Posts by PaintedToeNail

49

"If I wasn't born a JW, I would never have become one."

by OneEyedJoe in

i've seen it mentioned by a few on the forum that at some point there was a realization that had they not been born a jw, they never would've converted no matter how many times the jws tried to study with them.

this was my experience too, and i'm wondering how universal it is for those that were born-in but eventually left.

i think i started having this thought (more specifically that if i were not born a jw, i would surely have become an atheist by now) in my late teens.

PaintedToeNail

I have said that to people I've known, "If it wasn't for my parents being JW's, I never would've become one." In my case I planned on never getting baptized. It never appealed to me. Yet, in an effort to escape my family life, I decided to get married. My dad wouldn't come to the wedding unless it was at the KH. It couldn't be at the KH if I wasn't baptized. So, feeling blackmailed, I got baptized. Crazy thing is, I wanted to call off the wedding because I didn't really love him, but my mom made me feel so guilty about making my ex feel bad that I went through with it.

My mom is still trying to make me feeling guilty about not going to meetings. She keeps telling me, "You KNOW its the truth." And in my mind I say, "No, I don't and never did know or feel it was the truth." It wouldn't do any good to argue with her, as SHE feels she knows everything.

62

Brooklyn news on sending the elderly packing

by I am a Bible Student in

johnny the bethelite on this program talks about the older bethelites being targeted by watchtower.they are getting rid of those at bethel who are 65-87 years old, some being anointed even the widows of former governing body members who gave decades of loyal service time to the watchtower organization.. the reasons the very elderly are being expelled are money in that for their age range they cost so much to cloth, fed, and medicate, having problems from high blood pressure to dementia.

they include persons such as sister henschel whose husband had been a watchtower president and marian sydlik whose parents are long dead.. https://soundcloud.com/rick-fearon/jan-16-2016-johnny-the-bethelite-watchtower-insider-host-his-radio-program-from-brooklyn-ny .

PaintedToeNail

I agree with steve2. If the elderly are infirmary bound, it makes no sense to allow them to keep a personal room. It is the same as liquidating an elderly persons assets as a son/daughter might be required to do. Their personal belongings could be boxed and stored or a family member could make arrangements to claim the items for the person, in the unlikely event of them leaving the infirmary.

I DO believe the borg has an obligation to the elderly ones at Bethel, they do need to keep them their after requiring they take a vow of poverty. To foist them upon the congregations or unsuspecting relatives is cruel.

73

Im sick of my life

by BlackWolf in

jw
friends

sorry but i really feel like i need to rant right now.

recently my dad was made an elder so my family has been doing a lot more "theocratic" activities lately.

every morning i wake up and put on my itchy dress and stupid makeup and heels and then pretend that i love what i'm doing and that everybody is my friend when in reality i feel horrible and all the other teenage girls at my hall hate me for some reason.

PaintedToeNail

BlackWolf_Maybe you could tell your mom something like: "Mom, I know you want me to get baptized now. But I feel that is something between Jehovah & I alone. I want to make sure that I can fulfill my promise to obey him and never disappoint him. As a teenager, I don't feel mature enough to do that at this time. When I do feel like I am mature enough to make the most important decision in my life, I will, and without pressure from you and dad. I don't want to get baptized just for our family's appearance at the Kingdom Hall."

7

The Hermit's story PART 4

by The Hermit in

part 4 1992-1994. after the events of april 1992 my dad went through a drastic change of attitude.

he would order as many books he could from the hall's library; the green insight books, bound volumes of past watchowers and awake magazines, interlinear greek scriptures, reasoning from the scritpures, the list goes on.

in those days you had to go to his special room he called his office if you wanted to find him, usually sitting at his desk with his nose in the wt books and writing stuff down on paper.

PaintedToeNail

Hermit-I love your stories! I'm glad you are cancer free. So sorry about that wretched girl who stomped your foot. What a brat! Her family's attitude was awful. So was the congregation's. I'm glad you were able to discover so real friends at school who cared about you. Your English is excellent!

11

My Bethel Experience Part 18. The last Bethel Tread, Blood Guilt

by new boy in

jw
friends

besides almost getting mugged a couple of times.

his folks had a fit and told him he had to go back and "do his time".........and do the "right thing"...........he told me he had just left max larson’s office, max had just told him “what a disappointment he was, to his family and to the organization!

“do you ever think about james olson?

PaintedToeNail

So sad about Jim Olson. The pain and helplessness he must have been feeling. His family really did betray him. It makes me wonder if Max Larson ever felt any remorse over the way he treated that boy.

61

New here

by MarkofCane in

hello and thanks to everyone for participating on this forum it has really been of much value, for those of you that post here know that your words are not lost you never know who is reading your expressions, lives are being changed and nonsense challenged.

i’m not much of a writer so excuse my untrained writing style and grammar but i want to share my story to help anyone who is visiting here to see that we are real people, fathers, mothers, sons and daughters who have come here for answers, there is no agenda, just searching for truth.

i hope my story will help others as so many here have helped me..

PaintedToeNail

Cane-Sharing your reaction to the cemetery has left my heart aching, For some reason I am drawn to cemeteries and walk through the tombstones, wondering about the people who are buried there. As JWs we aren't allowed to really mourn the huge loss of our loved ones dying. Thank you for sharing your story.

36

First time here

by BarelyThere in

okay so here goes...this is my first time on here.

i'm lost and confused and am feeling very hopeless.

i was dfed in september and i am still wrapping my head around everything.

PaintedToeNail

Hi Barely,

I can relate to your pain. I first married 3 days before turning 19. Four years later, I was hoping to get hit by a truck so that I wouldn't be stuck in that horrid marriage. Got involved with someone I knew from childhood and left my marriage...best thing ever...didn't stay with that guy though, we both knew it wasn't permanent. It is encouraging that your parents still talk to you. It can be lonely when you are first DF'd, but you are still young and have the ability to make friends outside of the reach of the organization. Friends who won't base their friendship with you on how many hours you get in Field Service, but rather people who like you for you. Try to make new friends, make overtures to people at work, ask them for coffee, go to gatherings, museums, events. Paint on a smile even if you are miserable, there is some proof that your mood follows your facial expressions. (See the book 'Blink', it has interesting discussions on this).

Wishing you the very best.

133

The new service meeting

by John Aquila in

i wanted to relate an experience that happened this morning.

it is regarding the new format for the meeting on thursdays in my area.

its not word for word but im summarizing what i heard, the best i can remember.

PaintedToeNail

My mom-in-law, in her late 70's, gave a lifetime of JW worship. Now with all the changes being made, she has expressed shock at the way things are going. My son is currently visiting her and she guilted him into going to the Sunday meeting. The public talk was all about how other religions use Tele-Evanglism or beg for money and how wrong that is and how the Borg has never used that. When she learned of all the changes she was very bewildered and bothered. Another old sister, in her 90's, was upset at the new Tele-Evanglism system. It is upsetting the older ones, they remember the Watchtower and Awake article deriding the things the Borg is now doing and are hurt and perplexed by it all.

62

Umbertoecho here.

by umbertoecho in

hello people.. i'm tired and a bit sick at the moment but i can't let anyone think that this is going to go away.... i am able to tell you a few things in order to prevent any confusion in the minds of those who are thinking that nothing will come of this arc;that nothing will effect the wtbts in america and other places.. i have been there and given my testimony.

helen milroy and her assistants were there along with another group of people who are there to lend assistance if you crack up at any time during or after the hearing.

i did not crack up but can see how this happens.. security is tight and anonymity is sacred to them as they want to protect all who come forward.

PaintedToeNail

Umber-Thank you for your courage.

32

Our Letter to Our Family

by What Now? in

our families have cut off contact with us for the last several months.

they found out that we were celebrating holidays with our non-witness family.

our families were our last tie to the organization, as our former friends stopped associating with us about 3 years ago.

PaintedToeNail

This is a really thought provoking letter. I hope your family can get past the sections that are highlighted quotes. My mother would stop reading at that point and burn the letter (it doesn't matter if it is true). She would be so shocked to read those words! The part where you put the blame back on themselves is perfect. Love the reasoning.

Excellent work all around!