i actually had a neighbor ask me that the other day (she knows i'm an "ex" jw) and i didn't really know the answer.
i know there's a bit of cart witnessing going on (small town) and a lot of driving around to return visits.. but are they actually doing territory, not-at-homes, all of that?
the neighbor said that eight years ago, when she bought her house, the jws were by "all the time".
I've recently had a couple knock on the door of a neighbor I was visiting, so it's still happening around here. They don't do our street anything like as often as they used to even though imports have increased the size of the local congregation substantially.
My wife is going 'witnessing' tomorrow. What that consists of I won't ask.
If I have any good news, it's that the Mormons seem to a given up recruiting in our area.
so almost two weeks ago, my boyfriend(who was disfellowshiped) went to the memorial.
he hasn’t spoken to his parents, friends, or siblings for over a year because of it.
the only person he keeps in contact with is his grandma, which is who he went along with.
One of the reasons I've been avoiding this type of forum is the self-appointed troll spotters.
so almost two weeks ago, my boyfriend(who was disfellowshiped) went to the memorial.
he hasn’t spoken to his parents, friends, or siblings for over a year because of it.
the only person he keeps in contact with is his grandma, which is who he went along with.
Go to dinner. Ask questions. If they try to change the subject or rephrase your question into something you didn't really ask, don't let them get away with it, repeat the question without rephrasing it into something they might like better. The more they want to weasel their way out of answering your question, the more important it is that you get an honest answer from them.
And look them in the eyes when you ask. Don't feel that they have the moral high ground because they belong to their 'one true religion' with promises of salvation and you are just a lowly non-believer who will be destroyed at BalmyGeddon if you don't join in the very near future.
hello everyone, i have an on and off again ex who is a jw.
each time her family gets involved and she's gone again.
i'm debating biting the bullet and doing the work to become baptized, so we can follow through with our engagement.
She is damaged goods.
Until such time as she fully realises that she has been raised in a damaging high control cult, she is not marriagable material.
Do yourself and your potential children a favor and run away.
so many of us have had (perhaps well-meaning) jws ask us questions about our inactivity, or lack of attendance at meetings.
they may pry about why..... how is this for a simple, yet straight to the point response?
to a sincere person, it may play on their mind and make them ask more questions.
Say what they want to hear, then when they are gone, get on with your life.
howdy everyone!
just wanted to pop in and say hi to all the old timers and the new.
i can't believe i've been a member of this site for 18 years now.
It's nice to pop in to see you're still top side. I've pretty much drifted away and don't spend much time here now.
i was having a conversation with a relative who has been inactive for several decades (part of the ‘75 generation) and he argued that a person that is a born in is better off staying in the organization rather than someone like him who lived as a “worldly” person but then became a witness later in life.
he argues that when you’re born in, all you know nothing outside of the organization, so you’re better off in than out, that’s why when born ins leave the org, they always come back.
i agree that as a born in, your social circle is composed of witnesses but i do feel that even born ins would be happier outside of the org than being in.
Being ' inactive for several decades' is not the same thing as being 'out' and fully understanding that the religion is a cult and the effect that his time 'in' had on him.
what can i do when elders want to poke their nose in?.
they want to have another chat with me and my wife, but we dont want to, it just gets us down..
If you have reasons why you don't want to be DF/DA, (like you still want to be able to talk to your family and friends etc. without them running for the hills), lie when they ask the DF/DA type questions and tell them what you need them to hear to maintain some kind of OK status in the cong..
They won't be honest with you if they get caught out, so treat them the same way and don't feel any guilt for any dishonesty.
In my youth JWs called such dishonesty Theocratic Warfare and it still exists but without being named. If you deny yourself your version of 'Theocratic Warfare' while they try to protect the congregation and your JW family from you, you give them the upper hand and they will win.
i need some serious help on something that i read here on this board, and so i am going to do my best to explain what i’m looking for.
i need this, so i can’t share with my brother who is still in.. it has to do with the organization saying in affect that each member in the congregation has the right to decide for themselves what they choose to do, (that is whether they choose to be apart of the organization without repercussions) and that they would not think of interfering with our own conscience, and that if they chose otherwise that it would be their own decision.. now some might think that the society wouldn’t write something like that, but they did, and i read it, and after reading it, i said to myself “they don’t follow this, they never have.” .
if you could locate this for me, i would be very grateful!.
It may be more effective to manipulate your brother into making a statement that you know that the WT contradicts, then putting the onus on him to do the research to prove the statement to you.
JWs think that they have all the answers, so instead of confronting them with a statement that you have to back up, ask a question that you know they can't answer, then use guilt and their own self proclaimed despise of double standards to keep them honest and on topic when they try to weasel their way out of an honest answer.
every now and then, my wife will talk about how things are not making sense within the org.
i usually just dismiss it as her playing mind games with me.
for example, she would ask why there are so many branches being closed or why so many congregations are being merged.
It's far better to encourage her to voice her negative opinions than for you to offer yours.
