Thank you for sharing this. I have children one in his teens and another not quite a teen yet. My youngest does not believe God exists and the other is just not sure but wants the freedom to investigate where he likes. I want them to use their own minds and make their own choices. I too awoke quite late but it not too late for them. For that I am grateful.
moreconfusedthanever
JoinedPosts by moreconfusedthanever
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10 years on.....
by snare&racket ini was a window cleaner, i was at the time unemployed, homeless.
i had no education to be proud of (high school one a two b's rest c's) i was a jehovahs witness.
i had been a pioneer.
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Geoffrey Jackson: "That would be presumptuous of us"...
by Calebs Airplane inwithin the first few minutes, mr. stewart asked geoffrey jackson if the members of the governing body consider themselves to be god's spokesperson on earth.. his response: "that would be presumptuous of us" (implying that they don't consider themselves to be god's sole channel of communication).. to me, that was the worst lie of about 26 lies he's told during this hearing.
however, mr. stewart missed an opportunity to call out mr. jackson on this bold-faced lie.
he should have asked him to explain why the watchtower magazine teaches otherwise.
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moreconfusedthanever
Kookie
When mentioning this to someone recently their reply was to point out that even the Apostle Peter denied Jesus 3 times and Jesus did not rebuke him or punish him but forgave him. So perhaps fear of man or nerves got the better of him.
It got me thinking though - if he had said yes then he may have been asked to prove this claim and well there is no proof so his answer was clever.
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When do you think the 7 clowns will add more members to the exclusive GB club ?
by Chook inwill they draw a new name out of a hat or do a kiss test i don't know..
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moreconfusedthanever
The understanding that the JW I know have is that no more will be added. They have what are called "helpers" that they delegate jobs to. There are 21 of these helpers. The rest of the "anointed" are not seen as members of the faithful and discreet slave and their job is only to help spread the word. Armageddon will come before all of the 7 GB have passed on, as there will need to be some representative on Earth to direct matters when the time comes.
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Do they know that you are here?
by Iamallcool inhave you ever admitted to your jw family and "friends" that you read apostate sites?.
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moreconfusedthanever
My mother did do the "oh no you are reading apostate stuff" moan when I mentioned things I have learned. I pointed out that there are two sides to every story and I was entitled to know both sides to make informed decisions.
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I am looking at back surgery any thoughts on should I or not?
by Still Totally ADD inback in march i fell and injured my back at work.
my back has been a problem for many years but certain exercise has able me to function normally through the years.
now i walk bent over with a cane and cannot walk very far, stand, or sit in a straight back chair.
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moreconfusedthanever
My partner woke up one day unable to walk. A disc had popped and the fluid was touching the nerve. He was having to crawl around the house. If nerves are left too long, the damage can become permanent. He had surgery to remove 3/4 of the disc and was up walking around the very next day. No regrets. He does have to make sure not to gain weight as extra weight does cause discomfort. Make sure to research the surgeon if you can.
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Weekly Scripture Twist - aka the Watchtower Study
by doubtfull1799 in“more than material assistance, refugees need spiritual and emotional support.
(matt.
4:4) elders can help by obtaining literature in the language of the refugees and by helping them contact brothers who speak their language.
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moreconfusedthanever
Wow! Just wow! -
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Why do ones that got out come back in?
by moreconfusedthanever ini have not been to a meeting for about 2 years now.
i do not intend to go back but one thing has me baffled.
why do ones that have faded and been out for years return?
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moreconfusedthanever
Doubtfully Yours
"The familiar peace-loving, cordial, happy community keeps many not wanting to let go."
Its the lack of peace-loving, cordial and happy community that I see in the congregations that has seen me not attend for over 2 years now.
The judgemental attitude of ones in the congregation and making you feel like an outcast when you have been there for over 40 years just because you are not their sort! By their sort I mean "show display" types that like to drink wine and talk out of their behinds.
The fact that you can have surgery and be home all alone for months without ever once getting a phone call, a visit or even a text message "where are you, are you okay?".
The fact that a person can knock on your door and complete their watchtower presentation and not even recognise you as a person from their hall and you have spoken to them before at the hall.
The fact that your next door neighbours children get asked to go to the beach with the kids in the congregation and your own don't get asked purely because they can count their time at the beach if they are taking interested ones along. That's love right there! (insert sarcasm)
JWs do not know how to be a true friend. They are your "friend" as long as you attend the meetings and go out door knocking but as soon as that stops so does their friendship.
I have been raised a JW. In my late 40s and I do not have even 1 friend that cares if I am alive or dead from the congregation. I do however have friends that I have made along the way "worldly" ones who do.
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My parents found out
by BlackWolf inso in my last post i talked about how i had told my younger siblings how i didn't plan to get baptized or ever be a witness.
i thought i could trust them but i guess i was wrong, they're just kids after all.
my oldest brother (who's 11) told on me today.
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moreconfusedthanever
I would mention to them Romans 14:12 says each one renders their own account before God. Forcing you to pretend is not going to fool Jehovah who will read hearts when passing judgement. We should not be doing anything under compulsion but of our own free will.
Having said that you have been going up till now. Go to the meetings and sit. Do what I have seen others do and read something on your tablet while you are there. Go witnessing but refuse to talk at the doors. See it as exercise.
To your brother who can't wait to get baptised - Terry O'Brien told the courts at the Australian Royal Commission that JWs do not baptise children. They only baptise ones nearing adulthood. We know that is not true but it should be. Getting baptised is as serious a commitment as getting married. You cannot legally get married at 11.
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Why do ones that got out come back in?
by moreconfusedthanever ini have not been to a meeting for about 2 years now.
i do not intend to go back but one thing has me baffled.
why do ones that have faded and been out for years return?
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moreconfusedthanever
Hi all, I am new here. I have not been to a meeting for about 2 years now. I do not intend to go back but one thing has me baffled. Why do ones that have faded and been out for years return? I have a friend who got DF a few times and came back and then faded and I can see that as a strategy to ensure you still get to speak to your family and friends, but I do not understand what makes faded ones come back.
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Episode 4 of This JW Life is out now......
by dubstepped inspent all day yesterday writing two episodes and recording and editing one podcast of this jw life.
so, episode 4 of my podcast is now out.
i took a minute away from my story (though it is still laced throughout this one) to lay out what goes on inside of a kingdom hall, who the players are, what they believe, and hopefully set a foundation that will help explain my story as one.
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moreconfusedthanever
I am new here. I was brought up a JW and am now in my mid 40s. I credit my coming out of the fog to a couple of things. 1. Getting depression so I couldn't leave the house other than to go to work and take care of the usual mundane life stuff. About a year or so of not going to the meetings and a couple of elders visited and one of them said that if I had real depression, I would not have been able to leave the house at all. 2. I have a child with high functioning autism and his mind works in wonderful ways. Every time I would explain something that we believe he would look at me and say "that doesn't make sense and I don't believe it." He refuses to go to the meetings and rather than cause a full on meltdown we just stopped going. So we have been pretty much out for 2 years now and I have had no calls or contact from any of my "loving brother's and sister's" other than them telling my mum that they miss me and feel like I am their actual sister but they don't know what to say to me for fear of upsetting me yadda yadda yadda. They all have my phone number and a quick text message to say "hi how are you?" doesn't take much effort or time. Two years and nothing! My mum is a die hard and is taking the lack of "spirituality" very hard. She even offered to pay my son $5 per meeting if he would go with her. He told her that he was never going to get baptised because he would be afraid to do something wrong and never be able to speak to his friends or family again.
The nail in the coffin came when I read the court transcripts from the ARC and Geoff Jackson was asked if the GB was god's spokesman on earth and he said "it would be very presumptuous to say that". That is what they say though and ones like my mother believe to got against what the GB say is to go against Jehovah and means your very life and cannot see past all the deception. Terry O'Brien told the ARC that JW do not baptise children but only ones that are nearing adulthood. Hmmm I just heard about a study that got baptised along with her 9 year old son.
Well now I am at the "what now?" stage?