Posts by Roski

102

How do you make a living?

by paulnotsaul in

jw
friends

since most of us believed it was right around the corner, how many of you went to any secondary schools or training?

what do you do now to survive?

are you working or unemployed?

was made to leave school early to pioneer because the end was coming in 1975. After being a special pioneer and then having children I realised that I needed to educate myself in order to educate my children. I got my high school cert. and enrolled in uni and got up at 4am to study every day - upset the elder husband no end. All in all, 8 years at uni. Have a MA and have been a teacher for 20 years.

I don't think papers (qualifications) necessarily make or break a person's life - it is their outlook and motivation that is the deciding factor. I've seen many happy and successful people who do not have formal qualifications - but it is the freedom to choose that I believe we all should have and which the WT society tries to deny people.

I have had my own business (school) and worked for a wide range of educational institutions, but would now like to follow my heart and study art...really wish I had been able to be a vet.

102

How do you make a living?

by paulnotsaul in

jw
friends

since most of us believed it was right around the corner, how many of you went to any secondary schools or training?

what do you do now to survive?

are you working or unemployed?

Roski

54

Growing up a Jehovah's Witness - New Video

by jwfacts in

i have put together a video - growing up a jehovah's witness 1960 -2010. it aims to show the things a witnesses would be taught as they age over those decades.

it is 15 minutes long.

this is my first attempt at a video and it took a while to work out how to use final cut, so please feel free to make suggestions if anything should be changed.

Roski

Good points made and presented in an objective manner. My only (personal) thought is re time spent on the role of the education system. I have only watched the video once so may have missed something here.

From personal experience, I think the education system does try to teach/encourage critical thinking but for JW children this is also a point of contradiction/conflict with parents/JW ideology. For adults who become witnesses, there are just people who for some reason do not develop these skills well.

What stands out (for me and no doubt many others) is the absolute similarity to Matthew's life and how this is so widespread it cannot simply be co incidence - and that I think is a point that may hopefully reach people who are questioning the organisation.

23

Is this just an Incredible Coincidence?!.....Amazing!

by journey-on in

jw
friends

http://www.foxnews.com/us/2011/04/26/long-lost-half-brothers-reunited-6000-miles-home/.

thousands of miles away from home, two long-lost half brothers from massachusetts were reunited in a chance encounter on a hawaiian beach, myfoxboston.com reported monday.. rick hill from massachusetts, his wife and their kids were on the beach in waikiki when a man offered to snap their picture.. "he said 'say leominster', that's where he's from.

so we smiled and said 'wow, what made you say that?

Roski

My acupuncturist (whom I went to by chance and found that I knew him many years ago in the islands) told me this story.

One of his patients was a local man. He (thought) he saw him at the local shopping centre one day - said hello but no response. Next time the man came for a treatment the acupuncturist asked why he didn't speak to him at the shops. The patient said he never saw him there - leaving the acupuncturist quite confused. Later, he came again for a treatment - or so he thought - but the man had a different name and accent. The acupuncturist talked to him and found that he had just arrived from the UK, but had been born in Australia. The acupuncturist called his other patient and he came straight around. They took one look at each other and the local man said, "we are going around to see dad - he's got some explaining to do." They are identical twins but after the break up of the parent's marriage, the mother took one child to the UK but never told him about his sibling - father likewise. They were just babies at the time.

24

"Recruiting the Deaf" a new "Freeminds" article by Barb Anderson

by Dogpatch in

jw
friends

the worldwide recruiting attempt of jehovah’s witnesses to bring their religious message to the deaf using sign language can be viewed as something of a mixed bag.

while they strive to communicate it using the right methods, they convey an illusionary message that is detrimental in countless ways.[1].

jehovah’s witnesses international “deaf ministry” as directed by the watch tower bible and tract society, inc., is no small feat because there are over 200 distinct sign languages in the world.

Roski

In Australia the society always seemed (to me) to be more interested in supporting the deaf groups than other foreign language groups - where there was sometimes more interest/growth. In a couple of the congregations I attended there was a fairly high 'distrust' factor re the bro/sis who wanted to be in the foreign langague groups and the foreign lang. brothers themselves -(not as spiritual). I was once asked to give language lessons to the new incoming elder, but he called to cancel saying he didn't take kindly to being instructed by a woman - I told him I didn't take kindly to spending time with people who had an issue with learning from a woman. I left that group ( and the org) not too long after.

10

why are australian jehovah's witnesses so reluctant to take legal action ?

by exjw1978 in

it bewilderers me how reluctant exjw australians are to take legal action on sexual, mental, physical and spiritual abuse !.

im an australian grew up during the failed generation prophecy and almost every kid i knew in my congregation was being molested by brother so and so ... or "elder so and so who looks after little sister whilst witnessing...... blar blar blar.

we all knew it .... us kids that is ... thought it was the norm ..... unspoken secrets we shared our stories with "promise to jehovah not to tell but ..... or did you know he's doing it to her as well ......... it makes me a tad bit angry that us aussies dont have the guts the u.s has had ...... does anyone know of a single lawsuit by an ex australian jehovah's witness regarding sexual abuse ?.

Roski

Even with simple cases it is not easy. I have a matter being investigated by the Adult Guardian Office, so no cost to me in terms of dollars.

It would be far too costly to take the matter to court at this time and the society knows that. They are playing the waiting game. A matter my lawyer says "leaves a very bad taste in my mouth".

I think the law is for the rich - an everyday wage earner is generally not financially capable of taking on a large organisation. The society and its lawyers are very arrogant and dishonest - and they don't care that other people know it.

77

How HIGH did you climb the ranks as a JW? Did you like the STATUS?

by unshackled in

jw
friends

so what were your biggest jw accomplishments as a rank & file?

curious as to what level you climbed the r&f ladder while in the org, or if you still are in.. did you regular pioneer, or auxiliary pioneer?

bethel?

Roski

special pioneer

120

Hear Ye, Hear Ye: Barbara Anderson sharing April 10th Australian Newspaper Article about WT and back ground checks

by AndersonsInfo in

http://www.heraldsun.com.au/ipad/former-witness-taking-on-watch-tower/story-fn6bfmgc-1226036543156.

former witness taking on watch tower graeme hammond from: sunday herald sun april 10, 201112:00ama former jehovah's witness is to launch a private criminal prosecution against the religion's world headquarters.

his action is in protest at its refusal to require church elders to submit to working with children police checks in victoria.

Roski

Perhaps Queenslanders could try John-Paul Langbroek - until 2 weeks ago the leader of the Labour party in QLD (since the shake up he has another position) - he was reared a JW.

20

'necessary family business'...just what is it?

by Aussie Oz in

(prompted in part by the post on the latest wt reinforcing shunning).. say a child has occasional, not regular, contact with a d/f parent.

the child later gets married, is inviting the parent seen as ''necessary family business''?.

if a wedding is not, then what is?.

Roski

In my case it involves the following:

Not being able to take the role of the Enduring Power of Attorney for the remaining parent (this role was taken over by the elders), and therefore:

Not being informed as to any health/medical issues including the outcome of medical checks.

Not being informed about housing issues - ie selling the family property to move into an aged home.

Not being informed about any/all financial matters - ie investments etc.

and any other normal communication such as what to do with the deceased person's ashes.

All of the above (and more) are now controlled by the elders who took control of matters but who, upon investigation by government officials said they were happy to 'converse' with me as to the best way to take care of the aged person. That was until I stipulated a meeting with all of the elders involved (including one from Bethel) and to have complete transparency of all legal/medical domumentation and a statutory declaration saying that all such documentation was accurate and complete. The elders now say a meeting is not 'worthwhile' - and so the investigation continues. It is interesting how little the 'good name of Jehovah' matters in such situations. Non association with 'unassociating members' (not d/f or d/a) is nothing but a crude form of control in order for the organisation to manipulate people's lives to their own best intersts.

120

Hear Ye, Hear Ye: Barbara Anderson sharing April 10th Australian Newspaper Article about WT and back ground checks

by AndersonsInfo in

http://www.heraldsun.com.au/ipad/former-witness-taking-on-watch-tower/story-fn6bfmgc-1226036543156.

former witness taking on watch tower graeme hammond from: sunday herald sun april 10, 201112:00ama former jehovah's witness is to launch a private criminal prosecution against the religion's world headquarters.

his action is in protest at its refusal to require church elders to submit to working with children police checks in victoria.

Roski

I remember an older brother with a very spotty history (was sent home from Gilead for - I believe - cheating, but who knows..) who was privately reprimanded by the congregation and lost his position of MS due to interfering with a particular young brother. He studied with a number of kids - mainly teenage boys. It became somewhat common knowledge but at the same time was hushed over and he and his wife continued to play an active part in the congregation. I remember him blaming his behaviour on the fact that he went to a Catholic boarding school. Everyone seemed to agree it was the Catholics that did it. I also seem to remember that this was not his first offense. The young boy in the middle of this mess didn't fare well at all - married young and it all went very bad. Anyone who wasn't aware of this situation would never know and their children obviously would have been at risk.

In the same area was another pervert who raped his niece (a friend of mine). This was well known and his deviance became a standing joke - he needed to be watched carefully. In later years his daughter-in-law said she would not let him near her kids. My friend eventually made a start at taking him to the authorities but didn't follow through because he said he would kill himself. At the time she had moved congregations and the elders from her new congregation were prepared to support her, but the original group of elders said if she was still in their congregation they would disfellowship her. Interestingly, she made two attempts to get some sort of recognition from the congregation about this man's behaviour - the first time it involved an elder who later became a DO, and he was part of a group that got her to let it go. She told me they knew he used to undress her grandmother. He is still part of the congregation.