perhaps not a topic for everybody... mine.. in both sp service in a foreign field in europe , the freedom and helping people to read and write in spanish .
doing a lot of work in the congregations.. in missionary-service.. helping congregations in a third-world country and see good results in family relations.
and the siestas from 13:00 to 15:00..... who has good memories of bethel?
Good memories of the congregation I moved to when I left home to pioneer at nineteen. They were very kind to me, looked after me, inviting me for meals. For the first time I felt like I mattered to someone.
The day I left home my brother and sister went out for the day, didn't see me off. I guess I was glad to get away from my crazy dysfunctional family. I wonder about that lovely congregation, did some of them leave, I hope so.
erikson's stages of psychosocial development include this fifth stage:.
"the fifth stage of erik erikson's theory of psychosocial development is identity vs. role confusion, and it occurs during adolescence, from about 12-18 years.
during this stage, adolescents search for a sense of self and personal identity, through an intense exploration of personal values, beliefs, and goals.".
from about 12-18 years. During this stage, adolescents search for a sense of self and personal identity, through an intense exploration of personal values, beliefs, and goals
I remember this stage in my daughter, obsessed with cult tv programs, cult films, heroes, books and ideas. So much energy and enthusiasm given over to just trying out stuff to see if she liked it, if it felt right for her.
Very true, Butterfly607, whenever are born in JWs allowed to explore their likes and dislikes in that way?
I do think I missed this stage and I've been slowly catching up but I'm not there yet. Very helpful thanks.
is anyone here doing their first xmas this year?🎄🎄.
i love xmas!
almost around the corner and i’ve started thinking of all the prep needed for family time.
I like the pagan evergreens at Christmas. A real tree smelling gorgeous, holly on my front door.
Our first time celebrating we bought each other very cheap presents, lots of second hand books now we could read whatever we liked! I've tried to stick to that, expensive presents just burden people.
One memory I have, walking home from my daughter's school play, warmed by sherry and mince pies. She looked so beautiful dressed as an angel with her long blonde hair.
I'm not religious but I loved that she could do what I could never do as a child and just join in! The frost was sparkling like diamonds on the pavements, the stars were so bright. A memory I will always treasure.
what does being a "spiritual person" mean to you?
the religion would have had us to believe that our place in the organization is definitive of that.
or how often we pray.
To me recognising we have spiritual needs means there is more to life than filling our physical needs for water, food, shelter and sex. We also need music, art, literature, creativity, love, friendship, travel and curiosity about how the universe works.
From prehistoric times when we painted on cave walls and made music with our voices and danced for the joy of it we knew there was more to life than physical needs.
I think we also need a purpose but that should be personal to each person. Whether we live for saving lives as a doctor, raising children to be happy and healthy or following our sports team, we need a passion and a reason to be alive. We shouldn't let anyone dictate our life's purpose, that's our decision. No one in silly robes quoting an ancient book should decide for us.
from the november 2019 watchtower study edition.. how many of you would like to know what the brothers and sisters would respond to this question.
also, if you went into a hall how would you like to respond to the question.. 8. how should we respond to lies?.
8 satan, “the father of the lie,” uses those under his control to spread lies about jehovah and about our brothers and sisters.
We do not allow anyone or anything, including curiosity, to draw us into arguing with them
JWs aren't allowed to have curiosity. Don't research anything, don't question anything. But we're not a cult!
Curiosity is the life blood of sentient animals, without it we're just insects.
admit it, we all have things that we reel off when people ask what our favourite music is, just the same as if people ask what our favourite movies are.
we're meant to say "citizen kane" and "casablanca" and not "battleship" or "pacific rim" but we know what we're going to watch if they are ever on tv at the same time (and which ones we've never actually seen).. so how about some confession time?
what do you listen to when no one else is in the house?.
So many here I'd forgotten about. Karen Carpenter did have an amazing voice, an incredible range.
Roger Whittaker singing Dirty old Town. Yes and Andy Williams singling Home Loving Man. Omg now I feel ancient.
I love Katie Melua but hardly ever say so because everyone cringes when I do. I even like Nine Million Bicycles. Yup, afraid so!
it's easy to get bogged down with life and think you're not getting ahead or progressing.
but regardless of where we think things may be going, pretty much everyone who's come through this site is an achiever who's done an amazing thing in one way or another even if they may not think about it.. so think about it!.
you got past and over your programming and indoctrination.
Does it still exist Xanthippe? I studied for a bit at LSE.
I don't think so Diog, I did an online search for it the other day but didn't find anything.
My late husband was asked to give a talk about JWs at a seminar at the LSE. People who'd left other cults also spoke. It was really interesting seeing the similarities.
Then for a few years we were a phone contact for ex-jws who wanted someone to talk to. After that INFORM found a married couple who'd left the JWs and also had counselling qualifications to take over. That must have been over twenty years ago.
Yes I keep meaning to do more research on Confucius. It's interesting that he wrote a version of the Golden Rule in his Analects 500 years before Jesus was supposed to have said it.
it's easy to get bogged down with life and think you're not getting ahead or progressing.
but regardless of where we think things may be going, pretty much everyone who's come through this site is an achiever who's done an amazing thing in one way or another even if they may not think about it.. so think about it!.
you got past and over your programming and indoctrination.
Well said Simon! My husband and I volunteered for a charity called INFORM based at the London School of Economics for a while after we left the JWs. It helped people learn about religious cults of all kinds.
The people who ran the charity said to us the amazing thing that you've acheived is that you left the JWs, leaving a cult is so hard.
They reacted as if we'd done something almost miraculous because they studied JWs, Moonies, Children of God etc and they knew the hold cults have. We should be proud of ourselves.
drip, drip.
drip the erosion continues.. https://www.abc.net.au/news/2019-10-10/jehovahs-witness-abuse-exposed/11561776.
Just makes you weep, all those poor people. All those little children suffering, ignored by this monstrous cult.
i was with my brother in law when we were in service and given this book.
i have posted on this before but it got me to thinking.
it was taken from us by the local elder we talk to about it.
If you mean Thirty Years a Watchtower Slave I read it when I was sixteen. My sixteen-year-old true believer self at the time thought the author was very bitter. I haven't looked at it since so my view might be quite different now.
My mother was horrified I brought it home from the library but it's just a shame it took me another 14 years to leave.
