I remember being in Kindergarten and asking my then non-believeing dad 'why he didn't want to live forever?'. I knew for a fact that he would be "bird food" if he didn't do what needed to be done. I had heard it all my life, so to me it didn't seem morbid. It was just a matter-of- fact, everyday knowledge situation. Of course, I'd also been endrocinated to belive that what I was told was the truth and that empathy for others was a sign of weakness.
vajeni82
JoinedPosts by vajeni82
-
23
Innapropriate for young children? Scare tactics?
by The Quiet One ingods word for us through jeremiah page 128 '..his mother bought a ram and a ewe.
he looked after them, and the ewe produced two lambs a year, so the flock began to grow..."early one morning while i was still in bed," he recalls, "i heard them bleating.
when i finally did, i saw a pack of wild dogs running away from my lambs, which had their bellies ripped open.
-
-
-
73
Congregation had to relocate Memorial...thanks to me
by Shepherd Book inso, the two local congregations were planning to hold their memorial together at 7:30 at the local community center, but they had to make a last-minute change to their own hall, and i'm pretty sure it was because of me.. let me explain.... at work on monday afternoon, a co-worker returned from her lunchbreak and showed me the memorial invitation that was waiitng in her door when she went home for lunch.
i noticed the sticker on the back indicated the memorial was being held, not at the local hall, but at the community center.
from a past (non-jw) event i attended there, i knew they didn't allow alcohol (unless you pay for security guards), so i wrote to the center's coordinator:.
-
-
vajeni82
I say Kudos to you!
If just one person was saved from being involved with this cult, you have done a service to your fellow man. It's not your fault that they didn't abide by the rules. It's also not your fault that they didn't make arrangements to compensate for the schedules of those attending. Imagine if soemone were to hold a legal protest outside the event drawing attention to any of the number of JW policies that harm people (hiding sexual abuse, shunning, mistreatment of women, etc.), if you went an inch too close, they'd be on the phone to the authorities. You had every right to make your inquiry & they made the decision to move the event.
-
11
And I thought memorials were supposed to be a solemn occasion!
by cedars injust found this on youtube.... https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b1eic5fiywe.
not that i blame them for making the most of an otherwise dreary event, but i've never known a memorial to be treated like a high school prom before!.
cedars.
-
-
vajeni82
The memorial was always one of the best excuses to get a new dress!
-
5
Am I now an apostate ?
by smiddy inmy wife and i never received an invitation to the memorial ,last year we did ,but not this year.i am the only one where we live in this small town who has challenged the witnesses on the couple of times they have called on our home these past 5 years .
my wife has never been confronted with them.my son and his wife both ex jw`s have not had what used to be called shepherding calls in the 5 years they have been here.none of them have ever been disfellowshipped or disassociated themselves from the organization ,whereas i did a couple of years ago.da`d that is.a couple of months ago they by-passed our house in the d2d ministry that i witnessed.so my wife is not worthy of a call?
she has never said a bad word about them .and they have never spoken to her in the 5 years we have been here .
-
-
vajeni82
Sounds typical. If a woman didn't have a man to offer in my old congregation, nobody paid attention to her.My mom's crowing glory was the fact that she finally got my dad to convert. Within 2 months of his baptism he was already assigned "priveledges".
Single moms, those with unbelieving mates & those married to DA'd or DF'd men were very much ignored or even looked down on. The only exception to this was young unmarried pioneering women who could bring more men in (one way or another).
-
33
The JW Dress Code
by sacolton infor the brothers .... suit jacket and pants must always match as part of a complete suit.sport jacket and slacks not permitted.shoes must be polished (i had to go home and change shoes once).shirt should be white or close to white (i.e.
no dark colored dress shirts).do not wear bright colored suits or suits with more than one color (not including pin stripes).tie should not be bright colored or have too many colors.pants should have cuffs (this was recommended, not a rule).suit jacket must be buttoned up at all times (although you may wait until you begin speaking to button up your jacket).never put your hand in your pocket, even for one second.legs must be close together (his exact words were "do not have a horse stance").heels must be together but toes should be slightly apartif you are holding a microphone, the microphone must be point just above the chin, not at the mouth.if you are holding a microphone, do not put the other hand in your pocket (i cannot stress this enough, they will get you for this).do not lean on the lectern (podium, pulpit).whew!
strict dress-code guidelines straight from the presiding overseer.
-
-
vajeni82
The company you work for PAYS YOU! JWs don't get paid to do the door to door. All of this dressing up gets expensive! Especially on a part time salary.It's also another way to create a class system within the congregation.
Also, to me it seems to make people distrustful. An outsider who comes in wearing a nice pair of jeans and a polo is seen as underdressed. Wouldn't it be better to blend in with people a little bit while still being respectful? I'd be less leary of a guy in nice khakis and a polo than a full suit.
-
31
31 things each and every Jehovah's Witness NEEDS TO KNOW right now!!
by Terry inthings for jehovah's witnesses to think hard about.. .
1.you cannot change what you refuse to confront.. look at how you are feeling most of the time.
that sense of going nowhere and feeling down is not because you aren't spritual enough.
-
-
vajeni82
Very nice! ( Also, I'm really hoping #4 is a Fight Club reference!)
-
17
how valid are commitments made while being a jw.
by man in black inseveral times on this board i have read comments from people who were considering joining a new religion.
and how a jw baptism was not "valid", so there should be no problem while getting ready to join the new church.. if a baptism is not real, what about other aspects of life,, such as a marriage ?
outside of the legal requirements that are written down and recorded, from a spiritual standpoint, is it just a bunch of nonsense ?.
-
-
vajeni82
Caliber- You are absolutely correct. At the time of my baptism and first marriage, I was a teenager. I didn't understand what I was really supposed to be doing. In the warped JW world, it was hard to understand up from down at times. Since leaving I have VOWED to myself to never again be pressured into making a commitment under duress or because of a sense of duty or expectatation. I regret being in a postition of living a lie. I will not do that again!
Mind Blown- I could see that happening too. If only the courts would recognize it, the WTBTS would probably start with the lawsuits! I believe Scientology has a million year contract for their members, maybe the GB will take note. I wonder if the little kids would be allowed to sign in crayon?
-
17
how valid are commitments made while being a jw.
by man in black inseveral times on this board i have read comments from people who were considering joining a new religion.
and how a jw baptism was not "valid", so there should be no problem while getting ready to join the new church.. if a baptism is not real, what about other aspects of life,, such as a marriage ?
outside of the legal requirements that are written down and recorded, from a spiritual standpoint, is it just a bunch of nonsense ?.
-
-
vajeni82
I'm glad that I made some sense.
-
17
how valid are commitments made while being a jw.
by man in black inseveral times on this board i have read comments from people who were considering joining a new religion.
and how a jw baptism was not "valid", so there should be no problem while getting ready to join the new church.. if a baptism is not real, what about other aspects of life,, such as a marriage ?
outside of the legal requirements that are written down and recorded, from a spiritual standpoint, is it just a bunch of nonsense ?.
-
-
vajeni82
I'd says this depends on ones state at the time of the marriage. I personally only married the first time out of a sense of duty. I didn't love him. Since we'd never been allowed to be alone together, I didn't even really know him. When I left, I didn't feel like I'd really broken a bond with him. He wasn't right for me. I wasn't right for him. I honestly just wanted a way out of my house.
I am married now & it doesn't feel like the second time for me. My heart was never in the first one. My commitment to my husband feels like a real one now. The paper and ceremony were really just a celebration of our love. I'd already chosen him in my heart. To me that is the difference.
However, many JWs do marry for love. Some even leave together and still consider themselves married. There is not a problem with that. I'm sure that some even choose to renew their vows within their new religion to make their new relationship with god a part of their marriage.
I suppose I'd say the same about baptism as well. When I was baptized, I did it to be allowed to date my now ex-husband. I didn't say the prayer beforehand like I was supposed to. I didn't even respond when they asked the questions. I just stood in line and got dunked. I do not consider myself to be baptized at all. If I belived in god and wanted to join a church, I would be baptized properly.
-
98
It,s time to fight back, this is getting out of hand.
by jam inany 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.
-
-
vajeni82
Is there any reason somebody coudn't just go into the conventions and leave pamphlets etc in the restrooms etc? Just something with the website addresses? Hell, what's to stop someone from going in with a tshirt and walking around during lunch?
Have the owners of these venues been contacted about what they are supporting by allowing the JWs to congregate there?