Posts by out4good3

20

Where Did All the Fun Times Go?

by Amazing in

jw
friends

where did all the fun times go?

i was looking at the june 1, 1985 watchtower, pg.

29-31 with its legalistic baptism vows, where one recognizes their association with gods spirit-directed organization, when i was struck by the context of the article.. essentially it gives a last minute warning about proper decorum with swim-wear used for baptism a serious and solemn occasion.

out4good3

I remember a pioneer sister organizing a rather semi-formal event at a hotel in Houston in the early 90's. Everyone who went to the event was asked to pay a small fee to defray the sizeable cost of hosting and catering the event. The event was a success and everyone appeared to have a good time.

Later that week I guess someone decided that they were "stumbled" evidently because they didn't have the resources to attend and the sister was hauled before the elders for soliciting money to defray the expenses. I remember her calling around asking all those who attended if they would like their money back. I have no idea how many people took advantage of the situation by getting their money back, but I never heard from that sister again.

All it takes is one person with an attitude, running to elders crying "he\she stumbled me because of this or that" to control the daily lives of anyone connected to the organization. The paranoia that goes inside of every congregation I've ever been in is apparent as soon as you hit the door no matter how many fake smiles you come across.

21

UADNA Announcement? (non-member)

by out4good3 in

jw
friends

some time ago i briefly remember a thread that implied that there would be a big announcement coming from this organization?

something that would blow the wt out of the water.. still waiting patiently, or was this all a ruse?.

did i miss something here.

out4good3

MIND YOUR OWN DAMN BUSINESS, you'd already know if you were a member

OOOOOooooo....

I see now......

I make a innocent inquiry into something YOUR GROUP initially brought to the board and now I'm told to "mind my own DAMN business". Did I strike a nerve with you? A simple "in progress" would've sufficed, or just silence. You get used to that when you're in the borg and you ask some tough question. YOU made it the boards business when you implied as such a few months back.

I see that you wear a uniform but frankly, you low budget Rambo, YOU DO NOT COMMAND HERE, NOR AM I INCLINED TO TAKE ORDERS FROM YOU !!!!

My apologies goes out to the rest of the board if I've offended anyone.

21

UADNA Announcement? (non-member)

by out4good3 in

jw
friends

some time ago i briefly remember a thread that implied that there would be a big announcement coming from this organization?

something that would blow the wt out of the water.. still waiting patiently, or was this all a ruse?.

did i miss something here.

out4good3

Some time ago I briefly remember a thread that implied that there would be a big announcement coming from this organization? Something that would blow the WT out of the water.

Still waiting patiently, or was this all a ruse?

Did I miss something here.

11

1 slowfade 2 go please (thanks 4 the advice)

by Leander in

jw
friends

thanks to everyone who contributed to the earlier post i made today.

after a few hours of consideration i believe the slow fade probably is the best choice for my situation.

by just gradually reducing my meeting attendance i can still maintain contacts with friends and family and still find liberation from the tower.

out4good3

Leander

I would say our relationship has matured more than it ever could when I was a member of the borg allowing them to stifle my potential trying to follow all their silly little rules.

As far as the borg is concerned we have what can best be described as an comfortable truce. An agreement to disagree on that point. She knows I'm hostile toward the WT and rarely broaches the subject with me. I don't question her about her meeting attendance or it's contents and she doesn't question me about me attending my extended family's Holiday functions or any personal and financial growth opportunities I'm engaged in. She attends some of those family functions with me and I reciprocate by attending only the memorial with her. We've struck a comfortable balance we both can live with.

It wasn't an easy transition or always that way though. In the beginning I was constantly reassuring her that I was not rejecting her or planning on abandoning her, it was the stifling existence in the borganization that I wanted out of. I wanted the freedom of making changes and decisions that I knew would improve our life and not have those decisions sifted through the BOE or what appeared good in the eyes of the congregation.

Fortunately the decisions I've made worked out for the very best. Within three years of me changing lanes I'd finished school and quadrupled my income. She now pretty much lives the life of Riley(sp). A "kept woman". I'm satisfied with the knowledge that in the back of her mind, even if her WT trained conscious won't let her admit it to herself, that she knows that me leaving the WT was the best decision I could've possibly made for the both of us. And though we've toughed it out and managed to stay together, I wouldn't wish what she put me through on anybody.

Hopefully your wife will be more merciful.

Good luck transitioning out. Keep us posted.

11

1 slowfade 2 go please (thanks 4 the advice)

by Leander in

jw
friends

thanks to everyone who contributed to the earlier post i made today.

after a few hours of consideration i believe the slow fade probably is the best choice for my situation.

by just gradually reducing my meeting attendance i can still maintain contacts with friends and family and still find liberation from the tower.

out4good3

Good choice.

A word of warning though. If your wife is anything like mine look for some heated discussions about your lack of meeting attendance and study almost daily. Be on the guard for the daily barrage of JW's 101 reasons of why the meeting are so important and that they are to not be missed. Be aware that there will be some very probing question about your work and how it's the devil's pawn to take you away from cough*cough*"jehovahs organization"*cough*cough.

Look for the elder bosses to be dropping in on you any time they feel like it, most likely at the request of your wife although she will deny it, to readjust your thinking and bring you back into the fold. She will cry, she will beg, she will plead to know what's wrong and when all that has failed she'll turn to the only weapon she has left, the emotional guilt tripping about her feelings of abandonement and loneliness for having to go to the meetings alone. After that, if she's still with you, she'll likely settle down to the fact that you're an adult that have to make your own decisions but she'll look at you as spiritually theatening and weak. Remember, your being a MS and having talk assignments is a badge of honor for her as well and she'll not want to give it up that easily. That'll be her main motivation rather than "saving" your life. The indoctrinating of the WT specifies that keeping appearances and not bring reproach is paramount to anything else in the organization.

I remember one of these marathon sessions I had with my wife where I actually got so sick of hearing it I went into the bathroom and threw up. Did that stop her, no. She kept right on going.

12

You gotta be kidding!

by RR in

jw
friends

just checked out the watchtower.org site.

guess what the main article is?

yep child molestation.

out4good3

Christian parents must therefore train their children to be cautious with all strangers, regardless of apparent authority.

Let's get this straight. Just what is a kid to do. Out of one side of JW's mouth you're constantly admonished to respect the authority and go along with the "fine arrangement" of the elder body so carefully picked, with holy spirit of course. Out of the other side of the mouth you say be cautious of all strangers, regardless of apparent authority.

Just how is a kid supposed to make this determination of friend or foe when all in the hall are called friends, brothers, and sisters?

7

OK, psych, let's talk about blood

by wasasister in

jw
friends

in reply to a previous post, psych said:.

there is an area where jehovah's witnesses fail to protect their.

children - blood transfusions.

out4good3

Wisasister

a very heartbreaking story. I once knew a girl whose father was the typical "company man elder" who mentally beat his wife into complete and unquestioned submission. His children, with whom he never got to know or spend any time to spend with, were basically seen but not heard. When the daughter got pregnant, within a week she was shipped off to another state. Can't have that "mature" man's reputation soiled in full view of the congregation. Power publisher mom beaten into full submission said absolutely nothing.

The point is that those elder types are known for sticking together and using whatever means necessary to secure their position of prestige. Couple that with the WT admonition to not bring any reproach upon the organization or J's name, and you have the potential for a lot of abuse of the very people they purport to care about.

It's a shame that many people don't know of the WT view and history in relation to the UN. That is a shining example of the hipocrisy that festers in the organization from the top down.

185

Typical JW Apologist

by TheStar in

jw
friends

this jw (like so many do) avoids discussing the real issues at hand and instead opts for: .

do jehovah's witnesses have pedophiles in their mists?.

yes but look at everyone else that does too and they're much worse.. i'm not even going to mention how badly he defends the un scandal, i'll let you read it yourself.. this guy has your typical "holier-than-thou" attitude.

out4good3

Oh, yes, you worship a publishing company. You just don't realize it and that's sad.

Hey now. Don't forget to remind them that they also worship the WT Real Estate Investment and Holding company. And to say nothing of their great loan sharking operation. It's not everyone that can solicit free money from people and loan it back to them with interest all the while holding the deed to all the collateral. That is one scam that you have to admit is sheer brilliance.

29

The Mystical View of Races

by HildaBingen in

jw
friends

"there is neither jew nor greek, there is neither slave nor freeman, there is neither male nor female; for you are all one person in christ jesus".

galatians 3:28

out4good3

Why must everyone that has an issue with the WT be classified as being "disgruntled"? It's amazing how JW apologists love to pidgeonhole people into nice little categories. But I guess with the limited WT approved educational opportunities afforded them up to and including what someone told me was the best school on the whole plant, the "Theocratic Ministry School", it's much easier to group people together when all you have to fall back on is the us vs. them mentality.

Do you guys know I actually had a JW use that as educational experience on a resume?

29

The Mystical View of Races

by HildaBingen in

jw
friends

"there is neither jew nor greek, there is neither slave nor freeman, there is neither male nor female; for you are all one person in christ jesus".

galatians 3:28

out4good3

Could you explain to me EXACTLY how Bill Bowen is "generalizing"?

Great question. It also illustrates just how misapplied and off the mark her previous "thought question" was. I don't recall Bowen ever leveling the accusation that all JW's are pedophiles and since there is no way the 23K can be confirmed we'll never know if it's a real or imaginary number someone just dreamed up.

Correct me if I'm wrong but I thought the issue was that there was a system and culture in place in the JW heiarchy that allows known molesters to go unchecked while the victims are silenced though threats and intimidation, all under the guise of keeping the organization clean. It's all important and drummed into JW's meeting after meeting that you must never, EVER do anything to bring reproach upon Jehovah's or the WT's name.

Hilda

Enlighten us as to where the line should be drawn where JWs want to make aware that there are child molesters in their midst and whether or not they are causing divisions or reproach. This whole "waiting on Jehovah" approach you people have just don't cut it.