Posts by Bumble Bee

7

Survey: Out of all the doors you went to, how many asked..............

by whyizit in

jw
friends

could you estimate how many doors you went to within a year's time, what percentage claimed to be christians, and how many asked good thought-provoking questions?

questions that made you really think and wonder if something was not quite right with the wt.

how important do you think it would be in the lives of jws to have this happen on a more regular basis?

Bumble Bee

I had people say they were Christian, but it was usually so they could get rid of us, not many asked real thought provoking questions.

I have a good friend that did try and talk to JW's when they came to her door, ask questions and when she found out I was raised a JW asked me why they never came back!

I think for the most part, the average JW doesn't know how to engage people in real meaningful conversations at the door. They are given presentations with the express purpose of getting literature in their hands, not to discuss bible topics.

BB

11

Need help with doctrinal changes

by Bumble Bee in

i've started to talk to hubby about things.

i started with the lack of love in the congs and he readily agrees.

how "worldly" friends are so much more loving than the so called jw "friends" (which we don't have anymore).. next i'd like to talk about the changes the "society" has made in recent years, how it's so hard to keep up with things now, it changes all the time.. can you help me with a list of changes and some wt references that i can discuss with him?.

Bumble Bee

I've started to talk to hubby about things. I started with the lack of love in the congs and he readily agrees. How "worldly" friends are so much more loving than the so called JW "friends" (which we don't have anymore).

Next I'd like to talk about the changes the "society" has made in recent years, how it's so hard to keep up with things now, it changes all the time.

Can you help me with a list of changes and some WT references that I can discuss with him?

I know a few things I can start off with - piñata (we recently had a "family fun night" and had a pinata - I'd like to show him that just a few years ago this would have been wrong)

voting (very timely here in Canada)

re cap of the generation change (I'll reference the thread already started, but any additional info is appreciated

military service

great crowd/other sheep - I'm not sure what this one is, but saw it mentioned on here a while ago so lots of help with this one please

how the society is now governed

and anything else you can come up with would be great!

Thanks

BB

68

My husband had a heart attack

by MsMcDucket in

jw
friends

hello all, the last 24+ hours, i've been at the hospital.

i took my husband in because he was having chest pains.

come to find out his cardiac enzymes were elevated and his ekg was abnormal.

Bumble Bee

You are in my thoughts at this trying time! ((((hugs for you))))

BB

16

Apostate music

by Bumble Bee in

jw
friends

as a jw kid, i was always hearing about not listening to certain music.

one reason my mother called me apostate is because she saw some cd's i had - she called it gospel.

some of them were decidedly what is termed "chrisitan" music in the store, some are crossover artists (chrisitian but played on mainstream/top 40 radio) and there is alot of country music that is spiritual for lack of a better word.. i was always under the impression that "unapproved" music would be songs with lyrics that go against biblical principals - sex, drugs, etc, not music that promotes good things in life, or glorifiying god and jesus.

Bumble Bee

Apostate music?
"Worldly" music can't be apostate because it was never involved in "true" worship to begin with.
Taking a Kingdom Melody and changing the lyrics to be in opposition to the WTS would be apostate music. Or if an apostate wrote a song denouncing his faith as a JW or singing the praises of something in opposition to "Jehovah", that would be apostate music.

Undercover, Thanks for that perspective. So as long as the "Gospel" music is not recorded by an exJW denouncing his faith, it's not apostate. Hmmmm. BB

19

How can she pick and choose who she wants to shun?

by Bumble Bee in

recently my mother and sister have cut me out of their lives.

they made it quite clear that they don't want anything to do with me anymore, my mother going so far as to change her will (not that there was much there anyways).. i have not da, am not df, have never said anything to anyone in my family about my doubts or what i have uncovered about this religion, i just stopped going to meetings.

(i usually go to the dc with her, and some ca, and the memorial at her cong.).

Bumble Bee

Hello Bliss - nice to meet you too!!

That is weird that your family DA themselves, but shun you! But, after reading other peoples experiences, and going through a few things myself, nothing surprises me anymore.

Yes, I think she has some problems. She didn't like some things I said about how she treated me while growing up, and how hard it was to have a JW father who was a closet smoker, how this affected me and my brother. She has this idea that we all had perfect childhoods and didn't like it when my brother and I shattered her memories. It is her decision, one she will have to live with.

I'm doing ok right now. Actually - when I read the nasty email she sent, and said she didn't want to have anything to do with me anymore, I felt relieved!! My friends think I'm just in shock and it will wear off, but it's been two weeks now and I still feel the same!

BB

19

How can she pick and choose who she wants to shun?

by Bumble Bee in

recently my mother and sister have cut me out of their lives.

they made it quite clear that they don't want anything to do with me anymore, my mother going so far as to change her will (not that there was much there anyways).. i have not da, am not df, have never said anything to anyone in my family about my doubts or what i have uncovered about this religion, i just stopped going to meetings.

(i usually go to the dc with her, and some ca, and the memorial at her cong.).

Bumble Bee

FF - believe me I've thought about it! I wouldn't need photos - recently a resturant full of JW's from our old cong saw her/us helping my DF'd aunt celebrate her birthday! It was too funny.

My mothers family for the most part are all non-JW. For my aunts bd, they decided to get the whole family together for supper at a new Chinese Buffet. My mom said she'd come, but not if they were going to sing Happy Birthday or give presents. The family gave into her wishes, they arranged for that part to happen afterwards at her son's house. We had a huge amount of family there, all non JW except my immediate family (mom, sis, bro and sis in law).

When we walk into the room my aunts table had some balloons with HBD, and a few presents that some had brought to the resturant. We had 7 tables with about 12 at each table. There were three other tables in that room and guess what? They were all filled with JW's from our old cong! My brother and I had quite a laugh about it! My mom sat at the very last table in the far corner, hoping they wouldn't notice her, but guess what? An elder came over to say hi! More laughing from my brother and I! Oh, and guess what the staff at the resturant did towards the end of the meal? Sang HBD to my df'd aunt!! Sometimes life doens't get any better.

BB

16

Does the average JW feel the "end is near"?

by Bumble Bee in

jw
friends

my hubby recently had a discussion with his older brother.

my brother in law told him he wants to reach out to become a ms. he's going to cut down on his work schedule, go out in service more, spend more time with his son etc.

he's in his mid forties, has always been regular at meetings and fs, but never aspired to reach out before.

Bumble Bee

Is your friend expecting an untimely demise? How old is his son? To what extent has he already raised him in "the truth"? I assume he made you [de facto] godparents when you were active JW's. Since he knows your current inactive status, I'm wondering why he would even ask you something like that. If he's really that concerned, maybe he should ask someone else to care for his kid in the event something happens to him.

Maryjane - This is my brother in law. His son (my nephew) is now almost 13 years old. Like I said, his father has always been regular with meetings and service, but now wants to do more. When they asked us to be the guardian, we were irregular, starting to fade, but because we live in different cities, they don't know just exactly how much. My hubby told him he gets to meetings when he can (which is once a year). I don't think he's expecting an untimely demise, but is just looking out for the best interests of his child, as any parent would do.

BB

16

Does the average JW feel the "end is near"?

by Bumble Bee in

jw
friends

my hubby recently had a discussion with his older brother.

my brother in law told him he wants to reach out to become a ms. he's going to cut down on his work schedule, go out in service more, spend more time with his son etc.

he's in his mid forties, has always been regular at meetings and fs, but never aspired to reach out before.

Bumble Bee

I would say something along the lines of "We would absolutely protect ****'s spiritual interests"

"In the truth; Well, if it was worded exactly like that, you could say, "Yes, we will make every attempt to raise him in the truth; Unspoken, of course, is the fact that the truth would be that the WTS/JWs are not the one true religion and the child would be raised without cult influences.

I really like these two answers! Thanks!

BB

33

Hard to deal with

by Coheedandcambria in

jw
friends

im a young jehovahs witness, baptized at 8 years old, and now i regret the decision.

i miss my sister so bad, shes been disfellowshipped for 3 or 4 years now, and i still talk to her sometimes over email and online, but its not the same as talking in real life.

i get random crying episodes, like last night at meeting.

Bumble Bee

I agree with the others - talk to your sister!

My brother was DF'd twice, and I still maintained a relationship with him, even sharing meals together. That was the best thing I could have done, because now he is sticking by me when I'm being shunned (BTW, I'm not DF/or DA, just shunned).

Being a teenager is a hard thing to go through, and it's even harder for a young JW, there are so many demands and pressures put on you during this time. Depression is common. Your sister will know what you are going through and may be able to help you. Keep up the communication between the two of you, continue emailing her, see if she can meet you somewhere in your city if transportation for you is a problem.

Maybe by you taking the lead and continuing your relationship with your sister, the rest of your family will see how wrong the whole shunning rule is.

BB

34

Are you allowed to fall asleep at the meetings now??

by stillAwitness in

jw
friends

the sercuit overseer gave the expierence about an interested one who would come to the meetings every sunday but admitted he would always fall asleep because he worked a double shift at work the night before.

the s.o said: "and sure enough he fell asleep during my talk.

" but he said that it was so encouraging because even though he worked the night before he still tried to get what little he could of the talk and the guy related afterwards: "i would not want to be caught falling asleep anywhere else but at the hall.

Bumble Bee

In the early '90's we had a really hard core DO (sorry can't remember his name). He was pretty upset at a CA that people were falling asleep and YELLED into the mic for people to wake up, while he slammed his fist on the podium! I can tell you I almost had a heart attack and I wasn't asleep! He hammered it in to us how disrespectful it was to be asleep at the meetings and assemblies.

Isn't amazing how things can change over the years?

BB