by scumgrief 151 Replies latest jw friends
SG,
I think it's great that you're here and that you are being so civil. Like the others have said, you're quite a rare find amongst the JWs that visit here.
I am not a JW, but believe your heart is in the right place. Keep coming back, you'll learn a lot. Don't let a few discouraging people keep you from following your heart! They usually aren't worth it!
Andi
Hello Scumgrief,
Happy to have you. An active, happy JW actually visits a JW site... imagine that!!
Personally, I look forward to reading your viewpoints on various topics as they come up. I see some have challenged you to offer your opinions/defend the Society on various points. Some advice (which you seem to be following quite well already)? Talk about what YOU want to talk about, when you want to talk about it. You aren't compelled to answer anyone here. As far as I can see, you will fit in rather nicely.
Welcome!
tj
Hi S.G.
I can't say that I like the name you have chosen. I think that you can do a whole lot better than that It doesn't exactly go with "Active and Happy" if you know what I mean.
I have a question for you. If someone were to ask you to supply the "two or three witnesses" required to show that the Society's interptetation of 1 Thessalonians 5:1-3 is word of God what three witnesses would you point to in the Bible that back up that interpretation? I would really love to see those three scriptures!
Bill Parker
What an interesting subject for discussion. I have tried to confront the issue of whether I was really happy as a JW. Seeing it thru the eyes of what happened after I left, I think I have a jaundice view of how I felt before I started to have serious doubts. I think happiness is relative to knowledge. Perhaps enlightenment is a better word. When the JW belief satisfied my mind entirely I think I was quite happy. When I began to open my mind to other ways of viewing things then my contentedness (happiness?) came under threat - because I was no longer happy with my limited view.
If I may give an illustration. When I was a child we used to hire a seaside cottage for 2 weeks in the summer. We were in seventh heaven and those memories are almost magical in how blissful life was for us at the beach. Now I'm 48 yrs old and I've travelled the world a few times and a 5 star hotel suits me the most. If I were to be taken to that beach side house we stayed in 40 yrs ago I'd think it was some kind of joke. I'd simply say "I'm not staying here" and walk out.
I won't try to explain this to you. You either get it or you don't. However please be assured that I ponder this perplexing situation often and I think I might have to confess here and now that I think I was happy as a JW - when that was all I knew.
kind regards
Marilyn
Thank you all for your replies and civil words. Its seems like people are just scrambling to get me to chime in on certain subjects, and while I do intend to address them over time, teejay kind of hit the nail on the head. I can't tackle all of these issues at once. But as I'm traveling around the board I'll pipe in when I can, and if you want to make a thread about a specific subject I'd be glad join in the discussion. Now lets see...
Ashitaka-no I do not think I would "tell" on someone if they were posting on this board. If they were here complaining about something in the org and I knew them personally, I would probably go to them personally just to talk about it.
I will address some of the issues I mentioned as time goes on. I guess I feel like JW's are being misrepresented here in a lot of ways, and its only fair if they at least have a small voice. And I'll admit, that there are a lot of you that know a lot more than I do about religious history and certain doctrines, but I'll do my best to support my opinions.
Do you want to know what thread I was reading that made me sign up? It probably seems silly to you, but it was a thread about how someone left the org because they cracked down on "social" events, like congregation football games. He said hunting wasn't allowed, movies weren't attended by groups anymore, and that people weren't allowed to hang out. This thread struck me as such BS! And maybe all this happened before I was born, I don't know. But where I live there are at least 6 cong. that get together every other week and play hockey. The other weeks we play football. I go see movies and concerts with my friends all the time! Where I live, hunting is a way of life, even in the congregation. The day after hunting season begins, the Kingdom hall will be at about 50% attendance from all the hunters being gone. I even have a rock band. And its not looked down upon.
I know it can be different from one area to another, but I don't believe that I live in the only area where fellow witnesses get together and have fun.
Whew! Got that out of my system!
scum (Bill Parker-its the name of a song)
Scumgrief,
Truly I am happy that you have such a loving congregation. Do you realize how rare that is? I have been to many congregations growing up (we moved a lot!) and only 1 of the 5 we were active in, was loving. The others were more concerned about FS hours, skirts that were too short, brothers hair that was too long, and whether or not you drove a four door car. They worried about things that had nothing to do about being a loving Christian. You'll hear many stories here that support more of the un-loving attitude amongst JW's than the loving JW's. Either way, I'm glad you're here!
Andi
Yes Scumgrief - you are a breath of fresh air to this board. A JW who is willing to discuss his beliefs, and yet knows how to be civil. I've appreciated all your comments and look forward to seeing your posts/points of view.
Your description of your congregation seems almost sureal - Many here have never experienced what you are describing.
And tell Mrs. Scumgrief that we look forward to hearing "the truth" about you too as well as her viewpoints on things.
Scumgrief,
You have a Witness rock band? Cool! I was in a Witness rock band until I decided to grow a goatee last year. They kicked me out because the goatee was supposedly rebellious. This was an alternative rock band for heavens sake! :)
Anyway, getting kicked out of my own rock band (I wrote many of the songs and played lead guitar - heck, I got the band together in the first place) kinda depressed me. Especially when my best friend (and bandmate/brother-in-law) started shunning me because I confessed that I did have certain doubts. But I still love my old friends. I hope some day they will see how immature they are acting. I'm not holding my breath, though! ;)
rem
'A scientific opinion is one which there is some reason to believe is true; an unscientific opinion is one which is held for some reason other than its probable truth.' - Bertrand Russell
Btw, SG, by the way you describe your congregation's warmth and common sense approach to issues (movies, social gatherings, hunting), I would say that many of us who are ex-JWs would still be active, happy JWs ourselves had we had the good fortune (Divine blessing?) to have been in a truly rare congregation like yours.
Most of us can tell radically different stories, I'm afraid.
later,
tj
It truly bothers me that this is the case teejay. Of course there are some congregations that are more strict then others, and for certain people that is perfect for them. I guess i wish people could instead of giving it all up, just look for a cong that is better for them personally.
REM-Its cool that you were in a band too! It sucks how you were kicked out though. I hope you are able to reconcile with your friends. Are you still in the org, or have you left?
I guess you could my band "alternative" also. We play modern rock with some alternative thrown in for good measure.
