Posts by Mum

28

My Jehovah's Witness broke up with me :(

by jws in

jw
friends

a few months ago, the jws came knocking on my door (see thread).. this discussion continued and the next time she brought a man along with her.

i told them that i'd study with them if they could prove to me god exists and the bible was his book.

for our next visit, only the man showed up.

Mum

Those scriptures you refer to about God punishing children for the sins of the parents are being misinterpreted by you, I think. I think the verses say that the sins of the fathers will be visited on the sons even to the third and fourth generation. I think that means that when parents don't do the right thing, it has an effect on the children and grandchildren.

For example, if parents don't work and provide for their families, then they go on welfare. They don't get a good education, and it's almost impossible for them to do any better, and on down the generational line this holds true.

I'm not disagreeing with you about how you raised these questions for the JW, but I just wanted to point out that some of your arguments may not be as cogent as they could be. I'm surprised the JW didn't explain this problem the way I did. I don't think they know much about the Bible anymore.

97

Are You Interested In Religion Of Any Sort At This Point In Your Life?

by minimus in

jw
friends

personally, i respect that everyone has choices to believe whatever they want to believe.

i have no interest in joining another religion....what about you?.

Mum

My grandparents were very religious, and I was indoctrinated by the JW's from the age of 9. While I don't buy into all of the dogma, I am fascinated by religion itself. It amazes me that people argue more over the unknowable than anything they really have to deal with in daily life. I believe that religion does help some people, that it is a detriment and a burden to others.

Occasionally, I go to church. I find that I feel better afterwards, i.e., spiritually uplifted and ready to face the challenges of daily life once more. I don't know if it is because I grew up with religion, or if I have a genetic predisposition to religious experience.

If Taoism is a religion, I love its book, The Tao te-Ching. Reading it centers me, calms me, makes me feel acceptance of what is and contentment with my circumstances in life.

19

Tech49 on DC: Experiences are not truthful

by Tech49 in

jw
friends

i was sent a link to a homemade video from our summer district convention, not the one i attended, but the next weekend.

it was a video of a local brother, relating his "experience" of "trusting in jehovah", and how he was blessed.. it was just about 1 short minute long.

ms harper showed it to me first, she wanted to get my comment on it before she said a word.. background: we both know this brother, he is about our age, so we know the "real" story.. anyways, his story goes like this: this experience goes back about 10 years (jeez, we must be really searching for the experiences now!).

Mum

One sister in my congregation happened to go to two different assemblies one year. She told me that she had believed that the person on stage relating the experience was the real person who actually had the experience. However, at another assembly, there was an entirely different person relating the same experience.

Apparently, all assemblies have to have the same experiences on the program, the person who actually had the experience (if it happened at all) can't go to all of the assemblies.

12

Albert Einstein's Sex Life, Seems He Had A Way With The Ladies

by frankiespeakin in

jw
friends

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z0ozdyn287a.

http://boingboing.net/2006/07/23/albert-einstein-sexf.html.

the letters reveal how einstein lost most of his nobel prize money in bad bond investments on wall street, and provide details of how he was showered with affection and gifts by his many mistresses.... he became involved with elsa, a cousin, in 1912 when he was still married to his first wife mileva, a fellow scientist with whom he had two boys, hans albert and eduard.

Mum

I read an article in a magazine years and years ago in which Shelley Winters talks about her friendship with Marilyn Monroe. The two women decided to make a list of sexy men. Shelley chose men like Gregory Peck, the handsome movie star type. Marilyn chose intellectuals, including Einstein.

After Marilyn died, among her souvenirs was a photo of Einstein, signed, "To Marilyn, with love and gratitude, Albert Einstein.

63

Who from JWN would you most like to have dinner with?

by laverite in

jw
friends

if you could pick anyone from jwn to meet in real life to meet and have dinner with, who would that be?

let's exclude all those who you are already friends with, who you know and love from jwn in real life.

so or me, that excludes my friend ann and also curious butterfly.

Mum

We should have a convention. I'd love an excuse to go somewhere exotic and beautiful and meet some exotic and beautiful people.

15

Thank You Aude Sapere Dogpatch Dagney and Wha Happened?

by cantleave in

jw
friends

i had a great time meeting you all.

here's some jw's i photographed just back from the dc.... .

Mum

The JW on the far left looks like a Muslim.

Glad you all got together and had a great time.

30

First post venting

by Freethinking76 in

jw
friends

hello ,i am a jw,been in the "truth " for about 6 years.i have to be very careful because i know the witnesses monitors sites and report to the elders ,i know cause that is what my blood sister does,she spends hours trying to find apostates in the closet.i know stuped.. so this is my situation.i have known about jw almost all my life and heard that only them have the truth,lots of my family are in it.i was the one taking too long to baptize ,i knew it was expected from me.and i always had a need to make ppl like me .so i took the dip.i started to notice that there are lots of jws that belong to little groups.i wanted friendship so bad and at the time had a need o tell ppl about my horrible childhood traumas i guess i was not over it yet,and needed some to lisent since i had drove my spouse nuts already .what happend this ppl pretend to want to be close to me so they can know all my business and then tell everyone at the hall.then you realize uhhh,they never confided their personal stuff to me.is like a game " you can tell me your stuff,but do not expect me to keep it to myself and do not think i will tell you my dirty laundry.a lot of mind games.. so i was alone ,invisible ,i still can't believe i put up with so much !

i can't wright not even half of what i when through.i feel paranoic now.so i came across a youtube video by jwstruggle and blow my mind ,now i can't stop researching,my spouse is not a jw,and is very shock too.so i decided that i want to fade,i guess it won't be so hard since the sis and brothers did not had a close relationship with me.i have kids and i suffer from pts ,anxiety attacks,panick attacks and severe depression.i moved to the next town of my hall,so i have change hall too.i have not been to my new hall,and wanted to know,will the elders in my old hall contact the elders in my new hall just to see if i am attending?..

my spouse told me " i will tell them i am not letting you go" "and "i found out that your liars!

Mum

Welcome! We have a great influx of new people on the forum lately. It is good to have all of you here.

You are going through a lot right now. If at all possible, I would recommend that you move to another state without telling any of the dubs. You can start a new life much more easily that way. I left in 1979, pre-internet, and I thanked God every day that the U.S. is such a big country, and I could go so far away.

You might benefit from professional counseling as well. It sounds like you have unresolved issues from childhood, which is not unusual.

Best wishes for a successful transition to a better life. Keep us posted.

6

http://www.theocraticcollector.com/

by wordyword in

jw
friends

hi all, came across this website, ran by steve searles.

i believe he comes from carlisle, england.. it contains all sorts of "goodies" - talks, dramas, district conventions, old watchtower publications, videos etc.

he charges a "membership fee" for folks to download ripped off youtube videos etc.

Mum

Welcome to the forum, wordyword. Tell us more about yourself.

11

Why do witnesses listen to their GB

by speargrass55 in

jw
friends

hello everyone, i want us to discuss the gbs right to control jws.

the gb claim, and rf jws believe that they can't understand the bible without help from the gb.

when you ask them why they listen to the gb you hear stuff like .

Mum

When I went back to college in my 30's, I was having a discussion with another "older" student about people's priorities. My friend summed it up this way: Most people are just looking for somebody to follow.

As much as I detest my decision to become a JW, I'm so glad I didn't meet some other charismatic cult leader first. Charles Manson comes to mind, a man who appeared to "have it all together" as we said in the '70's.

63

Who from JWN would you most like to have dinner with?

by laverite in

jw
friends

if you could pick anyone from jwn to meet in real life to meet and have dinner with, who would that be?

let's exclude all those who you are already friends with, who you know and love from jwn in real life.

so or me, that excludes my friend ann and also curious butterfly.

Mum

I did have dinner with Barbara Anderson and her husband when we went to the Silentlambs march in NYC in 2002. I actually sat at the same table with them. They are sweethearts. The other people I sat with no longer post here.