Posts by OrangeBlossom

33

How to Leave WT and Intact

by JT in

jw
friends

one of the most painful things i continue to see here on this forum as well as all the others is that many who want to leave wt simply don't know how to leave and remain "intact" as it were.. i recall talking with jw who "formally disassociated themselves back in the 70s and it was not till the 90s and the net did they finally feel free.

or many who jump up and write a letter off to mo larry and curly (congregation service committee).

while i feel there is absolutely nothing wrong with writing a letter for many it is a matter of.

OrangeBlossom

Oldhippie,

My most recent shepherding call was last Saturday. I just nod and act like I appreciate that they are trying to encourage us to attend all the meetings. I know that my mum-in-law put them up to it, they are in her bookstudy. They always seem to come by when my husband is not here, damn him. Anyway, they are not going to let up, they want to set a time when husband will be here so they can go over an article about the importance of meeting attendance. I have decided that I won't get into any discussions about how I really feel. But, lately I have felt like I don't really care anymore, they can DF me or consider me DA'd, it really doesn't matter to me. The only thing I care about is hurting my mom, don't really want her to have to go through it. She given over 50 years to this organization, she will not give it up.

33

How to Leave WT and Intact

by JT in

jw
friends

one of the most painful things i continue to see here on this forum as well as all the others is that many who want to leave wt simply don't know how to leave and remain "intact" as it were.. i recall talking with jw who "formally disassociated themselves back in the 70s and it was not till the 90s and the net did they finally feel free.

or many who jump up and write a letter off to mo larry and curly (congregation service committee).

while i feel there is absolutely nothing wrong with writing a letter for many it is a matter of.

OrangeBlossom

I agree with what you say about people leaving photocopying items for the elders. When my dad disassociated he sent a 20 page letter to all of his family still in, myself included, of which I did not read. I quickly threw it away and cried. It wasn't until years later and after his death that I started investigating things on my own. I am now considered inactive, attend only a handful of meetings per month (which has the elders making regular shepherding calls on me. My hope is to eventually drift off into JW oblivion. That is difficult at this time because of so many of my family is deeply entrenched in this religion.

But, I do agree, if my dad had quietly drifted off into inactivity, it would have been much easier on him. However, the type of man he was, determined to stick to his principles, it was necessary for him to formally disassociate.

It is truly an individual decision, based on one's personal circumstances I guess.

Enjoyed your post.

29

Did the elders keep secret files on us?

by XJWBill in

jw
friends

howdy all,.

i've recently discovered all the great ex-jw sites on the internet, and i've enjoyed reading other people's stories.

but a few passing comments in some stories have made me wonder: do or did the elders keep files on individuals in each congregation?

OrangeBlossom

I guess we don't know each other, I was thinking more of the Orlando area. Anyway, nice to meet you now.

29

Did the elders keep secret files on us?

by XJWBill in

jw
friends

howdy all,.

i've recently discovered all the great ex-jw sites on the internet, and i've enjoyed reading other people's stories.

but a few passing comments in some stories have made me wonder: do or did the elders keep files on individuals in each congregation?

OrangeBlossom

Welcome to the board.

It has always been my understanding that any judicial matter is kept in a sealed file. I remember a while back something going around about the elders in the UK being told to get rid of the secret files, something to do with molesting cases, I think. Perhaps Englishman can enlighten you more on that.

By the way, you didn't live in Florida during your years as a witness did you?

12

What was the spider's web ORIGINAL PURPOSE?

by JW72 in

jw
friends

well, can anyone answer that??

?

OrangeBlossom

I give up!

12

June 1,2001 WT Who Has Gods Backing?

by ISP in

jw
friends

june15 wt contains some very helpful assistance in identifying those having gods backing.

having read the article......i am no wiser!

well....no surprises there i guess!

OrangeBlossom

Re: paragraph 8 regarding God's name. There are several web sites that would dispute that. I've checked them out and was quite puzzled after pondering over some of the info contained there. According to www.eliyah.com (my favorite) using the name Jehovah is actually very dishonoring the Creator. I printed out some of the info and gave to our P.O., he didn't have much to say about it, just kind of glazed over it. Anyway, if anyone is interested it is a very enlightening web site IMHO.

71

My Identity!

by qwerty in

jw
friends

that got you to read this!

what country are you from?.

i find it encouraging to see where different posters are from in the world, especially for me, if you are from the uk or europe.

OrangeBlossom

Hi, I'm from Fl/USA. That's as much as I choose to reveal. I am still considered a member of the BORG and for personal reasons I have to stay that way for now. I know some of you think I'm a coward for not leaving, but I do not feel that this is the right time.

Anyway, it's nice to find out where everyone else is from.

BTW, it's Saturday morning, I'm not in field service and I'm guilt-free. That's a step, isn't it?

OB

39

Marijuana...should it be legalised?

by digderidoo in

jw
friends

after talkin in chat tonight....it has got me and a friend talkin about whether marijuana should be legalised.. my view...yes, .

i) who has the right to tell me what to do with my own body?.

ii) alcohol is a legalised drug....each year more deaths occur through alcohol abuse than marijuana usage.. iii) people smoke it anyway and the question is not bein addressed.. iv) it's great to get stoned!!!

OrangeBlossom

I'm with you, I think it should be legalized. You don't get a hangover with pot, at least I never did.

5

Brooklyn, are you listening?

by OrangeBlossom in

jw
friends

i wonder if the gb ever check this board to get a grasp of how the rank & file (the hanger-oners like me) really feel about things or even curious as to why so many have left the organization.

there are many elders and ministerial servants that post here because they are so frustrated with what is going on.

i think that they would really like to see a change, a reform of some sort.

OrangeBlossom

I wonder if the GB ever check this board to get a grasp of how the rank & file (the hanger-oners like me) really feel about things or even curious as to why so many have left the organization. There are many elders and ministerial servants that post here because they are so frustrated with what is going on. I think that they would really like to see a change, a reform of some sort. One of the things I always enjoyed about being a JW was the fact that no matter where you went in the world, if you discovered that someone else was a JW there was an instant bond. Even now, all of us that post here feel a bond with one another because we are or were or almost became a JW. It was always IMHO an exclusive club that we belonged to. At least that is how I felt growing up. That closeness you felt to another JW is slowing slipping away. The past few years I have felt that maybe I somehow became invisible when I walked into the Kingdom Hall because not one person would acknowledge my presence. So missing meetings became easier and easier because I felt like nobody would know or care if I was even there.

Anyway, it just seems to me that maybe the head honchos at Brooklyn might drop into this message board from time to time and perhaps get a grasp of what's really going on within the organization. If they did, maybe the Kingdom Halls would be filling to the brim instead of thinning out.

On the off chance that they might read this post, here are a few of my suggestions that might help things out.

1. Drop the disfellowshipping thing. It's cruel and unusual punishment, plus it only works on a small percentage.

2. Drop some of the meetings, they are extremely boring and redundant.

3. Lighten up on the brothers, the meetings are suppose to build one's faith, not make them feel like they will never measure up.

4. Drop counting time as it is totally inaccurate. Driving around for 3 hours looking for someone to talk to is not witnessing, it is driving around for 3 hours.

5. Spend more time sharing the real good news about Christ.

This is just a preview of what is running through my brain. There are many more things that I could list but these were the big ones for me.

OB

20

Why some stays inside the JW

by beroea in

jw
friends

i was posting a little on the old h2o but have taking a break before going to this new room only watching for a while.

im still an active jw and elder here in europe - a long way from you in the usa and also another culture even inside the jw.

i think we in europe as jws are thinking a little different from the jws in the u.s. we dont put religious authorities as high as i think you do.

OrangeBlossom

Hi Beroea,

Nice to see you posting again. I always enjoyed your posts on the old H20. I hope you like it here, I have found it to be quite pleasurable. I really enjoy the Live Chat, hope to talk with you in there sometime, if the time change isn't too much of a difference.

I have a question, are you still an elder? You might have mentioned it earlier, but I will ask anyway.

Look forward to reading more from you.

OB