Posts by undercover

14

"Just When I Thought I Was Out....."

by undercover in

jw
friends

"....they pull me back in".

anybody ever felt like that?

not leaving the mafia but that you think you have completed a fade-away from the wts only to have elders and family start hounding you all over again?.

undercover

Are you having doubts?

Am I having doubts about having doubts? LOL. No, I know what you mean. I know the WTS is full of BS. I guess what I'm trying to say is that after over a year of being "out", I start getting calls and "we miss you's" and pressure from family. I guess that's the downside to fading. Every once in a while someone is going to pop up out of the past and bring up issues that we thought were settled. You start to settle into a "normal" life and somebody wants to dredge up the past or "encourage" you.

I worry that I will slide back only because it would be easy to do so to have family back. There are so many ways they try to suck you back in..

Yes, I guess it could be easier to just go through the motions at the hall just to have those family ties. But going through the motions to me is the same as lying to yourself. I won't nor can't do it.

I even posted to my own question, just like minimus...

13

Holidays have no meaning whatsoever - Perhaps because of JW upbringing?!

by Doubtfully Yours in

jw
friends

i find myself going through the motions whenever holiday time rolls around, you know, just going with the crowd, etc., but in my heart of hearts holidays mean nothing to me; so i don't ever feel like decorating or doing anything personally that is holiday-related.

am i the only one who feels this way?

could it be a result of my jw upbringing?

undercover

I'm that way about some of the holidays. I'm even glad not to have to deal with them to the extent that many co-workers and non-JW relatives have to. Others, though, I have come to enjoy. I'll never be really big about making a big deal about any of them, but some I look forward to and enjoy however I can(as a faded one with family still in) and others I'll just endure and not give much thought to them.

Even though we may be out of the grasp of the WTS doesn't mean we have to fall for the marketing of every single holiday that comes around. If you like one, enjoy it. If one doesn't appeal to you, don't celebrate it. No longer do you "not have to" celebrate because someone told you couldn't. Now you can pick and choose what you want to celebrate, if any.

14

"Just When I Thought I Was Out....."

by undercover in

jw
friends

"....they pull me back in".

anybody ever felt like that?

not leaving the mafia but that you think you have completed a fade-away from the wts only to have elders and family start hounding you all over again?.

undercover

"....they pull me back in"

Anybody ever felt like that? Not leaving the Mafia but that you think you have completed a fade-away from the WTS only to have elders and family start hounding you all over again?

This is my first minimus type question/post.

47

interracial dating

by Maverick in

lazuli got me thinking....(thanks lazuli...feels good!

) about the wts and how its policies change peoples outlooks and values.

i was....as much as i hate to admit it....born in the northeast, but moved to the south as a teenager.

undercover

I received a PM explaining that the offical WTS policy is to discourage interracial unions.

Way back when, in the turbulent 60s, I remember talks that covered this subject. While they didn't come right out and deny anyone the right to marry interracially they were very adament that anyone considering it should think it through thoroughly. I reiterate that they never condemned it. They said it was up to each person/couple, but they warned that there would be trouble in any interracial relationship. After the civil unrest died down, mention of it was dropped. I know several interracial couples in the "truth". Pioneers, elders, etc. They have never been "marked" or "black-listed" for it.

If there is one positive thing about the WTS, it has over time learned to be color-blind to some extent, at least as a corporation. Whether this is because they have truly learned from Jesus or because they realize that the color of money is more important than the color of skin, I don't know.

36

Not Everyone Is Welcomed At The Kingdom Hall

by minimus in

jw
friends

i knew of a couple that left their mates so that they could be with one another.

the elders promptly disfellowshipped them.

the couple made it known immediately, that they were going to apply for reinstatement as soon as possible.

undercover

I knew a DFd guy that had to change halls. Someone in his hall had a restraining order out on him despite the elders recommendation against getting the authourities involved.

I knew a sister that was asked not to come to the hall after she had an affair with one of the "upstanding" brothers in the hall. They were both DFd, but the guy and his family remained at the hall and the DFd sister was told to move on.

18

Paying twice for everything sold

by JH in

jw
friends

why did we have to pay twice for every book, magazine sold?.

we paid a first time at the hall for our books, magazines.

then in the field service, the money they gave us had to go back to the kingdom hall.

undercover

I saw right through it when it was initiated but didn't question it. How stupid was that? I figured that all the JWs would pay for the mags first knowing that most people will not donate at the door, but if any did, it was a good thing and it helped the preaching work. Only after becoming inactive did I look at it as a way to charge twice for one piece of literature thus fleecing the flock.

I don't think this system is as profitable as it once was or as the old charging system was. Most JWs don't mention the donation at the door. Many do not contribute the full amount when picking up literature at the counter. I think that's why there has been several talks/articles on giving and donating.

While "selling" literature is not as profitable, they're still making a killing. Figure each publisher gives $10 a month(average). Figure on 4 million people doing it(I know they say 6 but not all are active or donate). $40,000,000 a month. $480,000,000 a year. No salaries. Basically free labor to run the corporation. Volunteers for construction and upkeep of properties. 3% charged on all loans on building projects(from a different set of donations). How many companies can claim an intake of $480,000,000 a year before expenses? Oh, yeah, and it's all tax free(in the USA).

19

THE WATCHTOWER- An informative piece of toilet paper

by Nosferatu in

jw
friends

we all know that jws get all their information from the watchtower.

it's rare that you see macleans, time, or people magazine in a jw's home.

they put faith in the faithful and discreet slave to give them food at the proper time.

undercover

We can bash JWs all we want but this kind of generalization is ridiculous. I was about as hardcore a dub as you could find, and I regularly read Time, MacLeans, National Geographic, newspapers, New Yorker, etc. etc. I never considered People magazine worthy of my time, then or now.

When I was "in", I read worldly magazines as well. I subscribe to several even. So I agree with the above statement, except to say that I like to look at People when in a waiting room of some kind. I like to see what Britney, Christina, Jennifer Aniston, Charlize Theron and other hotties are wearing(or not wearing)

21

I Got A Call Yesterday............

by minimus in

jw
friends

.

by a really weird brother telling me he missed me and that jehovah missed me too!

he called me at work and i simply thanked him and just hung up.

undercover

I've gotten the "we miss you" phone calls, but they've been from well-meaning friends. Yes, there are some kooky types lurking in dubland, but then again there are kooky types most ever where. The sad thing about the kooky types at the hall, is that they believe that they are in some real brotherhood, loving and being loved by all, while in fact most dubs are laughing at them behind their backs. The kooky types that I knew were avoided as much as possible by "normal"(is there such a thing?) JWs. The WTS will accept their time and money but are ignored in most other ways.

40

Were YOU Considered A "Good Example" In The Congregation???

by minimus in

jw
friends

or were you considered "weak"?

undercover

I guess I was. Appointed MS in my teens. Later I slipped and was removed, but after a couple of years I was reappointed and was being "groomed" for eldership. I was never displayed as an example, though. Never on meeting parts showcasing the "examplary" ones. Never on the assemblies.

Like was mentioned before, it was good to keep a low profile. You didn't get a lot of praise or "atta-boys" but you never got in trouble or gave the congregation a bad name either. Laying low afforded you the oppurtunity to live a double life to some extent. That suited me just fine. I did what was required of me, but I went no further. I didn't want praise or congratulations nor did I want people sticking their nose in my business and finding fault with some things that I did.

23

Remember traveling to the conventions

by Strawberryfieldsforever in

jw
friends

i remember years ago when my mom and i would travel great distances to the week long conventions.

we always had to travel with another sister whos husband was also "unbelieving".

anyway, her daughter and i would put the watchtower and awake mags in the back window to show everyone who we were.

undercover

Does anyone remember going door to door begging for people(non-JWs) to donate or rent rooms for people traveling into the city for conventions? Then later, all local JWs were encouraged to share extra rooms with out-of-town attendees to the conventions. Then came the hotel/motel lists arranged by the WTS. Staying in a hotel NOT on the list was grieving the holy spirit somehow.

I remember going to the 8 day conventions with the WT and Awake mags in the back window of the car or taped up on the windows of station wagons. I remember some JWs had the tetragrammaton on their back windows, much like people put Ford, Chevy or Harley-Davidson stickers on their trucks now.