What the ... ?? People are "preaching" to me.

Vivamus

This is sooo weird for me. Today, I had two guys over to install some hardware in my house. Within 5 minutes the conversation chit chat turned to religious babble. The two men were part of an evangelist congegration. We chatted about the various religions in my town (there are not many religious places in the Netherlands, and so I was amazed at the amount and variety of churches when I moved here. I have a church on every corner and I'm not kidding) - and somewhere along the line I dropped the little info that I was an ex-JW. We had a really nice chat about it, and when we said goodbye I had a pleasant but amazed feeling. Amazed because I NEVER tell that I am an ex-JW. In fact, my closest friends now about it, but not many others do.

Then, I went to the market and shops, and I entered a cute shop with Persian rugs. I start chatting with the owner about some Arabic jewels he has.... we come to a jewel in which prayer rolls are put.... and next thing I know we are chatting about Jewism, catholics... the man is a sacristan at a cute little church and he asks me what church I belong to. And so again we come to the ex-JW part.

Maybe god is giving me signs I should joing a local church ?

changeling

At least nobody stuck a needle in your arm and told you you'd go to hell for not going to church.

changeling

Abandoned

Maybe god is giving me signs I should joing a local church ?

Or maybe you're finally comfortable with your past. For the longest time, I wouldn't tell anyone that I had been a JW. The shame was too much. But now that I realize that I was duped, that it isn't a major defect in my character, I talk about it whenever appropriate.

Good for you!

Awakened07

Maybe god is giving me signs I should join a local church ?

-Or maybe the local churches are giving you signs to join [in the worship of] their god?

AWAKE&WATCHING

I tell everybody, it's my lead in for an anti-witness. People die because of the blood issue and I say what I can to make people aware of that. I may not be able to help anyone I personally know to get out of the cult but I make a huge effort to keep people from getting sucked in.

Everyone I work with knows, my joke is: "What do you expect, I was in a cult for 30 years?"

JH

People of all faith speak to you except JW's....lol

R.Crusoe

Do not mistake human care for Gods calling you! Many humans believe they have found fulfillment and will want to pass it on to others who may choose to join them. But you know it is not so easy to commit fully to something that will likely have more questions than answers.It's why some such as quakers embrace many faiths though I don't know how that works out - it brings together peoples with different belief in a respectable manner - which I think is excellent for those wanting to mix amongst others who believe in God - moreso than those claiming unique ownership!

worldtraveller

I often talk about faith with friends and get endless comments. Ocasionally I get the odd request to visit a church, but I decline all in our country, because I have found faith and its everywhere, not just in a building. When I visit friends in Mexico, I will attend but it's because there seems no caveats to visit. Just a bunch of Mexican people thrilled at a tall green eyed Canadian making an effort to visit total strangers. No strings, you know.

Vivamus

Maybe god is giving me signs I should joing a local church ?

I was being mildly sarcastic with this. Thing is, I am too critical to ever be able to embrace any religion again. Abandoned, I think you hit the mark. I do feel comfortable with my past as a JW. I am also now beginning to understand really why I joined - and thus put it in perspective.

myababes

Its only in the last year or so that I have been able to admit that I was ever a witness.Hopefully this means that I am finally coming to terms with it.

When I left 8 years ago I had just started a new job and there was no way I would ever have admitted I had been one. It was so lovely being accepted by my new workmates that I was just normal and did the normal things that thhey did. Years later when theconversation came round to it my boss said that if she had known at the time I had been a witness she probably wouldn't have offered me the job as she had had bad experiences with some not being able to work certain times and preaching to other staff too much, and just being generally weird.

I don't know how politically correct that was but it puts adage to the old tail they used to spin that being a witness in the workplace meant you were respected. Not likely!!!!!!!

What the ... ?? People are "preaching" to me.

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