Ok - I've placed myself in a make or break situation. I don't post a lot so you may not be familiar with me, but feel free to read my initial post on my situation. A little has changed - i've now not turned in a service report the last two months (June and July) - first time in 25+ years, it feels great! Whether you are still Christian or atheist I need everybody's help in what I now have the challenge to do...keep reading!
To get to the point, the wife and I have been discussing whether or not to have our first child. We're both in our early thirties - so it's probably now or never and a very serious discussion. Obviously due to my weak meeting attendance (mostly sunday only), lack of meeting with the field service group, stepping down as a MS, and various comments I place now and then one of her questions was - How would you want to raise the child religiously? Stammering for time I reply 'What do you mean?'.
Her reply basically is would you want to raise them as a JW? And before i can say anything she says - think how we turned out, pretty good right? i mean we are moral, don't smoke, lead good lives etc... So this gives me a quick easy answer - YES I would want to raise them like that - to be moral, and good, and lead Christian lives. She says - i wish you would talk to me about how you feel. Being this involves whether we will have a child - i feel i owe it to her at this point, being the ONLY reason i pretty much have been avoiding wanting one is because I don't want to bring him/her up believing their salvation is dependent on this organization. So my answer: I WILL. Give me a few weeks to get my thoughts in order and I'll tell you how i feel.
Sooo...you see where i am. I do want to lay it out for her. Bringing up one topic will not work - it's not enough to overcome her 30+ years. I feel the only way is to hit her fast and hard like it hit me. So i've been working the last 2 weeks on a document i'm going to sit down with her and let her read. i feel she will read it as she really wants to know what is going on in my head. I started with over 150 Word pages gathered from this site and the many others i respect. i've condensed it down to around 50...LOL. i know i still have some work to do on it to polish it up, make it clearer, more smooth-flowing (i'm trying to think back to my public talk days :D ).
But here is where I need you!! Please everybody that has the time review the link of the document and give me all criticism constructive and otherwise. Let me know your thoughts - what i should remove, what i should add, what i should re-word.
This is my one in a million shot to let her see the real Truth. if this works my life will be officially on track. if it doesn't i'm not sure what will happen - but i'm at the point i'm willing to take the chance. i love my wife and want to have a child with her. if nothing else i need her to respect my viewpoint and be open-minded.
all and any help is greatly appreciated - now for the link (i hope - i don't know much about posting this kind of stuff):