DNCall

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Posts by DNCall

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  26

  Do you know the Leibenspergers?

  by asilentone in

  1. jw
  2. experiences

  i was wondering where is jonathan, chuck and bethel (real name) leibensperger?

  it would not surprise me if they are in bethel..

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  DNCall

  The last I heard, they lived in a private residence in Patterson. Parents upstairs, Bob and Bethel downstairs.
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  34

  My Story

  by ~Jen~ in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  i was raised a jw by very strict parents who, in my early teen years were physically and then later emotionally abusive all the while with my dad being and elder (and he still is).

  i didn't want to be a jw then but my life was all about making my parents happy which started with me being baptized at 13. my parents constantly drilled into my head that most things were "bad" and i was "bad" i constantly did whatever i could to avoid being bad.

  i had no life but then met a nice jw boy when i was 17. against my better judgement, i stayed with him and married him when i was 20. i didn't have a lot in common with him but he was really nice and was safe - he was a witness and even though i wanted to be in the world so bad i chose to be with him because he would keep me grounded, in the truth and away from where i really wanted to be because it was the right thing to do.. we were married for 7 years and have 3 sons.. for the past few years i've known that i did not want to be a jw even more and was sick of being fake.

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  DNCall

  Hi Jen,

  Welcome.

  Regarding "the world" being all bad, my experience is that, yes, there are bad people. However the good people far outnumber them. These people are good in ways not comprehended or contemplated by the Witnesses. They have built hospitals and donated vast amounts to any number of charities. In war, they have given their lives for ideals that have proven to be for the good of mankind. They have created art, in many forms, that enriches our lives. They have produced literature that expands our understanding of just about anything there is to understand. They solve problems and work hard at meaningful tasks. They love unconditionally.

  In reality, you are leaving a very limited and artificial environment.

  Prior comments in this thread have advised you to inform yourself. Please do, so as to steer away from the bad and embrace the good.

  Best of success.
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  40

  Besty Unplugged - My Life Story Part 1

  by besty in

  1. jw
  2. experiences

  my story part 1 where did it all go wrong?.

  hi, my name is paul and im an ex-jehovahs witness.

  by the end of this sorry tale i hope to be an ex-ex-jehovahs witness.

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  DNCall

  Excellent, Paul! I'm stayin' tuned.

  F.
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  42

  Why The WTS chooses to shoot itself in the foot

  by besty in

  1. watchtower
  2. beliefs

  frank and barbara kavelin's recent disfellowshipping for 'apostasy' two years after they stopped going to meetings made me ponder why exactly the wts frequently pursues people long after they have disappeared off the jw scene.

  at first glance it seems a counterproductive strategy to make enemies out of people who would otherwise leave quietly.

  i've had the pleasure of getting to know frank and barb over the last year or so and i know for a fact that frank's story would not be on jwn and freeminds if he hadn't been disfellowshipped.

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  DNCall

  I forgot to thank Besty and the posters on this thread for their excellent insights.

  F.
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  42

  Why The WTS chooses to shoot itself in the foot

  by besty in

  1. watchtower
  2. beliefs

  frank and barbara kavelin's recent disfellowshipping for 'apostasy' two years after they stopped going to meetings made me ponder why exactly the wts frequently pursues people long after they have disappeared off the jw scene.

  at first glance it seems a counterproductive strategy to make enemies out of people who would otherwise leave quietly.

  i've had the pleasure of getting to know frank and barb over the last year or so and i know for a fact that frank's story would not be on jwn and freeminds if he hadn't been disfellowshipped.

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  DNCall

  It was no coincidence that I got "the call" the week after the circuit overseer's visit. Another factor is gossip. Once it reaches a certain level, the elders are moved to take action. Absent those two things, I'm quite sure the elders involved would rather have just let us fade.

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  4

  I wonder if Karl Klein would like this remix of a Kingdom melody...

  by Nostromo in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7kjf1ir4cik.

  (sorry i dont know how to put the youtube video here in this box).

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  DNCall

  He might. You could nevert tell what he would like and wouldn't like.

  F.
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  42

  DNCall Unmasked - Part 5 of 5

  by DNCall in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  startfragment.

  during the appeal period of one week we sent the following letter to approximately 22 of our oldest and closest friends.

  im including it here because it conveys how we feel at present, looking back over the half-century of our lives.. dear ____,.

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  DNCall

  During the appeal period of one week we sent the following letter to approximately 22 of our oldest and closest friends. I’m including it here because it conveys how we feel at present, looking back over the half-century of our lives.

  Dear ____,

  This week it will be announced that we are no longer Jehovah’s Witnesses. We owe you, our friends of many years, an explanation.

  We love and miss you deeply.

  We are not upset over the human imperfections of anyone, being fully aware of our own imperfections. True, we have been hurt on occasion, but who hasn’t. We are not disgruntled or bitter.

  Our withdrawal over the past two years is the product of over ten years of legitimate questioning and subsequent research, carried out prayerfully and objectively. We have not rushed to any of our conclusions.

  We have not left God, his Son or his Word. Jesus warns, and Paul counsels, that it is our obligation to carefully evaluate religious affiliations and teachings. Thus, we do not believe we are sinning against the Holy Spirit by evaluating the organization and its teachings in the light of the Scriptures and fact. Genuine truth stands up to such scrutiny. The organization does not. Those who have gone before us in making such an evaluation have been slandered and vilified by those loyal to the organization. We expect to be treated no differently. However, we hope that this brief explanation will leave you with some understanding of why, in good conscience, we can no longer support the organization.

  We are not driven by pride, as we are admitting the mistake of supporting, out of our own negligence and lack of information, for most of our lives, erroneous teachings, revisionist history, deception and unloving policies.

  We are willing to wait on Jehovah, and we continue to do so. However, it is clear to us that waiting on Jehovah is not the same thing as waiting on the organization.

  Shun us if you must, but please know that we will never judge you but will always accept you, love you and never forget you.

  Love,

  Frank and Barbara

  We received a number of responses to this letter. Most of them were predictable. However, a couple of them were actually kind and non-judgmental.

  The social vacuum that was created when we became inactive two years ago has been gradually filled with new friends, those who saw the light before we did, including our children, and our wonderful families. Although the first year was difficult for us, our newfound freedom was certainly worth the pain. Having more time to pursue art, music, travel and study has improved our lives beyond anything we could have imagined “in this old system.”

  At this point, we have no desire to affiliate with any religious group.

  Among the resources that we found very helpful were Raymond Franz’s two books and the website he contributes to, http://www.commentarypress.com. We also greatly appreciated the concise style of http://www.jwfacts.com and personal experiences and diversity of http://www.freeminds.org.

  This board has been a tremendous resource. We are grateful to Simon and so many of the regular contributors. We have enjoyed forging lasting friendships with some of you and hope for the opportunity to meet many more of you.

  Love,

  Frank (fka DNCall)
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  58

  An Open Letter From Jeff

  by AllTimeJeff in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  but i don't write this for sympathy.

  actually, i just thought you all would like to hear how i am doing, esp with a little space now between me and the borg.

  (its been 3 years).

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  DNCall

  Hi Jeff,

  I really enjoy your posts and admire your opening up. I think you've gotten some excellent feedback in this thread. I just wanted to voice my support and admiration.

  F.
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  48

  DNCall Unmasked - Part 4 of 5

  by DNCall in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  startfragment.

  even though i didnt have the title of elder, i was still active in my work at bethel and the congregation used me as much as possible.

  when the congregation recommended that i once again serve as an elder, one elder raised the objection that that barbara was a low-hour publisher.

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  DNCall

  Outa: I've known Ruben and Paula for many years; had many a great meal with them. Once, we put our two tour groups together on a trip to Hawaii. I have always known Ruben to be open-minded. It wouldn't surprise me if I got a call from him someday.

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  48

  DNCall Unmasked - Part 4 of 5

  by DNCall in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  startfragment.

  even though i didnt have the title of elder, i was still active in my work at bethel and the congregation used me as much as possible.

  when the congregation recommended that i once again serve as an elder, one elder raised the objection that that barbara was a low-hour publisher.

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  DNCall

  I'm told I can't post part 5 until after 8:00 p.m. PST. In the meantime, I'm happy to confirm Sweet Pea's rumour.