Posts by Vee

25

Elder Resigns Because Of 9---11

by minimus in

jw
friends

last night i talked to an elder that resigned early this year and he told me that he resigned as an elder because of 9--11. he felt that after seeing thousands of people dying in such a horrifying way, there was just no way god would destroy 99 and 9 tenths of the world and only spare jehovah's witnesses.

he also felt that since the kingdom message could not be adequately preached by a handful of jw's so that people could get life, the whole thing is a sham.

he no longer goes to meetings and his wife crys to everybody about her husband.

Vee

I too was going through a period of doubt and questioning the borg during 9-11. It messed me up really badly and actually drove me into complete fear running back to the borg, although I hadn't at that time stopped attending meetings. It was too horrific and I couldn't handle what I was seeing, I was so afraid that it was all evidence of the coming great fear inspiring day of JH. In hindsight I cannot believe that it pushed me back to the borg rather than further away from the borg, for exactly the reasons that have been stated. Being that how could anyone be joyful over the deaths of so many innocent thousands, and to think that I was once looking forward to the deaths of millions for the sake of my own personal salvation?!?!?!!. I remember the lack of warmth and feeling of a fellow JW work associate of mine, she was so proud and indignant as she was completely convinced she was on the side of good. I also know for a fact that the events of that day did not affect my JW family and associates to the same degree it did me. I was fearful, but also extremely confused about what it all meant.

Every day from here is just further confirmation for me that there is still far more good in the world than there is bad, I just had to open my eyes to see it.

V**

Your old things can make a big difference!!!

by Vee in

jw
friends

a big hi to you all this day!.

you may have read in an earlier post that i''ve been fortunate enough to be accepted to do volunteer work in a school/orphanage in accra ghana, east africa this coming january.. i'm in the process of trying to get together things which will be of use to the school since they have so very little.

this afternoon i received an e-mail from the school asking me to bring old school bags and board games of scrabble.

Vee

A big HI to you all this day!

You may have read in an earlier post that I''ve been fortunate enough to be accepted to do volunteer work in a School/Orphanage in Accra Ghana, East Africa this coming January.

I'm in the process of trying to get together things which will be of use to the school since they have so very little. This afternoon I received an e-mail from the school asking me to bring old school bags and board games of scrabble. In an earlier e-mail they suggested things for the children's home like shoes, clothing, educational materials etc. Only old things are necessary, things which your children may have outgrown or you no longer use.

The co-ordinator suggested I might approach friends which may be able to help with any of these things. And since my social circles have receeded rather rapidly in the last 12months, I thought that I would extend the request to you all!!

I'm currently based in London UK therefore, items would either need to be sent to me directly, or if you're feeling generous directly to the school in Ghana! If you are unable to afford the postage it is possible if you think it worthwhile that I will be able to send you a prepaid post package.

E-mail: [email protected]

Love & Hugs, V**

35

Human Compassion

by Xena in

jw
friends

i can't help but wonder if it gets lost somewhere in cyberspace.

there are a couple of threads that are active at this time where the original poster did or said something deemed inappropriate....this was pointed out to them...threads locked or the poster retracted what they said...it should be over right?

but nooooo some people continue to kick that poster over and over and over.....with their mocking and cruel comments.

Vee

I want a link to these threads! I've been out of the loop and think I may have missed out V**

4

Atheist? Agnostic? Theist? Polytheist???...

by Vee in

jw
friends

if you are a theist and i assumed for a long time i was, this means we were acknowledging that there is a singular god as creator.

now that your thoughts have changed do you question whether all of those years of heartfelt prayer, and pouring out of your inner most thoughts to (jehovah) god were actually transmitted?

is it possible that if we trully believed in our minds heart that what we perceived to be the "truth" in the jw org and the only way in which to reach god, that god (jehovah) would have accepted our prayers as sincere, and the context or the avenue in which we reached him was irrelevant?.

Vee

If you are a Theist and I assumed for a long time I was, this means we were acknowledging that there is a singular God as Creator. Now that your thoughts have changed do you question whether all of those years of heartfelt prayer, and pouring out of your inner most thoughts to (Jehovah) God were actually transmitted? Is it possible that if we trully believed in our minds heart that what we perceived to be the "truth" in the JW org and the only way in which to reach God, that God (Jehovah) would have accepted our prayers as sincere, and the context or the avenue in which we reached him was irrelevant?

I know myself that when I was young growing up in the org, praying to Jehovah got me through some of the darkest moments of my life. This was despite the fact that a many number of the problems and pain were associated with the org (but I didn't necessarily recognise this at the time). Now that I'm out of the org I still feel the need to say the occassional prayer, but after years and years of praying to Jehovah through the way in which I was taught, I still feel like I'm praying to the same God, which doesn't feel at all right! This makes me think that perhaps God was just a figment of my imagination, and is no higher than my cerebral cortex. Perhaps purely psyshological, and just the way in which I wished to perceive God at the time.

After all belief in God cannot be without faith, and faith is a very personal thing. It is a trigger that flicks over in our minds that can't be backed up entirely by fact. It seems impossible that any 2 of us can share exactly the same relationship with one singular God since we all come to know him and believe in him on different levels through different avenues. Therefore, what is the purpose of organised religion? If similar beliefs or ideals attract us to the same organised religion, is it because we want a more exclusive relationship with God and need the backing of a larger majority to give justification to our hopes and beliefs? Could it be that this need is just evidence of a shakey foundation to our faith?

V**...Possible Athies? Agnostic? Theist? Polytheist TBC

10

some comforting thoughts

by nelly1 in

jw
friends

.

i was thinking about jesus and how the bible says he is the exact representation of jehovahs very being, and u know what it is nothing like these awful so called christians, and i was thinking jesus himself had to abandon his own religion because its leaders were gross hypocrites and treating his sheep like dirt, so he left it and condemned it and he to as a result was severly shunned and u could say dissed in a form because they denounced him as having anything to do with jehovah if u remember, and he was persecuted also by these leaders just like the ones who leave the organisation today they too are persecuted by the so called true religion so it is coming further and more clear to me as days go by if we look further below the surface we see that he the only begotton son king of gods kingdom went through exactly what we are going through he was abused called a liar they said he was a seditionist the list goes on and he too had an illegal trial ( could be called a judicial) by the religious leaders of his day and his sentance was death, and we know that the jews were his chosen people we dont know that the wtbs is.!!!

!..now that i think about all this stuff it is such a comfort to me, as so many are experiencing illegal trials at the hands of the elders(pharissees) and i know this because i was one of them i had a illegal trial where lies were told just like poor jesus, so he of all people knows only too well what these dear brothers and sisters have suffered, and i beleive with all my heart that he will pay back to those ones they have no future, and one day we will have the happiness we deserve at his hand and anyone else who deserves to including all of you every last one whos heart is right and loves jesus and the creator, i know he will not forget any of us and what we have suffered, jesus was for the underdog not the high and mighty proud know it alls, so take heart and hang in there.... lots of love nelly

Vee

Thank-you for sharing this wonderful line of reasoning...and I also agree that punctuation is overrated!!!!!...when you've got something great to share it's just best to get it all out

V**

32

What Did You Give Up To Be A Jehovah's Witness?

by minimus in

jw
friends

besides giving up our time and assets,is there anything that you particularly felt that you truly "gave up" to become or remain a witness?

Vee

I could probably come up with a whole lot of things that my parents forfeited on my behalf when they decided the best thing they could do for me would be to raise me in the borg from 2y/o, but I don't know if I want.

Alls I do know, is that from the point I decided to leave the borg I knew that whatever I have made of my life, my thoughts, opinions, successes from that point on were all of my own accord. Although I do get down when I see that I have lost so much time and have been set back many years in ways like personal development, education and just the "normal" fascets of life that most take for granted, I feel an incredible sense of pride and achievement that I have pretty much always done it on my own. As crazy as it sounds I feel as though I may almost be a more rounded person for being successfully on the way to throwing off the twisted miserable repressive upbringing that I had. As for loosing my family, well I know now that I never really had them in the unconditional sense.

What I do more than anything in hindsight (not that a 2y/o is blessed with looking back in hindsight) is that I was forced to live in fear for so long and was denied the Mental Freedom and peace to just be myself, the individual that I was born. I sat in judgement of myself for so long about things which were nothing, things healthy teenagers go through (although there is no doubt that many of the things JW teenagers do are simply because of a lack of education or naiivety, repression or rebellion).

So for me as hard as it is not to look back in anger, I am trying to stay as focused as possible on the future and what I build for myself. Luv V**

32

What Did You Give Up To Be A Jehovah's Witness?

by minimus in

jw
friends

besides giving up our time and assets,is there anything that you particularly felt that you truly "gave up" to become or remain a witness?

Vee

I could probably come up with a whole lot of things that my parents forfeited on my behalf when they decided the best thing they could do for me would be to raise me in the borg from 2y/o, but I don't know if I want.

Alls I do know, is that from the point I decided to leave the borg I knew that whatever I have made of my life, my thoughts, opinions, successes from that point on were all of my own accord. Although I do get down when I see that I have lost so much time and have been set back many years in ways like personal development, education and just the "normal" fascets of life that most take for granted, I feel an incredible sense of pride and achievement that I have pretty much always done it on my own. As crazy as it sounds I feel as though I may almost be a more rounded person for being successfully on the way to throwing off the twisted miserable repressive upbringing that I had. As for loosing my family, well I know now that I never really had them in the unconditional sense.

What I do more than anything in hindsight (not that a 2y/o is blessed with looking back in hindsight) is that I was forced to live in fear for so long and was denied the Mental Freedom and peace to just be myself, the individual that I was born. I sat in judgement of myself for so long about things which were nothing, things healthy teenagers go through (although there is no doubt that many of the things JW teenagers do are simply because of a lack of education or naiivety, repression or rebellion).

So for me as hard as it is not to look back in anger, I am trying to stay as focused as possible on the future and what I build for myself.

Luv V**

15

An exJW gets one pregnant

by bluemoon in

i'm relatively new here and this site has helped me a lot.

however, i think i'm going to need more help... i was dfed back in july just after my 18th birthday; i just couldn't take it any more.

things have been very hard for me to say the least.

Vee

Dear Bluemoon,

It's an incredibly tough situation you're in, but it isn't the end of the world, you will get through it.

I left the org for the first time when I was 17 and was in a relationship for a year. During that period I thought I was pregnant several times and I was very messed up about the decisions that I would have to face up to if I was positive, decisions that I just wasn't ready to face so young. So you're not alone, so many of us were in similar situations as you once.

It's difficult for you to be logical right now, but one thing you have to realise is that you aren't going to be in control of all the decisisions. You're possibly in a better situation than your GF since you are out of the org, and have had more time to deal with the shunning and rejection. Your GF has so many decisions ahead of her, and all ones that will need to make quickly.

The truth is that even if you weren't raised in a JW family and were 17 and pregnant this alone would be a difficult thing to have to cope with, even non-JW families are too happy when their 17 & 18 y/o children are having children. Your situations are especially difficult because you may not as yet have formed your own personal beliefs on things like abortion. And your GF probably isn't ready yet to give up her family in the way that you were forced to. The comments that have been made about living up to your committments is absolutely true. It's too late now for regrets you just have to do the best you can with the current situation. No matter what decisions you make you will be forced to deal with them indefinitely, either physcially or psycologically. You will be much more honorable to yourself and also to the people such as your family who have cast you out if you stand by your GF in her decisions. Unfortunately as unfair as it may seem your GF is possibly faced with the biggest decisions, things which ultimately you may not be able to influence. But if you offer her your full support she will have all the options available to her.

I really feel for you both and the very difficult situation you're forced to deal with, on top of all that you have had to bare with growing up in the org. It is an incredibly common situation you find yourselves in amongst teenages in the org. If only the org were realisitc and not repressive, many situations like yours could have been avoided. But if you be true to yourself about your thoughts and feelings and what you can handle, you will be much stronger and a better person for it in the long run.

I wish you all the best, please keep in touch...luv V**

45

bad songs

by freedom96 in

jw
friends

.

i was reading a post that reminded me of the songs that were popular but was wrong to listen to for various reasons.. we all remember puff the magic dragon being about drugs, which i hear was just a rumour.. another i remember was let it be by the beatles, which was " catholic based about mary the mother of jesus" when apparently it was written about paul mccartney's own mother.

shows what they know.. which songs do you remember that were "bad" that we were not supposed to listen to?

Vee

"Bye bye Miss American Pie"...the bit about dancing with the devil?!?! Can't actually remember all the song words, must have blocked them out!!!!!

V**

19

I'm so excited!!!

by Vee in

jw
friends

i've just found out that my application for volunteering in ghana has been accepted!!

i can't tell you how much i'm really looking forward to this challenge.. i've recently moved to london in the hope that i would be able to pick up some project work in the 3rd world country.

i registered with www.workingabroad.com who fitted out my profile with 80 prospects of ngo's i could apply with, and was successful with applications in mexico, india and ghana.

Vee

Thank-you guys..."YOU'RE SIMPLY THE BEST...BETTER THAN ALL THE REST...BETTER THAN ANYONE...ANYONE I'VE EVER MET"...and you know the rest...!!!

Luv V**