Posts by tracylee

50

What's the biggest lie/rumor that has ever been told about YOU?

by VampireDCLXV in

most of us here know what a hypocritical, backstabbing bunch of gossips many of the jw's tend to be.

far too often, a jw wont tell you to your face what's eating them, but they'll sure tell others.

when i started waking up (the second time around) this made me very paranoid.

tracylee

There was a rumor being spread that I was a hooker in Vegas, and that I moved there to be a prostitute.

I was living in Las Vegas for the summer because that's where my DAD lived (my parents were divorced). I mean, that rumor was LAUGHABLY wrong! How could anybody even keep a straight face while repeating something so obviously contrived?

Then there were also the generic one-size-fits-all JW gossip about how I was sleeping with worldly guys, doing drugs, and boozing it up.

There was also a rumor that I was crazy and schizophrenic.

When I moved out of my mom's house to get away from the abuse (I was beaten, starved, forced to sleep in the cold, and my mother actually threatened to kill me for disobedience at that point)... my mom told everyone that I RAN AWAY FROM HOME. Like a classic rebellious teen throwing a tantrum. In reality, I had contacted a social worker and a low cost attorney and started the emancipation process, and told my mother I would agree to live with her again if we got family counseling. She pretended to agree, but then just had me dragged into the back room with the elders to be yelled at and told that everything was MY fault and that I was abusing MY MOM, and not the other way around. She never even set anything up with a counselor, and that was the last chance I was willing to give her. I went to court and finished the process, and was for most purposes considered an adult and independent of my mother. She didn't want her reputation to be damaged, so she of course villainized me and told everyone I ran away like an immature whiny brat who didn't get her way.

Then, at the new congregation I moved to, rumors still followed me! The elders dragged me into that cozy little back room I was so familiar with, and demanded to know my "criminal history". Since I had been to court, it could ONLY be because I committed a crime, according to them. So, in my new congregation, I was a criminal, in spite of the fact that there was no evidence of any crime, no court record, NOTHING.

And, my best friend's mom (also a JW) didn't believe I was a virgin, and demanded to physically check my dainty little girl parts, I kid you not. And of course my refusal to allow her to violate me like that was used as evidence of my guilt. Because in JW Land, you are guilty until proven innocent. And even then you can still be declared guilty anyway.

Such fond memories. Why did I ever leave? Oh right... for selfish reasons.

13

Tell Us What's Happening on Mother's Day

by OnTheWayOut in

jw
friends

so many of us are free, so many of us are not.. share whatever "mother's day" activity you will be involved in this year.

moms and those with non or ex-jw moms, whazzup?.

tell us how that makes you feel, your involvement or lack of involvement in mother's day..

tracylee

Does Hallmark make a "Thank you for being too religious to abort me" card?

69

Any videogamers here?

by R.F. in

this is my #1 hobby.

i have a ps2, psp, and xbox.

i was mainly an xbox kind of guy until they completely abandoned it soon after the 360 was released.

tracylee

My xbox 360 died a tragic death this past December.

But I also have a Wii, a PS2, a Super Nintendo, an original Nintendo, and my PSP.

I usually just download games to my PSP. Tactics Ogre is my current addiction. I've hearted that game since it first came out on PS1.

I played FFXI for a while, but i hated that to accomplish anything, or even just to level, I needed to socialize and group with other players. Jesus Christ, I don't play video games because I want to TALK TO PEOPLE and SOCIALIZE! If I'm rotting my brain with an MMORPG, it can prolly be assumed that I am socially awkward and hate people!

100

What's the most dumbest/petty thing you've heard of someone being "stumbled" over?

by Reality79 in

- some loser once took offense that i hugged a sister goodbye at a leaving do and ran back to the elders like a little child telling on me.

i was 15, this sister was in her 40s at the time.. - this elder said someone told him they saw me with a copy of the sun newspaper.

yes, this paper is known for its 'page 3' topless girls but far from pornagraphic and i wasn't even thinking along those lines.. - one brother who had a good job was 'counselled' because he was actually able to buy himself nice things including a new car (shock, horror!!

tracylee

I was counseled for my hair being too dark, that it was stumbling to others because I looked 'goth' and like a 'satan worshipper'.

It's not like I dyed my hair black. I'M ASIAN.

(After that lovely talking-to, I dyed my hair Ronald McDonald red. )

68

June 15th WT - WT Society Pressures JW Parents to Indoctrinate Children

by flipper in

jw
friends

in a non-study article in the jw only watchtower is an article titled " should youths get baptized ?

" the wt society is losing young people in very large numbers - so how else to try stemming the exodus than putting pressure on jw parents to indoctrinate and instill mind control into their children ?

in one section here in this article it almost sounds like a version of " 20 questions " that the wt society asks parents to determine if their children are making " spiritual progress " as they phrase it.

tracylee

"I don't know what to think. I was told (a few years ago) by a member of my former Cong. that young teens were 'begging' their parents to get baptised, but the parents were making them wait. So, either the parents are wising up and anticipating what is going to happen, or this person is delusional in believing that kids actually want to get baptised, and because they're not (getting baptised) there must be a 'logical' reason why not."

LOL, I'm pretty sure that brother or sister was either high, or living in some strange bizarro universe.

I remember when the PO's daughter got baptized... at age 8. Everyone was talking about how wonderful it was that she got baptized so young. I was horrified, even as an indoctrinated fully believing JW. The PO (who was a power hungry jerk) had a complex, and needed to one up the other parents whose kids got baptized at 10, 11, or 12, like it was some sort of competition. /eyeroll

36

Counselled on chatting to a study!

by Penn9 in

hey all, i'm new to posting, but i've lurked for a while.

quick intro: i'm a 25 yr old guy, brought up a jw, strayed for a while, then got baptized convinced it was the best thing for me, the rest of the world is satanic, etc.

i overcame that ridiculous belief and i know the truth about "the truth" but my friends and family are all deep into the cult so leaving is a huge risk that i'm not willing or ready to take.

tracylee

Penn, you're stuck between a rock and a hard place. I wish I had some good advice for you, but the friend I had who was in a similar situation, well... it was pretty hard on her. I don't think she got disfellowshipped, but she sure did get blackballed by the congregation. She met a guy, he started studying, she was counseled for basically talking to him at all ever, I think she might have even been reproved (she was intentionally vague on the details). Anyway, she paid a hefty price to be with him. Nobody spoke to her, she was badmouthed and gossipped about, and I think she lost her privileges. But, as soon as he got baptized, they got married, and have children now, and are very happy. But it was really difficult for her during that period of time prior to the wedding. So difficult for her that she, you know, actually spoke to ME, a disassociated JW, because she needed SOMEONE to understand her and be on her side. She is a very devout JW, so for her to speak to me at all about how she finally understood how I felt when everyone treated me like that... well, things must have REALLY sucked for her to get to that point. But, she is still a JW. And things must have gotten good for her again, because she went back to shunning me.

I'm pretty sure that no matter what you do, you're pretty much screwed. You're already on the Elders' sh*t list; they're going to be watching and waiting for you to mess up or "disobey" them.

68

June 15th WT - WT Society Pressures JW Parents to Indoctrinate Children

by flipper in

jw
friends

in a non-study article in the jw only watchtower is an article titled " should youths get baptized ?

" the wt society is losing young people in very large numbers - so how else to try stemming the exodus than putting pressure on jw parents to indoctrinate and instill mind control into their children ?

in one section here in this article it almost sounds like a version of " 20 questions " that the wt society asks parents to determine if their children are making " spiritual progress " as they phrase it.

tracylee

I was baptized at 16. Not because I wanted to. I told everyone that since Jesus waited till he was 30 (when he was considered an adult), that I too should wait until I was an adult, age 18+.

Yeah, that didn't fly. The elders told me I had no good excuse for not getting baptized because I was raised in the troof, and had enough knowledge to pass their stupid test.

Because my family was going out to serve where the need was greater (for one week, in Buttf*ck, Idaho), I was TOLD I had to get baptized, since only baptized witnesses could go, and I was told there was no way I was going to be left at home by myself, because I wasn't trusted to not party-hardy, fornicate, shoot up heroin, or whatever it is the Elders think we do when they're not monitoring us like the Gestapo.

My not-so-secret boyfriend was also going on that trip, so I decided to go ahead and get dunked. After I got baptized, my not-so-secret boyfriend was forbidden to go on the trip, conveniently. I felt tricked LOL! I do remember, on my baptism day, that a few of my friends made jokes about how the pool water would part like the red sea as I tried to go in, and a voice from heaven would say, "No, she cannot be baptized! Her motives are impure!" (my friends knew how i REALLY felt)

If I could redo it, I would have worn the skankiest thong bikini to get baptized in, and sans the t-shirt. Or even better, not gotten baptized. Though I actually would have been thrown out into the streets if I had refused, I know I would have. Because my mom's a beyotch.

So anyway, I chose to get baptized for non-religious reasons, and the trip to Idaho blew donkey balls. I'm 28 years old, and still angry about it. OH, and get this: not only did I basically just sell my soul to the devil WTS, I was forced to use the money I had from my crappy minimum wage part time job to PAY FOR THE GAS FOR THE TRIP, all of my own food, and for my lodging. The expression "f*cked in both holes" comes to mind.

My mom doesn't understand why NONE of her 4 kids stayed in the troof. Though my mom (who I think is fading) has never shunned us. She's still a beyotch, but I think her Asian attitude about family obligations over ruled the WTS shunning policy. But I do use the shunning policy as an excuse to ignore her calls (because she's still a beyotch). I tell her in a syrupy sweet voice, "Oh mom, I don't want to trouble your conscience or stumble you, and because I deeeeeeeeeeeeeply respect your religious beliefs, I don't think you should call me anymore. Beyotch." Oh, by the way, did I mention my mom is still a beyotch?

Anyway, that's my experience.

I'm not bitter.

14

Ex-JW Vicci Martinez on TV Show "The Voice"

by Justitia Themis in

this young woman has an excellent voice.

she and i were in the same congregation.

her family came to my youngest daughter's high school graduation party, and vicci (vickie) sang there.

tracylee

I remember watching her perform at Borders in Tacoma (she did a great Dave Matthews cover). We had mutual friends, and one of her relatives was my boss at the craft store I worked at (way back in the day, when I was 17). Small world!

I just started watching The Voice on Hulu out of boredom, and about crapped my pants when I saw Vicci Martinez on there!

39

Did you beleive you were A intellectual when you were a JW

by jam in

jw
friends

i am embarrass to say when i was a jw and a elder i. thought i could sit down and speak on any subject with.

anyone intelligently.

i felt the schooling of the wt had.

tracylee

Scully, I was also told I the same thing about being too smart for my own good. I was one of those uppity women folk, thinkin' and gettin' all them idears... Toward the end of my JW-ishness, I started wearing pants to the meetings. THAT was a lot of fun.

I always thought I was smarter than everyone. Great standardized test scores, perfect grades, PLUS I had da troof! College humbled me a lot, thank God. I was an arrogant pain in the ass.

35

The Ransom for Nitwits

by Farkel in

mark 10:45: "for even the son of man came not to be ministered unto, but to minister, and to give his life a ransom for many.".

1 timothy 2:5-6: "for there is one god, and one mediator between god and men, the man christ jesus; who gave himself a ransom for all, to be testified in due time.".

the ransom that was taught for the first 1,000 years of christianity.

tracylee

Thanks Farkel, for taking me down memory lane. I once was stupid/brave enough to ask an Elder about the issues I had with the Ransom (i.e. it didn't make a bloody ounce of sense to me), and was thoroughly chastized. (seriously, they made me cry)

I'll have to send this on to my "apostate" brother, he'll get a kick out of it!