Posts by mamalove

34

Modesty VS Faith

by SweetBabyCheezits in

jw
friends

modesty asks us to recognize our limitations.

faith demands that we know the unknowable.. pick one..

mamalove

As someone quite eloquently said once on this board (i am sorry I do not remember who to give credit to), and I borrowed the statement and put it on my facebook because it was so poignant---

You cannot choose what you believe. Belief is not like a switch that you can choose to turn off or on.

You believe what you believe until something comes along to influence that belief enough to change it.

So until something rocks your mom's world, or it influences her enough, she won't change her beliefs because she is not searching to.

6

Who has bought a lot less frumpy dress clothes?

by mamalove in

jw
friends

i am amazed at all of the dresses and skirts that i will never wear again.

i was joking the other day i need to have a garage sale and advertise to jw's.

tons of long skirts, and lots of dresses.

mamalove

I am amazed at all of the dresses and skirts that I will never wear again. I was joking the other day I need to have a garage sale and advertise to JW's. Tons of long skirts, and lots of dresses. Of course I dress up for work, and wear dressy pants and skirts and dresses, but I never wear the long skirts I was so fond of wearing in service. Puke. I cannot believe how frumpy some of it looks hanging there now!

11

untitled

by cyberjesus in

while having a conversation at a night club with two guys ( i go salsa dancing at least 3 times per week) i was telling of a story of a time i went with a friend to a strip club but we left because our consiences felt guilty ( my friend was still in bethel).

so i said "since i was a member of this religion".

at that moment one of they guys immediately asked me "which religion?".

mamalove

That is very interesting. I will PM you because we have something interesting in common re: salsa, but that is OT. I spent an hour on the phone with a dear friend in another state who is DF'd, and just wants to go back because of her family. Her big thing is that she has no friends outside of family and Jdubs. So that is a big struggle for people I think, outside of reprogramming oneself. That is half the battle in some cases!

I hope to hear more stories like this. Very interesting. I am meeting with an old friend tonight who is DF'd. Can't wait! $2 pint night. :)

84

DF'd and struggling....LONG POST........my story.

by confuzzled777 in

how do i make a long story short?

i am fully aware that if anyone in my area were to read this that they will know who i am.

i was disfellowshipped on january 28th 2010 after an "interview" about an evening of bowling with friends and family back in november 2009. i was among 4 who were disfellowshipped and 6 who were publicly reproved.

mamalove

YES, think about that, how does that sound to a rational person that "God's Org" appoints THREE men, who most definitely have skeletons in their closets to JUDGE you and affect the status of your life as long as you live, UNLESS you jump through their rules and hoops?

Does that sound like an org, that a God of Love would instigate?

Get your kids and DH out, so you can get on with the de-programming and gain your life back.

OR, you could get reinstated and then all leave just to prove a point. I have a family member who did that and she went out with quite a bang actually.

28

so were do I go now that ive left the kingdom hall?

by arimatthewdavies in

many people for one reason or other have quit going to the kingdom hall me included!

i dont object to the people for they are clean well dressed human beings, i object to the way a prefabricated doctorine is distributed, useing hugh amounts of books magazines and media to attempt to study the bible,i feel obligated to say i agree with that method and under pressure to promote it, theirfore i stoped going because pretending to agree with this method and rendering lip service to it in order to keep from being disfellowshiped is a lie,and liers go to the lake of fire, .

so now that we have left the hall were do we go?

mamalove

You go no where, but figure out the truths about life for yourself. IMHO it has a lot more to do with how you treat people and your general demeanor and attitude about life and family and friends, then it does abiding by rules. Treat people the way you want to be treated, say you are sorry often, be generous, don't be scrimpy on love and affection, you will find happiness and go far. I do not believe in Karma per se, but I believe big time in the religion of "pay it forward." Not a religion obviously, but a belief and life practice system.

What I think you mean to say, is how do I find my own identity, be my authentic self? You are missing the LABEL that is so prevalent in JW thinking. Guess what, you don't need a label. You are YOU. So be you and find how to make yourself happy.

21

Can you get D'fd for Gluttony?

by MMXIV in

the recent story by confuzzled777 about being d'fd for drinking a few times got me thinking.

what about gluttony?.

some scriptures that spring to mind are proverbs 23:2, i cor 6:9-10 etc.. has anyone you know been d'fd for gluttony?

mamalove

I have wondered that also. I think medical issues would be brought up quite a bit and it would be next to impossible to prove someone had an obsession with Big Mac's and that was interfering with their devotion to Jehovah, oh ur erm ,the organization.

At first thought, I think that is pretty cruel, but then again the way that JC are handled is pretty cruel in most cases!

84

DF'd and struggling....LONG POST........my story.

by confuzzled777 in

how do i make a long story short?

i am fully aware that if anyone in my area were to read this that they will know who i am.

i was disfellowshipped on january 28th 2010 after an "interview" about an evening of bowling with friends and family back in november 2009. i was among 4 who were disfellowshipped and 6 who were publicly reproved.

mamalove

I am so sorry that happened to you. I agree with PP, that is very unfair and smacks of double standards. I really feel that this was more motivated because you guys were having the parties, which BTW sound like fun. The fact that you were the hosts, and probably provided the place and the booze was what they wanted to send a message about. I know for a fact that went on at my old KH, been to a hot tub party or two before, and lots of other card parties, etc. Elder's wives reeked of gin and tonic at the KH. I once got horribly wasted in a fast hurry at a super bowl party a few years ago, -Manhattans and Moonshine- and was barfing my brains out in front of elders and MS. Nothing happened to me. They said don't feel bad and it happens to all of us.....So there is no consistency in the org. Just people making decisions because they have the power to. How are people treating you overall?

Is your DH and kids still going to meetings without you? Are they thinking of leaving the org? If so, is it just because of the unfairness, or due to flaws in the belief structure as well?

((HUGS)) I am so sorry you are going through this pain. My heart goes out to you.

58

What's your pet-hate Witnessisms? Mine is 'in the truth'. Blegh!!

by oldlightnewshite in

jw
friends

what's your pet-hate witnessisms?

mine is 'in the truth'.

blegh!!

mamalove

Apostate

Worldy

That holiday is bad

Bad association

It's got a pagan origin

83

If you felt/feel that you had/have good, close "friends" in the org, how did/does it feel to just give them up?

by Crisis of Conscience in

jw
friends

this is my biggest dilema.

although mentally i really feel i could walk away from the org right now, i still have genuine love for the people i have come to know over the years.

i love people!.

mamalove

I am resurrecting this thread as I just had an old friend from my old KH who is a DF'd young lady look me up on Facebook. We are having drinks tomorrow night! I was BFF with her older sis....and yes I do miss her. I wish I could have a few of my old friends back. It's funny because my ex-BF, her hubbster was an edler and stepped down because of stress and doubts. I have made a lot of new friends, and had lots of work friends and a few non jdub friends I always kept in touch with. Not being married anymore has actually forced me to make more friends, so I have a bunch of newer relationships on a friends level that is nice to have. I really do not miss any of the old JW people other than my one very good friend.

16

Have schools in your area done away with Holidays ??

by troubled mind in

jw
friends

the local public grade schools in our town are doing away with halloween and christmas as a way to appease religions that don't celebrate them !

now they will have fall changing of seasons celebration and winter celebration .

instead of halloween costumes students are being asked to wear their school name t-shirts ......

mamalove

Muslim holidays are recongnized and I think in other parts of my state, Jewish ones are too. I should have clarified, because of course xtian ones are pretty mainstream.