let me start off by saying i do not presume to have the answers, i am merely offering advice.. i will preface this posting with this, cutting a long story short:.
my sister was raped by a popular jw lad wh's dad happen to be a rock star elder.
in the attempt to fight him off his face was covered with scratches and it was reported to the police ( instead of rape he was sentenced on the lesser charges of sexual battery and assault) but he confessed to having violent, consentual sex.
You have lived a life that is unique in many ways SSC.
I enjoy hearing about it and seeing things from your perspective.
I think of us ex JWs as being a rare group. Touchy, sensitive, beautiful, wise and all at different stages.
If the rest of the world is like a piano or maybe an organ, than we are like the carillion bells of humanity.
maybe this is a bit obtuse, but see if you can follow me here and maybe throw in your own views.
as i see it, the organization as a whole is a family, and like most, it is dysfunctional.
you have the parents in those taking the lead (gb, elders, overseers, etc.
Well Dub, you were probably not wrong - just sharing your current perspective at that time.
Isnt it interesting to read back and see how our thoughts change as our knowledge about the inner workings of the Org grows?
I felt exactly like you did in your OP at one point. Then I got a big shock when the compilation of devious actions by the Org was revealed to me through research here.
So now I am working on keeping my balance. Trying not to be too outspoken with my JW friends that remain, trying to see where the real blame lies (its a trickle down) and trying to forge ahead in a positive frame of mind.
It can be exhausting and a little lonely I am finding.
so lately i've felt so frustrated and overwhelmed that i had to tell someone how i felt.
my parents were gone so i decided to talk to my sister.
we've always been close so i thought i could trust her because we have talked about it before.
BlackWolf
Thank you all for the advice. I realize now that my sister is probably not mature enough to handle this yet ( she just turned 14) but id hate more than anything to see her waste her entire life for something so stupid
Well that is certainly an understandable and loving viewpoint that you have.
There is a really good old saying that talks about "what you are doing speaks louder than what you are saying."
If your sister sees you slowly but surely build a nice life independent of the JWs she will be much more likely to explore her own doubts in the future.
An added benefit is that you will then be in a position to help her in whatever practical ways she needs.
All the best to you BlackWolf!
hey all.
i hope you are all having a good day.
just a quick update on our fade.
Really enjoyed reading your heart warming post..
Your words about taking your babies to the park and getting to know the others there made me smile.
Time spent loving your children instead of "struggling" with them is a gift you are giving them and yourself!
not sure if anything will come of this.
but i signed it.. https://www.change.org/p/united-states-attorney-general-investigate-the-watchtower-society-of-jehovah-s-witnesses-re-child-sexual-abuse?recruiter=363165656&utm_source=share_petition&utm_medium=copylink.
Signed it.
now its nine...
so last night i was having a wonderful meal in a very nice restaurant when we heard what we thought was a loud clap of thunder.................. it was a bomb.
yards from my hotel.
thankfully i made a few decision that meant i wasn't in the wrong place at the wrong time.
Seeing your beautiful pictures makes it all seem very real.
I am so glad you are ok cantleave.
a couple friends pointed me to some info on the sabbath and i just plain like it, being the workaholic i am it's a lifesaver for me and gives me the motivation to be more balanced about my business and work schedule.
so from there i looked into the adventists and found a hall near my place and went last week.
i honestly enjoyed myself and the meeting time is not disruptive and the people were great and pretty laid back.
I took a 6 week class with SDA last winter.
My impressions were that the people were much more relaxed and seemed happier than the folks in my own Kingdom Hall did.
Their growth is much more impressive than the JWs also.
about a month ago i posted what had happened to two elderly sisters who were reprimanded by a couple of elders for crying because the jw broadcasting was going to be stopped at the kingdom hall and it was up to each publisher to learn how to use the internet.
if you recall the sisters got together with my mom and talked about it and it resulted in all of them declining to make meals for the pioneers.
here is the link.
This is the greatest thing I am probably going to read today.
Way to go older ladies!!!
so i ran into this brother whom ive known for a while and the conversation led into me being invited to come back to the kingdom hall.
we talked for about an hour during which time i explained to him 607 being the wrong date and a lot of other stuff including the child abuse cases in australia.
but what i wanted to relate was the last few minutes of our conversation.
I have to laugh and shake my head at the man in the OPs conversation,
I WAS him just a few short years ago.
That whole line about "yes there are things wrong in the Org but basically what is better?" is designed to make yourself feel aware without having to really do anything different.
I think it works best for JWs who mainly use the Org as a social network. They are too aware and realistic to deny the problems but they dont want to take action - not really.
Many times it is family and fear of the unknown.
I still dont know if I would have been as brave as some here if I hadnt been smacked in the face, I might still be spouting that same line.
i believe that the bombings shortened the war in the pacific and probably saved countless lives.
i am not an expert on this subject but given the times it was probably the correct and moral thing to do.. what say you all?.
Bonsai5 hours agoThe common people were petrified of the government and of displeasing the emperor, but by 1944 most people could see which way the wind was blowing. The Japanese people wanted out of the war long before it ended
I loved your entire post bonsai but found the above words especially poignant.
