Posts by talesin

35

out for a long time

by Sledracer in

my husband and i have been out for a long time, maybe fifteen years, i must say we are in a bit of a nowhere land spiritually, we find it impossible to attend any other church.

we really resent so much of how they messed up our and our children's lives.

we can't get back all those 25 years we were in.

Some thoughts on guilt.

by New day in

had an interesting conversation with my wife recently.

she struggles with physical, emotional and psychological problems which have often caused her to miss meetings.

she mentioned how she is equally tortured by guilt if she misses meetings and ministry, and severe stress if she does them.

I can only imagine the pressure she is under from the BOE and others in the congregation. You have stepped down, are inactive (which is great), and she is still a believer. She has the weight of the world on her shoulders. Going to the KH must be very hard - it is on any JW whose spouse is inactive. Being extra kind, helping her out, ask her what she would like to do, and take a walk together every day.

35

out for a long time

by Sledracer in

my husband and i have been out for a long time, maybe fifteen years, i must say we are in a bit of a nowhere land spiritually, we find it impossible to attend any other church.

we really resent so much of how they messed up our and our children's lives.

we can't get back all those 25 years we were in.

talesin

Hi, Sledracer, and welcome.

It's true that it can be harder to make friends when we didn't go to school and share the young family life. Do the two of you work together? There's a lot of healing to be done, for the family, and for you. Have you been able to talk to anyone before this, or have you been all alone? There are things you can do to help, and first off, taking care of yourself - do you have a United Unitarian Church in your community? I'm not religious, but know they are kind communities, and define the term 'ecumenical'.

I used to love sledding when I was young. : )

Oh, and what Mrs. Flipper said - volunteering is one of the best ways to connect with people in your community And it will be something you enjoy. xx

36

Coming to terms with the Watchtower experience

by Lee Elder in

it is a challenge coming to terms with your experience as a jehovah's witness.

if you were born and raised as a jw, and your parents were true believers, the impact on your life is profound, lasting, and largely negative.

in some cases quite abusive emotionally, spiritually, financially, educationally and yes, even sexually.. i recently watched "trumbo", and was quite moved by dalton trumbo's speech to the screen writers guild in 1970. here is an excerpt that i think is quite relevant to this topic:.

talesin

A child of physical abuse is a victim. He/she grows up to be an abuser and is now a victim/victimizer. He/she was a victim of circumstance and will always be considered a victim of sorts when discussing what happened to him/her as a child and as a result of that becomes the thing he/she hated most, abusive. Some people that were abused physically don't repeat the cycle but many do, thus they are still a victim by virtue of the horrid way they were brought up and now a victimizer by repeating the abusive behavior.

Welcome, faithnomore!

I was thinking the same thing, but let's take it a little further.

Does the abuser get off? "Oh, the poor thing is a victim of his/her upbringing." No. It is not tolerated by society, and against the law. Especially the willful, repeat abuser.

I think the 'victim' stance is on a continuum and individual level - certainly the GB and other high-ups (and some folk at all levels) know exactly what they are doing.

22

Anyone eat bunnies on Easter????

by James Mixon in

we eat turkey on thanksgiving why not rabbits on easter???

what's your traditional meal.

for easter??

talesin

25

The saga of Russell and Rutherford

by Terry in

i think little charlie russell having been born after many miscarriages by his mother, was doted on and coddled beyond normal.

his mother died of a fever epidemic when he was about 9 and he may have associated burning with fever with burning in hell.he seemed to be obsessed about hell for awhile even to the point of graffiti on sidewalks marking scriptures as warnings.he was privately tutored and brought into the men's clothing business and given and adult's responsibilities.

although the family was presbyterian, there appears to be a streak of insubordination in the genes because they switched to a congregational church with an autonomy of leadership and no organizational oversight.why was this a big deal, do you think?

talesin

Chuck Russell was all about the money. His Miracle Wheat scam was just one that paid off, and has gained some notoriety.

13

Satan & Disasters

by Hadriel in

was told by someone that a receipt article eluded to the fact that satan can cause natural disasters.

i don't see how i could have missed this.

doesn't anyone remember this?

talesin

Insurance companies don't usually pay out for 'acts of God' unless you have a specific flood insurance or whatever is needed (for which coverage you pay dearly).

I posted the *one* site that agrees with JWS. I found 5 others that says Satan has nothing to do with it. It is God's creations, and he controls the earth. They are so-called 'acts of God' on most of the Xtian sites I visited. xx

2

Gospel Story Quiz

by Petraglyph in

jw
friends

see how well you know your bible with the gospel story quiz - 20 quick multiple-choice questions.... gospel story quiz.

share how many answers you got right ;).

talesin

haha, well, isn't that something? You know the answer, and I won't be a 'spoiler'.

27

Shunning: is it still practiced?

by FinchAndWeston in

are df, da and apostates still shunned?

are each treated differently?

i heard a secondhand report that they seemed to have eased up on this practice ...

talesin

Mrs. Flipper

Rabbit's daughters have been shunning him for at least 10-15 years; they are not even JWS! Even when his wife died, it sickens me.

I just ... don't ... get it. "Lack of natural affection" ... indeed.

27

Shunning: is it still practiced?

by FinchAndWeston in

are df, da and apostates still shunned?

are each treated differently?

i heard a secondhand report that they seemed to have eased up on this practice ...

talesin

Let's not forget, they are the losers in this game of life - not to be mean. But I refuse to assume the victim / martyr stance.

I am in touch with a family member, secretly. The risk is DF. My parents also are receiving pressure to stay away. Shunning is alive and well in Canada - my immediate family is spread from coast-to-coast, and they all shun.