Posts by SkyGreen

40

Hi brain melt, I've sent u a pm - we have a login common my sister! To open your messages, click on the little envelope icon at top right of screen, u will probably get an error msg, just click again and u should get it

Love sky x

42

I am new here and need help...or just a listening ear

by Fallingaway in

my husband and i have two small children, one of which recently became an unbaptised publisher and joined the school.

my husband is an elder and firmly committed to our family and loves me deeply as i love him.

i would like to find a way for all of us to fade away as we have family in the organization that we do not want to lose.

SkyGreen

Dear dear sister, i dont even know you but I want to give you a hug

I too have 2 small children and a husband (albeit not an elder, but a former MS) still in as well as most of both our families. Take it slow and gentle with the husband, you might get somewhere. But respect free choice.

I told my husband my doubts and that I can no longer in good conscience share in the ministry. I continue to go to some meetings with him and the kids, and allow him to teach them "the truth", but I do not instigate anything. If he brings things up, I am honest.

f things carry on, as my children grow older and perhaps are considering baptism, I will give them more information from "the other side" I will also not oppose them in extracurricular activities (sports outside of school etc) and I honestly dont think their Dad will either.

As others have said, there is no need to make some sudden obvious stand, take your time love. Just love your family and follow your conscience.

Love, SkyGreen

40

Another visit from the elders

by jonno12225 in

jw
friends

so i have another visit from the elder this week.

this time they want to speak with my wife, still a believer and myself.

i think they want to know my position about my children attending the meetings and some other things.. while preparing myself for it i though of a challenge for the elders and my wife.

SkyGreen

If what you assume about why they want to visit (ie your opinion on your kids attending meetings) then just stick to that

When its elders, you have to assume "uber dub"

Questioning all sorts of WT doctrines and policies will do you and your family NO GOOD

If you want to keep your family together and functioning peacefully, keep your thoughts on the down low with the elders!

Lots of Love.

SkyGreen

12

It would be a lovely letter

by Defianttruth in

letter from the governing body.. .

dear brothers due to our failed attempts of interrupting scripture and completely false, multiple prophecies, we as the governing body are going to implement a few new changes to god's earthly organization.. .

we are not god's earthly organization.

SkyGreen

my goodness that brought a tear to my eye, i WISH that would happen, then myself and so many others with spouses, children and other family in while they're fading, wouldnt be going through what we are right now!

61

just support please

by Roberta804 in

i have had to make some very difficult decisions in recent days.

in one way i feel good about takeing care of myself and my mother who is on her dead bed in the room next to me.

mom has live with me since 2005 and started to make her journey to the other side on christmas day.

SkyGreen

huge big hugs to you, what a tough time you are going through!

My only suggestion would be ask yourself: What would mum want? and what decision will you be able to live with?

Hope things work out peacefully for you, whatever you decide, you certainly have all the support in the world here

Lots of love

Sky xx

21

SkyGreen is no longer one of Jehovahs Witnesses... Why?

by SkyGreen in

jw
friends

wow it felt good to type that heading, if only it were officially true!.

i guess i dont want to dwell on "ttatt" too much, though i am now an inactive jw now, and will be forever, i dont want to be defined by that.

but i will certainly keep an eye on this forum, contribute where i feel i can, and i must say thankyou to those who moderate it and keep it running.

SkyGreen

Happy Dad, TTATT means "the truth about the truth", it took me a while to decipher that one too! Whats BS??!! just kidding, why dont you just type bullshit?

Thanks to everyone for the helpful feedback. For those that asked, my parents are "ubder dubs", it is their WHOLE LIFE. I have no interest in trying to "wake them up", i just dont think it would help. A quick update:

My mum knows Im inactive in the ministry and irregular. She really wants me to explain why. I was honest with her in saying that research has led me to believe that according to the bible the witnesses cant have "the truth", i dont just have doubts anymore about the org. I also said that since coming to that conclusion I now have serious doubts about the bible. She asked me so what led to those conclusions and how do you feel about Jehovah? I have answered that I feel it wouldnt be productive to explain all my reasons, that these are personal and private, and that I have no desire to tear down the faith of another person. I also said that I find it VERY hard to believe in God anymore, but that I am OK with that, that I no longer feel like I have to have those answers. I said that taking that burden off myself is helping me to relax and actually focus on my family life more. Hopefully she can accept that. I will continue to encourage her to care for her health (mental and physical), enjoy her hobbies and her grandchildren. We just wont talk about spiritual matters unless she asks me direct questions. I thought about sending her the "letter" I put in my original post, but I just dont think its the right time. It would just lead to more questions and more stress. I need to be relaxed so I can enjoy time with my husband and kids - whilst having this email discussion with my mother i havent been very available as a wife or mother, and it affects my relationship with them badly.

I said on my other thread that Im going to continue with the Sunday meetings to try and keep my family unified. I have hopes that my husband will fade with me eventually, but it has to come from him. I need to be supportive of him. When he is relaxed and happy, I am relaxed and happy and vice versa. And if we are happy together, we are the best parents we can be. That is so important to me, the most important thing of all really.

Am in a bit of limbo at the moment, its tough isnt it!? But I know things will get easier, its just been a matter of finding some sort of balance as a family.

I have more to say, but I have to watch how much I share here.

Bye for now

Love Sky

81

Would Elders You Knew Have Ordered Stonings If They Could Have?

by Cold Steel in

for those of you who used to be jws, or who are active, if the society was in charge of the earth, how many people do you think you would have seen stoned during your lifetimes?

i realize some elders can be zealous about their work, but if they'd actually had administrative authority to have kh members stoned to death, how many elders did you know who would have been zealous enough to really order them?.

did you know any elders who would have ordered stonings, even if the condemned people had been willing to repent?.

SkyGreen

disturbing photos dazed...! how awful what some humans can do to the other humans

regarding the OP....

An elder in our old congregation answered up in the WT once... I believe there was the example of Phinehas (you know the one who speared the fornicators through the middle..."what and aaaagonizing deaath", great drama that). Anyhoo, brother "oldandtiredandfaithfulandsickofallyoumerepublisherssinningallthetime" said something to the effect of "...elders today dont have that kind of authority, although at times we wish we could carry around a big stick..." There were a few incredulous looks in the hall, including from some of the other elders. Brother "loveandforgivenessbutnobackbonetostandupforus", brother "seriouslyanxiousallthetime", brother "bythebookknobhead".... i dont think any of them knew where to look!

21

SkyGreen is no longer one of Jehovahs Witnesses... Why?

by SkyGreen in

jw
friends

wow it felt good to type that heading, if only it were officially true!.

i guess i dont want to dwell on "ttatt" too much, though i am now an inactive jw now, and will be forever, i dont want to be defined by that.

but i will certainly keep an eye on this forum, contribute where i feel i can, and i must say thankyou to those who moderate it and keep it running.

SkyGreen

thankyou so much everyone, it makes me happy to know that posting this has been helpful to at least one other person if not more.

I was watching a couple of youtube videos posted here, one about mexico/malawi (by the snarky apologist), and the other from Cedars/jw survey about the child abuse letter. Both very powerful. Will be bookmarking and keeping lots of these "gems" in a file for future reference and possibly to help others.

Love to everyone

Sky xxx

65

What's Your Favorite Comfort Food?

by minimus in

jw
friends

this weekend i had the most delicious chicken pie filled with white meat, a few veggies, gravy and the chicken pie had a hard crust, not puff pastry.

yum!

that with a soft wheat roll and butter......

SkyGreen

PAVALOVA WITH SWEET WHIPPED CREAM AND PASSIONFRUIT PULP & CADBURY FLAKE CHOCOLATE ON TOP...... MMMMMMMMMMM

21

SkyGreen is no longer one of Jehovahs Witnesses... Why?

by SkyGreen in

jw
friends

wow it felt good to type that heading, if only it were officially true!.

i guess i dont want to dwell on "ttatt" too much, though i am now an inactive jw now, and will be forever, i dont want to be defined by that.

but i will certainly keep an eye on this forum, contribute where i feel i can, and i must say thankyou to those who moderate it and keep it running.

SkyGreen

Wow it felt good to type that heading, if only it were officially true!

I guess i dont want to dwell on "TTATT" too much, though I am now an inactive JW now, and will be forever, I dont want to be defined by that. I am just me. But I will certainly keep an eye on this forum, contribute where I feel I can, and I must say thankyou to those who moderate it and keep it running. What a lifeline it has been!

I know the time will come when I will have to give my Mum some sort of explanation for my being inactive, and I wanted to sort it all out in my head anyway, so I composed the following, its saved on my computer (no worries, my hubby already knows it all and he is very supportive although not at the same point himself)... and feel so much freer again!

Feedback is welcome. Its a bit rough as I only just finished... Im sure I missed plenty out!

Love from SkyGreen

(because finding out TTATT is like waking up one day and seeing that the grass is blue....and the Sky is Green)

My doubts about the organization began slowly, in my last Congregation, as I experienced the unloving, unchristian way of some elders. This led me to question that they were “appointed by holy spirit”

I agree that one cannot expect perfection from imperfect men. However, further research showed me that problems like this are so widespread, even to the point of elders being guilty of serious misconduct over a period of time. If Jesus is really “head of the congregation” as taught, why would children and other similarly vulnerable ones be continuously put at risk, as they “wait on Jehovah” to sort things out.

Reading Crisis of Conscience, by former governing body member brother Raymond Franz, opened my eyes to the inner workings of the societies leaders over time. The inconsistencies regarding Malawi and Mexico brothers caused me great pain.

Further research of the societies older publications showed me there were several outright and heavily implied prophecies about the end of this system, that were later modified or proved completely untrue. The scripture often quoted in Prov 4:18 about the “light getting brighter” doesn’t seem to really apply to this. That scripture is talking about the path of the righteous one, which could be interpreted several ways. I read somewhere recently that light might get brighter, but it shouldn’t change colour!

Interestingly, in Deut 18:22, the point is clearly made that if the prediction of a so called prophet does NOT come true, then he is not speaking the words of Jehovah.

I understand that expectations about the end of this system, did help some to intensify their share in the preaching work and put off so called worldly goals and ambitions, therefore the Word was preached more and more. So if it is the truth, then some benefit came, despite the disappointment of many, and the fact that many (for example, post 1975) fell away from the organization.

But, what about understandings regarding organ transplants? Did not the society put itself in the place of God to make these decisions for people in the past? Could they not be bloodguilty for this? Don’t they continue to put themselves in God’s place by making decisions for people? While they say it is up to our conscience, so many things are heavily implied as being wrong (eg university)

The teachings surrounding 1914 are integral to what Jehovah’s Witnesses believe. The destruction of Jerusalem needs to have been in 607 for this to be correct. Bible prophecy states that Jerusalem’s punishment (captivity) would last 70 years, and so although archealogical evidence points to it only lasting around 50 years. Because of the strong belief and faith in biblical prophecy over any human wisdom, Jehovah’s Witnesses have held fast to the 607 date as being correct.

In the bible, there have been times where Jehovah has taken back his punishment, for example, read the whole book of Jonah. Ninevah was supposed to be destroyed, yet because of their sincere repentance, Jehovah spared them.

Might he not have done the same for Jerusalem? Should the WTS hold so tightly to the 607/1914 belief? Perhaps they should admit to still really just being “Bible Students” rather than Jehovah’s earthly representatives!

Since realizing the above things, I have continued to research. I find many doctrines or teachings that do not have clear scriptural backing. This does seem like a very high control group. As witnesses, we are cautioned strongly against reading anything “apostate” or “worldly philosophies”. But shouldn’t real truth stand up to scrutiny. From what I have read, I have been able quite easily to discern between those that are simply bitter over personal experience, from those who really have chosen to follow their Christian conscience. Any doctrinal concerns or historical concerns I have thoroughly researched and not been swayed by anything I could not verify.

The recent doctrinal change regarding “overlapping generations” just boggles my mind. Wont even go there.

Despite having serious problems at some point about a year ago with serving in the ministry (when I couldn’t honestly say this was THE TRUTH,) I still firmly believed in God, and had this real spiritual need.

But now that my mind feels freer to analise things more, I find it harder and harder to believe that there is a God in heaven who still cares about us. Maybe he started us off, but he forgot about us long ago.

Looking at the bible teach book from a fresh perspective, the illustration of the teacher and rebellious student to represent Jehovah and Satan and the “universal issue” just doesn’t fly. I read somewhere someone elses thoughts: If there was a “cosmic pain meter” that God could refer to at any one time…. Just think about that.

If we are honestly created in his image (love), and if we could heal all of that pain, we would do it instantly. 1000 years to him may be just a day, but it is at least 10 lifetimes for us!!

I agree that if more people lived by Christian principles, the world would be a better place. But those principles can be taught without a religion. The love thy neighbor principle is natural to most human beings, isn’t it?

My priority is to love my family and do what I can to care for them and myself, to teach my children love and tolerance. I want them to pursue whatever dreams they have, and to use their lives in a positive way. I want to do the same for myself.

If “the truth” is THE TRUTH, and I deserve to die at Armageddon, so be it. My conscience is clear. I am not a bad person.

Think about this… if it is the truth and Armageddon came tomorrow, what about that beautiful baby girl my neighbor just gave birth to…. Does she deserve to die? Would Jehovah kill her just because her parents weren’t interested in listening to yet another religion? If that’s the case, he is not a god I would want to serve for eternity.

I would love to have some kind of faith to comfort me in later life, only time will tell...

The end. (tada! lol)