I cringe everytime I remeber how I asked people for their opinions but never intended to valid any of them and give them a real thought.
Service experiences
by former2free 22 Replies latest jw friends
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Spiral
Yes, one time I had a return visit, an older lady. Took her magazines two or three times. The last time I went, she gave me the magazines back. These were magazines roasting the Catholic Church. She told me how dare I distribute such false information, and who did the WT think they were, claiming to be the only approved (also read: perfect) religion and that God did not approve of the Church. She was angry, but made a couple of logical statements that made sense to me, even then.
Turns out she was a Catholic nun, staying with family and not wearing a habit. (Who knew this could happen?)
I remember being uncomfortable at the time, and what she said to me really stuck in the back of my mind. Now that the bOrg has the same issues I think back about distributing those magazines and am embarrassed.
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Reopened Mind
former2free,
When you were a little fellow and I was pioneering I called on a kindly lady in Aloha Gardens. She always had a toy or a treat for you. I even studied with her briefly in the "Live Forever" book. I went round and round with her on why God permitted suffering. She just couldn't understand why a God of love would let little children suffer and die.
I've remembered her fondly since I left the cult. I now know why God didn't care about children or anybody else for that matter---he doesn't exist. Only humans care.
Reopened Mind
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former2free
Hey mom and everyone thanks for the comments. It sure is interesting to see how people unwittingly actually we’re trying to help us when we came to their door. And yet we were so indoctrinated we couldn’t see reason. It’s saddens me that we ever fell for that. I did cause I was raised in it other got duped. I wish I knew those couple people and go back to them now knowing what I do and thank them for even in some way getting us to even if for a second think. Even though we buried that process for many years afterward it was still a way in.
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hybridous
I was probably 12 or 13 at the time.
I was out in service on a terribly cold, inhospitable winter morning. I was paired with a slightly older (age 15-16) peer.
One woman opened her door, and with equal parts puzzlement and disgust, said words to the effect of: 'I can't believe that they have you out doing this, on a morning with these awful conditions.
My peer said: 'But this is Our Choice.'Well, it might've been true for him - but it sure as hell wasn't true for me.
No, I was out there because my mother expected it of me. Nothing more than that.
And that's when it hit me - front and center.
We're lying. But apparently, it's OK as long as it's done for selective interests... -
former2free
Hybridous
As children we never really had a choice unless we were so rebellious that our parents gave up. Most of us did it cause we wanted to please our parents or in your case to keep the peace at home.
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smiddy3
I read "I Was A WatchTower Slave For Thirty Years" when I was relatively new as a convert, however i was conditioned then that we would be persecuted for the truths sake even by disgruntled members .
And that`s what I put it down too a disgruntled member .
At that time I believed what I wanted to believe ,I was disillusioned with where I thought my life was heading.
So his book made no impression upon me , sad to say.
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Bungi Bill
To be fair, W. Schnell's 30 Years a Watchtower Slave hardly ranks amongst the great works of literature!
Its style comes over more as that of some wild-eyed fanatic letting forth his pent up feelings. Moreover, those I met "at the doors" who recommended this book seemed to be cast in exactly the same mould (i.e. to use the vernacular of the time, "a screw loose in the head"). As to the those reviewers who described it as a "well written book", I would sure as hell hate to ever see their idea of a badly written one!
Schnell's main fault was to make all sorts of allegations, but offer no evidence to back it up. This is something all of us ought to take note of in our condemnation of the JWs.
(While there might be a certain therapeutic benefit in letting fly with ones emotions, if you are trying to get a point across, it is often a different matter).
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Kathy1978
Mine was fairly recent, around 2014. It was summer time and I was out in service with my 2 little ones on a Saturday. We went to this house and the lady met us at the end of the driveway to say she wasn’t interested. It was my partner’s door, but the lady looked at me, down at my toddler and the the baby in the stroller and said that they shouldn’t be out there. They should be at home watching cartoons and having fun. I gave the typical snobby jw remark that it was important for them to be out in the ministry and play when they go home. Now I’m like, what the hell was I saying? lol! She was 100% right.?
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Still Totally ADD
smiddy3 thanks for given the right title to the book I mention in my post. Still Totally ADD