Posts by Scully

the quote from page 20, para 17. elders who are reading this article can draw some useful conclusions from the account we have just considered: (1) the most practical step that we can take to prepare for the coming attack of the assyrian is that of strengthening our faith in god and helping our brothers to do the same.

(2) when the assyrian attacks, the elders must be absolutely convinced that jehovah will deliver us.

Scully

At that time, the lifesaving direction that we receive from Jehovah’s organization may not appear practical from a human standpoint. All of us must be ready to obey any instructions we may receive, whether these appear sound from a strategic or human standpoint or not.

I've been concerned about this kind of rhetoric for years.

JWs have already been trained to treat us "as dead" for a long time. Mentally and emotionally, they can do it.

The next step is to put weapons in their hands and get them to do it for real.

And they call us "mentally diseased"...

29

800-why-1914 helpline, Marilyn Zweifel

by coffee_black in

jw
friends

for many years, since the mid 80s, marilyn zweifel manned the help-line.

several months ago, the help-line stopped due to marilyn's serious health issues.

marilyn was hospitalized a few weeks ago.. she has serious health issues and has suffered from 2 serious falls... she is now in a nursing home.

Scully

Marilyn was the very first person I reached out to, via the 1-800-WHY-1914 help line, when I started having doubts about the JWs. She confirmed everything I was thinking, and then some.

I'm sorry she's taken ill - I knew her health had been poor in recent years and hoped she'd be able to carry on. But, alas, the time comes for everyone to hang up their light sabre and return to the universe.

Marilyn, if you ever get to read these messages, please know that I'll always remember you with love and gratitude. You helped me take the first step in my life as a former JW. I am forever in your debt. xo

7

JW 2013 Dissaster Plan

by scotoma in

jw
friends

has there been a thread on this yet.. i may have missed this..

Scully

OUTLAW,

I hate to be the one to tell you this, because you're my buddy, but I found an actual picture of the Official JW Disaster Plan:

22

No Natural Affection...

by lostinnj83 in

my latest encounter with my mom has me furious and i needed a place to vent:.

i don't post alot but for anyone who has read any of my posts knows that while i have been struggling for some time, i am still an active jw working towards leaving.. anyway, i got into a car accident yesterday.

fortunately i am well enough to type this up so for that i am greatful.

Scully

The District Convention™ really slammed home to most JWs the importance of Loyalty to Jehovah™, even when important family matters come up. If it interferes with Meetings™ and Field Service™ then you're expected to go to the back of the bus, especially if you are No Longer One Of Jehovah's Witnesses™. If there was someone Studying™, who was never a JW, and *they* were in a car accident, you can bet your sweet bippy they'd be all over that person like a dirty shirt, demonstrating what Loving™ Christians™ they are. But for people like us, we aren't even worth an email or a phone call, much less an in-person visit.

I totalled my car 10 years ago, and called my mom afterward. She asked if I was ok and were the kids ok. Once she was reassured that we weren't injured (save for some whiplash that needed physiotherapy) she excused herself because she had company. She said she would call back, but she didn't.

I had surgery a few years ago, and again called my mom to let her know, and to find out some family history that might be important for the surgeon to know. I was home recuperating for 3 months and didn't even get a call, or even a get well card, from my JW parents. I could have died in the OR and they wouldn't have found out because they never effing bothered to call.

Last year, I was off work on sick leave for 3 months. Same damn thing. I spent a weekend with my sister and actually stopped in to visit my parents on the way there, but they wouldn't even answer their effing door for me.

Yet, if I don't send them a card for their wedding anniversary (which I forgot to do leading up to my surgery) my mother has a bloody coniption fit and complains that I'm a terrible daughter. You'd think maybe they'd clue in that maybe, just maybe, something was wrong with me and it wasn't all about *them* at the time.

All that to say, I get you, I really do. *hugs*

39

Why are the moms so attached to religion?

by ILoveTTATT in

jw
friends

please don't take this the wrong way, i would love it for women to comment on this thread because i just can't understand something!!.

here's the pattern i see:.

mostly guys in here.. if the guys are married, their wives usually stay a jw, or it takes 3 times as much time to convince a woman to leave than a man.. if the guys have a jw father, the father is open-minded and can be more easily persuaded to leave.

Scully

Sorry to disappoint - I'm actually one of those 'rare' females who wanted out of the JWs long before my husband did. It took me about 1½ years of being almost Inactive™, which started with a very bad case of postpartum depression, and being treated like a pariah in the Congregation™ to do some independent reading, while Mr Scully plugged away at the KH and in Field Service™, hoping to be Appointed™ as a Ministerial Servant™.

Once he realized he was being manipulated into doing lame Privileges™ that nobody else wanted to do - like being stuck cleaning toilets at the KH while everyone else got the better assignments - and seeing how the Congregation™ treated us while I was sick, it wasn't too difficult to share with him some of the doctrinal and organizational issues I had. He realized the Elders™ were never going to allow him to advance, no matter how sincerely and zealously he Reached Out™ for Privileges™.

I personally cannot understand why so many JW women persist in the belief system which treats them with such utter disrespect. Stockholm syndrome, maybe? Or perhaps the reward of remaining faithful - being able to Live Forever In Paradise on Earth™ - is worth being treated like a second class citizen. Or maybe they have a martyr complex - their suffering makes the reward sweeter?

20

Do you have wood floors? What cleaner do you use?

by Iamallcool in

jw
friends

i have bona for years but i am looking to try something else.

any recommendations?.

Scully

I use this recipe, although I leave out the essential oils. I sweep/vacuum my floors first, then have the recipe in a spray bottle and mist it on the floors (doesn't matter if it's hardwood, laminate, ceramic) in sections and then go over it with my handmade cotton mop cover. My floors look great when I'm done... until someone notices they are clean and spills on them. Usually within 15 minutes of finishing.

http://naturesnurtureblog.com/2012/04/19/homemade-floor-all-purpose-cleaner/

17

Can the elders stop you from entering the kingdom hall if

by label licker in

jw
friends

you continue to talk to the witlesses after being disfellowshipped.

we were at a funeral recently and disfellowshipped hubby would talk to anyone who who would come up to him and talk.

he said he wasn't going to be rude and that the rule of not talking to df ones don't apply to him.

Scully

laverite writes:

Regarding the statement: " Let them be the ones who are acting retarded." I find that personally very offensive. Using the word retarded in this way makes me very sad.

Yes, it is an affront to developmentally delayed people to compare offensive, ignorant JW behaviour to them.

20

The happiest people on earth... Yeah right

by Bells in

jw
friends

i am looking for some advice - or maybe just some moral support.. i can't find the link to my previous thread... but in a nutshell... husband and i got married a couple months ago after 10 or so years together.

he was never baptised, but grew up 'in'.

i never had any exposure to the craziness til i met him and his family.

Scully

It's probably a good idea to put some distance between your inlaws and both you and your husband. Even though you've had a significant amount of time "together" prior to your wedding, I'm guessing that the JW inlaws had hopes that you would convert to the JWs and that their son would return to The Truth™.

Frankly, the way they treat you like second class citizens, if it ever comes up in conversation with them why you never showed an interest in their religion, I would flat out tell them "Why on earth would I want to associate with a religion that treats people as badly as you've treated [hubby] and me?" Make a list of specific events and their behaviour, keep it handy because you never know when you'll have the opportunity to address this with them. Then establish some boundaries with them and do not let them cross your boundaries. This will become increasingly important if you are going to start a family - you do not want your inlaws to have unrestricted access to children where they will have the opportunity to indoctrinate them with JW beliefs, including such beliefs that you and your husband are "following Satan" or that you are "making Jehovah sad" or that you will all be "destroyed at Armageddon" because you "don't love Jehovah". Your children do not need to be terrorized like that.

Also, I would start making a plan with your husband to sell his part of the business to his brother (talk to a lawyer first to be sure that your BIL isn't going to take advantage of your husband) and find work that doesn't involve his family. If they treat him like crap at work, it's just an extension of how they treat you both in person. Neither of you are required to tolerate that kind of psychological abuse. He deserves to be respected in the workplace just like any other employee or partner in a business relationship. He's not required to seek their approval - if he's close to 30 years of age, as I gather from your post, if he hasn't got his family's respect by now, it ain't ever gonna happen. It's time to cut your losses and move on to friendships and relationships (personal and business) where you are respected for who you are, not for the religion you belong to or not.