garyneal

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Posts by garyneal

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  34

  My goodness! Fourteen years since I began posting here...

  by garyneal in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  i'm not sure if anyone remembers me since i do not post here much anymore.

  i sometimes pop in around christmas time to see if anyone is interested in exchanging christmas cards like we used to back when i first posted on this site.

  speaking of which, the holiday season will soon be upon us.. if you recall, i was married to a jehovah's witness and i had a daughter i spoke of a lot.

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  garyneal

  Vander, Listener,

  How have you been?
• 
  34

  My goodness! Fourteen years since I began posting here...

  by garyneal in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  i'm not sure if anyone remembers me since i do not post here much anymore.

  i sometimes pop in around christmas time to see if anyone is interested in exchanging christmas cards like we used to back when i first posted on this site.

  speaking of which, the holiday season will soon be upon us.. if you recall, i was married to a jehovah's witness and i had a daughter i spoke of a lot.

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  garyneal

  TheListener,

  My wife and I are not yet divorced either. Our kids are free too. Nice to see you again.
• 
  34

  My goodness! Fourteen years since I began posting here...

  by garyneal in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  i'm not sure if anyone remembers me since i do not post here much anymore.

  i sometimes pop in around christmas time to see if anyone is interested in exchanging christmas cards like we used to back when i first posted on this site.

  speaking of which, the holiday season will soon be upon us.. if you recall, i was married to a jehovah's witness and i had a daughter i spoke of a lot.

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  garyneal

  Hello Vanderhoven7,

  Good to see you again. I may stick around. I've noticed that a lot of the conversations here are not as "cerebral" as they were back then. Maybe it is just my perspective. I recall lengthy discussion over theology and doctrine and biblical exegesis. Far more interesting than what you'd find in any church / kingdom hall.
• 
  34

  My goodness! Fourteen years since I began posting here...

  by garyneal in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  i'm not sure if anyone remembers me since i do not post here much anymore.

  i sometimes pop in around christmas time to see if anyone is interested in exchanging christmas cards like we used to back when i first posted on this site.

  speaking of which, the holiday season will soon be upon us.. if you recall, i was married to a jehovah's witness and i had a daughter i spoke of a lot.

  1. 
  2. 
  3. 
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  garyneal

  Also, how have you been Ding and Beth Sarim?
• 
  34

  My goodness! Fourteen years since I began posting here...

  by garyneal in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  i'm not sure if anyone remembers me since i do not post here much anymore.

  i sometimes pop in around christmas time to see if anyone is interested in exchanging christmas cards like we used to back when i first posted on this site.

  speaking of which, the holiday season will soon be upon us.. if you recall, i was married to a jehovah's witness and i had a daughter i spoke of a lot.

  1. 
  2. 
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• 

  garyneal

  Hello Aude, Denise.

  How has life been for you? I remember seeing posts from you too. Good to see you again.
• 
  34

  My goodness! Fourteen years since I began posting here...

  by garyneal in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  i'm not sure if anyone remembers me since i do not post here much anymore.

  i sometimes pop in around christmas time to see if anyone is interested in exchanging christmas cards like we used to back when i first posted on this site.

  speaking of which, the holiday season will soon be upon us.. if you recall, i was married to a jehovah's witness and i had a daughter i spoke of a lot.

  1. 
  2. 
  3. 
• 

  garyneal

  Hello Beth Sarim,

  Good to see you too.

  I recall back in 2015, our family visited San Diego CA and drove by Beth Sarim. I spoke briefly with the owner of the property but did not ask to tour the house.

  A year later, in 2016 during our anniversary, we went to Pittsburgh PA and visited the cemetery and saw the pyramid memorial near Charles Russell's gravesite.

  Last summer, I stopped by again to confirm that the pyramid had been removed.
• 
  34

  My goodness! Fourteen years since I began posting here...

  by garyneal in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  i'm not sure if anyone remembers me since i do not post here much anymore.

  i sometimes pop in around christmas time to see if anyone is interested in exchanging christmas cards like we used to back when i first posted on this site.

  speaking of which, the holiday season will soon be upon us.. if you recall, i was married to a jehovah's witness and i had a daughter i spoke of a lot.

  1. 
  2. 
  3. 
• 

  garyneal

  Do Christmas cards brighten up your life? If so I feel sorry for you!

  Um, well, okay. Thank you.
• 
  34

  My goodness! Fourteen years since I began posting here...

  by garyneal in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  i'm not sure if anyone remembers me since i do not post here much anymore.

  i sometimes pop in around christmas time to see if anyone is interested in exchanging christmas cards like we used to back when i first posted on this site.

  speaking of which, the holiday season will soon be upon us.. if you recall, i was married to a jehovah's witness and i had a daughter i spoke of a lot.

  1. 
  2. 
  3. 
• 

  garyneal

  Hello Ding,

  Nice to see you again. It has been a while since we've interacted. I've looked over the old posts from back in the old days to kind of remanence.
• 
  14

  The Great "Dumbing Down"?

  by NotFormer in

  1. watchtower
  2. beliefs

  a few old timers on here often refer to the dumbing down of the jw organisation.

  what examples can you think of from over the years?

  (i ask as an interested outsider who was never in).

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  garyneal

  Many years ago, I used to study the bible with an elder who was with the congregation for a long time. I illustrated that here: Our "Bible Study" with the Jehovah's Witnesses (jehovahs-witness.com)

  This elder was well studied with the Bible and the Watchtower belief system and was actually a fairly reasonable man. When I was questioning the entire 1914 teaching and its basis on Jerusalem's desolation in 607 BCE, he even confided with me that if 607 was proven false, it would have severe consequences on the religion being The Truth.

  Sadly, he passed away a few years ago but he lived until well in his 90s.

  Younger witnesses, including my then in wife, would counter with "we don't serve for dates" response when questioned about the 1914 teaching along with other important teachings that confirm their authority. To them, its about friends and family and just a way of life. When pressed, they may cite certain things like, "We don't believe in hell," or "Christmas Day is not Jesus' birthday," etc. but they don't go too deep.

  By the way, the pyramid memorial in Pittsburgh PA was removed. I took a trip there to see it for myself. I guess the WT now no longer has that embarrassing part of their past to explain.
• 
  34

  My goodness! Fourteen years since I began posting here...

  by garyneal in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  i'm not sure if anyone remembers me since i do not post here much anymore.

  i sometimes pop in around christmas time to see if anyone is interested in exchanging christmas cards like we used to back when i first posted on this site.

  speaking of which, the holiday season will soon be upon us.. if you recall, i was married to a jehovah's witness and i had a daughter i spoke of a lot.

  1. 
  2. 
  3. 
• 

  garyneal

  Hello everyone,

  I'm not sure if anyone remembers me since I do not post here much anymore. I sometimes pop in around Christmas time to see if anyone is interested in exchanging Christmas cards like we used to back when I first posted on this site. Speaking of which, the holiday season will soon be upon us.

  If you recall, I was married to a Jehovah's Witness and I had a daughter I spoke of a lot. My little daughter is now 17 years and is in her last year of high school. Hard to believe so much time has passed.

  My wife and I also did not work it out in the end but our reason for our separation was due to her having an affair. She was disfellowshipped for this and she woke up to the cult based on how they treated her in the aftermath. She considered the disfellowshipping process and shunning as emotionally abusive. She even stated as such to the elders when she attempted to get reinstated. The elders, of course, responded by insisting that she accept the disfellowshipping practice as "loving" and when she held her position, they made it practically impossible for her to get reinstated.

  Where are we now? My wife moved out early 2021 and she and I continued to communicate. We even hung out like a couple and spent time together as a family for over a year since then. I thought we would eventually reconcile and get back together but unfortunately by August of 2022 she began dating other men. I implored her, even begged her, to reconsider and we try to work it out but no. I soon realized the futility of it and gave myself permission to move on.

  We have not filed divorce yet as we still maintain a friendship and there is a part of me that still cares in spite of everything. That said, I know it needs to be done but am a bit afraid to do it.

  We originally did joint custody of the kids but over time, my little daughter decided to live with me while her sister lives with her. Soon she'll be 18 and none of that will matter anyway.

  I miss the old days of us posting here and talking about religion and the Jehovah's Witnesses. I miss the old days of experiencing the Kingdumb Hall with my family in spite of my fears. Looking back, it wasn't too bad and I am thankful that I was not a witness as I was able to keep the family somewhat grounded. That is, in spite of my own religious zealotry that I had back then. I have this board plus my own willingness to question everything to thank for shaking off that. As nice as it was to be true blue believing Christian, my zealotry was causing problems for both me and my family and my shaking it helped free me.

  Where is my (ex)wife now? Definitely not Jehovah's Witness. She is far more skeptical, as am I. That said, we do go to church (not the same one) primarily for community and our own personal edification. As for me, my beliefs lie more in line with deism now. My daughters do not go to church and we never force them to, though I do encourage my oldest just to get out and around people. She, unfortunately, has been fighting with anxiety and has had a hard time being in social situations, this includes school and part time jobs. We are just patient with her and I am thankful that her mother and I still are on good terms for her sake.