Posts by millie210

447

Does Anyone Still Believe in God?

by LaurenM in

do any of you ex-jw's still believe in god?

even with the new rebranding/softening of this religion, i still don't see how people can believe in him.

the god of the old testimate is an angry murderer who approved rapes and slavery and killed thousands of men, women and children.

millie210

crazyhorse
I don't know what to believe. What does that make me?

That makes you the kind of person that I make a mental note to pay attention to on this board.

It also makes you very honest. A quality I genuinely admire.

I do not feel sad over my years (wasted?) as a JW but one thing I have promised myself is that I will no longer listen to anyone who

is smug

claims to have it right (this time?)

states what they believe as a fact

Everything (except for some vegetation and a few animals) is here longer than we are. We can find our place in the universe, everything else does.

There was a quote in a Watchtower years ago - dont remember who and am disinclined to go look, it was "Some say time flies? Alas time stays, we go"

In view of that, there is a lot to learn in a short amount of time. I just cannot afford to let myself be reeled in by people who think they have the answers.

At the end of the day, who is happy? Who is questioning and yet with an easy free soul? Who do people gain from in just the merest interaction with them - even if its transacting a purchase at a register? We akk see these people around...they exist.

What do those people think? What moral compass do they steer by and why?

No more fake happy - if I act happy people will think I am "of God" - like I see a lot of religious people project. I swear, its like a mask. Cant you see it? The televangelist sneer?

All the people who are in a hurry to find a new belief - nope. Not interested in that either. Whats the hurry? We arent chickens, we dont have to hurry and find our place in the pecking order. Ok, well some evidently do but I am not interested in it.

Lastly, anyone who strives to be a leader. Not a naturally occurring leader but someone who wants it and works toward it as its own end game.

Im staying away from those people too.

So to hear you pose a question and not claim to have a nice neat answer is impressive Crazyhorse.

16

A funny little diplomatic cable regarding the Malawi atrocities against JW's in 1975

by Saintbertholdt in

no doubt that atrocities were perpetrated against jehovah's witnesses in 1972-73.. but what about the reports in 1975?.

here is an excerpt from a diplomatic cable sent to the us secretary of state in 1977.. the cable was released/declassified in 2009.. .... re jehovah's witnesses, why do we go back to the.

events of 197273?

millie210

I have been looking for this post for over a month.

I finally typed enough right words in to the search feature to find it!

I didnt even realize it was your post Saint...

I just thought this was such an indication of what a rip off all that 1975 letter writing to Malawi was.

Now I can save this link to my files.

I am slowly building a collection of things that I hope (know?) will impress my siblings one day. They are going strong as JWs now but if a tiny crack ever appears I want to have some things ready.

This is one of those things.

10

It's not your conduct, it's your status

by donny in

jw's often state that their practice of disfellowshipping is used to keep the congregation clean and free of "worldly" influences and the like, however that is just pure b.s.

in actual practice, all they actually care about is your status according to the watchtower society.

case in point is ray's situation.. ray disassociated himself about 20 years ago because elders and other jw's were constantly spreading false rumors after he quit attending meetings.

millie210

You are 100% correct Donny. Unfortunately.

Here where I live there is a JW who has been DFd 3 times and reinstated. He is very charming and friendly to the elders.

Since his parents have died he has dropped off with meeting attendance. He only shows up at Memorial. He married a non JW and he invites his kids over for Christmas. It is well known that it is him celebrating it and not just his non JW wife but not a single thing is done.

Another guy had a horrible life growing up...mentally ill JW mom, single parent home, he has fought his way in to a relatively good life. He was baptized as a 12 year old but hasnt been in a Kindgom Hall since he was in his late teens. He is in his early 30s now and living with his girlfriend. A campaign has been mounted by an elder to get him disfellowshipped. It will probably happen even though he doesnt go to meetings or talk to any JWs.

There are literally hundreds of examples like yours and mine..

20

Large Increase in Trolley Witnessing

by The Searcher in

when the org implements its bethelite "genocide" and demotes many members of the "worldwide order of special full-time servants of jehovahs witnesses" into lowly regular pioneers, many more trollies will have to be found in order for such ones to rack up their required monthly hours.. how many are actually going to be shocked by this into waking up?

.

millie210

I dont think they dare wake up at this point!

They need the congregation they are being sent to for help getting started. They have to appear to be a "blessing" for the congregation they are being dumped on.

Then hopefully they can get a travel trailer in someones back yard and a minimum wage job working for one of the friends.

447

Does Anyone Still Believe in God?

by LaurenM in

do any of you ex-jw's still believe in god?

even with the new rebranding/softening of this religion, i still don't see how people can believe in him.

the god of the old testimate is an angry murderer who approved rapes and slavery and killed thousands of men, women and children.

millie210

unkiejimmy
God died after he created the universe.

Thats actually a very interesting statement unkie!

447

Does Anyone Still Believe in God?

by LaurenM in

do any of you ex-jw's still believe in god?

even with the new rebranding/softening of this religion, i still don't see how people can believe in him.

the god of the old testimate is an angry murderer who approved rapes and slavery and killed thousands of men, women and children.

millie210

Daniel1555

True.

I have a gay family member that I am extremely close to. I dont feelthat a literal take on the Bible and a belief in God have to line up entirely with one another necessarily..

The Bible is a book. The other (God) is an entity.

That is not to say that the Bible has no merit, there is merit in many things if you look at them from how they were intended. Many Holy Books exist, all working off that premise and bringing comfort and peace and wisdom to their readers.

Who was it that said - we dont see things as they are......we see things as we are?

I dont know much currently as I am wiping the hard drive of my belief system for a re format

But I do know that the fundamentalist JW approach to interpreting the Bible was incorrect.

447

Does Anyone Still Believe in God?

by LaurenM in

do any of you ex-jw's still believe in god?

even with the new rebranding/softening of this religion, i still don't see how people can believe in him.

the god of the old testimate is an angry murderer who approved rapes and slavery and killed thousands of men, women and children.

millie210

Saintbertholdt25 minutes ago

It is true many atheists are very zealous but those enthusiastic objections only really came to the fore after a group of religious folks decided to drive airplanes filled with fare paying passengers into some tall buildings. It dawned upon atheists that these people meant business and if religion went unchecked, well heck maybe we'd all be back herding goats and stoning rape victims in no time at all. Since then religion has become somewhat of a sticky topic for atheists where before they would have shrugged and returned to their crossword puzzle

Interesting comment Saintbertholdt,

I honestly never thought of what you mentioned but I can see how that would have jarred many previously quiet people in to being more vocal. That would include atheists, why not?

Sounds reasonable.

I had thought that the problem I had here specifically was that the personality of some seemed to still be so "Witness like"- super determined that they are right...THIS TIME. Just like they thought they were right - last time...(jw).

I dont want to be recruited I want to be persuaded.

One of the biggest draws to me is a life well lived. ANY one who is bitter, cynical or jaded is not standing where I want to end up.

Life is amazing and beautiful and ripe with possibility.

I always liked the JWs that reflected that mind set. Unfortunately, it has been proven to my personal satisfaction that the leadership doesnt have any substance (if it ever did - I am still reading old threads and learning the history of my "religion") and since everything works off a trickle down principle, the religion is running dry. So I am looking for greener pastures.

Optimistic people who are intrigued with the mystery of life as much as the documentation of it.

447

Does Anyone Still Believe in God?

by LaurenM in

do any of you ex-jw's still believe in god?

even with the new rebranding/softening of this religion, i still don't see how people can believe in him.

the god of the old testimate is an angry murderer who approved rapes and slavery and killed thousands of men, women and children.

millie210

I have put that question off to one side for now.

I cannot cope with leaving the religion, the fall out from my uber duber family AND wrestling with an issue that has plagued man for centuries.

When I get all that down to a dull roar I will begin to look at other things such as eternity and God and so on.

I think this is the right way to go about it for me. I dont want any beliief system I set up to in any way be a "response" to having been raised a JW.

I dont like the idea of hanging my future on a reaction to a negative. (the JW religion)

When I first began participating on this site, I realized there is a formula that is supposed to be followed of leaving, poking fun at the religion, look to science and lastly, become an atheist.

That feels like pressure.

I want to have my own experience - something the JWs do not allow.

I do wish there were more opportunities for friendly discussions about the topic but the folks here that believe in God are pretty quiet and the atheists are as zealous as the JWs.

NOT all of course, some are very respectful and patient but that doesnt seem to have been the waters I waded in to each time I tried to enter a discussion.

So I just quit.

That is when it dawned on me not to try to do it all at once. Take my time.

32

What makes WT think they can reassign Bethel volunteers to be Regular Pioneers.

by Zoos in

when the gb cuts loose 1600 volunteers, what makes them think they can continue telling them how they will spend their time?

i've read on many of these threads that the 1600 will be reassigned.

what, are they still under some sort of contract?.

millie210

To leave Bethel is to take a mighty tumble. In order to have any kind of dignity on doing so a person must have some kind of title.

The throwing them a bone title has always been that of special pioneer.

Its sad really.

14

help me to readjust my thinking about my hypocritical ex....

by losingit in

i am really struggling with this particular situation in my life, and i really need your help to readjust my thinking.

i am recently divorced from my ex-jw husband.

we were both disfellowshipped at around the same time about 2-3years ago.

millie210

In my experience when a man is mute in the face of an easy question, it is because he knows he doesnt have a good answer.

Being in "the truth" was hard on your marriage. It also sounds like he is a very immature individual apart from or because of being a JW.

The bottom line is, all the things you wanted to do that he is now doing (concerts, boating etc) are available to you also Those are things anyone can avail themselves of.

Could it be that in the marriage you were cast in the role of the "responsible" one while he filled the "role" of the "fun" one?

If so, now is the time for YOU to write your own role. All of your maturity and goal setting has paid off. You have a good job and most importantly you have a clear record of caring and being a loving parent with your girls. That is an incredible achievement. They may not understand now but they will when they are older.

So now is time for you to ease up a bit on yourself and realize you dont have to counteract his ying with your yang. You are not in a role of having to over balance to create balance.

Take a deep breath and start small. Find some girlfriends or a single parents group. Or maybe you have some other interest that you would like to pursue. There are a LOT of people who want and need a friend. If there isnt a single parents group - start one.

You have done all the hard part - now its time to re invent a little bit.

All the best to you - you can do this.