Has anything changed with JW's?

by aniron 17 Replies latest jw experiences

• 

  RollerDave

  It IS kind of odd.

  I have two sisters, both bigtime dubs. One is the wife of an MS, we'll call her SRLB, and the other is the wife of a PO, so I'll call her Mrs. PO.

  I am, of course, legendary in my former circle of JW associates for my superhuman feats of opposition to the borg, singlehandedly refusing to attend meetings, faster than a speeding JC and able to leap a logical inconsistancy with a single bound, so it's no secret I loathe and despise everything these two stand for.

  SRLB shuns me very effectively, I mean the girl's uncanny. She can sniff out the potential of my presence and stay away with the best of 'em, but Mrs. PO surprises me. She treats me like a human being, albeit one with whom you can't discuss the elephant in the room.

  Her hubby, Mr PO seems like your typical company man, so the basic decency they extend me is unusual.

  I mean, they are VERY 'dub' and I am VERY VERY 'undub' and it shows.

  They've sat in resteraunts with me having a meal; me being careful not to mention their religion, they trying desperately to ignore the large shiny revolver I was openly wearing in a vertical shoulder rig.

  They look at me and see the beard, the ponytail, the pierced ear, the personal artillery, and the proliferation of 'in your face' patriotic pins or t shirts and I know how hard it is for them to bite their tongues, but they do it.

  So, I'm grateful.

  But I think this is unusual, no other dub deals with me if it can at all be avoided so I'm not thinking it signals any kind of sea-change

  My two bits,

  Roller
• 

  Gopher

  No, nothing has changed. I haven't heard one peep from my 3 distant relatives (that includes my parents, BTW) who are still anchored to the base of the Watchtower.

  This kind of thread has appeared sporadically on this board in the past couple of years, and it usually boils down to the fact that even JW's have some humanity buried deep under the outer shell they are supplied by their leadership at the WT Society. Sometimes that humanity slips through, even they can't help it.
• 

  Wordly Andre

  I heard they don't have those Ration tickets anymore, I think I read that on this board, remember those stupid tickets, you use to buy them at your hall before an assembly, then use them to buy food, I think a Muffin egg was 4 tickets??
• 

  38 Years

  As far as I know (I'm still very much in the loup) the official policy is to shun. However, individuals may be starting to use their brains (and in this case hearts) and doing what they personally feel is best.

  I hope that sometimes they will use their conscience to decide how far they should go in shunning. I'm sure they also look to see if they are safe and no one sees them either. If this is a first step toward thinking for themselves, I think it's a great start.
• 

  aniron

  They look at me and see the beard, the ponytail, the pierced ear, the personal artillery, and the proliferation of 'in your face' patriotic pins or t shirts and I know how hard it is for them to bite their tongues, but they do it.

  Seeing you like that across the table from me, I'd be frightened to say anything as well.
• 

  RollerDave

  Aniron, LOL!

  Well, I guess I can be a bit intimidating, but the thing is they were there voluntarily, and have done the same since.

  Not often, but more than a few times.

  I know how unusual that is among dubs, high-level ones within the congo at that. So I always remember to count my blessings that my sis will meet me halfway, as it were, and that the over useless bint of a sis stays the hell away!

  Hell, I got it pretty good it seems.

  Roller
• 

  Cheetos

  Yes they built Pyramids in honor us, and have now began growing pointed heads, not to mention only using Ovalteen for the Memorial service's.
• 

  Mum

  After I left the JW's, my parents went in. We were always at opposite sides of everything, so this was "normal" for us. Anyway, some of their JW friends came to the wake at the funeral home when my non-JW grandmother died. I smiled at one of the sisters I liked, but she did not respond and tensed her face a bit. BTW, I was never disfellowshipped.

  In the car on the way home, my mom said something about how nice it was for Sister J to come by to bring to our attention how "loving" the JW's are. I said she wouldn't speak to me when I greeted her, and added sarcastically, "probably because her heart is so full of Jesus." My non-JW niece laughed heartily. My mom went silent.

  Later, this same sister and her husband (whom I knew before I knew her) stopped by my mom's house. They made quite a point of talking to me and actually said it was nice to see me. Go figure!

  Regards,

  SandraC