Posts by Faithful Witness

9

Crazy Study Stories

by dubstepped in

i never really had any studies to speak of, but my parents did have many over the years, and every single one of them was batsh!t crazy in some way.

there was one lady we kids affectionately termed "dirty robin" (her name was robin) and yes, she was very dirty.

her kids were filthy and rarely wore clothes.

Thanks for sharing your experiences. I was just a bible student myself, but I did meet many somewhat crazy JW's over those years! They all seemed to mean well, and I kept humoring them, even when they did make zany comments and express irrational fears and superstitions. I met some very nice people, and some real loony birds! ;)

Your comments made me stop and think (again), about what made me such a good customer for the JW's who kept coming back. For me, I think it was both loneliness and curiosity, along with a desire to please others and have them like me. Never before the JW's came to the door, had I experienced such an effortless "friendship." I didn't have to call anyone, or go anywhere... they just came over every week!

I'm definitely not normal, and I'm sure I provided some good gossip for them along the way (and even more when the whole thing hit the fan...) but I was never quite crazy or lonely enough to jump in the pool with them. They finally stopped answering my critical questions and gave up on us.

2

Does the Annual Meeting take place at the Kingdom Hall, or Assembly Hall?

by Faithful Witness in

i was never a jw, so i never was invited to one of their annual meetings in october.

are they held at assembly halls or at the local kingdom halls?

what day and time is the annual meeting this year?

Faithful Witness

I was never a JW, so I never was invited to one of their annual meetings in October.

Are they held at Assembly Halls or at the local Kingdom Halls? What day and time is the Annual Meeting this year? Is it the same for the entire US Eastern time zone?

I'm almost certain that they were at the Assembly Hall, when they received their New New World Translation bibles (the grey ones)...

I'm interested to know, since I have had a hard time reaching my JW mother lately. Their Assembly Hall is about 3 miles from my house, requiring them to drive past our house. Their KH is about 50 miles from here.

Not that it matters where they are going to get their updated instructions and revised literature... although I'm tempted to put up yard signs, with a message that we miss them and wish they'd call or visit!

I tried searching on JW.ORG, but am only finding times for public meetings and congregation bible studies.

I'm located in Michigan, so if anyone might have information about which congregations will be meeting in Holt this weekend, feel free to send a PM or reply here.

49

Extreme emotions re today's watchtower

by Tornintwo in

jw
friends

i was supposed to attend the meeting today, one of my once a month duties for the sake of my family and my fade.

i read the wt and i just can't stomach going.... what this wt does is again and again reiterate that only jws will survive the coming destruction and that they should be happy about this and raise ourselves erect...eg:.

we cannot expect that many people will suddenly convert to true christianity.

Faithful Witness

Closer to Fine: Most churches that I have visited, seem to be encouraging their audience to do as you described... often in the form of a monetary donation.

49

Extreme emotions re today's watchtower

by Tornintwo in

jw
friends

i was supposed to attend the meeting today, one of my once a month duties for the sake of my family and my fade.

i read the wt and i just can't stomach going.... what this wt does is again and again reiterate that only jws will survive the coming destruction and that they should be happy about this and raise ourselves erect...eg:.

we cannot expect that many people will suddenly convert to true christianity.

Faithful Witness

The Watchtower pimps, are accusing other religions of being prostitutes?

Sickening. I'd rather die, than live among these hypocrites in paradise.

It makes me furious to think about all the children that are forced into this cult, and the way the society hides the evidence of their own sexual crimes.

"VIRGIN-LIKE?"

29

Need clarification from someone who speaks JW: What is an "apostate" ...or... an "apostate website?"

by Faithful Witness in

http://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2015/jul/27/jehovahs-witnesses-destroyed-notes-about-child-sex-abuse-inquiry-told.

http://www.reuters.com/article/2015/07/27/us-australia-religion-sexcrimes-iduskcn0q10ih20150727.

http://www.cnn.com/videos/world/2015/07/28/australia-jehovah-witness-sex-abuse-hannigan-lklv.cnn.

Faithful Witness

I am still amazed, at the way people can be controlled by peer pressure.

My own parents, who helped me learn to think for myself, now believe that it is more important to serve an organization, than to show love to their own grandchildren.

My mother once told me (while we were still studying), "Jehovah's Witnesses divide families."

Now, whenever I get a chance to talk to her, she always says, "I need to get out in service more." She is so confused, and I can tell she feels this conflict in her own mind when she is with me. She doesn't know which personality to use. She can't answer my questions, and she admits that she can't ask them either.

While talking with her, I've heard her mutter "apostate" under her breath. I had the sinking feeling that this was involuntary. The things she says sometimes leave me speechless, and I wonder (hope) if there is still a part of her brain that is awake, and realizing that she has been duped.

It is so sad to see her getting older, and becoming more and more convinced that her only solution is to keep on studying and repeating things that don't make sense. Simply saying, "We are the happiest people on earth," does not make it true... but you will believe it, if you hear it enough times.

11

Are we helping to fulfill "prophecy"?

by LexIsFree in

i'm sure this has been discussed before, but i have been thinking the last few days about all of us.

the "evil apostate" family.

we all have suffered at the hands of the org and their brain washing of our family and friends.

Faithful Witness

It is a circular argument.

No one wins.

... and there is no reasoning with someone, who is convinced that they are a victim.

29

Need clarification from someone who speaks JW: What is an "apostate" ...or... an "apostate website?"

by Faithful Witness in

http://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2015/jul/27/jehovahs-witnesses-destroyed-notes-about-child-sex-abuse-inquiry-told.

http://www.reuters.com/article/2015/07/27/us-australia-religion-sexcrimes-iduskcn0q10ih20150727.

http://www.cnn.com/videos/world/2015/07/28/australia-jehovah-witness-sex-abuse-hannigan-lklv.cnn.

Faithful Witness

I realize that the WT organization uses the term "apostate" to scare people, and to keep JW's from discussing themselves with anyone outside the religion.

I've never been a JW myself, but I appreciate that this word is a powerful trigger in the mind of those who are "IN the truth."

I know better, than to quote or present printed material, from anyone who is outside their organization. I have never mentioned the internet to a JW, yet when I bring up a news story, such as those being reported about their policies regarding how they protect child abusers... I get the immediate response of, "Well, there are APOSTATE websites out there..."

Do they mean... (just some of the articles published this summer)...

WASHINGTON POST

https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/asia_pacific/jehovahs-witnesses-face-child-sex-abuse-investigation-in-australia/2015/08/14/d8a58eda-406e-11e5-9561-4b3dc93e3b9a_story.html

THE GUARDIAN

http://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2015/jul/27/jehovahs-witnesses-destroyed-notes-about-child-sex-abuse-inquiry-told

REUTERS

http://www.reuters.com/article/2015/07/27/us-australia-religion-sexcrimes-idUSKCN0Q10IH20150727

CNN

http://www.cnn.com/videos/world/2015/07/28/australia-jehovah-witness-sex-abuse-hannigan-lklv.cnn

BBC

http://www.bbc.com/news/world-australia-33673240

NPR

http://www.npr.org/sections/thetwo-way/2015/07/27/426756849/australias-jehovahs-witnesses-failed-to-report-1-006-alleged-child-sex-abuses

If these news reports are all false, then why is the WT corporation not suing for defamation, or at least demanding that these lies be removed from the internet?

Can anyone give me a good JW definition for "apostate?"

Am I an apostate?

27

Happy birthday to me!

by purrpurr in

it's my birthday!

woweee!

i'm celebrating it too!

Faithful Witness

HAPPY BIRTHDAY!

Mine was yesterday. September is a beautiful month to be born.

Hope your day is wonderful, and that you got something you really wanted!

I received 2 dozen deluxe chocolate-covered strawberries from Shari's Berries (my husband is so good at following instructions!), a lovely handmade card from my 9-year old daughter, a rainbow loom bracelet from my 7-year old son (it glows in the dark, and is my lifetime pass into his secret club).

It's not about the gifts, but it sure does feel good to be remembered! Even if my parents don't care anymore, I had a wonderful day. :) ENJOY!

38

Thinking about taking my fiance to a meeting.. going as a "worldly person"

by OneStepOut93 in

i may take my fiance to a meeting.

give them fake names and just see how my fiance reacts.

he's been curious about seeing what i hated so much about the whole thing (not that he'll really understand everything, i mean of course he never will to my extent but)... i'd like to see what an outsiders view on the whole thing would be as well.

Faithful Witness

My husband and I attended a meeting a few years ago, and he carried a small recording device in his suit pocket. We dressed up as JW's (never have been real JW's). Only one lady spoke to us after the meeting. We explained that we "hadn't been to meetings for awhile, and wanted to catch up on the latest news."

We read the Watchtower study article ahead of time, and it was very interesting to play back the recording, with all the strange comments that were made by people in the audience. (The article being discussed, was the one "refining" the Truth about 1914... there were some doozy comments, indeed! - search my old posts, for a detailed account of our experience).

Of course, we did arrive just in time for the opening song, and left promptly at the end of the meeting. They were gathering for field service.

If your fiance is truly interested in this phenomenon, consider recording the talk and the study hour. I made lots of notes in the margins of my Watchtower, but the comments came too fast for me to keep up.

Attending a Sunday meeting, while fully "Awake!" is a very interesting study of human behavior. It was a good thing we found seats near the back... I'm sure my facial expressions would have revealed my amusement and disgust.

GOOD LUCK!!

11

Do Kingdom Hall congregations communicate with each other?

by Faithful Witness in

when asked, my mom denies that they do.... do local congregations pass along gossip or reports on householders in the area?

specifically, i am wondering if they might report on (unbaptized) family members that live in other towns?.

since the abrupt ending of my bs with miss k, i have not heard from the jw's at all.

Faithful Witness

When asked, my mom denies that they do...

Do local congregations pass along gossip or reports on householders in the area?

Specifically, I am wondering if they might report on (unbaptized) family members that live in other towns?

Since the abrupt ending of my BS with Miss K, I have not heard from the JW's at all. My mom has stopped asking me if the "witnesses" are still calling on me.

We didn't even get an invitation to the Memorial this year! We usually get paper invitations to 2 local ceremonies, because of where we live.

I'm not complaining about their absence, but just wondering. They have suddenly become obviously silent, even many months later.

Did word get around? Did I manage to find the trigger that really scared them away for good?

(I invited a friend to my Bible Study session, and she told the elderette that she had come to meet her, "to try to bring you to the Lord." - You can read about the resulting freakout in my older posts.)

I know they take some kind of notes. I've never actually seen a field service report. Do they record any information about conversations you have, or is it just the amount of time?