dad called......

atpeace

ok, well i'm feeling horriable today. dad called wanting to encourage me to attend the memorial. hearing the sadness in his voice - i couldn't bear to tell him how i feel. i no longer attend, not because i'm lazy, but i truly don't believe. it would break his heart even more knowing that. how do you cope? isn't it a terriable thing to feel like you don't want to call or visit - only to avoid the topic of how the latest watchtower articles are supposedly more pointed than ever that the end is so near? sorry, just needed to say this.

Burger Time

That sucks. My parents haven't said word one about it to me. Then again I told them point blank I would never step foot in a Kingdom Hall again until the Society issues an apology over the molestation scandel.

MissingLink

My parents know that I'm skipping most meetings. I'm going to the memorial this year as an outsider, just to keep peace. If somebody invited me to a special catholic mass, I'd go to that as well - as an outsider, not a believer.

Finally-Free

the topic of how the latest watchtower articles are supposedly more pointed than ever that the end is so near?

That's exactly the talk that encouraged me to get off my ass and join the cult...in 1983. The articles are no more pointed today than they were back then. During that time I could have had children and watched them grow into adults. Instead I put "kingdom interests first" and peddled useless rags.

W

mouthy

At least he is still calling. My daughter doesnt. Why not go just to please him.Sometimes we put ourselves out for those we love... Just my opinion.... Only because I "pressed" folks into coming to those meetings when I was a devoted JW... None of them believe it ,just did it for me,I really was pleased at the time. THEY are VERY PLEASED now I know it is not true.... many of them... But you have to do what YOUR heart tells you. Good luck what ever you do..

babygirl75

hearing the sadness in his voice - i couldn't bear to tell him how i feel. i no longer attend, not because i'm lazy, but i truly don't believe. it would break his heart even more knowing that.

Hurting my dad is the ONLY reason I still go to the memorials. I do it for him. Last time I spoke with my dad he said with tears in his eyes "you know I wouldn't tell you to do something if I didn't believe it was the truth" It kills me to see him sad/hurt. I think he has accepted that I'm not coming back to the religion, but still holds out that hope... Having to deal with all that really sucks!

reneeisorym

I'm sorry... I know it must be hard. We're here for you though. Don't be afraid to post these kinds of experiences.

atpeace

thank you all so much. it does help having a place and people who understand. i wish so much my family would see through it, but there is nothing i could say that would help them. it would only distance me further from them. and i am lucky (ooops, can i say luck ;)) they still want to have a relationship with me.

looloo

my dissfellowshipped friend has been blackmailed into going by her mum, will not see her child anymore if she does not go , how sick , my friend said she would go but will not listen ,will that make you happy ? mother said yes !!!(so long as you go )

MOG

I left some 20 years ago as a teenager..Me and my dad (not close to my mom - divorced parents) lived together since the day I was born and then he converted over when I was like 6yo..My dad became very fanatical and raised in such a way that he never raised me as a son but as a PRODIGY in the spanish congregation, some years later at around 17yo, they wanted to name me a ministerial servant,which I kindly rejected - here the son of one of the most know spanish elders in the state - I was much too young much to foolish.

I love my dad with all my heart, but I was never him and never wanted to be him, like they say some people just have a wild spirit - that was me..From the age of 17-18/19, my dad constantly insulted me, put me down and drew comparison of other brothers who DID take it..I never budge but it hurt - what little pride and confidence I had was simply destroyed..I LEFT and I suffered, totally shun by my dad for 15 years or so after.

Its is through 2 things in my life that he has come around to start talking to me, one is my brother (youngest) who was born and raised and became what my dad wanted ME to be..At an early age my brother became an elder, early 20's, now in his late 20's, he has left..TOTALLY rebelled against the org and my dad - my dad has been constantly calling him since - ask me if he did that for me? NOPE, never called me, not even once - I never even went crazy after. He didnt contact me to tell me my grandfather had passed - I found out through a non-nonchalant conversation I was having with a friend who's mother is a JW at work..talk about pain...

The other thing is my grandmothers passing, knowing that he had made a mistake never telling me about my grandfathers. He finally contacted my sister to call me, we flew together. We spoke nothing about religion, just about my family. Its was nice..I forgive my dad in my heart..It doesnt take much to make me a happy son - just let me know you still care about me..

A few months ago, while I was driving and him in the car he said "I wish I would have done things differently"..this is how my dad say's his sorry - I needed to hear him admit that for a change.

My last conversation with my dad a few weeks ago touched up on religion. We started with my brother and that my dad THINKS he might be going back - we'll see - alot of bad things happened to him outside the family that NOW he is addressing..I feel for him. So he tells me "I hope one day you will go back to the truth". I told my dad "dad I will never go back" and let me tell you why...Now I ma not going in to this detail but at the end - my dad was surprised how much I knew about the bible, how much I knew about the organization and their forefathers - and the only thing we closed out with was him saying "I dont care about their past, I still love Jehovah and I hope you can respect my views and I will with yours"..I hope this will be the end of mixing our relationship with religion

I have never been closer in my heart with GOD than I am now..I just started reading the bible 6 months ago - and I LOVE IT..

I hope I have given you all hope..If my dad could come around to an understanding - then I have to believe anyone else can. My dad was the roughest MOFO Elder I know - he is a little CAESAR

dad called......

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