Elders in Denmark are allowed to have beards. I remember being at a disctrict convention. Some of the speakers had beards.. In my home congregation, you could not even carry the microphone with a moustache...
InquiryMan
JoinedPosts by InquiryMan
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40
DUTCH FILM ON JWs - HEAVY & BIG
by skeeter1 infrom danny hazzard,
this is big.
it appears to be a professional movie (not a you tube job).
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40
DUTCH FILM ON JWs - HEAVY & BIG
by skeeter1 infrom danny hazzard,
this is big.
it appears to be a professional movie (not a you tube job).
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InquiryMan
The film is going to be a block buster, at least among ex-JWs, people who have JWs as relatives, friends, colleagues etc... I have spread the word already, and one colleague and one former neighbour both stated that they are determined to see the film... It is noteworthy that the actors in the films are famous in Scandinavia and it is a real quality production. I will also ask if the film will be shown on cinemas in Oslo...
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For those of you who don't go to meetings anymore...
by exwitless inwhen you attended your last meeting ever as a dub, did you know it was your last?
did something happen which made it clear in your mind you were 'never going back' (not to be confused with nvrgnbk)?.
the last meeting we went to was the memorial in 2006. we only went because we knew we were already pegged for the elders' unwanted attention, so we had to go to keep them off our backs a little longer.
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InquiryMan
My last meeting was the memorial of 2003... The elder s wife sitting next to me did not even say hello. I knew it was the last time. It was a bit strange, but I never looked back either.
BTW: Excuse to everyone cause as an elder I remember saying privately that those who came once a year were submarines. Did not want to be one, so I did not go back in 2004..
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Told my Wife WTS tactics were evil
by zack inwe both know a couple that have been inactive for almost a decade.
this week they were disfellowshipped because someone had seen christmas decorations.
on their home last year!
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InquiryMan
My ex-wife was turned in for having christmas decorations in her window too... After two elders paid her a visit, as an act of "love" and "concern", we decided to DA ourselves in stead, thus saving their precious time.
We had been inactive for 4,5 years when that happened. Practical implications: only allowed to see my sisters at funerals, able to negotiate to see my parents when children are visiting... Fortunately for them, I am neither bitter nor scornful.... I have noe bad sentiments towards JWs as individuals either, but I do not place the Watchtower organization on my top five list.
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Do you think that the JW's in your congregation "Hate"you?
by JH in...and, do you also think that they have the same bad feelings towards you that you may have towards some of them?.
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InquiryMan
No, why should they. I dont hate them either... I guess they will sad I am gone.
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JWs right in front of my flat
by InquiryMan inthis is actually the first time i saw the jws preaching in my immediate neighborhood.
i watched, and lo and behold, two men dressed in dark blue with bags... of course i knew them, one was a brother i have known for decades, and i knew the other brother too.... i decided to hurry on in order to finish my breakfast,take a shower, put on a nice sweater and go out and deliver my litter.... (literal)... when i came out, there were not only those two present, but a group of 7 witnesses, doing group witnessing, obviously comparing notes right in front of my yard... i put on my brightest smile, looks the elder right in the eye saying a pleasant hello and walks to do my business.
of course he just stands there dumbfounded and flabbergasted.
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InquiryMan
This is actually the first time I saw the JWs preaching in my immediate neighborhood. I watched, and lo and behold, two men dressed in dark blue with bags... Of course I knew them, one was a brother I have known for decades, and I knew the other brother too.... I decided to hurry on in order to finish my breakfast,take a shower, put on a nice sweater and go out and deliver my litter.... (literal)... When I came out, there were not only those two present, but a group of 7 witnesses, doing group witnessing, obviously comparing notes right in front of my yard... I put on my brightest smile, looks the elder right in the eye saying a pleasant hello and walks to do my business. Of course he just stands there dumbfounded and flabbergasted. No one dares to look my way... Going back, the elder has moved to the other side of the group, in order to be less visible.... They play with the cat of my ex-wife,who lives next to me.... Although I am allergic, i take the cat and talks to eat cheerfully.
It was a rather strange experience. I rejoiced that they had nice weather to preach in, that they did their thing. On the other hand, I felt so liberated, since it is not for my anymore. And they owe the problem of shunning,not me... It is just so unnatural, ignoring someone you have known for decades. What would Jesus do? He who talked to the samarate woman, and many wonderful parables....
But I do not hold it against them, I would have done the same, standing in their shoes. We are on different planets now...
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How many years before you left did you realise it was not the truth?
by jambon1 ini was only in for 10 years.
however, i never feel that i 100% believed it all, even at the point of baptism.. i think after the initial period of 'love' shown on the part of the brothers, i must have only been a baptised brother for about 4 years when i knew it was all wrong on so many different levels.. i remember a sister saying to me "once they have got you under the water, that's when you see the real way they treat you".
it all changed after baptism.
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InquiryMan
11 years. Started when I was en elder. Tried to combat it, but it grew stronger, and the internet reinforced my opinions and reading CofC and IsofC substantiated that I was right in leaving.... It was though though. Was afraid to loose friends and family. Well, of course lost all friends, and have limited contact with family.
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Children at the meetings, how did you cope
by Mrs Smith inmy son was about 5 years old when we stopped going to the meetings.
the other day i asked him what he remembers about them (his now 14 years old).
he remembered the puzzles i bought him to play with during the meetings.. he remembered that i packed a sandwich and some juice for him to eat in case he got hungry.. when he got board i use to take him outside for a walk around the kh garden.
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InquiryMan
This brings back some memories. I remember that a few years before I left the JWs, while being an elder, another elder gave a local needs talk based on an KM article. He stated that noone should eat and drink at meetings, and whereas this applies well for adults, it was the culture in our congo to allow children to get their evening meal at the hall on tuesday nights, after all, they were kept there longer than their normal time being awake. I remember I was so angry that I called him up after the meeting, stating that this was absolute out of the question... I even stated, and that is pretty frank when you are an elder: I am happy that I was not raised as a JW when I was a child... A bit childish though. I guess he never forgave me for my outburst... I, however, got bad conscience for my outbearst, and tol the PO about it... He agreed with my sentiments on the matter, albeit not he way it was said though. So good to be out, no longer thinking about people taking offense and that kind of stuff.
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Children at the meetings, how did you cope
by Mrs Smith inmy son was about 5 years old when we stopped going to the meetings.
the other day i asked him what he remembers about them (his now 14 years old).
he remembered the puzzles i bought him to play with during the meetings.. he remembered that i packed a sandwich and some juice for him to eat in case he got hungry.. when he got board i use to take him outside for a walk around the kh garden.
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InquiryMan
We had three children. Always had coloring books and toys, even though being an elder. Never spanked them. But it was quite a show getting things rolling though.... One of my sons, says that although the meetings were boring, he did not mind, cause he played with his dinosaurs. He also liked the intermessions at the assembly, cause of the non spiritual food.
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Comments You Will Not Hear at the WT Study (10/15 Teach Children)
by WT Comments insoliciting your comments as well!
please take a moment to post a comment, even if brief.
share your experience and keep the topic active.. .
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InquiryMan
Honestly, the depiction of JW childhood, seems vastly exagerrated according to my experience, or are the Scandinavian counterparts of JW in general less extreme in their way of practicing the religion. When we were in: children attended children parties frequently (albeit without presents, although that occurred at times) some kids took part in pre school activities children did go amusements parks, circus, movies etc witnesses travel a lot, not less than non-witnesses. In fact they travel so lot that a major newspaper had a specific aticle on the topic... (priori to christmas). however, in Scandinavia, employers have five weeks of paid holiday as a right, and only 1 day is spent for assembly, so there are plenty of days left for other pursuits. Field service hours are always lowest in holiday times, sometimes 20 per cent less than average months. That is just my impression of the average witness life in my country. Also, most witnesses do alternative things when society as such celebrate their holidays, e.g. constitution etc. Still: I wanted to leave, cause I did not reconcile the Watchtower teachings with my own ideas of being tolerant etc... I disapprove of a lot of the Watchtower, but have nothing against individual witnesses--- Many are nice people..