my wife and i recently took the decision to fade out progressively and we are now in the stage where we no longer assist to our meetings.
in this process, we have told the truth to our respective parents but have not forced ourselves upon them; meaning that: we will talk about it when you want to.
as a result, my mother in-law already had some conversations with my wife on why we no longer went, but never brought up the subject with me, at least, up until yesterday.. she was telling us that a good deal of people miss us at the meeting and i answered that i missed them also.
"MIL: Yeah, I know it doesn’t make sense, but you take what you need and leave the bad stuff out."
Can you explain why this policy does not apply to any other church? One of the first things they taught me in my BS sessions, was that all other religions are false, and to be avoided.
They told me, "You can't drink a little bit of poison, and expect to live."
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You made some excellent points! :) Thanks for sharing.
had the opportunity or should i say "chore" to goto the ca a couple weeks back...haven't had the chance to post this... do giving the final talk about "work," you know, "god and christ keep working and so should you..." what kinda blew my mind is the co gives the talk before him and says, "i know you are tired, tired of this system of things, but we can keep going can't we?
we know it's just around the corner.
" the brothers all clap, cause he's like an old grandpa type...the do then comes up and starts talking about how much people are slowing down, he talks about the "snares" that satan is using and the need to keep busy, he then states, "brothers, you must work hard.
Sounds like a wonderful time!
my name is ari matthew davies, i am a christian, i was baptised back in 1974 at a jehovahs wittnes convention.. i am now 53 years old.
i no longer go to a kingdom hall or publish written litterature.
simply for the reason that.
Ari, Forgot to congratulate you on waking up. Glad to see another man get out of the society, with his faith intact. You Got out alive! Hurray!
my name is ari matthew davies, i am a christian, i was baptised back in 1974 at a jehovahs wittnes convention.. i am now 53 years old.
i no longer go to a kingdom hall or publish written litterature.
simply for the reason that.
This is an interesting plea. I'm not familiar with your story, but it would caution you about painting people with such a broad brush.
Although most of the people who post here on JWN are not in agreement with JW doctrine, I see only rare personal attacks or outbursts.
There are a lot of people who have been injured by the policies of the Watchtower Society. Cut them some slack, and forgive them when they act like human beings.
Perhaps you can give some specific example of the "hurtful public speaking" that is offending you, so it can be discussed. It really seems like a communication gap. I hope no one has attacked you with hurtful comments.
From what I gather, Christians, ex-JW's and non-believers are all welcome to comment here. I find this discussion board is a good place to talk about the ways the WTS has really wrecked my family and so many others here.
b.o.r.i.n.g.. same ol' stuff.
highlights:.
- reading the bible "must be more than an intellectual experience".
Thanks for sharing this. Sorry you had to sit through that!
I never even joined, and I still feel myself struggling to let go of their false teachings on some things. It wasn't until I was about 1/2 way through my intensive study of the book of Matthew, that I began to realize how much damage had been done to me... Not only my beliefs, but the way my mind works has been altered, if that makes sense.
I am still trying to hold onto my faith, but have suddenly hit another wall. It is very difficult to trust anything people tell me about the bible now.
Great post, Smiddy. Thanks for starting this thread.
The scandals and evidence against this ridiculous organization continue to pile higher and higher. I wonder at what point their system will finally collapse. The writing is ALL over the walls of the watchtower. More and more people are waking up and seeing it.
i have been going to meetings since i was a child, long story short only recently i've started taking the truth seriously, i am not baptized but just an unbaptized publisher.
truth is i am so lonely in the congregation.
the other young people in the cong don't like me because they dont think i am going to "stay" for long, i've even worked on the ministry with an older brother and asked her am i giving the wrong impression to people?
What Kate said.
This is the site for you. Keep asking questions. You are not stupid.
We don't care who you date, how many hours you put in last month, or even if you've watched an "R" rated movie. (gasp!!)
You will find a lot of people here, who are hurting for various reasons because of their experiences with the JW's. Sometimes they seem unkind, but don't take it personally. Your questions are welcome here.
i have been going to meetings since i was a child, long story short only recently i've started taking the truth seriously, i am not baptized but just an unbaptized publisher.
truth is i am so lonely in the congregation.
the other young people in the cong don't like me because they dont think i am going to "stay" for long, i've even worked on the ministry with an older brother and asked her am i giving the wrong impression to people?
Your loneliness will not subside, even if you were baptized. By committing yourself to the society, you would only be limiting yourself to a very small social network. There are a lot more good people and good friends to be had, outside the walls of Watchtower.
Have you noticed any pattern from your friends at the KH? You will never be good enough.
If you are a publisher, they have already started reinforcing this idea with you. They are requiring you to put it in writing.
Why do they require field service reports?
This requirement is a direct contradiction to the commands given by Christ in Matthew 6:1-5. I encourage you to read this entire chapter of Matthew and ask yourself, why are they requiring you to record every effort you make? Who is really in charge of keeping track of you? Your Father in Heaven, or a group of men?
Matthew 6:1-5 (NWT)
“Take care not to practice your righteousness in front of men to be noticed by them; otherwise you will have no reward with your Father who is in the heavens. So when you make gifts of mercy, do not blow a trumpet ahead of you, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and in the streets, so that they may be glorified by men. Truly I say to you, they have their reward in full. But you, when making gifts of mercy, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing, so that your gifts of mercy may be in secret. Then your Father who looks on in secret will repay you. “Also, when you pray, do not act like the hypocrites, for they like to pray standing in the synagogues and on the corners of the main streets to be seen by men. Truly I say to you, they have their reward in full."
i have been going to meetings since i was a child, long story short only recently i've started taking the truth seriously, i am not baptized but just an unbaptized publisher.
truth is i am so lonely in the congregation.
the other young people in the cong don't like me because they dont think i am going to "stay" for long, i've even worked on the ministry with an older brother and asked her am i giving the wrong impression to people?
nomorepain: Thanks for sharing your story. You will find lots of support here. I can relate to your feelings, and I'm glad you are here.
Stay awake! You are brave to share your observations, and you are smart to realize the truth about the people around you. I think your exit plan is a good one.
My story is also different from yours, but I will share with you that I am glad that I decided to never become a JW. I was only an adult bible student for about 4 years (on and off, as we were never quite convinced).
I can also relate to your feelings of being "left out." I have experienced this since childhood, although mostly in the real world. I am now a mother of two young children, and this peception has not changed for me. I am different, and I have come to realize that I do not fit in. Sometimes it hurts, especially since I am now in my 40's and still long for a "BFF."
You are human, and your feelings are normal.
You are too smart for this group. Do not get baptized. You do not belong to them. You do not have to report your actions or plans to them. I don't think it is the business of the elders or anyone else, what your plans are for your life.
I don't mean to be harsh, but it sounds like you have realized the truth of your situation. Their only interest in you, is to add you to their numbers and get you to serve the organization.
They have no interest in your personal happiness. Neither does the Governing Body.
The "friends" at the KH are manipulating you. They are putting social pressure on you to make a serious commitment to an organization that does not have truth or love within its walls. Follow your instincts here.
so chatter on the net and in coffee shops suggests lots of speculation about the re-emergence of russia as the king of the north.
does this political situation give the gb a golden opportunity to simply let speculation about prophecy fly and keep people distracted from the fact that nothing they have prophecied has actually come true?.
.
Wait a minute. I thought JW's were not supposed to be reading or listening to the lies of the news media.
