even though you might think it's painfully obvious, explain why you chose your avatar and/or username.
it could help us faceless "netizens" get to know each other a little better.
open mind.
Easy.....My name's Bob, I work at a HS gym (20 years next month!) so all the kids just call me Gymbob or coach. I think most of them think my real name is Jim Bob!
My Avatar is me, I love riding my motorcycle off-road in the desert or mountains. But, as I get older, i'm becoming more of a streetbike rider.
Peace, love, and Bobby Sherman!
when i suggested to my jw sister that the wts has caused so much pain and division in our family, she told me it was because my brothers and i had made the choice to leave.
we were responsible for the division---not the society.
we are the ones that chose to leave the love and protective shelter of jehovah's organization and we are the ones that have the choice to return to the fold.. i need an intelligent comeback, preferably one that will plant a seed, not one too sarcastic.
Some things I said to my parents......
You'd like people to respect your religion, but you don't show respect for other's....
When you left the Baptist church back in the early 60's and became JW's, your family didn't shun you did they? Even though your beliefs were far from what you were raised with. Now i'm changing MY beliefs from what I was raised with....
Look back at the WTB&TS history. They have printed dozens of medical mistakes, crazy outdated scientific views, end of the world false predictions, and life-costing organ donation and blood transfusion changes, that have simply become a fiasco of what the society is teaching THIS MONTH. Teachings that someday could be, or at one time use to be a DF'ing offense. Now, how reasonable is it to say that the only way for us to be a happy family again is for us all to believe the way you do?
Normal people believe in freedom of religion, don't you? That means freedom to believe whatever you want WITHOUT CONSEQUENCES. You are not showing freedom of religion, when the only reason why you shun someone is because of their religion.....
It's actually embarrassing to need to ask my on parents to TALK TO ME. Two people who believe their actions are loving, and their religion agrees with their actions, and that same religion believes they can be identified as the ONLY TRUE RELIGION by the love that it shows....amazing....
The elders wanted to DF me because I simply did not want to be a witness anymore, they wouldn't let me just walk away without doing something themselves to me. WHAT DOES THAT TELL YOU ABOUT THIS RELIGION?
Do you believe that your actions show love? Do you realize you have a great-granddaughter that you've never even met and refuse to see? How do you begin to justify these actions to your grandchildren and great-grandchildren? How do you think they will they remember you years from now?
It is long past time for you to realize that your actions, although sincere, are unloving, unchristian, and wrong. We, along with many other wonderful and sincere people have been manipulated by a very controlling religion. THIS IS WHAT YOU NOW NEED TO REALIZE. You are missing out on the best part of life.....FAMILY.
GYMBOB
hey i just joined here i have finally got up the courage to start doing research for myself since i've left the "truth" just wanted to introduce myself and say hi.
my name is anna and i got out of the org.
almost a year ago.
Anna~
Welcome to a great place! I left about 5 years ago and wish i'd found this place sooner like you did. GYMBB
watchtower to sell 6 brooklyn heights properties.
brooklyn daily eagle, ny -7 minutes ago.
... residential and all in brooklyn heights, according to david semonian, a spokesperson for the watchtower society, also known as the jehovahs witnesses.
Dogpatch (Randy)~
I remember some 34 Orange parties with Peachtree...man that place was wild compared to the rest of the home!
What do you say we get together and BUY IT OURSELVES?!! GYMBB
watchtower to sell 6 brooklyn heights properties.
brooklyn daily eagle, ny -7 minutes ago.
... residential and all in brooklyn heights, according to david semonian, a spokesperson for the watchtower society, also known as the jehovahs witnesses.
No problem finding a market for these bldgs. And of course, all the bldgs are in great shape...they've had free labor working and restoring them for 100+ years!
this should be a proud and happy time in my life as a mom.
:( on top of everything else in my life these days...im in the process of planning a sweet sixteen party for my little girl for may 12, and my oldest son graduates from high school on may 18 followed by a party i am trying to have for him on may 26 followed by my daughter's four dance company recitals the weekend of june 1. also my youngest sons birthday is this sunday..... so...i spent days designing and mailing out gorgeous graduation invitations to everybody i know and all our wacked relatives.
i wrote to the jws in advance and asked if they would please put their differences aside for one night to celebrate my son's achievements.
I'm with Bebu....let 'em know how disappointed, no, how PISSED you are by sending a note to tell EVERYONE OF THEM what a great witness they have made....damn cult!
have any of you experienced this yet....being cut out of your jw mom and dad's will?
i posted the following on another thread.
because of one instance that i heard about last year from a friend of mine, i am concerned that this may be something the society is encouraging and may encourage even more as the new private issue of the wt begins to be released.
When I DA'd myself a few years back, my parents cut me out of their will.
The real funny thing about it is that they had NOTHING until they moved in with my non-jw grandmother back in the 90's and when she passed away in 03', they took everything she had (alot!).
Back in the early 70's, my parents planned for the "Big A" in 75', sold the house and moved to unassigned territory and did janitorial work until they were so old they couldn't work anymore.
I'm sure my grandmother would roll over in her grave if she knew that my parents could leave everything they have to the WTB&TS when they die. She hated them for not letting her give us grandchildren Xmas & birthday parties, etc.....she was a classy lady to the end, but she hated the witnesses.....I love you grandma! GYMBOB
I'd rather have a bottle in front of me than a frontal labotomy.......
need a high quality scan of the whole qfr article as the scan below is very poor quality.
i want to have something decent to give to my dub friends as they don't really know much about their own religion.
This is my first look at this article, and quite frankly it makes me sick.
I'm soooo glad to be away from it all.....
i simply gradually quit going.
of course, this was many years ago and maybe the "rules" have changed, but rather than create drama among my family, i just let them think i was becoming materialistic and spiritually weak.
at least it kept them talking and associating with me rather than cutting me off.
I DA'd myself because the elders didn't give me much choice.
I tried to do the fade, but I had some real buckaroo elders in my town and they just were not going to let that happen. (I was a ex-bethelite, pioneer, etc.)
I started to miss a few meetings and they would come by on saturday afternoons and ask, "hey, where the heck have you been lately?" So I would tell them I was sick, or working over-time or some other excuse, when I was really researching Jehovah's Witnesses online and lurking on JWD when my family was at the hall. After a few weeks of that, they came by to visit IN SUITS, wanting to know what was going on.....
I tried, but lying is just not me.....after I told them that I had some real questions about some of the doctrines of the org., they got the JC together (plus, this was when the whole UN thing was going down, that was big for me). I told them that I wouldn't be there. They said if I don't show up they would DF me. So, I came to the hall that night and handed the elders a note that said I choose not to be associated with JW's from now on, period. Basically telling them "you can't fire me, I QUIT!".
My wife (now ex-wife) was also reporting to the elders what I was doing, that didn't help.
In the end, I wouldn't have lasted long. For me, it's either pee or get off the pot. Both of my kids are going to be DF'd this thursday and frankly, i'm proud about that. They've been away for a few years now and really don't give a damn what the local elders do. I'm glad to be part of watching the borg's numbers fall. And the funniest thing about the whole deal is, none of the elders even know my kids!
They grew up and moved out years ago. Their publisher record cards have been in the files for years, nobody comes by to visit or see how they are, but now 4-5 years go by and they've got to make a annoucement because it's come to their attention that they now attend a church somewhere! Great sheperding, uh? GYMBOB
