Posts by Preston

i, like many on this board got baptised when still a teenager (17).. at the time i thought i knew what i was doing and could take full responsibility for my actions.. 10 years later i realise i knew very little back then compared to what i know now.. was i old enought to make my mind up?.

or could we always at any age ,be looking back at things we did wrong thinking if only i knew what i know now?.

actually how much responsibility can we hold over what we did as teenagers .weren't we pushed by the congregation and parents, we had little knowledge of anything else being force fed the "truth" since babies.. at such a young age aren't we much more vulnerable to brainwashing ?.

Preston

I was baptized at 17. I think I pretty much knew what it entailed. I never really thought about my dedication to an organization becuase that's who i didn't want to please. The organization is too big please everyone in it, but anywho....I left at 22 (I'm 23 now) and I've simply decided to not go anymore.

In context, I think it would be difficult for anyone in the U.S. to refute their baptism. The sad reality is that the organization is too legalistic and beauracratic to care. Would you be surprised if you found out that a bunch of lawyers analyzed the confirmation? Din't think so! I knew a kid with a disability who got baptized at 18, a couple of weeks later he said he wished he was never baptized. He only did it becuase he had no friends. the only moment of his stay at my kingdom hall where anyone paid any such attention to him was when they announced his being baptized at the assembly (sad realy....).

63

Attacking Newbie JW's

by VioletAnai in

jw
friends

i was attacked here when i first admitted that i was studying with the jw's.

i also noted that blessed_something or other (sorry, bad memory) was attacked also....just because we say something positive about the jw's!

i think that is mighty unfair and defeats the purpose of you trying to turn us against the jw's.

Preston

First of all Violet ((((HUGS)))), I'm sorry you have felt unwelcome and I want to say that you're free to say anything you wish without recourse in my book.

Okay...

Yer too comfortable in your set way of thinking and are too scared to face facts...

I think I know what you're saying here. The "facts" is the objective approach that we should take when discussing Jehovah's Witnesses. If this is what you're getting at then I cherish your view, in fact, I wish there were more people like you who want to know the reasoning behind things rather than taking a slanted view on an issue. A lot of the issues that we discuss here will carry a level of ambiguity and should be addressed as such.

Unfortunately, a lot of people here (particularly ex-JW's like myself) are facing the difficulty of facing their life as a JW in context. in reality, and this is a point a lot of people will not discuss, the totality of our experience in the congregation was not entirely bad, there were good things and there were bad things. There were people who wronged us, people who helped us, and like any other segment of society, there were people who took a liberal approach to their beliefs, there were blind worshipers, people who were downright nasty, etc....

As for my experience, it helped me in some ways, it didn't in others. Now I've found another direction, and I'm a happier person because of it. In summation, I will uphold your right to speak your views Violet, even if it contradicts my own opinion no matter what it may be. Thank you Violet for your presence here.

Preston (the peacemeaker)

9

The Scorpion King-yum,yum

by termite 35 in

well!

what a treat!took my daughters to see the scorpion king tonight;a truly crap film,but boy oh boy, what a body that man has!

(glances at snoring,open-mouthed,dribbling husband)perhaps if i got out the bicycle pump and a little oil.......

Preston

About the snoring,open-mouthed,dribbling husband...Please send pictures ASAP! (Preston dreamily closes eyes and sighs with satisfaction)

4

So Are JW's Exceeding Their Authority Then?

by Englishman in

about 1 hours walk from my home are the ruins of woodspring priory.

built in the late 1100s, the priory was erected as a penance by a norman knight who was instrumental in the death of the archbishop of canterbury, thomas becket.. during the 1160s, becket had been a close friend to king henry the second.

henry had pulled strings to have his chancellor pal installed as archbishop in the hope that he would at last have more power over the english church, which was very much under the jurisdiction of rome at that time.. unfortunately for henry, and later more unfortunately for thomas becket, the archbishop started to listen to his own conscience once he was in power.

Preston

Wow, I never realized I was following Peter O' Toole for so long!

13

Went to church...for the first time.

by Preston in

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.

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.

Preston

Thank you guys for your comments. I even liked Adonai's candor and honesty by providing a broader understanding on Focus on the Family, although, I presently see their stance on gays as being more harmful than hurtful. I think I get what you're trying to get at wiz. I just wanted the opportunity to see what going to a church was like.

Again, thanx!

Preston.

41

My son contemplates suicide.

by dmouse in

jw
friends

my 14 year old son, benjamin, confided in me last night that he almost tried to commit suicide this week, he felt so low.. he has been brought up as a jw by his mum all his short life and until recently totally believed all the crap.

although he has not been baptised yet he expressed the desire to pioneer and go to bethel.. then, in the past few months, he suddenly woke up and smelt what he was shovelling.. my son is an extremely gregarious, likable boy with lots of friends in the congregation.

he is always invited to the get-togethers etc.

Preston

Danger-Mouse and Benjamin *HUGS*. I am soooooo sorry your dealing with what you're dealing with right now. I can only reiterate what many people here have already said. I hope the tears that are in my eyes as I write this prove how sad I feel for you guys. I stongly agree with what has already been said, I agree that some form of exit counseling will help. I strongly believe that if Benjamin makes the decision to not be a J.W. anymore then this will be the toughest decision he will make, although the rewards are very satisfying. You guys are in my thoughts in prayers tonight. I hope things go well. Please e-mail me when u get the chance.

*HUGS* Preston.