Posts by William Penwell

30

After 52 years a Watchtower slave 9/11 gave me the push I needed to get out.

by new boy in

jw
friends

i turned in my letter of disassociation on september 18, 2001 but it was 9/11 that showed me what the witnesses really feel about human lives and the future wished for.. i was in limbo after my wife of 27 years left me on july 30, 2001. she knew i wasn't buying the jw program anymore.

she told me she come back to me when "i got my head straighten out about god and the church".. so for 40 days i was in limbo.

i stopped going to meetings.

William Penwell

So I really don't get all this insanity I hear all over the place about JW's believing billions will be destroyed at Armageddon. That completely contradicts what my roommate (and various other JW's I've known) has told me.

The way it was explained to me or my understanding of their teachings was that if you were destroyed at the big A, there is no second chance but all those that died before the big A would be resurrected to a paradise earth and given a second chance under perfect earth with no devil to tempt them. Then at the end of the six thousand year reign, the devil would be released to try and tempt away as many as he can. Then after some time, I guess when Jehovah feels that we have being tempted enough, the devil and all his followers would be destroyed forever. Makes sense to me....

30

After 52 years a Watchtower slave 9/11 gave me the push I needed to get out.

by new boy in

jw
friends

i turned in my letter of disassociation on september 18, 2001 but it was 9/11 that showed me what the witnesses really feel about human lives and the future wished for.. i was in limbo after my wife of 27 years left me on july 30, 2001. she knew i wasn't buying the jw program anymore.

she told me she come back to me when "i got my head straighten out about god and the church".. so for 40 days i was in limbo.

i stopped going to meetings.

William Penwell

What you are describing sounds very much like my ex brother in law. I could see him joyful that soon Jehovah will destroy all these wicked people at Armageddon. Every time there was some tragic news event on the evening news it was like he was taking delight in the fact that thousands of people might be dying but this is the signs of the last days. Just sick. Even as a dub this would turn me off.

I recall one of the last times I went to a convention, with my parents was shortly after 9/11. Some good elder friend of the family that we had known for years came over and talked to us. With the dubs the fact that I was not a good active dub was common knowledge so, he kinda mumbled something under his breath but loud enough for me to hear, "oh it is a wonder how some start coming back just because a couple planes flew into some buildings". You know that was my real wake up call as I don't think I went to too many more WT meetings or conventions after that.

28

Daughter doesn't want me to push my beliefs on her

by jws in

jw
friends

so i was talking with my daughter the other day and she tells me that she doesn't want me to push my beliefs on her.i am agnostic.

which isn't a belief.

it's a lack of belief.

William Penwell

You want her to be a critical thinker which she isn't but you can't just teach that, she has to want to do it for herself.

48

Happiness and Freedom On A Paradise Earth?

by Disassociated Lady 2 in

at a recent meeting there was a watchtower article about life in paradise.

they were saying that even when witnesses finally get there they will still be under the strict instructions from the elders and gb.

they may be given jobs that they will find unpleasant, also the preaching work will be ongoing because of all the resurrected people who need to learn about why they are given another chance.

William Penwell

If I have to obey these mindless elders, having them watch over me every second for eternity or die at Armageddon, I will take the later.

72

Paranormal Warning

by Cold Steel in

i've heard some weird stories coming from jws about the paranormal.

i know about the warnings about items that come from unbelievers -- those don't interest me as much.

what i am interested in are actual experiences in stories of the paranormal you've heard or experienced yourself.

William Penwell

Oh yeah I recall as a teenager this one poor elderly sister that lived down in a very poor area. She was one of the "anointed" but was a little funny in the head. She would hear noises at night and claimed it was the demons. Well the house she was in was very old a dilapidated and the noises I figure were either her imagination or maybe rats that got in her basement or attic.

72

Paranormal Warning

by Cold Steel in

i've heard some weird stories coming from jws about the paranormal.

i know about the warnings about items that come from unbelievers -- those don't interest me as much.

what i am interested in are actual experiences in stories of the paranormal you've heard or experienced yourself.

William Penwell

All the stories I ever heard were friends of a friend experienced these things. Nothing scientifically verifiable. Like I recall the story about the sister that went to a door and the person at the door was a killer but he wouldn't touch the witness sister because she was protected by two big angels. This was circulated like it was gospel truth. Now with the internet, doing a little research you will find this was an urban legend, it never happened. I bet there is still dubs that pass this story around to this day.

All stories of demons and evil spirit stories was the WT's way of scarring you into staying in the organization.

21

Are the Elders harder on Women

by Steel in

i was having a discussion with an old friend last night.

her parents are divorced and his mother never became “one of jehovah witnesses “ .

long story short she claims elders are generally hardier on women than men.

William Penwell

My sister was married to one of these holier than thou elders that his word around his home was never to be questioned. My sister could never say anything and almost had a nervous breakdown until she came to her senses and left the pr*ck. Well because of his fine example now half the children don't want anything to do with the cult.

Oh yeah I forgot to add that after my sister left him and wanted a divorce, she got a lot of pressure from the other elders in the congregation to go back to him. I believe they do treat woman as second class citizens.

30

Harmagedon backpack... Are we retarded??

by sp74bb in

jw
friends

sorry for this matter has been already discussed.. i got shocked after watching this video:.

kingdom hall disaster demonstration.

this is really insane !!!

William Penwell

Keep your followers in fear and then you can control them. The dubs are not the only ones that use that tactic.

46

"You will never grow old in this present system of things" -- some campaign tools

by FatFreek 2005 in

i am approaching 76 years old.

i can clearly recall that awake!

statement and similar during the pre-1975 hype -- "staying alive in '75", et al.

William Penwell

It was 1920 that they published "Millions Now Living Will Never Die". Next time I see a JW, I'd like to ask them about that. And ask if they'd double-down on that now.

Just like the 1975 fiasco is being rewritten for the new ones coming in today, so was the "Millions Now Living Will Never Die" was rewritten for us growing up in the 70's.

34

'Strange' Australian Melbourne Baptisms

by darkspilver in

jw
friends

not seen this before, or at least haven't registered it before.

maybe it's just a traditional style?.

i mean it's basically a glorified cattle trough?

William Penwell

I recall 40 years ago before they built their Assembly Hall locally when the society would just rent out a local theatre. They had some sort of an old cattle trough they would bring along and set up for baptism. As a matter of fact I think that is what they used when I was baptised some 40 years ago.