this is the internet, simply put, none of you know anymore about who the other really is or should judge them by the lack of emotional smiley faces in their sentence structure.. first to danny,.
we have spoken on the phone and exchanged a few emails and i consider you a good friend.
you are much like alan in many ways and in others very different.
Geez Dave there I was feeling all soppy about you, and Alan, and DB - and then you shoot your stupid mouth off and insult us wonderful Australians. We do not like soppy or was it fluffy posts!!!!!!!!!!
I agree with everything you said about Alan - but I think he is funny. Does that mean I have too many brain cells too? Don't answer that!
Marilyn
hillary,.
you said: "well, you have to admit it most da letters are boring".
i know your post was a spoof but i just wanted to say that many of us who chose da did so over life and death matters; what we thought was life with god or death with the slime that led the watchtower!!.
Dear IW, I agree with Hilary. I don't know who she/he is, or who you are, but I happen to think most d'a letters are a waste of time. I've only ever seen one that deeply impressed me and that was sent to me by mistake, in place of the usual run of the mill type I was meant to be checking. We really are kidding ourselves if we think that anyone 'inside' gives a damn and reads our pain staking efforts to express the hell we've been thru because of the WTS and their screwed up beliefs.
I personally believe that no body leaves until they are ready - no matter what startling, world shattering evidence we lay before them.
I've been out a long time and I've suffered as much as anyone at the hands of the JWs - and it's just my opinion that a letter like Hilary's would make as much impact as any - maybe even more, because it would make the shunning thing really hard to do. (coz they wouldn't understand the letter - and it would leave them unsure how best to react).
Marilyn
a couple of weeks ago, we get a phone call from my husband's aunt.
she tells him that his jw grandma (g-ma) wanted him to call her, and she promised him that she would not shun him.
this is how the phone call went.. grandma (g-ma)- "hello, who is this?
Tammie, please tell your husband that loads of others know what he's feeling right now. I've been dealing with this kind of irrational treatment for 20 yrs. I find the pain comes and goes, according to what's happening in my family (my relatives). It really is a case of "what can't be changed, must be endured". Time helps a lot. Also a friend once told me to think on all the good things in my life. My husband and I got out of the Org. together, when our kids were little. I have always counted this as a tremendous plus. Twenty years on I know that in spite of all the crap I've been subjected to, I have been the lucky one. I've had a wonderful 20 yrs "out", and my kids are successful and we are comfortably off. We are normal - how wonderful!
best of wishes to you and your husband!
Marilyn
dear all.
watched parkinson last week (week before?
), anyway, the one that starred elton john (for those not in the uk, parkinson is a bbc saturday night chat show hosted by mr michael p.).
Yeah Seeker, but he put on a wig! I wonder if we would be as popular if he had a big ol' shinny scalp on show.
Marilyn
in contrast with humans, who have a limited life span, jehovah never feels pressured by time to reveal his secrets prematurely.
this fact should prevent us from becoming impatient when certain bible questions cannot presently be explained to our satisfaction.
modesty on the part of the faithful and discreet slave class, commissioned to provide the christian household with food at the proper time, prevents it from presumptuously running ahead and wildly speculating about things that are still unclear.
::::::::::It is not too proud to admit that as of now it cannot answer every question,
I thought they were into 'pick and answer, any answer'!
Marilyn
why do we keep coming here?.
why when many of us have left do we still feel drawn to discuss watchtower issues?.
in the scope of the hole world the organisation known as jehovahs witnesses means little for most people but for us it's still a majour part of our lives.. we might even spend more time now thinking and discussing it than we did as witnesses.. of course it still effects us we will never forget what has happened to us.. for many the sense of deception and disapointment is great, coupled with the frustration that many of our former friends and family just do not understand us and our choice to leave.. we would like to see and end to this rotten organisation and hope that we can play at least a small part in that.
I think of it as an exclusive club. I paid the entry fee, like everyone else, and I like to hang out here sometimes. It's mostly the company and humor that I enjoy here - though I do learn new things from time to time. As for the idiot that said we are here to justify ourselves - I love it!!! It's always good to see examples how JWs think (or don't think~).
Marilyn
well, like the proverbial bad penny, mommie dark is back again.
the last week has been a long drugged blur (and kent, i can hear you snickering about how that isn't a bad thing .
to all who sent such wonderful greetings and good wishes, my sincere thanks.
Hi MD, I didn't send a message on the net - but was full of good thoughts for you. You are such a special lady! I hope they will sort you out real soon. Hey, being sorted out sounds like fun!!!!!!
love Marilyn
i'm new here and i'm certain this topic has been discussed in the past so please forgive me for bringing it up.
i've been inactive for about 3 years now and at this time would like to disassociate myself as i do plan to celebrate holidays and such.
so i think it is to my advantage to da myself before i get dfed.
Mulan said: start celebrating the holidays. They don't df them for that.
Actually that's wrong Mulan. We were disfed in 1981 after drifting away two years already. They approached us with accusations of wrong doing. One of their claims was that we had allowed our 3yo daughter to attend a birthday party. The other claims were that we believed in evolution, and I honestly forget the third claim. Just a bunch of stuff my own brother remembered me saying, I think.
I certainly belong to the drift away camp, as there is no difference between d'fed and d'ad. Same same as the Chinese say!!! I personally wouldn't give them the satisfaction of making it easy to be rid of you. If I had my time over again I'd do the same, but be more careful not to say anything they can use to disfed me. Either that or go out with style e.g. make up the biggest bunch of lies that would keep the elders sitting down long after I'd left the committee meeting!!!!
Marilyn
for many of us dealing with overlapping complex issues, please visit this website belonging to the open university in the uk, a truly excellent resource.. the open university is one of the leading universities in the uk with daily learning tuition upon the bbc2 channel, learning zone, broadcast throught each night.. another thing, i happen to think that a lot more physical exercise would be good for us in assisting in overcoming overwhelming feelings of anxiety, anyone suggestions that they have found most effective?
in further generation of beneficial positive, mind, body, action, results?.
peace.
Celtic my husband works for the OUHK. Open University of Hong Kong. Some of the staff in HK are ex OUuk staff. My husband is a distance learning specialist. I'll tell him about your post!
I swim alternate days and walk on the other days. I swim for 35 to 40 minutes and same for the walks. It's good for stress - and great for the the body! I'm completely addicted!
Marilyn
i'm still currently a jw myself and i'm serving as a minsterial servant in a limited capacity.
(a few weeks ago i was vocal about the doubts i've had and the elders made the decision to allow me to stay on as a ms but without giving talks) .
1. recently as in the last few years i've been paying more attention to the various members in the congregation and i've observed some interesting things.
The last International Assembly I attended was an attempt to regain my spirituality. I tried real hard to make it work. However, the timing was bad to begin with. It was in early December and a lot of the brothers had trouble getting time off to attend. I looked around the assemby grounds at the young families, who were clarly struggling financially. It really upset me seeing these poor folk struggle to find food and keep their little-uns clean, dry and comfortable. On the scale of things they were ok I guess, but to me they looked like they needed a financial infusion and some joy in their lives. They weren't going to get it at the convention. The seating was awful and the sound was even worse. It was probably a blessing that we couldn't hear much - coz what did bellow thru was just more of the same old, same old.
That International convention seal it for me. I'd had enough!
Marilyn
