Posts by rwagoner

62

As a JW how do/did you feel about 6 billion people being destroyed?

by jwfacts in

how else can a person justify that jehovah will destroy 6 billion people, innocent children included?

i could never accept that i deserved salvation whereas almost no one else did.

it put me on permanent spiritual edge because i thought the slave is right so the doctrine of destruction must be, but my heart always knew it was wrong.

rwagoner

I grew up in the dubs too and as a kid I remember the exact same feelings. Now after many years of freedom and as a parent myself now...I look back at my childhood and have very mixed feelings.

I have very loving parents but I could NEVER subject my kids to the mind control and constant feeling of having to meet some totally unreachable goal of perfection to avoid being killed. I mean it may sound extreme but now that I look back on it...I spent my entire childhood being afraid that God was going to kill me.

I could never be the perfect little JW...even if I acted it on the outside...I KNEW that I wasn't good enough or was having "wrong thoughts" or doing something that would ultimately result in being killed in a horrible way like the pictures in the books and magazines.

I wasn't physically or sexually abused like many others but the great JW Mind-F**K as my wife calls it, will ALWAYS be with me.

8

Do I and Fellow EX-DUBS need LIVING WILLS?

by stillAwitness in

i don't have a blood card anymore, have not filled out any of the no blood wt forms but i have come to the realization that if i don't have a living will, my parents can still have the deciding factor if i ever get into a situation where i may need blood.

is this true?

i mean, would the hospital allow them to tell them to let me die b/c of the blood issue even though i have no documents supporting such a decision?

rwagoner

Once my wife and I had kids we did a will and a Durable Power of Attorney for Health Care for our Doc's and Local hospitals. Legally, even without the power of attorney, my wife and I are each others voice if something happens but just in case we wanted to make our wishes VERY clear.

83

Do not Disassociate, Anull your baptism

by jwfacts in

i am now a jedi, so trust me on this.. .

why dis-associate, you are just playing by the wts rules?

how can you dis-associate anyway, you never thought you were baptised as a watchtower society member, you thought your dedication was to god, so why formally disassociate from something you did not formally join?

rwagoner

Finally Free --- THANK YOU ! I have been saying the same thing for years. I don't think DAing is playing by anyone's rules but my own. I disassociated MYSELF....

atypical - I like jwfacts minor baptism argument too but as far as a letter of annulment for adults personally i don't think that's helpful...why...because it accomplishes nothing....it is basically the same as a disassociation.

I wrote a letter stating that I did not wish to be considered a JW any longer...it was nothing about a lack of belief in God...just did not agree with jw beliefs and practices.

There is no mechanism in place within the jw's to annul a baptism...you are either one of them or you are an outsider. To ask for your baptism to be annulled is the same as saying you no longer wish to be considered a jw.

If calling it an annulment makes you feel better about it then great but the way the org and its members treat you should not be different...they don't differentiate whether you left because you DA'd or you left with a non-existent "baptism annulment"...YOU WERE ONE OF THEM...AND YOU LEFT.

83

Do not Disassociate, Anull your baptism

by jwfacts in

i am now a jedi, so trust me on this.. .

why dis-associate, you are just playing by the wts rules?

how can you dis-associate anyway, you never thought you were baptised as a watchtower society member, you thought your dedication was to god, so why formally disassociate from something you did not formally join?

rwagoner

I also feel far better telling people that I annulled my baptism than to say I was disfellowshipped or even disassociated, it does not hold the same stigma, and it sounds proactive.

As long as it works for you thats cool...I DA'd and remain pleased with my decision. If the results are the same then who cares...as far as the "stigma"...I am out and fight against the Dubs...they can call me whatever they want and treat me as they wish...I could care less ! LOL

83

Do not Disassociate, Anull your baptism

by jwfacts in

i am now a jedi, so trust me on this.. .

why dis-associate, you are just playing by the wts rules?

how can you dis-associate anyway, you never thought you were baptised as a watchtower society member, you thought your dedication was to god, so why formally disassociate from something you did not formally join?

rwagoner

Isn't it all sort of semantics ? first you say:

I would like to make it clear that I am in no way disassociating myself from any congregation, office or organization associated with Jehovah’s Witnesses.

and in the next paragraph you say:

This request for annulment is in order to remove myself from being considered part of any congregation of Jehovah’s Witnesses and particularly the xxx Congregation of Jehovah’s Witnesses, it’s individual elders or it’s legal corporation, the Governing Body of Jehovah’s Witnesses or it’s legal corporations, The Watchtower Bible and Tract Society of New York, Inc., The Watchtower Bible and Tract Society of Pennsylvania, Inc., The International Bible Students Association, The Watchtower Bible & Tract Society of xxx, or any other agency not here named, including all or any agents or assignees.

But it all seems like just a play on words that mean the same thing and since they really don't recognize a request to annul baptism anyway...it seems like sort of a "gesture" that still ends up with the same results in most cases.

I do agree with the points made concerning those baptised as minors. In most places someone under the age of 18 can not enter into a legally binding contract which is what they want the baptism agreement to be.

32

Where would you go?

by collegegirl21 in

jw
friends

if you could go any place in the world and not worry about money, food, clothing, etc... where would you go?

rwagoner

Jamaica....the wife & I renewed our wedding vows on our 10th anniversary in Jamiaca....if $$ was no object...that is problably where we'd be.

The only thing keeping us here in New Hampshire is her family....I'd rather be somewhere warmer... (even if it can't be Jamaica LOL)... tired old bones and all you know.

32

The Bible - God's Word or Man's?

by SickofLies in

i guess my basic goal here is to express to others and hopefully get more support in my efforts to tear down the two worst and most inaccurate books the society has published.

those being: life: how did it get here?

and the bible - god's word or man's?

rwagoner

As originally intended....Gods

In the case of the many politically correct translations created to fit modern language usage or even the lifestyle choices made by the reader...obvioulsy more fiction.

28

How have you coped since leaving?

by SickofLies in

jw
friends

i noticed that many different people have coped in many different ways, i believe this reflects the fact we all have left or been kick out for different reasons.

what have you done since leaving?

have you joined another church, are you athesitc?

rwagoner

I stayed active in a "Faith" just eased off on the mind control...started working for a Police Department which is a total opposite of the jw's...lots of black humor, alcohol and flirting....finally met a wonderful woman...had kids...before I knew it...WOW...I had a real life. and its nice.

31

What are you eating tonight?

by kittyeatzjdubs in

jw
friends

.

we're about to dig into new york strip steak, a'la matt..... and fried potatoes country style, a'la jojo..... aaaaaaand we're halfway through a bottle of yellowtail chiraz...viva la australia!!!!!!

luv, jojo

rwagoner

Stir fry last night....fridays are hectic....something quick and easy probably...if it wasn't rent week we'd probably do the pizza guy but even that costs an arm and a leg nowdays LOL

34

Anyone feeling the Memorial pressure?

by atypical in

jw
friends

for those who are fading, do you feel the pressure building as the memorial approaches?

family members who otherwise are busy with their own interests suddenly start paying more attention, dropping hints and holding their breath as it were.

then there are the invitations.

rwagoner

The only pressure I feel around the memorial is the pressure to make a statement at their one big event a year. A futile statement to be sure...but I'd love to just quietly picket on the public right of way...holding a sign....something about the WTS recommendation to fully research other religions...but not theirs....is their faith THAT weak?...I don't know...something like that. LOL