Posts by Dunedain

10

Do older faders fear better than younger faders

by joe134cd in

i read and replied to a post today about weather there were any benefits in been a jw.

as much as i now dislike the religion, i had to agree that there was an up side, due to their strong stance on alcohol, gambling, smoking, and sexual practice.

we would all agree that these can be terrible vices that can get out of control.. i was at one point a true believer, who believed in these rules, and to a point have benefited from abstaining from these practices.

Dunedain

I was a born in, and i DID leave in my late teens. I struggled with thinking it was still the "truth" for many years after, but still could not bring myself to go back.

Yes, i lived a "worldly" life, had many girlfriends, and played the field, even experimented with many things, drugs, and experiences.

However, i was always responsible, and success driven. I started my own company at 20 years old. I worked hard, invested my money in real estate, became a landlord at 23 years old, and continue to live a comfortable life now into my early 40s.

I have a wonderful family, comfortable financial success, and a fairly easy, stress free, and happy life. I think all the Elders that DF'd me in my late teens thought for sure that life was gonna kick the sh#t outta me, and i was gonna come crawling back. Instead, i thrived, live a good life, treat people with kindness, and sincerely try to be a decent human, and the best Father i could be.

Leaving younger in life was not a detriment for me. I created my own destiny, and looking back now, i realize that being DF'd was one of the best things that ever happened to me, and THANK GOD it happened when i was YOUNGER, and didnt waste anymore years of my life in "shackles" from a Cult.

15

Born ins: did you have "near life experiences"?

by truthseeker in

jw
friends

i recently watched the 90s movie fight club for the first time and heard the phrase "near life experience.".

for me, a different definition of this phrase would be someone who grew up in the truth and led a very secluded and restricted life (like me) but on rare occasions actually experienced something that was considered quite normal by most people.. growing up in "the troof" was depressing.

it was characterized by long periods of loneliness.

Dunedain

The only "near life experiences" were the ones i made for myself. I was a born in, and growing up i dreamed of these experiences. Whether they were to be able to celebrate Bdays, or Christmas and be able to get presents. Or to be able to play with "normal" boys toys, and just do normal kid things.

As i got older, into my very early teens, i took it upon myself to no longer dream about the "near life experiences", but to actually experience them. I wanted to have girlfriends, so i went and got them. I wanted to listen to the music i liked, so i did. I wanted to dress a certain way, so i did.

Looking back, it took balls on my part. My Father was an Elder, and both parents were in "the truth". I had to brave being caught. Getting my ass kicked by my Elder Father. I had to brave being ratted out by other Jw children. Or being spoken to by the elders. It was tough. I fought, and i fought. I stuck it out, and tried so hard to be "normal".

They kept trying to stop me. They fought me tooth and nail, and even DFd me, cutting me off from them all. Back then i thought it was the worst thing, but now i realize it was the GREATEST thing that ever happened to me. I was free, and now from that point on, EVERY experience was a REAL life experience.

Fast forward 25 years later, and i am happy, successful, and with a family of my own. Even my own parents who fought to keep me in the JW "box", have come around and seen the light. We are ALL happier now.

24

Disfellowshiped- reinstated- damaged

by Damaged in

don’t know how i ended up here but no one who understands will listen, or any one who will listen doesn’t understand.

i grew up in the “truth”, i was baptised at 17 as it was encouraged by the elders.

i really didn’t understand what i was getting into.

Dunedain

@ - Damaged - Try to stay as far away from the WTBS as you can. All the "misery" that has been wrongly pushed upon you, is solely from that hurtful organization. They are teachings of judgemental men, and have even caused you to "hurt" yourself by the guilt and pressure YOU put upon yourself.

You have done nothing WRONG. All the examples you state about dating girls, or exploring your sexuality, is NORMAL. Once you take the blinders off that the WTBS put upon you, you will truly see all. You will realize that the DFing and power over you, by these MEN, is only there because YOU have given them this power over you.

They are NOT your judge. These Elders are NOT your keepers. Only God, or Jesus can judge YOU. No power or authority has been given them, except that which they have appointed upon themselves. The Organization is NOT a loving, or happy place. Instead it is a cold, heartless place, full of judgement, and hurt, full of hypocrisy, and teachings of men.

Ask yourself, have you EVER TRULY been HAPPY in the WTBS.? Have you TRULY been FULLY content, and felt WHOLE as a human, in the WTBS? I think YOU know the answer.

Dont listen to this poster Black spirit. He wants to direct you towards MORE MISERY. His way will destroy the love you are seeking, and further enslave you to the false teachings of MEN. If he wants to slave for an organization that is run by 8 MEN, then thats HIS right, but for him to hear your story and the trauma and hurt you have been through, and his answer is to go back for MORE of the same, then he did not truly hear your words. His is the way of more hurt, but under the guise of "love". Like Satan is said to be an Angel of light, so is the WTBS organization.

You know REALLY what the organization is about, though, dont you. Its about MEN making rules, MEN judging thru unscriptural JCs, MEN twisting your words, MEN not hearing your heartfelt pleads, MEN claiming they have power and authority over you. That IS this evil organization, and only YOU can free yourself from it. You will see and learn TRUE happiness, once you remove the yoke they have put upon you, and never allow them to have that power over you again.

I wish you the best, heres to freedom.

20

Dog peeing on a literature cart

by Bad_Wolf in

look at the dogs face, i can't stop laughing at this!!

and he's peeing right into the holder part of the literature, so they are going to have manually wash that out haha.

.

Dunedain

I am surprised Jah didnt instantly fry that dog for desecrating the "Holy literature cart". I figured it would have been like when one of the Ark of the Covenant bearers slipped, and accidentally touched the Holy Ark, and got fried by Jehovah.

Maybe Jah like dogs better than humans, i know i sure do, sometimes, lol.

28

60 years of SMURFS ...

by wozza in

jw
friends

running through kingdom halls near you!

!.

Dunedain

Lol, i remember hearing this same bullshit too. I recall hearing it when i was like 8 or 9 years old. The young daughter of the sister whos house my book study was held at, first told me about it. She was 10 years old btw, which at least we were children ourselves. She told me that she heard that a smurf toy/doll got up during a meeting and walked around, and after it left you could hear La La La La La La.

Even my 8 year old brain back then, knew that it couldnt be true. Looking back, being that this girl was 2 years older than me, and when you are 10 and 8, thats a big deal during those ages, i think she was trying to scare me, and see if i was gonna get scared of the story, lol. In fact, i remember she told me in her room, after the book study was over, and it was just me and her in her bedroom, and she turned the lights off to tell the "scary Smurf" story, lol.

The crazy part is that we as kids kinda figured it was a joke, but actual adult JWs BELIEVED it to be true, lol. Crazy indeed.

15

Overlapping Transactions

by Wake Me Up Before You Jo-Ho in

this afternoon, i had a vision.

one of the past, present and future.. .

over the past two decades, i recall one distinct, universal phrase being uttered by older jehovah's witnesses on many different occasions:.

Dunedain

Another story i have is of an older brother who has also been in the Borg since the early 80s. When i was in my teens i worked with this brother, and he would constantly say, "If we get another year in this system", or " I cant see this system going another year", or "You cant tell me that Armageddons not right around the corner".

It was constant, he was always saying things like this. Mind you, i worked with him for many years, and every 6 months he was saying the same thing. Well, after i was DF'd we mutually agreed to stop working with each other, but still remained good friends at heart, and i would always touch base with him every so often. In fact, we even many years later, had another business deal that we went into together.

Fast forward about 20 years later, and him and i had to meet to discuss something concerning our latest little business deal. During the breakfast he says, just like he used to 20 somewhat years ago, "If we see another year in this system". I looked at him, laughed a little, and said, You are STILL saying that, lol. You realize you have been saying that same thing for over 20 years now, right.

Well, he stopped, and i could see he had to really think about it. Granted, he didnt say anything else, and i didnt push it either, but i KNOW it planted a seed, and he probably was, as he had always been, saying it out of habit. Yet, when he had to stop and think about it, he was saying that we probably wont get past another YEAR in this system, but for OVER 20 YEARS.

If that doesnt make ya think, i dont know what will.

15

Overlapping Transactions

by Wake Me Up Before You Jo-Ho in

this afternoon, i had a vision.

one of the past, present and future.. .

over the past two decades, i recall one distinct, universal phrase being uttered by older jehovah's witnesses on many different occasions:.

Dunedain

I know my Father never thought him and my Mom were gonna get past the 1970s, lol. They came into the "truth" in 1973, and almost never had me, as they thought the big "A" was right around the corner. Alas, they did have me, as i was born in 1975.

So, then over the years, each milestone in life was thought that it was never going to arrive. First, i was never going to go to school in this system, but Kindergarten came and went, in 1980. Then Middle school, then driving, then graduating high school. Before you realize it, EVERYTHING has passed by.

I am happy to say that my parents honestly never really placed important life decisions on hold, and DID live as though the system maybe would last longer than they at first anticipated. My Father had a job with a pension, and has a very comfortable retirement. They had children, me and my sister. They own their home, and are comfortable.

Now in the twilight of their years, their eyes are fully open. They are not deluded anymore, and realize that there is a distinct possibility that they WERE lied to all these years, by a captive organization. I give them credit too, that at the final decade of their life they are strong enough to except that maybe it all was bullshit. My Father is smart enough to see that this is NOT the same organization he first joined. That the GB are full of shit. He even says that when HE was baptized the questions you had to answer were different than later, and the emphasis was not of the GB being Gods channel, so he says he did NOT dedicate his life to THEM, so he doesnt need to listen to THEM.

After awhile, when you keep seeing the goal post moved further away, and the lies are fully revealed, and everything you were told was going to happen, DIDNT, then you either wake up, like my parents did, or you close off your mind to the reality of things, and die living a complete and utter LIE. Sadly, most older JWs are experiencing the latter.

26

The story of my congregation in the last five years.

by Crazyguy in

let’s start with the good news for the congregation that is.

two new sisters were added to the group a mother and her daughter.

then the bad news.

Dunedain

@ Crazyguy - Yep, its true, anytime someone stupidly says, wow its crowded, or cant find a seat, so we must be increasing, its ALWAYS a case of "smoke and mirrors".

Its crowded only AFTER ,2 or 3 halls merge. Its a crowded assembly hall because DOUBLE the circuit goes there now. Its NOT growth its deceit. There is NO growth anywhere, not even in 3rd world, developing countries. The borgs days of "growth" have long been over. They have resorted to lying about the "numbers", and why shouldnt that be so far fetched, as they have lied about every other aspect of their existence, and their first and foremost goal is protecting the image of the Borg. If they showed it was declining that would hurt the borgs image, and that is a NO NO.

17

Antiwitnessing: cowards

by john.prestor in

so i'm downtown and i see two jws hanging out on a bench by a cart.

i approached them and said, i saw you guys on the news, there was a child abuse cover-up in philadelphia.

they don't respond and just look at me.

Dunedain

They also really like it when you scream at them at the top of your lungs, and incoherently babble about nothing in particular. They LOVE that.

Also next time you see them kick the corner of the cart itself, and try to dump all the literature on the ground too. That REALLY works also.

Great job!!!

26

The story of my congregation in the last five years.

by Crazyguy in

let’s start with the good news for the congregation that is.

two new sisters were added to the group a mother and her daughter.

then the bad news.

Dunedain

My former congregation, that i was born into, is a MESS. Twenty five years ago, the congregation was bursting at the seams. It was vibrant, crowded, healthy, and full of families, Bethelites, children, 12 to 15 Elders body, many ministerial servants, many pioneers, young ones, teens, elderly, singles, couples, you name it.

It got so crowded they had to split 25 years ago, into 2 very large and vibrant congregations. Both congregations continued on these past 25 years, but slowly, and steadily MANY issues started arising.

People and families started moving away, and joining other congregations due to "personality" clashes. Elders were stepping down, losing titles, and or joining neighboring congregations, due to all the conflicts amongst the Elder body.

Mostly ALL the teens and young adults left. Mostly all the Bethelites moved away, or were let go from Bethel, and moved back to their home states. There were many DF'ings, many dissassociating, and much more.

Fast forward to about a year ago, and those 2 giant, vibrant congregations that 25 years needed to split, have now MERGED back together. They needed to re-join again, due to a severe decrease in attendance of BOTH congregations.

The publishers in the congregation now, AFTER merging together, do not eqaul what ONE of the congregations used to be. It is very telling, and mind you, this is NOT in some rural, far away area, NOPE, this is in a borough of NYC.

The Elder body in the congregation now, is full of leftover elders, that survived the great "purging". Any elders worth anything, have all left, moved away, stepped down, or are just plain done with the Borg. Whats left are unqualified, idiotic, no personality, morons, who have no business judging a termite hole, than a congregation of humans.

It is a JOKE, and quite frankly, it beautiful to see. All those years ago, when i was DF'd in my late teens, by the PO, who is still there, he claimed my sins were stifling Jehovahs spirit from fully blessing the congregation, so he DF'd me. Well, isnt it funny that instead of the congregation blossoming, and thriving, after evil old me was gone, it withered and died, and had to be re-merged again, and is a pale piss poor version of its former self.

Kharma certainly is a bitch aint it.