Posts by OrbitingTheSun

26

Were you df'd while suffering depression???

by Pistoff in

i have a son who was disfellowshipped while suffering serious depression and who was not actively "sinning".. i feel this is outrageous and want to know how widespread the practice is.

please tell me what your experiences are, i am interested and want to try to get the brothers to factor this in, so we can stop losing people to depression.

OrbitingTheSun

It is both comforting and disturbing to see a post of this nature on the board. It is comforting because I can genuinely relate to what all of you have shared and disturbing because so MANY have suffered because of the WTBTS lack of concern for mentally ill individuals.

A point Id like to mention on this post is that I can't help but think that the WTBTS takes ADVANTAGE of emotional instability to draw people into worshipping with them.

I suffered from severe mental illness before ever associating myself with Jehovah's Witnesses and, once I started studying and attending meetings, one of their favorite things to promise me was that having Jehovah in my life would alleviate the numerous emotional problems I was struggling with (OCD, bipolar disorder, PTSD...). For a while, things improved. Who wouldn't feel better while being smothered with seemingly genuine affection? But soon enough (once I saw through the faade of "brotherly love") my condition deteriorated.

It got to the point where the very thought of going to the Kingdom Hall filled me with anxiety. I had put so much effort into "proving" my love for Jehovah and trying to make a place for myself in a very exclusive congregation (almost everyone was related somehow or had known each other for years, so they weren't very welcoming to newcomers) that I couldn't handle seeing flaws in this "perfect" organization. Eventually, I was hospitalized. All the while, how many elders looked into my situation? Not one. How many pioneers came to visit a "young sheep" in her time of need? Not one. Only one loving sister from my congregation reached out to me, and she happened to be in the same situation that I was--ostracized for being mentally ill.

Although this was one of the most painful experiences of my life, it helped me to see the true nature of the organization. They were all so enamored with me when I was their poster child for recovery through dedication to Jehovah but, as soon as I needed their support, they threw me away with all of the other disillusioned brothers and sisters in the congregation.

Has anyone else noticed that the WTBTS seems to reach out to mentally ill people with promises of a new life through Jehovah?

Edited by - OrbitingTheSun on 11 August 2002 15:35:48

2

Does anyone remember this article/song?

by OrbitingTheSun in

jw
friends

it gained popularity a few years ago when baz luhrmann put the words to music.

i love both the article and the song, and thought id share it with the board.

its full of wisdom and reminds you of things that are often forgot in the buzz of everyday life.

OrbitingTheSun

It gained popularity a few years ago when Baz Luhrmann put the words to music. I love both the article and the song, and thought Id share it with the board. Its full of wisdom and reminds you of things that are often forgot in the buzz of everyday life.

Ladies and gentlemen of the class of '97.

Wear Sunscreen.

If I could offer you only one tip for the future, sunscreen would be it. The long-term benefits of sunscreen have been proved by scientists, whereas the rest of my advice has no basis more reliable than my own meandering experience. I will dispense this advice now.

Enjoy the power and beauty of your youth. Oh, never mind. You will not understand the power and beauty of your youth until they've faded. But trust me, in 20 years, you'll look back at photos of yourself and recall in a way you can't grasp now how much possibility lay before you and how fabulous you really looked. You are not as fat as you imagine.

Don't worry about the future. Or worry, but know that worrying is as effective as trying to solve an algebra equation by chewing bubble gum. The real troubles in your life are apt to be things that never crossed your worried mind, the kind that blindside you at 4 PM on some idle Tuesday. Do one thing every day that scares you.

Sing.

Don't be reckless with other people's hearts. Don't put up with people who are reckless with yours.

Floss.
Don't waste your time on jealousy. Sometimes you're ahead, sometimes you're behind. The race is long and, in the end, it's only with yourself. Remember compliments you receive. Forget the insults. If you succeed in doing this, tell me how. Keep your old love letters. Throw away your old bank statements.

Stretch.

Don't feel guilty if you don't know what you want to do with your life. The most interesting people I know didn't know at 22 what they wanted to do with their lives. Some of the most interesting 40-year- olds I know still don't. Get plenty of calcium. Be kind to your knees. You'll miss them when they're gone. Maybe you'll marry, maybe you won't. Maybe you'll have children, maybe you won't. Maybe you'll divorce at 40, maybe you'll dance the funky chicken on your 75th wedding anniversary. Whatever you do, don't congratulate yourself too much, or berate yourself either. Your choices are half chance. So are everybody else's.

Enjoy your body. Use it every way you can. Dont' be afraid of it or of what other people think of it. It's the greatest instrument you'll ever own.

Dance, even if you have nowhere to do it but your living room.

Read the directions, even if you don't follow them.

Do not read beauty magazines. They will only make you feel ugly.

Get to know your parents. You never know when they'll be gone for good. Be nice to your siblings. They're your best link to your past and the people most likely to stick with you in the future.

Understand that friends come and go, but with a precious few you should hold on. Work hard to bridge the gaps in geography and lifestyle, because the older you get, the more you need the people who knew you when you were young.

Live in New York City once, but leave before it makes you hard. Live in Northern California once, but leave before it makes you soft. Travel.

Accept certain inalienable truths. Prices will rise. Politicians will philander. You, too, will get old. And when you do, you'll fantasize that when you were young, prices were reasonable, politicians were noble, and children respected their elders.

Respect your elders.

Don't expect anyone else to support you. Maybe you have a trust fund. Maybe you'll have a wealthy spouse. But you never know when either one might run out.

Don't mess too much with your hair or by the time you're 40 it will Look 85. Be careful whose advice you buy, but be patient with those who supply it. Advice is a form of nostalgia. Dispensing it is a way of fishing the past from the disposal, wiping it off, painting over the ugly parts and recycling it for more than it's worth.

But trust me on the sunscreen.

Written By Mary Schmich

38

JEHOVAH'S WITNESSES WANT IT BOTH WAYS

by Perry in

jw
friends

when individuals leave the organization for conscience reasons, it is evidence that god is shepherding and protecting the flock by doing a sifting work.

when people leave another christian religion it is evidence that the religion is morally corrupt and unable or unwilling to provide spiritually for their members.

when a christian from another denomination lies, he is acting according to his own disposition being from the father of the lie.

OrbitingTheSun

Wonderful post! I'd like to pin it to the bulletin board at my old Kingdom Hall. Too bad they'd probably burn it...

148

Share your funniest or cutest baby pics!!

by Solace in

jw
friends

seven recently posted some darling pics of himself as a baby!

sooo cute!

i thought it would be so fun to see everyones baby pictures!

OrbitingTheSun

Hi Everyone! Here is a picture of my very first cousin and I. She is wearing little kneepads because her favorite thing to do is aimlessly run full speed giggling.

4

Small Signs of Recovery

by OrbitingTheSun in

jw
friends

yesterday, while shopping at a local craft store, i ran into the woman that conducted my study.

being inactive and relatively antisocial, this experience normally would have left me a nervous wreck...but for the first time i sensed the tables were turned.

this woman (a pioneer, the wife of an elder, and the mother of a bethelite) has always used her "spiritual" (political) clout to intimidate and manipulate people in my congregation, yet i could tell that this time she was afraid of me for a change.

OrbitingTheSun

Laura! Its so good to see you on the board! Hugs and hugs and more hugs from Bo Bikki!

As for my run in, we didnt speak to each other. I think it was one of those Thumper the Rabbit situations (If you dont have something nice to say, say nothing at all) on both parts. Even though we didnt acknowledge each others presence, we had one of those awkward stuck-in-an-aisle situations where we both tried to go right, then to go left and made it really obvious that we were avoiding each other.

So, I wasnt forced to have a conversation with her, but I am happy with the fact that I didnt drop everything and run screaming from the store LOL. I dont know if this makes sense..but so much of life is lived inside your own mind, so even if nothing remarkable happens interpersonally, internal calm (no racing heart rate) can mean a lot. So, I am hap-hap-happy about that! Baby steps, baby steps.

Thanks for responding, and by the way, you totally rock too!

9

Start my first college course in two weeks!

by writerpen in

jw
friends

a few months back, i announced that i had been accepted to a local university.

well i've registered for my first two classes that begin august 6th.

the first one is a public speaking course and the second is "the religious quest part i.

OrbitingTheSun

Congratulations! I am so happy for you

Pursuing an education is one of the best things you can do for yourself. Granted, homework may not feel like a blessing, but learning to think for yourself certainly is.

Leaving the organization was the first of many blessings I have received recently. One of the paradoxes of being a Witness is that even when you do receive a blessing, your conscience is such a mess that you cant enjoy it (much less believe that you deserve it). I think my greatest blessing of all has been learning to give myself credit for my accomplishments. Not to say that my progress has not been aided by family and friends, but I am finally able to feel a sense of worth and contentment that I never felt as a Witness.

So, I think you are right in your observation. Keep up the good work and let us know how school is going!

4

Small Signs of Recovery

by OrbitingTheSun in

jw
friends

yesterday, while shopping at a local craft store, i ran into the woman that conducted my study.

being inactive and relatively antisocial, this experience normally would have left me a nervous wreck...but for the first time i sensed the tables were turned.

this woman (a pioneer, the wife of an elder, and the mother of a bethelite) has always used her "spiritual" (political) clout to intimidate and manipulate people in my congregation, yet i could tell that this time she was afraid of me for a change.

OrbitingTheSun

Yesterday, while shopping at a local craft store, I ran into the woman that conducted my study. Being inactive and relatively antisocial, this experience normally would have left me a nervous wreck...but for the first time I sensed the tables were turned.

This woman (a pioneer, the wife of an elder, and the mother of a Bethelite) has always used her "spiritual" (political) clout to intimidate and manipulate people in my congregation, yet I could tell that this time she was afraid of ME for a change. Maybe it was just because she sees me as a contagious apostate now OR because her evil powers are useless outside of a Kingdom Hall...but whatever the case, my response to the situation was definitely an indicator of my personal improvement.

Since leaving the organization, what experience(s) have shown you that you were finally emotionally and intellectually untangling yourself from the WTBTS?

Edited by - OrbitingTheSun on 26 July 2002 14:17:22

2

Western Culture and JW-ism

by OrbitingTheSun in

jw
friends

.

do you think western culture exacerbates the flaws within the jehovahs witness religion?

edited by - orbitingthesun on 21 july 2002 19:57:26.

OrbitingTheSun

Sometimes I wonder if Jehovahs Witnesses in other countries have the same problems with deceit and gossip that we have in America.

2

Western Culture and JW-ism

by OrbitingTheSun in

jw
friends

.

do you think western culture exacerbates the flaws within the jehovahs witness religion?

edited by - orbitingthesun on 21 july 2002 19:57:26.

OrbitingTheSun

Do you think western culture exacerbates the flaws within the Jehovahs Witness religion?

Edited by - OrbitingTheSun on 21 July 2002 19:57:26

33

Why dont JW's have a youth group?

by In_between_days in

something that has been alarming to my jw family is the amount of teens ("young ones") that have bailed out of the organisation, never to return.. they use the excuse, as would most jw's that "satan is getting them - he knows young ones are vulnerable.".

if you want my opinion, young people are getting far more educated - they are becoming far more broad minded than they were say 10 or 20 years ago.

because of the slow yet sturdy slackening of the "no college" rule, many more young jw's are attending university or college than ever before, and with further education comes more knowledge, more interaction with reasonable and intelligent conversations with educated people and most importantly -use of the internet ("satans latest tool, as put by a jw i talked to recently).

OrbitingTheSun

I think you bring up a very good point about the state of youth in the organization. As an inactive 19-year-old, I know first hand how lacking youth resources are. One thing I noticed, in particular, is that a lot of young people in organization dont trust each other. Everyone is afraid that what is said in confidence will be spilled to the elders and they will get disciplined for normal teenage behavior. This lack of trust among peers makes it extremely difficult for young people to feel involved an interested in the welfare of the congregation.

I couldnt care less about whether or not the organization attempts to solve this problem. I personally prefer that young people leave, as I did, and avoid being draw in by the latest Borg tactics. What I do regret, however, is that fact that so many families are being torn apart by the lack of support for adolescents. I have a number of friends who have lost close relationships with their parents and relatives simply because the congregation and organization failed them when times got rough. Then, being raised in such an exclusive and suspicious religion, many of these youths are afraid to turn to outside resources for guidance as well.

It saddens me that many young people will go through pain as a result of the organization. But hopefully this mass betrayal will show them the truth that has been hidden from them for so long and eventually they will grow to be strong independent thinkers.