Posts by dedpoet

15

WTS Reason for Not Missing Meetings?

by ICBehindtheCurtain in

jw
friends

this is regarding the january watchtower article that is on another thread, which is about avoiding missing meetings for work, i posted this under that thread but thought i might begin a new topic to get your views on this:

it's really enfuriating, that they keep putting out this bs, i know firsthand of many r&f that either quit jobs or did not accept jobs that would compromise meeting attendance all the while their families were in need, the brainwashed mentality was "if we put jehovah first wts first, jehovah will provide", yeah right, as someone else mentioned what about when the car breaks down, or a child gets sick, etc?

then they are pretty much up the creak without a paddle.

dedpoet

I recall a conversation between me and the po when I first started missing meetings on a fairly regular basis, not long before I stopped going altogether

po: I haven't seen you at the hall much lately, and you haven't been at the bs for over a month, is there anything wrong? Also, you haven't been putting in service reports lately.

me: I haven't been in service lately, and as for the bs, you got that wrong, I haven't been there in 6 or 7 weeks

po: What's the problem? You used to be so regular in everything, now you have me very concerned.

me: Problem? What makes you think I a have problem? I'm absolutely fine, but thanks for asking.

po: You may be fine health wise, but how are you spiritually, that's what concerns me. Missing meetings deliberately is like throwing jehovahs provisions back in his face, saying you don't want what he is offerring.

me: Well, maybe I'm losing my appetite for some things.

po: (a little more firmly) Then it's time you worked on regaining your appetite. Is there anything you'd like to tell me?

me: Can't think of anything at the moment.

po: There must be some reason why you are behaving like this. And I find your attitude flippant, to say the least. Don't you realise you may be putting your life at risk?

me: (I was trying hard not to laugh, while he was deadly serious) Me flippant? Never, what makes you say that?

po: (by now starting to get a bit angry) You know very well why I say that. I am genuinely trying to help you, but if all you can do is ridicule my efforts, and I can tell you are finding this funny, then I won't waste any more of my time. I really don't understand what's got into you lately, I really don't. Are you sure that there is nothing you would like to say to me?

me: (With a serious look on my face) Well yes, there is one thing I'd like to say.

po: (Looking relieved, he had got through to me, so he thought) Go on, I'm here to listen.

me:(Grinning) Goodbye, see you again, maybe.

I think that pissed him off more than anything, he was pretty red in the face as I walked away, especially when I turned at the kh door and waved to him. That was in November 1999, I only went to 2 more meetings afterwards, the last one being on Nov 29th (6th anniversary next week) He never approached me again, I think he might have been relieved when I finally stopped going in some ways.

29

Where did you sit at the Kingdom Hall?

by truthseeker in

jw
friends

i always preferred the back of the hall.

here, i could go to sleep, read the latest awake!

if you're at either end of the middle row of seats, you can see who has studied their watchtower and who hasn't.

dedpoet

In the middle when I was serious about the lie, and as near the exit door as possible when I was building up to leaving.

34

Do you think that JW's leaders are going to announce a new date in 2006?

by booker-t in

i was reading a thread here the other and it mentioned that the assembly for 2006 will be "delivance at hand".

is this going to be like 1974 when every jw's thought the end was going to come in 1975?

i don't think jw's leaders would be that stupid again and build jw's for another date-setting letdown.

dedpoet

I doubt that they will announce an actual date, but they could allude to one to try and get the ones who still care fired up in the ministry again. I wouldn't be surprised if they do one of those tract campaigns again soon, delivering one to every household in the world like they did a few years ago.

18

With the new Disfellowshipping procedure, How will the congo know who left?

by booker-t in

with the "new" way jw's are expelled from the congregations how would the congregation know who left on their own(disassociated) themselves or was disfellowshipped for "wrongdoing".

when i left the elders told me that they would tell the congregation that i "disassociated"my self and that would be that.

the whole congregation would know that i left on my own and was not expelled for immorality or wrongdoing.

dedpoet

When i da'd, the announcement was that I was no longer a jw, and from what I've heard, some assumed that I'd been caught in some wrongdoing, though I had been away from meetings for several years then, though most people now know I da'd.

As for the shunning, they will never abandon that, it's their main weapon to keep doubters in, especially those with families in the org.

27

Do you think that the Watchtower and Awake Mags are Idols?

by MsMcDucket in

jw
friends

i remember thinking that the magazines were "holy".

i was afraid to throw them away.

isn't this like idol worship?

dedpoet

Good question... yes I think they are, not that I have read any lately. I burned all my jw literature a few years ago, I don't even have a bible now. I was going to put it in the trash, but then thought of how someone might find it, read it, and worst of all believe it. I didn't want to risk having that on my concience.

20

Negative JW's

by pc in

jw
friends

it's funny to me to notice, for the most part jw's are such negative people.

when i speak with my dad or brother who are staunch jw's the glass is always half empty.

everything is depressing.

dedpoet

I have always been a generally upbeat person,but being a jw was a totally negative experience, and it took me a long time to fegain my exuberamce. I am pretty much my old self again now, but I have been away almost 6 years, actually next tuesday is exactly 6 years to the day since my last meeting. I guess it took around 4 of those years before I got over the negativity.

35

Two weeks 'til DA day?

by AuldSoul in

jw
friends

if you have been following anything about my situation (likely not), i have been baptised for 20 years.

my profile (as of today) says:i have committed no immorality.

i have only stopped believing that the christian congregation of jehovah's witnesses represents the interests of god in any way.

dedpoet

Hi AS, I feel for you. I too thought long and hard before leaving, it's a big decision. I hope everything goes well for you.

take care

dedpoet

11

U.S. publisher figures in Dec KM

by TheListener in

jw
friends

2005 service year as reported in the u.s. kingdom ministry (by looking at monthly baptisms)

sept 04 1,791

oct 04 2,680

dedpoet

It's a pity they don't publish the age of those that were baptised. If it's anything like the UK, even when I was still in a lot of the baptisms were the children of jws, aged about 10 - 13, who had been persuaded to do it by their parents. Quite a few of them are not in the lie now.

36