Posts by Sangdigger

17

Caught Red Handed at a Funeral Home

by Sangdigger in

while making a run to the local drug store last night, i noticed before getting out of my truck, an active jw (who rides his bicycle everywhere) coasting in front of me, parking his bike, and disapeared into the store.

i see him all the time and i know he sees me, but not sure if he's ignoring me, or just plain cant see.

maybe thats why he dont drive a car.

Sangdigger

Thanks you'all for your support. Preacher, i just wanted to say Amen, Amen, Amen. Those are two of my favorite Songs. And you summed up the Gospel in a Nutshell when you said. "Saved by the blood of the Lamb". God Bless

17

Caught Red Handed at a Funeral Home

by Sangdigger in

while making a run to the local drug store last night, i noticed before getting out of my truck, an active jw (who rides his bicycle everywhere) coasting in front of me, parking his bike, and disapeared into the store.

i see him all the time and i know he sees me, but not sure if he's ignoring me, or just plain cant see.

maybe thats why he dont drive a car.

Sangdigger

Jack2, Yeah, that's what i'm thinking. I actually considered writing the letter sometime later. But my relationship with my folks who are active dubs is already basically gone, and i figured why fuel their fire?

27

1,000's are DF'd Each Year...

by Funchback in

thoughts and questions.

your viewpoints will be appreciated.

thanks.. using the 1999 wt cd-rom, i did a search of watchtower articles containing the jw catch-phrase, "thousands are disfellowshipped each year...".

Sangdigger

Kenpodragon, good point. I totally agree with all above. The underlying motive is to instill fear. Look what will happen to you if you dont stay in line with the borg. I was rummaging through the old shed out back earlier, and came across an old JW songbook. One of the first songs i seen was something like Loyalty to Gods organization. The word Loyalty was used umpteen times throughout and always in connection with the congregation, not to Christ. hmmmmmmmmm go figure.

BTW Kenpodragon, i assume you are or did study Kenpo? Was it Ed Parker style or Tracy bros? I studied it about 12 years ago under Tracy bro. system, with some Hung Gar. I completed several of the Animal forms and a bunch of Kenpo Kata's. Made it to 3rd Degree Brown. Had alot of fun. Later.

17

Caught Red Handed at a Funeral Home

by Sangdigger in

while making a run to the local drug store last night, i noticed before getting out of my truck, an active jw (who rides his bicycle everywhere) coasting in front of me, parking his bike, and disapeared into the store.

i see him all the time and i know he sees me, but not sure if he's ignoring me, or just plain cant see.

maybe thats why he dont drive a car.

Sangdigger

While making a run to the local drug store last night, i noticed before getting out of my truck, an active JW (who rides his bicycle everywhere) coasting in front of me, parking his bike, and disapeared into the store. I see him all the time and i know he sees me, but not sure if he's ignoring me, or just plain cant see. Maybe thats why he dont drive a car. Anyway, i left him a tract (from my church) on the seat of his bike, and walked on in. Well, needless to say, he beat me back out of the store (probably was getting a refill on prozac) found the tract and tossed it into the trash 3 feet away. I chuckled to myself as i put the tract back in the truck. But as i was leaving, i ran into an ex-JW who had been dfd about 15 yrs ago. We had a long conversation about the borg and different elders. She said her mother (who is elderly and dont drive, but not related to the bicycle kid) isnt going anymore either because she couldnt get a ride. One of the last times her mother tried going to the hall, she had called one of the elders for a ride, and the elder suggested she get a taxi cab!! She asked me where i was in the scheme of things (basically, what label is attatched to me) and i recanted a story to her that i dont think i ever told on here, forgive me if i already did.

To sum it all up, i quit going to meetings about 9-10 years ago. I had started playing music full time, and when i experienced a degree of local sucess, the gossiping started. The last comment before i left was from the P.O's wife who said " I wish you were going into the tree climbing business instead of the music business, that way if you fell, you would die physically, and not spiritually." Needless to say, from their point of view, i did die spiritually. Then after major changes in my life, i started attending a local non-organized bible based church. I've been going there for 3 and a half years now. Whats amazing, is after we left, (my wife and daughter and me) no one tried contacting us for the last 9 years or so. Every once in a blue moon, a younger sister and her husband would stop on thier way to a bible study up the road. But no invites back or phone calls asking us when are u coming back,ect....

Then one day almost a year ago, it happened....The pastor of our church asked me to sing and play for a funeral of a guy who was related to a Lady who attends our church. He occasionally asks me to sing in church, and this was no unusual request, so i agreed, and worked up a couple of Hyms (cough,cough...i mean songs,) that i thought would be appropriate. The next night, we walked into the Funeral Home together, and the FIRST PERSON i laid eyes on was the P.O. and his wife. I was carrying my hymn book, bible and my guitar as i passed by them. I could literally feel their eyes burning in my back. After all those years, i didnt think i had anything to fear or worry about. Afterall, they had given up on me, right? I'm sure my face was glowing red about then. I turned around to find Tom (the pastor), and i ran into 3 more dubs. The eldest asked me what was i doing there, and i explained i was providing the music. Ohhh she said halfway under her breath. By the time i got unloaded, and ready to go, i had forgotton what i was even there for. I mean i was train wrecked. I stayed in the back of the stage behind the podium, pretending to tune the guitar for about 20 minutes, wondering what if anything i would say when confronted. I figured the jig was up, so i walked back out in the main part of the funeral home and got a drink of water. I seen the P.O glance over and his wife as well, but they were engaged in a conversation. I talked to the elder sister for a minutes, and then her son walked over and i talked to him. It was her dad who had died. The son had been inactive for years like me, so i felt comfortable talking to him. I mentioned a few things about the bible to him, partially trying to fire myself up, should me and the P.O duke it out later. And i remember him just looking at me, like WHAT?

Then the Funeral started, and we all went in (exept for the P.O and his wife) but i didnt realize it at the time. The podium was on the stage right behind the body of the deceased, and i was behind that. I peered over the casket a few times to see wich dubs were out there. I seen the 3 that i had seen earlier (they were the related to the deceased, and the P.O was there for support, no doubt) After the Pastor had said the prayer, he preached about the immortality of the soul, heaven, and how the man believed in Christ, ect..... Then he said "and now, brother Jim is going to play us a Hymn" I dont think i even looked up through the first one, then he preached some more, and i closed out the service, much bolder, making eye contact with them. They all avoided me after it was over, exept for the P.O who was towering at the door, waiting to grab me before i could leave. I whispered to Tom that he was the cheif elder as we approached the door. Tom introduced himself, as i cowered down, too afraid to introduce him myself, as my friend and pastor of where i go to church. ( i still feel bad about that one) Then he looked at me, and asked me where i was working, and could i be reached, was my phone number still the same, ect.... I told him it was, and we left. Interestingly enough, Tom was raised a Morman and was ex-communicated himself. So he mostly understood. (although the WTS is alot worse in my opinion)

Well, about 3 days later, the phone rang, and guess who? The Chief of Elders. He was polite, but very business, and to the point. At first, he apologized for not making as he said "more attempts at finding me home" But then asked me why i was singing "Christendoms Songs" and did i no longer wish to consider myself one of Jehovahs Witnesses? I took a deep breath, and told him i was in fact a witness of Jehovah, but did not want to be a part of a man-made organized group who taught salvation by what you did. I grabbed a bible on the desk and quoted him a few scriptures like Rom 3:24, and Eph.2:8 and Titus 3:5. He actually listened without cutting me off, but i knew it was going in one ear and out the other. Then he asked me to write a letter to the local cong. explaining that i no longer wished to be a JW. I asked him if the reason was so they could disasociate me. He said well......basically....yes. I told him the meaning of the word disasociate was to terminate association with someone and why would i do that, when i didnt associate with anyone from the cong. anyway. ( of course i realize the point of disasociating is to protect the cong from me) But i caught him off guard, and he said well, i guess thats right. Then he asked me if my wife was still interested, and i told him she could answer for herself. She had told me before hand she did not want to talk to them under any circumstances. I told him before hanging up that i harbored no resentment againts any of them for not coming out to see me, and in fact they had done me a favor. That was about one year ago, and to my knowledge, there is no label on me yet. I see them around town occasionally, most of them dont speak, but theres a few on the fringes that will. Oh well, thought this story was worth telling. Sorry it ended up being so long. CHEERS EVERYONE.

Jim

22

going to meetings

by hamptonite21 in

i was curious how many on the board still attend meetings?

Sangdigger

Thats a good question. I've read several post recently suggesting the the one posting was attending meetings. One post was an elder who even posted the latest garb. from the WTS. I was glad to get the inside edge, but i dont see how someone can play that game for too long.

3

JW Questions

by frihat in

hello everyone...i am a college senior taking a new american religions class, and one of our assignments requires looking more closely at a religion of our choice.

specifically i have a few generic, interview type questions that i would love if someone could answer for me.

if anyone is interested, could you please email me at [email protected] thanks for the assistance.

Sangdigger

There's scads of letters on Shauns research.com, or you can contact a local congregation, and they will happily set up a home study with you.

14

Dubs at lunch

by Mulan in

jw
friends

i went out to lunch today with my jw girlfriend.

we were eating chinese food, and she was telling me all about the co's visit, and complaining quite a lot.

suddenly the people across from us said "which congregation?

Sangdigger

Sorry my last two post didnt have anything to do with the subject at hand. I guess i have nothing to say about being seen by JW's with other women, cause if i was seen, i would've been busted, and been guilty on top of it. (before i became a real christian)

14

Dubs at lunch

by Mulan in

jw
friends

i went out to lunch today with my jw girlfriend.

we were eating chinese food, and she was telling me all about the co's visit, and complaining quite a lot.

suddenly the people across from us said "which congregation?

Sangdigger

Come to think of it, i usually Laughed alot when under stress. I think its what got me through those dark years. I went to a door one time with my brother (hmmmm i see a patern) and when the guy came to the door, my mind went blank, so i looked at him to bail me out, and he just stood there looking at me, so we both started laughing. The guy looked so bewildered. Of course that made it funnier. He probably thought we'd been smokin wacky tobbaccy. He finally said something to the effect of why dont you two just dry up and blow away. I know its totally ridiulous, and how stupid it must've looked, but its one of those classic memories. I Laughed so hard, my stomach hurt.

9

President Eisenhower was a JW

by Gerard in

http://www.geocities.com/lord_visionary/eisenhower_witness_background.htm

Sangdigger

Yeah, but at least he died before Armageddon, so he'll get a second chance.

(I remember growing up, wishing all of my favorite singers and movie stars would die, so they could get a second chance. HELP SOMEBODY PLEASE TELL ME ITS GONNA BE ALRIGHT)

21

Is SYN a Cereal KIller?

by Perry in

jw
friends

dear syn, .

without doing a lot of checking, i recall liking your posts, though to my knowledge we never really exchanged more than a few comments.

and, i'm sure that the person in your photograph is a very nice person.

Sangdigger

Hey watch it ya'll, thats my grandmother. And yes, she is a cereal killer. Her last victom was found in the park with a bowl of cornflakes in his hand, and a banana shoved up his butt.