MMae

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Posts by MMae

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  15

  Two years out of the org for me. What I have learned & accepted about life!

  by jambon1 in

  1. jw
  2. experiences

  if i had written this a year ago, i would be writting different comments about my observations.. yet, that is the pivotal point for me.

  that is the reason why i could never have remained a jw.

  my point?

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  MMae

  Proph -

  I appreciate your insight. I value by years as a JW. I learned much that I wouldn't trade for anything. I fully believe that Jah lead me to the JWs at a time in my life that desparately needed what they could offer. Leaving was incredibly hard because I was convinced it was the only place God could be found. But, just as He lead me there when I needed JWs, He just as faithly lead me away, when they could no longer "feed" me spiritually. I love Jehovah. I love Jesus. They really do care for us individually.
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  15

  Two years out of the org for me. What I have learned & accepted about life!

  by jambon1 in

  1. jw
  2. experiences

  if i had written this a year ago, i would be writting different comments about my observations.. yet, that is the pivotal point for me.

  that is the reason why i could never have remained a jw.

  my point?

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  MMae

  Thanks for sharing. At the time of my dfing I suspected that some of the brothers felt conflict over it. I never thought about the conflict they might feel when having to give talks on subjects that made me cringe to listen to them. That never ending "waiting on Jehovah" to open the GB eyes!
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  13

  loving multiples

  by chickpea in

  1. watchtower
  2. child-abuse

  loving multiples is about being friends with people who are did, what used to be called multiple personality disorder.

  what is disordered, what is askance, what is forever damnable is the reason these splendiferous souls are so fragmented....... the horrific abuse foisted on them by the souless perversions of humanity that harmed them to their very cores, and beyond.

  my beloved (((((snicks))))), a gorgeous junoesque brit with the flaming red hair of her norse ancestors, towering above me at 6 feet, whose inner system populates a castle... i had the rare and distnctive privilege of naming her 18 yo alter, she who held the music, who used her age as her designation as she felt undeserving of even a name to be known by ...... her 3 and 5 yos who sat with me on the parlour floor and learned to make balloon animals.... the 10 yo keeper of anger, the worst assignment in the system, because there is rarely ever peace for them in the swirl of chaos and upheaval that is the toxic residue of their moment of creation...... the sweet 8 yo who remained hidden for years even after the others were found.... who cried because i was leaving and she had not been "out" to meet me...... you cannot begin to know the joy i had seeing her laugh while i read her a book and did all the voices and animal sounds.

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  MMae

  Chick pea and all other posters with deep insight on this subject - God bless you. I could have used a few of you when going through my years of experiencing DID. Fortunately I did link up with a very kind counselor, and a terrific support group. My JW relatives (by marriage), including my husband, accused me of being demonized, and counseled me stop going to those "quacks" (meaning my physician and mental health counselor.)

  It has been years since new frightening memories have surfaced, which seemed the precursor to my "splitting." Today I still have difficulty coping with stress - I tend to feel overwhelmed and go into shut-down. But, I no longer have certain aspects of my personality come forward to defend other more defenseless and frightened aspects of my personality.

  Several years ago I wrote a poem about having alter egos to rely on when you needed them. The poem had a double applicaton to true friends. I'm affraid that I'm not sure where it is. (Lots of stuff in storage after last move.) And my poor memory, which plagues me since my nervous breakdown, and likely contributed to by on-going need for medication, not to mention old age! doesn't allow me to recall it. But, sometime I would like to share it.
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  10

  ..Proplog2..and..The WBT$ Rule,that Protects Pedophiles..

  by OUTLAW in

  1. watchtower
  2. child-abuse

  proplog2..just got back on the board and saw your pm to me..lol!

  !..of course it`s not right to publicly post your pm to me..but..i find nothing wrong in publicly answering you..............you have made a big deal about the "wbt$ 2witness rule",dealing with child molesters..the rule that protects pedophiles!..you advocate this rule.you like this rule.you are willing to argue about how right this rule is,with anyone!................you have also publicly stated.that you have purposely kept the doors open in your own home,to keep your own children from molesting each other..what would you do if you caught them molesting each other?..you advocate the "wbt$ 2witness rule"..without 2witness`s,you advocate doing nothing..without 2witness`s,your willing to protect a pedophile........given the circumstances of how you say you conduct affairs in your own home..and..your absolute willingness to protect pedophiles with the "wbt$ 2witness rule"....your staunch advocation of the "wbt$ 2witness rule" comes under scrutiny.....so i ask:"do you feel you need the protection,the "wbt$ 2witness rule" would give you?

  "..the rule that protects pedophiles!......it`s a simple question to answer.....the question is neither out of order,or harassment..you are the one that made all of this,"public knowledge"..and..went so far,as to "pm" me about it.....................................outlaw

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  MMae

  100% right Finaly-Free. I just can't understand why the JW elders were not required by law to report suspected abuse. WA state laws require it of clergy. On the other hand, we all know where laws rate when in conflict with WTS policy.
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  41

  only part of meeting you enjoyed

  by martinwellborne in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  for me it was bible reading, where you could express your own opinion, in line with present truth of course.. pre the change it was awful listening to some fool telling you his opinion of bible highlights.

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  MMae

  I especially liked socializing afterwards. I don't presently have a church to attend. (I've worked week-ends for years now.) So I continue to miss that.

  I also enjyed talks that used common sense and were in touch with reality. In my final years I believe that I was viewed as one with a rebellious spirit because I sometimes questioned brothers after their talks on certian points. I did this out of a sincere heart, not to stir up things. One brother answered my question with, "I just read the outline."
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  7

  When you see the disgusting thing that causes desolation...

  by Mickey mouse in

  1. watchtower
  2. beliefs

  ...standing in a holy place.. i am sure this must have been discussed before but i can't find it in a search.

  so if the disgusting thing is the un i think i can think of a time when it has stood in a place jw's consider "holy".

  i never bought that the "holy place" was christendom when it has supposedly been denounced by god already.

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  MMae

  The scripture directs us to use discernment. I do not thnk that the early Christians knew in advance what the disgusting thing would be. Rather they had to use discernment when they actually saw it happening. Likewise, I think we will know when we see it.

  If one believes the claims of persons such as Alex Jones, it is possible that the disgusting thing could occur during the attempt to set up a one world government which will claim to be backed by God. Jones tells of holagraphic images that will be projected into the sky appearing as Jesus and other revered persons around the world. These images are supposed to give authority to this one world government. To me, such an incident would be a disgusting thing standing in a holy place.
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  21

  The truth, the whole truth and nothing like the truth

  by martinwellborne in

  1. watchtower
  2. bible

  anybody know the truth man?

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  MMae

  The truth is: "I don't know." I believe that an open mind before the Lord is pleasing to Him.
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  26

  Ok, lets set the record straight was it a CROSS or a STAKE

  by Witchs Son in

  1. watchtower
  2. bible

  and what would you say about the book often referenced by the society as a backing for the stake theory, the non-christian cross by j. d. parsons ?.

  you can also download it here if you prefer.

  i know that book was written in 19th century so i hope that won't be used as an argument against it after all sir isaac newton's principia was written in 1687 and we aren't holding that against it either.

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  MMae

  Let's not forget Biblical support:

  John 20:25, where Thomas says, " Except I shall see in his hands the print of the NAILS......I will not bellieve." (as apposed to a single nail driven through both hands.) Of lesser significance, but still of interest is that Matthew 27:37 says that the sign hung on the cruxifix was placed above His HEAD (as apposed to being hung above his hands.)

  Bottom line: It is not significant one way or the other. All that matters is the fact that He did sacrifice his life, not upon what device. In the spirit of Romans 14 - 15:1-7 we should not judge one another's belief on the matter, AND we should exercise caution not to cause another to turn away from Christ by insisting on our own point of view.

  Therefore, if I expected to see JWs, I would not wear a cross, knowing that they veiw it only as a pagan symbol. When discussing it, I like to emphasize that we really do not know for sure, but for these reasons, I cannot say that it was not a cross. I point out that those that do revere the cross do so as a rememberance of Christ's sacrfice, and therefore are "doing it into the Lord."

  Since most JWs insist that stauros means a single pole, I point out that if He were carrying the crossbeam, which would be attached to the upright pole at the torture sight, it would in fact be a single pole that he carried. And as a point of reason, would it be possible for a man to carry a pole that was large and strong enough for him to be impailed upon it? or is it more reasonable to think that the crossbeam, which would be much smaller in comparision, would be the more likely piece of wood carried by Jesus.

  My only goal in this kind of discussion is to allow the JW to see that there is a possibility that Christ was tortured on a cross, and that revering a cross does not chaulk one up as a "false Christian."

  Romans 14: 4-6,14,22-23 says 'Why do you judge another man's servant. It is up to his master whether the servant's actions are pleasing or not. In fact, when we stand before God, He is able to view us all as pleasing. When it come to these matters of concsience, let each person be sure in his own mind what he thinks is best. That way every person that engages in a practice, does it for the glory of God with thankfulness; and everyone that refrains from a practice, does not do it to the glory of God, also with thankfulness. I am absolutely convinced by Jesus Himself that there is NOTHING unclean. But, if a person's conscience views it as unclean, then for him it is unclean. You would not be showing Christian kindness to him if you insisted on having it your way in front of him. You could be responsible for turning him away from the Lord. Be happy to exercise your practice before God. Avoid pressuring others to do the same, for them it may be a sin.'
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  11

  How many finally feel comfortable in their own skin?

  by dinah in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  took awhile didnt it?.

  at what point did you ever look in a mirror and thank yourself for working through this?

  it took me about 5 years after i finally realized the wt was a sham.

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  MMae

  Dinah,

  My experience was very much like yours, except faster. Unlike you, I was not JW during my formative years. (I was about 11 when I first studied.) I too went through an intense period of Bible study. That was followed by fellowship in a church that had a message of Grace and acceptance - what every df''d JW needs after a year of obediently accepting ostracization followed by being sent away with a broken heart and crushed spirit after being turned down for re-instatement. After my church experience, I was called to a period of listening and quietness. It has been a period of open-mindedness before the Lord. Now, He is suddenly calling me to minister to those suffering spiritual grief. (I told Him I wasn't ready to do it; I just don't have all the answers worked out yet, but He didn't listen.) The one thing that I am absolutely convinced of as I emerge from this phase of quietness, is that there is a WHOLE LOT that I do NOT know! And I'm OK with that. I guess that is what being comfortable in your own skin is all about.

  It's not that I don't have many spiritual questions. It's that I no longer require another human being to give me the answer. Although I'd love to knock a few of them around so as to listen to others insights. Going from knowing all the answers - or at least thinking I knew where to find them; to shrugging my shoulders, and saying, "only God knows," feels unsettling at times. There was a time that I could not have accepted that. I needed an answer, and I needed to know that it was the RIGHT answer.

  Wow - an epiphany! ................... I was raised by a mother whom I feared, and was never too sure how to please. I constantly wondered, "should I do this - or should I do that, often times finding out neither option was acceptable. That lead me to NEED to KNOW what God wanted of me. But by the same token, I also developed a keen mind for questioning and reasoning - it was a matter of daily survival for me. Ultimately that is exactly what allowed me to make a decision in my life with a clear conscience - for which I knew I would likely by disfellowshipped. But being rejected, rather than welcomed back into Jehovah God's one and ONLY true church - well that sent me on a dizzying search for answers. But, as Jesus said, "ask and you will recieve." During the scriptural study phase, there were times that Holy Spirit literally lead my hand to the book, chapter, and verse that would give me an answer. Some of these verses I had never read before, so it was not just my subconscience directing my hand. Also there were times that I heard His answer in my ear. Such as when I asked, "Don't you hate________ (a behavior)?" to which He softly answered, "I do." At which my anquish melted, to be replaced by gentle comfort.

  I would be more comfortable if I could explain why I believe in both a Creator, and in what I believe is undeniable: The evolution of life on this planet. Why I believe that the account of Adam and Eve is more metaphore than reality, but I also accept that Jesus' death had a significance tantamount to purchasing us from the "sin of Adam." (Please, no one respond to these wonderings under this heading. If any one wants to discuss, let's go under a separate heading.) But everything in my being says that both are true. And somehow they fit together, like hand in glove - not hand against hand. It is just that at this time, I can't reasonably explain it. I just believe it to be true. And I'm OK with that.

  Malinda
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  14

  Col 2:16-19 in CO's talk

  by lookingnow25 in

  1. watchtower
  2. bible

  it's time for my once every 3 years visit.

  started out lookingnow22, then lookingnow25, now it could be lookingnow28.

  still struggling in the org.

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  MMae

  Both the Colossians and Romans passages have this in common: Paul directed Christians to "receive" (accept) one another, even though one differed from another in matters of worship and faith. He left that up to their individual consciences and preferenes. He emphasized that having Christ in common was the thing that really mattered. This kind of respect and tolerance of one anothers differences is what brought about Christian "like-mindedness" and caused Christians to speak as with "one mouth." (Read Romans 15: 1-7 in context with Romans chapter 14.)

  Think about that for one moment.... What Paul was teaching is the opposite of the application that JWs make to the verses that say to be of the same mind and mouth. WTS uses those scriptures to support their teaching that true Christians must all abide by the same cookie-cutter beliefs (as determined by the WTS.)

  Makes one's head spin a little to try to grasp that! Instead of Christians answering questions about faith and worship with dogma, in unity they could say, "All that matters is that you accept and follow Jesus Christ, Love God with all your being, and your fellow human being as yourself. Pretty much everything else is a matter of personal choice." [IMAGINE you hear a Beattles song rising in the background!]

  Had Christians listened to Paul....Christians would be - Christians. There would be no need for sects and divisions. And disfellowshipping .... well, umm, it would be such a rare occurance, that most of us would not know what the word meant.