i don't know how the weather is everywhere else, but here in dixie, it's been the first bearable summer in as long as i can remember.. it seems as though mother nature took a rest this year, worn out from her years of relentlessly bombarding us with intense heat.
for so long, it seemed as though the spring and summer months, even october, would bring an onslaught of 100+ degree temperatures with record high humidity and only enough rain to turn our evenings into saunas.. then this year came.
so far, the temperature has topped out in the very low 90's and the humidity just hasn't had the enthusiasm of years past.
It's hot and dry here in Montreal - the water levels in the lakes and rivers are dangerously low - Other than that, I am enjoying the summer to the full not really looking forward to the winter -
Take care
Richie :*)
You are the music as long as the music last...............
i just want to catch up on the latest da policy.
i know if you have a blood transfusion, or send in a letter of da you get kicked out, but are there any other situations where the elders can da?.
philo
mmmm
disassociating yourself slowly or quickly is a matter of perspective; think about it: you lose either way, i.e.
the witnesses will treat you like you've become part of the "bodysnatchers" of the world and no matter how you rationalize it, there is no honorable way out in the eyes of the witnesses.. i was df'd about 1.5 years ago (as they said that i left the organization so it was entirely my fault, but little do they know that their organization left me, as i appealed the gb's decision), and the sudden break-off of family and friends in the truth is always devastating to say the least - it's an emotional explosion which in your wildest dreams would normally never ever happen....i can now understand what death means, at least in the beginning....yes i was dead though living - even though when i went back to the meetings afterwards, i could feel the lonely emptiness, the non-existence of myself.
yet when by accident i would be gazing straight into the eyes of one of my (former) friends, he would just stare past me as if i didn't exist at all even though i attempted to smile at him in indicating respect to him....how convenient for them to ignore a fellow friend and instead make me feel like the lowest person on earth - but then..of course they were taught to respond in this manner to anyone who is df'd.... then i though to myself...what would happen when eventually i would be re-instated: yes, then after the announcement most would want to see me at the end of the meeting all happy and oh so loving and wanting to be my best friend all over again - in a heartbeat they'll change from zombies to angelic like mortal creatures of love.... for this very reason i cannot return to the meetings in the hope of wanting to be re-instated and have this hypocrisy again heaped upon me like tentacles.
Thanks so much all of you Billy Gsark Jurs Wiltshire Sozo Cornish Dannyboy James Buffalo Prisca and Joanne for your heartfelt response in understanding our common predicament in dealing with a unique phenonema as we all experienced together in a very similar way!
You have given me such strength, just by your listening and responding in kind...I feel that your friendship here in our discussion forum (which incidentally I discovered quite by accident a couple of weeks ago)is so genuine and helpful as you all identify our feelings and as a result can lift each other up in our quest to be found worthy as real human beings with all the integrity attached to it. Let's continue to help one another...life is so short....
Thank you again from the bottom of my heart to you all my dearest friends......
Kind regards,
Richie :*)
You are the music as long as the music last...............
disassociating yourself slowly or quickly is a matter of perspective; think about it: you lose either way, i.e.
the witnesses will treat you like you've become part of the "bodysnatchers" of the world and no matter how you rationalize it, there is no honorable way out in the eyes of the witnesses.. i was df'd about 1.5 years ago (as they said that i left the organization so it was entirely my fault, but little do they know that their organization left me, as i appealed the gb's decision), and the sudden break-off of family and friends in the truth is always devastating to say the least - it's an emotional explosion which in your wildest dreams would normally never ever happen....i can now understand what death means, at least in the beginning....yes i was dead though living - even though when i went back to the meetings afterwards, i could feel the lonely emptiness, the non-existence of myself.
yet when by accident i would be gazing straight into the eyes of one of my (former) friends, he would just stare past me as if i didn't exist at all even though i attempted to smile at him in indicating respect to him....how convenient for them to ignore a fellow friend and instead make me feel like the lowest person on earth - but then..of course they were taught to respond in this manner to anyone who is df'd.... then i though to myself...what would happen when eventually i would be re-instated: yes, then after the announcement most would want to see me at the end of the meeting all happy and oh so loving and wanting to be my best friend all over again - in a heartbeat they'll change from zombies to angelic like mortal creatures of love.... for this very reason i cannot return to the meetings in the hope of wanting to be re-instated and have this hypocrisy again heaped upon me like tentacles.
Disassociating yourself slowly or quickly is a matter of perspective; think about it: you lose either way, i.e. the Witnesses will treat you like you've become part of the "bodysnatchers" of the world and no matter how you rationalize it, there is no honorable way out in the eyes of the Witnesses.
I was df'd about 1.5 years ago (as they said that I left the Organization so it was entirely my fault, but little do they know that their organization left me, as I appealed the GB's decision), and the sudden break-off of family and friends in the truth is always devastating to say the least - it's an emotional explosion which in your wildest dreams would normally never ever happen....I can now understand what death means, at least in the beginning....yes I was dead though living - even though when I went back to the meetings afterwards, I could feel the lonely emptiness, the non-existence of myself. Yet when by accident I would be gazing straight into the eyes of one of my (former) friends, he would just stare past me as if I didn't exist at all even though I attempted to smile at him in indicating respect to him....how convenient for them to ignore a fellow friend and instead make me feel like the lowest person on earth - but then..of course they were taught to respond in this manner to anyone who is df'd.... Then I though to myself...what would happen when eventually I would be re-instated: Yes, then after the announcement most would want to see me at the end of the meeting all happy and oh so loving and wanting to be my best friend all over again - in a heartbeat they'll change from zombies to angelic like mortal creatures of love.... For this very reason I cannot return to the meetings in the hope of wanting to be re-instated and have this hypocrisy again heaped upon me like tentacles. Secondly, I would hate myself for going back to the meetings for the sole reason of wanting to be re-instated without being inclined to serve God "again".
Upon further scrutiny, I am thinking of this: what if I stayed disfellowshipped for many many years, perhaps 20 or even 30 more years...would anyone "forget" that I am df'd and begin treating me kindly as if I am a human being??? You see, these thoughts are constantly crossing my mind: thoughts of wanting to come back or at least being RI and as a result have "them" consider me a human being by allowing some association again or continue to live my free life for the remainder of my natural life. As my (unbelieving yet compassionate and decent) father once said: "when you're not permitted to think freely, to live freely...then life is not worth living and you should break free at any cost"!!
I only started to realize this very truth of being able to think freely after I was shunned from the Congregation. Yet when I think of all the years serving Jehovah faithfully, even becoming an elder in the process and have the so-called priviledges of serving others, then at the stroke of midnight having it all taken away from you because the Committee deemed it necessary to remove me lock stock and barrel even though I showed true repentance before...then I began to seriously wonder whether literal death would be far more delightful than continue to live in a state of non-existence...in fact I was looking forward to sleep and close my eyes eternally...
I had given up so many things to be a faithful witness: my parents departed from me; they could not recognize me any more..of course I was faithful to the Society, so the heck with our loved ones who are not in the truth...my fleshly family was estranged for many years and the so-called friends in the world I had before left me too, understandably turning their back to you for wanting to show them my newfound truth...Ohhh how I wish to hug my father and mother now and tell them how truly sorry I am from the bottom of my heart and the many times I ignored their genuine feelings because of my right way.
How often did I see my parents cry as their son decided to depart from them into a religion where your association is heavily monitored in every step of the way. Truly, I do not know of any organization in this world where they literally break up friends, loved ones, families and close relatives; if they are in the truth then everything is fine and dandy, whereas if they are not recognized as followers of Jehovah, with the exception of "sincere" bible students,
you are considered sub-human which means that in the subconscious mind of the Witnesses not worthy of loving in the truest sense of the word....
Yes, I have lost my friends, all of them, even my job on account of the "truth" - I had given it away so I could worship God and yet all along I felt this uneasiness in the depth of my soul, this strange churning feeling of recurring doubt whether God's organization was in effect the truthful and only organization on earth delivering the accurate and infallable accuracy of the Scriptures and only they were given the precise interpretation of all things existing as to why we are here on this earth....
Whatever is left now, I know I must move on and I know that there is valuable and precious time left to walk, talk, breathe, taste, care, cry and love...and yes I promise I will take advantage of all these beauties to be explored with a free will and mind...true love is an act of total surrender - yet I intend to search for this love as God has given us all these gifts to enjoy and use to the full in order for us to live life serving Him with a free spirit and in our capacity to help others in need of this love....
That's why I try to turn sadness into longing, solitude into remembrance....yes we are the music as long as the music last...
Richie :*)
You are the music as long as the music lasts...............
regarding dfing policy:.
is it true that those wishing reinstatement sit up the back?.
in an average congregation, how many dfed would be sitting up the back?.
I went back several times to the KH after I was df-ed. In fact I was disfellowshipped in another congregation, but I started to go back later on to a different KH (where I used to be many years earlier) which my daughter and husband also attend. There were in total 2 brothers who were happy to see me; one brother poked me slightly in the back showing happiness that I attended again and a second brother gave me the thumbs up when I left the hall at the close of the meeting. I must admit that these latter brothers showed true character in deciding not to ignore me totally but give me a measure of respect due to a human being, as I still am a human as I always was a person of the human family to begin with......
I must admit that these tiny acknowledgements from those two brothers still resonate deep inside of me, again proving that true compassion given by another soul makes the heart smile with deep contentment, albeit small but sincere nevertheless.
This reminds me of a time back in 1985, when a family member of my late wife lost her son of 25 years unexpectedly. This son was jogging and suddenly fell down dead because of exhaustion of some kind and perhaps a heart attack....His father was so devastated of his son's death that he became a changed man afterwards, whereas his mother was the strongest of having to bear the loss of her son as well as the devastation of her poor husband who a little while later could not hold his job anymore - the sadness in this man was so profound that I could not help holding down my tears as he was looking down at the open coffin of his dear son.......
Many years later my own wife died of cancer in 1989 and I must say that many brothers and sisters in the truth at that time were comforting me and my children, however some of them thought sadly that I should stop mourning after about a month or so....
But what I wanted to convey is that of all the many condolences and well wishers, the one that stood out above them all like a pillar of gold in all its glory was the comforting words of this woman who lost her son a couple of years earlier......she wrote me a note saying that she really understood the emotions and feelings I went through after my wife's death....yes she was so sincere in her words of comfort... yes the way she wrote her words in a sincere and yet simplistic manner of tone but powerful and deep from the heart that this was the most beautiful consolation I ever received from anybody!
I must also mention that this woman who lost her son was never a Witness, but a person from the "world" as they say in Society's terminology.... So piercing, so emotional and yet so sincere from a woman who I hardly knew but who went through the same agony of losing a loved one...her son..yes she could so very much understand the loss in its entirety and therefore hand me the comfort I needed so much at that time...
When all of this is said....where is the true love that is shown by the members of the congregation of the wayward ones or those which are wrongly disfellowshipped....yes, God's ways are much, much higher than man's and I now fully understand this principle.....I never forgot this experience which taught me so much about life itself....
Richie :*)
You are the music as long as the music lasts...............
tonight i was at a fellow jdubs house.. there was 3 couples.
my wife was in the can.
somehow, in the split second she dissappeared, the conversation turned to pedophiles, catholic priest and how they cover it up.
Zev, I know how you are feeling.......My eyes were opened not so long ago when I have been discovering the real truth about the organization, where they blame what people are doing in this and that religion, but they are so blinded by what is going on in their own backyard.....
Makes me think of the scripture where Satan keeps blindding the minds of the (un)believers??
Keep up your spirits Zev..you know that you have more real friends than you think right here!!!
Best regards,
Richie
which is better in your estimation?
hit the borg with a d.a.
letter or do the slow fade.
I just called my daughter to see how her son was doing.....The first thing she said was....heee why aren't you at the meetings anymore....and what are you doing with your life??....and what about Judy (my wife)...what's she doing with HER life.....with other words...you can't be happy and have a real life if you're not in the truth...
So brainwashed and so sad and sooo "loving" - it breaks me apart...
Richie :*)
which is better in your estimation?
hit the borg with a d.a.
letter or do the slow fade.
Disassociating yourself slowly or quickly is a matter of perspective; think about it....you lose no matter what, i.e. the Witnesses will treat you like you have become part of the "bodysnatchers" or the world and no matter how you rationalize it....there is no honorable way out in the eyes of the Witnesses.
I was DF'd 1 1/2 years ago ( as they said that I left the organization so it was entirely my fault, little do they know that THEIR organization left ME, as I appealed their decision) and the sudden break-off of family and friends in the truth is always devastating to say the least - it's an emotional explosion which in someone's wildest dreams in a normal world would never ever happen.....I can understand what death means, at least in the beginning: I was dead though living - when I went to the meeting (disfellowshipped) afterwards...I could feel the emptiness, the non-existence and when by accident I would be gazing straight into the eyes of one my (former) friends, he would just stare past me as if I didn't exist at all - how convenient for them to ignore me and make me feel like the lowest person on earth - but then..of course they were taught to respond in this manner to anyone who is df'ed... Then I thought to myself...what would happen when eventually I would be re-instated....Yes, suddenly everybody would gather to want to see me at the end of the meeting!!! And then they would be my best friends all over again......
For that reason I cannot return to the meetings to want to be re-instated and have this hypocracy heaped upon me like tentacles.....
Then upon further scrutiny, I am thinking what if I sat disfellowshipped for many many years, perhaps 30 or 40 more years....would anyone "forget" that I am df'd and treat me kindly as if I am a human being??? You see these thoughts are constantly crossing my mind; thoughts of wanting to come back or at least being RI and as a result have "them" consider me a human by some association again or continue to live my "free" life for the rest of my natural life. As my (unbelieving) father once said: when you are not permitted to think freely, to move freely, to live freely...then life is not worth living and you should break free at any cost!!!
I only started to realize this very truth of being able to think freely after I was shunned from the Organization....
When I think of all the years serving Jehovah faithfully and even becoming an elder in the process, in the beginning I often wondered if literal death would be more delightful than continue to live in a state of non-existence...in fact I was looking forward to sleep and close my eyes eternally...
I had given up so many things to be a faithful witness: my parents departed from me; they could not recognize me any more...of course I was faithful to the Society, so the heck with our loved ones who are not in the truth...my fleshly family was estranged for many years and the so-called friends in the world I had before left me too, especially when I started to witness to them in the beginning showing them my new-found "truth"... Ohhhh how I wish to hug my father and mother now and tell them how truly sorry I am from the bottom of my heart of the many times that I ignored their true feelings because of my right way..... How often did I see my parents cry because their son departed from them in that religion where your association is not allowed anymore...I do not know of any organization anywhere in this world where they literally break up friends, families and close relatives: if you are not in the truth (with the exception of "sincere" bible-studies), you are considered sub-human and in the sub-conscious mind if the Witnesses not worthy of loving in the truest sense of the word.....
Yes, I have lost my relatives, friends, even my job on account of the "truth" - I had given it away so I could worship God and yet all along I have always felt this uneasiness in the depth of my heart, this strange churning feeling of recurring doubt whether God's organization was the truthful and only organization delivering the accurate and infallable accuracy of the Scriptures and only they were given the precise interpretation of all things existing as to why we are here on this earth.....
I know that there is valuable & precious time to walk, talk, breath, taste, care, cry and love: and Yes I promise myself I Will....
True love is an act of total surrender - yet I intend to search for this love doing so with my free spirit as God has each of us given us all these capacities to enjoy and use to the full with a caring attitude to help others in need of this love...
Perhaps love makes us old before our time...or young, if youth has passed. That's why I try to turn sadness into longing, solitude into remembrance - We are the music as long as the music lasts....
Richie :*)
i was wondering... can the elders df you in absentia if you haven't admitted to doing anything wrong??.
my ex wanted his scriptural grounds for a divorce and i told him he had them.
he went to the elders with this info and they called me up last night to try and get me to confess ( which i didn't- i told them it was none of thier business) they told me that they were having a judicial for me wed at 7, and i said i wouldn't be there.
True, they CAN disfellowship you if you do not go the Judicial Committee - they reason that if there is enough circumstancial eveidence (or hearsay from other brothers), then by you NOT attending a JC, in fact what you are doing is admit you're guilty by the absence of you; it's as simple as that...they may decide to hold another meeting and meanwhile trying to find out why it was you could not attend the JC - they will then arbitrarily hold another JC expecting you will not be there and conjure up a make-believe case to "evict" you - I know as I have been there myself - The ONLY thing you can do: threathen them with a lawsuit, but this had to be done to Brooklyn headquarters - you write a letter co-signed by an attorney (which will cost you at least $150)and state the facts that there is absolutely no evidence of wrongdoing and in the event they will disfellowship you, you will then take legal action against the congregation, against the particular elders and against the Society - I promise you that this will work 100% - The Head Quarters in Brooklyn will then forward an official letter to abstain from disfellowshipping you alltogether!!! Try it and you will be successful - For me, it came too late and only found out after the damage was done -
Regards, Richie
hi, folks, my wife is taking legal action in alberta against her pedophile stepfather who denied everything (when reappointed a ms), and since made an elder despite "unprovable accusations".. will, the society automatically step in to make a defense just because he's an elder?
we already had this go through all the "proper channels" right to the legal dept.
of canada in 97/98, so this story isn't new to them.
I have discovered this site just recently and I must say that it's enlightening for me to say the least. I myself am a df'd elder, disfellowshipped while I was repentant but my mistake was that I did not attend the meetings - that's for another topic -
To comment on pedophile happenings within the organization: I know from experience that this is a widespread problem within the organization - yet when a witness, be it an elder, MS or publisher, is guilty of this crime (and it IS a crime very much so as rape, murder, grand theft etc), the police should always be notified.
This is certainly not happening and the funny part is that the organization treats pedophilea almost in the same manner as some form of masturbation: it's bad if you practise it but not as serious a "crime" as long as you try to abstain from it in the future - yet when you do it again and again (in secret of course), well you may lose your priviledges and yet it goes no further - Do you see where I am going - the Society including the congregations are treating pedophiles in a similar light - what a travesty of justice and an affront to Jehovah God and of course the innocent children who are carrying this terrible burden of guilt........
