I agree that yes, sometimes we do tend to forget that we use to be as zealous to teach others the JW way of life as we are now of staying the hell away from it. But I myself still hold resentment for the life that was taken away from me, years, my entire childhood just snatched away that can never be taken back. I still hold grudges towards those who in the congs. who have beaten me, not only with their switches and branches and books (literally), but also with their words and stabbing stares because my skirt was calf length and not ankle length. I do still harbor a lot of bitterness. And admitting to it is the first step to recovery IMO. Now, if I can just get past it to look for what good there was in my experience as a JW (even though once I filter through the beatings, etc there isn't much left). But it is all a part of the healing process. Those of you who have been awhile for a while, or who started to take care of the problems right away may not be bitter any longer. But then there are those of us who are recently seperated by the Witnesses or who feel we are. I myself tried to just forget the whole ordeal, the entire 11 years of my life. And now here I am a year and a half later, trying to start healing and having to try to remember exactly what it was that wounded me so badly in the first place.
sweetone2377
JoinedPosts by sweetone2377
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We are forgetting something.
by MrMoe inthose of us who are no longer jw's were jw's at one point in time, correct?.
we all know for a fact that 95% of jw's do care - so much - that they endure mosquitoes, heat, cold, fire ants, rabid dogs, loss of personal income, spend their free time dedicated to helping others, and much much more to help assholes who hate them to help save their lives.. please - do not carry anger towards these people, because we were once like them (blind.
) it is not their fault they are wrong - because at one point in time we were all like them.
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My Story
by rmayer32 inbeing new here and reading some of the stories here i thought i would add mine.
not being as dramatic as some of them out there still thought i would share:).
i was born a jw as my mom was raised one from the time she was a toddler.
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sweetone2377
mymailmum,
I do have to say this is the first time I've not seen an automated response from you. But you are decieved by the twisted mentally ill who are running the entire show, namely the WTS. But if you want to be sucked in by them, by all means, go right on ahead. It is no business of mine what they do with your life.
FreePeace ~ well said IMO.
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First DA Over UN/WT Issue!
by messenger ini was sent this email from a close personal friend who has served as an elder for several years.
it is a copy of excerpts of his disassociation letter sent to his local congregation and the society on tuesday of this week.
perhaps this is the first da over the un/wt relationship.
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sweetone2377
I am glad to see a Witness taking a stand on this issue. They are taught to bury their heads in the sand and ignore such information if it's not coming directly from the Watchtower Society. It's good to know that there are some who still try to figure things out without the WTS.
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Not sure I count for much?
by SammyJoUK inhello to all ........ .......and after two weeks trying to work out what is going on here i think i have it.. possibly... and if i have sorted it out, then i think i am welcome to post here with my little story.. i have never been a jw, but looking back i thank god that something stopped me, because i came real close.. in 1993 my life was at rock bottom, ... girl friend had left me for another man, taken our son and disappeared.... no job.. no where to live (literally).... and various adictions, mainly gambling and drink... (ohh that's part of the reason she left, although many have said that i did more around the house than this girl i was with.. )anyway i digress.. at this time i had few friends, but one that i could always turn to was carol.
she was bubbly lady, divorced, teenage child, lots of 'stuff' going on, but what a laugh.. now carol was 'studying', and now and then i would arrive in the middle or just before a meeting.
i actually stopped and listened twice, but none of what was being taught went in, it all seemed wrong.. i should say that she had been sttudying for a long time, a very long time and i'll give credit where credit is due.. this elder that was coming to see her had some staying power...lol.
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sweetone2377
First off, welcome to the boards Sammy.
I cannot speak for everyone here. Some are still involved in the Witnesses, most are not. Some are still involved but questioning. As far as us becoming "bible thumpers" in another religion once we're away from JW, it's hard. Once you question the religion that had such a tight hold on you, esp if it was all you ever knew of religion, you start to question all religions. Some will find it suits them to start attending a different church. But from what I've noticed in my short time here, most do not. I myself am not sure what you would call me....perhaps confused. I've been away from the JW's completely for a year and a half, only I am just now starting to do my own research, etc on the religion. At first, because of personal experiences, I just wanted away and wanted to forget it ever happened (which just doesn't work). It is hard to get involved in religion again when you just got out of one that was so controlling of your every thought and move. It's hard to understand if you've never been in the situation, and even if you have been it's confusing at first.
I hope that you enjoy your time spent here. Just to let you know up front....please don't try to "convert" me to christianity. I have yet to heal from the JW and am very bitter at the present time (I will admit to it) and may retaliate in harsh words when I really don't mean to be so hateful. Please just don't try to "convert" me to your way of life. I am happy for you, that you've found something that makes you so happy.
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"Imagine" all the inappropriate songs...
by Tatiana inthis is a complete list of "lyrically inappropriate" songs being banned from several us radio stations in the wake of the attacks.. "it's very dangerous," says nina crowley, director of massmic, a music free-speech organization.
"i understand they're pulling certain violent songs.
but you put out a list of songs like this, and the next thing you know someone's pulling the albums off the shelves in wal-mart.".
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sweetone2377
April ~ FYI, they already offer parents the option to place a chip (tracking device) behind the ear of their child at birth. Scarely world isn't it? Now let them tell me that THAT is the mark of the beast!
It would stupid for them to ban such music. Yeah I can see banning Brittney or the "backdoor" boys (as my SM so beautifully calls them) and for god's sake so something with N'Sync!!! But some of the songs on this list are just venting instruments about my lover left me, etc. Some are of peace and love.
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"You Knew The Score When You...."
by Englishman inso many tragic stories here of lost family and friends due to the shunning policy of the wtbts.. time and again we hear tales from newly df'd and da'd persons.
how, maybe when out shopping, they have encountered an active jw who, before shunning them, has whispered hoarsely:"you knew the score when you did what you did...".
but is this a fair argument?
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sweetone2377
I was the child who was forced into it. All my choices were made, not soley by my mother but by the elders in the congregation. I was enrolled in the TMS by the elder in charge of it, not by my mother or myself but my mother was thrilled. I was pressured by the elders and my mom to be babtized. Not only that but to be babtized at a certain convention so one of our elders could babtize me himself. The list goes on and on. If I had known the score I would definatley not have let myself be bullied into it. But as a 10 YO child, how do not be bullied? I feel sorry more for the children in this "organization" than I do for the adults. Because at least the adults can say ,"no, I don't want it" at some point. The children are forced to suffer the conscequences of the choices adults make for them. Then when they are older and decide to actually exercise their mentality, they are thrown to the gutter as being the terrible offspring of Satan, with even close family members and those who we thought were friends, looking at us in disgust when no one is watching them.
I think that if we all knew the score from the beginning, there would have been no beginning.
And my experiences with the thought that "since you don't live with your family you can have no contact with them" depends on who you are in the congregation. One elder in my former cong had several members of his family DF. But they all still got together and carried on life as a family and were told that they were fine as long as there were no spiritual discussion. These same family members were all reinstated, one in paticular was also commiting adulery, drunkeness, etc at the time of reinstatment, and they all still gather on Thankgiving for a big turkey dinner (now mind you, even though it is a traditional holiday meal on the holiday, it is just a "family dinner") and they still to this day have "scavenger hunts" on christmas for the children to find the brightly colored gifts wrapped in christmas paper with their names on them.
I think the score depends on who is the score keeper at the time.
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Bible forced abortion on women?
by Naeblis innumbers 5.
and the lord spake unto moses, saying,.
speak unto the children of israel, and say unto them, if any man's wife go aside, and commit a trespass against him,.
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sweetone2377
Not having done research on this topic as of yet, I only can go by the understanding of what is posted. But to me this is how it sounds: If she has committed the sin, her belly would swell (meaning being pregnant) if she hasn't committed the sin she would not be pregnant and her belly would not swell. Now as I said I have done no research as I have only read this a moment ago so I have not seen what the rotting can mean, possibly death. But going on what I just wrote, if that is what it means, how would they know that she was not pregnant previously by her husband? Although this is more of a literal interpretaion.
I do have to agree here though, that I see no abortion in this passage.
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I'm a newbie so here's my story...
by Rizzo ini have been reading the posts here for a while and decided it was time to introduce myself and tell you about my experiences.
sorry it is so long, but there is quite alot to tell!
i was half brought up as a jw from birth.
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sweetone2377
Rizzo ~ I am glad to see you post your story and hope to see you post often.
mymailmum ~ Grow up and get off it already! If you're not going to think about us as individuals.....then go back to your congregation and please leave us alone.
BTW, has anyone figured out if mymailmum is a real person or if it's just a computer generated response to any page she visits on the net???
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What's up with this???
by bcsgirl ini was just 'introduced' to this site and really like it.
not sure i believe it's actually a jw site but.... what's up with all the changes in the fs since the wtc incident?
what's happened to the jw's caring about people one on one and taking the time to listen and answer questions or just listen to someone?
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sweetone2377
Welcome to the boards bcsgirl. And I totally agree with you. If it weren't for the freedom we have in our country, the JW's wouldn't be as free to shove their beliefs in the faces of everyone else. (did I say that right? I think so) As a JW I was taught to be caring for the ppl behind the door, yet not to deterr from my presentation. That if they tried to get off track, arrange for another visit (thuse getting an RV in the process). Not everyone is concerned about the same things and if they truely want to reach ppl with their message, JW's are going to have to be extremely flexable.
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Here's my story (I'm new here)....
by crownboy ini am a 4th generation witness (on both sides of the family) and indeed my entire family (save for the few who "fall away" in every family) are jehovah's witnesses.
my dad is an elder, my mom a regular pioneer and my two elder sisters the same.
my younger sister is 17 and still unbaptized, so therefore she is sort of a "black sheep" in our family and "spiritually weak" for not having already "taken the dip in the pool" (however, due to her overall open-minded nature, i am perhaps closest to her).
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sweetone2377
I admire your courage. I did not completely seperate myself from the religion untill I was 300 miles away from my mother (who now is told she will be DF is she is seen speaking to me). I have to admit I haven't started to really think about my choices untill recently. I just saw the unjust treatment and wanted away. I then tried to make my past disappear. But that hasn't helped. You are very courageous to seek truth when so many of your family and those around you still "go with the flow". I truely hope you enjoy being here. I am also new and it has already been a wonderful experience for me. And I look forward to seeing more posts from you.
mymailmum.....didn't I just read that a few minutes ago as a reply to another new poster??? That must be what your elder told you to write....oh no wait....if he knew you were visiting sites of mostly ex-JW's he would be mad because then you wouldn't be putting your trust soley in Jehovah, now would ya?
SweetOne, who is starting to see how disgusting mymailmum is and having to agree with the rest of you about this person.