Posts by Phoebe

26

Prayers ,are they answered ? or is it just self delusion ?

by smiddy3 in

after 33 years as a jw and leaving 25 years ago i think prayer can be summed up with the jews praying at the wailing wall.. all they are doing is talking to a brick wall ,and getting no feed back.

and they expect an answer to their prayers ?!.

christians /other beliefs might find that funny but they are no better off.. prayer is always a one way street you talk either vocally or mentally to god however you never get the same back .. if god " so loved the world that he doesnt want any to be destroyed but have everlasting life " then whats the problem with him audibly answering his servants prayers ?

Phoebe

I always hated it when someone would say they'd prayed for a job or a house and hey presto! they got it.

Or what about the Watchtower who wanted that equipment (cameras?) for the JW Broadcast and the company didn't have any available and so the brothers went out to the car and prayed and hey presto! A man from the company came running out to the car and said a company in south Africa (?) had gone bankrupt and didn't need their order so the brothers could have it...and cheaper, too. The GB said it was Jehovah answering their prayers because he was backing the broadcast.

How does that make sense compared to the child praying for angels to be around her bed to protect her from her JW dad abusing her?

No, I don't believe prayers are answered. It's just coincidences.

I would worry that my prayers were never answered and others seemed to be. I thought it meant Jehovah didn't like me.

There's a sister in my congregation who actually put up her hand and said her family think she has her own angel as ALL her prayers get answered, so if you want something just ask her. How utterly stupid is that??

Or the sister who constantly puts on social media the phrase 'tick...another prayer answered by Jah'

10

Carts in Florence/pisa

by Phoebe in

jw
friends

i have just had a holiday.

i don't get many so this was special.

i went to italy.

Phoebe

I have just had a holiday. I don't get many so this was special. I went to Italy. I saw carts in all the touristy places in Florence and also in Pisa. I also saw brothers standing holding up magazines and as we walked by they said ' free magazine.'

I felt sorry for them, I really did. I almost took a magazine off one brother because he looked like he really didn't want to be there all by himself, holding up magazines.

It was also the first holiday for me since I left the JWs. I went in all the churches, they were beautiful. I also didn't spend the entire flight in fervent prayer as I used to do, because I'm a nervous flyer. I just embraced everything with a what will be, will be attitude. For the first time I really enjoyed the flight. In fact, I had the best time, I really did.

It made me realised what a nervous wreck the Watchtower had made me. I was always so, so worried about everything. It made life the opposite of enjoyable.

One morning, I watched a little girl chasing a bird. She was a sweet little thing and I thought to myself, according to witnesses if that little girl doesn't have JW parents she's going to be slaughtered very soon. How utterly cruel to even think that?

7

How long until the WT takes advantage of Mexican earthquake?

by Chook in

it will be another money call followed by a reminder about how the end is imminent..

Phoebe

Just saw an Instagram of a headline re the earthquake and underneath this sister has written 'pray for our brothers in mexico'

It made me so angry. What about everyone else? Guess they don't matter do they?

34

Just need to vent a little

by Phoebe in

jw
friends

in the last week i have had three visits from brothers.

so 6 witnesses in all as they come in pairs.

now considering i used to go to the meetings, sit by myself and literally no one talked to me - ever - why the concern all of a sudden?.

Phoebe

LV101 - Great post - thank you!

Iown Mylife - I shall follow your lead and not open the door. This sister today, barely spoke to me at the hall, yet shows up telling me I'm being disobedient and new a new hair do! Honestly, you couldn't make it up, could you??

34

Just need to vent a little

by Phoebe in

jw
friends

in the last week i have had three visits from brothers.

so 6 witnesses in all as they come in pairs.

now considering i used to go to the meetings, sit by myself and literally no one talked to me - ever - why the concern all of a sudden?.

Phoebe

hybridous

I'm not going back. Luckily no family in - well, none that I care about anyway. I can't unring that bell, as they say. I'm determined. I honestly don't think I could go into a KH ever again. They'll get bored soon, hopefully ;)

Carla

I work from home so am always in but husband says we're going to put a note on the door from now on.

34

Just need to vent a little

by Phoebe in

jw
friends

in the last week i have had three visits from brothers.

so 6 witnesses in all as they come in pairs.

now considering i used to go to the meetings, sit by myself and literally no one talked to me - ever - why the concern all of a sudden?.

Phoebe

Diogenesister.

I'm married but I've been at the meetings on my own for nearly 20 years now. Husband used to be a RP/MS but left. He just plain burnt himself out. No one cared. He never got any visits.

So, I've been attending on my own for a long, long time. I studied with the kids but gave them the choice and none of them wanted to be JWs and went off to university. Strangely, they've all become upright citizens contributing to society and all have good jobs and fine reputations. (i'm being sarcastic as y'know we're told uni will turn them into evolution believing, drug addicts with morals of alley cats) But them going to uni pretty much made everyone in the congregation think I was bad association. I literally walked a mile to and from the hall on my own for years, in all weathers. Cars going to hall passed me. Get there, sit on a entire row on my own, no one would speak much. Maybe one or two might say hello.One sister was nice to me when she was there. I ticked all the boxes - ministry/answer up etc. But still everyone so cold towards me. Walked out of there nearly 5 months ago and haven't been back since.

Dubstepped - I think you are right. I think I give them permission to treat me badly. My psychologist said that, too.

I won't let them in next time.Husband says we should get one of those doorbells with a camera.

Anyway, thank you all so much for your advice and concern. I really appreciate it. It helps enormously being able to talk to someone.

xx

34

Just need to vent a little

by Phoebe in

jw
friends

in the last week i have had three visits from brothers.

so 6 witnesses in all as they come in pairs.

now considering i used to go to the meetings, sit by myself and literally no one talked to me - ever - why the concern all of a sudden?.

Phoebe

Thanks, everyone. I knew you would make me feel better!

ToesUp - love that quote. One to remember.

Magnum - you made me laugh out loud. The crazy thing is, I only got it done last week. Guess she didn't like it. Perhaps the JWs are going to come up with approved hairstyles, you know, like in N.Korea!

34

Just need to vent a little

by Phoebe in

jw
friends

in the last week i have had three visits from brothers.

so 6 witnesses in all as they come in pairs.

now considering i used to go to the meetings, sit by myself and literally no one talked to me - ever - why the concern all of a sudden?.

Phoebe

Yes, I think her telling me to change my hair upset me the most! I got the feeling she thought since I'd stopped going 'I'd let myself go' She even reached over and touched my hair and said (her exact words) 'and get this done. It's not you'' Cheeky cow.

34

Just need to vent a little

by Phoebe in

jw
friends

in the last week i have had three visits from brothers.

so 6 witnesses in all as they come in pairs.

now considering i used to go to the meetings, sit by myself and literally no one talked to me - ever - why the concern all of a sudden?.

Phoebe

In the last week I have had THREE visits from brothers. So 6 witnesses in all as they come in pairs. Now considering I used to go to the meetings, sit by myself and literally no one talked to me - EVER - why the concern all of a sudden?

To be fair some of them have been extremely sweet and kind, particularly one brother who is the most christian person I've ever met. He's just moved back into my congregation and he wanted to just call and say hello and he really is a lovely, kind person. I almost felt that if every witness was like him how lovely it would be...but that's another story.

BUT the sister today, although she did the whole hug/we care about you spiel, went on and on and on and on and on and on about how me not going to the meetings was disobeying Jehovah. They read me a scripture when they left. She even told me to 'get my hair done' because my current style was 'not me' and to sort myself out and get back to the meetings asap because I needed to be obedient to Jehovah.

I did not want to go into detail as to why I stopped going as it's none of her business but I did say I have an anxiety disorder and she went on and on and on about how she'd dealt with bad times but it was getting back to Jehovah that helped her and how I still had a good heart and I would be in paradise but I NEEDED TO GET BACK TO THE MEETINGS!!! I was as nice as possible and I do know their intentions are good but I went for years on my own and I had no friends there. No one gave a flying fig about me. I was not part of the big clique that's in my congregation and my kids went to university (so that made me worse than a serial killer) I can't tell you how many times I left that place in tears at the coldness shown me. So why the sudden bombardment??

Thank you for listening to me vent. I had to get it off my chest!

11

Advice on family waking up to TTATT

by Jules Saturn in

if you've been following my posts here, i am physically in and mentally out.

it's so hard because i wish that my family could wake up just as easily as i did.

the other day i had a conversation with a relative regarding whether they have come to terms with their own mortality and they replied that they try not to think about it too much but also said that it's possible that armageddon would even happen long after they are gone, which i thought was a very interesting thought.. maybe it's just me, but i feel like what made me wake up easily was that i've always had little doubts here and there but this was stuff like me being unable to grasp the concept of how one could be anointed and how would you know if you were.

Phoebe

Jules Saturn

Your parents are only in their 50s. Still time to have a life after JW. I have just woken up and I'm 64. I wish someone had tried to wake me up when I was in my 50s or younger.

It's a lot harder to accept being woken up when you are older. It's like your world just imploded.

If I had been younger, I would have had choices. When you are older all you have is regrets. You can't go back and start again. They took your life. It's incredibly hard to accept that you've had a wasted life.

Having said that, for all the pain it's caused me, I am glad I now know the truth. No one wants to live a lie and if, like me, they will still believe in God, it's an opportunity to build a relationship with him. A relationship that isn't built on lies from an organization.

I am glad to have woken up, even though I am much older.