Got rid of all the WTBTS BS literature along time ago, so can't help with references. If your friend wants to go to college he can use the line that I used. "I'm going so I can support myself pioneering." or "I want to go to Bethel with a skill to contribute." Hopefully he'll learn enough critical thinking skills there that he will think himself right out of the "truth". Interestingly for myself, once I had the necessary skill they were looking for at Bethel I was offended by the notion that they would want me for the education they discouraged me from attaining. Once you start thinking like that there is no turning back.
teflon
JoinedPosts by teflon
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3
Need Some Help With References Regarding Education, etc
by yourmomma ini have a young friend who is deciding weather or not to go to a fully paid college, or work full time at a dead end job.
all the witnesses of course are discouraging school.
anyway, i want to find as many references as i can in the old literature in the 20's-70's that discourage education because the time left is "reduced" or the ones that even go so far as to say the end is a few months or years away.
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27
Wanting to talk to my mom
by lostsheep82 inso now that i've read as much as i could in the last 2 months and made my decision that this isn't the organization i thought it was, i'm scared, terrified, and feel helpless in some ways.
my mom is a devout jw, a pioneer, her husband of the 'anointed', and they are very 'spiritually strong'.
i'm wanting to compile a mini book to send to her with all the reasons and proof from wt books and magazines with quotes and stuff.
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teflon
I walked away. My family now talks to me. Don't send the book. All you will do is alienate her. If someone wants to believe something they will. I think the best course is to continue to live your life on your terms. Decide who you want to be. You can't control others, all you can do is influence. Your mom may be a Witness for reasons other than belief. My mom for instance is married to crazy die-hard dad. She is a social witness. I don't think she really believes all that crap, but all her friends and husband are "in the truth". For her it is too much to lose. She even saw me out trick or treating with the kids last year, I've never heard a word about it. We're also too much for her to lose. If your can leave the lines of communication open you can exert subtle influence. Some people learn to swim if they're pushed in the water, but it's kinder to teach them to doggy paddle first.
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Banned from my sisters wedding
by LunaFing ini'm feeling rejected and hurt because i've just been informed that i am not invited to my little sisters wedding.
first, here's a little background story on my relationship with her: she and i are three years apart.
when we were younger we were very close (i was in the "truth" back then).
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teflon
I'm sorry for the pain that this is causing you. I hope it will be of short duration. This doesn't work for everyone, but, I find the best course of action is to take the high road. If their plan is to hurt you, don't give them the satisfaction. Plan something fun to do that night. Send your sister a nice card, say "sorry to miss your special day". Smile, don't ask for photos, make them think you don't care. Remember that shunning only works if they think that they are punishing you. Your sister will regret her actions someday, maybe she'll invite you to her second wedding (most of the JW's that got married in my peer group are all divorced.) My parents tried the whole shunning thing on me once. After they heard from worldly relatives about my husband graduating from college (they didn't know he was even attending) they knocked it off real quick. I think they realized that my world would keep turning without them, plus it made them look really stupid to the relatives. (they probably also smelled money). During that time I realized who my true friends and family are. I can't control their actions, but I can control my reaction.
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And she walked out of thier lives... forever
by teflon ini walked away.
faded, actually, without knowing that was what i was doing.
i just got tired of all the crap.
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teflon
Growing up Christmas was the one holiday that made me really feel like an oddball to my classmates and extended family. My grandparents and aunts and uncles, etc are all Catholic and my parents used to bring all of us kids to grandma's on Christmas with the excuse that it's the only time that they all got together. Then everyone would open presents but us, because my dad made a big deal about us not celebrating. He was so obnoxious that I'm not sure why they even let him be there. I don't want my kids to grow up feeling like an outsider. I think we will try a small tree with all the pagan trappings. My parents live just a few blocks from me. I think that they will just ignore it. My parents haven't picked a fight with me about anything JW since I caught my dad talking with my then 3 year old about "jehovah making plants grow". Now he is only allowed to see them when we are there to supervise.
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And she walked out of thier lives... forever
by teflon ini walked away.
faded, actually, without knowing that was what i was doing.
i just got tired of all the crap.
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teflon
I walked away. Faded, actually, without knowing that was what I was doing. I just got tired of all the crap. I was one of the lucky ones, I left and took my husband with me. I was raised in it, pioneered for a few years. We still have family in, that's the reason I'm here. What I'm trying to get past is my last hurdle. I think I'm an agnostic, or at least anti-religion. We live in the upper Midwest US, and the population here is predominately main stream Christian of one denomination or another. I don't know what to do about holidays. We celebrate Birthdays, take the kids trick or treating, but haven't tackled the big religious ones like Christmas. My preschooler asked for a tree this coming year. This is the culture that we are bringing them up in so I think it's ok, but I'm afraid of disturbing the delicate dance I've been doing with my still in family all these years. I've always just done what I wanted, and dealt with the fallout after. I want my kids to feel "normal", I don't want them to feel they are missing out on something. I also don't want to feel like I'm being held hostage by a religion that I no longer believe in. Why am I making such a big deal out of this one last thing?