Posts by outnfree

The Society has "loosened up" (geez! just the terminology -- loosened up on the CONTROLLING REINS!) their position on school sports activities in recent years as they have on higher education. My teenage girls (albeit not baptized anyway, and children of a non-JW father) participated in high school swimming for the past two years. When my eldest went out for the team, which, actually, I permitted/encouraged her to do because she was a bit of a couch potato, I STILL found myself justifying her participation to the elder conducting my book study and any other JW who knew the "situation." And that's really how it was thought of, as "a situation" [implicit in the term: conduct somehow unbecoming a Witness child]. Of course, Katie could've cared less, but (as I remember in shame with head hung) I was still kowtowing to the Witness ideal of youth at that point in time. I remember myself actually rationalizing that because it was a sport where you competed against YOURSELF in trying to better your own individual time[s] as well as as a TEAM in learning discipline and responsibility that it was an okay thing to let the girls do.

Fortunately, because of my non-JW husband's presence, I allowed my children to do many things their JW peers could not do. It was, in actuality, ME encouraging them to have an outlet in dance, chorus, and sports (even YMCA! LOL), all the time knowing that the elders really couldn't call me to task for it, because of my unbelieving mate! (I learned my deceit at the hands of the masters, friends!)
Same with worldly holidays. I didn't accept birthday, Christmas or Mother's Day gifts, but I DID take the photographs, occasionally help my husband at 4 AM when he was running out of time to wrap the Xmas gifts for the kids (not too often though -- taking my STAND, dontcha know?), and never missed the family dinners out we had in lieu of cake and candles after dinner at home for everyone elses' birthday.
I cooked turkey almost every Thanksgiving, I LOVE sausage-flavored sage stuffing with cranberry sauce!!! After all, it's just another meal and the birds are on sale (an elder told me this -- more than once -- an oldtimer).

I think my son suffered the most. He has always been inordinately impressed/worried that God's ONLY Son had to die for mankind. Being an only son himself, I think he had some subconscious fears that HE was being sacrified on the WT altar! He's extremely bright. And we're done now, and he's 12, so I have hope he'll work all that out in future.

Our congregation used to have "gatherings" up until about '96 or so (?), when it seemed there was a crackdown from the Society because of an article in the WT stressing that the event must not be so large that it can get out of control. Also, the brothers would get together on Friday nights to shoot hoops at a local middle school gym. I'm not sure if the sports still goes on. In the past two years, there have been picnics with softball/volleyball and the like for special events like Bethel going away parties, a 25th Wedding Anniversary, celebrating the wedding of a sister that moved away from our congregation but still had ties. But NOT the "Congregation-sanctioned" barbecues of the past. And now a sister is planning a FORMAL Dinner/Dance to give the Friends a chance to dress up. Of course, our congregation was known to be the "party congregation" in the area. So Xandit's tales ring true to me.

We used to have parties at our house, too, when my husband was away on business, just so my kids could have some FUN! He didn't want the Witnesses in our house for the most part, and we had lots of giggles planning whom to invite so we could party before he came back. Hmmmmmm. None of the invited elders ever took me aside to ask if entertaining them against my opposed husband's wishes was wise or perhaps deceitful. I guess it's all good as long as it's for spiritual upbuilding in the theocratic war! (and as long as there's euchre and wine!)

Looking back, I think God was watching out for my kids by helping ME to be balanced. NOT Society "balanced", but Real World, dealing-with-real-people-with-different-views-and-feelings-balanced. I think they are not too strange and they have only worldly friends now!

Yet, given all the exceptions and the truly unorthodox manner of their upbringing during the 15 or so years I was in, every one of my four children would tell you that growing up a JW sucked!

outnfree

44

High priced Kingdom Halls

by JWD in

jw
friends

it`s been interesting watching the org.

trying different ways to make money while at the same time keeping up a front of not being interested in money.

especially since they were forced to drop the.

outnfree

Seriously?!
Rather deceitful, don't ya think?
Of course, that's the feeling I've gotten anytime I wrote to the boys in Brooklyn, so I'm not surprised that they would resort to something like a "front" buying up real estate.
And to think that I was actually at a party at the Bossert and didn't know the tainted history!
No wonder the neighbors in Brooklyn Heights dislike the Society so adamantly.
Thanks for the insight, Jeff!
outnfree

24

God Made Cats

by Farkel in

jw
friends

cats are feral.

no two ways about it.

cats are feral.

outnfree

Methinks you is a lie'un, Farkel.
LOLOLOLOL

outnfree

114

I cryed today...

by silentlambs in

i recieved this note from a young person i know personally.

it brought tears to my eyes for someone so young to see things so clearly.

why can't six million others see this simple reality and the need for change?.

outnfree

How about "righteous indignation?"
Y'know, like when Jehovah or Jesus got really upset because things that were "detestable to Jehovah" were going on?
Honestly, Wayne, although not always expressed politely, that's precisely what's going on here.
We are indignant that "little ones" all over the Borg are not being allowed to "come to [Jesus]" because his modern-day undershepherds are constantly betraying the children's trust by worrying about proving their loyalty to the Society, instead of imitating the Master.
outnfree

30

I didn't survive an Apostate Convention

by expatbrit in

jw
friends

so i get this envelope in the mail.

i know it's, like, apostate stuff.

because it doesn't fall to the floor after coming through the letter box.. inside is an invitation:.

outnfree

TOOOOOO FUNNY!!!
ROFL
outnfree

44

High priced Kingdom Halls

by JWD in

jw
friends

it`s been interesting watching the org.

trying different ways to make money while at the same time keeping up a front of not being interested in money.

especially since they were forced to drop the.

outnfree

Jeff,

Did I miss something on this thread?

Also, when I was at Bethel, the whole CoHi thing was very interesting

What is "CoHi" secret code for, please?

outnfree

5

still searching

by hannibal in

jw
friends

hello to all of u on this site,i've been enjoying reading your .

posts for about a mounth now.with your help ive come a long .

way in my knowledge of the bible.u've also showed how.

outnfree

Ignorance is not stupidity, hannibal.
We are all new at this thinking for ourselves business!

Loved your tag line.

outnfree

7

Who rules your life?

by shalom in

jw
friends

true story - my aunties husband who is a new jw but not yet baptised wrote a letter to the governing body requesting permission to wear jeans to the meetings because apparently he is allergic to the fibres in wool pants etc.

he got a letter back granting him permission to do this!

!

outnfree

Nah, RHW,
he'll just get 'love-bombed' wherever he goes from now on! LOLOLOLOL

outnfree

16

The Remnant Watchtower

by ozziepost in

this week's watchtower study article (feb 15 p23) should be re-named "the remnant manifesto"!.

a subliminal message centered on the use of the word "remnant" runs right through the article.. para 5: "a faithful remnant in ancient judah were to benefit.".

para 6: "so jehovah prospered the faithful remnant...".

outnfree

bjc,

Perhaps you didn't understand that according to the Watch Tower Society there have only been 144,000 anointed brothers of Christ (Spiritual Israel) gathered from the 33 C.E. until 1935 C.E. which is when the doctrine of the "great crowd" was announced. Today's "remnant" are the remaining ones of that group, which was more or less sealed in 1935 (except for a few replacements for those evil slaves who departed those elite ranks from 1935 to the present).

However, if you do the math, you may become a disbeliever like larc and myself: 1935 - 33 years = 1902 years. In 33 CE, say 10,000 joined the new church. From 1935 to our day, say 10,000 more were legitimate 'adopted sons'. 124,000 Spiritual Israelites chosen down through 1902 years (or so) = approximately 65 anointed added on average per year. What a lonely group throughout the entire earth!
No wonder the anointed remnant to this day cannot trace their "lineage" of true worshiphers back past CT Russell (or perhaps Storrs/Miller and that ilk)!!! Like finding a needle in a haystack!

outnfree