Life Outside the Witnesses

by jgnat 28 Replies latest jw friends

  • jgnat
    jgnat

    So I see your values are not too different from ours. Except perhaps you do not put as much value on independence.

    "Not thinking too much of herself" - that is a desireable I rarely see outside the society.

    And, your moral compass is much more restricted. You haven't looked much beyond how you were raised, have you?

  • damselfly
    damselfly
    Five.

    That's 5 more then me. I've never been on a date. Seriously. Now who wants to be the first?

    Dams

  • jgnat
    jgnat

    HA! You have me beat. My old church was big on the "unequally yoked" thing. It resulted in an abundance of single sisters biding their time. AND THEN TOO, I had two little children under wing. I don't recommend twenty years' celibacy on anybody. It made me slightly nutty. I don't believe my hubby when he tells me the single sisters in his hall are content to wait for the "right one", and concentrate on their "spirituality." Been there, done that. All celibacy does is spook out your nervous system.

    Know what a Rotick is? It's romantic without the man! Wanna go on a rotick date?

  • damselfly
    damselfly


    Ooooo yes I do!! I've never heard of that before but it sounds great.

    ****rings jgnats bell & hands her a ***

    Dams

  • jgnat
    jgnat

    See, girls could do it right. Fresh flowers (not roses), fine restaurant, napkin in the lap, animated conversation about something other than sports, a shared dessert dripping in chocolate...

  • jgnat
    jgnat

    Oh my goodness, I think i just flirted. Excuse me.

  • damselfly
    damselfly

    Jgnat ~ I think you're fantastic! I'm so glad you post here. It's like having a favorite aunty.

    Dams

  • Victorian sky
    Victorian sky

    jgnat, great post,

    What makes you happy now? God, my family, being alive, chocolate, books, movies, travel and music.

    In a typical week, what kind of community or social interactions do you engage in, and what percentage of your time does it take? Depends, we go to church on Sundays, belong to a JW outreach ministry and volunteer for American Red Cross disaster relief, so i'd say 30% of our time.

    Did your financial situation degrade or improve after leaving the society? Definately improved, I went to college, got a degree and started my own business, my husband just went back to school and recently graduated after suffering through minimum wage jobs so he's doing much, much better too. Our view of work has changed. We're pursuing our dreams, passions and ambitions without guilt and the thought of what will the elders, JW family & friends think? Also, now we know that God wants us to be happy and the best way to honor him is to become a blessing to others.

    If you are single, what qualities do you look for in a date? Happily married, saw enough miserable JW marriages to put me off the whole thing. My husband treats me like an equal partner and we work together as a team.

    If you have a partner, what are the most important principles you try and bring in to the relationship? Unconditional love, tenderness and honesty.

    If you have a family, what are the most important principles you try and instill in your children, as their parent? No kids yet, we're working on it!

    What guides do you use for your personal moral compass, if any? (It could be a book, concept, religion or quote) The Bible, our Church home, the ministries of Joel Osteen from Lakewood Church in Houston and Bob Coy of Calvary Chapel Fort Lauderdale really helped us, refreshingly positive and inspiring.

    P.S. I like this post. It's funny that anyone would think that JWs leaving are uniformed, when I got baptized as a witness when I was a teenager, I missed the fine print about cutting off your friends and family if they don't conform, I had no clue that people were grilled during JC's (heard all the horror stories, never sat through one thank God), I didn't know that they were just another religion that didn't help people nearly as much as they boast, I wasn't informed of what real life would be like in the org, I didn't know that I would be far happier without them and their gazillion man made rules, I love my Christian freedom and I wish anyone doubting all that God has for them - love and life in abundance. - God Bless, V-Sky

  • jgnat
    jgnat

    Insightful words, Victorian sky, thank you:

    It's funny that anyone would think that JWs leaving are uninformed ...I wasn't informed of what real life would be like in the org, I didn't know that I would be far happier without them and their gazillion man made rules

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