Posts by Mum

14

terrified but waking up, child abuse, suicide etc.

by anon1028 in

jw
friends

im new to this forum, i dont know where else to post my story, sorry if im wrong for posting this on this subject.

as i begin to wake up from being in the org i thought id introduce myself to this forum with how i was raised in the org..., ive been beginning to look at everyones stories from being raised as one and how they left, and i find comfort in knowing im not alone, so maybe another young person like me will find the same comfort reading my story.

as you can tell by my username, i am posting this on an anonymous account because of fear of what the elders would do to me and my parents if they found out who i was.

Mum

I'm so sorry! Congratulations on having lived through all this pain and rejection. Do you know of others in your area who have chosen the "apostate path" so you might have someone who understands because they've been through it, too? Do you have a job that pays enough for you to live on? Did you graduate from high school?

I'm sorry about all the questions, but I am trying to assure myself that you will be able to get out of your situation and start a real life. I am lucky that I had a pre-JW life, so it was not as hard for me to function in the real world.

At your age, all I knew how to do was obey. I recommend that you read Dr. Wayne Dyer's book "Your Erroneous Zones." I read it just before I exited the org, and it helped me to let go of guilt and fear and begin to think for myself without having to ask someone else what I should do every time I had to make a decision.

It sounds like you have learned enough to get started. I hope you will take one day at a time and be patient with yourself and kind to yourself (hard to do when you've rarely heard anything good about yourself).

Best wishes for a happy future. Keep us posted on your progress.

5

Having trouble with parents staying home?

by Steel in

my parents are in there late 60s, they have a net worth of 2 to 3 million dollars and a 2500 sq ft home.

my dad works a hobby job at a service station for boredom reasons.

it’s a kiosk type between glass but it does require some contact with the public.

Mum

I notice that there are certain types of people who need busy work to feel comfortable and useful. I am not one of them. If I had a lot of money, I would be traveling the world, getting better educated, and working with charities. However, I wouldn't be doing any of these things if I wanted to just hang out on the beach or stay in bed watching a good movie and eating bon bons.

Let me say I envy you if you stand to inherit a substantial portion of that money.

21

Notable Watchtower Quotations

by Vanderhoven7 in

let's share some notable wts quotations that demonstrate the arrogance, ignorance, hypocrisy etc.

of the watchtower leadership.

“‘zion’s watch tower’ has, we believe jehovah for its backer, and while this is the case it will never beg nor petition men for support.

Mum

I have been free of the WT since 1979, so my memory of their bizarre prognostications has faded. I do remember, "Stay alive 'til '75!" Hilarious!

14

The Cry of Peace And Security

by jwfacts in

a bit late in coming, but i have a new article on the cry of peace and security at https://www.jwfacts.com/watchtower/peace-and-security.php.

this was prompted by trump using the term peace and security a few times in 2017 and 2018, and the excitement this generated amongst jehovah's witnesses.

i would love to see other quotes you like on this topic, or texts and experiences..

Mum

Back in the '70's, I used to go out in service often with a fellow wife of an elder. She was also a regular pioneer. She told me that Nixon had "already cried peace," but I'm not sure of which occasion she was referring to. Personally, I do not recall Nixon's saying anything about peace and security. Her assertion might have had something with China coming out of the shadows and joining the UN, which prompted a lot of speculation among the witnesses of that time.

45

CO'S "encouraging" letter to circuit

by nowwhat? in

the point of the letter was how many are feeling disappointed these days.. no circuit assembly, convention, how we can't fellowship at the k.h.

disappointed we might have had a love one die, etc etc.

he then goes on to write about how disappointed jehovah must have felt when his first human creation rebelled.

Mum

JW's are not the only peoople going through this. I think the worst aspect of it is the financial hardship many are having to endure.

9

new guy random thoughts

by road to nowhere in

it is quite a step to register, still in.

old family in, good marriage in.

i dont know exactly how much to say and not let too much out to get caught.

Mum

Are you a convert or "congenital/born-in?" Are most of your extended family JW's? The process of breaking away is probably much harder for those brought up as JW's and/or who are from JW families.

There are some good suggestions here. I recommend that you read some books, such as "Your Erroneous Zones" by Dr. Wayne Dyer, "Crisis of Conscience" by Raymond Franz, and "The Orwellian World of Jehovah's Witnesses" by Gary and Heather Botting. To understand the Botting book, you will need to have read "1984" by George Orwell.

Best wishes with doing whatever you need to do to have peace and contentment.

37

GB asks every JW to give Putin their home address

by MrHappy in

jw's around the globe have been encouraged to write letters to putin and the russian government.

they are expected to give their personal details on the envelope.

i appreciate that this might be normal when writing to your own government if they are tolerant, but is this not a bit strange that the gb want to give putin the address of every jw in the world?

Mum

It sounds like a set-up to trigger persecution. The GB gets some free publicity, and JW's get to feel like martyrs. The world sits up and takes notice of JW's. It's a win-win for the old guys at the top.

8

Could use some advice, divorce and children

by SonOfLiberty in

i understand a lot of you have had experience with different situations but i just need to see if there is anything to shed light on my situation.. i separated from my wife of 13 yrs (been apart for the past 2 now), and left.

this was our second separation.

i couldn't deal with her ways anymore so i chose to leave.

Mum

Your situation is not an easy one. It's clear that you care about your kids a great deal and want to have a good relationship with them. It's best to not try too hard to control things. If your kids choose to be JW's, it's best to just let them be and make sure they understand that you're there for them no matter what they believe. When you are with your children, it's best to appear to be happy even if you're really feeling down. Kids don't remember everything you say, but they do remember how you made them feel.

Someone else suggested hiring an attorney who has some understanding of how JW's operate. You may need to educate your attorney about what you're up against. No matter what you tell him/her, or anyone else, put it in writing as well. It's only when things are written down that the arguments over who-said-what can be shown accurately. People are forgetful as well, and misconstrue things you say. So, write it down.

Meanwhile, go on with your life. Decide what you want to do, set goals, and take steps toward living the life you want for yourself.

Best wishes,

Mum

25

Has anyone here joined a different church after ditching the JWs?

by NikL in

jw
friends

i am just curious.. i have a cousin who is a baptist and his church streams their sunday services and i've been checking them out before i go to meeting with my jw wife.. i haven’t been to a church except for the occasional funeral and wedding and the only sermons i had heard were the tel-evangelist type.

anyway, all the church bashing by jws over the years made me unsure what to expect and i was pleasantly surprised.

they do use the bible and they don't spend the whole time begging for money.

Mum

When I married my second husband, we joined the Episcopal Church. He had graduated from an Episcopal college (Kenyon in Ohio) and came to have an appreciation for the liberal views of that church.

I also wanted my daughter to see that JW's didn't have an exclusive on Bible reading, morals and ethics. Neither of us attends church at this time.

17

Do You Know Any JWs That Were Wealthy AFTER They Became Witnesses?

by minimus in

jw
friends

the only witnesses i knew that had money were those that either had family businesses or had money before they got into the religion.

.

Mum

The first congregation I was associated with (not in the territory where I lived because my dad's boss conducted our study) was very well off, in the wealthiest neighborhood in town. My dad's boss was a construction superintendent, and I thought he was rich. I didn't know much about the jobs and careers of others in that congregation. The CO (before the "elder arrangement") worked as some kind of artist at a TV station.

Two of the guys my age, whom I was friends with, got good jobs. One was a talented artist and got a job as a draftsman. The other got a job in sales, and I think he did quite well because he had a fun-loving personality.

After I moved to a state farther south, things were not nearly as good for the brethren and sistren(?) there. There was one wealthy family in the circuit, and everybody knew about them. There were about five or six kids in that family, and most of them were DF'ed at one time or another.

My JW husband was an auto body repairman, and did rather well. He could have done even better if he had chosen to.