i've only recently joined but i've been lurking for well over a year.
i'll just start with a bit of my story so you'll have a better idea on were i'm coming from, i've read that much of most of your posts that i feel i already know you all anyway lol.. i'm 32 years old now and for most of my life i've had jw's around me at times, my mom used to study on and off with them all through my child hood alough she never took the plunge i'm not sure why because even to this day she say's she holds the same beliefs but somethings held her back so there's doubt somewhere!.
anyway, having had the magazines around me for most my life i'd read them from time to time,but, when i reached about 17 years old i discovered nightclubs, alcohol and, well you know the rest ;-).. fast forward to my early 20's and i'd had a failed attempt at setting up my own business, my parents had split up after 25 years together and long story short i had a nervous breakdown.
Hi Chris and welcome.
I've only been part of JWN for a few days now. My husband and I grew up as JW's and are baptized.
We haven't been to a meeting the past few months due to realizing the actual "Truth".
I hope you enjoy it here, this site has been a great help to us.
Flicka
i have been lurking a very long time, now i want to be involved much more than just reading the many interesting topics posted here.
don't let the name darwin pigeon.
hole me.
Welcome, look forward to hearing your story.
Flicka
i have been lurking on this site for the past 2 months.
for the past few years i have been going to the meetings and doing fieldservice out of guilt.. my husband (twisty) told me regularly i only do it out of guilt but i denied it and said it i want to do these things because i love jehovah and it is the right thing to do, but how can it be the right thing if you don't feel welcome and it feels like everyone is judging you the moment you walk into the kingdom hall.. it has taken a few years and a lot of tears to open my eyes.. over the past few years twisty spoke to me about the various things he didn't agree with but it just went over my head.
a few months ago we were lying in bed and he brought up his concerns again, and i'm not sure what was different this time but i understood and agreed with the points he was making.
jamiebowers: Thank you for the links.
Flicka
so we have only been fading for the past few months but already made up our minds that we are completely out.
we never managed to make any friends in our cong but we befriended our neighbours.. so our neighbour invited us to her b-day party in a few weeks time.
she knows that we are/were witnesses and that we are fading.. i don't see a b-day celebration as being wrong anymore.
james_woods: I explained our situation to the neighbour and about birthdays and everything. She said if I decide not to come she will completely understand.
Flicka
i'm kinda late but i didnt know i could get on here from my phone.
my labtop screen went out.
have to get it fixed sometime so i can post on here more.
Happy New Year!!!
Sorry to hear about your sister.
Flicka
(I'm new here)
so we have only been fading for the past few months but already made up our minds that we are completely out.
we never managed to make any friends in our cong but we befriended our neighbours.. so our neighbour invited us to her b-day party in a few weeks time.
she knows that we are/were witnesses and that we are fading.. i don't see a b-day celebration as being wrong anymore.
leavingwt: Your warnings are much appreciated and taken seriously.
It is not that I yearn to celebrate a birthday, I think is more the fact that I just want to make my own decisions without having to worry and feel guilty about everything I'm doing.
I think most of us have a problem with being told what to do, and being a JW you eventually start hating it and want to rebel against it.
Flicka
so we have only been fading for the past few months but already made up our minds that we are completely out.
we never managed to make any friends in our cong but we befriended our neighbours.. so our neighbour invited us to her b-day party in a few weeks time.
she knows that we are/were witnesses and that we are fading.. i don't see a b-day celebration as being wrong anymore.
Well to give a bit more info on our status in the cong:
We've only been attending this specific congregation for just over a year. Our meeting attendace has been very irregular since the beginning and non-existant for the past few months.
I'm not even sure if the elders know where we live.
I think this year should be a fresh start for us, seeing that we don't have any friends worldy (except for the neighbours) or JW where we currently live.
i have been lurking on this site for the past 2 months.
for the past few years i have been going to the meetings and doing fieldservice out of guilt.. my husband (twisty) told me regularly i only do it out of guilt but i denied it and said it i want to do these things because i love jehovah and it is the right thing to do, but how can it be the right thing if you don't feel welcome and it feels like everyone is judging you the moment you walk into the kingdom hall.. it has taken a few years and a lot of tears to open my eyes.. over the past few years twisty spoke to me about the various things he didn't agree with but it just went over my head.
a few months ago we were lying in bed and he brought up his concerns again, and i'm not sure what was different this time but i understood and agreed with the points he was making.
edna75:
Welcome. It is amazing how clear everything is the moment you realize it is a cult. I agree about the polygamy.
jamiebowers:
Do you know if it is available on amazon.com?
Flicka
so we have only been fading for the past few months but already made up our minds that we are completely out.
we never managed to make any friends in our cong but we befriended our neighbours.. so our neighbour invited us to her b-day party in a few weeks time.
she knows that we are/were witnesses and that we are fading.. i don't see a b-day celebration as being wrong anymore.
thetrueone:
Thank you for your opinion, it is much appreciated
Flicka
so we have only been fading for the past few months but already made up our minds that we are completely out.
we never managed to make any friends in our cong but we befriended our neighbours.. so our neighbour invited us to her b-day party in a few weeks time.
she knows that we are/were witnesses and that we are fading.. i don't see a b-day celebration as being wrong anymore.
Thank you for all the replies.
The party will be next door and in the back garden so no one will see us going there.
I'm just being cautious. The only way of it getting back to the elders is via "wordly people" which is extremely unlikely.
My family lives far away so no risk of them finding out.
I have always been the model witnesss. Never celebrated anything and I was the perfect teenager.
At this stage in my life (after being irregular in meeting attendance for the past two years and inactive and fading for the last few months, I just want to stop worrying about what other people are thinking of me and live life a bit.
Flicka
