she won't stop

by apostate woman 15 Replies latest jw experiences

• 

  out4good3

  She is using the brainwash tactics (which I am very aware of the mind game she has been taught to do thru the religion) by asking me "are you going to meeting this weekend"? "you do want to go, don't you"?

  Those words...those words...you don't know how many times I've had to listen to those very same words over and over from my wife on my way out of the Borg. I still have to hear them occasionally and she knows what the answer is almost as soon as she ask them.

  Her: "are you going to meeting this weekend","you do want to go, don't you"?

  Me: "No I won't be going to anymore meetings."

  Her: " You still believe, don't you?"

  Me: "Do not ask me leading questions. I have already made my intentions about the WT clear to you, I will not hypocrit and pretend to believe and practice what I don't feel in my heart for appearances sake. If this happens to stumble others that's their problem for paying too much attention to me and not enough attention to their own business. Do not try and guilt trip me".

  At this point there are very few conversations between us about the WT and when we do have them I'm accused of only being negative and nitpicking. This is understandable since they are trained that if you're not talking about the WT in a positive manner, something is wrong with you. They're very good at ignoring proven facts that fly in the face of what they're being told by those "old geezers in Brooklyn."
• 

  trudy

  Friends,
  Of course, you are free to do with your life as you wish.
  But as for me, I am a truth seeker. I cannot imagine Jesus
  getting involved in these holidays.
  How do we compromise righteousness just for entertainment and
  family fun?
  I take worshiping my God very seriously. It is just the way
  I am, I must worship him with spirit and truth.
  I believe much of what the Jehovah's Witness Organization taught
  to be truth. But when it comes to breaking God's commandment
  on love of one's neighbor and the closing the door to the
  kingdom, then I cannot compromise my faith in God's word.
  I love everyone and want only the best for them.
  There are so many fine people still within the Organization.
  I wish I could reach them, for I would tell them that Christ
  Jesus is the truth. If they are in Christ then they are in the
  truth (based upon John 14:6. And John 8:12, Jesus says," I am
  the light of the world, he that followeth me shall not walk in
  darkness, but shall have the light of life."
  They cannot get life by being 'in the Organization'
  they must be 'in Christ'.
  I feel for your pain. But we must remember, the whole world is
  lying in the power of the wicked one. He'd like us to lose our
  faith in God and to also break God's covenant of loving one's
  neighbor. He likes nothing more than to make us angry and to
  say harsh things against our brothers and sisters who are still
  stuck in bondage to a religous sect. (1John 4:20-21)
  There is only one faith, but many religous sects.
  'Beloved, let us love one another, for love is of God,and
  everyone that loveth is 'born from above'(Interlinear Greek)
  and knoweth God.' (1John 4:7)
  When suffering pain and sadness, sometimes it is difficult to
  see where the real cause if coming from.
  We get angry and sometimes vindictive, before we realize what is
  happening. This is not God's will for us, but we are then playing
  in the hands of our God's enemy, Satan.
  The best thing we can do, and I am speaking of personal
  experience, is to draw close to God. Seek his wisdom,
  apply his counsel in our lives. We feel better and then can
  grow to spiritual maturity. Anger stops us dead in our tracks.
  see also 1 John 2:8-10)(2 Peter 3:14)
  I mentioned how I feel about the holidays, because I only know
  that we cannot partake from the table of God and the table of
  the demons. I know nothing but what God teaches me.
  I do not judge but what I see God judging by his written word.
  It is not my intent to offend anyone by my mentioning what I
  personally understand about this world's holidays.
  I only ask myself, if Jesus were here, would he involve himself
  in these celebrations, and if not, why.
  The symbols and practices of old mixed in with holidays may not
  mean much to us in our day, but they could be an annual reminder
  to God of old wicked celebrations which were offered to demon Gods
  in the past.
  Our worship to God should be sweet smelling, not an offensice odor.
  As I said previously, we can all decide what we do with out life.
  But I desire to do all I can to make my election sure.
  "God is calling us out of darkness and into his marvellous light."
  (1 Peter 2:9)
  Grace and peace be multiplied to you through the knowledge of him
  that called us to glory and virtue. (1Peter 1:4)

  Love,
  Trudy
• 

  Sirona

  Trudy,

  Even JWs mention that some pagan decorations are OK. This is discussed in my threads:

  http://www.jehovahs-witness.com/forum/thread.asp?id=16618&site=3

  http://www.jehovahs-witness.com/forum/thread.asp?id=16572&site=3

  Here is an excerpt:

  When a JW tells you Christmas is Pagan, therefore you shouldnt celebrate it, you can refer them to this article. It is discussing wallpaper and other home decorations and what sorts are acceptable.

  --------------------------------------------------------------------------------
  *** g76 12/22 14 Are They Idolatrous Decorations? ***
  ”So the Christian needs to be primarily concerned about what? Not what a certain symbol or design possibly meant thousands of years ago or how it might be thought of on the other side of the world, but what it means now to most people where he lives.
  … With so many different designs having been used in false worship, if a person went to the trouble and took the time he might find an undesirable connection with almost every design he sees around him. But why do that? Would it not be needlessly upsetting? And is that the best use of one’s time and attention?

  …Paul, however, also showed the value of concentrating on the things that are of real importance instead of getting involved in controversy over petty meanings and possible connections that are not of obvious significance. (1 Cor. 10:25, 26; 2 Tim. 2:14, 23)”
  *****

  --------------------------------------------------------------------------------

  This appears to suggest that what is important is the attitude of the people using the ‘pagan’ decoration, or symbol. If the person using the decoration, as well as most people in the area where he lives, do not consider the decoration to be ‘pagan’ or in fact have no knowledge of that, then it is not wrong to use that decoration.

  I can say that most people who celebrate Christmas in my area of the world are not considering the pagan origin of the symbols they use. Also, it is accepted that many things in society, including our calendar, is of pagan origin. As the article says, to search for pagan roots in everything would be “needlessly upsetting”.

  So it is settled. They can celebrate Christmas . Or is this just another contradiction? Most JWs have some pagan symbol in their home. Lots of wallpapers have celtic knot symbols on them, or other pagan symbols. Those are allowed, other pagan symbols are not.

  Sirona

  ** http://www.religioustolerance.org **
• 

  apostate man

  :I cannot imagine Jesus
  getting involved in these holidays.

  Well, lets see, Jesus lived 2000 years ago. We simply cannot say "Jesus would" or "Jesus wouldn't" do these things TODAY, because so many things are different today than they were 2000 years ago.

  Jesus did not have a calender hanging on his wall as we do.
  Jesus did not have a T.V. and he probably wouldn't have a T.V. today, if he was here, in the flesh. BUT DO YOU?(one example)

  It puts a smile on my kids' faces when a holiday or B-day comes around. THAT is what I live for, making my kids happy, whatever it takes, holidays or not. They are too young to fully understand religion and nor do I expect them to. A smile on my kids is HEAVEN to me.

  Break the chains that bind you,
  unless, of course, you're into that sort of thing.
• 

  Sirona

  Trudy,
  Just another point. I recommend that you establish what exactly "pagan" is. Referring to it as "the table of demons" seems to indicate a degree of intolerance of the pagan faith. I'm not saying you have to agree with paganism.

  The thing is, when I was JW I used to think that anything pagan was EVIL. After reading up about it, I realised it was NOT Satanism or Evil.

  Why don't you check out this information:
  http://www.paganpath.com/prin.html
  Which shows some principles of belief of people who call themselves Wiccan or Witches.

  A couple of these principles are:
  12. We do not accept the concept of absolute evil, nor do we worship any entity known as "Satan" or "the Devil", as defined by Christian tradition. We do not seek power through the suffering of others, nor accept that personal benefit can be derived only by denial to another.

  13. We believe that we should seek within Nature that which is contributory to our health and well-being.

  Sirona

  ** http://www.religioustolerance.org **
• 

  Imbue

  Billigoat says:
  

  Something to consider, most holidays, traditions, habits have lost their original meanings. Just because the origination of something had a meaning doesn't automatically give it that same meaning today.

  Yes, this is true. However Christmas is a lie! So how can a true Christian practice lying. One doesn't have to practicing lying to wear a wedding band.

  Crazy is doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results.