Posts by krejames

8

Does Jehovah Really Care?

by BashfulAshG in

i struggle with suicide often.

i'm not suicidal now.

krejames

I'm sorry to know that BahsfulAshG. Do you have someone you can talk to about it when you feel that way?

15

i tried testing my family by mentioning that a member of the gb was summoned to appear in front of the royal commission and i found it really weird how they reacted.they dismissed it saying its just satan attacking the 'truth' and i could not believe how ignorant they are.they all think that the organization did nothing wrong or even that jw's abuse their children.

krejames

I guess a response could be "hmmm, so what would you say if a Catholic said to you that their child abuse allegations were just Satan trying to attack them?"

37

Can You Really Become Inactive Instead of DA'ing and Keep Your Family

by truth-or-consequences in

oz branch coordinator terrence o'brien opined a number of times at about 1:00:00 until about 1:15:00 of his testimony, that a dub does not need to da, they can become "inactive.".

i sent our beloved angus stewart my personal experience, as well as observations about official borg teachings.

(he replied in short order.).

krejames

If you fade, you will get treated differently by different dubs because they are relying on their indoctrinated "conscience" rather than a hard and fast shunning rule such as for DFing or DAing.

The main advantage of fading is that it does leave the way open for family to keep in touch if they want to and if their "bible-trained conscience" allows them to. Especially important, I think, if you have vulnerable or elderly parents or family members.

As Black Sheep wrote, there is high pressure to unofficially shun faders who are known to live a lifestyle that doesn't comply with JW rules. In my case, now that word is getting around that I'm gay and I have a partner, I do get a few snubs. But on the other hand I do occasionally get letters from a few in my old congregation and the odd polite chat in the street if our paths cross.

My family don't shun me and I still get invited to visit home, where you would never notice anything has changed except for the concerted effort to not talk about doctrinal or controversial stuff and to only talk about how wonderful JW Land is (if the topic comes up). That said, this is still a fragile situation. If I explicitly stated that I have had a same-sex partner for the last five years and was planning to move in with him, I think their "bible trained consciences" might max-out and that would be the end of it.

So, for what Terrance has stated to be true - yes you can fade, but if you keep in close touch with any still-in JWs you must be seen to be continuing to lead what they consider to be a moral life-style, not what YOU consider to be a moral lifestyle.

As Oscar Wilde once said, "selfishness isn't living our lives the way we please, but asking others to live their lives the way we please". That pretty much sums up the JW expectations of faders in my opinion.

14

New Britian Branch set to open Dec. 31, 2019?

by JustVisting in

according to the august jw broadcast the new britian branch is scheduled to open by december 31, 2019 and is currently the 2nd largest construction project (assuming warwick is the largest).

are the current facilities that spread out that a more centalized location the main reason for acquiring and developing an 85 acre site?

also, with the end looming on the horizon, what message does that send regarding making long-term plans?

krejames

Chelmsford is my home town and my immediate JW family is still there.

Like Sabin said, it's a wealthy to middle-class, growing town which has recently acquired city-status. Definitely on the up. It also has good transport links to the south east of England and London and is on the right side of london for the ports and channel tunnel.

The site they have bought was previously used as a scrap-yard, as I understand it, so a lot of the land is contaminated (so I'm sure they got more for their money). The construction has local political support because it will improve what was an eye-sore and hazardous area.

My old congregation is heavily involved, with some of the brothers dedicating the next five years of their lives and careers to the construction effort. Families are hosting brothers that come in from elsewhere to help with the project.

On top of that, last year the Chelmsford congregations acquired a new building which will house their new kingdom hall right smack bang in the centre of the city and work has been going on all year to kit it all out. I understand it's due to open for the first meeting later this month. My family tell me a its a big facility and will be used for local JW schools such as for pioneer schools, elder schools and so on.

So there is a massive amount of excitement and activity going on in the Chelmsford area for JW Land! They are in uber spiritual paradise! ;)

43

We are not thinking folks. What is the best way to get JW's to check out the events in Australia.

by James Mixon in

tell our jw family members, door knockers, and stand sitters that you were very impressed.

by the branch overseer and other elders in australia, they gave a fine witness.. so what will happen, they will tell their friends the brothers in australia gave a fine.

witness.

krejames

I'm seeing my family this weekend. I intend to ask them whether they have had any negative comments on the doors about "what's going on in Australia" and see if they take the bait. I suspect they won't as I've noticed they are very wary about discussing anything even mildly negative about the JWs with me.....everything is happy happy happy...

30

"Brother Lett is like a big cuddly teddy bear!"

by purrpurr in

i had this said to me the other day by a jw who is fully brain washed.

it gave me shivers to think is that really how the r&f perceive the gb?

krejames

My mum and sister actually said to me that Tony Morris (aka Tight Pants Tony) is a cutie and what a lovely brother he is...I almost projectile vomited on the spot.

85

"And what happened next was simply unbelievable!"

by Terry in

jw
friends

i always sit in the same spot, just outside starbucks in a vestibule area with a table in the air-conditioned space.

i say "always," but not today.. somebody with two laptops and a table filled with business ledgers was in "my" favorite spot!.

so, i took a tiny wooden table inside the coffee shop on a long padded bench next to 3 other identical tables.. as the clickbait banner ads like to say: "and what happened next was simply unbelievable!".

krejames

Nice one! In fact, bloody marvellous, ego trip or not - you held that mirror up and forced them to look at the hypocrites looking back at them...

30

Just for the record Vincent Toole and Terrence Obrien you are both lying SOBs

by joe134cd in

i just thought i would mention this on the off chance they might be lurking here.

the two quotes are.

(1)vincent toole ="i've never heard of the term 'theocratic warfare'".

krejames

Shunning of inactive ones is a bit hit and miss, I would say. You'll always get some who will say "hi" and some who will panic because they're not sure what to do and some who are outrightly self righteous and shun to their heart's content.

My own experience is that I get polite greetings and the odd text message from people who used to be close friends. But the aim is always to get me back to the meetings. Would they want to arrange a trip to the pub or cinema just to hang out? Probably not - unless it was also a backdoor method of trying to get me back to the hall.

That said, I do get the occasional letter from two dear older sisters in my old congregation. One of them always makes a point of inviting me around for coffee and cake and tells me that her husband (who is not a witness) says "hi".

My immediate family, to their credit, are playing the game very well and haven;t shunned me and don't ask me about my lifestyle. But the relationship has changed and not positively. My mum blames "bad association" for my spiritual "demise"...

The bottom-line is, shunning or no shunning, we ARE viewed negatively if we leave. It's impossible not to be. We are either pitied, patronised, judged or viewed as weak. We are not their equal anymore....

25

This too Shall Pass (RC Commission vs WTS)

by undercover in

jw
friends

while i'm glad that the practices of the wts are under review and the australian commission is taking them to task, i'm not really expecting huge changes in the long run.

oh, they may have to agree to some changes in how they report crimes brought to elders' attention, but this excitement over the supposed expose of wt practices shall pass, and jws will soon be canvassing neighborhoods and rolling their carts, looking for converts.

conventions will go on.

krejames

Totally agree that we need to make the most of this opportunity to get people to think! This whole thing has just left me speechless - the JWs have come off looking like incompetent, arrogant and foolish all at the same time.

An old bible study who still texts me from time to time (he stopped studying when I stopped going to the meetings), sent me a message this week to say that two brothers from my old congregation stopped by and he had a long chat with them. Said how nice they were etc.

I said to him that I would be interested to know what they make of everything that's going on in Australia (and explained). I'm sure he will be getting another call from them and I really hope he asks them about it. It wouldn't surprise me if none of the local JWs know anything about it. My mum certainly hasn't mentioned it (but then it's not "upbuilding" is it?). ;)

53

What is their official explanation for not allowing beards?

by keyser soze in

jw
friends

i ask because my gf, who knows all about my jw upbringing, convinced me to grow a goatee, just to see how it looks.

we both decided it looked good so i decided to keep it.

i tried to explain to her that as a jw, i wasn't allowed to grow one, but then drew a blank when she asked me why.

krejames

Hi all - long time since I posted but I always enjoy reading the topics. Yes, guilty of lurking. But as this is a favourite topic of mine I just couldn't resist ;) ......

I don't think the whole beard thing is such a big thing in the UK anymore - so as someone said earlier in the thread, it depends where in the world you are...but there is indeed a ban on the beard for convention and assembly speakers.

I grew up in a liberal congregation too. I grew a goatee when I was about 25, and none of the elders said anything negative. I think they secretly liked it. I remember the Presiding Overseer ( as coordinators were then known) saying something along the lines of "some people say brothers shouldn't have beards, but that's only if they grow long. Yours is well trimmed".

BUT the sisters and non-appointed men were a different story. it was the sisters that used to tell me to shave it off. One sister from another congregation came to our book study one time and was shocked I was allowed to read the paragraphs. She also told me in no uncertain terms to shave it off (that was before she herself stopped going to the meetings after her elder-husband had an affair). Another brother (not elder or MS) who had always taken a disliking to me used it as yet another excuse to criticise me.

I did give in and shave it off eventually until I moved to a new congregation and did exactly what James Mixon suggested:

o

"A thought, for you guys still stuck in the organization for whatever reason,

grow a beard. You can't get DF, you don't have to prepare for parts for the meetings, no FS..You will not be ask to do anything."

Didn't work! I was appointed as a ministerial servant! Admittedly at one point I was asked whether I wanted to give a talk at the assembly and warned about the proviso of no beards for speakers. I declined.

Just to support what others have said - I was told it had its roots in the hippie movement, whereas in Italy it has its roots as being an identifier for communists (again probably about 50 years ago, so no relevance to the modern world!)

Pharasaical? much? lol