Posts by Phoebe

34

Really struggling to go on

by Isambard Crater in

jw
friends

so, so much has happened in my life over the years and continues to happen, but i won't go into the details as it would take a long time.. i don't really know why, but i returned to "the truth" 15 years ago.

in 2012 when the tv broadcasting station launched, i started to develop doubts.

the australian royal commission and other scandals made me angrier, and i now don't believe most of the core teachings.. the only reason i show up at 5 or 6 meetings each month is to keep in contact with my parents and a few other family members.. but it's killing me, literally.

Phoebe

The one thing that really helped me when I was in the middle of depression was being told to distance myself, as much as possible, from toxic/negative people. What is it they say? Once you let go of negative people, positive ones appear.

So I looked at what was really causing me to flounder in this sea of depression. It was some members of family, the congregation, even a work-related forum I was on at the time. I just cut them out as much as possible. Once their negative influences weren't round me I started to feel so much better.

You have your own little family, you and your husband. Put yourselves first for once.Please take care of yourself. xxx

4

Killing in the name of....

by Confusedalot in

my story:.

i grew up as one of jehovah's witnesses with all the normal complications which include but are not limited to: having no friends because the other kids are worldly and the other witnesses are not spiritual enough, being tormented every day at school for not saluting the flag, not participating in birthdays, not swearing, being a virgin and using the name of god.

this was not only verbal and emotional torment but even progressed to physical abuse.. through all this jehovah was my only friend and i used to pray a lot, and felt that all of these things don't matter as long as i have him.. after school and starting work i met someone and we got married.

Phoebe

Confusedalot

Your story was heartbreaking. You have been through such a lot. Thank you for sharing it with us. I'm glad to see that you are coming through it.

Leaving the Watchtower and the pain that goes with it feels like walking through fire sometimes, but you have got to the other side of it. You story is so encouraging to those of us with the same struggle.

I wish you so much love and good wishes for the future.

18

Sexist Watchtower quote makes me so angry

by Phoebe in

john cedars latest youtube video refers to last weekend's wt study article which some have referred to on another thread but i am truly outraged at the continuing misogynist attitude toward women.

not only did that study article say if women have a family to care for it will stop them gossiping or meddling into other people's affairs, lloyd shares on his video a talk by sam herd from when he was a c.o in 1971.

(i hope he has since changed his opinion!

Phoebe

John Cedars latest Youtube video refers to last weekend's WT study article which some have referred to on another thread but I am truly outraged at the continuing misogynist attitude toward women. Not only did that study article say if women have a family to care for it will stop them gossiping or meddling into other people's affairs, Lloyd shares on his video a talk by Sam Herd from when he was a C.O in 1971. (I hope he has since changed his opinion!)

Apparently, not only do women have a smaller brain and can't make decisions because we're too emotional, if we do think we can do a job as good as an elder we are borderline homosexual.

I have told my husband this morning that I've found out I'm gay...and apparently, so was my mother because she was the accounts servant back in the day (my day was really the accounts servant but he didn't have a clue so mum did them and just gave them to dad to read out) So since both of us knew we could do a job as good as any elder that's us out of the closet.

25

WT shooting themselves in the foot, or rather the mouth, finally

by oppostate in

"stop the presses!".

awesome blog article at bereans.net !.

http://beroeans.net/2017/08/07/stop-the-presses/.

Phoebe

This blew my mind when I read it on Beroean Pickets last night but the sad thing most of the witnesses won't understand the significance of it nor will they care. As one sister said to me: 'I don't understand a word of it but I know God's name is Jehovah and that's all I need to know, the rest just flies right over my head.'

But there will be some brothers who study diligently who will spot this and let's hope it wakes some of them up because it only takes one thing to start the ball rolling.

15

Where else can I go???

by UNCONDITIONAL LOVE in

jw
friends

those are the words of my 2nd generation born in jw mother.

my grandfather died refusing blood.

i've since come to the realization that many jws have no other opportunities or options when it comes to leaving the cult.

Phoebe

Oh my...I've actually had this said to me tonight in an email.

'Yes, we feel terrible about what's going on (sexual abuse cases) but where else can we go? This is Jehovah's organization and we must leave him to sort it out.....'

I wanted to email back and say 'whom!!! not where!' but I didn't. What's the point? You can't get through to them.

63

"Even if this wasn't the truth, I would still stay. This is the best life to live..."

by HereIgo in

i was recently told this by a jw family member when trying to get through to them.

does this quote indicate that maybe such ones have considered that the jw's may not have the truth after all?

or is that just my wishful thinking?

Phoebe

My dad said it all the time. He'd even say it to people in the ministry.

It's had a bit if a revival now with the JW.Org strapline #bestlifeever Which I see on social media all the time.

40

Post Convention Euphoria

by Phoebe in

jw
friends

there is a plethora of convention photos on my instagram this morning.

(a lot of my jw friends have forgotten i'm on their followers list) .

smiling faces standing next to convention posters with comments like 'nope, i'm not giving up.

Phoebe

There is a plethora of convention photos on my Instagram this morning. (A lot of my JW friends have forgotten I'm on their followers list)

Smiling faces standing next to convention posters with comments like 'Nope, I'm not giving up. I'll never give up' all hashtagged to death with #nevergiveup #bestlifeever etc

They are all fairly young people, 40ish and under. They weren't around for 1975 and most of them have not had one obstacle in their lives to overcome. I'm wondering what they'll feel like in 20/30 years when the end hasn't come and they are scraping by. I was them once...I thought the end was imminent. I didn't worry about tomorrow. You give up everything and then they tell you it was your fault you did that and NOW the end is imminent and so the cycle goes on, wasting the lives of generation after generation. This religion is cruel.

What post convention reactions have you had among family and friends?

332

The most successful teaching of Jehovah's Witnesses and an amazing new book on the divine name

by slimboyfat in

jehovah's witnesses have had to revise their chronology and various doctrinal interpretations due to events and scholarly corrections.

but the one teaching where they have been consistently ahead of the curve is the importance of jehovah's name.. .

i'm going to run through a (necessarily selective) timeline of jw events and scholarly publications that demonstrate the phenomenal success of this teaching in the last days.

Phoebe

@slimboyfat I do...I have some very solid reasons for leaving...but it's taken a year with a psychologist for me to have the courage to do it.

I don't talk to anyone...I know how dangerous that is.

JWs may not go to fight and for that have 'love among them themselves' but from what I've seen, they have no compassion and their love is conditional.

@Vanderhoven - thank you.

332

The most successful teaching of Jehovah's Witnesses and an amazing new book on the divine name

by slimboyfat in

jehovah's witnesses have had to revise their chronology and various doctrinal interpretations due to events and scholarly corrections.

but the one teaching where they have been consistently ahead of the curve is the importance of jehovah's name.. .

i'm going to run through a (necessarily selective) timeline of jw events and scholarly publications that demonstrate the phenomenal success of this teaching in the last days.

Phoebe

@ LV101 - thank you :) I know I'll balance out - hope so, anyway!

332

The most successful teaching of Jehovah's Witnesses and an amazing new book on the divine name

by slimboyfat in

jehovah's witnesses have had to revise their chronology and various doctrinal interpretations due to events and scholarly corrections.

but the one teaching where they have been consistently ahead of the curve is the importance of jehovah's name.. .

i'm going to run through a (necessarily selective) timeline of jw events and scholarly publications that demonstrate the phenomenal success of this teaching in the last days.

Phoebe

@slimboyfat

Thank you for your reassuring words. I'm only 4 months out and I'm still not sure I've done the right thing. I'm not very good at decisions because I've had decisions made for me for the last 60 odd years. So deciding to leave, at this point in time, I still can't help but think I'm choosing death over life. Early days, I'm sure I'll get better at it.

@jwfacts @cofty thank you for your kind words.