Just hold on a second...I was still in while in my thirties, attractive, widowed with a child and had a well paying job, beautiful house and I was constantly avoiding "brothers" who wanted me for what I had. I was also pioneering for a while. I was always being set up with somebody somewhere. I was and am very independent and successful. I was mentally awake at 37 and totally out by 39. I am 42 now. I think it is unfair to stereotype since I ran into more mooching, loser single brothers to last a lifetime. Just because someone is a man does not make them the responsible party and the woman and her child(ren) the dependent losers even in the messed up world of JWs.
joyfulfader
JoinedPosts by joyfulfader
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35
A Burger and a Hook-up
by John Aquila inso i went to get a burger just now, and a couple of elders from my former congregation caught me off guard.
they started giving me the we feel so sorry for you, you must be so lonely bit.
i kept telling them im doing great and im not lonely but its like they couldnt hear me talking.
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August 2015 WT - Let's Review the BS Children
by InjusticeSystem infound these gems in this edition:.
- keep in expectation!- prepare now for life in the new worldthe passing of time should not cause us to lose hope thatkingdom blessings will be realized.
there are solid reasonsto keep our scriptural expectations alive.
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joyfulfader
I found this quote disturbing...living as a JW is definitely living under duress!!
"It is not a matter of servitude under duress just so that we can pass through the great tribulation. It is the way we are designed to live, the way that yields the greatest joy."
I can't possibly read anymore. This is probably the second or third time I have ever visited JW.org and the nonsense is just too overwhelming for my logical thinking process...
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Prayer with my son before lunch. Your advice / experiences needed!
by Daniel1555 indear friends,.
i would like to hear your comments or suggestions on the following:.
a little background info.. i managed to fade completely.
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joyfulfader
Prayer before a meal was standard practice growing up and my dad always said the same thing. Now my parents are the only ones still in. My sisters and their families and me and my daughter are out. My mom even knows I am an atheist but he still always prays before all family meals. He even prayed when they visited my home with my boyfriend present. I have no idea how to approach it either since they have accepted that we don't believe anymore but treat us normally. I don't want to mess that up.
My whole family will be coming for my daughter's graduation and I will have non witnesses there including my "not really boyfriend", my df'd friend (with whom they have associated with in the past) and some of my daughter's old friends from before who aren't baptized and some of her school friends...about 20 people. I do not want my dad to pray before the meal I am preparing in my own home but I too have no idea how to avoid it.
When I am at their house it's their rules but I kind of want to keep my house jehovah-free. My daughter is attending a church now and is not able to be influenced so that isn't a worry. I guess I just want my house...My rules.
I shall be keeping up with this topic to glean info for myself as well. I wish I could offer some advice!!
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joyfulfader
I burned or shredded 99% of what I had but saved my pioneer book (for the messages), some specific original magazines with unchanged wording, the NWT (green, reference and new gray) and the last volume of notes from the assemblies where I was waking up and making notes to myself with lots of "????'s" and "!!!!!'s" and the oldest cd ROMs.
I went back and looked and the class I was in ranged in age from a 12 year old girl to a couple in their 80's. Including the elderly couple, at least 6 out of 45 are dead, 4 DA'd and 2 were DF'd. And some of them are still going strong as my parents are still in and they give me updates at times.
i gotta say that having the Greek CO as an instructor made for some great food at lunch!!! I still remember all the food the Greek congregations brought in...tons of it!
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Coping With Atheism (Long-ish Post...sorry!)
by humblepotato inlong time lurker (2009-ish), first time poster.
first of all, i want to say thank you everyone who contributes to these boards and provokes stimulating conversations and thought processes.
all the opinions and different perspectives are very enlightening.
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joyfulfader
Realizing I am a good person because it's who I am and not because I am being bribed by some promise of a heavenly reward is the best feeling ever. I live to live and it shows. I can do things for others because I want to. I don't have to feel angry at an absent deity when I see horrible things happen...I mourn the pain and loss without having to deal with the infuriating "whys". I can bask in the glow of joy for what it is...joy. I am finally living and not "waiting" for something to happen. -
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joyfulfader
Yes. It was a lot of wasted time...something I have had to come to terms with. I was born-in and knew no other way nor could I imagine it was possible that I would ever become a happy atheist. At pioneer school I was engaged and ecstatically happy so I can still feel the memories of the fleeting joy I had in that moment in time. I'm 42 now and happier than I have ever been. I learned so much the hard way in my 30's. Sadly some of those people from pioneer school that left never escaped the clutches of mind control as I did. They are "out" but harbor a bit of fear that perhaps the witnesses are right after all.
40's is my do-over :)
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joyfulfader
I was looking at a photo from my pioneer class back in 1993. It was a big one with about 45 people. So many left while I was still in over the years. 2 committed suicide, some got divorced and several died of illness and old age. I saved my pioneer book mainly because of the personal messages and signatures (like a high school yearbook). It was a happy time back then when I felt like my sacrifices mattered. Ironic how so many of us ended up leaving. I still read the messages on occasion. -
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Questions that were never answered for me
by WasOnceBlind ini have always been a very rational and thoughtful person.
there where always questions i had growing up regarding things i was taught.
of course asking questions while being a jw is a big no no!
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joyfulfader
I always thought the same thing about Jesus' sacrifice. I never saw it as a compelling piece of evidence that it meant God had love for mankind. I have had discussions about it with various people of different faiths yet 3 days is apparently long enough for them. Yes his manner of death was bad but how can it be a real sacrifice if he didn't permanently give his life in payment of the so-called ransom? No offense to those here who continue to have faith, but I feel so much more at peace as an atheist...
All those other questions are just the witnesses' attempt at standing out as "different" and showing they alone are god's "true" chosen ones.
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Article: Reveal News-California court guts child abuse ruling against Jehovah's Witnesses
by AndersonsInfo inhttp://www.revealnews.org/article/california-court-guts-child-abuse-ruling-against-jehovahs-witnesses/.
california court guts child abuse ruling against jehovahs witnesses.
topics: religion / religion and government .
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joyfulfader
I read this and feel physically nauseated. And they will no doubt be saying that they let Jehovah fix it. They play by their own rules and condemn everyone else who uses those same rules. That letter of recommendation would be enough for me to see the unconscionable nature of the cult if I didn't already know they were vipers lying in wait. -
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Attending memorial tomorrow?
by Ghiagirl inthis is my first year i will not attend memorial.
to be honest if it wasn't for my husband i would probably be going still.
he says what's the point, don't be one of those people who doesn't give a sh** but just shows there face once a year.
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joyfulfader
Much to my chagrin I found out from my best friend who knows TTATT and has been inactive for years who has family still in that an elder who I haven't heard from in 3.5 years is trying to find my new address and phone number to invite me. This elder even traveled 30 minutes to another county to check at one of my old houses which has long since been sold (5 yrs ago).
I have been next to elders and others in line at stores and am ignored although I am not DA or DF. No idea why now...doesn't matter. IF they find me which would be rather difficult, I will make sure they know that any sneaky means of tracking me down are unacceptable and that I will contact them if I ever want assistance from them. They need no information except "no thank you...ever."
So no Memorial again for me. Missed Memorial #4!!!!