Julia Orwell

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Posts by Julia Orwell

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  24

  The real danger of "end times" thinking

  by new22day in

  1. watchtower
  2. bible

  if the world is going to come to an end doesn't it drain one's motivation to make the world a better place?

  is religion just giving people a free pass to apathy and letting them off the hook?

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  Julia Orwell

  I will tell you my own experience, and it is partly what you have stated. However, I could not help feeling sorry for the people suffering, yet thinking God is gonna fix it soon does sort of make you feel ok, yet I had to harden my face and pretend I couldn't see them when the Salvos or World Vision were collecting near the mall.

  The biggest thing for me regarding end time thinking was not something I realised until I realised that this was not actually the end time in my opinion, or thinking that if it is, God is not going to kill the 7 billion other people including my close family. Once I shed WT eschatology only a couple of months ago and no longer felt the burden of guilt I'd been carrying regarding my unbelieving family for the last 15 years, and realised that Jesus did not come to kill but to save, my depression got unbelievably better! I was onto half the medication within a week. I felt free from the burden of seeing the innocent multitude of people around me killed, and the fear that my mother's body was going to be eaten by crows.

  If you ask me, I found the biggest problem with end times belief is the constant fear of it, and then the guilt that comes from fearing something I should, according to the WT, been looking forward to, and the subsequent self-plaguing that came from not wanting it to come, and then the guilt that came from the conclusion that I must "love the world" and therefore be an enemy of God. It was a complex feeling that dogged me for years.

  As for charity, yes, I thought like you stated above, that there was no point to it. Now, really understanding what Jesus' message was, is that charity is not just for your JW brothers but for everyone! He helped everyone who asked him, no matter whether they were going to follow Him.

  Just my rant. I'm newly awakened after my whole adult life, and finally free from cognitive dissonnance. So forgive me if I rant, because I've found my passion.
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  2

  BOE Letter: District convention programs posted on jw.org

  by pixel in

  1. watchtower
  2. beliefs

  to all congregations .

  re: district convention programs posted on jw.org .

  dear brothers: .

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  Julia Orwell

  These changes are all very confusing. I wonder how the oldies (as we call em in my cong) keep up with all this?

  I slept on the floor in the infirmary for most of last year's DC anyway. I plan to do the same this year.
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  26

  I asked an elder today...from the horse's mouth!

  by Julia Orwell in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  today's watchtower made out that the combining of branch offices around the world is a loving provision from jehovah to streamline the production, but i had to ask an elder afterwards, even though i already knew the answer.... "if the wts is selling off bethels and brooklyn property and cutting the publishing costs and commitments, then where is all that money going?".

  elder replies, "well the donations are just not coming in anymore and so they have to sell off property to stay afloat.".

  gee, i thought if this was jehovah's approved organisation carrying vital truth to the world, then he'd be making sure the donations would be sufficient.

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  Julia Orwell

  Where are you EdenOne? I'm in Australia. I checked the noticeboard at the hall, and I calculated that the congregations in my city, if they all contributed the same as mine, and mind you, ours is the smallest cong in our city, that we would give at least $120 000 AUD a year. And Sydney, Melbourne and Brisbane are bigger than the Gold Coast, many times bigger. So Australia alone is contributing a mint, and the US is more than 10 times bigger than Australia so there must be like a billion dollars coming from the US.

  I remember it said in Revelation something about the waters drying up...I wonder if this was prophesied?
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  53

  Why Did You Get Baptised

  by God_Delusion in

  1. jw
  2. experiences

  hi guys,.

  so then, why did you get dunked?

  were you pressured into it too, or did you do it because you honestly thought it was the right thing to do?.

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  Julia Orwell

  " The whole JW thing for me was a kind of rebellion against my parents. It gave me acceptance that I did not get at home. At the time, believe it or not, being a dub actually improved my life. I got acceptance and friendship from my peers, praise from my elders, time away from home (meetings and service were a pleasure compared to our home life), eating out after service, and travel to assemblies in different locations."

  The social thing was big for me too. I didn't have many friends in high school and here I had heaps of people who loved me. I'm still friends with them. They don't know I'm a closet "apostate".
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  53

  Why Did You Get Baptised

  by God_Delusion in

  1. jw
  2. experiences

  hi guys,.

  so then, why did you get dunked?

  were you pressured into it too, or did you do it because you honestly thought it was the right thing to do?.

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  Julia Orwell

  I did it because I really thought it was the right thing to do. I started associating with JWs when I was 15, much to my parents' upset, and got baptised at 19. I so badly loved God and wanted to dedicate myself to Him. I still serve Him, and have now come to have a relationship with Lord Jesus whom I love so much.
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  20

  Time of Trouble: Knocking on the Door of Jehovah's Witnesses (interesting article)

  by ldrnomo in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  found this article on gawker.com.

  check it out i'd like to get your thoughts:.

  http://gawker.com/5986407/time-of-trouble-knocking-on-the-door-of-the-jehovahs-witnesses?post=57721553.

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  Julia Orwell

  He must have visited a pretty crusty congregation, and I've seen ones like it. The ones around here are pretty vibrant though, thank goodness!
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  26

  I asked an elder today...from the horse's mouth!

  by Julia Orwell in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  today's watchtower made out that the combining of branch offices around the world is a loving provision from jehovah to streamline the production, but i had to ask an elder afterwards, even though i already knew the answer.... "if the wts is selling off bethels and brooklyn property and cutting the publishing costs and commitments, then where is all that money going?".

  elder replies, "well the donations are just not coming in anymore and so they have to sell off property to stay afloat.".

  gee, i thought if this was jehovah's approved organisation carrying vital truth to the world, then he'd be making sure the donations would be sufficient.

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  Julia Orwell

  Today's Watchtower made out that the combining of branch offices around the world is a loving provision from Jehovah to streamline the production, but I had to ask an elder afterwards, even though I already knew the answer...

  "If the WTS is selling off bethels and Brooklyn property and cutting the publishing costs and commitments, then where is all that money going?"

  Elder replies, "Well the donations are just not coming in anymore and so they have to sell off property to stay afloat."

  Gee, I thought if this was Jehovah's approved organisation carrying vital truth to the world, then He'd be making sure the donations would be sufficient. I didn't say that bit of course. My next question to him might be along those lines.

  To tell you the truth, I honestly thought he'd give me the 'approved' answer, so it was refreshing to hear the real reason, from a company-man's mouth. What do you think? Have you had a similar experience?
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  45

  It's a miserable life --- Really?

  by Lady Lee in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  i was at the check-out counter sitting in my wheelchair, listening to the customer behind me talk to the cashier.

  he looks at her and says she looks tired.

  she rings through one more of my purchases and she it has been a long day.

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  Julia Orwell

  Yep it's a matter of the glass being half full or empty. And also, there are medical reasons to be miserable, such as depression. When you have that disease, and I know from experience, the glass is always half empty. And maybe people have been dealt a dud hand - then it's up to them whether they become a survivor or a victim.
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  119

  How many of you followed the WTS direction on education years ago and have been screwed by it?

  by Julia Orwell in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  i'm really interested in this question because i've heard for years that if you forgo further education and go pioneering, when you have a family down the track you will get a good job because jehovah will provide for you because you pioneered.

  as long as i was a kool-aid drinker, even then, i thought, "how does pioneering pay your bills?

  surely education should come first.

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  Julia Orwell

  Holy moly! What vehement responses! Thanks so much, and I know there will be more replies in the next day or two. Some of these stories are truly shocking. I bet though that they're only the tip of the iceberg.

  When I was studying at age 18-19 I dropped out of my psychology degree because 1. I didn't like it but 2, because I thought like a lot of you thought, that the end was near and university was evil. Of course my non-believing mum hit the roof, and even the sister who was studying with me said I should go back. I floated for the next year, got baptised unable to get out of fast food and decided to go back to uni and do teaching. Bloody glad I did! I also had the opportunity through work to get a business certificate and a vocational teaching certificate.

  I've always told the kids in my congregation to get some sort of education or trade. Vocational education is not so frowned upon here in Australia (ie a trade or an administration course or other 6-month course at a technical institution) but university will get you viewed with suspicion.
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  18

  I ran into an active JW...surprised

  by nolongerconfused in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  so as you all know, i have fully faded...i'm completely out and have not told the elders or da myself...just faded 100%.... so i run into an active jw, different congregation, and as i walk past him i say, "hey so and so, how are you doing?

  "....he looks down, doesnt dare look at me in the eyeball and keeps walking...then a split second later he turns around and says, hey man, aren't yuo disfellowshipped?....

  i was like wtf?...lol, i said "not that i know of"...i asked him who told him such thing?...he wouldnt tell me who, but he had "heard"...so i just left it at that and told him if he wants to know then to contact my ex-elders.... my thing is, could the elders have df'ed me without me knowing it?...i have not been accused of their so called "apostasy", nor have i received a letter requesting info or to set up a meeting, nor a call...the coordinating elder (formally president/presiding overseer) still texts me all the time saying hi etc...no religious texts or anything like that).

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  Julia Orwell

  Even before I learned TTATT this would have made me cringe.

  Later that day, during lunch, Katty, an inactive

  deaf Witness, approached Gabriela to ask about

  the convention. Gabriela replied frankly: “It was

  beautiful! But now as a baptized Witness, I want to

  stay faithful to Jehovah. So I must let you know

  that I can’t be your friend anymore because you live

  an unclean life. Being your friend can affect my

  friendship with God. You need to change.