Posts by pale.emperor

16

I've been awake 1 year today!

by pale.emperor in

it was a year ago today that my life changed completely.

i'll never forget it.

i had zero friends in the kh and was never included in the "guys" drinks, football games, parties etc.

I think what i've learned the most is that although JW's DO have a sort of unity around the world, it's based on fear and it's conditional. I used to visit KH's in other countries and speak to cart witnesses in other countries and it genuinely was nice to meet them. But thats only because JW's are really a minority and it was nice to meet someone who is in the same boat as us. The unity isnt anything special, the Mormons have the same thing. Probably better than the JW's in fact.

Also i learned how unloving JW's can be when you decide to leave. Accusations, gossip, lies, not forgetting the shunning, the Facebook stalking by friends of friends, the random text messages from unknown numbers telling me to RETURN TO JEHOVAH, TIME IS RUNNING OUT! - from people who love me?

It's made me a more honest person. And more compassionate and nonjudgmental. I apologized to a few people after of left, one of whom is a very good friend of mine who is gay. I apologized for bible-bashing him about Sodom and Gomorrah (im so ashamed i did that on a regular basis), about armageddon, about homosexuality being learned rather than a natural occurrence. I asked him why was he still friends with me despite all of this? He answer was "i just thought you were a bit mad, but you're a good person and sincere". That's from a "worldly" person.

It's not easy, but im now out to live "The Best Life Ever".

36

What is the basis for advising “Don’t pursue higher studies”?

by venus in

two elders who visited my friend last week encouraged her not to pursue higher studies.

it seems they are dishing out the same old stuff: “the end is imminent, and this is the time to do more in the service; hence don’t waste your resources on higher studies.”.

i wonder whether there was some official communiqué (something that is sent out recently like letter to the elders, or kingdom ministry article …).

pale.emperor

Reasons that were drummed into me growing up:

The end is just around the corner, silly! (This was 2001).

You'll be surrounded by worldly people that Satan will use to entice you

There's nothing out there

You'll be in debt for years afterwards

You'll be missing out on association with JW's your age, the best way of life!

Why not use your skills in the truth?

You can be a <insert interest here> in the new system

Be like Timothy (the bible character, not some boy called Timothy)

14

My story

by victory in

my name is collins.

i am from nigeria.

i was born in the year 1997. i was raised by witness parents.

pale.emperor

Hello Collins and welcome. I'm sorry to hear about your situation.

496

This is What I Would Need in Order to Believe

by cofty in

sometimes theists challenge atheists about what evidence would be required before they would believe.

various unlikely scenarios are offered in reply.

i have taken the bait myself in the past.. i think the correct answer is much more ordinary.

pale.emperor

I remember as i was trying to fade i said to an awake JW who cant leave:

"If i were God I'd make it very simple for my little creations to know if i existed and that i was the one true God. For one thing i would speak to them. Secondly I'd say "if you let me look after you, you will never grow old and die. (Notice that I didn't say worship, I'm not an egomaniac, i said "if you let me look after you""). Those who didn't want to let me look after them, well they'd see the results of that. You'd have my people in health, happiness and prosperity. And those who reject me living dull lives. But anyone could approach me and let me care for them."

Im no genius, but to me that just made more sense. And Jehovah never thought of it.

16

I've been awake 1 year today!

by pale.emperor in

it was a year ago today that my life changed completely.

i'll never forget it.

i had zero friends in the kh and was never included in the "guys" drinks, football games, parties etc.

pale.emperor

It was a year ago today that my life changed completely. I'll never forget it. I had zero friends in the KH and was never included in the "guys" drinks, football games, parties etc. My wife was in hospital. I was looking after our little one on my own (which was actually really nice). I remember I was about a third of the way through Crises Of Conscience by Ray Franz and decided to take my little one to a park in Liverpool called St.Johns gardens. As she was running around picking up pine cones and running among the flowers it just hit me.... i cant keep making excuses for this religion. At this time i still believed in God, i still believed in Jehovah but i was 100% convinced that this religion isnt "the truth". And more and more things started to make sense.

1914 clearly was wrong. They've been wrong about many things before. In fact, every prediction they've ever made.

Blood should be a matter of personal choice.

Shunning is the exact opposite of Christianity

There's no way to leave with your reputation in tact

Although i have many "brothers" and "sisters" in "the truth", i dont trust a single one of them with my doubts

Maybe we're supposed to grow old and die. Everything dies. Plants, animals, even stars and planets.

As you will all know from your own experiences, i immediately felt sad, scared, angry, happy, free and worried. What would i do now? I cant just leave, my father in law is an elder. The things i've learned from Ray Franz, how can i explain to JW's what i know and where i learned it without being accused of being an apostate?

So i signed up to this site. I didnt post right away but i read and read and read. Many of you here helped me more than my actual friends and actual family did, who now shun me, (yes, i mean you Toesup, Mr Flipper, Dubstepped and Chook).

It's been a crazy year, but one i'll always remember.

23

Looking for my little sister.

by DeadmanWalking in

i have a little sister havnt seen or heard from in 20 years she was da for attending a church she was 17 at the time she moved out and lived with a family not jw's in fact they are very a posed to jw's the past 20 years i've tried to make contact she won't respond all i know is she's got kids 2 or 3 of them she lives outside charlotte nc and works for a insurance company as an underwriter.

i think her husband is a police officer ?

being back in her life having a niece or nephew to watch grow up would be nice.

pale.emperor

Look what this cult does. It's tragic. If this religion didnt exsist we wouldnt have to go through situations like this. Deadmanwalking i sincerely hope you manage to reconnect with your sister. Keep us posted.

45

How did you feel when you got baptized?

by Schnufti in

back in 2005, i remember sitting in the stadium in the special rows with 42 others.

8000 people were looking at us - maybe even with a binocular - while listening to the speech.

my family and my friends among them, being all proud of me.. i don't remember being enthusiastic.

pale.emperor

Im glad you asked this, when i was about to get baptized i was told that right afterwards you feel different. A clear sign that the holy spirit is upon you etc. After i got dunked i felt no different. Then as i was getting dressed, one of the brothers who did the baptizing said over the cubicle doors "can you feel the holy spirit resting upon you brothers?" to which the other brother who had got baptized along with me said enthusiastically "YES!"... i felt no different.

So i went through my JW life assuming that my baptism didn't count, that Jehovah hadn't accepted or recognized my dedication. Years later i asked a very knowledgeable brother who was very approachable and loving to the congregation if he felt different after his baptism. He replied "Yes! But then, i also felt the same right after i was baptized into the Worldwide Church Of God as a youth".

So i understood that that "feeling" the JWs were striving for was nothing more than a placebo. Like when you see faith healers making people feint off a single touch.

P.S. That day only three people, including myself, got baptized. All of us have since left the Watchtower. The man who was in the cubicle who shouted "yes!" was a zealous pioneer but left after his brother went through depression and the elders berated him for his ministry hours going down. The girl who got baptized that day left after her elder father ran off with his 19yo secretary. Both are living happy, fulfilled lives out of the borg.

11

Picture worth 1000 words

by ILoveTTATT2 in

jw
friends

(matthew 25:41-46) 41 “then he will say, in turn, to those on his left, ‘be on your way from me, you who have been cursed, into the everlasting fire prepared for the devil and his angels.

42 for i became hungry, but you gave me nothing to eat, and i got thirsty, but you gave me nothing to drink.

43 i was a stranger, but you did not receive me hospitably; naked, but you did not clothe me; sick and in prison, but you did not look after me.’ 44 then they also will answer with the words, ‘lord, when did we see you hungry or thirsty or a stranger or naked or sick or in prison and did not minister to you?’ 45 then he will answer them with the words, ‘truly i say to you, to the extent that you did not do it to one of these least ones, you did not do it to me.’ 46 and these will depart into everlasting cutting-off, but the righteous ones into everlasting life.”.

pale.emperor

I see this all the time in Liverpool.

I remember a few years ago I was out door knocking and a householder said to me she wouldn't accept any literature from JWs because they don't help the homeless like other churches do. I had no answer for her. That really made me think even back then.

26

Follow up: the baby did not survive

by Captain Schmideo2 in

jw
friends

it was always a long shot anyway.

but, after a week of emotional pain for the mom, and extreme physical pain for a helpless infant, the baby's body finally succumbed.. all those prayers from the parents, from family, from friends, were absolutely worthless.

that is a deity for ya!

pale.emperor

My heart bleeds when any child even cries let alone passes away. Im so very sorry for your loss.

24

What not to say...

by joey jojo in

hey guys.

i was recently talking to a old friend who is a very active elder.

i was talking about ' the truth' and he suggested i sounded like an apostate because i used terms like ' the society' and ' watchtower '.. i am aware that ' dubspeak ' has changed over the years and i am pretty sure that someone posted about it here but i can't find the thread.

pale.emperor

I refuse to call it "the truth" even when it seems natural to. I simply say "your religion" or if they're trying to score points against me i just say "the cult" (they hate that, usually they get enraged).