Freedomrules

Joined

• started 13 topics
• posted 64 times   see topics posted on
• send a message

Posts by Freedomrules

• 
  3

  Anybody here that belonged to one of the English Congregations ...

  by Freedomrules in

  1. jw
  2. experiences

  .

  in rome, italy between 91-95?.

  just curious to see if anyone i know is here...

  1. 
  2. 
  3. 
• 

  Freedomrules

  in Rome, Italy between 91-95?

  Just curious to see if anyone I know is here...
• 
  95

  Most Annoying "Kingdom song?"

  by doodle-v in

  1. jw
  2. experiences

  what's a kingdom song you can remember singing that gives you the creeps now?

  mine is "move ahead" i think that was the title, anyway it has so much rhetoric... but the tune is so darn catchy.... darn.... in my opinion, those songs are the perfect example of mind control.

  move ahead.. move ahead ... blah blah blah blah blah .

  1. 
  2. 
  3. 
• 

  Freedomrules

  "Beeeecuz, Jehoba creaaated, the Youuuuniverse so Graand"

  And all the other ones previously mentioned. Weren't most of those written and composed by Karl Klein?
• 
  8

  New experience for me..advice, anyone?

  by zanex in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  i have been out of touch with pretty much all of the old jw's that i used to hang around with while in new mexico.

  i have been informed that one of those jw's that oddly enough happens to be related to my roommate that i am currently living with is coming to town and i have also been told that he is trying to leave the org and doesnt want to be any part of it anymore but he still has a lot of family in the religion...another twist anyone?

  oh yeah he also is "coming out" he is gay.

  1. 
  2. 
  3. 
• 

  Freedomrules

  I guess I have a few questions: First, were you baptized? Are you DF'd or DA's or inactive? What is the nature of your relationship with your parents? You said you have meager ties? If you are DF'd or DA'd or inactive, does anyone know why? Personally, I think the apostate label is too easy to toss on someone. Honestly disagreeing with a person or organization shouldn't make you an apostate. Ironic that the same organization that will run to the Supreme Court to cry First Amendment violations of Freedom of Religion and cite their right to Freedom of Speech, will deny anyone else that same right, and just label anyone that disagrees an apostate. I used to teach logic when I was an undergrad and this is a classic case of a fallacy in argument, namely attacking the individual rather than the argument.

  As for this person, my inclination would be to let him do the bulk of the talking, and maybe point him to some resources if you aren't comfortable sharing your personal views. The poor guy has got a lot going on right now.
• 
  3

  I found my best friend in the JW org

  by Freedomrules in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  i owe my life to a woman named alle, who is my best friend in the whole wide world.

  when i was 14, the wife of one of the elders in my congregation decided she should study with me (i was 15 when i baptized) and this woman used to warn me about a sister in a neighboring congregation who was demonized (despite being a regular pioneer), telling me to stay away from her.

  the sister in the neighboring cong was alle.

  1. 
  2. 
  3. 
• 

  Freedomrules

  I owe my life to a woman named Alle, who is my best friend in the whole wide world. When I was 14, the wife of one of the elders in my congregation decided she should study with me (I was 15 when I baptized) and this woman used to warn me about a sister in a neighboring congregation who was demonized (despite being a regular pioneer), telling me to stay away from her. The sister in the neighboring cong was Alle. The warning was about all I needed to try and track Alle down. At this point in my life I was compensating by being uber-witness, studing like a fiend, citing every scripture possible in my WT when I prepared for the Sunday meeting, auxillary pioneering while still in highschool. But yet, in the back of my mind, I always knew this wasn't for me. I decided to test Alle one day. I ran in to her in field service, we were both doing street work, and when nobody else could hear me, I leaned in a said: "This is a bunch of f**ing bulls**t." She just gave me the most surprised look I have ever seen. I figured she would either rat me out, in which case I'd deny it, after all who would they believe, me or her? or if she didn't rat me out, then I'd know I could count on her. She didn't rat me out, and despite her being 18 years my senior we became best friends. When I was 16 and reproved for immorality (I made out with a guy) and tried to kill myself, she rushed me to the hospital and stayed with me. My parents never found out. I'd hang out at her house and smoke and watch Life of Brian. Both of us knew we had to make our break, and both of us did. I went off to college and did my thing, she went back to England and slowly faded away, met a woman, fell in love (didn't work out though). I haven't seen her in 7 years, but we've been in contact throughout this time. She may be flying up to see me in the next couple weeks. She's in South Africa now. I can't wait. Had I not had Alle in my life, I would be dead.
• 
  14

  Did you always turn in *all* your donation money?

  by asleif_dufansdottir in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  i went out in service for the first time at about the same time the "donation arrangement" was put into effect.

  i heard one or two brothers (when they were in 'safe' company) thinking out loud that if the money was really for the "world wide work"...that maybe it would be ok to use some of it, sometimes, to put gas in the car to go out in service (our congregation had some really poor people and our rurals covered 4 or 5 counties and hundreds of square miles).. i was wondering if anyone actually did that?

  i wonder if pioneers who were used to getting a price break kept keeping a percentage??

  1. 
  2. 
  3. 
• 

  Freedomrules

  I have never admitted this. It's sort of embarassing. When I was a kid, I used to hang out by the contribution box and using a field service report folded several times, I'd fish out the money from the little slot and pocket it.

  Am I going straight to hell?

  Freedomrules
• 
  34

  newbie

  by Freedomrules in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  i'm just trying to figure this site out.

  i'm inactive jw for 8 years.

  my whole family is jw.

  1. 
  2. 
  3. 
• 

  Freedomrules

  In a subtle way I guess my folks are trying to get to me through my kids. My sister, who I adore, is a regular pioneer. When we went to visit my parents she took to reading the My Book of Bible Stories to him at night. At first I didn't mind, having not read it in ages, but then the next day my son wanted to know why that dad was going to kill his son. She had read him the story of Abraham and Isaac, complete with the picture of Abraham holding Isaacs forehead and a knife and Isaac blindfolded. I went nuts. I told my sister that she wasn't to read those stories to him anymore. It really hit me then how sick the religion is. All I remember about the kingdom hall was a compulsive desire to talk about death, and to be happy when others died, and my dad pinching me to make me sit still and taking me outside when I couldn't, to spank me. Not happy times. My sister told me recently that they are redoing the Book of Bible stories. About time.
• 
  9

  More international conventions?

  by Azalo in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  just from the bits and pieces i get from my mother it seems like the jws are having international conventions left and right now.

  my sister got "chosen" to go to chile.

  are they trying to con people into staying by sending them to exotic places?

  1. 
  2. 
  3. 
• 

  Freedomrules

  I went to the one in Russia too, Moscow 1993. I actually had a good time, one of the more fun things I got to do as a JW. Actually, only fun thing I got to do.
• 
  34

  newbie

  by Freedomrules in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  i'm just trying to figure this site out.

  i'm inactive jw for 8 years.

  my whole family is jw.

  1. 
  2. 
  3. 
• 

  Freedomrules

  Thanks for the welcome. It was hard at first. My parents lived all over the world, so I didn't really have a community of any kind to fall back on. The nice thing was when I returned to the US for college (a long battle in itself) I was away (far, far away) from the parents and was able to make my break. I started dating a wonderful guy, and only informed my parents when we were engaged (they met him 3 weeks before we married). My parents are nice. My mom always tries to talk to me about stuff, taking advantage in particular if I'm low. My dad, who's an elder, doesn't really bother. They're still nice to me (I think mostly because they want to see their grandkids) but its hard knowing that I've disappointed them. also, its hard because my family and I celebrate bdays and christmas and thanksgiving. I haven't told my parents yet but I'm going to have to, especially since my son is almost five and loves to talk to his grandma. In many ways I'm angry and bitter, because I feel I had a really screwed up childhood. I knew from the time I was 5 or 6 that this wasn't for me. It was hard because the mind control is total. I remember as a child praying that my grandmother (a non-witness) would die because then she would have paid the price for her sins and I'd get to see her at the resurrection. I was terrified that she would still be alive when Armaggedon came around.

  Thinking about it depresses me. But I am glad because I'm out and I'm not a hypocrite anymore. THat was the hardest thing for me. That and constantly being told what to do and told that I couldn't do certain things because I was a woman and told by the elders to "stay in my place" when at age 16 I started questioning things like if God is love why does he permit suffering. I still haven't gotten a good answer. When I was 15 I was trying to build up my Watchtower library and had a whole bunch of books (even bigger than the library at the KH) and I wrote the society asking them for more books, and somehow they tracked me down to my little congregation in Italy and one of the elders came and asked me if I wrote this letter (he showed it to me.) In the upperrighthand corner (I wish I still had this thing) was written in red ink NO $$. I guess since I didn't send a donation they weren't going to answer my letter and the elder told me I should ask the elders questions and not write directly to the society.

  Again, thank god I'm out.

  Freedomrules
• 
  7

  Jehovah's Witness BURNOUT

  by Ray6 in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  it is a continuous circle of meetings, field service, assemblies, studying and no real enjoyment of life.

  the teenagers don't want to be at the boring meetings and assemblies and preaching in the hot sun.

  the brothers are tired of saying the same thing on the platform and sisters are burned out trying to work, take care of home and kids and spiritual matters and being a perfect stepfordwife.

  1. 
  2. 
  3. 
• 

  Freedomrules

  I'm new and having a hard time figuring out how to post. I know how you feel though. I went through that when I was 18. It is so much better to be out. In the words of Polonius, from Hamlet: This above else, to thine own self be true. As soon as I stopped doing everything I felt like the weight of the world was lifted from me. I was no longer a hypocrite. It felt great. Freedomrules.
• 
  34

  newbie

  by Freedomrules in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  i'm just trying to figure this site out.

  i'm inactive jw for 8 years.

  my whole family is jw.

  1. 
  2. 
  3. 
• 

  Freedomrules

  Hi:

  I'm just trying to figure this site out. I'm inactive JW for 8 years. My whole family is JW. Married a non-JW (best thing I ever did), and have kids of my own. Love this site. It is great to meet others like me. I feel like I'm the only person in my shoes sometimes.

  Peace,

  Freedomrules