i have a theory that recruited jws (not those born into it) all have a specific reason why they converted.
i also believe that it is still these "hooks" that keep them going - in the face of so many facts that prove jws are ridiculously wrong.
for those who were raised a jw: was there a hook besides the negative "you will lose your life, family and friends?".
hmmm...what hooked me was:
that one day all the wrongs would be made right
everyone would have there own home...
peace in the world at last
no more starving people
the love and encouragement shown to you when you are new
the feeling that you were pleasing god, even though it was so hard to do so.
and living forever...because really...nobody wants to die....
so it was those kind of things that got me convinced.
joanne
hey!
ever read the wt and awake articles and get tired of seeing words and prases like "the society's counsel on..."
'do not forsake the gathering of ourselves.....' ...that always made me squirm...hehehe....because i always thought it was directed at me...
and... 'loving organization'......BUT...only if you do more, want to do more, complain and cry about how you want to do more...etc..
cheers!
joanne
jws say, "the apostates are miserable!!
".....do you feel miserable?
(i don't).
yes, i would say i am much happier now. and relieved. i dont have to live by all these restrictions and expections any more.....not that they are bad i guess...unless you are not doing.......the shunning within the 'loving congregation' is what really got to me also....
my family, who are not jws, say that i am much happier too....and i luv my co-workers, no longer have to feel guilty for liking them!!!
joanne
i'm new to the site, and wonder can anyone advise me..... two years ago i decided to leave the jws, and when i met with the elders to inform them, they told me they had grounds to disfellowship me (i told them i doidnt believe in god and had slept with my boyfriend.....for full story see my profile).
at the time i thought that telling them would just mean that i could get on with my life and they would know that i was not a jw... i thought that you could only df a person who wilfully sinned against god.... well i didnt believe in god, so how could i wilfully sin against him?
anyway, as i said, the elders wanted to df me, and, not wanting to be seen as a sinner, i wrote a letter of disassociation detailing my reasons for not believing ahead of the dfing.. so did the elders have grounds to df me?
hi woman...i go along with what the others say, just go on your life in a happy, honest way. and always keep the door open for your family. i know it is hard to do so, but it would be so much harder for you to jump through all the hoops that the elders will ask of you. this could turn into a day in, day out process. and there are other ways you can show love for your brothers and mom. just write, give gifts, show concern. they will see you as a 'genuine' person who shows 'unconditional' love for them. and not the 'conditional' love that is found in the congregation. but what will win them over, so to speak, is to have and show respect for their religion. because for them at this point, this is what is right for them in their life. that way if any of the bros and sis ask about you in general coversation, your brothers can at least say positive things about you.
i hope this helps
pm if you like...take care
joanne
i knew a certain few elders that really got off by "talking down" to the "flock".
many elders were pretty nice guys but a few could turn----just like that!
what was your experience with "those taking the lead", the "loving shepherds"???
i heard wisperings of elders asking the nitty gritty details of a wrongdoing when it came to sexual matters...and i really could not believe that they would do that. until i heard of sister who committed immorality and left her husband...shocked the congregation big time. the thing is, she absolutely refused to tell the elders any details other than to admit she was immoral. she was disfellowshipped but reinstated, and i believe with her dignity intact. we were all proud of her. very strong sister.
joanne
as some of you know i still receive some of those dopey jw forwards from those who are trying to encourage me to come back to the organization.
this recent one i received was a bit more informative as to the workings of the organization.
i don't think this sister knows who passed this one on to her and i'm sure it wasn't meant to go out over the whole internet.
reply to what to what you said in your later post, cyber sister, about coming into the truth during a low point in your life....i was at a low time in my life and needed a change when i was offered a study. the thing that appealed to me the most when studying was that the bible says 'you will build houses and occupy it' and we will have our own bit of land...etc. that appealed to me so much. this and all the love shown to me by the bros and sis (love bombing) brought me into the truth. and so now, if they go into these 3rd world countries, they will surely bring many in with that promise of what is said in the bible.
we will have to wait and see how it all works out.
joanne
maybe this is a questions i should be asking a active jw but they wouldnt like my question after their answer.
because i was reading an article that was talking about jesus came in 1918 or something to that matter, so more cockamamy s**t. but how do they feel about if an "anointed" person turns away from jehovah are they still considered anointed?
like for instance someone has been partaking of the emblems and for some weird reason they get df'd or just decide to stop taking the emblems.
one of my family member's was one of the annoited. it really bothered her son since the time he was a little boy, on why god would take his mother away from him when the new system started. she would not be on earth to be with her family who loved her dearly. he never got over this at all. he felt god could have anyone else, why his mother. it did not make sense to him....this boy never did come into the truth because of this and other reasons. he basically saw through the b.s at an early age. so then we fast forward to sometime in the 90's. the wt brought out that the society thought there were many who said they were of the annointed but was only doing so out of wanting to so much but not really been of the annointed...just having too much love for god and just wishing it to be. or maybe, they wanted the status...i cannot remember how they worded it, but it got this family member thinking seriously about this. she anguished over this and it made her sick....she finally decided in her heart that she was not one of the annointed and she did not partake....it was hard...to say the least. bros and sis were wondering...and the talk. my family member, was never the same after this. she went into a depression and lost her joy for and towards the bros and sis. as for her son, he never did come into the truth either, even though she did this. and i think this bothered her too......ahhh just remembering it, gives me a heavy feeling.
does anyone else know of someone who changed their mind during this time...and how did it effect them ?
joanne
msn me [email protected]
just got a call on the phone answering machine from the local jw outfit.
is this their new tactic to contact people.
i was invited to the kingdom hall for a friendly visit.
thats funny...my real birthday is in august 12...did i put the wrong birthday in...
but thank you so much for noticing...
joanne.
just got a call on the phone answering machine from the local jw outfit.
is this their new tactic to contact people.
i was invited to the kingdom hall for a friendly visit.
no this has been going on for long time...usually done by sisters who cannot physically get out on service. they will call places like apartment buildings ....its called telephone witnessing.
hope this helps.
joanne
blood -- wts questions and sound answers 3
w91 1/15 p. 29 the pure language unites a great crowd of worshipers ***: ?jehovah?s witnesses abstain from blood?
do jws abstain from blood?
i remember one nite at the book study...we were all signing our blood cards.....funny looking back...no one wanted me to be their witness and to stand up for them in the event something happened..but thats okay. i really was not comfortable doing so anyways....but i remember a sister saying to another sister..."dont worry R??? ....you can count on me....i will let you die !!!!! i wont let them give you blood !" and they all laughed....i didnt find it funny....
another thing....i believe the family overrides anything that the blood card says. i know this happened in one case that i knew of. it was apparently quite a scene at the hospital. Then and there...i thought to myself that i do not want that kind of responsibility.
Not only that, were we not taught that life was precious and that we should take care of it and not abuse it....i mean we cannot smoke or jump out of planes....but we can let loved ones die in a hospital room!...does not make sense....something is definately not right here.
joanne
