fortunately, i don't have an arrest record.. but i was arrested one day walking through a parking lot when a young woman was struggling to exit her low-slung sports car with no knickers on..
Frankly - it's a loaded question that annoys the hell out of me.
It's routinely asked by cops and a favorite of immigration officials.
These are people who should know, that in our quasi-democracies, people are
to be presumed innocent untill proven guilty in a court.
A more appropriate question is 'Have you ever been convicted?'
It's just so much more empowering than asking the question really on their minds-
'How may we hassle you today?' ...assh0les - I just lie.
http://monstercafesaltillo.blogspot.mx/2013/03/my-story-as-jehovahs-witness-part-2.html.
again comments are appreciated..
Botz -
If you have a loving wife, some new friends and a nice life in beautiful Mexico - you are already the envy of most of the JWs you left behind.
Way to go and keep on going!
since i've been off work this week because of spring break, i've really been missing my grandma.
when i have left wt (i'm fading and april will be 6 months) and i told her about january, she has been shunning me.
i told myself "i will respect her wishes/decision..etc" this morning i woke up and said "to hell with shunning!
I too made the same decision regarding my Jw kids. I am NOT a cult member, but free .
After a couple very embarassing (for them) personal visits, I explained that I will treat them like any true friends and drop around anytime I'm passing by. I call, answer my daughters phone when It's their house calling, and just generally ignore (despise) the cults hateful rules.
If the WTS thinks I won't see my kids and grandkids anytime I want - they better think again.
I think they actually enjoy it because they are not the ones doing anything wrong.
Theres actually avery funny story in connection with all this but I san't tell it here...
if you don't live in the uk you won't understand what is going on.
it seems the whole country is pouring money into "comic relief".
currently 66m has been donated tonight and that is likely be doubled when the dust settles.. the refreshing thing is that every penny goes to make a difference.
Slidin Fast -
Good on you and yours!
hi, i'm doing some research, which many here have participated in and could do with some help.. on another forum some months ago someone commented that in a july 1992 watchtower it said that the emotional effects of disfellowshipping may last far beyond reinstatement.
i thought this a really interesting statement and would like to include it in my assignment, acknowledging the harm done by disfellowshipping and its not just a protective and disciplinary process.
i don't know if i believe they would actually go that far.. my problem is that i have no access to wt literature (i dont really want fo visit my old congregation library) and the online library on www.jw.org only goes back to 2000. does anyone here have access to bound volumes and a bit of time that they could check this out for me?.
true to form... they blame what may have been a benign or even pleasant 'sin' for the lingering emotional trauma..not the years of hateful shunning
any suggestions to bring a end to the attacks on us who have.
left the borg and continuing efforts to alienate our love one still.
in the borg.. how about this, we all send letters to hq, flood the mail room with.
I too wish Cedars would give us a little clue about his current machinations....we're getting restless (militant) here Cedars...
I'm going to print some 4x12 stickers aimed at shaming local JWs who follow the wt methods - stick them in visible places no one cares about - dumpsters, abandoned cars, info boards, laundromats, poles etc etc....and listen for local feedback.
marry some art work off the net and good visible fonts, take the format on a chip to a good printer - zap!
We as individuals can expose the very things this cult wants to hide - their history of failures, their suppression of freedom of thought and freedom of religion, the ¨myth'' of shunning, abuse of family and natural affections,
and at the same time direct attention to this or other sites that aid recovery or support faders (there are thousands fading everywhere)
Perhaps the moderators could offer their guidance regarding the last point?
any suggestions to bring a end to the attacks on us who have.
left the borg and continuing efforts to alienate our love one still.
in the borg.. how about this, we all send letters to hq, flood the mail room with.
Jam and Fink-
I´m with you both on this one.
In the late 80´s Dan Skinner was our CO. He opened his meeting with our elder body, with this unpublished statistic from the WTS - that there were (as of that time) as many disfellowshipped as there were actual witnesses.
A sobering factoid I never forgot. The percentage today is likely much greater as a poster surmised.
back story, i left the jws 13 years ago, just walked away, moved to another state, and married a guy i had gone to high school with 28 years previously.
at first i was just happy to be away from the dubs and the thought of any organized religion just made me sick, and as most of you know, the dubs do a good job of tearing down other religions, so my thinking was still influenced by the wtbts in some areas.
i considered myself agnostic for a long time.. i occasionally visited my husband's parents church when we were visiting.
Lisa Rose-
What a nice experience for you.
When I was a dub I especially liked going to the weddings of our church nieghbours or relatives. I love classic architecture
and there is NOTHING, NoTHING that compares to a real old organ. Varnished woodwork, vaulted cielings, exposed beamwork,,
stained glass and squeaky wooden floors - bring 'em on. Some of the things I loved and missed from my Anglican roots.
Fine people, great nieghbours and friends and never anything but gracious conduct and respect were shown.
No wonder my Mom was offended when I took my kids to the f___n KH.
Keep us posted on your new friends lives - GfG
hi folks.
the new june 15th watchtower is now on jw.org in case you are interested!
here is the link... http://download.jw.org/files/media_magazines/28/w_e_20130615.pdf.
Morality may not be the issue. Rutherford may have invested the early watchtower heavily in Gillette.
i'm only going to the meeting because of my husband!
i was 'in' solo for years while living with my unbelieving family and i know how it feels to be the only one in your house going to the meeting.
i also respect my husband's decision, and know what it's like to have family try to tear down your beliefs.
Julia-
what a nice turn of phrase ¨*....in the watchtower night.* may I appropriate it for a poem some day?
Who wouldnt have such night terrors associating with people who dont care care about the poor or sick?
Punk you are sooo right about 'Smile and nod.' I spend months of my life living and travelling in countries whose languages I do not speak.
When friends ask me if I can speak the lingo, I say '' No, but I can smile and nod in any known language.''....and everything works out just fine.
Julia no longer thinks nor speaks 'watchtower' it is now foriegn to her - what to do but smile and nod.
