I so relate to what you say I'm 100 per cent born again Christian so 110 per cent out. I left decades ago because it just didn't make sense. My family are still in. My parents are now well into old age and will probably die having spent almost their entire lives in it. I ever between what a total waste of life why can they not see it however if they ever did it would rock their life upside down. I dont know if I could handle waking up at 80 and realising I'd been living a lie.
SummerAngel
JoinedPosts by SummerAngel
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11
Advice on family waking up to TTATT
by Jules Saturn inif you've been following my posts here, i am physically in and mentally out.
it's so hard because i wish that my family could wake up just as easily as i did.
the other day i had a conversation with a relative regarding whether they have come to terms with their own mortality and they replied that they try not to think about it too much but also said that it's possible that armageddon would even happen long after they are gone, which i thought was a very interesting thought.. maybe it's just me, but i feel like what made me wake up easily was that i've always had little doubts here and there but this was stuff like me being unable to grasp the concept of how one could be anointed and how would you know if you were.
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Question...
by ironsnake656 inwhen you were an active member in the jwland, did you expect to receive any kind of help from a brother/sister, but they did not help you?
when i was in the jwland, i expected and was my belief that any brother/sister will help you in time of need, distress or trouble, because we were part of a "lovely organization".
but countless of times when i needed and asked for help, nobody from the org helped me.
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SummerAngel
I've noticed its all incredibly conditional so giving lifts to meetings and field service always available. Giving lifts to essential medical appointments not on your nelly. As for money help in home, giving stuff away forget it- if you have anything spare the overfed organization should get it. Also found help will 'melt away' so invariably us have to help. Most selfish bunch I've ever met. By contrast at real Christian church we do stacks community based stuff, provide free meal to families and kids once a month at messy church, free Xmas dinner for those on their own, have seen help to decorate people's flats, house removals. Most national and international charities are church based. JWs are in danger of losing their charity status because they only help other JWs_ what a surprise!
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Oh this stoopid shunning thing!!
by Unstuck inwarning - vent ahead....... so, my father (still very much in jw but who has at least had the decency to still keep in contact with me and hubby and to show interest in why we aren't attending and respect where we are at) is in intensive care at a local hospital and is intubated and sedated with some serious health issues.
i'm next of kin so i get all the phone calls from the hospital.. so, the rest of the "family" has cut me off because we are inactive and because the ever-active jw gossip grapevine has rumoured with a sibilant slithy hissy voice: "apossstassssy" is the cause of our inactivity.. whatever.. but now i've had to contact said "family" with the news about my father and what is going on....... so, dad's sisters answer my calls and manage to act and conduct themselves with a degree of decorum.. my sister on the other hand - well, she doesn't deign to answer my calls and texts for most of the day.
i push the issue tonight and insist on speaking to her when my brother-in-law answers the call.
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SummerAngel
BTW apostate is a meaningless label its simply their way of mentally justifying to themselves what they are doing. Definition wise its actually incorrect don't get hung up on it
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Oh this stoopid shunning thing!!
by Unstuck inwarning - vent ahead....... so, my father (still very much in jw but who has at least had the decency to still keep in contact with me and hubby and to show interest in why we aren't attending and respect where we are at) is in intensive care at a local hospital and is intubated and sedated with some serious health issues.
i'm next of kin so i get all the phone calls from the hospital.. so, the rest of the "family" has cut me off because we are inactive and because the ever-active jw gossip grapevine has rumoured with a sibilant slithy hissy voice: "apossstassssy" is the cause of our inactivity.. whatever.. but now i've had to contact said "family" with the news about my father and what is going on....... so, dad's sisters answer my calls and manage to act and conduct themselves with a degree of decorum.. my sister on the other hand - well, she doesn't deign to answer my calls and texts for most of the day.
i push the issue tonight and insist on speaking to her when my brother-in-law answers the call.
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SummerAngel
Hi unstuck, not sure what part of the world you live in but I deal with this type of thing in my professional life in UK and also had personal experience of similar a couple of years ago for different reasons.
Firstly be a visible presence on the ward, ask DRs and nurses yourself for updates and ensure they and any social workers involved have your details. Make them aware of the issues and stress you want to be involved in any case meetings. In UK you could ask for an advocate for your father to ensure his wishes are heard neutrally on the basis that you are a family in conflict. If your father has any form of dementia or similar the Hosp /social care should be holding a meeting with wider family to support best way forward. To be invited to these they need to be aware of you. Avoid speaking to awkward other relatives, deal directly with your father and medical/social team.
At the end of the day you can't force a person not to shun you. Its a bike doctrine and a bike organization try and protect your own emotions at the moment you have enough on your plate.
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Do You Think Jehovah's Witnesses Are Typically Ignorant People?
by minimus ini think most witnesses are simple minded.many are ignorant.
there are a lot of basically "good people "in the religion but i believe many are kind of dumb, including many elders.
do you agree with my thoughts??
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SummerAngel
Just to add uneducated does not necessarily mean ignorant.
Main thing I wanted to say which is really another thread entirely is the recent and I believe very worrying trend in UK for JWs to home educate their kids.
This means children already isolated from most other children and certainly anyone who thinks differently to them will have almost no contact with diversity and normality. They are dependant on their parents usually mums who have very little education. Don't forget a few men may have slipped through the net to get a basic trade but if you are female your destination is baby maker or pioneer. Personally I don't get think home education should be allowed.
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Do You Think Jehovah's Witnesses Are Typically Ignorant People?
by minimus ini think most witnesses are simple minded.many are ignorant.
there are a lot of basically "good people "in the religion but i believe many are kind of dumb, including many elders.
do you agree with my thoughts??
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SummerAngel
There is nothing wrong with lack of education that's to do with life chances and can be changed at any age. Many I'll educated people are remarkably spiritual and insightful. The difference with ignorance is that a lot of JWs are also unteachable, smug, arrogant and downright hateful to anyone or anything that sits outside their organizations narrow list of OKs. I bucked the trend I was a born in who did get a degree back 30 yes ago. It showed me that life outside 'the village" was not full of monsters but full of wonderful stuff as well. It wasn't the education that got me out by that stage I was desperate to leave anyway.
Ignorance is telling me what my church is like without ever going there.
Ignorance is telling me what my university was like without ever going there.
Yes people are captive however at some point they made a conscious decision to move from uneducated to ignorant and chose to take on the mantle of the WTS.
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Romans 4:5
by NJ501 inromans 4:5new international version (niv).
5 however, to the one who does not work but trusts god who justifies the ungodly, their faith is credited as righteousness.. .
i need help to understand this scripture.
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SummerAngel
Yep JWs got this wrong too. It is belief not faith that saves. Proof- conversation between Jesus and the thief when both were being crucified. Jesus assumes the thief that he will be in heaven. In other words a deathbed conversion, there are many of these. If salvation was just through works these wouldn't count.
This doctrine allows WTS to have a band of unpaid willing workers flogging their literature.
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Why the vitriolic hate?
by stuckinarut2 ini am sure we have all thought of this before, but it struck me again today:.
why does the society promote such vitriolic hate toward, and about those who have left "the truth" ?.
surely it is obvious that such critical attitudes towards ones like us who have left, only serves to proove that they do not have "the truth"?.
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SummerAngel
Going to be a bit controversial now but err the same reason ISIS puts beheaded corpses on view for all its members to see. Its a deterent
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Hi from England
by victimofdeceit inrecently quit being a jw because i realised that beyond armageddon i was going to be ruled by people who cover up child abuse, not telling the congregations by their letter where the money they donated in the box is going towards paying compensation for legal battles which they caused, and also i was bullied by elders and discriminated against for being homosexual, even though i am not practicing it.
it wasn't until i threatened legal action for a breach of confidence that the elders were deleted.
so through the media and my own personal experience, i realised that they were no different to corrupt businesses in the world.
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SummerAngel
Warm welcome from down south, time to enjoy the rest of your life. Realise you have been a victim of "othering' as demonstrated by the film ' The Village' the world outside isn't actually really scary it's just made up of humans doing their best to negotiate the tricky game of life, not some debauched subspecies fit only for annilation which the WT would have you believe.. As for apostate the WT definition is surprise surprise a false one, they would consider anyone who leaves to have this label its further examples of smoke and mirrors to keep you in. Just brush it off it isn't worth worrying about.
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What Simple Pleasures Do You Enjoy Since Leaving Watchtower?
by pale.emperor inwhat simple pleasures do you enjoy since leaving watchtower?
here's some of mine, in no particular order:.
a cigar: i dont smoke cigarettes at all, but i do enjoy a good cigar from time to time.
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SummerAngel
So many its been 30 years but the novelty of some things never goes. I never attempted to play by the rules anyway so I didn't have that now I can drink, shag, do drugs thing.
Mine would be going to church when I want to, wearing shorts, leggings, jeans to church why does everyone in the Borg dress like they're going to a 1980s wedding. I love bunking church just caused a can. I love Saturday mornings to shop and do family stuff. Doing family stuff on Sunday afternoons. The endliss mindliss pharasaic list of stupid rules to keep up with. Celebrating my wonderful kids birthdays making them feel special. I love Christmas, and decorating the tree, choosing the little presents for people. Going to firework displays, having my kids celebrate mothers day.
Feeling good enough. Enjoying grace and tolerance.
And overall a celebration of life and love in all its glorious colours instead of focusing on how terrible the world is and how glad we should be that its all ending.