Posts by Alligator Wisdom

27

Regrets of Being Brought up as a Witness

by chuckie77 in

ive never really been one to say a whole lot against the organisation, even though i was really unhappy in the years leading up to getting out of it, i still think theres so many good, peace loving and genuine people in it.

that said i was brought up as a witness and sometimes feel like ive been robbed of a true childhood.. my dad was a lot older than my mum, and was almost 50 when i was born.

he was the po in the cong and being a witness was, and still is, everything to him.

Alligator Wisdom

Regrets? Definitely!

Biggest regret is not learning to know how to love God (Mark 12:30). Sure, those in the congregation "said" love many times. They even "said" Jehovah loves. They "said" that they loved Jehovah. Why is it that I felt that their words were only that, words? It was obvious for me while growing up that to love Jehovah was to show terror. I was inculcated with a rabid fear of God.

When I would meet my neighbors at the door in field service, I would come across several Christians who really showed that they loved God. It was evident by their demeanor and by how they elevated God in their daily affairs in life. As a pharisee-like JW, I was perplexed. However, consider me now like Nicodemus in the night!

Alligator Wisdom (aka Brother NOT Exerting Vigorously)

Chuckie ~ continue on your quest and we all are happy to hear you. You're not rambling. Venting, as I discovered, helps.

8

Flying under radar

by Alligator Wisdom in

for those who are still "active" yet don't profess that the wts is god's organization, how do you do it?

do you expect to be in much longer?

will you stay in?

Alligator Wisdom

Thanks Auldsoul for your reply. I knew that you and Blondie are in somewhat of the same circumstances that I'm in. (BTW, your post and comments in line with the Bible Teach book was excellent. I made notations from your post into the book.)

I was only wondering if it was inevitable that I would leave the WTS permanently. But I suppose that I only can make that choice. I doesn't make me feel alone, though, when I see/hear/read all of the comments of ones that are in the predicament as I.

Sorry to everyone if I posted this topic under the wrong "subject matter" (Beliefs, Doctrines and Practices).

Alligator Wisdom (aka Brother Not Exerting Vigorously)

12

Out of the mouths of babes

by mrsjones5 in

this morning at the breakfast table my eight year old daugther asked if my mother went to church.

i told her yes and they call it a kingdom hall.

my oldest son (he's twelve) pipes in "yeah, it's a boring place.

Alligator Wisdom

The horror!

I was 5 years old when I first stepped into a KH. I tried to endure the best that any 5 year old would under threats. However, I did get the slaps and pinches for being squirmy in my seat. Even though I was never taken in the back room (2nd hall) for the beating, I knew many children that did. I always felt that there was a need for someplace where children, especially toddlers, can go to in a KH that would accomodate them accordingly. Don't get me wrong. Discipline is needed. But there is a clear difference between the normal toddler who gets into minor mischief and one who is like "Chucky".

Who instills this programming in these parents? The elders? The publications?

I don't know nor see the logic.

8

Flying under radar

by Alligator Wisdom in

for those who are still "active" yet don't profess that the wts is god's organization, how do you do it?

do you expect to be in much longer?

will you stay in?

Alligator Wisdom

How do you do it?

For those who are still "active" yet don't profess that the WTS is God's organization, how do you do it? Do you expect to be in much longer? Will you stay in?

I know that there are many here who are already out and I understand why. But there must be a handful of those on this board that are still "active" and are keeping ties in one way or another with the WTS although their feelings about the organization has changed. I'm looking for their response as I too am flying under radar.

Alligator Wisdom (aka Brother Not Exerting Vigorously)

15

Lets go to the church but stand outside

by Wordly Andre in

i am so sick of this!

i have a split family, some non-jw and some jw, and ever since i was a young kid, ive noticed this silly fear of entering a church, i remember i must have been about 9 years old when my uncle died and my family went to the funeral, but we stood outside, and even at that young age i remember it felt wrong, like we were disrespecting my dead uncle and his family.

like ive wrote on this board before, i told my parents when at 15 i didnt want to go to meetings anymore and was never baptized, when i was 18 my great uncle died and at the funeral i went into the church for mass, when it was over i walked outside all the rest of my family were outside waiting, they all gave me dirty looks like i was just caught with a prostitute.

Alligator Wisdom

While an elder I have been to several weddings and funerals in churches and I could've cared less but I did make a point not to tell anyone we went.

I've done that a few times myself and accomplished such safely. I must admit that I did a quick look-around before entering the building (not that it would have deterred me anyways if I did make eye contact with a fellow JW passing by on the street).

24

I know I shouldn't let it but it gets right up my nose

by uriah in

when i am having a conversation with a family member who is a jw about the jw's and how i wasted the best years of my life following a cult, they come back with .

"yes but being a jw saved you from std's, drugs..." and all the usual stuff jw's are supposed to be protected from.

it seems to me that jw's think that they are the only people in the world who do the right thing and anyone else is up to their neck in crap, doing drugs and other unsplendid things and being a jw 'saved' me from these things as i am bound to have done them if i hadn't have been one.

Alligator Wisdom

"It seems to me that JW's think that they are the only people in the world who do the right thing and anyone else is up to their neck in crap, doing drugs and other unsplendid things..."

That's exactly what I felt when they would put up "airs" like that. But it didn't take too long before I noticed that there were some in the congregation who committed immorality, did drugs, used foul language...etc.They were finger pointing at those who weren't witnesses while ignoring the fact that JW's are just as much the same slice of the community.

Luke 18:10,11 comes to mind.

Alligator Wisdom (aka Brother Not Exerting Vigorously)

53

Revelation "Adjustments": Complete Analysis

by V in

reference update.

chapter 6. .

reference update.

Alligator Wisdom

All these progressive ~~light~~ mistakes have been so instrumental in my quest to serve God in "spirit and truth" (John 4:24). The man made teachings of the WTS has been exposed now more than ever!

The Revelation Book with its revisions!

I knew it would happen. I just knew it.

Alligator Wisdom (aka Brother Not Exerting Vigorously)

11

my disassociation drafts, longish but i'd like comments....

by isthisit in

jw
friends

<div> <div> <div>we decided to leave before being pushed, these are my letters, her letters are very similar but she is still working on them, any suggestions would be more than welcome....bear in mind my dad is po, should this change anything?

<br></br> ________________________________________________________________________________________________-- brothers this is perhaps the hardest letter i have had to write, and it is likewise the letter that i least expect to have to write.

as of this letter being received, i no longer consider myself as a jehovahs witness.

Alligator Wisdom

Yes, principles are far better than the letter of the law. (Matthew 9:13 & Luke 8:43-48)

Has your fiance received a divorce by the legal courts in your area? If so, then that is when principles are involved (Mark 12:17 & Romans 13:1) and the shephards in your congregation (if they are Christlike) should reflect that. Too bad that they must follow the dictates of Brooklyn to the letter of the law.

Congratulations!

Alligator Wisdom ( aka Brother Not Exerting Vigorously )

11

When did the Society start making territory cards?

by truthseeker in

jw
friends

i'm curious to know when the territory card system came out.

any ideas?.

in some congs i have been in, the territory servant is printing out the maps in color for each car group.

Alligator Wisdom

When the C.O. made his next visit, that, was the end of that. We had to go back to the old ones. We all had to be "united in worship" you know.

He said something to the effect of "don't alter what the Society gives you. It's done for a reason.".

I remember that happening as well in my former congregation. Nit-picking while using the "united in worship" line was paramount with those taking the lead. Often times "reasons" can't even be explained logically by such ones. That really made me see that they depended on the need to function outwardly instead of focusing on the love of Christ.

21

Are JW's cold people?

by JH in

jw
friends

.

in all the years i attended meetings, i don't recall seeing anyone kiss anyone there....... all i saw were handshakes.. not even any hugs.. i thought of this a few days ago, when my cousin came over to visit my old parents, and when he left, he gave a warm handshake and slight hug to my dad and hugged and kissed my mom on each cheek.. you don't see this at the kh.

Alligator Wisdom

I know of several sisters who not only hesitated to shake hands with me, but we even did "high-fives". Does that seems odd to anyone? By the way, I have been married for over several years and these sisters were either married or single. Sometimes hugs were given, provided that the circumstances was a solemn one.