The Congregation I grew up in was dissolved too ,and no longer exists . They sent the people to suurounding halls . I think there was some kind of Elder trouble going on with in the old hall ,because it had a fairly large group meeting there.
troubled mind
JoinedPosts by troubled mind
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21
My Former Congregation is Dead
by Nosferatu inwhen i left the jw organization, there were about 80 publishers in my congregation.
within the last month, the congregation was abolished because it only had 29 publishers in it.
the apparent reason for this was one elder on a power trip.
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How many in the cong visited you when you started fading
by joe134cd ini'm just curious speaking from a person who has stopped going to meetings.
i have heard reports from inactive ones (or from ones who the elders suspect of going to the dark side) of having so many visits from elders (cong members) that it got to the point of harassment.
surprisingly i have to say from personal experience and from numerous others that i have spoken to that the exact opposite has been the case.
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troubled mind
My husband and I were in the same Kingdom Hall for over 27 yrs . We were regular meeting attenders ,but our field service was very low hrs the last couple of yrs . Then one day we just stopped attending ...I got one call from a concerned sister in the hall ,Someone that had recently moved into the congregation btw . My husband said two sisters stopped by with the magazines a couple of times while i was at work (Which they know when I am at work ,I drive School bus ) But neither one called or made an effort to ask when a better time was to catch me home.
Yes ,at first you kind of want to know ,will anyone honestly care about me ? For me it really didn't matter because i was already convinced they were liars . I was done with the religion ,however , my husband on the other hand ,could have been swayed back in if someone had shown an ounce of personal interest in him . It was a good thing they acted as I had expected they would ,because that is what helped my husband make his mind up to stay out .
One Elder ,that we had always viewed as a personal friend ,stopped by after a few months to invite us to the Memorial . It was an informal visit ,and he asked if there was anything we wanted to discuss ....because he seemed sincere we decided to attend the Memorial . At the Memorial people snubbed us ,and I was clearly reminded why I had quit going . That was our last meeting ...after that no one ever came by or called again . My husband began to realize there was no real friendship with any of these people . His own step -brother ,and nephews were servants in the hall ,and never once asked how he was .
Three yrs later I put some white lights ,and lighted deer out on my lawn during Christmas time . That January the Elder 'friend' came knocking at the door wanted to tell us all about the new meeting changes (as his front ) His real intention was to ask if I was celebrating holidays now . I turned them away from the door because of being sick . Shortly after this he saw me in the grocery store and asked if they could come by for a 'sheparding visit ' ...ummm after three yrs ??! IF THIS HAPPENS TO YOU BEWARE IT IS A TRAP ! Just tell them NO it has been too long and you are not interested . Because I found out too late that if you invite them back into your life for a 'visit' it is like telling them you recognize them as spiritual leaders again .
This Sheparding visit turned into an avenue for them to ask personal questions . Once again they feigned interest only to later reveal they just wanted us to answer the question 'Were we celebrating holidays?' In other words their only real interest was to find something on us to finally eject us publically from the congregation ,because evidently inactive ones are some sort of loose ends that need to be sewn back into the flock or snipped off .
I refused to allow them to bully me into answering ,and he suggested I write a DA letter if I no longer wanted to be a Witness . I refused that too because I am stubborn ,and by that time no longer felt I needed to do anything they requested . That lead to harrassing calls and visits until I sent a cease and desist letter .
I do not know if they ever publically announced anything to the congregation ,but we are shunned .
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troubled mind
My husband gets a flu shot every year ,and has never had a reaction . He hasn't had the flu for many yrs now either.
I on the other hand am very sensitive to many different types of medications so I have chosen not to get the vaccine . However ,I work around school age children so I am exposed to all kinds of germs ....I go back and forth about whether I should just take the added protection .
What about you COCO ? Did you have a reaction or are you trying to decide whether to get the shot ?
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'American Pickers' Star and her Jehovah's Witness upbringing
by jwleaks indanielle colby went from jehovah's witnesses to burlesque dancer to vintage decor goddess.
dallas news | by joy tipping.
january 30, 2014. .
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troubled mind
I live near Davenport ,Iowa ,and have gone to her Burlesque show a few yrs ago . The Pickers first shop is close to here too in Le Claire . I wonder what her parents names are ,and if we were in the same circuits ?
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Beard or no beard?
by ILoveTTATT inso i already moved out of the house, but until the elders don't give me (supposedly) the letter inviting me to a jc and then me not going, i am still a witness and my mom can still talk to me.
my dad wants us to meet, but my mom had said that if i have my beard she might not want to see me (she is a completely blinded jw... beards = apostate = i am a horrible human being).
so... my question is, given that i can grow it later, should i shave it off so my mom feels more comfortable?
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troubled mind
As a Mom I think it is a good idea to talk about your current projects ,and goals as you stated above. This will reassure her you are on a productive path ,and not on the 'road to destruction', she fears so much . Also my suggestion would be to shave if you know it is such a big deal to her . It is a small thing .
Sounds like you have this under control .
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"We're on different paths now."
by Pyramid God init's been a while since i've read or posted on jwn.
i guess i have been trying to put this chapter of my life behind me.. .
as is usually the case, just when i'm having a good week, i get contact from a witness.
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troubled mind
There was some wise counsel passed along by some CO that encouraged this thinking years ago . I know because it was used against me over 30 yrs ago .
My brother in law ,and his wife were on the fast track to become 'somebodies' in the organization . We were young with little children back then ,and my BIL thought it was an awesome idea that I should auxillary pioneer with his wife . I told him I was NOT interested in taking my babies out in subzero temps (we live in the midwest) to go door to door 60 hrs a month ! Mind you my husband ,and I were regular in service ,meeting attendence,and conventions ,we also had the book study in our home . Yet ,because I did not want to reach out ,I was no longer approved association for his wife and him . We were on 'different' paths ,and we didn't have as much in common anymore ! Different paths really? So both serving the same God ,being related ,having children the same age was not enough common ground ?
I have always liked having friends from different walks of life ,it makes life so much more interesting . I would be bored with people that only liked or did the same things I did .Maybe that is why I was not such a good cult member :)
Another thing I noticed about people like my brother in law and his wife is that they liked to surround themselves with 'mini'me want to be's . My sister in law had 'followers' that copied her in whatever she did such as dress style ,got involved with anything she liked . I found that totally weird even back then .
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Private meetings banned??
by franticfran ini have just spoken to a brother who is part of a group of single brothers and sisters who meet together once a week to discuss bible topics and he has been told by and elder that the organisation "banned" these private meetings years ago.
i told him i remember that article but he is adamant that the society would never do that (!
) now i am fairly sure i remember that article whether it was in a km or one of the mags i cant recall but i am sure i remember them saying we needed nothing more than the food that the slave class provided (another means to control us),does anyone have the details of that article because i have said i will find it and let him have it.
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troubled mind
When I was first married in 1979 my husband would never study with me . So I invited another Sister my age over to prepare meetings together . An Elder got wind of this ,and reprimanded me for circumventing the headship arrangement . Real encouraging ....
Then another time i started a sort of 'stay at home Mom' group .We could meet during the day share encouraging stories or experiences just for upbuilding association .Once again the Elders passed the word this was not an approved arrangement that could lead to things like gossip ....so the other women lost interest and it fizzled out .
Our old congrgation always took things too far . When the information came out against large gatherings they immediately went over board judgeing every picnic or graduation party as accessive . I remember several held study nights in their homes ,and being counseled about it after the Question from readers came out . After that they were just quiet about it and asked fewer people .
Such sickening control measures ...
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Meeting others????
by DATA-DOG inare you like me, afraid of meeting up with faders and ex-jws??
i am afraid to be ratted out.
the only person that i have ever personally spoke to is raypublisher, well on the phone ans skype.
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The Bible's Buried Secrets, new findings on how the ancient Israelites became supposedly monotheistic
by Finkelstein ini viewed this tv series recently and found the information interesting to say the least.. here is part 2 which got my attention the most.. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jyd0lzmile8.
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troubled mind
watch later
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14
better to stay in or get out
by Crazyguy ini put in a da letter a couple of weeks ago but the elders have not opened the letter and wish to meet with me first.
i've seen the stress this has caused me and my family as well as the alienation of me from the family spiritually.
so the question is can i do more to get my kids out of this cult by staying a member going to meetings some times and planting seeds or get out and try to then get the kids out over time?
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troubled mind
Only you can answer that question . I think you have more wiggle room if you just fade instead of disassociate ,but it is your life do as you feel is right.