had a bizzare experience last night.
i went to see the movie mr. and mrs. smith (which, by the way, was pretty decent).
my girlfriend and i showed up about 20 minutes before the show started, so we picked out some seats and then each went to the restroom in turn while the other watched the seats.
"Get their borg on" made me LOL...
I have never run into any JWs that I know (I live an hour away from where I grew up), but I can pick them up on my J-dar at Panera's on Saturday mornings. Just knowing who they are sometimes gets me riled and I have to calm myself down in order to enjoy my coffee.
I was wearing an old work t-shirt that said "Unorthodox Pagan" one morning and got some shocked looks -- which made it worthwhile.
okay, i'm new as you all probably know, so my question may have been discussed several times in the past.
i'm just curious as to when some of you came to the conclusion that enough was enough and that you didn't want to attend the meetings anymore or not be a jw.
was it in field service, at home, at the hall?
Who said "death by a thousand papercuts"? ITA with that...
The final straw for me was sitting all alone at a district convention (I was DFed and no one spoke to me) and hearing them talk about "keeping pace with God's chariot" and the "new light" of the 1914 generation. Gag. I decided then it was all a farce.
I went ahead and got reinstated, for my family's sake, but never attended another meeting after that.
i was disfellowshipped when i was 16, it really isn't clear because i stopped going to meetings, left home, etc.
i was 28 before i truly stopped believing and have grown to love every day of life i've had the privilege to live.
my mother was a missionary, my brother lives at one of the farms, one of my sisters is a special pioneer overseas and my other sister is a special pioneer in the states.. .
My heart goes out to you... I was DFed at 18, reinstated at 19 and never attended another meeting after my reinstatement announcement. I moved an hour north and have spent the past 10+ years deprogramming.
TBH, it didn't make any difference. About 1 1/2 years after my husband and I were married, my mother sent me a letter telling me that she could no longer associate with us. Two years later, with her brother dying of cancer and me 9 months pregnant with the first grandchild, she asked to reconcile. I told her that I would welcome her into our lives, but added in no uncertain terms that she needed to accept that we are not JWs, we will not be raising our son as a JW, and that she must accept and respect that choice, as we will respect them in return. That was acceptable to her. We visited them several times, attended my sister's JW wedding, etc.
Until last Thanksgiving, when she sent me an e-mail telling me that she no longer felt comfortable associating with us.
I've decided that's it. I will not subject myself, my husband or my son to spiritual blackmail and the constant wondering, "when will she change her mind yet again?" Notice, not IF, but WHEN.
I just wonder if it's really worth subjecting yourself to the poison... for what? So that your child can be exposed to a crazy religion? Granted, your mom might not be nuts (mine is) but she's obviously not strong enough to stand up to your siblings and tell them that it's up to her to decide to have a relationship with you... do you really want to deal with that?
I hope that everything turns out OK for you... I'm sure it's a tough decision to make, just remember... what's in your child's best interests? Good luck.
although, i have not been victim to the same level of damage from the wts as many of you on this site, i have noticed that it is very difficult to fight such a large entity with deep pockets and passionate (though misled) supporters.. .
since i am still in the very early stages of leaving/fading, i wonder:.
i have already spent the vast majority of my life sacrificially serving the interests of this org.
those of us who were adults gave our consensus.
Excellent point... I was 14 and completely emotionally & physically dependent upon my parents when I took the plunge. I couldn't (legally) have sex, drive or rent a car, sign for a hotel room, drink, smoke, or join the armed forces...
...but I sure as hell can get dunked in a pool and promise to abide by whatever the WBTS says!
although, i have not been victim to the same level of damage from the wts as many of you on this site, i have noticed that it is very difficult to fight such a large entity with deep pockets and passionate (though misled) supporters.. .
since i am still in the very early stages of leaving/fading, i wonder:.
i have already spent the vast majority of my life sacrificially serving the interests of this org.
For me, leaving was by far the better choice. Fighting would not have accomplished anything -- in fact, it would lend credibility to their hierarchy and methods of discipline (e.g., if I agree to meet with the Elders then I must believe that what they have to say is important and that they have the authority to offer counsel and/or discipline.)
Nothing could be further from the trooth. I don't believe they are "God's chosen mouthpiece," or "his earthly vessel," or whatever it is that they are calling themselves nowadays. So why fight? I'm counting my blessings that I've gotten away and have had a fairly successful deprogramming.
.
does anyone have any idea why the cross is such a stumbling block to the wtbs and the jehovah's witnesses?
1 corinthians 1:18 describes their belief system to a "t".
I remember a woman from our cong used to love to comment, "If Jesus was shot with a .45, would you wear a little gold gun around your neck? It's disgusting!"
Talk about missing the point...
.
i'm in the middle of decorating my new house, and was a bit stuck as to what to use to mask off the furniture/carpets etc until i spotted an oldv pile of watchtowers that i'd been meaning to throw out.
i now have paint spattered watchtowers all over my living room.. anybody else got any good things to use old liturature for?
Burned everything that would burn, threw out the bindings.
If I go to a used bookstore, I usually buy any JW literature I find destroy it. I can't stomach the thought of some poor soul getting roped in to the cult.
how many of you came to this board, only to find others you knew when you were witnesses?.
perhaps you didn't know the other person had left.
or you knew they'd left, but had lost touch, only to be reunited here?
Someone who used to be here attended the congregation in Wadsworth, Ohio, and we knew a few of the same Dubs.
Another member was at Bethel the same time a few guys from my Hall were there, and they knew names, but weren't close.
well, i have surrendered.
i have created my own weblog.. and since i have no problem with pimping my own writings..... .
care to share the links?.
Six: Ick! There are people that do it, I guess; it's just not my thing. And, believe it or not, there are recipes out there! It's enough to make my morning sickness kick in again...
well, i have surrendered.
i have created my own weblog.. and since i have no problem with pimping my own writings..... .
care to share the links?.
