New member + anyone attended/seen the Zone Visit?

by Isambard Crater 35 Replies latest jw friends

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  Anders Andersen

  You really need to open your eyes to the bigger picture here instead of just living your life trying to please your parents while your own life is destroying you. How long will it be before they are dead an you can claim your freedom? You only have one life, there is no point in wasting it trying to please others in a cult where nothing you do is ever really good enough anyway. That is such a wasted life.

  I was going to say something like this too

  
  

  You are responsible for your own life and your own happiness. Nothing more and nothing less. Your parents are responsible for their own happiness. Not you.

  
  

  That being said, welcome here! Don't let some of our stronger opinions discourage you! After all, your choices are yours to make, without our judgment (and without any medling JW judgment and gossip!)

  
  
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  St George of England

  No idea of the content other than the programme:-

  1:00 Song 33 and prayer Chairman: S Hardy

  1:05 WT Summary A Llewellyn

  1:35 Branch report & experiences S Papps

  1:55 Song 111 & Announcements

  2:05 "Always rejoice in the Lord" H Corkern

  3:05 Song 88 & Prayer

  George
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  Hoffnung

  Hi IC,

  Welcome on this board. I think you are particularly in a more comfortable position than many others when your husband is not a JW. If you have a social circle outside the society, it should be easy enough to call it quits. If your parents are using pressure or guilt to make you stay, it is time to take your life back in your own hands. It will be better for your mental and emotional health in the long run. that is what we did. No matter how you go forward from where you are now, I wish you all the best
  
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  Xanthippe

  Thank you Xanthippe !
  It's pretty much my parents who I'm staying in for. They know how bad my mental and physical health is but just can't see that the religion is even 1% to blame. I know for sure it'd break their hearts if I left again, because it broke their hearts when I drifted away as an unbaptised publisher in my 20's.

  I do understand, I hated hurting my mum and my brother and sisters. It was the right thing to do for me. After five years of clinical depression in that religion I had to get away, It was crucial for my survival.

  My daughter is 21 and whatever she decides to do in her life I will support her as long as it's not dangerous or illegal of course. Parents have to let their children grow up and live their own lives and if your parents do not acknowledge your boundaries then isn't the fault with them? I know this is hard but you need to think of your health. Take care.
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  Vanderhoven7

  Do you still have faith in God and Christ? Perhaps your taking a stand and disassociating yourself which would be a faith honouring move and a witness to your parents; not only because you would gain your mental health, but also your spiritual integrity.

  Don't live by fear; live by faith. Do what's right for God, self and family.
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  Isambard Crater

  Witness My Fury, I guess I'm like a certain percentile of people who can't get "the Truth" out of their heads even when they left it many years ago, so the notion of "what if they're right and I won't see my parents in the new system if I leave the J.W's after they die?" is always at the back of my mind.

  Vanderhoven7, I'm not so sure any more to be honest. The old testament god seems so different, the J.W religion seems to lack love in so many ways and be hypocritical, and I'm warming to my husband's views that religion and God were cooked up by governments as a way of controlling people when humans weren't able to get a grip. I've so many questions about the Bible like 607 BCE, Noah being a preacher, blah, blah, that I'm just confused and need time out without having the pressure to turn in report card each month.
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  MissFit

  Welcome

  I understand where you are coming from. Take a deep breath and just. breathe. Come on in and take look around.

  You have time to figure things out. Take baby steps and take things at your own pace.

  I understand how that voice can keep you tethered. I lived for years considering myself as a dead person walking. I was resigned to be destroyed and didn't consider myself as worthy of paradise.

  I would yo yo back and forth trying to be spiritual enough. I was still chained by guilt and lies even if I wasn't physically in.

  What helped me was to get informed. This site has many topics that made me look at things differently. I paced myself because I found out things I didn't know I didn't know. I picked only topics I felt I was ready to explore. There were so many untruths to uncover. I am still working on it.

  Once you can intellectually understand the truth about the truth you can start unchaining yourself from the guilt and the fear.

  Poke around on this site with an open mind. Don't worry about posting just read the comments. I found as I was reading I would answer with my progammed response. I didn't post it but someone else would. Then the op would tear down that response with reasonable points that I never considered. It made me go hmmm.

  So expore and go at your own pace. Ask questions here , listen with an open mind and soon you will be able to taste real freedom.

  Best of luck in your journey.

  PS. I married non jw and he said the same thing to me about religion. Listen to your husband, he sounds like a smart guy. Are our husbands deserving of death? I think not.
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  freddo

  Isambard Crater

  There is no rush. Armageddon isn't coming "soon" (Luke 21 v 8) just as it wasn't in 1914/1925/WW2/1975/The generation of 1914 passing away.

  Take your time. Learn from us how to "Fade". Talk to your husband.

  I was an elder for over 25 years. I am utterly mentally free. I do not believe "Jehovah" will smite me down now or at Armageddy. I will die and am content with that thought.

  I have no guilt in reverse theocratic warfare (lying through my teeth and deceiving them to protect myself just like they do at child abuse enquiries and on their website) against these lying charlatans the GB of the WTS.
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  Isambard Crater

  Thank you, MissFit and freddo, for your encouraging thoughts and sharing your experiences.

  For over 3 years I have not believed in 1914, the governing body/FADS, shunning, preaching, the stance on child abuse, the flood and so many other beliefs, but the one thing that sometimes pricks at my mind and heart is the statue from Daniel. It does sometimes sound very feasible that the feet of iron and clay do depict today's fragmented and unstable governments and political situations. I guess that "what if?" doubt nags at many people who fade and the heartache will eventually fade over imagining my parents and grandparents in paradise realising I didn't make it.
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  tepidpoultry

  The rationalist in me sees the following:

  Bible prophecy/interpretation is at best a hit or miss proposition

  It might be illustrated by attempts to predict a meteor strike

  If those who predict them are chronically wrong does it mean that they'll

  never be right?

  No

  Even a broken clock is right twice a day

  But I'm not going to live my life by either

  As to those who will be supposedly resurrected

  I wouldn't worry

  As I recall the teaching

  You will be wiped from everyone's memory

  I think that research will help settle your concerns

  Go to jwfacts.com

  1925 and the resurrection of the ancient worthies is a

  good place to start

  :0)