Posts by Hopeless1

27

How did you find Jehovah's Witness meetings?

by Vanderhoven7 in

i personally have only attended a handful of meetings at kingdom halls.

i did not enjoy any of them nor was i impressed by anything that was conveyed.

perhaps others did not find them boring as i did.. nadia viotto has this to say about her experience.

Hopeless1

Vanderhoven,

yes, yes,…..

Have read so much, all Eric Wilson’s articles, C.O.C., Penton, and so many others.. they are all encouraging in their way…

the local congregation may see me as ‘hopeless’, but the only reason I have survived the last 70 of my 74years is the hope Christ and his Father give!

Was a Christian before they started calling on my mother, mainly from Bible reading and John Bunyan’s allegorical books. Could see Christendom’s churches had failed and when Jehovah’s Witnesses called, seemed like they had the answers. However, somehow the things they said and the things they actually did, didn’t add up?

If it weren’t for my daughter I would be happy to go to sleep and leave this body behind, but she needs my support and I am gladly there for her. (Plus my husband needs caring for)

There may be many who will read this comment and think me nuts, so I have no wish to offend their sensitivities, but I do hope and wish the best for them, that all may find real peace of heart and mind, however difficult that may seem.

If anyone would wish to send me a p.m., I would welcome that and think it no imposition,

many thanks to you Rick, for your kindness, wishing you the best for the future too

27

How did you find Jehovah's Witness meetings?

by Vanderhoven7 in

i personally have only attended a handful of meetings at kingdom halls.

i did not enjoy any of them nor was i impressed by anything that was conveyed.

perhaps others did not find them boring as i did.. nadia viotto has this to say about her experience.

Hopeless1

Vanderhoven7,

thank you for your kind thoughts, like most people here I do have a ‘tale to tell’, but a long one, (perhaps one day it will be written down.) Things never improved for me, but at last, about 2012/3 I began to realise Christianity has nothing to do with organisations or churches like Watchtower.

Initially was looking at a website discussing watchtower doctrine from an alternative viewpoint (apostate, so-called) with a view to defending Witnesses, but since I had a voracious appetite for digging out the truth, l was also reading very early Bible Student literature, and discovering the truth about the Rutherford years.

There was no sudden realisation of being duped, no flash of lightening or major waking up. I just came to the conclusion that since Watchtower was behaving and calling itself a religion, it was just the same as all the other churches of Christendom.

The internet has been most helpful to me, but the cost of staying so long is devastating. At times I feel totally isolated, really miss the discussions we had back in the 60’s, but never really found the kind of relationships that lasted forever.

Now in my mid- seventies, my health is ruined, my elderly PIMI husband hardly ever talks to me, (not that he ever did) my daughter, who left the same time as myself, struggles with low self-esteem and depression, both brought on by Watchtower policy and doctrine.

But my experiences have made me very understanding of the many kinds of problems that other Witnesses and ex-Witnesses have which result from the influence of having been in a high-control group. There have been a few suicides in recent years, both in my husband’s family and the local congregation, just regret I was not in a position to support any of them before they gave up. So sad to see people get into such a state of mind.

Jehovah’s Witnesses leaders speak softly and carry a big stick.

5

Presented for your approval...

by TD in

.

Hopeless1

This man lives a quiet life?

169

Are the statistics out yet?

by slimboyfat in

isn’t it about time they released the report for the service year?

or have they stopped publishing it?

did they released selected figures at the annual meeting as they usually do, such as the memorial attendance or record number of pioneers?

Hopeless1

Dear Blotty, you said -

‘People are going to make surface level arguments to try and playdown or discredit them just because they don't like them for one reason or another’

There are many people who have good reasons to feel aggrieved over JW’s, -please do not demean, invalidate, discredit or invalidate their pain by making such sweeping generalisations.

There may be a few real Christians amongst JWs, just as there are, I am sure, among other denominations, but I have known a great many Jehovah’s Witnesses who genuinely hated even members of their own religion, ones in so-called ‘good-standing’, for no good reason at all, as well as others, complete strangers to them!

We also have plenty of evidence that their own governing body members personally hate all manner of persons, (most especially ex JWs), in direct conflict with instructions to Christians at Romans 12:14, & 14:17-21.

(Also, please consider that Jehovahs Witnesses by no means lead the world on translating and distributing the Bible)

27

How did you find Jehovah's Witness meetings?

by Vanderhoven7 in

i personally have only attended a handful of meetings at kingdom halls.

i did not enjoy any of them nor was i impressed by anything that was conveyed.

perhaps others did not find them boring as i did.. nadia viotto has this to say about her experience.

Hopeless1

In my youngest teenage years, when all important education at a decent school was thankfully available to me, my mother, poor deluded soul, dragged me thrice weekly to long tedious meetings each when I should have been doing the homework necessary to pass exams that would have eventually helped me make a decent living as an adult.

The following day after a meeting I was always too tired to be able to make best use of the earnest efforts of school teachers. Homework suffered enormously, earning me a reputation of being a ‘slacker’ or even ‘imbecile’ no doubt.

Mother used to proudly boast that I was rebellious, - a problem child, in constant need of correction, usually physical, yet never did I once complain about going to the meetings, nor did I question anything they coercively taught me.

The hypocrisy of the Witnesses didn’t fail to leave it’s mark on me from those early times, gossip was rampant, a callous, cold attitude prevailed amongst those highest in the hierarchy whilst those at the bottom felt pushed out, unwanted because they failed to meet some unrevealed or secret criteria for being accepted into the ruling cliques.

Can you believe, even though there were no other Witness children in my school, I actually went to the headmistress and, trembling in my shoes, sick with fear, made application for not having to go into school morning worship each day, and to no longer have to go into religious education classes. Here in the U.K., children who were Jewish or Catholic were able to refrain from participation in morning worship, but still had to attend.

I, however wanting to be obedient to a higher authority, or so I understood it to be so, negotiated to not be bodily present when prayers were said, hymns being sung and sermons given. Headmistress was purple with rage, I kid you not. The school had a very high reputation in the district for turning out high academic achievers, and as such they valued compliance to strict regulations. My demands were unthinkable, but nonetheless Headmistress through gritted teeth asked that my mother go and see her. (A detention was narrowly missed) Henceforth I was to sit on the ‘naughty’ seat outside headmistresses study while rest of school filed in for morning worship, girls furtively whispering amongst themselves as they saw me there and wondering what heinous crime I was guilty of!

Was there ever any support from anyone of the congregation of Jehovahs Witnesses in all those years I have associated with them? Extremely little. If any. Many times there have been that have come home crying. And seen others do so to.

I REALLY, REALLY WISH I HAD NEVER GONE TO THOSE MEETINGS

42

Have you ever been on a congregation picnic?

by LostintheFog1999 in

were you ever on a congregation picnic?

i was on several occasions.. the arrangements were often announced from the platform after the closing song and prayer by the last elder up on the platform.. sometimes it was included in the service meeting announcements as "on saturday we're meeting at 10.00am at the kingdom hall for field service, and after field service for anyone who wishes, especially for the younger ones, we will be having a congregation picnic meeting at the beach carpark on seaview road.".

well, according to the new elders manual you won't be hearing those words again.

Hopeless1

In the last couple of decades or so, congregation get togethers in large halls was usually depressing for the daughter and I.

Generally ended up us sitting together alone or with other ‘weak ones’, which considering I was working hard as a regular pioneer at time was difficult to understand?

Husband never used to attend with us, unless there was a bar he could stand behind!

However, in the 60’s and early 70’s before I was married and still young, there were some really great ‘get togethers’, football, cricket, concerts, films, theatre, as well as the usual parties!

Ah, - the good old days ! ! … ☺️

28

Poor metabolic health increases your risk for heart disease, diabetes, and stroke.

by was a new boy in

it’s all a big fat lie.

more precisely a big low-fat, high-carbohydrate lie.. 'it took dr. paul marik 12 weeks to prove that conventional wisdom about dieting is a lie, and that was just to himself.

he lost 35 pounds, and cured himself of type 2 diabetes.

Hopeless1

Cofty,

-so good to see you commenting again!

I am more of a ‘lurker/shirker’ type, mainly due to domestic difficulties compounded by age and poor health, so yes, I will be reading the book you suggested, many thanks,

and, - hope to read comments from you again on regular basis!

169

Are the statistics out yet?

by slimboyfat in

isn’t it about time they released the report for the service year?

or have they stopped publishing it?

did they released selected figures at the annual meeting as they usually do, such as the memorial attendance or record number of pioneers?

Hopeless1

As regards 2022 Annual Worldwide Field Service Report, - please refer to ‘Our Christian Life & Ministry Workbook January-February 2023 (p.13)

under dates February 20-26 (2023) section ‘Living As Christian’s’ (see capture of same below)

Also please note that from now on, if you are elderly, confined to a wheelchair, and require constant oxygen support, you will be expected to attend trolley field service and engage in meaningful conversations with passers by. (Also note close proximity to trolley)

Hopefully you will, of course, already have enjoyed studying Meeting Workbook items “Prepare Now For a Medical Emergency’ (Jan 23-29), and ‘You Can Fulfil Challenging Assignments’ and Jehovah Helps Us Through Our Trials’ (Jan 30-Feb 5) ((‘cos no-one will!!))

(In a nutshell, - looks like field service report is not going to be officially publicly available)

Best wishes for new year to all of you! …. (From forever hopeless)

75

Is the governing body of Jehovah's Witnesses REALLY the "faithful and discreet slave" of Matt. 24:45-47?

by Roger Kirkpatrick in

thesis: when someone who is given a responsibility mistakes that responsibility for authority, bullying is very likely to occur.. jesus spoke an illustration recorded at matthew 24: 45-51 which well illustrates this thesis.. jesus asked, “who really is the faithful and discreet slave whom his master appointed over all his domestics, to give them their food at the proper time?

happy is that slave if his master on arriving finds him doing so.

truly i say to you, he will appoint him over all his belongings.

Hopeless1

So the f & d slave were allegedly appointed by Christ in 1919? - starting with the first one, J F Rutherford, then N Knorr, then the group that took over in the 70’s and those that followed down to this day?

Well how does that work? Jesus Christ said “by their fruits” we would recognise his faithful disciples, yet the attitudes and practices of those men generally have been just like those of other religious groups, arrogant, self-serving, self-right righteous, (some have even been immoral) - as a group of ‘ruling’ ones they have advocated ‘fleecing’ the flock by insisting on guilting members of their flock into giving money they can ill afford to support their whims, and selfish desires, - under the disguise of building much needed halls, conventions, special talks, special visits etc etc.

they eat the best of food, have comfortable, well maintained homes, serviced by a body servants, nice clothes, laundered and cleaned again, by servants, they have good cars, serviced free of charge, all paid for health treatment, - free dentistry, …

whereas the flock are supposed to live in poverty or near poverty to prove their devotion to God, they travel in style, while the flock traipse on foot through jungles and the like, they stay in good homes whilst away from HQ, whilst the flock put up with tents, motor homes and sub-standard accommodations during assemblies, many publishers have given up holiday time, or even their jobs to get to assemblies, again guilted into doing this. they are looked upon as celebrities by the devoted flock, and yes, I know they get expensive gifts even though I can give you no proof.

There are, it is true, not a few millionaires amongst JWs, but in the decades I have associated with them both in the U.K. and overseas, the majority are just struggling to get by, but the attitude of their governing body seems to be ‘go in peace, keep warm and well-fed’.

Personally, I see the Governing Body as the very essence of the 1st century scribes and Pharisees, of whom Jesus said, ‘do as they say, not as they do’.

Rant over, - spelling errors etc probably down to spell-check dysfunction.

59

Why isn't this forum growing like reddit exjw??

by nowwhat? in

admittedly it 90% crap over there but still they are up to 80k in subscribers.

over here it's the same half dozen or so that posts something, including myself.

why is that?.

Hopeless1

I live with an 86 year old die-hard, life-long Jehovah’s Witness husband who requires looking after at all levels at all times, …. He has always been difficult to live with due to some brain issue which makes him emotionally unavailable and unempathetic, and sometimes unreasonable, but I continue to live with him simply because I considered a promise to stick by him whatever our marriage turned out to be, was sacred.

Therefore, this web-site is to me, a god-send (sorry, all you atheists and agnostics) because whenever things get too much, which is practically every day, I can come and loose myself in the comments of all of you facing similar challenges in life, and know I’m not alone.

Personally I find exJW Reddit somewhat difficult to navigate, and not half as interesting as this website. Most people who post on here are, in their own way encouraging, and for the most part intelligent, witty and helpful. You people keep me sane.

(please pardon grammatical/syntax and spelling errors) (and any other mistakes, which I promise were unintentional and not meant to offend)