Posts by HOTB

8

An intro to my experience

by drippee in

good evening,.

i had an old account a few years back but since then have had a lot happen to me.

i grew up in the faith, pioneered, did everything i could to keep my parents and peers off of my back, but nothing seemed to be enough to satisfy them.

HOTB

Sadly there is no such thing as 'real' friends when it comes to JW's. When you choose to leave the cult you lose your 'friends' too.

No matter how long you were in and no matter how long you had your 'friends' they are conditioned to view you as 'worldly'. Yes, they may try to either get you back on - or conversely, may try to trip you up so they have evidence that you are really out - then judicial action will be taken.

You have chosen freedom. Enjoy it.

Build a new life for yourself. Those past nice times with the JW's will not be recoverable unless you give up your freedom and toe the party line again.

It may not be easy. You will have moments of longing for the old days. The best way to deal with it is to remember with fondness as part of your life experience but don't let it be what conditions or controls you.

If you wish for a non hypocritical life make sure the way you choose to life is 'your' choice. The middle ground would be a non palatable one.

Enjoy what you have and grow upon it. Make new friends and soon the old ones will fade to where they should be - a memory of what once was.

I wish you all the best and hope you find peace and happiness with no regrets. Don't let others pull your heart strings.

24

1974 and all that

by Number 6 in

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xznh9icm1os.

i came across this footage recently whilst searching for something completely unrelated and it blew me away!.

it's from the august 1974 convention at murrayfield, edinburgh and you can clearly see the stage set up still keeping the 6000 years and 1975 mantra going.. what makes this very personal for me is that i was here.

HOTB

That was great to see. So many assemblies and memories from Murrayfield :)

I was there. I was 14 years old.

I scoured the video for familiar faces and was able to make out just one on the platform.

I was responsible for costumes and make-up for the drama many years ago. Tam Shepherds was the shop to go to for fake beard material!

Thanks for sharing :)

27

Jws getting drunk

by Farmer Jim1 in

jw
friends

has anyone got any good 'jws and alcohol' stories?

i always found it amazing that so many jws got blind drunk at parties and got away with it!

i suppose alcohol was the only fun thing we were allowed to partake in....

HOTB

The PO's wife was a drunk. One night at a fellow elders house they had a party - she was absolutely legless. The PO acted as if nothing was amiss and calmly took her home. Needless to say there was much laughter and gossiping but nothing was ever said or done about it. His standing was never questioned and life continued as normal!

3

Bethelites' favourite pop song!

by BoogerMan in

i'll bet the org's "watchers" on this forum will be humming this for the rest of the day!.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=spgvej4ekww .

(lyrics at 50 seconds).

HOTB

Great seeing the Comic Relief clip from 2005. I remember being at school and our class having to dance on stage to this (1972). Timeless toe tapping tune. Nothing to do with your reason for posting it I know - but a happy digression nevertheless

36

Did anyone really enjoy assemblies?

by SydBarrett in

jw
friends

the twickenham post made me think of this.

i have a few jw family members on facebook and being summertime, their pics of the convention have shown up in my fb feed.

along with their comments about "i wished it would never end" or "what a glorious weekend".

HOTB

I liked Assemblies and Conventions. I would take notes and feel guilty if I got too tired or the speakers too boring. I enjoyed the interviews and new releases…and the dramas. Volunteering in food prep was interesting – all potatoes to be wrapped in specially sized bit of tin foil. But the best bit, of course, was socializing and catching up with folks I’d not seen for a year – that was a real high. The sad part though - is that all the highs we got from the lovey socializing was, in retrospect, as valuable and real as melting snow. C’est la vie.

40

Fw: As Bro Sydlick was saying the closing prayer

by NikL in

jw
friends

i just had to pass this on to you.. it is an e mail that is making the rounds.. what do you think of this.... (beware!

gagging may be expected).

the 41,000 friends at the international convention in michigan .

HOTB

Met him at the Berlin convention after the wall came down. I was awe struck by meeting the man in person. He was lovely. I was a young pioneer and very much 'in the zone' at the time. None of the new GB have the same aura of genuine status. There is a huge difference between the GB I grew up with and the ones of today. The org we see now is totally different. The beliefs are different. Hence a very thankful 17 years of freedom from them for me.

23

How did it come to this?

by New day in

i am now in my early 60’s.

i was baptized in 1980. i served as a ministerial servant and an elder.

i gave my all for many years but about eight years ago i started to question many things.

HOTB

Same age and timeline (apart from the MS and Elder bit – females not allowed!). I pioneered, travelled and opened my home to countless JW’s from all over the world. Constantly on assembly programs and on speed dial for last minute talks on the Ministry School. I had ‘friends’ everywhere and was ‘loved’.

Now, 16 years after leaving I too am a non-entity in JW land BUT have pursued a life that is mine – without controlling men guilting me into obedience. Those men who would take me on shepherding calls, who would ask my advice on problems within the body of elders – those men who claim to be my friends (a few who were closet gays).

Have I lost anything? Yes. I lost that same feeling of security knowing what the future held. I lost deeply loved friends – many of whom I think about often. I lost a fantastic social network.

Have I gained anything? Yes. I have gained freedom from an organisation that does not resemble the one I grew up in. I have gained freedom from having to accept that which was obviously not true or reasonable. I have gained the relief of not being a hypocrite.

It is not easy starting a new life with no friends around. Having grown up in the ‘Truth’ that was all I had. It is not easy when one has avoided further education because it was frowned upon (and then being perplexed by having friends in Bethel who were career lawyers – paid for by the society). It’s not east having your life’s history now viewed, personally, as an empty sham. How many hours in field serving, how many miles walked (my knees can tell you).

I am sad that in many ways I wasted my JW life. It could have been so different if I had taken a different path and walked away sooner – but I was full ‘in’.

However, “better late than never”

25

What Biblical message should be proclaimed now according to Jesus himself ?

by Alex Williams in

this is what jesus said.

matt 24-14.

14 and this gospel of the kingdom will be preached in the whole world as a testimony to all nations, and then the end will come.. looking at this verse what is the central theme?

HOTB

Reading that felt like listening to a talk on the TMS. The 'dumb' HH would nod along as each point was made and then agree to a study.

I understand why you are 'in' Alex - we were all in at one point too - most of us for a longer time and more thorough and ardent in our research and teaching than you are now. We could run rings around you if we wanted to. But we don't and won't.

Perhaps one day you will wake up. Or perhaps you will continue to sit by your keyboard with your chest puffed out thinking you are somehow defending the 'Truth'. You are not!

You have chosen the wrong audience.

If your BOE knew you were on here - you would be dragged into the back room faster than you can imagine.

Hang around - we may rub off on you

HOTB

7

I found this by accident...

by HOTB in

i found this on youtube yesterday.

i found it a slightly over exaggerated depiction of the characters from the kh - but i recognised them!

i guess every congregation has some just the same.. https://youtu.be/xaen6fpvcim.

HOTB

I found this on YouTube yesterday. I found it a slightly over exaggerated depiction of the characters from the KH - but I recognised them! I guess every congregation has some just the same.

https://youtu.be/XaEn6FPVcIM

While I don't necessarily agree with the 'Born Again' aspect of the movies - I enjoyed the argumentation used - as well as the history and the comments by Raymond Franz.

How on earth did we all get sucked in to this so completely?

HOTB

17

Crazy humour.

by zeb in

anyone recall the bbc-radio "goon show"?

anyone at all?.

HOTB

I'm too young for the original radio episodes - but very familiar with the show.

British comedy at its best - it never ages!