Thanks to all who responded to my post. Sabin, you make a very interesting point about how you think that maybe those not in the limelight might find it easier to fade. Of course, there is always the potential for gossip, "what was he up to?" Some in the cong have been standoffish. Not helped by my wife's health problems so she has missed many meetings. She told me the other day (and she is a true believer) that it all seems so" performance based". She's not visible so, by implication, possibly bad association.
New day
JoinedPosts by New day
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39
Reasons for doubting.
by New day insomebody mentioned in a recent topic that they had a conversation with a former elder whose breaking point was when the overlapping generation was highlighted in recent times and how he would never serve again until somebody gave him a scriptural reason to believe it.
i am in a similar position.
i have gone in the last 18 months from taking the wt study, leading fs groups, and doing talks on the mtngs to doing almost nothing, as i resigned a little over a year ago as an elder due to a combination of family responsibilities and huge doubts.
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Reasons for doubting.
by New day insomebody mentioned in a recent topic that they had a conversation with a former elder whose breaking point was when the overlapping generation was highlighted in recent times and how he would never serve again until somebody gave him a scriptural reason to believe it.
i am in a similar position.
i have gone in the last 18 months from taking the wt study, leading fs groups, and doing talks on the mtngs to doing almost nothing, as i resigned a little over a year ago as an elder due to a combination of family responsibilities and huge doubts.
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New day
Somebody mentioned in a recent topic that they had a conversation with a former elder whose breaking point was when the overlapping generation was highlighted in recent times and how he would never serve again until somebody gave him a scriptural reason to believe it. I am in a similar position. I have gone in the last 18 months from taking the Wt study, leading fs groups, and doing talks on the mtngs to doing almost nothing, as I resigned a little over a year ago as an elder due to a combination of family responsibilities and huge doubts. The recent money grab and obey at all costs instructions have assured me that I did the right thing.
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Tough Day & wanting to escape
by Olivia Wilde inso today after my workout at the gym, i was driving away from the parking lot, notice 2 witnesses on the sidewalk with their witness cart, one older man with a young female, related?
not sure but as i drove away it finally hit me, all this buildup & staying strong since my awakening finally hit me .... just crying & saw my life flashing before my eyes just couldn't keep myself strong anymore, especially thinking of my child & other things happening in my life currently, which are hitting reality...... i came home & had a conversation with my son about our weekly mtgs, we have missed the ms mtgs for a few times/days in a row now, does anyone check on us?
... anyway i finally told him that for the time being mommy needs to figure out some things with god & jesus first & for the time being won't be making the ms mtgs & will be doing our bible study at home... thankfully he understands & just told him that god understands how i feel & is ok with it.... it's difficult to feel alone in this, i feel broken with the other things happening in my life, not wt or jw related, & just want to escape & run away, i don't have many friends & my non jw family is not a close family, we were never close, & i feel like i don't have anyone to talk to.... people that know me & interact with me have no clue the turmoil i'm going thru inside, i pretend like nothing is wrong with my life .
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New day
It is hard when you have to pretend everything is ok. When we started missing some meetings we did get one elder asking us if we were ok, but people don't really get it at all when you start to slow down.
You can be sure that you have friends here. We feel your pain and your turmoil. I think you will find the support you need here.
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Tired of the truth... Tired of doubting
by Deltawave ini'm reaching out here, i've known ttatt for about 3-4 years now.
sadly when i first grasped it i had a total mental breakdown as i was a hard core firm to the core pioneer and 110% believer of my faith.!
now nearly 2years on after my breakdown i still have to attend to please my jw wife.
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New day
I also thought that I was going through a mental breakdown two years ago when I first started having doubts. One day I led the group in fs but when we got to the territory I used the odd number present to go on my own. While the others were knocking on doors I was sitting in my car, unable to bring myself to go. I have been out once or twice since, have resigned as an elder, and limp along as I have a bible study, with whom I actually try to stress general principles rather than specific jw doctrine. I have voiced some doubts to my wifem but she calls 'apostate' if it gets too close to the bone. Be careful out there! -
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Horrible Bosses
by John Aquila ini just heard this a few minutes ago by a jw friend who is still an elder in my old hall.
the kingdom hall i used to attend and my mom still attends was paid off many years ago and serves about 6 congregations.
one of the english congregations has a lot of financially well of members.
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New day
Two points I would like to comment on. Long before the latest money stories our cong had a deficit. Once, all the elders and servants were required to give 30 euros each to make it up. Not too long ago we again had a shortfall and one of the elders suggested doing the same thing again. I refused as I argued that not just the appointed men but the whole cong were responsible to contribute. So it was shelved the second time around. Got to agree also that now I am no longer an elder it is great not to have to attend interminable after meeting meetings, getting harangued by the CO, and no ridiculous in fighting amongst the BOE to deal with. Sweet freedom! -
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Being marginalised by JW's and family, how to combat it?
by Crazyguy inwhen one leaves the religion and fades it starts to become obvious that they move on with out you but this is not enough for them so they also marginalize you, loose respect for you etc.
they even tell stories about you.
example my wife talking to my mother tells her that i now believe aliens came to this planet and created man.
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New day
FayeDunaway I have to agree with you completely. I am still an active Witness but am stepping back from all the watching all that I say and think and do. All for appearance. I used to constantly worry about what others would think. When I stepped back and REALLY thought about it, how many of those I worried about offending were close friends? Not many. I was worried about keeping up appearances for people I didn't know well or even care about, but they were part of the 'whole package' I had to buy into. I resigned as an elder last year but the bros want me to stay involved and maybe go back as an elder. But now that I know... -
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Can't sign out!
by stillin inmy wife has recently become very curious about my activity on my ipad.
i delete my browsing history but if she should discover this site and my identity here, she will gladly hand me over to the hangman, something i have managed to avoid for quite some time now,.
i hit the "sign out" button, but i find that i'm still logged in!
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New day
My wife also often asks me "what are you reading on your tablet?" She suspects that my recent expressions of doubt about various things WT may be connected to what I am reading but she hasn't come right out and said it directly.
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i committed the unforgiveable sin
by 060702015 ineveryday i wake up with knots in my stomach and trouble breathing.
my life continues to go into a downward spiral.
in the past, i had my dependence on god.
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New day
Millie2010
Lovely post. Short, to the point, and loving.
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Christ's Fake Brothers - Tomorrow's WT Study
by The Searcher intomorrow's wt study, paragraph 4 says this - "the early bible students understood the expression rendered in the king james version "my brethren" to refer to those who would rule with christ as well as to all of mankind after they are restored to earthly perfection.".
rutherford decided in 1923 to change this teaching, and create an elite group of christians.
for 92 years the men running the wtbts have perpetuated & embellished this false teaching - especially so during the past three years - and hidden the bible truth about christ's brothers from millions of people fearful to question the org - created doctrine!.
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New day
I told my wife that I couldn't go to the study as there was not one paragraph that I could agree with or comment on. Even my mother-in-law who doesn't notice anything has registered the amount of begging for money that goes on these days. This in your face stupidity about donations and blind obedience is even causing otherwise oblivious people to think a bit. -
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Bro Loesch's talk.
by New day inrecently i heard through video link to our kh a talk by bro loesch where he attacked university study (again) but this time he prefaced his remarks by saying, and i quote, "the faithful slave does not forbid you to go to university.
" so this was a bad start as his following remarks made it clear that this was just a way of seeming reasonable while basically saying that we shouldn't do it.
he went on to use an illustration i think he has used before about a man with ocd who decided to kill himself.
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New day
Recently I heard through video link to our KH a talk by Bro Loesch where he attacked university study (again) but this time he prefaced his remarks by saying, and I quote, "the faithful slave does not forbid you to go to university." So this was a bad start as his following remarks made it clear that this was just a way of seeming reasonable while basically saying that we shouldn't do it. He went on to use an illustration I think he has used before about a man with OCD who decided to kill himself. He shot himself in the head but didn't die and the effect of the bullet actually cured his OCD. His warning was not to try something really risky (like university) as you might survive but was it worth the risk? He also compared it to someone who might survive a swim in shark-infested waters but , again, why do it? He sounded so arrogant, a sort of smiling assassin when he deigned to say the slave was not forbidding this ,but...He also counseled against even young children having any friends or playmates who are not children of Witnesses and encouraged parents to push their kids to become unbaptizes publishers at 7 or 8 and without mentioning it directly the inference was that they would also get baptized at a young age.