so i went to the memorial the other night, there's a kingdom hall on the bus route back from a local college where i was doing some research and admiring the architecture.
i'm in my street clothes, i look nice but i stood out like a sore thumb.
i went in as it started and got a seat in the back.
I think they share their bibles with those who don't have them as a way of trying to make people feel welcome and all warm and fuzzy. I do not think that lady had any sinister motives.
Too bad the "attendants' were having a "power" feeling and ended up making you feel unwelcome. I am sure others noticed too and they will have less attendees next year because of it.
probably not a popular opinion on here....and haven't been actively attending meetings since 1988....(i know i know a submarine attender) however thoroughly enjoyed attending this evening...was good to see lots of people i remember whilst growing up in this faith, they were genuine and the whole atmosphere was one of love.
sure if i suddenly wanted to become active again and didn't change my lifestyle they would drop me like a bomb.....however i haven't and won't and they didn't and don't.
this works for me.. i cannot demonize the witnesses on what i have seen tonight.
I went to the memorial tonight. Only person who said hello was the car park attendant. No love bombing here and not an atmosphere of love.
Just going through the motions.
I fell asleep too. Could not keep my eyes open.
Just on the love bombing though - I don't think those that are doing the love bombing have a sinister agenda. These are ones who have been socially influenced into believing that if you are not with them you will die very soon at the hand of God. Mostly they are sincere in trying to influence ones they know and were friends with, to return to the fold remember they too are victims of the cult mind control.
so i am still trying to help my husband realize ttatt.
i have asked him some questions .
.. “are you okay with jehovah killing your mom, sister, nephew (non-witnesses) at armageddon?”.
Ask him what evidence there is that the Governing Body are Jehovah's chosen ones?
...to drop by and say, 'ayup, mates', to you all, my old friends.. i am so totally over the jobo thing i have surprised myself.. if anyone asks, 'what do you think of the jobos?
' my reply would be, 'i don't think of them.'.
all my rage, anger and sadness have dissipated over time.
Hi! Glad to hear you are happy and free.
Canada is a beautiful place isn't it?
We are not quite so free yet. I have agreed to go to the memorial this year just to make the parents happy but it will be just my husband and I and we are leaving our kids home.
I recently went to a random church in our area to watch my new friend get baptised. So I figured if I can do that for her I can sit through a memorial for my mother. I am not looking forward to it.
Otherwise we are the happiest we have ever been.
i’ve always wondered about this one.
if the bible says there will be a resurrection of the righteous and the unrighteous, does that mean all mankind that have died will come back to life?
if so, what’s the incentive for jws to have an urgency to preach and save people?
It is interesting. I was always told that those sinning against the holy spirit would not get resurrected. What constitutes a sin against the holy spirit?
I heard of an experience where the householder asked why the JWs came to their door? The standard response of life saving work telling of God's plans. The householder asked what happens to those in places where they have no chance to be preached to and the JW says god reads hearts. The householder gets cross and asks why come to their house then? Wouldn't it have given them a better chance not knowing?
as stated in the title, i have been raised an atheist, and while i have a relatively open mind, i do not currently believe in a god.
my best friend, who i met six years ago, is a jehovah's witness.
i believe the reason he has been allowed to be friends with me is because he didn't have many at the time we met, and his parents wanted him to be more social, but we've kept in contact ever since.. over the last year or so, i've done some research into the organisation he is part of, and i have been lead to believe that it is generally quite hypocritical and has many cultish (using hassan's definition) tendencies.
Perhaps ask him what evidence there is that he has the one true religion. The witnesses believe that they were chosen by Jesus in 1919 but what happened in 1919 to support this? What proof is there? How do they know that the 8 bozos in New York speak for God - what proof is there?
Fact is that they do not believe what they were teaching back in 1919 when they were chosen so either it wasn't truth then or it isn't truth now.
I asked my own family this question as they want me to return to the meetings. I said if they could prove to me that the Governing Body is who they say they are then I would return. Their response was "they do not owe you proof". There simply is no answer to this question because it is not the truth.
that is absolutely the number one rule that i resent.. i feel sorry for some of those poor dependent minded jws who can't find anyone to marry.
all because they were only allowed to be with witnesses.
what a bunch of boloney!
My mother was praying that I find a spiritual man to marry so I would have a good spiritual head.
I ended up marrying a ministerial servant.
We are both out now. Living happily ever after.
i posted this a while ago and i was asked for it again recently, which made me think of putting it back here for any newer members.. please find a link that is active for one month which lists the jw teachings which have been changed back and forth.. flip flop pdf.
it was this alone which made me realise the wt are clueless, imperfect guessers at doctrine, so why do they deserve to be followed.
(spoiler: they don't deserve to be.
Thank you for sharing.
i have been studying with jehovah's witnesses for approximately two years.
initially, i liked the studies and felt that i was growing closer to god.
however, as the studies progressed, they seemed to become increasingly negative and i did not like what i was being taught.
I find it interesting that she is still coming along to study with you after 2 years. It wasn't that long ago that if you hadn't progressed to baptism after 6 months you were cut loose.
My father studied for at least a couple of years but his first study conductor cut him loose as a waste of time and another person took over.
Make no mistake, they are not your friends. They will ACT like your friends until they have completed their recruitment of you and then you will be subject to their totally conditional and judgemental fake friendship.
Listen to your gut and get out now.
hi there this is my first post as i’m not sure what to do.
my family (both sides) are well known in our circuit and very dedicated to the truth.
but we’re relatively normal people and i love them all so much.
If I were you I would keep my actual thoughts and feelings to myself and only say what any JW will be able to handle. Even if they are family, their allegiance is to their religion and it's rules. The only way to fade successfully is to say nothing.
