Posts by Mum

12

baptize sister hope to meet a brother

by prinses1920 in

.

Mum

Your native language is not English, right? I would not recommend a JW husband to anyone, even another JW. Are you prepared to be the least important person in his life, to meet many demands, to be criticized if you reach out to help someone, to live on practically nothing, to be told you're materialistic if you want something new (unless he initiates the purchase), to be ordered to buy a particular brand of bread even if you don't like it, etc., etc., etc. I could go on forever.

The person you marry, especially if you're a JW female, has the potential to create a lot of misery in your life. Be careful. Please.

63

When You Learned TTATT, the truth about the truth(tm) How Did It Make You Feel?

by LoisLane looking for Superman in

.

i felt stunned.

i felt betrayed.. just lois.

Mum

Happy and freeeee! I figured it out at a JC. They were such a**holes that I didn't want anything to do with a god who would choose them.

I had my family back, didn't have to worry about my non-JW family surviving Armageddon, could go back to school and do whatever I liked! I was worried that my daughter might grow up and want to be a JW, but that didn't happen either (the JW part, not the growing up part ). I am so lucky!

I went to an ex-JW friend's place of employment, and we rejoiced together. She said, "They're lost and 'way downstream." That says it.

46

in regards to AAWA

by johnamos in

oh how i wish i could just write out something that would cause you all to know and understand that what i say is true.

or i wish i could tell yall that i am going to do something like cause an earthquake (with jehovahs spirit backing me) at a certain place and time, then after i posted such info then it occurred just as i said...then maybe you would listen and believe what i say.. .

and even more so, your lack of knowledge and belief in jehovah and in his word the bible.

Mum

We've all tried the Watchtower way, johnamos. It did not work for us. Here is what I hope the AAWA will accomplish:

1. No more dead babies, children or adults because of refusing a blood transfusion.

2. More public awareness of the consequesnces (e.g., shunning, child abuse, spouse abuse, death from lack of medical treatment, etc.) of getting involved with the Watchtower organization.

3. No more families full of tension, not speaking to one another.

4. No more child molestation, and prompt reporting to authorities if there is child molestation.

5. No more torture of innocent children because they cannot sit quietly for two hours. Kids need activity, not strapping down.

6. Public awareness of false "doom and gloom" hogwash. The world is a better place now than in the past.

7. Jehovah's witnesses' having the same freedom to think for themselves and getting an education as everyone else.

I'm sure there's much more.

Learn something about history. If wickedness were to bring on Armageddon, it would have happened long ago.

Best wishes in your journey to greater awareness.

15

shunning and jw funerals

by man in black in

when a jw from your area dies, do you attend the visitation or funeral ?.

since i have da'ed myself, several people that i have known for years have died, and i have attended both the visitation, and or funeral.. but everytime, i have been treated like i don't even exist.

just trying to follow normal human emotions, by attending and showing my feelings to the surviving family has been alot like running into a brick wall.

Mum

My mom became a JW after I had been an apostate for years! When my grandmother died, a lot of JW's came to the wake.. I knew most of the congregation where she lived, but had never been a member of that congregation. There were no other JW's in our family (thanks be to God!), and there are none of my sisters' friends or my friends who are JW's. My grandmother's funeral was at the funeral home, not a church, so some of the JW's attended.

One of the "sisters" I knew back in the day (I've been out since 1979) came up to my mom and my sister and spoke to her but ignored me. When we got into the car, I remarked that the "sister's" heart was so full of Jesus she couldn't speak. My niece laughed, and my mom got an annoyed expression on her face.

Later on, this "sister" and her husband stopped by my mom's house, and they actually spoke to me! Maybe my mom persuaded them to do it for the sake of the non-JW family members present at her house at the time.

I never cease to be amazed at how few JW's shun me. I am always polite, and I was a real gung-ho JW when I was on the inside. I don't know if any of this has anything to do with it.

12

Do you appreciate our spiritual heritage?

by never a jw in

that is the title of the second study of the feb. 15, 2013 magazine (page 8).

to the left of the title a picture appears showing three people holding very old watchtower magazines from the early 1900's.

i have been studying jw's history and doctrines for less than a year and i already have far more knowledge than most c.o.

Mum

JW's don't have a spiritual heritage. The Society is making an attempt to make them feel they do because they're a young, upstart organization. They contend that they started with C.T. Russell, but the facts say otherwise. When Rutherford took over, he instituted the Roman hierarchical model and discarded the congregational model started by Russell.

I don't think the dubs really want the rank and file to have a clear view of their own history because of the nonsense of flip-flops, hate, negativity, medical quackery, false prophecy and other issues. Old publications are destroyed, but some have survived, probably to the great chagrin of the GB.

At this time I have no JW family members (praise the Lord!). I was the first in 1963, then my cousin about 1968. After I exited the borg, my dad, my mom and my niece became dubs. Amazingly, none of my family ever shunned me. My parents died. Just a couple of years ago, my niece went "apostate." A few years ago, my niece and I were discussing 1975. She told me (mind, she was born in 1977) that the 1975 frenzy was because of individual witnesses' getting themselves worked up. I told her I was there, and I knew better. Her mom, my sister, agreed with me, because my sister was not a JW, but she was studying at that time.

If the GB wants to reveal more of its history to the r&f, it had better be prepared to tell them what to think about it, too. There could be a mass exodus into apostasy either way.

3

The silent treatment AKA shunning

by Listener in

an interesting article has been produced by the wtbts regarding 'how to end the silent treatment'.

the awake june, 2013 discusses certain issues about partners using this behaviour.

the fact is that the silent treatment is used on disfellowshiped jws and their statements can equally apply to them.. here are some quotes from the article -.

Mum

More Watchtower doublespeak!

More accurately, if WE tell you not to speak to someone, it's a loving arrangement, but if you choose to shun someone for reasons of your own, its retaliation, manipulation, hurtful to someone you love, and a short-term "solution" at best.

White GB man speak with forked tongue.

535

AAWA is here!! (The Association of Anti-Watchtower Activists)

by cedars in

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fcic4g5tulw.

http://www.jwactivists.org.

facebook the association of anti-watchtower activists.

Mum

It is a good thing for apostates to be organized in some way. The AAWA, IMHO, should be referred to as an association rather than an organization. The word "organization" gives me heartburn.

Thanks, guys, for taking charge and getting something started so that the WT will be forced to answer the hard questions and dig themselves into a hole.

20

All my JW friends dont like me.

by Vienna Angelika in

jw
friends

they keep pretending to be my friend, and then i get word that they actually hate me.

they have even slandered and said i not worthy to talk to.

then of course, there are the rumours... needless to say, i am pretty depressed..

Mum

You don't need them. Join a club. Take some classes. Get a job. Do some volunteer work. There are many places to meet new people. If people don't appreciate you for who you are, lose them. Lose them now.

5

The Shunning

by lriddle80 in

jw
friends

so, i am not df'd or da'd at the moment and my family knows i attend a baptist church.

recently my husband and i were asked to give our testimony in our sunday school class.

i mentioned the scripture in.

Mum

It's fascinating that you say the scripture(s) were "aimed" at you, as if scriptures from the Bible are weapons to shoot you down.

It's good that you are making friends and have a church family to be supportive of you as you make your exit. When I was 15, I left the Baptist Church to become a JW. My Sunday School teacher spent time with me to try to persuade me differently and to explain to me that the JW's were a "false cult" as he called it, But I "knew" too much to listen. I wish I could find him now, to let him know he was right.

It is truly amazing that the Watchtower brainwashes people so thoroughly that the are able to turn off the "natural affection" normal people have for their children. I would love my daughter and still speak to her if she became a spy for Al-Qaeda. No, I would not like what she was doing, and I would let her know it was wrong, but I would not cut her out of my life. If you have children, I'm sure you feel the same way.

After all is said and done, we have to accept people where they are. You understand where your parents, but, sad to say, they don't want to try to understand you. If they won't speak to you, it's best just to let them go. Fighting about it only makes everyone more bitter and angry and polarized. Let them know that you love them and are always there for them, and you understand that they're not "supposed to" speak to you, and you will respect their wishes. Be sure they always have a way to contact you; i.e., keep them apprised or your address, phone #, e-mail, etc.

It's hard, but you can let go and accept what is.

All the best.

32

need help

by Crazyguy in

jw
friends

first post, been lurking for a bit.

i have been seeing problems in the org for a couple of years now and could not come up with any answers.

recently i researched the topics of mediator and new covenant and thats when the sh8t hit the fan.

Mum

Welcome to the forum, Crazyguy.

You're in a bit of a bind, I see. Besides what the others have said, I think you should consider moving to another location if that's possible. Being in a new town where the elders don't know you could relieve some of your stress. Do you work for a company that could transfer you to another place? If not, do you have a skill that is in demand so that if you start sending out resumes you might get a good job offer. Moving for a better employment opportunity is a great excuse.

Meanwhile, keep researching, but keep it to yourself at first. There are ways to make comments or ask questions so that the other party might start thinking. Be very kind to your wife. If you can, bring her flowers, take her on dates, and reassure her of your love and concern for the family. You have the advantage of being head of the household, so you can tell the children stories that might start them to looking at things from a broader perspective than the doom-and-gloom scenario presented by the JW's. I don't know how old your children are, but age-appropriate activities to encourage development of critical thinking skills would be very beneficial.

I hate to recommend dishonesty with your family, but, as others have pointed out, it's probably the only way to keep the family together at this point. I am NOT saying the recommendations I made in the previous paragraph would be dishonest, but that your doubts and research will have to be done in private. Years of brainwashing can't be reversed overnight, so be patient with your family.

Baby steps . . .