Posts by FayeDunaway

43

How a Gay Jewish Boy from New England Came to Be and Leave the JWs (and what he did next)

by CalebInFloroda in

born in cambridge, ma to a liberal couple that escaped the conservative south, my parents raised me better than to become a jehovahs witness.

funny thing was they got mixed up in it first.. while that is a story for another time, i myself had to go along as the third of five children in my family.

dads job transferred him to texas and my mom worked fulltime herself, but eventually we found ourselves drinking the kool-aid of ambiguity intolerance and full-fledge belief that the bible was literal fact and that salvation was found only by those who were smart enough to enter the confines of the watchtower.. its weird how many people claim they fear children raised by two gay parents will grow up to be gay.

FayeDunaway

Caleb that's amazing all FIVE of you siblings are out! How did that happen?? With your parents being faithful to the end??

You say you are not atheist anymore, and I'm curious what may have changed that. Are you feeling agnostic these days, or are you believing in God...and do you believe in Jesus or no. That's interesting your ancestors were some of the first Christians. Your bloodline has such an amazing journey.

Also! I know you have a best friend, but do you have a partner or are you still single etc etc

33

Thank God For Disfellowshipping!

by Nicola.threeangelsmessage in

i had the misfortune of being born into the jw faith.

however, i thank god every day that i was disfellowshipped otherwise i would never have found the truth.

good riddance to the watchtower bible track societys false publications, especially that book they claim contains the holy scriptures it is deceitful and full of darkness, and gets darker with every revision!

FayeDunaway

Sorry I tried to write more about hełł earlier but my computer froze. (My Hell post froze over!! :) ) anyway, I haven't researched hell much and they hardly ever talk about it in church except for the rare mention that it means a 'separation from God'. But Reexamining Jesus' parable of the rich man and Lazarus, it seems to be a stretch that it's all allegory, as the witnesses say. However the person in hell was an unmerciful rich guy who didn't give a rat's ass about the starving man outside his gates....NOT someone who had a hard time believing in God.

So I don't know, but I do believe that God is merciful and won't torture, or even kill, people for not believing in him....that was not the way jesus was.

47

Regional Convention 2015 - Program

by Designer Stubble in

friday morning9:20 music9:30 song no.

5 and prayer9:40 chairmans address: imitate jesuswhy and how?10:20 symposium: lessons from jesus word pictures observe the birds and the lilies have salt in yourselves build your house on the rock11:10 song no.

120 and announcements11:20 follow jesus patternkeep on asking, seeking, and knocking!11:45 keynote address: concealed in him are all the treasures of wisdom12:15 song no.

FayeDunaway

Yep captain. The best you could do was just check off the symposium segments on your program until it was over. Yay! 20 minutes passed! Another check mark to make!

You know what I miss tho?? Those Apple and cheese Danishes. I haven't been able to find anything like them!!! Some years I would love the apple, some years the cheese. Also the barbecue beef sandwiches weren't bad.

43

How a Gay Jewish Boy from New England Came to Be and Leave the JWs (and what he did next)

by CalebInFloroda in

born in cambridge, ma to a liberal couple that escaped the conservative south, my parents raised me better than to become a jehovahs witness.

funny thing was they got mixed up in it first.. while that is a story for another time, i myself had to go along as the third of five children in my family.

dads job transferred him to texas and my mom worked fulltime herself, but eventually we found ourselves drinking the kool-aid of ambiguity intolerance and full-fledge belief that the bible was literal fact and that salvation was found only by those who were smart enough to enter the confines of the watchtower.. its weird how many people claim they fear children raised by two gay parents will grow up to be gay.

FayeDunaway

Caleb I've enjoyed your posts so far and really enjoyed your story. I'm not sure I'm clear where you stand spiritually right now, are you a practicing Jew? And what exactly IS philology? If you don't mind saving me the trip to Wikipedia.

I am so happy you successfully recovered from your lonely youth. I hope some of your siblings also left eventually so you can have some sort of family.

33

Thank God For Disfellowshipping!

by Nicola.threeangelsmessage in

i had the misfortune of being born into the jw faith.

however, i thank god every day that i was disfellowshipped otherwise i would never have found the truth.

good riddance to the watchtower bible track societys false publications, especially that book they claim contains the holy scriptures it is deceitful and full of darkness, and gets darker with every revision!

FayeDunaway

As I said in another thread, there are extremists in every religion. Most Muslims do not believe in killing unbelievers. I believe extremism makes any faith, whether Christian or otherwise, injustifiable. Allah just means God, and he is the same God referred to in the bible. Muslims went after a different prophet just as jw's have. It is not up to me to say their faith isn't valid, it is up to God, and God is merciful. I need his mercy as much as anyone.

sir82, no.

33

Thank God For Disfellowshipping!

by Nicola.threeangelsmessage in

i had the misfortune of being born into the jw faith.

however, i thank god every day that i was disfellowshipped otherwise i would never have found the truth.

good riddance to the watchtower bible track societys false publications, especially that book they claim contains the holy scriptures it is deceitful and full of darkness, and gets darker with every revision!

FayeDunaway

All together now....THE TRUTH ABOUT THE TRUTH!!!!!

47

Regional Convention 2015 - Program

by Designer Stubble in

friday morning9:20 music9:30 song no.

5 and prayer9:40 chairmans address: imitate jesuswhy and how?10:20 symposium: lessons from jesus word pictures observe the birds and the lilies have salt in yourselves build your house on the rock11:10 song no.

120 and announcements11:20 follow jesus patternkeep on asking, seeking, and knocking!11:45 keynote address: concealed in him are all the treasures of wisdom12:15 song no.

FayeDunaway

Of course!! Maybe there will be two. I will not be there to find out.

33

Thank God For Disfellowshipping!

by Nicola.threeangelsmessage in

i had the misfortune of being born into the jw faith.

however, i thank god every day that i was disfellowshipped otherwise i would never have found the truth.

good riddance to the watchtower bible track societys false publications, especially that book they claim contains the holy scriptures it is deceitful and full of darkness, and gets darker with every revision!

FayeDunaway

My life was a mess when I decided to face all my conflicts with the religion I had grown up with and tried to make peace with. I started reading the new testament during meetings and conventions just to get through them. I feel that Jesus reached out to me through the scriptures to show me who he really was, and his father by extension. He wasn't anything like what I was hearing at the meetings, and this was still with their version of the bible. I felt his love for me despite my imperfections and sins and stupidity and vanity. I began praying to him, began to become close to him, and begged for direction for my life. I feel like every person I met, either in door to door work (yes, they were witnessing to ME), or other walks of life, were sent to deliver me to the happy place I am now. I am so thankful for this. That, and believing in the real historical Jesus, is the only proof I have. Others need more proof, and I hope they find it with time, but it is an individual experience.

47

Regional Convention 2015 - Program

by Designer Stubble in

friday morning9:20 music9:30 song no.

5 and prayer9:40 chairmans address: imitate jesuswhy and how?10:20 symposium: lessons from jesus word pictures observe the birds and the lilies have salt in yourselves build your house on the rock11:10 song no.

120 and announcements11:20 follow jesus patternkeep on asking, seeking, and knocking!11:45 keynote address: concealed in him are all the treasures of wisdom12:15 song no.

FayeDunaway

I'm sure the part about apostates is the "Go away, Satan!" one.

and oubliette, agreed. I just had to laugh when I saw the title "Imitate Jesus, not the Pharisees." Seriously, that needs to be a special talk just for the GB to listen to. Many of us here could give it. The audacity of that title, coming from THEM!

I just hope this might signal a more mainstream Christianity coming from this cult, it's possible. Maybe far fetched, but I am hoping they either dissolve with time, or become more mainstream and normal. I just want my family back.

56

Who REALLY believed in the idea of living forever on earth??

by stuckinarut2 in

seriously.....even when you were 100% in "the truth", did you really believe in living forever?

?

FayeDunaway

I didn't buy into it all the way. The paradise pictures always seemed way too sappy for me. Everyone smiling too much, playing with pandas and tigers....nothing as it should be in nature. Why was it always spring? Why did everyone wear such ugly clothing? Where were the factories to make their ugly clothing and shoes and house parts? And who was working in those factories? Whoever was working in those factories wasn't playing with the pandas. I guess it was my skeptical nature but I never, ever visualized paradise like this. I asked my fiancé if it wasnt real to him either, has said no. So I did not knock on doors or anything I did for the paradise, but because I wanted to be a good daughter and not disappoint my parents. I figured if there was going to be a paradise, it was a lot more like life now than in the pictures. But never wanted to be ruled by these 'earthly princes'. What a nightmare, forever! To be under the control of elder types!!