it’s really a bitch when god takes a day off.
he’s supposed to be watching over all things-except when he doesn’t and he can control any situation-except when he doesn’t.. so he gets all the credit for the good things that are and that happen due to his “dynamic energy”.
it must be tiring because he obviously takes days off.
Recently here in the USA god has had too much time off and the disasters have really piled up. What happened in Las Vegas is a prime example of what happens when god takes a day off! If you have the power to prevent something evil from happening and you don’t—what does that say about you?
When you follow the Bible god, this is what you get:
was talking with a family member today and they said that there is something special going on at the kh this weekend.
any idea what it is?
they said that some kind of broadcast from bethel for everyone..
Was talking with a family member today and they said that there is something special going on at the KH this weekend. Any idea what it is? They said that some kind of broadcast from Bethel for everyone.
Yes, a very special meeting, with very special information about a very special event.
well, it's been a long time!
i first lurked here around 20 years ago and read huge amounts of threads which certainly helped when i was making my decision to leave the religion.
i was never baptised (resisted it!
In my experience, the first thing that I can say is that not all families are the same. Therefore, my approach to my JW family may not be suitable for others. That said,
So, the point of this message. I'd love to know - has anyone been in my situation and truly successfully accepted this?
Yes, it is not realistic to expect that they accept you as a non-JW without you accepting them as such. Granted, they are more in numbers and brainwashed to believe that any conflict that arises is because you're not a JW, but you still have to recognize what they chose to do with their lives.
If so, how?
Boundaries, boundaries, boundaries. In my family, they are not the kind of people that are very respectful of each other. There was a lot of domestic violence going on left and right. We were never taught to be considerate and respectful to each other, so there wasn't (still isn't) any civilized way of setting boundaries with them without yelling, screaming or becoming loud and disrespectful. As I said, not all families are the same. In order for me to have them "get it', I had to be disrespectful to their faith. Otherwise, they just don't listen, period. Sadly, the same holds true to my non-JW relatives who also left.
I needed to step away from all that, both the JW crap and my disrespectful, violent family. My family of choice emerged from that. My family of origin are now secondary. Their choice/consequences.
Also, it was interesting that they always wanted to be the ones calling the shots. Many of my JW siblings and my parents had a problem with me, except when needing something from me. I wasn't a "bad association" when I can solve their problems, most of them financial. Again, boundaries. Also, they made the attempt at being nice for as long as they don't know anything about my life. They wanted a one-way relationship, and expected me to be ok with that. Nope. More boundaries.
Does it still make you very sad?
Yes and no. When I look at my life, who I am, what I've become, the things that I have lived and experienced, and most of all, the fact that I do have my family of choice, compared to who they are and what they have done with their lives and are still loud and disrespectful to each other, no, I don't feel as sad. I feel sorry for them. I feel sad when I see loving families that are united and have each others' back and I never got to experience that. But gratitude for what I do have is the key. My family of origin lost me by their own choosing. I don't assign blame, but I hold them responsible for their decisions and actions.
Do you think you'll always be sad about it?
No. I came to terms with the decisions and actions I needed to take regarding them. Please bear in mind that I am gay, growing up in a messed up family, a messed up religion and a messed up society. When I look at the strength of character that I developed, when I know of people who have killed themselves for less than half of what I've been through, and when I look at my insane superhuman resiliency, I feel happy and grateful for the many opportunities I've had, and for the life I have created for myself. The world isn't in black an white, not everything is all good and happy, and not everything is bad and sad.
Are you still angry? How do you deal with it?
I was, and it makes me angry to think about all that could have been with my family. That anger is never going to leave. It's a matter of what to do with it/about it. The way I deal with it is by gratitude. I have a lot to be grateful for. And also loving where my life without them has taken me.
I'm not sure I have ever truly accepted it and that's what I really think I need to do.
You're right. They are JWs. You should accept that. However, you are not. The challenge is them accepting that reality, them respecting you as a person, your decision, your believes and your boundaries.
Not sure if my experience helps, but that's how I came to terms with my JW family of origin.
how many times have you heard that trope?.
i found it more irritating than a dose of farmers on the bum.
i've even said it when i was a brainwashed jobo drone.
How many times have you heard that trope?
Never. Those shits never cared for me.
we know from casual observation that if anybody does respond to their preaching/recruiting work it is usually someone that is a social misfit in some way or a person that was indoctrinated early in life.. think about all the nicer neighborhoods witnesses preach in.
if a family of four with a father that is an engineer and a mother who is a medical professional ever walked into a kingdom hall for the first time and said they were studying, people would faint.
lol.... this of course isn't what you would expect from a religion backed by the ultimate intelligent creator.
In all seriousness, though, have you ever seen an educated middle or upper middle class person or family join this religion? If so, how long ago was that?
Yes. I have. And recently, even though I am away from them for some time now, I have a neighbor family who became JWs. It is a big mistake to think that intelligence and education is what makes a person joins a group like the JWs. It's been a while since I came a cross a post like this.
Remember, as intelligent that a person may be, the only way to get the WT's side of their story is by hearing it from them. Outside research can only go so far, especially when what they are looking for is not to learn something, but to FEEL something.
Most people don't join the JWs because of what they learn, but because of what they feel, or because of how they feel when they are being offered all the crap that they think is good for them.
For some reason people continue to neglect to consider feelings when looking at the reasons for people to join, when that is the larger part of the reality of why they join, than learning doctrine.
i'm inactive here to the local jw's as i have faded.
i've been slandered and all that, shunned by some but not all, but the elders basically leave me alone.
i still run into to people all over though.
Love it! They never lose an opportunity to try to shame others. Great comeback.
http://jw-wayback.org/en/static1/library.
the owner has done an excellent job of scanning, downloading and making available pretty much everything watchtower ever did.. one to bookmark i think!.
Nice. Great resource. Thanks.
i have seen various threads about who is really in charge (som suggest layers and accountants) and threads re the wt society directors.
what about the wt voting members?
has this been discussed?.
Maybe that's why they make so many bad financial decisions (starting with not allowing their own members to make money), because it's not even clear who is in charge.
this journalist's love of the watchtower sign in brooklyn is a bit disturbing ... and weird.
i assume he was not raised a jehovah's witness, as the sign evokes fond memories for him seeing the sign's night glow of red showing the time and temp.
he takes pictures of the sign from multiple locations and angles as a "keepsake".
This journalist's love of the Watchtower sign in Brooklyn is a bit disturbing ... and weird.
He's just being a New Yorker... and weird.
it struck me just how odd and weird it is that jws are told that if they do not preach, they are "bloodguilty" for failing to warn people of the upcoming destruction at armageddon.. hang on a minute now, hang on!.
why should a mere human be made to feel "bloodguilty" and "responsible" for "failing to warn someone" of gods wrath??.
these average people are not the ones who are about to unleash a genocidal massacre on 99% of humanity (including babies born to non-witnesses).
Thoughts??
It's just a good old-fashioned always reliable guilt trip. Combined with indoctrination, it's the perfect formula to get people expose themselves to violence in neighborhoods they would otherwise never visit.
