Posts by wildfell

36

Need to vent - being hassled by elders!

by wildfell in

jw
friends

nearly two years ago my husband and i abruptly stopped attending meetings.

we had one or two visits from an elder that i disliked, but that stopped when i told him not to come back.

we were patting ourselves on the back that we had been left alone.

wildfell

Thank you to everyone who posted. You've given me some great advice. It's also been a great start to my morning having a laugh over some of the suggestions - I like the chronic fatigue/allergic to perfume one especially! I will ignore them totally when they come around again. After all, I should know how it's done - householders were wise enough to do it to me for years! LOL

I don't want to DA because 1) I won't play by their game and 2) I do have family (in-laws mostly) who are pretty old and it would be too upsetting for them. I also have a few good friends who are important to me and one of them is very open to the information I am providing her with about the truth about "the truth".

The weekend is nearly upon us, I will keep you updated if I receive another unsolicited visit. It was helpful to know that there is a drive on to contact us 'spiritually weak' ones.

36

Need to vent - being hassled by elders!

by wildfell in

jw
friends

nearly two years ago my husband and i abruptly stopped attending meetings.

we had one or two visits from an elder that i disliked, but that stopped when i told him not to come back.

we were patting ourselves on the back that we had been left alone.

wildfell

Nearly two years ago my husband and I abruptly stopped attending meetings. We had one or two visits from an elder that I disliked, but that stopped when I told him not to come back. We were patting ourselves on the back that we had been left alone. Hmmm, jinxed ourselves.

Over the last 6 weeks we have had an elder (who we used to be good friends with), persistently call my husband to try and catch up with him. He seemed to have a deadline. It became obvious that it wasn't going to be for a social chat. He was successfully avoided. Or so we thought. He sent others to our door.

Then, last weekend we had a special pioneer elder and his wife knock at our door. (We have never met these people, they are new, but we had found out through a contact in the congo that they were moving into the territory early in the new year) We didn't answer, but I made enough noise to suggest that I was home - I wasn't going to hide in my own home. Did they go away? No. They just kept on knocking and knocking. Finally, they started to actually bash on our screen door! Then the woman began to repeatedly shout out my name at the top of her lungs!!! How rude is that! I live in a very quiet area - every neighbour would have been disturbed by that. I was going to rush to the door and give her a good piece of my mind but then thought that that is exactly what she wanted - she was demanding I answer the door. So just to thwart her, I didn't. I have been mad as hell over it. To add insult to injury, I think that these ill-mannered louts thought that they would be able to use me to count some easy time in a new terrritory.

I was thinking that I would just continue to totally ignore them if/when they come back. But then it would be SO tempting to tell the woman that I thought she sounded like a fish-monger's wife, that she had behaved exceedingly rudely and to never come back. I was gnashing my teeth over this for the last few days . . . I am usually a mild person, but I do flare up if I am treated like crap.

Any suggestions on how to best handle this? We have a parents and a few good friends that we would like to keep (one of whom is on the brink of waking up).

74

"Draw close to God, and he will"....never speak to you.....

by oompa in

well me and bonnzo got to go to a big jw funeral today (oh what fun!

)...in a high school auditorium...so i see bonnzo in the crowd and texted him during the service that i could see him, and i was so hoping he had not put his cell on vibrate, but he had....darn it.

so my mind was wandering, and i have been wondering what it would take for me to get any of my faith back (i'm agnostic now)...and this scripture pops in my head: .

wildfell

and did he make a rule for virgins that are raped have to marry their rapist?......I dont get it

Oompa, the OT wrote about a middle eastern people and their culture. That culture remains largely unchanged. If a girl loses her virginity (albeit through rape), it is viewed by the community that that girl is now unfit for marriage. She will be rejected by her society and not be able to live as a functioning adult, fulfilling her role in society and being a valuable member of her community. In a culture that prizes virginity, marriage and motherhood for women, that is devastating to a woman. Instead, she would carry an immense amount of shame.

However, it would be a huge deterant to a would-be rapist that he would have to not only marry this girl - but that he would never be able to toss her off - ever. It gives her security. It gives her some power in the relationship, too, I imagine. And, it means tha she would never be shamed by him. Also, please remember that arranged marraiges were the norm back then (and still are in the middle east and elsewhere) and that most women would not have entertained any hopes of loving the guy. Love would come later, if you are lucky.

You were looking at it from purely a western perspective. If you looked at it from a middle eastern girl's perspective, you may see it as a protection and a kindness. God worked in with their cultural norms to provide protection for the vulnerable.

So I hope I can clear that one up for you at least. There are things that are hard to understand in the Bible, but it helps to remember that they happened in a different time and place and to a people whose culture and perception of the world is vastly different to our own. Why not start your quest to understand God and draw closer to him by thinking on the things that you do get emotionally? Why not think about Jesus, who represents God, and how he lived his life and tenderly helped so many people?

May the Holy Spirit help you to draw close to God, Oompa. This I pray.

108

Any "Born Again" Christians here?

by sacolton in

jw
friends

would like to see how many have accepted jesus christ as the only way, truth and life..

wildfell

I believe Jesus is my saviour and mediator. I was raised in the Orthodox faith and have always had a deep love for Jesus since childhood. I never felt that defining moment that others here have experienced though. Although having said that, I did used to feel very strongly as a child that Jesus loved me.

17

Going to Church

by excito-are in

i went to church in my local town while the witnesses attended the perth assembly.

it was a good sermon and i actually felt very upbuilt and refreshed after listening to it.

i really thought i would of felt guilt or some negative feeling for doing this, but quite the opposite.

wildfell

Justhuman wrote:

My first time I went to the Orthodox Apostolic Church I was crying. All I was listening it was the Gloryfication of Jesus.In the Orthodox Church the ceremony is in the old Greek language, and the Church uses the Original Greek Texts in the Church. Then I realize how poor my spirituality was in the WT world. In the Church we praise Jesus and God, and we are asking their forgiveness since we are all sinners. It is our faith in Jesus that saves us. Thats all it takes. In the Church I never listen condemning other dominations, or accusing the "apostates". In fact there is a prayer that asks from Jesus to show the way back to the Apostolic Church all those who left the faith, and ask from Him to show forgiveness. Can you imagine that happening in the WT?

I know where you are coming from, justhuman. I cried the first time I went to Church, too. I have cried every other time as well, tell you the truth. I love love love the devotional aspect of worship of God. I missed that so much while I was a jw. Their instructional 'worship' always left me cold. I used to leave the kh feeling blue nearly every meeting (and no wonder, being guilt tripped and told that whatever I do is never ever enough, and having to associate with the psychos in the cong!). By contrast, I always feel uplifted and contented after Church. It used to bug me how the jw's used to abase Jesus Christ - I never agreed with that. How wonderful for me to hear my Lord and Saviour being given glory and his true position being acknowledged.

17

Little Joseph needs our prayers,please read this....

by justhuman in

jw
friends

a tragic event happened to 2 year old joseph.

the house was on fire and he was in his bedroom.

2 firemen risk their lifes, entered to the flaming house and resqued little joseph.

wildfell

Hi Justhuman

I will pray for Joseph.

God bless you.

25

Anyone know Hands Hubler the D.O Missionary {a.k.a The Terminator}

by Witness 007 in

hands hubler was the rudest most arrogant man "jehovah" ever made.

he was famous for kicking out sisters with crying babies during his talks.

he went to a bible study as a sister asked him to come along, he saw the christmas decorations were up so he excused them and said they would not be coming back, "terminating" the sisters study, no discussion, no nothing.

wildfell

What about Ron Ashworth? Anyone remember him? Never liked that cold hearted man. He took being a prince in the new world too seriously. He thought he was a prince already. Nasty. Little. Man.

One of the times he visited my cong. Came bowling up to my bible student and pointedly asked her whether I was looking after her properly. He turned and glared at me and coldly told me that I had better look after the Bible study. I was floored. the Bible student looked at me with raised eyebrows, as if to say, "is he in his right mind?" After he had walked away she told me she thought he was a very rude person. I just had to bite my tongue really hard.

jwfacts, I can almost hear Ted Bromich's voice saying what you quoted. He was quite a stern man, wasn't he? Not known for being subtle. More like hit you over the head with a 4x2. Never saw him smile I don't think. Is he the one who married the much older sister? Or was that Neville?

17

How do you pray?

by Hikaru in

jw
friends

great topic title....not the full question, but i'm guessing you all are raising eyebrows before clicking on it...heh.

anyways, my question is this... how do you pray?

when it feels like you're talking to the wall?

wildfell

Enjoyed the music, jgnat.

You inspired me to post a song that I discovered about a month ago. It's the Lord's Prayer in Aramaic. A very beautiful and haunting song/prayer. Sometimes, when I don't feel 'connected', I pray the Lord's prayer.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MAEIrp4MFBE

17

How do you pray?

by Hikaru in

jw
friends

great topic title....not the full question, but i'm guessing you all are raising eyebrows before clicking on it...heh.

anyways, my question is this... how do you pray?

when it feels like you're talking to the wall?

wildfell

Hi Hikaru

You are not alone. I am sure that many Christians could say that they have felt at times that God was not listening.

I just recently read a book about Mother Theresa and it is based on the letters which have survived her death. It showed clearly that even Mother Theresa experienced what you are experiencing. Apparently, the Catholics call this period "the dark night".

At times of great stress or anxiety, or feeling freaked out, we can feel the most alone, with just our thoughts racing around in our head. I wonder if that is why we can't 'hear' God, so to speak, sometimes? Because part of prayer is us talking, and the other part is the silence; listening for God. Please take comfort, God always listens.

kind regards

wildfell

44

Is The WT Society Getting Financially Desperate ? Nov.15th WT Your Take ?

by flipper in

jw
friends

as most of us know on the board - awhile back the watchtower society printed a brochure called : "charitable planning to benefit kingdom service worldwide.

" it was written to provide info to witnesses on a variety of ways that gifts may be made to the society presently or at death.

i have a lurking witness friend on the board who sent me the nov. 15th watchtower and it has an article entitled, " ways in which some choose to give ".

wildfell

Hi Flipper

A couple(?) of years ago, this regular demand for money included a paragraph which really disgusted me and my husband. It went something along the lines of 'don't wait until you die. You can give us your money now. If you become in financial need, you can request some of your money back and 'WE WILL CONSIDER IT"'.

I see from Mary's scan that they have now refined this . . . brazen pharisees!

I had resisted giving any money at all for several years before I left. I used to say that I wanted to live as 'simply' as the governing body do in bethel. World trips, never working a day, eating only the best food, in season fresh off the farm, having servants to do my cleaning, cooking, laundry and being supplied a car. Don't forget the best health care! Well, they live off 'dedicated funds' don't they? Surely they must be providing the flock with the example in living simply? I used to get a few DIRTY looks saying that, I can tell you! But dirty looks is all the 'brothers' could do. No-one could argue! I just had a bad attitude, I guess.