do you still hope to live forever?
I want to live forever, but not as a sort of 'Stepford Wife' which is how I imagine it as a JW. I don't want to be a robot.
I want to believe in everlasting life and a resurrection because I want to see my little girl again. But I don't know what to believe anymore - like some have mentioned - I am pretty mixed up too
xxR
i believe all of you will be happy to hear that a jw friend of mine is finally willing to listen to me.
i have slowly but surely been breaking off little tid-bits of info about why i can't see the one true religion thing happening with the wts.
i have resisted the tremendous urge to "let 'em have it" and patience is prevailing.
Hi Gig,
Personally, I'd leave out the Bible study bit. All you need to do is explain why you left and the sincere reasons you have for questioning the WT. It isn't up to you to make up your friend's mind for him/her - that's what the WTBTS is doing all the time. It makes you sit, have a study, swallow what they teach and believe it or else. Just explain why you felt some things didn't ring true. If they are questioning things anyway, I am sure they will find their way. Do they have access to the net? If so, direct them to a site such as this - I know it has certainly helped me in a very short space of time. The people here have such tremendous knowledge about the Bible and they don't judge you. You could just say you are there whenever they feel the need to talk. Don't be tempted to go in too strong.
Just my thoughts anyway
xxR
how's this weekend faring?
today mrs ozzie and i have been to our second xmas end-of-year party of the season.
food good, beer ok, but no shiraz!
Ozzie,
I loved numbers 1,2,3,4,5, 6 and 13,14,15
It always held a magical appeal even though I knew I was supposed to hate it.
I also worked over Xmas & Boxing day and earned a packet.
xxR
.
can anyone help me please, i think i remember a scripture something like; 'if a man tells you to do something and doesn't do it himself, don't listen to him'.
i cannot find it, i thought it was in proverbs(nwt) but maybe i imagined it.. anyway, it is possible that the co might visit me late december, i have made a few informal requests, and i'd like to be massively prepared.i have a whole array of un documents/info ready.. if you can help with the above scripture i'd be thrilled.. ta, meaty.
Meat pie,
You are highly honoured. I have missed tons of meetings, don't go on field service anymore, but have been told (by an elder's wife) that the CO won't be calling on me when he visits next month due to my attitude!!
I feel so left out!!
xxR
just a quick point - it may already have been covered.
if jws can now take blood components, where do they think the components come from?
don't they realise that someone has had to lie on a hospital bed for an hour or so whilst a pint of blood is taken from them?
Just a quick point - it may already have been covered. If so, sorry - I am new here.
If JWs can now take blood components, where do they think the components come from? Don't they realise that someone has had to lie on a hospital bed for an hour or so whilst a pint of blood is taken from them? ("A pint! That's nearly a armful!" Tony Hancock) Even if they take one tiny, weeny blood fraction, someone has had to donate a pint of blood in order for them to have this fraction. If they are not willing to give blood, and in fact think it is wrong to do so, they should not benefit from the fact that someone else has donated blood. Either you take blood (in which case, you MUST donate it, no matter how small a fraction you take) or you refuse to take it. You can't have it both ways.
Just my thoughts
xxR
if any current jw is having second thoughts on the religion and is having trouble deciding whether to stay in the org.
or leave, here is a simple test to help you decide:.
scenario: armageddon has started.
Hi everyone,
Basically, I don't think God would want us to take part in anything so horrific. I wouldn't want to see anyone destroyed, not even the horrible elder who is always giving out to me! God knows we are humans with human emotions and he knows most of us couldn't kill another human being (well, I couldn't anyway) Also, God says he doesn't want anyone to be destroyed but wants us all to live - Also, I am not too convinced that Armageddon will be as horrific as the JWs make out - a lot of what is written in the Bible is symbolic, isn't it? (I hope it is - I don't want to see horrific scenes of people dying all around me) I am still a JW - in name only - hanging on by the skin of my teeth. A lot of what has put me off the org is the goings on in my congregation - some of the things really stink! I don't know why people can't just get on with their lives without poking their noses into other people's business and trying to make their lives hell......sorry - I am rambling and have gone off the point.
xxR
children do not have a choice when it comes to abuse.
*** w74 3/15 172 what protection for god's people?
" we can have every confidence in divine protection.
Hello Blondie,
How I wish I had known about this website before and the way you review the coming WT article. You provide such interesting comments. I like the way you point out that emphasis is always on hours of preaching - never mind what good you do in your life. I am always saying that - some of the most arrogant people I know are pioneers and elders wives (what is it with elders wives??) It is so much nicer to be with a person that is kind and who really cares about you without judging you or looking at your service record. A true Christian accepts a person for what they are, at the same time being there if they need help. Always picking fault in a person makes them depressed and then they find it hard to change - I have had years of it so I know. The WTBTS only seems to drag people down - so many JWs I know are depressed and struggling to get to meetings, go out on service, make sure their pre-meeting material is pre-studied etc etc. They do not seem to have a lot of joy which is what I thought being a Christian was all about.
Thank you so much for all the hard work you put into these reviews.
xxR
i was never df'd or da'd.
i am curious if you ever were and were reinstated, what was it like to be shunned and treated as a non-person while sitting in the rear of the hall?
i can only imagine it to be the utmost humiliation on top of a public disfellowshipping and can't imagine having to go through it.
Hi all,
I think shunning is unloving, unchristian and unforgiveable (so are most disfellowshippings - but that's another matter). How ridiculous to ignore a person when you arrive at the KHall, yet, at the end, because the elders give you permission, you go up and hug that person. YUK!
xxR
doing the "fade" thing is like a slow, painful torture to me.
i have to do the fade because of my current circumstances (wife being a jw but starting to doubt/both our families very strong jw's).
it makes me angry at having wasted so much time and energy (and money) being a jw.
Hi Wolfy,
I feel the same at the moment. I am trying to ease myself away without causing my family too much grief. I don't think that JWs have it entirely wrong - much of what they teach is scriptural. But there is an awful lot that isn't. You can study the Bible yourself - there are so many books out there that help you to understand the Bible if that's what you want. I just can't stand the hypocrisy in the society - also the unforgiving, arrogant attitude really gets me. Plus the way you are judged according to how many hours you go out knocking on doors - never mind anything else you are doing in your life to be a good Christian - it all hinges on hours of field service. Plus - the most arrogant, unforgiving people are elders and they are suposed to be setting us an example! I think there are genuine people throughout the earth who love God and want to live in peace and happiness, whenever that may be. The best way to see if someone is genuine is by the way they act - if they are kind, caring, helpful, non-judgemental etc. Never mind whether they are pioneering, an elder or MS etc - that means diddly-squat to me!
Just my thoughts - not having too good a time at the hands of my elders at the moment!
xxR
i was invited to be a guest speaker at the saturday night aa speaker's meeting.
this meeting usually has a large crowd and they get somebody with longtime sobriety to come up and tell his story of "what i used to be like, what happened, and what i'm like now" as an example for others.
i'll have eight years in january, so i guess that makes me fairly longtime.. i told them:.
Hi all,
This is my first time posting to this board. This story caught my eye because I am in recovery from addiction to a whole host of things including alcohol. I feel better and stronger now ever since I took charge of my life and refused to be brow-beaten by the 'Christians' in my local congregation. I have never been so scared, unhappy and depressed as I was when I was one of JWs. I am not disassociated or disfellowshipped (yet!) but I do have a lot of run-ins with elders. Mainly because I tend to stick up for the underdog - especially those who don't have the courage to stick up for themselves. One elder in particular really hates me (and I mean hate) because he says I am not submissive enough and I should only question things through my husband. I don't discourage anyone else and I do keep my views to myself - all I ever did was ask a couple of elders about things I wasn't certain about. They were horrified and said I should never question the FDS!! This elder also told me that if I lived in ancient times, I would have been stoned to death because 'that was how they dealt with alcoholics back then'. I have 7 years of freedom from addiction behind me but they always bring my past up whenever I question anything. I have never received any commendation for breaking free and sometimes I really despise the hypocrites in my congregation, although I know I shouldn't. I only continue to go to meetings (sometimes) due to my family - they hate it when I don't go.
Thanks for allowing me to share this
xxxR
