Posts by SophieG

1. I am not crazy. What I was feeling while I was “in”: disenchanted, tired, depressed, confused, conflicted, frustrated….was typical of so many people.

2. I am not alone. OH WOW! I cannot tell you all how many tears I cried when I finally found a community to which I could relate. It led me to read many things that helped to open my eyes and confirm some of the things that I suspected about the way the org operated.

3. That I was in a cult! I had spent my whole life telling others the exact opposite. Realizing that fact helped me understand why I always felt “rebellious”! I was NOT rebellious, I am just not easily controlled.

If not for this site, I would have never heard of Ray Franz and his book Crisis of Conscience. I think I understand more NOW about the doctrine and I was a born in and I never could understand it, just by reading things posted here. (Leolia totally fries my brain with the stuff she writes!)

I think the org contributed to a my naivety, because I honestly did not know that the questions and thoughts I had I could not express them; that doing so was actually considered “apostasy”. I gained the courage to walk away (fade). I read postings on what to expect from my JW friends and family when I pulled away. I gained the strength from reading others stories that even though it is painful to experience the distance my family is showing me, that I will be ok.

But the most thing I appreciate is that thru your stories I KNOW I can have a great life and I don’t ever want to go back to the madness.

So has JWN helped me? HELL YA!
THANK YOU Simon and Anghard!!!!

196

2012 Annual Meeting

by obarac in

jw
friends

2012 annual meeting - october 6th 2012.

SophieG

Some folks get invited to watch the live feed at AHs such as pioneers and spouses and some "faithful servants" I.e my mum. Some folks get twisted behind the fact that non special folks somehow get to sit in. It's a trip!

26

Teenage son's last WT comment. Major sphincter puckering on my part.

by Open mind in

i thought maybe some of us might enjoy something light-hearted to start the week off.

at dinner last night my teenage son reminded me of the last kh meeting he attended with me about a year ago.

he is a big fan of christopher hitchins and self-identifies as an atheist.

SophieG

I would have walked to your son and hugged him and told him I ENJOYED his comment! *big grin*

94

Light a Candle for Oompa

by BabaYaga in

jw
friends

there is a lovely site where one may light a candle for a moment of silence.. http://www.gratefulness.org/candles.

i set up a group, where they may all flicker together, if you like.. http://www.gratefulness.org/candles/candles.cfm?l=eng&gi=oompa.

(we love and miss you, oompa.).

SophieG

Cradle over here!

90

to date JWism has defined my life and i hate that TRUTH

by oompa in

jw
friends

and i am finding the adjustment to the real world far more difficult than i ever imagined...i f...it has been about five years since i totally woke up to the fraudulant nwt and then all my other doubts i had carried for years were proved true as well.

but almost all of my few friends are exjw or slack jw's and i feel so isolated...my sons friends are mostly exjw too but not their gf's and they have way more normal friends .

how have you done at replacing lifelong friends and family?

SophieG

I did not know him...I am sad and angry at the same time! May he find the rest he needed. ;(

26

What happens if the lights go out during a meeting?

by WTWizard in

jw
friends

we all know of those kingdumb hells that don't have windows.

and i never saw an a$$embly hell that had windows that would let light in that would reach the auditorium.

so, what do they do if the lights go out during the middle of a boasting session?.

SophieG

"Of course, the smartest thing for them to do is to end the boasting session when this happens--but I know as well as anyone else does that they never do the smartest thing."

Hey now! Maybe my cong was different. Whenever the lights went off...and the generator kicked on to supply minimum lights...they ALWAYS sent us home! Whoo-hoo!!!

62

Jehovah's Witnesses Watchtower SUICIDE . How many JW suicides can you recall?

by Anti-Cult in

how many jw suicides can you recall?.

is it more common than the rest of society?.

i personally know of 5.

SophieG

3 successful, 1 attempted.

One of the successful suicides was a super sweet sister married to this tyrant of an elder. Supposedly she OD’d on prescription meds. But she was already suffering from depression and I think her hubby was an ass to her in private. They found her laid out on the bed, “sweetly sleeping."

Well he remarries this sister 20 years his junior and now she is a total basket case. I think the only thing saving her is the kid they have together. He is an ASS!

16

Rosenberg Assembly Hall

by blindersoff in

jw
friends

who worked on this project?

would love to renew friendships on this level.

SophieG

Spent many days in Rosenburg...working on this site...