Posts by Phoebe

28

"Only Witnesses demonstrate Christian Love"

by Jules Saturn in

so a couple of nights ago i was speaking with a relative and we began talking about the organization.

i had to asked her "why do you believe that this religion is the correct one?

" they stood quiet for a second but then said that they view and feel genuine christian love, a type of love that is spoken about in the bible.

Phoebe

Hi Diogenesister,

Sure. I saw it under a video the other night. I can't remember which one but it really stayed with me.

28

"Only Witnesses demonstrate Christian Love"

by Jules Saturn in

so a couple of nights ago i was speaking with a relative and we began talking about the organization.

i had to asked her "why do you believe that this religion is the correct one?

" they stood quiet for a second but then said that they view and feel genuine christian love, a type of love that is spoken about in the bible.

Phoebe

I saw a comment under a YouTube video. It has really stayed with me.

It's about an unbaptized mum with two little ones, JW husband had died. She had stood up to an elder because he was doing something she disagreed with and so she got 'marked' and became the victim of elders wives gossip.

Convention timed rolled around. She bought an old car. No one would go with her. No one. Guess they thought she was bad association. So she travels 3 hrs with her babies. One of her little ones traps his finger in a seat. First Aid said it was fine. She nurses this crying baby all through the day. Can you imagine her stress?

On the way home someone stops her to say she has a problem with her brake lights. She stops in a service station. Smells burning. Goes to get out the baby's buggy to take them to the toilet. Her bag has melted into a brake light cable (previous owner had added extra brake lights)

Gang of Hells Angels see her. Long beards/tattoos. They come over. One is a mechanic. He fixes her brake lights and checks her car all over to make sure it's safe. They offer to escort her home. She declines but asks if they can take her to the right road. They do and see her safely on her way.

Next day takes baby to the doctor, he'd broken his finger. (so much for the First Aid in the convention)

Where was the love shown for this young woman?? No one in the congregation cared. Travelling all alone with two babies.

But the Hell's Angels helped her. They cared.

A Good Samaritan story.

22

Is the End right around the corner or what???

by Lynnie in

interesting observations i've noticed when visiting my uber elder cousin and his wife.

he just inherited a lovely home on the water on puget sound from his non jw dad who passed away earlier this year.

so they have spent many $$$ and months remodeling this house to their standards which are quite expensive tastes.

Phoebe

Over 30 years ago my parents took my uber sister and husband on holiday. As they passed Stonehenge my sister husband said 'that will be on the floor next year' (referring to Armageddon coming and knocking Stonehenge over)

Over 20 years ago a sister in our congregation said she was going to the Chelsea Flower show because she wanted to see it before Armageddon. (She's still here and the Chelsea Flower show is still going strong.)

Over 23 years ago I was told not to bother buying my eldest a school uniform for senior school as Armageddon would be here before he went (He's 35 now and a lawyer)

Over 50 years ago I was told to leave school asap and get pioneering because Armageddon was just around the corner. I'm 64 now.

Long corner, isn't it?

26

Born Ins, How Did Your Parents Get "The Truth™"?

by pale.emperor in

born ins are in a unique position in that we never knew any other way of life.

no birthdays, christmas and overly superstitious family just seemed normal.

when my parents talked about their pre-jw life it seemed like they were talking about completely different people (actually, that's true, the cult had taken their real selves).. so i'd be interested in hearing how your parents were indoctrinated.. my dad.

Phoebe

These are so interesting.

I'll slightly 'doctor' mine so no one knows it's me.

My mum was the eldest in a large family and they were dirt poor. Her mother died when she was a little girl and life was really tough. No food. No clothes. Considering she didn't have a proper mum for guidance most of her life, she was a really good girl. She resisted all the charms of the G.I's with their gifts of nylons and chocolate! She went to church, she was a Sunday school teacher. Very pious.

One day she went to a party and met my dad. My dad fell for her. My dad came from a fairly wealthy family (they had businesses) so I guess my mum, with her impoverished background, thought wow, this man is going to take care of me (and to be fair, financially he really did take care of her)

Within a matter of weeks they were married. But oh, it was not a match made in heaven. My dad was fiery, my mum stubborn. She had a baby pretty soon though and my dad gave her all she needed materially, which during the war was something. Then she gets called on and with her love for the bible already established, she starts a study.

War ends, dad decides he's sick of Britain so they move abroad.

Mum gets contacted again and she gets baptised. Dad is super opposed. SUPER OPPOSED! He does everything to stop her. They had been married quite awhile when I came along, suffice to say my much older brother was not pleased to see me.

Dad decides he's had enough of these witnesses and decides to have it out with them. Long story short, he ends up getting baptised himself!

One day, I'm left in the care of my brother when they go off on a study (I had a baby sister at the time) my brother sees fit to take me from my bed and sexually assault me on at least two occasions. He hated me. He'd say terrible things to me. Tell me no one in the family loved me. I was about 5 or 6. I was scared stiff of him.

Growing up with these parents, life was also fraught with constant rows. I mean they tore into each other regularly. Physically, too. Then off we'd trot to the Kingdom Hall as if nothing was wrong!

We came back to Britain. Dad got made a servant under the old arrangement. He was a good speaker. He was very involved in assemblies..everything. But he was outspoken and that made him unpopular. They never would make him an elder, a bone of contention until he died. He spoke his mind. They didn't like it.

But the whole time, life at home was terrifying. The violent rows were almost daily. I was a scared, timid child and constantly ill. I begged and begged God to make them stop fighting.They never did. My dad was also super strict. Absolutely no mixing with anyone outside the truth. I'd get in big trouble if I didn't answer up at meetings. He kept on and on at me about baptism and practically terrified me into it at just 13. Mum was never there for me. I have no recollection of ever being hugged by her. She was a cold person. She never had to go to work, dad always provided but she had no time for me. Too busy, go away.

I was a pioneer at 14 and regular at 16. The kingdom hall was an escape from my home life and I really enjoyed it all.

But my past kept haunting me. I was so damaged. At 19 I was off pioneering and on Valium. I left home. I tried hard to get away from 'the truth' but I'd been indoctrinated so much, I couldn't get mentally free. I thought I was the worst person on earth. Abuse does that to you. I thought God hated me. I thought everyone hated me. My family certainly did. My brother and I haven't spoken for years. My sister too. She said I wasn't good enough to be a JW.

I did nothing wrong to any of them. I was good to my parents. Kind and generous to my siblings (even my brother) and to this day have no clue why they don't like me.

As for dad...well, he gave up the truth eventually. Called them a bunch of hypocrites.

Mum continued on until she died. Faithful until the end.

As for me, I kept going, kept battling, kept fighting...until last year when a health scare led me to a psychologist and she set me free. You have no idea how good it feels to be free! The scars are still there but they don't hurt me anymore.

10

Chapter 16 New Boy 50 years a Watchtower Slave

by new boy in

jw
friends

chapter 16. the tour .

my three days of housekeeping duty were over and i reported to the bethel office the next morning.

it was customary then get a tour of both the factory and the bethel home.

Phoebe

Really loving reading your story.

23

Ridiculous (degrading) comment on society's video

by Festus in

on video "benefits of divine education" william samuelsson makes totally appalling comment.. starting from 3:05 he refers to "an effort" that was made in past to see how society's curriculum corresponds with normal - worldly - universities.. then he claims that following question was asked (to university representative) "how we in five months can teach the same that for them takes two years"?.

according to w samuelsson the representative of a university replied something like this: "your students are motivated, they have come to learn where as our students have been send to university by their parents and might have something else than learning in their mind".

this is to crystallize what he said.

Phoebe

My kids went to university and they worked damn hard. Yes, it's fun too, but if you don't do the work you don't get to stay and it's hard work! It's an insult to say being a JW is equal to a university degree.

I would agree though that most JW kids, if they've been kept on a tight reign would probably go wild at university because it would be their first bit of freedom from the constrains on the organization. The proverbial coiled spring being let loose in one go! My eldest didn't like to mix with other witness teenagers because he said when they got away from their parents, they seemed to go crazy and were acting like uncontrollable kids.

15

Doubling up on Circuit Overseers for Apostahunts?

by Wakanda in

in my area i know of four congregations dissolved in one circuit, so that leaves eight weeks a year empty for that circuit overseer's calendar.

dissolving congregations is happening more than in my area, so i believe we can assume other c.o.s have open time.

it appears that c.o.s are visiting with a companion c.o.

Phoebe

This video is one of witness nomore on youtube.

I've been following him. He's in the north of England. He tried to ask questions and he secretly taped all his conversations with them. They are quite interesting. They even called the cops on him at the meeting.

He has been disfellowshipped now. He's a really nice guy. He just wanted some answers.

Interestingly, during his appeal, when he was sent out of the room, one elder said to the other 'well, that didn't take 10 minutes, did it?' As if they just wanted to swan in, uphold the disfellowshipping and be out of there in 10 minutes. He even heard an elder say they should do what the C.O said and 'purge' the congregation.

He bravely recorded everything so we could hear what went on in his J.C. and when he tried to talk to elders.

33

What Simple Pleasures Do You Enjoy Since Leaving Watchtower?

by pale.emperor in

what simple pleasures do you enjoy since leaving watchtower?

here's some of mine, in no particular order:.

a cigar: i dont smoke cigarettes at all, but i do enjoy a good cigar from time to time.

Phoebe

My husband brings me breakfast in bed on Sunday mornings...I think he can't quite believe he's finally got me out of the Watchtower and is keeping me sweet! -- I may use this to my advantage for some time ;)

I did the lotto.

I'm not afraid to make friends with non JWs.

Ditto on the good swear word...it's quite liberating when the occasion warrants it.

Best of all - freedom from headship. Not that I ever took any notice of that anyway, but when I did get a bit bossy with my old man I'd feel so guilty because I wasn't like the other submissive sisters and have to beg Jehovah to forgive me.

5

Chapter 13 part B New Boy 50 years a Watchtower Slave

by new boy in

jw
friends

i was given the rest the day off and told to report to housekeeping monday morning.

everything would start on monday the day i was supposed to have arrived at bethel.

every new boy was assigned to a house keeper for three days before they got their work assignment.

Phoebe

I really enjoyed reading this and as I'm fairly new here, I've been trawling through your previous posts to read all of your story. So interesting. I can't wait for more...

By the way I was baptized the same year and month as you!

42

Returning to the truth.

by Justmeok2 in

hi i am just starting to rebuild my relationship with jehovah.

.

i would like to hear from people who may be or have been in similar situations and now want to dedicate their lives to him..

Phoebe

Justmeok2

I am just starting to rebuild my relationship with God, too. Only this time I'm doing it without an organization ordering me about.

The thing is, I realise I never really knew God. I was just studying what the organization was telling me to study. I was lazy, I just trusted their every word. Well, it turns out they were often - not always - but very often, lying. So the God I thought I knew, well I didn't know him at all really.

My nightly prayers were literally me begging forgiveness for not being a good enough JW and for letting my kids go out the truth. I felt their blood on my hands.

Now I'm free, my prayers are calm. I enjoy thanking God for this beautiful planet. I enjoy talking to him. I am learning about him all over again and it is refreshing. I have peace in my heart. I'm no longer locked into the fear and guilt Watchtower puts on you.

So, please rebuild your relationship with him...but just him...not an organization and 7 portly men sitting around a table voting on what WE are allowed to believe.

The above websites given you really helped me, as did Youtubers EXJW Critical Thinker/Spike R/John Cedars