Posts by Vitameatavegamin

11

Would like a little attention please

by Zechariah in

jw
friends

i just notice my posts now number 104 and that i am now a senior poster.. god knows i am having fun (pun intened).

zechariah.

give me liberty or give me death.

Is Jehovah taking aim at the apostates?

by kenpodragon in

jw
friends

when i was a witness, we would sometimes get people who were disfellowshiped or disassociated that protested the assemblies or kingdom hall.

perhaps there are a few who have done this on this board.

i remember a few comments made by people in the congregation when they saw these people.

Vitameatavegamin

Kenopdragon-

Very well said! Those are my thoughts as well. I really wish some of these self righteous witnesses would wake up

and realize how cruel and heartless they can be. What ever happened to the Golden Rule, anyway???

Thanks!

Vita

213

Governing Body Summoned For Jud Hearing

by silentlambs in

jw
friends

service committee .

25 columbia heights

brooklyn, ny 11201 .

Vitameatavegamin

Hey,

Since when is the Society above having to answer for their own transgressions?? In this case, we clearly have evidence from

the mouths of more than 2 witnesses here, so I would say they need to step up to the plate and start 'splainin. What makes them

exempt from a JC???? Or at least some kind of investigation? Yeah, the letter is a bit antagonistic, but I get the point of what

Silentlambs is trying to bring about.

How many JWs out there have been summoned before JCs and been told that if they did not show, they would reap the

consequences. We all know what that means, don't we.

Why shouldn't they be submitted to the same??

Something has got to be done.

Thanks,

Vita

67

Wrong ASSumptions from apostates

by bomatt6 in

jw
friends

the apostates here have so many wrong assumptions.

anyone that posts against them they assume is defending the society.. i'm neutral towards the society.

i don't defend it nor do i attack it.

Vitameatavegamin

BomASS-

All I can say is that you have got be nuts! I cannot fathom how you can make such ignorant statements.

I think you are here to antagonize, that's about it.

BomASS, don't be a dumbASS!

Have a nice day.

47

Attack, attack, attack

by bomatt6 in

jw
friends

it seems that all that you apostates can do is attack and call names when others don't agree with you.. so hey, what do we expect from evil doers.. you are not good people!!!!!.

you are bad people.. .

so attack, attack, atttack the apostates.

Vitameatavegamin

Hey, Bomatt6-

You talk about apostates being the attackers- JWs can be some of the most guilty perpetrators of the persecution they

so often speak of. I am currently inactive, but I have been treated as an outcast by family and friends. I am not included

in anything they do, and told how I am going to die at armageddon. How loving is that?? Maybe that is what they truly

believe - but what right do they have to treat others that may not look at it exactly the way they do like trash to be tossed out??

I do not routinely put active JWs down for their beliefs, for I understand how it is to be there. And maybe right now, JWs are under

an attack--but maybe those Elders and the Society should have thought of that along time ago before they treated others so

harshly.

The Society is not synonymous with God-contrary to most JW beliefs. You can't say that because the Society says soemthing

that it is from God. That is very presumptuous on the part of the people and in my opinion an insult to God himself. We are

all going to be judged accordingly and individually based on our own merit, by the same God. When the end comes, I do

not believe that being a JW or any other part of an organized religion is going to automatically save you just because you

claim to be a part of it. God is not that shallow folks.

We need to be true Christians from our hearts, not through convoluted man made biblical reasonings.

Get a clue, please.

Thanks! Vita

Edited by - Vitameatavegamin on 1 October 2002 12:14:11

25

For the first time......My Story (long)

by Vitameatavegamin in

jw
friends

i kind of thought maybe he would change after becoming a jw, .

was, and how no boys would ever like me.

soon after that day, he asked me if i would like to babysit his 2 kids that weekend for an evening, as he and his wife were .

Vitameatavegamin

WOW! I am so grateful for all the responses to this thread! I was not sure how it would be received, but I am so happy!

It made me nervous to post it for some reason, I guess because this is the first time I have gone public with my experience.

When I first came to the forum last year, I had so much I wanted to say, but just did not have the courage speak up. Instead,

I spoke of localized recent experiences that I had had.

If I can be of any help to anyone out there, I would be more than happy. You can recover and move on, but not without

permanent scars unfortunately, mainly from incompetent Elders.

I will tell you, as strange as it may sound, the experience with those Elders in this case was far worse than the incident with

that teacher! Looking back, I think I suffered far more trauma from my Parents and the elders than I did with the jerk who

took advantage of me! There have been MANY times over the years that I wished I had never said anything to my parents about

the incident, In some senses, I bet I would have been better off to just keep it to myself, maybe.

To this day, I have basically no relationship with my parents. I cannot fathom how any parent could treat their own flesh and

blood in that way, especially since I am the mother of an almost 14 year old myself now! If that had been my child, I would

NEVER NEVER let the elders in on it!!!!

Thanks so much for the support !!!

Looking forward to hearing more responses!!

Love, Vita

25

For the first time......My Story (long)

by Vitameatavegamin in

jw
friends

i kind of thought maybe he would change after becoming a jw, .

was, and how no boys would ever like me.

soon after that day, he asked me if i would like to babysit his 2 kids that weekend for an evening, as he and his wife were .

Vitameatavegamin

Oh, I do appreciate all your comments. It has been over 17 years since this all happened, but I get just as angry as if it was just

yesterday. I just want anyone out there to know that has been there.........I understand. This is a great support system. I wish I could

have marched with the Silentlambs yesterday, I was in spirit anyway. I am so glad I finally decided to tell my story......It is very

liberating.

I have more to come, not of molestation issues fortunately, but other twisted JW delights!

Thanks to all!

25

For the first time......My Story (long)

by Vitameatavegamin in

jw
friends

i kind of thought maybe he would change after becoming a jw, .

was, and how no boys would ever like me.

soon after that day, he asked me if i would like to babysit his 2 kids that weekend for an evening, as he and his wife were .

Vitameatavegamin

HI friends!

I have been a part of this forum for about a year and a half now. When I started here, I was full of fear and

anxiety about joining. I feared at any moment I would be struck by lightning or something, fearing I had displeased God.

But, I have conquered so much in this last year. I realize I am not alone in my feelings and experiences, and have felt

an enormous amount of support here, which has enabled me and given me the courage to speak out for the first time here

about an incident that changed my life.............................and almost destroyed it.

My mother became a JW in 1978, when I was just 9 years old, with my father following in 1982. It seemed as though

my life had changed so much, probably for the worse I guess, since they had become JWs. There did not seem to be the

laughter there used to be, nor the family closeness I had once experienced pre-JW. My father had always tended to be

verbally and somewhat physically abusive to me most of my life. I kind of thought maybe he would change after becoming a JW,

seeing as how they always talk about putting on the "new personality". But to the contrary, things just seemed to worsen.

Everything in our lives became about looks. Everyone in the KH loved my dad. Thought he was just the greatest guy, popular with the

cong. and well liked. But, no one really knew what was happening at home. I was always told I wasn't good enough, yelled at, and

basically made to feel like their opinions had to be my opinions. No individuality whatsoever. The berating just seemed to continue but

in a different fashion. If I even did so much as embarrass them, they would completely flip out. I was actually a pretty good kid, I

think. Never drank, never smoked, no drugs, no sex, no nothing. The model "goody two shoes". However, my mother was an

overly paraniod woman when it came to me and boys. If I even mentioned that a boy was cute, she would literally yell at me

and tell me how innappropriate it was for me even to be looking at boys. Well, for heavens sake, I was 14 by then! What

young girl does'nt look at boys here and there???

I did not consider myself to be an attractive girl. I had zits galore, and freckles, and was always told by the other kids how ugly I

was, and how no boys would ever like me. All in all, I was VERY naieve when it came to the opposite sex. I had crushes in

junior high, only to have them found out by my mom who had gone through my purse and torn up everything in my room looking for

anything imagined or otherwise to incriminate me with. She found notes I had written to a friend talking about boys we liked.

Needless to say, all hell broke loose. I was awakened out of a sound sleep in the middle of the night by my angry mother

demanding to know why I had written these notes. I was promptly grounded and told what a basic loser I was for even thinking

these things.( I am getting to my story, please be patient, I have to give you the whole picture so you understand why I ended

up the way I did.)

Fast forward a year.................High School comes, the zits have faded, I have a decent figure and I am wearing make-up now.

What a change from the ugly duckling I was in Junior High..................Sad thing is, I don't realize it. I was very stupid when it

came to guys, or men for that matter, especially men who prey on naieve young girls. You see, I had never really had a boy

like me, and I wasn't allowed to like boys, so for me, I guess it was a disaster waiting to happen. I had boarded a freight train

headed right smack for a brick wall......and never saw it coming.

It is not unusual for teachers to ask students help them in class, i figured I was no exeption. My english teacher seemed to show

a particular interest in me though, always overly friendly. He asked me one day If I wanted to be his aide for another class period, and

I gladly accepted, figuring it would be an easy A. Months passed and he became friendlier, putting his arms around me, and

just being a little to touchy-feely. But, I still just figured he was being nice. Duh.......

He started asking me to stay after school to help grade papers and whatnot, supposedly to give me extra credit or something. But,

one day, he asked me if anyone had ever told me how beautiful I was. I was completely taken aback, wondering why he asked that,

but at the same time, unbelievably flattered!! I could not believe that this older man had noticed me! Now, looking back, my first

inclination should have been to run like hell, but, never having had a guy show interest me, I was totally fascinated by this sudden

"interest" Funny how the obvious should hit you in the face................................................

Soon after that day, he asked me if I would like to babysit his 2 kids that weekend for an evening, as he and his wife were

going to go out. I gladly accepted, thinking how great it would be to make some extra money. He said he was looking forward to it,

and that he would pick me up in the evening. At this point, I was battling a crush on him, but yet just figuring he thought I was

pretty or something and just liked me. But, after all, I was only 15, and a very STUPID 15 year old at that. What happened next,

I never imagined in a million years. The danger I was in...........If I had only known what he had up his sleeve.

I got to his house and there was no one there..........no wife, no kids. I asked him where everyone was, saying, I thought I was

supposed to babysit? He laughed and said" I am not going anywhere". He then said" why do you think I brought you over here"?

I just looked at him wondering what was going on. The next thing I knew, he was all over me, kissing me, and everything else. I

pulled away and told him I did not want this, but he kept telling me I did. I became really scared and confused. You would think

that I would have ran........but for some reason, I just froze. He started talking to me, and telling me how it was ok, how he

would not hurt me. I relaxed a little, thinking maybe it would all end. But, to no avail. Sparing you the gory details, this asshole

somehow convinced me to have sex with him. Why I did it..................there are times I think I know and other times I just can't

believe I allowed it to happen.........................but, sadly, I did.

Fast forward again; I confess to my mother what had happened, and how frightened I was that he might try to get me again.

The first thing I know, my parents haul me before the Elders in the cong, with me thinking they are going to help me solve this

problem...................................wrong again. The first thing that happens is I am told that I ought to be ashamed of myself

for allowing this incident to take place. The Elder kept asking me why I did'nt leave, why I did not run, why I did not call someone,

why I did not run to a neighbors house for help, etc, etc. I kept telling them I did not know, because I really didn't! I then said

that I had become afraid and just did not know what to do at that moment. My answers did not satisfy them apparantly because

they became more and more agitated. And the kicker is, my own parents are sitting there agreeing with everything they said!!

In the meantime, the teacher was arrested and put in jail, and by then, it had hit the newspapers and TV. I was of course a minor

at the time and my name was never mentioned, but, no matter, my goose was cooked. I just did not know it yet.

The Elders decided that this was a Judicial matter and that I needed to go before a committee. I did not know what the heck a

JC meeting was, or why I had to talk to these men about what had happened. I became afraid again and begged my parents not to

make me go, I did not want to. They told me I had no choice because what I had done was serious....blah, blah, blah......

But, I kept asking, why was I in trouble?? They kept telling me that I had committed fornication and that was a serious offense

in the cong. and it had to be "dealt with". My own parents would NOT back me up, they instead threw me to the wolves.

The night of the JC meeting arrives and I am more terrified than ever. I am led into the back room where there are 4 elders

sitting there. My mother goes and sits in the front of the KH, and I sit before these men......alone. I was interrogated

mercillessly by these men, to the point of tears. They kept asking me if I realized what I had done to the Congregation. How

the newspaper reporters had been hounding them for information and how it was disrupting their family life. The one Elder

proceeded to tell me that if I was his daughter, he would have beaten me till I could not sit down. They asked me if I liked the

attention he had previously given me, and I of course said yes, but that I had never thought of it in a sexual way. They then

told me that I had basically brought this rape on myself because I could have ran. They then told me I was not being honest

with myself because" I probably enjoyed him having sex with me, and was just not admitting it to myself or them." By, then, I was

sobbing, feeling that everyone hated me, and just did not understand what had really taken place that night. They then told me

that I needed to be punished for "dragging Jehovahs name through the mud". They said I would be publicly reproved the next week.

...........................and they did just that.

I lost my friends, I lost my innocence, I lost what had been life as I had known it. People treated me like a disease. No one wanted

me around. I was left out of parties, gatherings, you name it, because I had been reproved. There are a million more details to this

story I have just told, too many to ever put into words. My own parents even seemed to disown me because it "embarrassed" them.

They took away my makeup, my driving permit, and grounded me for 7 months. No kidding, no exaggeration. I hated those elders,

It is still hard for me to believe that it really happened.

I eventually had to go the police station, to meet with the investigators handling the case. Turns out that this teacher had a

record dating back some 15 years. They had compiled lists of girls who had been propositioned and/or raped by this guy. I was

by no means the first one, and probably not the last, as my parents would not press the charges because they did not want to

be involved in a court case. The police were flabbergasted because they could not believe their attitude. I was their star witness it

turned out because they finally had enough evidence to prosecute this bastard and put him away for good. One day, I was in a room

with the investigators and they informed me of some counseling service they had set up for me, free of charge. They said they

felt it would benefit me a great deal, as I had suffered a great deal of emotional trauma. My parents stepped in and said, "No, we

wont be needing that, the only help our daughter will need will come from the congregation". My own parents refused me any type

of counseling. No help, No support. The investigators took me aside and one of them put their arm around me a kindly smiled and

apolgized for all I had been thorugh, and that if I ever needed any professional help, they would again set it up for me anytime. They

also said they did not understand my parents, because clearly I was going to need help and was obviously not going to get any.

And with that, they sent us on our way, and into history.

This story is not told for the purposes of "poor me". I can happily say that after many years of a troubled and tumultouous life(too much

to explain here), I am very happy and In control of my life. I am in college and happily married with a teenage son. My whole point is

that I know first hand how sick and twisted some of these JWs can be. For me, there was no comfort, except for the kind policemen

who offered me reassurance that I would be okay, and even a kind pat on the back. They made sure I was comfortable when they

questioned me, offered me cold drinks, etc. They were so nice to me....I will never forget that. The elders????????? Need I say more?

That was the beginning of the end for me, I just did not realize it at the time. The JW organization has abused me in ways that are

basically unforgivable. I can TOTALLY identify with all those who have shared their experiences of molestations, rapes, etc. I know

first hand how things can and are handled. Even though my situation came about from someone on the outside, the same

principles still apply.

So, to anyone out there who does not believe our experiences, I say to you that this DOES happen. It is REAL. To all those who

have been there, I feel for you, because I know exactly what you say. The Society is just plain nuts on some of these so-called

disciplinary actions.

How could they? ................Publicly reprove a 15 year old girl that was raped ( maybe not forcibly), but it was still rape.

How???????

Thank You immensely for taking the time to read this.

Love, Vita

Edited by - Vitameatavegamin on 28 September 2002 23:43:13

26

i found a very interesting / sad thread on a true jw chat site that talked about what to do after armageddon occured.. of the 16 posters only 1 stated concern about the 6 billion people that will die that day.

how sad and selfish is that?

if god exists i would love to know what he thinks about this attidude.. http://groups.msn.com/jehovahswitnessesontheweb/general.msnw?action=get_message&mview=0&id_message=9100&lastmodified=4675382197663880489.

Vitameatavegamin

Worldly people don't account for much according to JWs. Funny thing is I know of more "worldly people" that have more

Christianity in their little finger than most JWs have in their entire lifetime!

It's just all more convoluted JW logic.

Thanks!

26

Witnesses DO NOT Love Each Other

by metatron in

jw
friends

the watchtower claims that witnesses love each other - and that this love marks them.

as being the true religion.. nonsense!.

witnesses love each other?.

Vitameatavegamin

JWs have what you would call conditonal love. Yeah, sure, they'll love you alright, as long as you're playing the game with

them. But the minute you slow down in your "kingdom" activities, the "love" disappears into thin air.

Personally, I think I have learned to be more loving and understanding, and also feel a better sense of spirituality since I left JWs.

JWs are way to exclusionary for my taste.

Can you say Pharisee?

Just my 2 cents worth.

Vita