You hit it right on Kwin. Narkissos brings up a good point about JW meetings not being the only place....So, I'm just going to throw this out even if I'm completely wrong- The front you describe is very American. It's a kind of Wal-Mart/Disneyland complex...you're pressured into being happy and this doesn't work so you have to fake it for the sake of the greater good.
under74
JoinedPosts by under74
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Of course you're happier.
by kwintestal ini got to thinking about the wt study this week (i read blondie's version of it) and the statement that jehovah's witnesses are the happiest people on earth.. there are 2 groups of people in the jw faith and in any other for that matter, those who were born and raised who know no other religion, and those who were converted.. it's somewhat understood, by most, that jw's target those who are emotionally and spiritually vulnerable to convert, therefore they are unhappy.. those who were raised as jw's are told and given repeated examples of how everyone else is unhappy.
when they hear these examples where unhappy people add the jw faith into the mix and suddenly they are transformed into the happiest people on earth, they become convinced that everyone not a jw is like that.. the constant reminders that jw's are the happiest people on earth, for the convert trigger the memory of their poor emotional or spiritual state prior to entering the jw faith, and for the lifetime jw trigger the memory of the previously poor state of the convert.. additional thoughts anyone?.
kwin
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Best Biographies
by Valis ini'm looking for new biographies to give as xmas gifts this year.
anyone have suggestions or ones they have enjoyed recently?.
sincerely,.
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under74
I'm reading Let It Blurt: The Life and Times of Lester Bangs, American's Greatest Rock Critic. It's good-well written and interesting. Bangs was brought up JW and I think the author Jim DeRogatis doesn't have all the JW doctrine clear but it's still a good book.
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What do you Find Encouraging?
by Golf init's refreshing and encouraging to meet polite people.
people holding doors for others, people saying thank you and please.
people who return their shopping carts in the stalls.
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under74
"I still have a hard time accepting compliments or special attention from folks.....Did any of you other folks have to get over feeling "bad" for being "good" or sucessful?"
Hell ya. I couldn't tell for a long time whether it was the way I was raised (being JW) or it was just me.....It's not always that I feel bad for being good at something I just don't always know how to respond to people when they are complimenting me on something I've done...but then I feel bad because I don't know how to respond. It's so awkward and retarded. -
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.....and i'm out....
by red so deep inwell, after a 4.5 hour long judicial meeting with my local elders i found out i'll be df'ed here in about a week and a half.
i don't think it was so much my offense (smoking ciggs and weed) but my attitude.
the elders were trying to draw out some repentance, but i was pretty straightforward about the politics and hypocrisy in the org, especially in the case of the neighboring congregations elder body, who seem to be on a witch hunt for me and my friends....when one of the elders asked my how i felt my actions affected jehovah, i brought out that example in the old testament where the boys were making fun of the bald priest or prophet, then he got pissed and called down evil on them *in the name of jehovah* and the she-bears devoured the poor kids.
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under74
Damn you're smart. Stay strong and know that even if you go through some tough times (a lot of us have know matter what the circumstances) you're not alone in this. And know also that the tough times can be good in the end even if it doesn't seem that way when you're going through them....but you probably know this already...
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Cute but very disturbing... Send your kid a letter from Santa...
by Elsewhere ini love to get into the whole christmas spirit thing, but i never take it to the point of lying to or deceiving children about it.
i try to teach kids that it is the spirit of christmas that matters... then i saw this thing.
parents are actively trying to deceive their kids by offering them "proof" that santa is real.
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under74
i agree with bisous & lisabb. My niece is starting to question Santa but last year she got a letter from santa in the mail and she was so damn excited . I really doubt she'll be scarred for life for having believed in Santa for the first 7 or 8 years.
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What do you Find Encouraging?
by Golf init's refreshing and encouraging to meet polite people.
people holding doors for others, people saying thank you and please.
people who return their shopping carts in the stalls.
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under74
When someone says thank you and is sincere. When a thugged out kid on the bus rams into me by accident and says "excuse me. " When someone asks me how I'm doing and actually wants to know.
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under74
well, i think given what Confused said the religion being "unique" it's hard for many people on this forum to be able to speak openly and be understood by people that have never experienced the religion...so this forum serves as a place for many of us with this common background to discuss what we can't easily discuss with others. Did that make sense?
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Why ? Why? WHY???
by rune inthis topic has been rolling around in my head for some time.
i don't expect that i'll write it perfectly as it needs to be articulated in different ways for different people...but i will do my best.
and worst of all, i am not expecting any kind of response that will satisfy me.
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under74
*under74 peaks into thread. Sees a bunch of people yelling and Frenchbabyface having to bitchslap everyone. Backs out slowly*
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Looking for Old Friends
by kitties_and_horses_oh_my! ini know it would be a huge stroke of luck to find any of these people, but if you're here or if you know of them, please pm me - i would be eternally grateful:.
david wiebe (sp?
from portland, oregon).
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under74
I think it was 10 the last I heard...yeah, your right now that I'm thinking back on it-Hokey was a nickname. Mulan, did you attend in West Seattle or White Center or know other people around there?
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thank you all for the welcome.some asked me to tell my story. heres the 411
by ko38 inmy parents became jws in 1973. i was 6.my father was a very abusive person wanting to fight anyone and everyone.of course my mother and moreso myself usualy caught the brunt of his abuse.he whipped me with a belt i believe as hard as he could and did not discrimenate as to where he hit youie in the face legs back you get the picture.. well my mom was thrilled when he agreed to study the bible with these nice people.they taught love and i think that was what appealed most to her.my dad was an obsessive compulsive person so he first argued points in the bible with them,but soon found he was no match for them.so he started taking his studies seriously and read the bible like crazy,i mean 5or6 hours at a time every day.. after a while they were baptised and things got better...................for a while.he then became very demanding with regard to studying for the watchtower all the meetings and personal reading.i could barely read,but most of all he became even less tolerant than before.the beatings continued sometimes worse.my mom had called the elders over no less than 6 times in a 5 year period to report his treatment of her and his beating me.as you may guess the elders did nothing.they sited some scriptures and admonished me to give my father respect.i thoght the elders would help me and make him stop.but they didnt.so i lived life on pins and needles with him going to every meeting studying (well you guys know we studied a lot).until age 16, my father started his fits and i ran away.boy did i go crazy then.worldly people wild parties you name it.to make a long story shorter i was living fot the day because tomorrow i may die.. i was recomended bad association during my absence,i got marrie at age 18 and went back to meetings and wow i was no longer bad association.that marriage lasted 2 years we had a daughter wich we shared custody and a lot of times my mother and father would watch her.
well during that period my father abused her sexually.my ex told me about it.said my daughter told her .well stupid me i didnt believe it and i guess the elders didnt either because they did nothing.. i was never baptised and drifted away again.flash to 1 year ago now married 10 years 3 more children and who knocks on the door you guessed it watchtower toting smily faced jws.well i always believed and carried guilt around all the time.so of course a agree to a study soon i have the whole family studying.the elder i studied with kept telling me i would be an elder soon,i didnt understand then how that could be.i soon realised that was his way of motivating me.well my world crashed down when my 2nd oldest daughter was molested by my father.i never should have trusted him to watch her and i feel enormous guilt.. my father did this while innactive but almost immediately he went back to jws like nothing happened.i wont go into some of the drama between him and myself but bottom line the elders were told and he was reproved he admitted to sexual misconduct and all that happened was restrictions.they said he could never go in field service by himself but he does.he will never be an elder but other than that he is a member in good standing.this stumbled my wife and i greatly.in the interim the elder from our seperate congregation (not my fathers) was in a big rush to have my same 12 year old daughter baptised.well she was at the summer convention.. i later found out that he was up for promotion to circuit ovsr.while a very good teacher you could tell he was all about position.
my wife bought crisis of conscience and slowly had me reading it too.
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under74
welcome to the board ko38. I'm sorry for your troubles-You and your family aren't alone.