as 2004 winds down and my 4th year of association at this board winds down as well, my posting stats accurately reflect a transitition that been going on for me with respect to the jw religion, a process that is quite natural and healthy.
i'm sure that many members have had a similar experience.
here's a rundown of four years here for me: .
Mouthy,
It is interesting seeing Dansk's reply...and revisiting this thread each year thus far has been kind of like seeing a snapshot in terms of time and place.
No more kool aid,
We've lighted the tree and, this year, even put decorations outside for the first time (we don't have an outlet out front so it's just a ribbon and bows) but so far, no calls from elders. I do wonder when that might change. It's almost as if we're daring them.
Tex, Lisa, Scarred:
Good seeing you again!
have posted this on the other thread but just making this one as well:
i need to let you know that dad passed away this morning at 8am.
he fought so hard but in the end they could not get his blood pressure to rise and he died of heart failure.
The photo of you and your dad is very nice; I'm sorry for your loss and hope that you can find comfort during this very difficult time!
"I won't chase him anymore but let him come to me if he wants." Maybe that was the problem. If he perceives some desperation on your part, he likely won't be interested.
as 2004 winds down and my 4th year of association at this board winds down as well, my posting stats accurately reflect a transitition that been going on for me with respect to the jw religion, a process that is quite natural and healthy.
i'm sure that many members have had a similar experience.
here's a rundown of four years here for me: .
Yet another year has passed. I stopped by briefly this summer only to find that Jehovah had at last dealt Satan (Simon; starts with an S and has five letters, and has been bent on disrupting God's purposes, so the comparison is apt) a blow, forcing the closing of this board.
i saw someone make their first post today.
i thought the ark door was already closed.
what gives?
Maybe they are not aware that this board is set to self-destruct in 5 seconds...
Even when I was an elder, I didn't pray. I prayed only when called upon, or at family meals (which I eventually stopped doing).
Instead of telling someone "you're in my prayers", I'll say "you're in my thoughts".
I'm not bashing prayer or, in this case, even questioning God's existence. It's just that I am actually uncomfortable with the notion of prayer. On a certain level, it bothers me. I can't even put my finger exactly on it - but it has something to do with "talking" to an invisible person.
i know that the wtbts generally dont give two hoots about the elders (this weeks wt describes the elders as imperfect , make mistakes etc while making no such admission for the fds) but it is interesting that the thrust of much of the recent changes is to reduce the elders workload.
notice three recent changes.
reduction from taking an hours book study every week to an occasional 30 minute study.
When I was an elder (during the '90s) I would have loved less of a workload. It was simply unrelenting. This is a good move. It just came far, far too late, and after much, too much damage was done.
since they came out with the study edition of the watchtower magazine in january, i have noticed a trend.
some of you have probably noticed this as well if you have been attending any of the meetings.. with the exception of changing their base doctrine about "this generation" and 1914, the articles don't discuss or reveal or even reiterate doctrine anymore.
marriage mates, parents, children, elderly.
I agree that the dumbing down may well be due to the Internet effect, as it were.
In line with that, I think the WTS might be very reluctant to put out doctrinal/interpretation material because of the need for revision later. Stuff about conduct/actions generally doesn't need to be revised.
i've had this theory for some time and alluded to it occassionally but have never explored it in detail.. it is of course a huge generalisation so no, not everyone will fit into the boxes and i'd like people's opinion.
i don't know everyone's circumstances so it's based on a small sample of some of those i do know something about.
it could be completely wrong, it's just an idea.. basically, i have seen a difference between some of those ex-jws who walked out vs those who were kicked out.. the most bitter and obsessive seem to be the kicked out and, i must add, those who were legitimately kicked out.
I agree with comments made by Cluless and Wednesday. Getting kicked out can leave someone with some serious, unresolved issues that simmer/boil for a long time......... ..........Let's say for instance some kid is raised a jw, gets baptized, then commits some "sin" such as immorality as the hormones kick in and pretty much take over. Said person gets kicked out after being judged "unrepentant" because the simply can't get a good enough (for the WTS) handle on their sexual impulses. ........It's not surprising at all to me that said person would place blame on the Organization. It's frustrating when the group standard is so high, and a person feels like a failure when unable to attain to it. Kicked out, they may very well lash out. Not surprising. >>>>>>>>>I really think that every person who fits such a 'mold' should avail themselves to psychiatric counseling. It could be very helpful in dealing with the crushing feeling of being judged a failure and having to somehow deal with that.
when i was exiting, i would read this board and i learned a lot.
there were tons of people that were realizing the truth about the organization.
i had already read critical books about jws but this site was a daily, regular "spiritual feeding".
This board was quite instrumental at the time (late 90s, early 00s) when I was really beginning to question things inside the Borg. I was still an elder when I came across this place. Now I'm over 5 years removed from my last meeting at a KH. .............I haven't been hanging here much in recent years (didn't even post last year) but that's because the board had already provided me with what I needed. ..............The highlight was my first (and only to date) Apostofest 3 years ago. Also, coming across some folks who to this day remain good online friends. ..............I do miss those heady early days. The board was more controversial, with big breaking stories like the UN scandal, etc. The chat room was lively, and I was making new friends. The board is still OK, but I miss those earlier days.
