me preface this conversation by saying this relative is someone i don't communicate with, at all.

You all know how much jws loooove to gossip. So...I just finished a email conversation with one of my self-righteous, super jw relatives back home. Let me preface this conversation by saying this relative is someone I don't communicate with, at all. I haven't talked to/seen him in over 10 years and it was very minimal before that. I have no idea who told him. I didn't ask, don't care.

1st emaIl: he says he didn't want to be "presumptuous" (yeah right) but heard that me and my family are no longer going to the hall and asked if were we ok. My takeaway - why do you care, we don't even communicate?! And why ask if we are ok? does something have to be wrong? Of course, I know why but it's still a "presumptuous" thing to ask.

My response: no, we are not going. We decided it wasn't for us anymore and we changed our minds. (Seems simple enough right? I was of course, wrong).

2nd email: he "presumptuously" tells me how much he knows me and that I couldn't possibly have decided this on my own after all Jehovah had done for me and asked who I had been talking to. My takeaway - the audacity of me to use my own brain and actually think!!! How presumptuous of me lol!

My final response: I told him this was not a discussion. We made this decision on our own and I told him I don't really understand why that is so hard for him to believe (actually, I know exactly what it was so hard for him). I then finished the conversation asking him to respect our decision and I wasn't going to discuss it any further.

conclusuon: did he respect my decision??🤔🤔 of course not!! But I don't feel all that well today (sinuses kicking my a$$) and have no more energy to give to this nonsense. I have 2 toddlers to chase around the house all day and in general, better things to spend my time on. so I didn't respond to his presumptuous, judgemental emails after that. let him wait for a response that's not coming. Ridiculous that they really think it's ok and their right to interrogate you on your life.

25

This Thursday they are going to announce my disfellowshipping and I don't give a $%^&

by Harvard Illiterate 411 in

hubby is on my team.

i know i'm going to be way happier.

i might even meet up with the apostafest in colorado with you guys.

BeautifulMind

Congrats! 🍷

25

Inviting disfellowshipped to the memorial

by wannaexit in

jw
friends

i read in a european ex jw forum that this year they are making a special effort to invite not only the inactive but also a special effort is made to invite all disfellowshipped.

.

i don't know if this as always been a common practice, or something started anew so they can boast about the numbers of attendees..

BeautifulMind

I'm not dissed, but I hope they don't come knocking. Not interested

34

Leaving the JWs

by Hurting in

i am 32 years and have recently left the organisation.

i got baptised in last feb. please excuse any typing errors i have dyslexia.

it has been so hard this year i have gone through so many ups and downs.

BeautifulMind

Welcome! And thank you for sharing your story. I'm sorry to hear you have gone through so much but know there is light at the end of the tunnel. Hang in there.

10

So Thankful

by BeautifulMind in

i was just sitting here on this beautiful saturday afternoon thinking about how thankful i am that i left the jws.

do i wish i had woke up and left sooner, sure.

but i'm definitely happy that i'm out period, and for so many reasons but i just will share a few.

BeautifulMind

I was just sitting here on this beautiful Saturday afternoon thinking about how thankful I am that I left the jws. Do I wish I had woke up and left sooner, sure. But I'm definitely happy that I'm out period, and for so many reasons but I just will share a few. Me and my husband can actually be ourselves with each other without all the cult personality stuff in the mix. We started as really good friends and continue to be. But it's so cool to be free to be us, not hold back.

I'm also thankful that we left in time so that my sweet little boys - ages 4 & 2, won't have to grow up in it. They will have choices and not be forced to be clones of us or anyone else. I mean, my parents thought they were doing the right thing. But they were very extreme when it came the jws. No sports, no dances. Telling all our teachers at the beginning of the school year that we were jws so we could not stand for the flag or participate in anything remotely related to holiday activities - embarrassing! Not to mention no college (I went anyway), and various other extreme controlling measures.

But I'm mostly thankful for the peace of mind I now have. Accepting that life is not always easy and bad things happen NOT as a result of "satan's system" but because life just sucks sometimes! But it's also very beautiful too and I intend to enjoy it.

No more guilt, no more fear. It feels great😉

92

Only a few days ago I was entirely lost and without hope the rug was pulled out from under me

by elderess in

jw
friends

only a few days ago i was walking around the house in a mindless wander thinking if i needed to seek professional help.

then i got the courage to seek the comfort of complete strangers on the internet and found a world of support here on this website.

thank you simon and whoever else has made this website possible.

BeautifulMind

Congrats Elderess!! Wondrerful story and welcome 👍🏾

36

Gay ex-Bethelite

by Chip Williamson in

just now finding this web site and have enjoyed reading the comments.

i've never written down my story and it could be a jerry springer episode but here goes.

i was raised as a jehovah's witness from as early as i can remember.

BeautifulMind

Welcome Chip!

53

How did you feel when they eliminated the Con. Book Study?

by Freeandclear in

jw
friends

years ago when i was "in" i loved the book study.

it was my favorite meeting by far.

mainly because it was a small group.

BeautifulMind

OMG! Bookstudy was my favorite! When I was in PA we had it at my house, dad was an elder at the time. He's a cool guy so it was real laid back and chill. And last book study of the month we would have a "goodie night" but really it was a full blown dinner lol. And alot of my childhood friends were in my group. Lots of fun. Once I moved to GA book study got better. The brother whose house we went to also had a goodie night. But the interesting thing is after we said "amen" the lights would dim and the food AND cocktails would come out. He would say "the worship is over, now let's relax!" Best conductor ever lol

36

Memorial campaign with videos??

by BeautifulMind in

jw
friends

good morning from the east coast.

i have a question.

a friend of mine texted me and one of the things she said was that they were getting a lot of great responses with the campaign because they are showing the video.

BeautifulMind

I noticed the decline in attendance too last year. Lots of empty seats.