i suppose after lurking around for a few weeks i thought i might share my own personal story, as i think it would probably be a very freeing experience for me right now.
to start off, at 23 years old i'm actually a third-generation jw, my grandparents were baptized (my grandfather is actually an elder) when my mother was only a toddler, she was raised as a witness, then of course, married a witness and thus myself and my two brothers were born-in's.
growing up my mother was always very careful about what she taught me, all the good things for sure, about how we would live in a paradise earth and i could pet all the animals that i wanted and not worry about growing old, and she'd ask me who in the bible i'd love to see and talk with - my grandparents however, were a different story and the cause of i think, most of my childhood trauma.. they really drilled home the fact that we were the only people who were going to be saved, we were the only people that were going to survive and that everyone else was going to die horribly - that i shouldn't try to make that many friends in school because they would never be "real" friends unless they were fellow jw's and they would die anyway.
Also Welcome! I missed that part.
I in my early 30's did what you did. I was shocked to find out that "apostates" in most cases had legitimate gripes, and were not mentally diseased liars. They were just people....like me....and they lost so much for what they believed.
Fear is a great motivator, but a bad decision maker. Study the history and doctrine. Start over. Watch the fear go away. These dudes in Brooklyn can't hurt you, no matter what nonsense they spout. Not if you don't let them.
i suppose after lurking around for a few weeks i thought i might share my own personal story, as i think it would probably be a very freeing experience for me right now.
to start off, at 23 years old i'm actually a third-generation jw, my grandparents were baptized (my grandfather is actually an elder) when my mother was only a toddler, she was raised as a witness, then of course, married a witness and thus myself and my two brothers were born-in's.
growing up my mother was always very careful about what she taught me, all the good things for sure, about how we would live in a paradise earth and i could pet all the animals that i wanted and not worry about growing old, and she'd ask me who in the bible i'd love to see and talk with - my grandparents however, were a different story and the cause of i think, most of my childhood trauma.. they really drilled home the fact that we were the only people who were going to be saved, we were the only people that were going to survive and that everyone else was going to die horribly - that i shouldn't try to make that many friends in school because they would never be "real" friends unless they were fellow jw's and they would die anyway.
Most JW's do not believe what your mother does not. Here is an interesting thought to share with her.
If Jehovah is "being patient" and allowing more to come in that is fine, but he is also making sure that more people born will die.
Just look at it this way. These are rough numbers but pretty close. the point is clear.
Every year around 130 Million people are born. About 50-55 Million people die that same year (includes all deaths).
Last year 265K were baptized (and by guess, roughly 60-80K were disfellowshipped).
So every year Jehovah is patient, he is going to have to kill another 75million or so people!
Does that make sense? I think she is reading that scripture with meaning that has been supplied to her, but not the meaning intended. Or the bible could be kooky.
there was a recent thread on another site where posters maintained that many of the *most* long-standing jw's don't believe at least one official watchtower doctrine.
i've even read reports from bethelites saying they've heard bethel overseers say they don't believe some watchtower theology.
this made me think - i believe there are a few official doctrines that are common for many jw's to be either in denial about or simply not really believe ( often one and the same thing).. i'd say these are pretty high in the ranking:.
There is no way it is ok to speak to a disfellowshipped person except with spiritual matters. The flock book saying that is one thing, but there is simply no way in real life that is happening. In fact, its a question of loyalty in severl broadcasts, talks, and magazines since that was written.
So which one is it? What is the play here? Plausible deniability?
i've just been watching a youtube video that reveals the new assembly hall in orangeburg, sc.. two things struck me when watching it.... firstly, everything is attributed to jehovah, right down to deciding the location where the hall is to be built.
"we examined over 300 properties," said one interviewee, "we were reminded that jehovah knew where the site was, we just had to keep looking and show him that we were persistent.
" other workers interviewed throughout the video attribute everything to god, as though it is impossible to build anything without divine direction.. here is the video.... .
Must be slow news in this part of the world. I mean.....religion builds rectangular building with water feature.....news at 11?
Seriously?
P.S. - They suggested 165 million a year will be the economic impact of this site? How on Gods green earth would they come up with that number?
very well put together!.
https://youtu.be/yyxg8klhtve.
This is a really nice "greatest hits" compilation of the bat shit crazy coming out of NY. How can modern JW's not look at rubberface McGee and be embarrassed?
my thought bubble in the 1980s:.
"how can i engage with worldly people when they are just not interested in discussing these important topics as featured in the watchtower and awake?.
my thought bubble in the 2010s:.
Thought bubble in 2000's.
I think I'll sell what I own, quit my job, and move to another country heeding the call to "step into Macedonia".
Thought bubble now
I think I'll sell what I own, quit my job, and move to another country to give my children a greater experience in life and give them every opportunity to make great decisions in their lives that will make them happy and prosperous.
...and need a bullet to the head.
my wife found a post on instagram where some jw nutter claims that either lett or morris said this in a talk.
any confirmation or video of such?
I have seen nothing of the sort. Probably anecdotal......although something similar probably would come out of his mouth with ease.
Cart witnessing is a joke. It is so easy to "get your time in" now its pathetic. Pioneer hours are 50. "campaigns" of handing out tracts let even the most pathetically ignorant of scripture individual run around grabbing hours and auxillary pioneering. Its just a way to coax people into "staying busy" in Jehovahs organization.
These carts are a complete joke. In the busiest places.....I could be around them for a couple hours, with 2-3 people maning them.......with not one single person approaching.
i was thinking of my co grandfather who passed on a few years ago.
his wife my grandmother passed on in 99. i can remember him saying "i know after armageddon i can not be married to her but maybe we can live next to each other.
not sure where the cult stands on this issue today.
Ah yes. This old thing. Well I heard about the genital thing too. I mean.....who needs those filthy old genitals if you aren't going to be screwing people right? Of course that sucks, especially while other people are doing it. Also your wife remarried and now they live up the way. But......doesn't bother you. You just look down at your Ken doll smoothness and think how much easier it is to walk around and buy underwear. Also, Jehovah magically made you ok with this scenario. Of course, when did anyone perfect screw up in the bible over something trivial anyways. I think this is pretty sound.
*** The no genital thing wasn't an official teaching, and now this whole thing is a shoulder shrug of a doctrine.
https://www.rotem.de/content/expert-interview-on-patient-blood-management/.
https://www.rotem.de/en/.
6/13/17 - dr. axel hofmann is an international expert in the field of patient blood management (pbm) and was one of the key figures responsiblefor the implementation of the statewide pbm program for thegovernment of western australia.
Trying to make us bleed less. I can dig it.
