i would like to have your opinions on what i should do about a situation please.. i have recently discovered that a 'brother' in the congregation (which i no longer attend) is a child molester.
i've seen documentation from his psychiatrist dated a few years ago, stating that he doesn't feel that this person is likely to offend again.
the 'brother' has said to the elders at some point that he has it under control but cannot be 100% sure it won't happen again.
I agree with telling the police. let me add just a couple tidbits.
1) Tell the police NOW. Also tell them who knows, and about the secret file and where it is that proves this.
2) Police can only investigate a crime. So if he has "urges" but hasn't acted, it can be a hard sell.
3) Tell the sister. Tell her NOW. Do not assume she knows. Tell her what you saw and why and how. Especially if you don't care about the hall, think of those kids.
my sister in law has been shunned by the family since she da'd herself at the age of 18 and moved out of the house.
i always insisted that my wife keep in contact with her and made sure she knew she had a soft place to land,with us, should she need it.
even at the risk of it getting us in hot water with the pioneer,elder,bethelite family members there was no way we were going to let her disappear into the wild blue yonder on her own.
Hey I live right around the corner too. Should have gotten a burger around the corner from there.
Beth Sarim is privately owned, and the owners are aware of the history, don't care, and do not like it when you ask them for a tour.
Rattigan,
Your comment is startling. How is a mansion built for resurrected princes of the earth that the President of the religion summers in not newsworthy? I mean.......I am not sure that even needs explanation.
this is for my fellow faders...just checking to see how it is going for ya'll?.
i know it can be tough...my fade has been going well thus far...hopefully it remains the same!.
people may think of you differently...as being distracted...no longer loving jehovah...giving in to the world ect.... now i couldn't care less what any of them think of me...i went into town a few days go where some jw's were doing street work at the local market and i walked by them like they never even existed .
Funny you should ask. So far so good. I cannot move, and am well known in my area, but so far it hasn't impacted anything. Friends and family all know I am not attending. Many don't like it, but so far nobody is treating me different. In fact, I have been able to get a couple peple thinking. All very carefully of course. The most important being my wife.
The elders aren't really interested in engaging me. They know they are probably outmatched, and my situation is well known here, along with a railroading to get me removed. I just think they are tired. So people are nice and if I happen to be around they are extra friendly. But I don't really say boo, and they don't really ask. Mind you its only been 5-6 months, so I anticipate some blowback. but thanks to advise here, they won't get anything out of me. I am maybe blessed to have fairly reasonable people in my life?
i'm sure alot of you have noticed, the influx of new jwn members with "postitions within the cong" this is amazing, i myself am still an m.s.
working to get removed.
lol my wife (who has been really supportive throughout my fade) asked my why i am doing i decided to fade?.
Pyramid, you have a PM.
I was an MS, need greater in foreign countries, was in a domestic foreign language hall, parts on the assembly, pioneer on and off. Wife pioneered for 15 years straight. Started when she was 13.
I remember an elder once questioning her about her time or some crap. She was very sensative and started crying. I see my wife and asked her who was on the phone. I took the phone, it was brother dumba$$. I asked him what he was talking to my wife about, and does his wife know he is calling and speaking to married women. I told him he never speaks to my wife without me present, and she is coming off the list because she has "lost her joy".
That was a few years ago. My doubts in things like blood, the GB, df'ing, and some other things had taken hold. I thought i could effect good inside by being a voice of reason. I am a pretty good speaker, and refused to teach what i did not believe in. That was my justification. Once I realized that no matter what, my "performance" would just be a feather in the cap of the GB directing the work, I had a bad conscience. Then I had a nasty run in with an elder who moved in. I think I was already kind of done, so I just let em have it. Caught them in lies, embarrased them in front of the CO, but by then the rails had fallen off. I was removed. Left the hall, still got harrassed. 1 year later, I stopped going to meetings and started thinking for myself. Been inactive for 6 months.
hey everybody!
i was curious, as i've seen several new members on the board who are still active, what do you think about the topics you see on here?.
i'm very interested to know what your experience has been like, finding the site, signing up, engaging in conversations.
Well, I relate to some and not to others. I am more out than in, but it is still new, and my wife/family/friends are in and I am trying to retain them. As I no longer find myself justifying falsehood taught in the name of God in any form, i have no problem calling a duck a duck. I will not be counted, turn in time, or support the organization that I would say has lost its way, if we didn't start out of the crazy gate on full blast to begin with.
I understand there is good in the group, but so goes life. I have problems with Blood, Disfellowshipping, enforcement of doctrine, the doctrine of the GB.......not so much with military stocks, UN/NGO stuff, and some other things people here get hot under the collar about.
So to each their own. I still believe in God, but I also believe in reason. I suppose I am trying to combine the two. In the meantime, I just want to slowly help those I care about wake up.
To live a life that is not authentic, is to live in prison. I now life a more authentic life, but its not where I should be. Integrity is no longer just a word to me.
attend the memorial this year..
Man that is a good question. My fade began 5 months ago so I haven't thought about this. I suppose I will go, because I am not 100% sure of what Ibelieve yet other than the WT organization is just another end times religion and doesn't represent God.
I think if I did not go, it would start a higher level against me. Right now I am probably considered weak, and I have made clear I am not immoral, secretly sinning, or disavowing God. So far so good.
But if I don't go to Memorial, I think it will start a mess. i think at that point people figure you have turned on God, and i could ramp up some aggretion against me that I wouldn't want. Plus I could make my wife upset.
Not sure. I don't want to contribute to the number that is touted.
i open this thread as a new topic after receiving an update from atlantis on wbts insurance coverage.. while we are on the subject of insurance , does anyone know if the org.
takes out life insurance on its members ?
recently, it was exposed that walmart and a lot of businesses take out a "special" life insurance on their employees.
I do not believe this is done. In particular, this insurance is for high level executives that would cripple the organization. Since the WT has charitable giving status and is a non-profit, to insure it against losses does not seem possible.
I agree with Chas that is isn't a problem for me on high level executives. But life insurance on managers and greeters would in fact be shameful. They have been caught with this before.
took a peek at the new jw.org and soon got angry :(.
"witness patients often do better!".
how was i that dumb, are people that dumb?
S and R, I appreciate your expertise. This was the doctrine that woke me up. I feel that not only the convaluded policy, but the enforcement of that policy through shunning despite what someones conscience may actually believe, is the most indefensible doctrine JW's ascribe to.
I recently had a discussion with an elder, and I broke down A LOT of information for him regarding blood. Key points such as albumin allowed, and white blood cells forbiden even though albumin was less of a fraction by % than white blood cells. Its just made up. His replay (after a couple months), was that JW's were teaching the truth because now everyone knows blood is dangerous.
Good Lord.
So the truth is, after all the research i have done, i would absolutely prefer cell saver technology and not to have to use someone elses blood. i think in fact that is healthier for you IF YOU HAVE THE CHOICE. But in triage when you are loosing blood exponentially, and no amount of volume expander will do what blood naturally does, which is to carry the oxygen your body needs to survive from your lungs to your organs, you have no other alternatives. Otherwise, nobody in the modern world would die from blood loss, which still happens every day. Even moreson in countries that do not have sophistacated medical systems and the expensive equipment neccesary to accomplish these feats.
Hemopure I believe is only legal in South Africa currently? This myth has made its way around the congregations that there are other things you can do. They are essentially being taught to question their doctors.
Questioning your doctor....not always a bad thing. Blood is not a perfect system, there is a profit motive, and people have their hands dirty there as well. But in the absence of a perfect system, or at least a super clear scriptural directive, a JW has to be able to follow their conscience without fear that God will then kill them for their decision.
hello everyone, just wanted to say hi and introduce myself.. i am a mid 30's just stepped aside elder, who just couldn't handle it anymore.. i am a 3rd generation born-in and former pioneer and bethelite.
it has been a log somewhat confusing ride for me, but i am finally settling in to realizing that i need to really look at what me and my family are doing.. .
its funny though what really got me here... it wasn't the 40 year old men telling me they were looking at boobies on the computer and hoping not to get in trouble, it wasn't the watching young people bail left and right, it wasn't the ever changing new light etc... but a simple thought.. .
Forgot to mention, you really want a Beth Sarim vacation, just come on down. Its in my neck of the woods.
just had an elder drop in for a visit.
asking why i hadn't been to the meetings for over two years.
i told him there's a lot of things i don't agree with.. .
Truth is singular, all other versions of it are untruths.
-Cloud Atlas
