Sorry for the confusion A-Man, the church is very gay-friendly, and it helped spearhead the protest against the "Focus on the Family" Group last Saturday. "Focus on the Family" is a group dedicated to conversion therapies, and vehemently opposes same-sex relationships.
Preston
JoinedPosts by Preston
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13
Went to church...for the first time.
by Preston intoday, i went to church!
it is the first time in my life i ever set foot inside a place of worship for service, other than that of my former kingdom hall.
today i got up around 7:30 aware of the strange familiarity that i once had of getting up early to go to the kingdom hall ever sunday.
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21
JW email poetry....<gag>
by Pathofthorns in> > subject: "he doesn't serve god" .
> > even though this is just a poem, we know from experiences that we read .
>in> > > the publications that this has indeed been the sad outcome for .
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Preston
The writer could have spiced things up for a more interesting poem.
>> Right after the wedding, he carried me over the threshold
>> a sinful tale of events to unfold
>> hours and hours of backbreaking sex
>> to break me out of my abstinence hex
>> I swore of meetings, oh so much bliss
>> for I'm smitten with an adonis God named Naeblis!Thank you!
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13
Went to church...for the first time.
by Preston intoday, i went to church!
it is the first time in my life i ever set foot inside a place of worship for service, other than that of my former kingdom hall.
today i got up around 7:30 aware of the strange familiarity that i once had of getting up early to go to the kingdom hall ever sunday.
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Preston
Thanx emperor Ozzie, it was a very positive experience. There was something so alive about being at a church that's as spontaneous as this one. I was so use to the song/sermon/song/sermon/song format we had for the meetings that I couldn't help but feel timid there today. I'll be more relaxed next time. Next week I'll wear my sleeveless black shirt (SYN knows, he's seen me wear it ) . J/K
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13
Went to church...for the first time.
by Preston intoday, i went to church!
it is the first time in my life i ever set foot inside a place of worship for service, other than that of my former kingdom hall.
today i got up around 7:30 aware of the strange familiarity that i once had of getting up early to go to the kingdom hall ever sunday.
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Preston
Today, I went to church! It is the first time in my life I ever set foot inside a place of worship for service, other than that of my former kingdom hall. Here is how it went:
Today I got up around 7:30 aware of the strange familiarity that I once had of getting up early to go to the kingdom hall ever Sunday. I participated in a protest last Saturday against an anti-gay group called Focus on the Family, one of the groups represented at the protest was a small congregation of members from the Community Church of Hope in Central Phoenix. I was able to get a copy of events the congregation was holding and decided that I would check it out. As I was driving to church the one thing that surprised me was how relaxed I was, I was almost positive that I would have some degree of foreboding knowing that I would be "sinning against the holy spirit" by observing a church service in the heart of "Babylon the Great". The Community Church of Hope is a gay-friendly church that organizes social and political events for its congregation, including the protest I mentioned earlier. As I drove into the church's parking lot, I again felt totally comfortable, that what I was doing didn't bother my conscience. As I entered the gathering room of the church I was greeted by a gay volunteer (cute, too!) who gave me some information on the church as well as a name tag. He also asked me to sign the church's register, which I did willingly. Before I entered the church I was greeted by an older gentleman wearing a bola tie and he gave me a hug. I sat down, put my Bible (It's twue, I brought my NWT with me!) and put it under my seat. I was greeted again by another person who told me about what the services would be like. The first thirty minutes focused on music, accompanied by a rock band (think of a more Mr. Rogers version of Creed) headed by a women wearing a dashiki (!) The musicians seemed to step right out of a cover of JW brochure. It then hit me that even the people that you see in the paradisiacal settings would viewed as being too "worldly". The music was emphasized by a dancer wearing a golden vest, waving around a flag. The music was followed by church announcements. The main focus was the protest that went on last Saturday. Instead of indirectly chiding those who didn't attend, she (yes, women can speak) wanted to remind them that they were there in spirit. After a collection (because you need money to pay for all the bills, silly!) we were asked to randomly hug a couple of people (I was hugged a few times). What followed afterwards was talk by a minister who wore a colorful vest, and a white collar. It was a very positive, scholarly, and above all interesting presentation that focused on the general topic of peace. After the discourse we had prayer, and communion. For this communion, everyone was encouraged to partake (I received a wafer from a kid who was probably no older than 12, who prayed over me). After communion there was another prayer and then church was over for the day. In the waiting room I looked at the message board (yup, I still do that) where they had fliers for church events, including a men's groups, a women's group, a youth group, and some other events. I was greeted again by the bola tie gentleman who told me a little about the church, and then I left for the day.
I'm at a stage right now where although all things theological interest me, the community aspect of church is something that fascinates me more. I felt truly welcome there. The progressive atmosphere made me remember once more why I absolutely despised my life as a JW
Thank you for reading my essay, and if you found it too long to read and decided to read just his last paragraph, you were there in spirit...
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9
My district overseer in Arizona
by Preston inbrother emsahw (i think that's how his name was spelled) was my district overseer.
he was also the most flamboyantly effeminate higher-upper of any witness i came across (yeah, yeah...i know).
for many witnesses he was eccentric, from my standpoint, well, you know...
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Preston
Hi Brymichmom, in answer to your question I live in Scottsdale. I would also love to get a group together of Ex-Jw's. I think mikepence was considering doing something along those lines....
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9
My district overseer in Arizona
by Preston inbrother emsahw (i think that's how his name was spelled) was my district overseer.
he was also the most flamboyantly effeminate higher-upper of any witness i came across (yeah, yeah...i know).
for many witnesses he was eccentric, from my standpoint, well, you know...
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Preston
Brother Emsahw (I think that's how his name was spelled) was my district overseer. He was also the most flamboyantly effeminate higher-upper of any Witness I came across (yeah, yeah...I know). For many witnesses he was eccentric, from my standpoint, well, you know... I just wanted to know if anyone knew him, or knew of him... Thank you.
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Why The Queen Mum Is Such A Big Deal
by Englishman ina few people have asked me why the death of the queens mother is such a big deal, so here goes:.
in 1937, our king was edward the 8th.
he was the eldest son of george the 5th, and, on georges death, he automatically became king.
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Preston
Hi Englishman, and thank you for posting that information about her. I had the radio turned on in my car today, and that's when I heard that she passed away. Interestingly, after it happened I wondered to myself if you would post anything about her life on the JW.com board.
BTW, Isn't it true that King George VI was related to Queen Victoria? In fact, I think all the major players in Europe during WWI were related to her. Please verify. Thanx!
Preston.
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Society targets JW youths next month - beware!
by dmouse injw youths are in for the hard sell in april, poor sods.
next month's meetings sees an in depth review of the societys video for youths young people ask how can i make real friends?.
this months km (april), under the headline an enthusiastic response!
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Preston
Oh yeah, that video they release a few years ago: ‘Young people ask: How Can I Make Real Friends?’ Yeah right.
Next up:
'Young people ask: What is the proper way to wipe my ass?'
Lord knows what you do even in the privacy of your own home is up to major scrutiny. The fact that the WBTS has stooped down to such a low level is laughable. Do they have to go as far as to advise people how to make friends? Guess so...
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Memorial No Shows...Please Check in....
by ISP inwell, i was tempted but i decided not to go to the most bizarre religious ritual of modern times....how about you?.
isp
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Preston
Not only did I miss the memorial (for the first time EVER!) I celebrated someone's birthday with a bunch of lesbian friends of mine (true story). How sacrilegious (sic)!
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what started you to doubt?
by Imbue ini had this at kents and there were several thoughtful and interesting replies.
however, i would like to read some more.
actally abaddon asked me this question and started me to thinking.......... so i wrote back this: .
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Preston
Well...to put it bluntly, I just wasn't happy, and I found a correlation between my "career" as a JW, and my unhappiness. Even when I realized I was downrigth miserable, I made it my aim to stay in the organization, since I felt it was "the truth", and that the religious instruction was the reason to stay. Still, the longer I stayed I could only think of the contradicitions that were prevalent, and how incompatible "the truth" was to my life, and the lives of others. Yes, there were other people like myself who were not happy with the truth. Likewise, I felt I was experiencing an identity crisis where I didn't know who I was. I was living the ultimate reality of self denial. I didn't do anything for myself, including giving time for myself to grow mentally, emotionally, and yes, spiritually. How can anyone say that one can grow spiritually in the congregation, when it's the same material over and over again. Yes, I know, repetition is the mother of retention, but sometimes too much, it too much. I didn't feel challenged enough.
I listed several reasons why I left. I can't really give one big reason, becuase there's sooooo much that's wrong with being a Dub. When the elders grilled me over my "coming out" to them, that was the big clincher, but really it was a slow progression of things I realized.