Bachmann definitely gives me the creeps
freshstart
JoinedPosts by freshstart
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18
Elderelite where is audio from zone meeting that you promise ...
by obarac inyou promise us audio from zone meeting.
you change your mind?.
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26
My story in more detail
by freshstart inso as i stated in my first post, i was born to witness parents.
from early on, my parents were both quite fanatical about the "truth.
" we couldn't even eat lucky charms cereal because they thought it had satanic connections.
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freshstart
Thanks everyone. It's definitely a struggle sometimes to let go of the anger and resentment. Not that I'm mad at all Witnesses, because I'm certainly not. There are many of them that I still care about deeply and for whom I would literally give my life. I am angry about being taught lies and half-truths and being abused by people who were supposed to do everything they can to protect me. But I can't change the past, so I'm determined to embrace the present.
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My story in more detail
by freshstart inso as i stated in my first post, i was born to witness parents.
from early on, my parents were both quite fanatical about the "truth.
" we couldn't even eat lucky charms cereal because they thought it had satanic connections.
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freshstart
I meant to say the elders told him he was NOT putting in enough field service time
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26
My story in more detail
by freshstart inso as i stated in my first post, i was born to witness parents.
from early on, my parents were both quite fanatical about the "truth.
" we couldn't even eat lucky charms cereal because they thought it had satanic connections.
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freshstart
So as I stated in my first post, I was born to Witness parents. From early on, my parents were both quite fanatical about the "truth." We couldn't even eat Lucky Charms cereal because they thought it had Satanic connections. So dumb right? The thing that still eats at me to this day is the fact that my dad thought the appropriate way to discipline us was to beat the crap out of us. And let me tell you, he did that on an almost daily basis. He even went so far as to punch my mom in the face, which broke her jaw. He would beat us with all sorts of things...books, leather belts, his hands, broomsticks, anything that was within reach whenever he got ready to snap. I had to wear pants to school even when it was hot because my legs were almost always covered in severe bruises. My brothers didn't fare any better. My mom is severely mentally unstable, but refuses to get help and has always been that way. She blamed us kids for everything bad that happened. I even remember her telling me (when she was upset with me) that she could understand why people got abortions. I still have horrible flashbacks and nightmares from the beatings and sexual abuse. All the while that this was happening, my dad was being used in the congregation and at the assemblies. I remember one particular occasion when he beat me severely when I was already dressed for the meeting. Afterwards I had to straighten my hair and dress and go to the meeting like nothing had even happened. He's still being used in the congregation now. People absolutely think he is a saint. The hypocrisy in that situation seems boundless. After assemblies things would spike as far as the fanaticism goes. During the summers on our school breaks, I was made to stay in the house all day, everyday, not even going outside to check the mail. My parents were working, and if I dared to leave the house for a breath of fresh air, it was hell to pay. One of my brothers was addicted to drugs and alcohol at the time and he tortured me routinely. He would beat me in the face for any little "offense." I wanted to use his CD player once and he beat me in the face, so I couldn't go to school because of the bruises. We had a chain-link fence in our back yard and one day when I was outside (a rarity) he walked up to me and demanded that I go inside. When I resisted, he grabbed me by the back of the head and slammed my face into the spikes of the fence. I made the mistake of opening my mouth to scream when he grabbed my head, so when he slammed me onto the spike, it pierced through the roof of my mouth. I remember every day and night praying so fervently for the abuse to stop, so fervently that I would become physically ill. I studied for every single meeting, even making arrangements for someone to pick me up when my parents missed the meeting because I wanted to do the right thing. At one point, my mom accused me of conspiring with the members of the congregation to make them look like bad parents. Anyway, the abuse continued for years, all the while I prayed and stayed faithful and really thought I was serving Jehovah. Obviously, the thing that stood out the most to me was how in the world Jehovah's spirit wasn't revealing my parents' abusive behavior to the elders so that something could be done. Fast forward a bit, my husband and I married when I was 18 and we were the ideal Witness couple. Ministerial servant, giving public talks, assembly interviews, the whole thing. The elders constantly told my husband that he was putting in enough field service time and they always threatened to remove him as a Ministerial Servant. My husband worked full time and was completely exhausted by the weekend, but we went out in service without fail every single Saturday and sometimes on Sunday, please going on calls and studies after work. But yet, he didn't have a number that the elders thought would look good to the CO, so they harassed him and totally killed his spirit. We actually started slacking off just out of discouragement. He stepped down as a MS, but soon after we started missing meetings, we gave voice to our doubts to each other, we're still exploring them, but we know it's not the truth, and we have never felt more content and happy. It's like we're finally starting to live and appreciate people for who they are instead of what religion they are. We have genuine friends now, true friends who don't put conditions on their love. Thank goodness for that, because I believe they've saved our lives. We now have the most awesome little boy who is now 16 months old, and he has a wonderful life already, being able to do things that kids SHOULD be able to do!!! :) Life is good, even with the Witness-family backlash, but this is our life and we are determined that we will be happy, even if Witnesses don't like it.
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Cantleave, I need your help please
by freshstart ini was reading your story on freeminds.org, but for some reason it doesn't finish.
it stops at the part where you say that you traveled a lot for work and missed quite a few meetings.
there's nothing after that.......
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freshstart
Chrome is the browser I'm using and it isn't working :(
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10
Cantleave, I need your help please
by freshstart ini was reading your story on freeminds.org, but for some reason it doesn't finish.
it stops at the part where you say that you traveled a lot for work and missed quite a few meetings.
there's nothing after that.......
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freshstart
I was reading your story on freeminds.org, but for some reason it doesn't finish. It stops at the part where you say that you traveled a lot for work and missed quite a few meetings. There's nothing after that......
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I think this is real, a boardgame for JW's- House 2 House
by OnTheWayOut inyou can find it at theocraticgames.com http://www.theocraticgames.com/.
it sounds totally bizarre.. it even has a facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/pages/house-2-house-theocratic-board-game/120807941289256.
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freshstart
It's real, my aunt has it. So dumb....ugh, why would anyone play this game?
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43
Hello - new
by freshstart inhi, just wanted to introduce myself.
born-in, as was my husband.
we were both baptized as teens, married when we were teens (he was early 20s) and we were both the "perfect" witnesses.
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freshstart
My parents and his parents are still hardcore Witnesses. We're not DF so they still talk to us, but honestly the relationship has changed. Especially from my parents, they always have this look and tone of pity when they're around us. My mom told me just the other day that she's worried about our son's life, which pissed me off royally! We have some extended family that are in as well, elders and such. They've basically ostracized us, even though there has never been an "official" reason to (DF, DA, etc). I go out of my way to tell them how much I love them and include them when I hand out family pictures and things like that, but I guess they think we're a bunch of heathens. Oh well, what a sad way to be.
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Hello - new
by freshstart inhi, just wanted to introduce myself.
born-in, as was my husband.
we were both baptized as teens, married when we were teens (he was early 20s) and we were both the "perfect" witnesses.
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freshstart
Thanks! We definitely don't want him living in the JW bubble that we lived in. God it's so exhausting constantly thinking that all "worldly" people are bad association and somehow out to destroy your faith. Puke! Even thinking about it makes my head hurt. Freedom is sweet....
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Hello - new
by freshstart inhi, just wanted to introduce myself.
born-in, as was my husband.
we were both baptized as teens, married when we were teens (he was early 20s) and we were both the "perfect" witnesses.
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freshstart
Hi, just wanted to introduce myself. Born-in, as was my husband. We were both baptized as teens, married when we were teens (he was early 20s) and we were both the "perfect" Witnesses. He was a MS and gave talks, we had assembly parts, yada yada yada. Anyway, we started realizing things weren't right and, although still feeling conflicted, we started a slow fade. We've been inactive now for 2 years and honestly, we've NEVER been happier! We don't live in fear of being destroyed and worrying about making enough field service time. We have a toddler now and we will not be raising him as a JW. Life is good and we're looking forward to all the joy it can bring!! :)