Posts by Funchback

28

It's a Small World After All

by Prisca in

jw
friends

how many of you came to this board, only to find others you knew when you were witnesses?.

perhaps you didn't know the other person had left.

or you knew they'd left, but had lost touch, only to be reunited here?

Funchback

Let's see...

All of the following knew each other by way of the troof:

Funchback, badwillie, DIM, and Nikita.

23

My Name is Brian and I'm OFFICIALLY an Ex-JW - Part I

by Funchback in

i have major updates on my progress of leaving the jw religion.

for those of you who are at a point in your life where i was a year and a half ago, i hope my story helps.

first, though, i have a request for simon: i have e-mailed this request two you at least twice in the past and i have asked you publicly on this forum this request: please, please, please merge my old posting names of 'mister biggs' and 'mister 8iggs' with 'funchback'.

Funchback

Aztec, bebu, Prisca, and beryl...

A big THANK you to you all!

23

My Name is Brian and I'm OFFICIALLY an Ex-JW - Part I

by Funchback in

i have major updates on my progress of leaving the jw religion.

for those of you who are at a point in your life where i was a year and a half ago, i hope my story helps.

first, though, i have a request for simon: i have e-mailed this request two you at least twice in the past and i have asked you publicly on this forum this request: please, please, please merge my old posting names of 'mister biggs' and 'mister 8iggs' with 'funchback'.

Funchback

Nikita... Oh, snap! You're RIGHT! I will call you tomorrow, I promise!

Aztec... Yes. Unfortunately (for Nikita) we are sibling's. Can you believe that just two years ago I was shunning her? Sheesh! I really hate the JW religion!

20

Latest WT has some Awesome Points for Struggling JWs to Consider

by Funchback in

this is long but i hope it is well worth the read.

for those of you who are still active as jws (be it due to your own will or because you are trapped), please consider the october 15, 2003 wt entitled, 'how can i make wise decisions?

consider these points that come straight from the 'faithful & discrete' mouth:

Funchback

Singing Man... First of all, welcome to the forum! It's always nice to see a new face! You said:

I deceived him and his family with the rubbish in the Awake magazine of 1974 and I feel stupid for it.

Don't beat yourself up over it. Unfortunately, like all of us, you were doing what you thought was right. Besides, like the article aboves mentions, the people you "deceived" are responsible for their own actions.

23

My Name is Brian and I'm OFFICIALLY an Ex-JW - Part I

by Funchback in

i have major updates on my progress of leaving the jw religion.

for those of you who are at a point in your life where i was a year and a half ago, i hope my story helps.

first, though, i have a request for simon: i have e-mailed this request two you at least twice in the past and i have asked you publicly on this forum this request: please, please, please merge my old posting names of 'mister biggs' and 'mister 8iggs' with 'funchback'.

Funchback

I have major updates on my progress of leaving the JW religion. For those of you who are at a point in your life where I was a year and a half ago, I hope my story helps.

FIRST, though, I have a request for SIMON: I have e-mailed this request two you at least TWICE in the past and I have asked you PUBLICLY on this forum this request: Please, please, PLEASE merge my old posting names of 'Mister Biggs' AND 'Mister 8iggs' with 'Funchback'. This will make me an instant Jedi...LOL!

Moving along, I will post what I wrote THEN, and then in a few days I will post where I am at in my progress today! Here is what I wrote on this forum on 3/25/02:

I have been a poster on this Board for several months.

I will first let you peer into my childhood. I want you to know my psyche. Some of my experiences may be unrelated to the JW's but I wanted to share with you some of my strongest and fondest memories.

I hope that my experiences will be an encouragement for lurkers to seriously consider if they really believe that Jehovah is using the JW's as His only channel of communication for mankind today.
Perhaps you have had similar experiences.
Here is my story...

I was born on January 1, 1970. My nationality is that of black american and white american. However, myself and my siblings all look white. In fact, I have green eyes. I grew up in Philadelphia, PA, specifically in the Mount Airy section of the city (which is the northwest part).

My family was non-religious. We celebrated birthdays, christmas, and easter. Not for religious purposes, however. They were simply celebrated so that me and my siblings could have presents and candy like the rest of the kids in the neighborhood. They were fun holidays.

My family was friends with a white family who lived a few blocks away.
This family soon moved to the Poconos (which is about a 2 1/2 hour drive from Philly). They had ten children! Their moving turned out to be great because we ended up visiting them a couple of times a year. More on this family later. :o)

I was not a typical kid. My dad was the black parent, although he was very light-skinned. Being a very young child, I had no concept of 'race'. My first two friends were black (William) and Spanish (Derrick). One day I asked my father if I could go outside and play with the 'chocolate boy'. It was a very innocent question but my dad tried to explain to me as best he could that that term may be offensive to people.

I was also a tough kid. I feared no one. My first day of kindergarten a kid named Nathan was bullying every classmate in sight. He came over to me to try to bully me. Fast forward to when my mom picks me up that day from school. She asks, "So, how was your first day of school?"
I respond, "It was okay."
Excitedly, she asks, "Well, what did you do? Tell me about your day."
I said, "I had to clean up the blood."
Puzzled, my mom asks, "What blood?"
I say, "The blood from the boys' nose."
Incredulously, she asks, "What blood from what boys' nose?!?"
I answer, "The blood from the boys' nose I punched!"
Needless to say, Nathan never tried to bully me again.

I was a kid that would embarrass my parents (sometimes). When my mom and I were riding on the bus one day (I must have been about 4 years old), a heavy set lady boarded the bus. Without warning, I blurted out in a loud voice, "Hey, mom! Look at that fat lady!"
If I recall correctly, we got off at the next stop.

I was a wild looking child. I had big, wide eyes and wild, curly hair. I just looked like a bad kid. A man once asked my father if I was his son. My father said 'yes' and the man said to my dad, "I betcha he's bad kid. He looks bad." Sigh...

Anyway...

One day, when I was about eight years old, my sister (she's 5 years older than me) asked me if I wanted to go to the Kingdom Hall with her next week. I asked her what a Kingdom Hall was and she said it was like a church. I said that I would go since I had never been to church before. Also, I had recently been telling my mommy that I wanted to start going to church.

The Meeting Day Arrives

I had my good friend over. Her name was Elena. Elena and I were playing like we always would. Then, my sister uttered the words, "Biggs...Are you going to get ready soon?"
"Ready for what?", I wondered. "Oh, the church thing. I forgot about that!"
I tell my sister, "I don't wanna go! I'm playing!"
My sister says, "Biggs, you promised you would go..."
Reluctantly, I get dressed and go.

We Arrive At The Hall
It's a Thursday night. It's my first experience going to a "church". There are both blacks and whites attending (along with a Spanish family). The meeting opens with a song. A prayer is said. Then, papers are being handed out. It was some sort of test. It had many questions on it. I was scared! I was being given a test? For what? How could they give me a test when I don't know anything about God or religion? It turns out that this night, my first "church" experience, was the night of the Written Review. It wasn't until I got home that I found out it wasn't some sort of initiation test.

So, I went to my first meeting at 8 years old. My sister was now officially studying. So was my mom. Religion had finally entered into the Biggs' household!

PART II : http://www.jehovahs-witness.com/7/58890/1.ashx

20

Latest WT has some Awesome Points for Struggling JWs to Consider

by Funchback in

this is long but i hope it is well worth the read.

for those of you who are still active as jws (be it due to your own will or because you are trapped), please consider the october 15, 2003 wt entitled, 'how can i make wise decisions?

consider these points that come straight from the 'faithful & discrete' mouth:

Funchback

Panda... I suppose it really does make your life easier when a group of (12) men make nearly all of your decisions for you. I guess it doesn't take much thinking to be a Dub, eh?

MacH... Thank you for your kind words.

20

Latest WT has some Awesome Points for Struggling JWs to Consider

by Funchback in

this is long but i hope it is well worth the read.

for those of you who are still active as jws (be it due to your own will or because you are trapped), please consider the october 15, 2003 wt entitled, 'how can i make wise decisions?

consider these points that come straight from the 'faithful & discrete' mouth:

Funchback

Nikita-

Remember when we were teens and we both worked at Roxie's? You were the Cashier and I was the Bagger. I remember telling Brother Williamson (Larry Williamson) that I thought it was wrong for you to work as a Cashier because you had to sell cigarettes.

What a BUTT I must have been!

20

Latest WT has some Awesome Points for Struggling JWs to Consider

by Funchback in

this is long but i hope it is well worth the read.

for those of you who are still active as jws (be it due to your own will or because you are trapped), please consider the october 15, 2003 wt entitled, 'how can i make wise decisions?

consider these points that come straight from the 'faithful & discrete' mouth:

Funchback

xjw_b12...

It is amazing, isn't it? I see the blatant double-speak and trickery the WTS uses.

20

Latest WT has some Awesome Points for Struggling JWs to Consider

by Funchback in

this is long but i hope it is well worth the read.

for those of you who are still active as jws (be it due to your own will or because you are trapped), please consider the october 15, 2003 wt entitled, 'how can i make wise decisions?

consider these points that come straight from the 'faithful & discrete' mouth:

Funchback

waiting...

Excellent bulletpoints! Thanks for the assist.

Funch

20

Latest WT has some Awesome Points for Struggling JWs to Consider

by Funchback in

this is long but i hope it is well worth the read.

for those of you who are still active as jws (be it due to your own will or because you are trapped), please consider the october 15, 2003 wt entitled, 'how can i make wise decisions?

consider these points that come straight from the 'faithful & discrete' mouth:

Funchback

This is long but I hope it is well worth the read.

For those of you who are still active as JWs (be it due to your own will or because you are trapped), please consider the October 15, 2003 WT entitled, 'How Can I Make Wise Decisions?'.

Consider these points that come straight from the 'faithful & discrete' mouth:

First, they quote Napoleon Bonaparte: "Nothing is more difficult, and therefore more precious than to be able to decide." Then, the WT says:

You may agree on both counts, since people generally treasure being in control of their own lives.

If the WTS trully believes their OWN words, then there is nothing wrong with taking control of your OWN life. In other words, perhaps now is the time for you to determine WHO is really controlling your life: Is it you? Or, is the the 'faithful and discrete' slave?

Next, the article says:

In matters of major importance, it is vital to make wise decisions, since happiness is largely dependent on our doing so. Some people may feel that they are quite capable of making such decisions and may reject help when it is offered. Is that wise? Let us see.

What is more vital than to be in control of our own lives? As the article states, happiness depends on OUR making wise decisions. SO, I wonder why the article is beginning to hint that we will need OTHER peoples' input in order to make wise decisions. Hmm...

The next article is entitled, 'How Can You Make Wise Decisions?' First, it quotes Solomon: "A wise person will listen and take in more instruction," Then, the article states:

Most of us have at times made unwise decisions simply because we neglected to listen to the advice of others.

Continuing, the article says that Solomon and others wrote 3,000 proverbs. The article asks, "Can we benefit from knowing and heeding his wise sayings?" The WT reasons that, YES, we can benefit because they help us to "know wisdom and discipline..."

If you are in the "truth" but you have your doubts or if you are 'on the fence', why not try to follow the advice that the article next gives:

It may be helpful to put down on paper what the short-term and the long-term consequences will be.

Personally, I feel that the short-term consequences of becoming a JW is that you give up some good, non-JW friends and you stop celebrating the holidays. The long-term consequences are shunning relatives and also not giving anything back to the community. I'm sure everyone has their own opinions and experiences regarding the consequences.

The short-term results of choosing a certain job may be good pay and enjoyable work. But could the long-term consequences include having a job without a real future? Might it eventually require that you move elsewhere, perhaps away from friends or family? Might it subject you to an unhealthy environment or be so uniniteresting as to leave you profoundly frustrated? Weigh the pros and cons, and then decide what should have priority.

Please substitute the word 'RELIGION' for the word 'job'. Then, think ESPECIALLY about the JW religion. Might being a JW require that you move elsewhere (to serve where the need is great or to join the circuit work), away from friends or family? Might it subject you to an unhealthy environment (like, serving in disease-ridden area of Africa or in a congregation where a molestor dwells or in a religion that doesnt allow you to express your personal view or seek professional help) or be so uninteresting (the meetings, conventions, and assemblies) as to leave you profoundly frustrated (see the everyday life of a typical married JW).

The article goes on by saying something that ultimately takes the WTS off of the hook when it comes to decisions about taking a blood transfusion or going out in field service or shunning a loved one:

Of course, when seeking counsel and learning from the experience of others, we ought to do so in FULL RECOGINTION and also BEAR THE RESPONSIBILITY for doing so.

There you have it. The choice is YOURS. Which road will you decide on which to travel?

PS...The article went on to talk about how we need to make the wisest decision by studying with JWs and getting baptized. Believe me, there is a lot of pressure being put on the reader to get baptized. Phrases like "don't delay", "action is required", "what prevents you from getting baptized?" and "decide to study God's Word."

And I thought the decision was ours.