Posts by Heartsafire

51

Help needed: transgender people and other unclear topics

by TeaBiscuit in

first of all, i am not quite sure whether this is the right place to ask my questions.

if this is not really appropriate, please tell me in advance, but i really did not know who to turn to, so i thought why not ask the internet... now, i know many of you are apostates and i'm not really looking for "leave it all behind you" answers, but really for experiences, thoughts and ideas... as well as maybe some verses if you can think of any.. anyway, first things first.

since this is very anonymous and i'd like to keep it that way, i will not give you my name, but still, i think some background info might be helpful.

Heartsafire

@teabuscuit

Hello. Just a warning about JW's: baptism within their org is not the same as baptism in other so-called Christian religions. JW's baptism is a binding contract into their org and a publicly made agreement that you accept THEIR rules and standards for life even if those rules and standards conflict with your conscience (and many of these have no solid biblical foundation).

It is obvious that you have already made your personal dedication to God. That is a private matter, and that is what counts. Even the JWs teach that baptism is the public display of what has already been done in private, although they likely won't admit that their baptism binds you to their organizational rules and those rules are subject to change.

On the topic of transgenders, I recommend you check out the YouTube account for JW T girl. This is the account of a lady who was JW and went through the full transgender process. She tells her story and documents it in detail. You may get some insight on this topic from her account. Good luck.

10

A question for NEWBIES , especially if you would have died for your beliefs , and / or if you have been a long time in the religion .

by smiddy in

i`m just curious as to how you came across this site or any other "apostate" site for that matter especially now when the internet on the one hand is so demonized when it comes to the subject of jehovah`s witnesses , except of course for jw.org ,.

was it by accident ?

somebody has mentioned it to you ?

Heartsafire

I didn't have the nerve to browse ex-JW websites on the internet until I got a smartphone and could do it easily and privately. I always had nagging doubts about the Borg and its teachings, but never the nerve to research beyond JW material where others could see me.

I came across this website a couple years ago. I cannot remember what I was researching, but the topic was JW's for one reason or another. I do remember that feeling of doing something sinful. Would the demons attack me if I read this forum? My worries about that were stifled after reading a couple of posts that were humorous and expressed the irony of the situation. Finally I felt like I had found my people!

I love the variety of people posting on this website: ex dubs, current dubs, doubters, true blue apostates, curious folk, etc. And, all from around the globe too! Nobody here is forced to think, say, or do anything that goes against their personal conscience which is SO refreshing when that's all one has been subjected to in a high control group like the JWs.

The format of the forum is very good too, especially when it comes to sharing leaked info. Thank you to all of you out there helping everyone keep pace ahead of this controlling org.

19

disfellowshipped wife, husband still a jw

by thereishope in

i'm new here and haven't introduced myself yet, but have been lurking for the past couple of weeks and learned so much!

quick first question: if i get disfellowshipped for researching info on websites other than jw.org (the official website), how can i expect to be treated by my husband still in the truth?

ie what will he be told by the elders about how to treat me?

Heartsafire

Hello and welcome thereishope:-) I'm in the same boat as you. My husband is still a believer and I know ttatt. I think you are on the right track in connecting with non JW friends. In my experience, making non-witness friends who are sympathetic to my situation has been so helpful and personally fulfilling. I recommend it! Look forward to hearing more from you!

HAF

5

US politics, Game of Thrones edition

by Simon in

sorry, it was emailed - i don't have a source link to reference.. .

Heartsafire

Hilarious!

45

JWs in denial, so sad

by Simon in

i had a couple of jw sisters call at my door today.. they started with the bizarre "can we read you a scripture" and read about "death being no more" and asked what i thought of that.. i said it sounded like a mix of disney and dumb.. they then launched into how god was going to put an end to death and wasn't that wonderful?.

i said it would have been more wonderful if he'd not created death in the first place.. they thought man created death by disobeying so i questioned why god couldn't have just forgiven them.

apparently "because he loves us" is supposed to be a satisfactory answer to why he kills us.. i asked how loving it was to kill hundreds of thousands of children in tsunami's, disease and so on.. at this point, they gave up on the 'god is love' and switched to the bible being true no matter what because it was an old book and moses had written the first chapter (says the book).. when i suggested it really wasn't that old and that most of the bible myths were copies of older stories from before it was written they questioned if i studied the bible and theology.. then i told them i was brought up as a jw so knew it was all crap.. now it was game on, they immediately switched to play defence questioning why i'd left (and i think they'd already taken a step back away from "the evil" obviously emanating from me).. not much time to say much before they cut and run so i told them i'd left because i found out it was all based on lies and that the watchtower was corrupt and covered up things like child abuse.. oh no, you're thinking of the catholics one of them said (some disdain in how she said "catholics" as though "we're so much better than them").. "well, i challenge you to do a search for the australian royal commission and you'll see the testimony the watchtower leaders gave and the damning evidence that they covered up abuse and reported none of it to the police.".

Heartsafire

Simon, I logged in just now specifically to "like" this. Totally made my day. Great job! Hopefully your responses will get the rusty cogs of their brain turning. Most likely they will share what you said with everyone in their car group.

6

Stay in the Boat

by stuckinarut2 in

interesting video from the mormans.... it sounds so much like a witness illustration!.

https://www.lds.org/youth/video/stay-in-the-boat?lang=eng .

Heartsafire

LOL Bonsai! Is this boat the Titanic?

24

Helping my family see the truth about 'the truth'

by Stella3 in

this is my first time joining a forum like this.

i grew up in the jw religion.

i was baptized when i was 13 and started to fade out at 16 at least mentally.

Heartsafire

Stella, welcome! I understand what it is like to have family you wish to wake up. My entire family are dubs, and that includes my husband. Confronting them with facts has done nothing for me. So, I've been trying something new, and it seems to be working: I've been happy. I've made some genuine non-JW friends, gotten involved in some awesome do-gooder stuff that I enjoy, and I'm taking better care of myself overall. I feel sincerely happier than I have felt in years, and I try to share it with my family. JW's are programmed to think that worldly people are miserable and always doing bad things. When they experience something contrary to this, it helps stimulate skepticism towards the teachings. Also, when confronted, I try to let my family know that I am on their side, but I just don't agree with the direction the Borg is going. It is still a work in progress, and they may never change. I have had to come to terms with this possibility and just get on with my life. Good luck to you, and please keep us posted.

HAF

91

My brother died last night

by LisaRose in

jw
friends

i found out this morning that my brother died last night, he was also an ex jw, 73 years old and died of heart disease and kidney failure.

it was not totally unexpected, as he had been in poor health, but it's a blow, especially as i just lost another brother two years ago.

there were six of us, now only four.

Heartsafire

Lisa Rose,

You are one of the most thoughtful people on this forum, and I am sorry to hear you lost your brother. We are always here for you when you need a listening ear. Take care, and hugs to you.

HAF

160

Beliefs About What Caused the Universe

by Perry in

the universe can be observed to be expanding.. an expanding universe must have had a beginning.

whatever begins to exist had a cause.

therefore the universe had a cause.

Heartsafire

Perry, your posts always ruffle feathers. Just so you know, I do respect your views as much as anyone else's. I'm not here to delve into the creator/non-creator discussion. Just wanted to state that the universe is expanding, and it is no small discovery. I really enjoyed a recent episode of NOVA that documented the two teams of scientists who discovered this fact and won the Nobel. I think it's the episode about Hubble for those curious. The great thing about science is that there is always more to discover.

9

Today's Text - Be Humble & Don't Judge (The Exact OPPOSITE Of What JW's Do!)

by Divergent in

jw
friends

another nauseating text which proves conclusively that jw's do not practise what they preach!.

monday, may 9. who are you to be judging your neighbor?—jas.

4:12.. humility restrains us from overstepping our authority.

Heartsafire

Valued and appreciated as a JW? Ha! Never! I never felt that way even when I was going at it 110 percent.

Actually, most Dubs I see are very depressed and barely hanging on. Or, they are flourishing as over-achievers and looking down their noses at the ones who "don't have their priorities straight".