" a nashville swingers club has undergone a conversion it now says that it is a church in order to win city approval, so that it can open next to a christian school.
" (associated press).
the article explains, "a church is something that cannot be defined under the u.s. constitution"..... wt lawyers explain to the court all of the time; 'you can't interfere with our internal church policies, or you will be infringing on our first amendment rights.
" A Nashville swingers club has undergone a conversion — it now says that it is a church — in order to win city approval, so that it can open next to a Christian school." (Associated Press)
The article explains, "a church is something that cannot be defined under the U.S. Constitution"....
WT lawyers explain to the court all of the time; 'you can't interfere with our internal church policies, or you will be infringing on our first amendment rights.'
Awesome! Congratulations!
This movie reminds me of what the WT does to people.... but what gives me hope is that, just like what happens in this movie, there have been, and are people, willing to expose them.
heyo,.
your favorite garrett here.
so, i'm about to have an elder tell me allll about the failed 1975 doctrine.
CalebinFloroda... Funny, I went to that Star Wars movie, and we loved it so much we all (the whole group that went) wondered, "Will the second come out before Armageddon?" I mean we really, really, really wanted Armageddon to 'hold off' so that we could see the next one!
i saw this coming since my mother-in-law's funeral .... the congregation's "love-bombing" over my wife had its impact.
i watched her drawing closer and closer to her friends in the congregation.
then she decided she would attend the memorial.
So sorry EdenOne.... this is one of the toughest things to go thru... but I agree w/Billy, her bipolar probs, or other physical needs are bound to resurface... and that will have to make her think. You will be there..
What about your child? How old? Perhaps he or she can be a support to you? or even help mom think? Kids have a way of making the obscure obvious, and they are so innocent, you have to think about it, right? I mean you have to answer your child's questions, it is hard to ignore.
Giving her good memories, good times you spend together (like someone said: playing cards? doing puzzles? maybe she likes to shop (what woman doesn't?) so have FUN shopping with her.... whatever you do together be involved mentally) If her JW friends are only 'plastic', and are only interested in 'getting her back' then their love bombing shall soon lighten up.
I remember when my husband & I had stopped going so much, I got a call from a sister who said "you are my householder" can we talk? This was obviously one of their attempts to "lure" me back... I liked giving talks, and I had a "sense of responsibility" about me... "my duty" "my part"... but by that time, no way. I didn't even call her back, didn't want to explain anything. So, like all have said, people want 'friends.'
I thought I had more. I thought I was reallllllllly going to be able to help them get out! Reason with them... Nope. If your wife has seen behind the curtain, and hates hypocrisy, she will soon see the shallowness of her so called 'friends.'... and someone else said, she'll be the single one, w/o the husband... and you just don't do as many things, get invited to as many things.
I went to a BBQ w/o my husband (decided not to go at the last minute) and although I am a very social person, I felt "on the outside" of the party, because I had just seen too much. I can't fake it either. I hate hypocrisy also. This helped me see I wasn't missing much. Maybe your wife will be able to see the same thing, that "she's not missing much." She just might have to do it herself... that way, it won't be your decision to leave, but hers.
A close family member dying. A lot of people can't bear the idea of never seeing them again, and want to believe in the whole JW resurrection, don't worry, life will be ok soon thing. That is a hard thing to come to grips with.
Hang in there, it most likely will take a while, but let us know how it goes. (((cha ching)))
i read here regularly and although i haven't joined in, i really appreciate all the wonderful contributions from those who are willing to share their experiences.... .
i was a convert.
i won't go into the whole history ( perhaps another day) - my story could easily be recognised in the small town where i live, with my husband.. so, we stopped going to the meetings around a period of time when we were going through severe emotional difficulties - at that point, we needed unconditional family love - the hectic, forced jw dinner parties and social occasions gave no real comfort.
Sorry for your pain WingCommander, we can all feel what you have gone thru.... It is real, and it hurts. Hugs.
KateWild... hugs to you too...
Hope you are feeling better today, Alive! :-)
Yep, much better "out" of the Borg...
ChaChing
i read here regularly and although i haven't joined in, i really appreciate all the wonderful contributions from those who are willing to share their experiences.... .
i was a convert.
i won't go into the whole history ( perhaps another day) - my story could easily be recognised in the small town where i live, with my husband.. so, we stopped going to the meetings around a period of time when we were going through severe emotional difficulties - at that point, we needed unconditional family love - the hectic, forced jw dinner parties and social occasions gave no real comfort.
Dear Alive, hugs to you and your hubby... Both my husband and I, and our two boys and daughter in law made it out! We are your age, I had friends "for life", and the same thing happened to me when I tried to ask questions, or explain something...
Really, after reading on this site for almost two years, you come to realize that all of the GOOD people are the ones leaving. They have a conscience, they really do care about people. Not that the others cannot awaken, but people who have their consciences disturbed, and will not put up with lies or deceit, are really the honest hearted ones.
If asked if we would follow Jesus principles if it conflicted with man made rules, we would. Even if people would disagree. Doing what is right is more important than following men. It's very weird, but that is what I thought I was taught, but do not see it.
I had a friend come to visit, and she just 'gushed' over having gone to Bethel, and sat in a chair, that one of the governing body's wife's had! Wow!
It's not you, really, that has the problem... As many others have said "the same happened to me," that is because they are brainwashed, and programmed to say the same thing. I had the very same thing happen to me when I said "those meetings are boring' (I was talking about RBC meetings, but she was talking about Zone meetings) and she hung up on me... "How could I talk about our dear brothers like that?"
Jehovah's Witnesses do not have real, true, deep faith... otherwise, they COULD talk about any thing without fear...
Try the meetup.com or meet with people who like to do the same as you, pursue some hobby you always wished to have time to do... Go dancing!! My fave!
Luv, cha ching!
i've been lurking for about 3 months now and thought i'd better finally sign up.
you have all been an immense help to me as i have come to realize that this isn't the truth so i want to say a great big thank you!
what a crazy, emotional ride it is to finally face the truth about the doubts that i have carried for many years.
My husband was an elder for over 30+ years... We were both witnesses for over 45-50 years... We were working on RBC's, all of that...
Both of us started waking up about the same time... starting with "overlapping generations." Then the statement "we are not inspired, we are led by the Holy Spirit"....
Then 607... We took the 2011 Watchtowers apart. We are readers also, we looked up all the references, I looked up 607 in every single WT / AW and book off the WT CD. No one was going to accuse me of "jumping to conclusions," I was going to know for SURE, from their OWN literature.... So sad to say that it makes no difference what you find, or read to anyone.... They are "loyal", they are "brainwashed," they have had things repeated over and over and over for years and years and years, and that it why they "all speak as one..." Just as the Borg.
Once we saw that they were lying, had been numerologists, and also asking for MONEY, which as a child I heard "when we have to ask for money"....Jehovah is not with us. We had noticed them asking for money before the assembly began, telling us how 'behind by $6,000 the second day of the C.A., and then WOW! We made it! and have extra, and let's donate it to NY! Yay!!"
Then there was the great provision of "willing your life savings, house, clothing, car, rings, jewelery and gold teeth to the Society, and hey! we'll even donate our lawyers to help you! That was sad.
With the internet, and all of the resources at my disposal, I read old books "Finished Mystery" and saw - like you- the pattern they have... I read about how many steps it was from the printing press in one NY city to the building in another (and don't forget to minus the steps when they changed the Hoboken tunnel!) and whoala! you have exactly 1,420 (?) steps, furlongs, whatevers, just like Ezekiel? predicted! WowWW!! This made me cry.... I had seen the pattern. It was just like the book "Animal Farm"... "let the older ones die off, tell the younger ones the new story." They simply change when it is "evidently" necessary......
I even looked up every time they said "evidently" and "apparently" .... That is very telling too.... Yes, I read. I made sure.
Friends. People who had known me soooo long. People I trusted. Nope, do NOT think they will actually listen and think. They will be afraid. I had a sister shaking, trembling, telling me I had made her frightened. What did I ask her? I asked, "If Jesus is directing the congregation since 1914, why did he have me teach my B.S. that all people from Sodom and Gomorrah were going to be resurrected (and my B.S. said "But it says here in the Bible they won't be" .... I was so embarrassed to say, "but what does it say in the book?) and then a couple of months later NEW LIGHT! They won't be resurrected!
I told her how embarrassed I was, and if it's 'new light', then why has it changed more than once? "It doesn't sound like new light, it's more like Jesus is turning the light off, on, off, on....
Really think hard before you act... It seems like people should be reasonable, after all that is what we expected people to do for US when WE went door to door, right? We tell people to "look at the evidence".... so we think that witnesses should do the same...
My other friend, when I explained to her what was going on with these child abuse cases, what did she do? The next time I called, she said "Mary? There is no Mary at this number" Straight to my ears... I could not believe it.
So, as everyone, every, everyone here has said and advised, "Think long and hard and wait and think before you act..." Maybe even a few months before you decide... and don't talk. Let it all settle in, get a clear picture, a clear goal.
what is the wackiest...strangest....most unusual jw teaching or practice?
PS... The GB are "not inspired", but are "led" by the Holy Spirit.
Since they are not "inspired", are not "prophets", cannot get anything right the first time, must always be updating with 'new light', why listen to them? What good are they?
"Evidently," not for much.
what is the wackiest...strangest....most unusual jw teaching or practice?
Ditto to Oubliette.... & "Evidently" is the "trump card" / "get out of jail free" word used by the "Society" when they can't face, don't want to face reality, don't want to admit the truth.
"Let's just use the word 'evidently'"... 'Sounds good to me,' 'You?' 'Totally!' All in favor of 'evidently'? All agreed.... Since we all agree, it's the "Holy Spirit"...
http://www.cbsnews.com/videos/48-hours-investigates-accused-killer-who-impersonated-journalist/ .
48 hours investigates accused killer who impersonated journalist.
march 27, 2015, 8:20 am|a journalist strikes up an unlikely friendship with an accused killer who took his name -- what happened next would become a book and a film.
Thx, SparrowDown, I am always interested in what type of thing helps people awaken... Sometimes doctrine, sometimes just the simple everyday "what are these people realllllllly like" situations.... like not really being as "loving" or "do unto your neighbor as your self" or being more interested in who is rich and popular...
Sometimes that is what helps people recognize this is not "the truth," or "holy spirit" is not directing these people, or "what is Jesus doing in heaven for these last 100+ years? does he allow this? does he direct this?"
