Posts by Mattieu

i have older teenagers down to young ones....my birthday girl comes up to me as i'm putting the pizza in the oven and says that the one dude, what was his name??

brother.....ummmmm....brother b?

Mattieu

I bet he will proudly say at the next elders meeting that he has attempted to drop in and encourage you and the family, but to no avail.

Guaranteed he will also “count the time” doing the drive by...

Mattieu.

9

Divided household, spiritual widow, spiritual orphan. Propaganda expressions

by Mattieu in

jw
friends

i grew up in what the society calls a divided household being a spiritual orphan the son of a spiritual widow.

looking back now, these terms certainly isolated us, or marked us as being different from the ideal families in the congo.. there were quite a few of us divided households in our congo when we were growing up and as most of the spiritual united families wouldnt associate with us on a social scale, we mostly hung out with each other.

a few of our dads became good friends as no doubt they had a few things in common, being the cause of divided households.. i remember one elders son saying they couldnt hang around us as his dad told him we were bad association, not that we were doing anything wrong, we pioneered on school holidays gave talks, answered up, did all the right things except we had a dad who wasnt in the truth.. these terms that the society use, also create an us versus them attitude within the family arrangement.

Mattieu

Hi Littlesister,

It had the same effect on my Dad’s relationship with all of us kids as well, at least he has seen 4 of his kids get out of the borg and try and rebuild the father/child relationship. Better late than never....

Mattieu...

9

Hi everyone, and Profile help

by Funchback in

jw
friends

i haven't posted here in a couple of years (at minimum).

i stopped posting because simon was closing down the site.

i didn't realize it was still in existence.

Mattieu

Hi Funchback,

Welcome back from one of the “new ones!”

Mattieu....

25

When You Were A Witness Did You Feel YOU Were Part Of The "Brotherhood"?

by minimus in

jw
friends

did you personally feel like you actually belonged to the worldwide brotherhood?

did you feel special, as if you were part of something truly extraordainary?.

Mattieu

Yes and no.

Yes: When travelling overseas and visiting congos/bethels and when we had overseas visitors come down under, it made me appreciate the world wide b’hood.

No: Most of the local congos are so divided, cliques, personality differences, failed business dealings. You can walk into any hall and guaranteed there will be some who will not even be on speaking terms with their brothers and sisters because of some dispute.

How can the Borg say that the scripture identifying true Christians because of the love amongst themselves, can be fulfilled by the wtbt$???

Mattieu....

12

How did you respond?

by Simon Morley in

jw
friends

we have not attended any meetings for several months now as we continue our fade.

how have you dealt with the nosey parkers who hold the territory that you live in and insist on "dropping by".

first it was the family that holds the card and then a coule of other familes as they work our territory.. i am tired of not answering the door (they know we are home) and need a cute but not revealing comeback to the "we miss you at the meetings" line.

Mattieu

Haven't had one call, my few friends left in the borg do tell me of the gossip that centers around me for not attending any more though.....

Mattieu

42

Borg court: 2nd session

by sd-7 in

jw
friends

judicial committee, round 2. i have to give it to the elders on this one.

they fought well, albeit with unrefined technique.

pure strength of authority apparently seems to make up for a lack of sufficient evidence, just as the 300-pound fellow who believed you were checking out his girlfriend can beat the tar out of you even though you were merely looking at the clock behind her on the wall.

Mattieu

Hi Christopher,

Thanks for the update and I hope all goes well with the next round. I too was threatened with being disfellowshipped by a corrupt elder (p/o) who is still serving. I wrote a letter to the Australian bethel highlighting the divisions between the body of elders and misuse of power. When he found out, I got summonsed to his house for a fire side chat. I wasn’t even a ms or elder at that stage, so this elder made it clear that because of sending that letter, spiritual advancement would be difficult for me now and that unless I recanted some statements regarding his own actions, he would disfellowshipp me!

I should have left the borg there and then......

All the best, Mattieu...

8

Are you hearing "IF armaddon comes" more than "WHEN" nowadays? Have the old ones

by hamsterbait in

jw
friends

i visited friends recently - they accept me even though i have not been in months.. the wife remarked "if armageddon comes, we wont be worrying about the house.".

another time, the (now ex elduh) said "when i retire, or armageddon comes, i want to < >".

remember the scripture about the slave?.

Mattieu

Hi Hamsterbait,

I just met a dub this morning that I am good friends with; she was talking about her older sister (51) and her 21 y/o son. Her sister has resigned herself to the fact that the big A will not come in her lifetime and is worried about her son when he will be older.

The dub didn’t say “if” it comes but kept saying “when” it comes, though in more of a sceptical tone of voice.

I agree, as more and more young ones of the 1960’s & 70’s get older, the thought of the Big A becomes one big IF!

Cheers, Mattieu...