Posts by panhandlegirl

47

If you never have used the internet, would you have returned to the borg or stay in the organization?

by Iamallcool in

jw
friends

if i have never used the internet, i would probably return to the borg by now.

.

panhandlegirl

NO, I left in late 70s-early 80s. I was greatly upset when the WTS wrote that only the 144,000 had Jesus as a Mediator. I knew that was a lie. Then they said Paul did not have an understanding on Hebrews where it states that

Abraham and others were looking for a better place, the heavenly one. I knew they were not telling the truth. I got df'd for apostacy because I told the JC the WTS was lying. There was no internet then but somehow I did get the

book CoC. I realized then that I was not the only one that rejected the WTS's teachings. Although I have been online since the Mid-90s, I never thought to look for other x-jws until this year when I came across a brochure

from the Witnesses for Jesus, which I had had since the early 80s. Before coming to this site, I still believed the WTS was just another religion that did a lot of publishing.Now I believe it is nothing more that a cult that uses the

r/f to sustain it's publishing and real estate. When I left I never considered going back. Now that I have learned more about them on this site, I have nothing but disdain for them. I only hate that the majority of my family is still

in and I do not expect any to leave. So sad!

15

She knocked on my door and turned my world upside down.

by compound complex in

greetings, friends:.

wishing you well and progress toward freedom.. comments from elsewhere on the vignette below have spurred me to share how the jw experience affected me.

basically, the jumble of emotions and thoughts - good and bad - pours out of me in story form.

panhandlegirl

I find it interesting that, if I am understanding correctly, you are writing about yourself in two parts; as the young child opening the door and the one knocking on the door. That may be a way of discovering/explaining feelings. I am interested to see how this develops. I took creative writing a few semesters ago and learned a lot about writing. I am enjoying reading your writings.

51

Are you up and down all night?

by compound complex in

jw
friends

i am - every hour or so - but last night i slept for 5 hours uninterrupted, and this despite 4 cups of coffee late afternoon.

still can't account for what was for me tantamount to a full-night's sleep .... .

do you sleep well most nights?.

panhandlegirl

I am recovering from pneumonia. I was so sick last week that, when I did sleep, I has constant nightmares. It was awful. My temp went up to 104.0. I really thought I was going to die. I had gone to Urgent Care and really do not feel that I recieved good care. Finally, I went to the ER and discovered I had pneumonia. After the doc gave me antibiotics, I was able to sleep without the nightmares. I work weekend nights and during the week I have to readjust to sleeping nights. My sleep schedule is chaotic. Like ShirleyW, I am well aquainted with nighttime tv. As Scully said, shift work disrupts sleep cycles. I am not too sure it is good for our health. I got sick on a plane going across the US, to the opposite coast, for my granddaughte'sr graduation from HS; missed the graduation party and the graduation ceremonies.

36

Today's WT: A Warning To You Loyal Witnesses

by metatron in

jw
friends

it happens without warning.

you have a stroke.

you get ms. you are in a car accident.. they put you in the hospital.

panhandlegirl

Although, I was df'd, I cared for my jw mother. I even took her to the km and made sure she got to her seat without any problems. The elders did not seem to have any problem with me caring for her even though they knew she had two other jw daughters and they knew them. My sisters lived out of town. I had made my daugher promise to care for my older jw sister if I was not around because she chose not to have children. Because my sister has shunned us and seems not to care a thing about us, I released my daughter from the promise and told her that my sister can care for herself as best she can if/when she is old and maybe her husband is gone. I no longer care if she goes to the nursing home alone. Too much time has elasped without any association or interest on her part towards my three brothers and me. Let the chips fall where they may.

30

I have to brag about my kid

by JeffT in

jw
friends

alex, our youngest graduated cum laude from the university of washington today with a bachelor's in environmental science and a minor in quantitative analysis.

he has a job in his field.

he and his fiance, who also graduated today (biology) are getting married july 1. she's starting a phd program at berkeley in august, so they're moving.

panhandlegirl

JeffT, CONGRATULATIONS to them both!! Great testamemt to how you raised them. They were smart to get those Science degrees.They must both be very bright and hardworking as science degrees are not easy.

You have every reason to brag and be proud of both of them. I heard on tv that college grads were having a hard time getting jobs unless they had science or math degrees.

8

I have to brag about my kid.

by JeffT in

jw
friends

so we got fed up with all of our educational opportunities for him.

the public school couldn't do its job, and we fought all last year with the administration of the private school because their dress code was stupid.

(i came very close to telling the vice principal that one solution to the problem would be for her to take the stick out of her ass).. so this fall we sent him to ged classes.

panhandlegirl

JeffT, Congratulations on both your children and dil. My only granddaughter just graduated from hs and will start college in Aug. She is going to start at a private Nazarene college bcause my daughter did not want her in a co-ed dorm but wanted her to live at the dorms as a controlled entrance into adulthood and the world. I just hate to see how jws keep their children from advancing in life. I was in my forties before I started at the University. It's a good thing I did or I would be in trouble now. It's hard to make it in this life without education. Both of my children got University degrees albeit in their forties.

166

Watchtower's New "Toy Story" - What Parents Need To Know

by cedars in

i've uploaded a new blog article that addresses the latest dvd release at the current district convention, namely "become jehovah's friend!

" - the tale of young caleb and his brush with divine wrath over a plastic toy wizard.

a link to the article, which includes the youtube samples of the production, is below:.

panhandlegirl

The image of the mother on her knees bothered me. There are eaiser ways to mop and wax floors than on your knees. It seems they wanted to convey how hard she worked. I did not allow my young children to watch any cartoons except "scobby do" or somethhing like that. I was a typical 60s wt mother. I now believe that not allowing children to use their imagination thwarts their thinking or critical skills. Without imagination no new innovations can be conceived. Of course, now I see what/how the WTS influenced our thinking. I was smart enough to leave the organization just before my children entered middle school so they engaged in activities such as debate and other competitive activities in school. It is sickening to see how manipulated we were and did not recognize it. If the word "magic" bothers parents what about using words like creative or imagnative; encouraging children to think of new ways to think about a problem or how to approach a problem. It's better to ask them "What do YOU think? How would YOU fix this problem? How many different ways can it be done?" Children should be encourged to ask questions but because JWs are not allowed to ask pertinent questions themselves, I don't know how a person would approach manipulation of childen's minds. The only way to approach this problem with jws is to put it bluntly and say "Think for yourself and investigate. Ask questions. Sometimes I think it is a losing battle. Except for my brothers, no one else in my familylistens to anything except what the GB says.

76

I used to be a JW! Shocking, I know

by NewChapter in

it's true.

i used to be a jw.

i was duped.

panhandlegirl

Former President Ronald Reagan was a Democrat before he changed parties and became a Republican and most people trusted his judgement. So people can change their mind about what they believe. John Stossel was a

Liberal before he became a Libertarian. That may not equal the "former jw" stigma, I'm not sure. Does the "Fool me once, it's your fault, fool me twice, it's my fault" adage count in this instance?

97

Scientific reasons for belief in God v moral arguments against belief

by yadda yadda 2 in

jw
friends

i have to admit that i do find it very very hard to believe there is no 'god' or higher intelligent power or cosmic force of some kind behind it all.

at the very last a non-personal einstein or spinoza version of god.

the articles here on this website sum up most of my reasons for belief: ww.godevidence.com/category/evidence.

panhandlegirl

I tend to agree with yadda yadda 2, esp para 3&4. If it's true, I'm the winner, if not, I haven't lost anything.

Also agree with what James Brown said on bottom of first page. I do listen and consider what those who don't believe in God say. Whatever, I live my life as best I can. This may be all I have, who knows? Don't believe in Thor, but I like his name.

26

Reinstatement in the kingdom hall means that you'll still be shunned by all for a long time = decades!

by witchtowerwitch in

don't count on too much mercy my fine featherd friends,,,hehehe,,,lol...!after your reinstated,it will take 20 to 30 years before the dubs start to forget your sorted past.....and you all know this right?so why bother crawling back with you little tail between your legs,so a bunch of glorious elders can save face before the rank and file?no one should be df okay,as this was not the teachings of jesus,only paul who wrote this stuff,but could some wacko in the last 2000 years have inserted this satanic practice into the scriptures to control the masses and manipulate them?the apostle paul wrote too many contradictions in his writings,so why trust in anything that he wrote about?why trust the gb in hq/nyc as to their writings in these past 130 years,since everything that they wrote about is all lies,,,hehehe lol...!who is going to disfellowship them in the hq department for being liars?maybe jehovah will do it in his own due time?.

panhandlegirl

I was disfellowshipped at the age of 17. The elders, my life long friends, would not let my mother sit by me at the hall. I had to sit by myself at the back of the hall. This sister always patted me on the back as she walked by my chair at the hall and it made me feel better. I remember asking one of the elders, who was not much older than me, when they were going to reinstate me as a whole year had passed and I had been faithful at attending meeting. He replied that Jehovah may have already forgiven me but they had not. I was reinstated a month or so afterwards. My whole family was in the "truth" and well thought of. I was welcomed back with open arms by everyone and during the rest of my life as a JW was looked upon as an excellent example of a witness. I was a very good witness. In fact, I think everyone was surprised when I faded and left. I guess it all depends on how things were before and how your family was viewed. Of course, now I think most hate me. One of my husband's friends, who is now out himself, told my husband that he should divorce me because I had become a Catholic. This guy was alway not a nice guy anyway, too full of himself.