Posts by SophieG

63

What were your favorite assembly foods?

by NoRegrets in

so i'm young enough to not remember having hot prepared meals at assemblies, but heard all about it from my parents and the like.

but what i do remember were all of the cold sandwiches and institutional snacks and soda.

remember the food tickets we started to use?

SophieG

I remember most of the foods you guys mentioned.

But I'm having such a nostalgic moment reading all this...close to teary-eyed over here. I realized being an ignorant little kid in the Org was bliss. Those days were actually fun.....

64

I'm turning myself in. Lurking elders, are you listening?

by Eve Deceived in

i think it's fitting for my very first post to be a thread on jw.net turning myself in to any lurking elders out there on a witch-hunt to cleanse the congregation so that god's choosen ones can "remain in god's love.

" so i'm sorry to all you awesome, truthful apostates on this site, but this thread is really intended for any lurking nazis -- i mean, the taliban -- ugh, i mean elders of the world's most "loving" cult religion.. i am an apostate.

here, i'll save you the trouble:.

SophieG

Wow! Elizabeth, that's awesome.

Sometimes I do wonder if I just came out and straight up spoke out about what I really think about the the WTBS instead of fade, if my family would stop and think: WHY ON EARTH WOULD SHE DO THIS?

Bravo to you!

Sophie

19

What group within the Witnesses has the highest drop out rate?

by Ultimate Axiom in

if you could categorise jehovahs witnesses into their various groups, i.e.

publisher, auxiliary pioneer, regular pioneer, special pioneer, missionary, co, do, bethel worker, born-ins, etc etc, (and you can subdivide into as many groups as you wish) what group do you think has the highest drop out rate?

i remember an ex ny bethellite saying that bethel cured him of the watchtower, and after reading the thread http://www.jehovahs-witness.net/jw/friends/160509/1/warren-schroeder-from-bethel-on-freddy-kline-and-the-apostate-books my guess is that it would be ny bethellites, but i am interested to know if there is a consensus on this, or on any other group, or no group at all..

SophieG

Flyinghighnow:

People with the highest sex drives.

Thinkers.

Oversexed thinkers? What's considered "high sex drive?" cuz I wanna know if I fall into this category?
...and yes I am being persnikety

86

Resigned being an elder

by subytrek in

jw
friends

i am new here and this is my first post although i have lurked here for a couple years.

i started having doubts about the org back then and my curiosity overcame my fear of so-called apostate websites so here i am.

i just resigned being an elder 2 weeks ago.

SophieG

Welcome!!!

24

This week's Oral Review

by Quarterback in

jw
friends

gasp....i hate this part on the meeting, and i don't feel like studying for it.. has anyone done it already, and want to share it with me?

i feel like cheating this week..

SophieG

Quaterback, you have me cracking up. How on earth do you stomach the stuff at the hall, much less study for the Oral Review? Doesn’t it drive you nuts to study the information?

44

jw's view of wordly people - hipocrisy

by spirituk in

jw
friends

i was wondering how a baptised jw see wordly people?

i mean what do they think of people who arent jw ?

do they think we will die forever and that we are controlled by satan?

SophieG

to : SophieG

how could you associate with wordly people when you believed that they were going to die and that they were manipulated by satan? Spirituk, I don't THINK I EVER really believed it! I always had a deep hope that the people who I LOVED outside of the org would not die in Armageddon. I always would shadow-box with Jehovah over this issue. If I COULD SEE the goodness of who they were but just that they were making alternative choices based on their freewill, WHY would a loving God sever me from those I developed a real love for?

also,since you were truly believing your jw doctrines, isnt it hypocritical when you were preaching door to door to other people trying to spread good news and save them but you didnt do the same on your ''FRIENDS '' ?

First I hardly ever spoke doctrine to my non- JWs friends. HELL.. I did not understand it, how could they? When I did get into those types of conversations though, I NOTICED that they thought what I believed was UNBELIEVABLE! Which made me go: hmmm. However, I always spoke about the benefits of doing things a certain way, living by certain standards, setting an example NOT as a JW, but as a PERSON. This also goes back to the above response. And as far as door-to-door...I soon realized it was a bunch of crock. When I did go D2D, I was so checked out of that activity.

i mean you just put that aside and had fun believing you will be saved in paradise I got to a point where I DID NOT WANT TO GO TO FREAKING PARADISE! I felt like hey, if I can't tow the JW line then I aint going! I was beginning to not like the JWs anyway. LOL!

For me it was always about being honest and authentic. I LOVE PEOPLE. I feel like I was created with that type of capacity. IF GOD gave me that gift I was going to use it wisely. I made sure the non-jws I hung out with were decent people for the most part. I still do that today now that I am completely out. I enjoy other people's company.

I feel like the org tries to ostracize friendships with people outside the group. It does not teach people how to really interact with anyone on the outside. I don't think Jah feels like that. I always thought about the Jesus and how HE associated with all types of people.

Spirituk, I truly believe that I had been "out" mentally for many years, because I reasoned/thought too much. Most admontion I found myself ignoring, because it did not SIT right with me. I felt like Jah could read my heart, know I was good...but the cultishness of the group was where I had my wrestling point. I am glad I IGNORED the bad association crap, because NOW I have real friends that enrich my life...and not surprisingly the "friends" I thought I had in the org are no where to be found.!

64

I'm new, please come and meet me!

by Julia Orwell in

jw
friends

long time lurker, first time poster.

i'm really glad i can join your community because i've been in the wts for the last 14 years and now i'm on my way out and it's great to meet like-minded people!.

about me: i started learning jw ways when i was in my teens.

SophieG

HI JULIA:
for the first time pretty much since getting baptised 13 years ago I've had time to think. And boy, what I discovered was amazing, and you know the rest, and now I am here with you all! I feel I know some of you already.I

I've always had a brain, but for the last few years I've allowed it to atrophy 'for the truth' and I was such a martyr. No more. I'm awake, and looking forward to being in the light with new friends.

That is the MOST amazing thing I find about leaving. Your brain gets so clear! It's like a huge fog clears and you're looking around thinking how on earth did you not see it!!!

Welcome, very happy for you and hopefully, hubby wakes up soon!

44

jw's view of wordly people - hipocrisy

by spirituk in

jw
friends

i was wondering how a baptised jw see wordly people?

i mean what do they think of people who arent jw ?

do they think we will die forever and that we are controlled by satan?

SophieG

I think villagegirl hit the nail on the head...they want to OWN YOUR SOUL!

44

jw's view of wordly people - hipocrisy

by spirituk in

jw
friends

i was wondering how a baptised jw see wordly people?

i mean what do they think of people who arent jw ?

do they think we will die forever and that we are controlled by satan?

SophieG

I was one of those JWs who had many friends who were non-witnesses. I have always worked in very people oriented environments and I am truly fascinated with people, who they are what they do, where they are from, etc.

As far as bad association I had friends who were gay, straight, bi, fornicators, adulterers, you name it. But never once did I judge them on how they lived their lives and they respected my beliefs.
As far as them influencing me to do something "bad", I don't think I am a follower. I am a curious person by nature, but I don't think I am easily lead astray.

I never felt hypocritical because I never hid my associations. If I was at happy hour with workmates and saw Witnesses, I would introduce them to my non-jw friend. I liked to go dancing so no bigge for me to go to a club. Maybe I was a bit brazen :)

I never did the double life and I was never approached by anyone about being seen with those who were not witnesses. I think those who knew me just accepted that I was going to be me....

My non-witness friends are not the reason I left the org. JW routine spoiled my useful habits.

33

How to tell family why you are no longer attending meetings?

by El_Guapo in

jw
friends

so it has been over a month, maybe closer to two that i haven't attended a meeting.

my stress level has gone way down, and my life is pretty good right now.

well as you know, there are tons of nosy witnessess.

SophieG

I think Phizzy, Billy and I are probably lucky.

I think the best way is not to be confrontational if you want to keep family close. KISS: Keep It Simple Sister. Everyone in my family still talks to me and GOD FORBID I miss a family outing I hear from them. They are all uber JWS no one is shunning me .

I think if you go into a longer explanation you run the risk of talking yourself into a corner.