Posts by HarryMac

posted

27
Do you say Hi? Hello? Hey?
by Iamallcool in
1. jw
2. friends
HarryMac

Hiya! - in the UK.
How's it goin'? - in Canada.
I'm bilingual.
19
Elders and former elders: Judicial cases how often?
by A question in
1. jw
2. friends
how many judicial cases did you serve on, in how many years as an elder?

feel free to talk about the cases too..
HarryMac

2) some elders are eager to be assigned
I never thought it through very much. Icky to realize that, yup, that must be true.
Good times,... good times.
16
The Story of Joe
by dozy in
1. jw
2. friends
when i was a young pioneer , over the years i had built up a route call and every wednesday afternoon myself and a couple of the other pioneers would walk ( or if adverse weather , drive ) around the streets of our town and the surrounding villages distributing the magazines.

most houses were empty , which didnt really matter - it was a pleasant diversion from what was generally quite a harsh unfruitful territory to work.

we would talk about the things young ones talk about girls , football , tv and , er , girls chewing the fat over the latest gossip.. in our congregation , joe , a retired brother in his 70s lived with his non-jw worldly ( but very pleasant and hospitable ) wife , jean.
HarryMac

Surely everyone who has been a JW suffers from guilt of some kind for neglecting family or others we would have liked to spend more time with.
+1 for 'Mum'
It sickens me the way I treated my grandparents like 'worldly people' at arms length after we came into 'the truth'.
19
Elders and former elders: Judicial cases how often?
by A question in
1. jw
2. friends
how many judicial cases did you serve on, in how many years as an elder?

feel free to talk about the cases too..
HarryMac

I, too, would be curious to know approximately how many per year on average.
28
Biggest issue effecting apostates
by joe134cd in
1. jw
2. friends
i got to thinking today & you know what i think the single biggest issue effecting apostates are.

its they cannot unite and this is what gives the watchtower the upper hand.

what needs to happen (and quite honestly i don't think it will)they all have to come under one common body.
HarryMac

Biggest issue:
Deprogramming...
Beliefs
Values
Trust Issues
Social Network / Attitudes
Meaning
...lots to do on a personal level before taking on the dragon (at least for me).
31
What Do You Typically Read For News On The Internet or On TV?
by minimus in
1. jw
2. friends
i rarely watch fox news.

but i do read the drudge report every day.

on drudge, there are tons of newspaper links which i typically read from..
HarryMac

BBC
Wikipedia (news section)
CBC
16
How Has the WT's False Predictions Damaged You Personally?
by Perry in
1. watchtower
2. beliefs
how has the wt's false predictions damaged you personally?.

i was 12 in 1975. i never believed i'd "make it".

after i made it, i never really trusted adults again.
HarryMac

"At least I don't have AIDS".
lol
38
I think I've planted a seed!
by OneDayillBeFree in
1. jw
2. experiences
i could be wrong, but i can't help but be a bit optimistic.last night my parents and i had our "family worship night".

i hate it, and i believe my mother does too.

my dad only does it because he's an elder but last night even he was acting like he didnt want to do it.
HarryMac

Wow, you have exercised great restraint. I would have really struggled to do that as a young man, well done.
44
Were You Ever Interrogated By The Elders?
by minimus in
1. jw
2. friends
some elders enjoy giving the business to the lowly flock thru intimidation.

.

some love to ask you to enter with them into the "backroom".. of course, there were many that never had run-ins with the shepherds because they were under the radar.. did you ever get interrogatted by the elders and if so, how did it go??
HarryMac

Several times. One of the more ridiculous goes as follows.
15 yrs old in front of everybody in main auditorium in circuit assembly hall when people could see me from the food line up.
I was asked to speak to a couple of brothers (one was my home study conductor and another MS) - I know I don't get it.
I'm still angry that I consented to it. Anybody would have guessed this must be quite serious and needed to be dealt with immediately.
It was because my mother and stepfather didn't like the 'Mack Bolan' books I was reading! The odd thing about that is I don't like those kind of books particularly and was only interested in them then for like 3 months (remember, I was 15).
After they spoke to me I went into the line up for food. My friend from another hall said 'I won't ask'.
Completely embarrassed I didn't even tell him what it was about.
If I knew then what I know now I would have called social services and the police to have a little chat with my parents a few times while I was in high school.
26
Newbies Introduce yourselves!
by Sparkplug in
1. jw
2. friends
ok, i have been in and out of here lately due to schedules.

each time i log in there is a new member on the board.

when i go to see who they are...usually there is nothing and everyone is doing great and jumping right into conversation...but i for one would like to know your stories...anyone care to share or just introduce themselves to everyone?.
HarryMac
Hello there,
Well I've been lurking here so long that to do my first post I was like 'I wonder if I should introduce myself?'... did a search and ... bumped an old thread, lol.
Short notes...
1. In at 13yrs of age
2. Stepfather had fleshly sisters in the 'truth'
3. Moved to a town with a Kingdom Hall and ...
4. instantly going regularly
5. (they went when I was a baby and always felt guilty about it).
6. Had worldly friends in high school that kept me sane
7. Met my wife at this hall
8. She'd just moved from the 'big city' and hated the town (but liked me)
9. We moved to that 'big city' *waves at Simon* after high school and got married at 18yrs old
10. We confessed to elders soon after marriage (read between the lines)
11. No disfellowshipping or anything.
12. Just before we got married my wife told me about her being molested by stepfather
13. This ultimately got us 'out'
14. Years of suffering as young adults about this
15. Elders telling us in the end to shut up or be disfellowshipped for slander
16. Wife left before I did
17. ~1998 - yup, internet
18. with her sister around same time
19. suddenly I'm the stupid arse that goes to the KH (lol).
20. I quit drinking the first time and thought that going to meetings was the way to go
21. This lasted ~3 yrs
22. I left organization after that ... 2001
23. Well 'nobody's going to tell me what to do again!'
24. Alcohol intake resumed
25. Terrible, terrible, terrible period in my life
26. Rehabs
27. seperated
28. near divorce
29. near death, etc...
30. Last stint at rehab was 2006 x-mas
31. Moved back in with wife
32. started working with wife again in family business
33. maintaining sobriety with AA
34. wasn't nearly as bad as I'd imagined
35. not the destructive cult I thought it would be
36. don't spend my life going to meetings all the time either
37. Business doing well
38. Quit smoking
39. Exercising
40. Playing guitar again, etc..
41. Life working out pretty well
42. I don't really know why I'm back at this site...
43. I thought the JW problem was old news - and 'minor' in the grand scheme of things
44. Yet I am back here...
45. I'm looking around a lot more the last little while
46. ... time I spoke up and said hello!