"We don't run a police state." (by Geoffrey Jackson).
Well done...
a new montra that was recently adopted by the wife and i is this:.
dont give them more power than they deserve.. here's why i say that, and i point this to those of you still in the congregation, still trying to decide what you want to do.. recently, our family had a little family reunion gathering of sorts, and we were in the company of some extended family that were either df or da, to varying degrees.
we made it very clear, to any and all in attendance, that we wanted to be respectful and kind, despite any previous perceptions about our "status".... and that our feelings on a lot of things had "softened", and "changed" over the last 2 years.. i am being purposefully slightly vague, but i think you get the point.
"We don't run a police state." (by Geoffrey Jackson).
Well done...
i am not sure if it's true but i heard from a good source that wt has given instructions to elders to postponed disfellowshipping members from wrong doing/gross sin until further instructions given by headquarters.
i heard some jws were just reproved either privately or publically.
has anyone else heard anything like this recently?
Tomorrow it will be announced that i am "no longer a Jehovah's witness."
So I am disfellowshipped for the "gross sin" of listening to my conscience instead of a mind controlling organisation.
So I didn't feel anything of that rumour. I felt however that they are very much afraid of "independent thinking."
it's true, leaving the organization does not mean you leave god.
as someone who was raised in the "truth" i always heard the messaging that if you leave the organization you leave god and lose his protection.
after disassociating myself, i even believed that and began on a path of self-destructive behaviour as i was leaving behind every relationship i had ever known and very ill equipped to live in the "real world" growing up, i always felt there was a higher power and our purpose was more than living a few decades.
I wish you a lot of joy on your life and personal relationship with god.
Being out of the WT mind control I also have a deeper personal relationship with god.
However I would never call my views "the truth."
With difference to your understanding I don't believe that the bible is god's word and I don't believe in the picture the paints about god.
i have not said much to my youngest two kids about the jw crap ones 10 the other 5 .
anyway ive become an athiest and have studied alot about ancient religions.
so the question is should i try to teach my smaller kids that the bible is crap and so is thier god or would that be going to far?
What Simon says:
Buy the book (download ) "Raising Freethinkers - A practical guide for parenting beyond belief."
This book has such great ideas how to help kids become free thinkers and also to counteract on indoctrination.
as most of you know i have been shunned by my family for 2 years because of a photo posted on facebook of me kissing another girl at a party.
the matter was not dealt with fairly but it is over now and i am 100% certain that jdub org is a cult.
but i miss my family so much.
Dear Sarah, I can't give you any advice but I feel very much for you.
Did you try to reach out to your family? Do they really ignore their love for you and are loyal to these evil rules of the org in a strict way?
You are young, just in the beginning of your adult life. Things in life can change. Also the shunning of your family can change.
What if you just be especially loving to them and try to reach out to them or try to help them in some ways?
No matter what happens. You are a very courageous woman, worth to be highly respected and loved. I think your family will eventually realize this. At least they should be proud of you.
You will also experience a lot of joy and wonderful things in your life, I am sure about that.
okay, i need to vent.
as a newly awoken individual, i have yet to "come out" to my hard core jdub parents.
my plan was to lay low and use my unbelieving husband and baby as an excuse for my "inactivity", it has worked for the last few months.
I think you have a very "cool" and supportive husband, who told you that you can openly put the blame on him.
I agree that it would be good not to expose your baby to these cartoons.
You could tell your mum that you DON'T WANT YOUR BABY TO WATCH ANY MOVIES, CARTOONS OR TV SHOWS (including Caleb and Sofia).
But then you are just buying time, as the same issue will arise later.
Why not tell your mum what you think of these cartoons? I know some witnesses with kids who also dislike these cartoons.
(By the way one Caleb and Sofia video about how to behave at meetings is a guilt trip for children with the meaning if you don't listen at meetings you are going to die.)
I think for young children it is better anyway not to use TV or videos as a babysitter.
(courtesy of a redditor).
what theocratic rule looks like: stoning - good topic for family worship.
http://news.yahoo.com/graphic-video-shows-afghan-woman-stoned-death-eloping-071332458.html.
2 examples of theocratic rule:
Ancient Israel
Islamic State (IS)
In both systems humans are victims of the most horrible crimes.
i know we are all anonymous for our own personal reasons, so i understand if you would rather not say.
but if you don't mind sharing that would be cool.
i currently live in georgia, usa.
the following is a paragraph from the new february study watchtower article "learn from jehovah's loyal servants.".
7 a conflict of loyalties may arise when a close relative is disfellowshipped.
for example, a sister named anne [1] received a telephone call from her disfellowshipped mother.
The following is a paragraph from the new February Study Watchtower Article "Learn from Jehovah's loyal servants."
7 A conflict of loyalties may arise when a close relative is disfellowshipped. For example, a sister named Anne [1] received a telephone call from her disfellowshipped mother. The mother wanted to visit Anne because she felt pained by her isolation from the family. Anne was deeply distressed by the plea and promised to reply by letter. Before writing, she reviewed Bible principles. (1 Cor. 5:11;2 John 9-11) Anne wrote and kindly reminded her mother that she had cut herself off from the family by her wrongdoing and unrepentant attitude. “The only way you can relieve your pain is by returning to Jehovah,” Anne wrote.—Jas. 4:8.
First I was speechless when I read that.
When talking about "shunning", some brothers told me that the Watchtower doesn't mean to cut families. After this it can't be clearer to me, that this is not true.
How does the pained mother feel? She is socially isolated and maybe has nobody to go to, nobody to speak to. Maybe she is suffering from deep depression and maybe she even has some thoughts of suicide.
How would you call advice and pressure, to separate a "pained" mother from her child?
To me that is just simply "evil."
What's about the bible advice to honor your father and mother? The Watchtower Organisation just flushes that through the toilet.
I think even if all Watchtower teachings would be true and beneficial, the above mentioned "shunning" of family members and friends would be proof enough, that it is NOT from the true God.
if like me, when you left the kh, your entire social network was gone.
how do you meet people of the opposite sex or make new friends, etc?
clubs, bars?
Some very good advice. Thank you.
In my case I made some really good friends at my working place.
One good friend was the new person renting my former apartment when I left the apartment. We had a lot of sympathy, I told him my story and we kept in contact.
In general I made the experience that it is important to take the action and invite friendly people to your home or ask them to do something together.
It for sure needs time and is not easy for a shy person but it is worth the effort.