I wouldn't even want to think about what or how my life would be different without the aid of the internet. I do know one thing for sure, I would have been a widow. I say this because my husband was on the verge of committing suicide, because all the unnecessary crap that his JW relatives and certain elders were putting him through. The only reason he did not, was because I knew (from personal experiences) what to look for, and it took some preventive measures to keep him from doing something so permanent. I am so glad those days are far far behind us.
Tameria2001
JoinedPosts by Tameria2001
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24
What do you think would have happened to you if...
by LevelThePlayingField inyou found out about ttatt way back in the 70's or maybe the 80's (basically before the internet) and you thought that you were all alone in this knowledge?
what do you think would have happened to you?
no jehovahs-witness.com, no john cedars, no arc, no jwfacts.com and no crisis of conscience to fall back on.
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fading/holidays
by Drifting Away inso for those that are fading, i have been fading for almost 6 months now.
havent been to a meeting, assembly, service, etc.
i no longer believe it is the truth.. how long did you wait before celebrating holidays, if in fact you are even celebrating them.
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Tameria2001
I want to say something about myself. I abruptly left the JWs back in 2001. I sent in my letter of dissociation (along with my husband). My reasons was because I had discovered just too much about it, that was false. Anyways, that very first year (and the next few years after) I did all the holidays. I was raised in that group, so I guess I was making up for all the years as a child that I missed out on it. Anyways, after the newness of it wore off, the holidays are something that I do struggle with, and not for the reasons I was taught in the JW religion. When it comes to your wife, only she will be the one to decide on when and if she will ever be ready, one can not put a time limit on things like this. She might eventually feel comfortable, or this might be something she'll always have issues with.
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I need help, I'm falling in love with a JW girl
by nebula-- inso i met her at my last job that i worked & we started off as friends.
i didn't know her faith at the time & i honestly couldn't have cared less, seeing as i'm agnostic.
after about a year, i began developing emotions for her & sure enough, we ended up dating for a little while.
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Tameria2001
I have one simple little three letter word to say to you......RUN.
After the newness of the relationship wears off, and everyone settles into who they really are, it's not something you'll want to be around, much less any children the union might produce. They will be the real victims on being force fed JW doctrine. I had horrible night mares as a child, because of the crap they talk about at their meetings. I finally walked away when it affected my own son when he was little.
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Why THAT talk? Why NOW?
by dubstepped inin another thread there's a discussion about how the show must go on and meetings weren't even slowed down by the deaths or medical emergencies of ones in the audience.
for instance, one young brother's unbelieving father was murdered locally.
not long afterward he's assigned a part on an assembly about the resurrection or something.
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Tameria2001
Oh man, this is something I DO NOT miss one bit. It seems like they are very lacking in tact when it comes to this. I can recall three very emotional talks that just tore me to the very core of my being. (You know those little 5 minute ones they give the sisters.)
The first one for me was I was 16, and had just attempted suicide. This was after years of sexual abuse by my father (not a JW by the way). Shortly after that I was given a part about a wife's duty towards keeping her husband happy. After seeing that, I nearly had a nervous break down, and my mother asked me what was wrong. I handed her the slip of paper. After reading it, she walked over to the elder, and told him that she would be doing the talk instead of me. At first the elder told her no. She told him that he would either allow her to do it, or he would have to find someone else to do the part. By the way I was not baptized at the time.
The second was this, there was a family that I was really close to, and had baby sat their children from time to time. One day the son had just bought this older car that did not have any seat belts in it. He took the car out on a dirt road, and lost control of the car. It then rolled, throwing his sister out the window, and as a result the car rolled over her and killed her. She was only 12 (I think) at the time. A little while later they had the visitation, and I went to it. A couple hours later it was time to go to the meeting. I told the elders I was in no shape to give a talk, but they wouldn't hear of it, and forced me to do it. My mom forced me to go to the meeting, and told me that I would DO my part. She didn't believe in quitters. I don't remember what that talk was about, but I can say this for sure, it was the worse talk ever given. I had it done in less than 2 minutes. When the elder who assigned me this part tried to counsel me on it, I stopped him and told him this, "I warned you that I was not in any frame of mind to be doing this, but you insisted."
The third was this. It was winter time, and this talk was not one that I was assigned, but one that was popped on me at the spur of the moment. At first I didn't want to, but again my mom insisted that I do it, so I did. I went ahead and threw something together, but I don't think anyone paid attention to what I was actually saying because for that meeting I was wearing a very large, very bright orange sweater. I couldn't take it off either, because I only had my under garments on under it. lol Oh yes, my skirt was bright blue, with bright red shoes.
That outfit really paid off, because that was the last time any one ever asked me to do something at the last moment. lol
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When did the governing body go from 12 to 7 members?
by Tameria2001 ini have been out and away from that cult since 2001. back then there were 12 members of the governing body, and now i'm learning that number has come down to 7. when did this change take place, and what was their reason for dropping the number?.
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Tameria2001
I don't know about 17 members of the GB, all I said was when I left there were 12. I don'l know anything about the structure of the Mormons, because I was never involved with them.
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When did the governing body go from 12 to 7 members?
by Tameria2001 ini have been out and away from that cult since 2001. back then there were 12 members of the governing body, and now i'm learning that number has come down to 7. when did this change take place, and what was their reason for dropping the number?.
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Tameria2001
I have been out and away from that cult since 2001. Back then there were 12 members of the governing body, and now I'm learning that number has come down to 7. When did this change take place, and what was their reason for dropping the number?
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It's official - the G.B. has replaced the Holy Spirit!
by The Searcher inthe watchtower november 2016, page 16, par.
"some may feel that they can interpret the bible on their own.
however, jesus has appointed the ‘faithful slave’ to be the only* channel for dispensing spiritual food.
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Tameria2001
This is nothing new, way back when they were always saying and telling their members that crap.
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Looking back on the past
by Tameria2001 ini decided i wanted to try to find my original user name on this site, and for some reason my memory decided to start working for a bit.
i finally found it, and back then i went by the name of irish rose.
i had picked that name because of my irish family history, and roses are my favorite flower.
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Tameria2001
I decided I wanted to try to find my original user name on this site, and for some reason my memory decided to start working for a bit. I finally found it, and back then I went by the name of Irish Rose. I had picked that name because of my Irish family history, and roses are my favorite flower. Anyways, I went through some of my old post and found one titled 20 years ago today. In there I was talking about how I made the biggest mistake in my life, by getting baptized. Next year that number will be 30 years. I have been officially out of that cult 15 years, next month. My mom became a member back in the mid 1970's, and unfortunately for me I had the "privilege" of being raised in it.
My husband doesn't visit any of these forums, but his history is some what similar to my own. In the mid 1970's, both his parents became JWs. They all became witness for the same reason, and that was to survive the pending doom of this world back in 1975. Personally if it were me, and I fell for that, once 1976 rolled around I would have walked away from those lying serpents. Yes, I consider the the whole lot as a bunch of snakes in the grass.
My husband on the other hand, had the "privilege" of dealing with a dad, who's life goal was to become an elder, at the time was a Ministerial Servant. As soon as he was able, he moved out, and shortly after that his dad did become an elder. If your wondering, he's not an elder any more. I don't know the details, but I know he had a falling out with some of the other elders, and he moved to another congregation. I have a feeling that it might have been about a birthday party that man attended, and yes he did sing the Happy Birthday song. He is one of the biggest hypocritical jerks that I know.
I really don't feel that getting baptized was my biggest mistake anymore, because the way I look at it now, and it is this. By getting baptized in that cult, and yes leaving it years later, and yes getting shunned, has really been a blessing. I say this a blessing because never again will I fall for something like that, and my children are very aware of what to look for as well. To make things even more positive, what happened to me any my husband, actually prevented several of our non-JW relatives from making the biggest mistake of their lives. When they saw what the JW relatives had done to us, and are still doing, they do not want any part of that cult. Those who were, stopped their bible studies, and saw for themselves the JW's true colors.
For a while, yes I did miss my mom, and other JW relatives, but not any more. I'm actually better off without them, because they are very toxic people to be around. They are the type of people that will hug you, while sticking a knife in your back and twisting the blade.
Because of making that decision to get baptized, it allowed me to be in a place where I met my husband, and to later on have my two boys. At the time when I met him, I was a member of the electrical crew who went around helping with the kingdom hall builds. He had come with a friend who was on a crew that laid carpet. Although that day we met, my future husband didn't do much work. He was following me around, and talking to me. I had finished up my work by the time we met, and was getting ready to leave for home. That part got delayed for most of the day, because well there was something about him that I really liked. It was probably his blue eyes, because I'm a sucker for blue eyes. lol
Now to tell you how close I came to not meeting him, and it was this. That hall build was the last that I was going to work on, because I was getting ready to move out of state, and then later move to another country. I had already worked on four years worth of building projects, and was ready to move on with the next phase of my life. The moment I had met him, I was asking another friend if he knew where some of my equipment was, after that I was leaving. I didn't realize it at the time, but the name of the town I met my husband, is also the same as my birthstone. Someone pointed that one out to me. lol This September will be our 23rd wedding anniversary.
Looking back on the past, I no longer view that as my biggest mistake, but as a life choice that has lead me to where I am today.
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How the Need for An Elder to "Preside Over His Household in a Fine Manner" Forces Kids Out
by TMS intwelve years ago, i submitted this comment to the jwd board, relating to the practice of disfellowshipping young people from the congregation:.
"i am angry at the way jehovah's witnesses treat their most precious endowment; their young, developing, stumbling, exasperating, questioning, experimenting, growing offspring.. at the very most urgent time in their young lives; when they need the most reassurance, nurturing, patience, understanding and forgiveness, witness parents, under the direction of their congregation elders and governing body, toss thousands of these young ones out into the cold, cruel world, allowing them to virtually self-destruct.. many of these castaways are still in their teens.. there is no excuse, biblical, human, parental or otherwise to shut off all the guidance resources these young ones have ever known.
the human wreckage of this disgusting practice is astronomical.
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Tameria2001
All I can say about this, I'm really glad that I won't be in their shoes when it comes to their day of Judgement, not when it comes to my children. My children was the top reason why I walked away from that cult.
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Celebration for those on JWD
by Quarterback inso let's just say that the wt org is now finished.
families with da/df members are now reunited.
everyone is burning their med directive cards.
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Tameria2001
If that were to ever happen, the damage that the WT did would be beyond repair for many.