Seeking agape thanks for sharing your story. It's interesting that it's so easy to find help online these days that you just had to type in JW struggling and there it all is. Good for you leaving, living a full life and giving your son a good foundation for his life.
Xanthippe
JoinedPosts by Xanthippe
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Interview with an Apostate: Seeking Agape
by Seeking agape intell us a little about yourself and your family.my parents became jw's in 1968. my oldest sisters came along in the early 70's because my parents thought they would not have to raise them in this "system of things".
are your parents / family jws?.
now we have great discussions about religion, life, the bible, god and my uber dub sister.
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Are Jehovah's Witnesses Happy?
by minimus ini know of the local congregation's issues, per an elder i know quite well.
he has said that nearly everyone in the congregation is suffering emotionally and mentally.
he said he has never seen so many witnesses with so many problems.
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Xanthippe
Are JWs happy? From my cousin I hear that my family are constantly ill, one thing after another. Some friends who write to me are also constantly sick as if they are just holding on by the skin of their teeth. Any doctor would tell them slow down, take a holiday. The WTS says to them are you struggling? Do MORE! More FS, more meetings. If you're depressed stop thinking about yourself they say, get out there and help others. A human body can only take so much! Not a recipe for a happy life. -
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Active posters: What education have you had, what degrees do you possess?
by EndofMysteries infrom so many posts and conversations on here, you'd think over 1/2 the posters here possess doctorates in theology, physics, biology, etc.
i'm curious aside from the books and research people have done here, what degrees they have.
to start, i just got an aa and going straight through full time to an mba.
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Xanthippe
I got 10 O levels - don't know if they are even still a thing in the UK anymore?
They call them GCSEs now Simon. Ten! You are a clever clogs.
I did an Open University degree and achieved a Bachelor of Science studying History, History of Science and Computing.
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Happy Easter! (A Poem)
by Oubliette inhappy easter!
i suppose you think it's funny,this eating little bunnies!it's something of a habit,to dine on chocolate rabbit.in mexico it's holy,they call: conejo mole.but here we have to beg,just to find an easter egg!it's an enigma, a riddle, an ancient springtime curse;a question i must beg,propounded thus in verse:which came first: (tick, tock)the rabbit or the egg?- - - - - - - - - - -at first i was just sad,but now i'm really mad.in fact, i'm very, very cross,so for chrissake: knock it off!
oubliette.
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Xanthippe
You left it late to shop
so that's life on the hop.
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Embarrassing relatives.
by Xanthippe inmy cousin phoned yesterday to tell me my jw sister sent her a sympathy card for her husband's death and tucked inside there was something else, she lowered her voice.
what was it i wondered?
a nice letter, pictures of her new grandchild (she lives many miles away)?
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Xanthippe
Thank you Blackfalcon you're very kind. -
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I'm at a loss at how to get thru to my parents. I fear they will die before they will stop shunning me.
by cognisonance inall i want is this: for us to be a family, to spend time together enjoying life.
i don't wish to debate about their beliefs when together.
they can remain jws for all i care.
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Xanthippe
For me it is important that I not let other people's thoughts or behaviors define who I am or change my behavior. Ultimately, that's what got me out of the organization. -Sail Away
I just love this Sail Away. Breaking the cycle of abuse is so important to me too. For me it means not passing down bitterness about my past to my daughter, not seeking revenge on my family and not becoming cynical about the whole world but showing compassion to others. Why should I let other people define me?
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Embarrassing relatives.
by Xanthippe inmy cousin phoned yesterday to tell me my jw sister sent her a sympathy card for her husband's death and tucked inside there was something else, she lowered her voice.
what was it i wondered?
a nice letter, pictures of her new grandchild (she lives many miles away)?
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Xanthippe
Yeah Giordano sometimes it's harder for the people who try and keep the family relationships going, that's true. They become toxic because of the cult.
VI I didn't trust myself to reply to my sister because I didn't want to start an argument at a funeral.
Kewpie, 'pod people', so funny. Yes they do seem to lose their humanity to this cult over time. I suppose if you don't engage the decision making properties of the neocortex you're just a mammal, following like sheep.
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Embarrassing relatives.
by Xanthippe inmy cousin phoned yesterday to tell me my jw sister sent her a sympathy card for her husband's death and tucked inside there was something else, she lowered her voice.
what was it i wondered?
a nice letter, pictures of her new grandchild (she lives many miles away)?
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Xanthippe
Thank you Flipper, you are always so kind. After I wrote about this I felt quite bad having a moan because there are much worse things happening in the world but I just wanted to tell someone, just express it because I find that stops it going round and round in my head. Thanks for your understanding I really appreciate it. Our families will probably never change will they but it's good to have a bit of a rant now and then.
Thanks for responding economy I appreciate it. Yes we can't rely on our relatives if they're trapped in a cult, you're right. Thankfully I can rely on my friends, I hope you can too.
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Embarrassing relatives.
by Xanthippe inmy cousin phoned yesterday to tell me my jw sister sent her a sympathy card for her husband's death and tucked inside there was something else, she lowered her voice.
what was it i wondered?
a nice letter, pictures of her new grandchild (she lives many miles away)?
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Xanthippe
My cousin phoned yesterday to tell me my JW sister sent her a sympathy card for her husband's death and tucked inside there was something else, she lowered her voice. What was it I wondered? A nice letter, pictures of her new grandchild (she lives many miles away)? Money?
I asked my cousin to repeat it. It was a JW tract with the 'appropriate' parts highlighted. About the resurrection I suppose. I just felt a wave of horror and then embarrassment and amazement. I left when I was thirty, my sister is now 64. You know how we often say on this forum people stay because of social reasons mainly? Well she obviously still believes it all. Do you sometimes look at your siblings still in and wonder if you were adopted?
Why couldn't she just have sent flowers!
My other JW sister was at the funeral last week and somehow managed to sit next to me in the chapel. She followed me out afterwards and seemed to want to speak, which shocked me. She put her hand on my arm and seeing I was upset ( she was dry-eyed of course) said I really feel for you. I looked at her face which she had made all full of sympathy ( there were a lot of people around!) and I thought, after nearly thirty years of shunning me, plus ignoring my daughter's existence as if she had never been born, that's all you've got! Didn't trust myself to speak. Weird people.
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New Watchtower Subliminal image just uploaded
by artcritic inthis picture was taken from the official jw site.
just uploaded this one.
its new and unseen .
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Xanthippe
Of course we are!
:)