Posts by MMXIV

74

When Was The Last Time You Went To A Meeting?

by minimus in

jw
friends

i think it's been around 7 years for me.

and i never ever missed going or being with the "friends"..

MMXIV

2006 memorial out of respect for family. I was not really expected to show but was feeling brave enough. Quite surreal as hadn't been to a meeting for quite while. I recall easily falling back into the old patter with anyone I knew who spoke to me - being friendly, smiling a lot. I was having a great life and very successful so was gonna make damn sure I didn't look like the "depressed soul" they tended to think of me towards the end of my fade.

As ever, what was said from the platform went in one ear and out the next. I wouldn't have an issue with going to a meeting once every 5 or 10 years (where I didn't know anyone) purely to remind myself of what I've gone through and how nuts it was. I won't because I don't have and new song book or literature.

MMXIV

15

Two questions for you

by asilentone in

jw
friends

a. do you try to "witness" to current jw's as much as possible?.

.

b. do you just let them find out for themselves on the internet?.

MMXIV

Sorry - off topic...

Jackie - just read your post and it struck a chord. I was born-in and my worldly relatives spoiled me. Clearly they couldn't give me birthday or xmas presents but at other times of the year they were hugely generous and were always very positive and fun. I didn't see them much but felt they were on my side, were there for me and people who I could talk to. When I left I had a long chat with them - really helped me.

You never know what will happen with your nephew - great tactic.

MMXIV

15

Two questions for you

by asilentone in

jw
friends

a. do you try to "witness" to current jw's as much as possible?.

.

b. do you just let them find out for themselves on the internet?.

MMXIV

'B' the only ones I have contact with are too old, set in their ways and hard core for me even to go there.

'D' there are some I could try and contact (not that they want me to) but would be putting a lot at risk in doing so. Also there are a few that are such nasty individuals that just by being in the borg they're likely to "stumble" others.

MMXIV

7

Male female ratio's at assemblies

by Jeremy430 in

i've heard it said that the male female ratio between jehovah's witness's is 7 female to 1 male.

when you go to the assemblies or the hall, nothing could be further from the truth.

were do people come up with those numbers anyway?

MMXIV

The stat that everyone is really interested in at assemblies is how many single eligible sisters vs single eligible brothers.

I've always wondered why during the head count at the KH they didn't get simple demographic stats such as count male / female, under 16 and over 60. Would have been revealing over the years as to how many under 16's leave I suppose.

MMXIV

115

Why didn't we ever study "Mankind's Search For God"?

by gubberningbody in

jw
friends

was there an official or unofficial reason that anyone knows of?.

it seems to me that pretty much every publication was studied at the book study, but we never did that one..

MMXIV

OK - I know I'll be shot down for this and clearly Blondie has provided actual evidence but it's what I recall...

We never did this book at the book study group in the conventional way - as in read every paragraph etc. But I have some nagging memory of doing a summarised study of it - covering lots of chapters in a go - only reading out a few selected portions, questions were from a KM insert and it was finished in several weeks. This I believe was in the lead up to it being offered in the UK some years after its release.

Now I've probably got it wrong because...

I did this book as part of a private family study (regularly had screaming fits over the names and beliefs)...

We studied some brochures that also may have covered certain religions...

Given that I never actually studied any books unless I took the Group (only underlined in case someone looked over my shoulder) my memory of such books is vacant for about 3 decades...

MMXIV

22

Parents who can't see the truth about their kids

by MMXIV in

jw
friends

just discovered that my nephew, whose parents are both dubs is the school bully.

he was sent home for beating a kid up, he was also caught trying to steel a bike from a boy half his size.

apparently it's because his teachers are "useless" and "he has to bully in case he becomes a victim".

MMXIV

update: I've looked after my nephew now for a few full days and taken your advice - worked hard to try and build self esteem. Did lots of fun activities, praised the good things that he'd done and when he tried to create an issue so as to go into a tantrum I distracted him. Exhausting especially given how little he wanted to contribute.

Sadly the one overriding factor was how aggressive he was. He'd scream, throw himself around, hit himself hard frequently. When playing near other children he'd move towards them and then try and knock them over. The other children were always much smaller than him - he never tried it with kids his own size. We fed animals and then behind my back he threw stones at them. As a little girl came down the slide he threw sand in her face.

These were all things he did whilst enjoying a nice day. The grandparents quickly got defensive when his behaviour was drawn to their attention. In fact they came out with some BS that it had just started in the last week - but clearly he's been a bully for a long time.

I won't give up on him but I'm left in a bad mood after the time I've spent with him. Not because he's so destructive, unhelpful, ungrateful, negative, exhausting - all of which are a result of how he's been brought up, but ultimately because I don't feel his parents really care or his grandparents care. In fact I get in trouble for pointing out what he's like - they think I'm negative and got it in for him??!!

Should I be making an issue with the grandparents about what a bad example he must be as a JW kid? Is that the only way I can get through to them? (I don't want to bring up the JW thing if I can help it - no knowing what that'll unleash).

Thanks

MMXIV

60

Whats the weirdest thing a JW ever said to you?

by chukky 594 in

i remember a 'sister' coming up to me and telling me off for being on the atkins diet, as it was satanic and designed by satan.. chukky.

MMXIV

I told a joke about a leprechaun at my work - a JW overheard and told me "never to mention that word again in case people thought I believed in them" and she was serious. wtf?

29

untitled

by VampireDCLXV in

i'm a 38 year old man who's seen too much.

too much hypocrisy.

too much apathy.

MMXIV

Welcome!

Firstly your story reads as very open and honest, thank you for sharing it.

I have had many thoughts reading your story - boy do you cover lots of themes.

To be an outcast (and many are) is very tough. Apart from being self critical about how much you're not doing in the truth, the people around you are re-enforcing these views. I moved KH and was very popular in one and an outcast in another. I found it an interesting situation and was immediately aware that no sister would take me seriously unless I was part of the "in crowd". For a young man that was weighing pretty heavily on my mind. Your comment on romantic aspirations whilst living at home - know where you're coming from with that!

Also what you say about discrimination is perceptive. I tended to find people at the KH had a superficial friendliness - they could turn on the love bombing - but generally grouped with people who had a similar background or viewpoint and judged others harshly. I see more tolerance on the football stands than at the KH.

I'm sorry that you were not understood or treated fairly by this group of people who professed to be so loving. They view health issues from a spiritual perspective so for example depression = weak and lack of appreciation of what jesus has done so the answer is to become more active in FS and at meetings. I wonder if this is why your mother didn't see signs of ADHD when you were young.

I also see how logical it would have been to get back into the truth in your 20's. Your sisters seemed to have the right formula for happiness so why not give it a go?

How you seem to have drifted out must be really common. I've heard so many examples of people hiding in their home and not answering the phone. Householders would do this on FS all the time - they'd just not want to face us when we went back on the same RV's over and over - see the twitching curtains or the car in the driveway and know they were in.

If you can move away it does solve a lot of issues - of bumping into JW's or being in an area with so many negative memories. I moved away, chose carefully where I was going and it was a great feeling like I was free and didn't have to look over my shoulder.

You have started the ball rolling by being on this forum and I can say from experience that it can be a great help - in understanding and accepting why my life was as it was and how to handle the issue of still having family in.

welcome again.

MMXIV

PS (YNOT - ouch!!)

8

karma is a b!tch and i am her fan....

by chickpea in

.... because she is coming back around.

to bite some well-deserving asses..... the lump that was principal when my son .

was first trying to raise the issue of bullying .

MMXIV

Well done to your son for trying to help.

I feel very strongly about anti bullying. I was lucky not to have been bullied - just the luck of the draw by being in a decent class and having a cool set of friends (also being good at sports and bright helped).

Some JW's I knew had it bad. What was worse though was how others in the cong would not stick up for them and sometimes induced the situation. Imagine hearing them on the platform saying such nice things and then sh1tting on their spiritual siblings at school?

Really been quite gutting to learn my nephew is the school bully (not even 7). When I recently spent some time with him he tried his best to knock over other kids younger than him. As a little girl came down the slide he threw sand in her face!? This was while I was watching him - just couldn't stop him in time. Total embarrassment to the borg. He will do something terrible when he is older - I know it. But his parents are bad parents and will not tolerate any discussions - especially not from an ex-JW.

Karma hasn't helped yet

5

Taxpayer To Foot Ripper's £500,000 Bid For Freedom

by Bangalore in

our paperfront and back pages, e-edition and back issues.... weather horoscope thursday 5th august 2010make us your home page what is rss?

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MMXIV

Wrong on so many levels. I feel for the families. I couldn't begin to think what it would be like to have been impacted by his evil acts and then know he might walk the streets again.

I know this is a bit of a cliche but how do the lawyers really justify taking these cases to their wives or children?

MMXIV