Nope. Not one stayed friends with me after I DAed. But 2 of my 3 very best friends are ex-JW's. One of them I met at our old KH and we've been best friends since the days we used to laugh through the meetings together. The other I met at work. We were friends already when one someone we hated got fired and she popped off with "..and down the great dragon was hurled the original serpent the one called devil and satan..." and I said "Hey! You used to be a JW!" We talked and went out on the biggest drunk of either of our lives the next night and have been close ever since.
smurfette
JoinedPosts by smurfette
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37
JW friends, did you keep any?
by Victorian sky injust wondering.
how many of you have kept any active jw friends?
i have a few i've known for years.
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12
worldlies at the KH?
by smurfette inhas anyone here ever brought a never a jw spouse or significant other to a kh function like a wedding, funeral, or even a meeting?
how did they react?
or have you ever had your spouse or significant other express concern that you might rejoin the borg after going back to the kh for a family event?.
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smurfette
Has anyone here ever brought a never a JW spouse or significant other to a KH function like a wedding, funeral, or even a meeting? How did they react?
Or have you ever had your spouse or significant other express concern that you might rejoin the borg after going back to the KH for a family event?
I recently brought my husband of 9 years to a KH for the first time for a funeral and he was astounded by the pompousity and utter lack of biblical knowledge the speaker posessed. He was impressed yet not by their seemingly telepathic ability to hone in on the fact he was never a witness as soon as he walked in the door and greet him in a vigorously friendly manner. He was particularly struck by the way the speaker would randomly read scriptures out of context jumping all over the bible. My husband is not any shape or form of christian but he has read the bible cover to cover on his own and retained what he read. He was particularly upset when Ezekiel was quoted for some namby pamby point and my husband knew it was out of context. "How could he quote Ezekiel like that! Ezekiel was a throw down Mother _____!" He told me after it was over he had been worried that if I subjected myself to their teachings again I might rejoin, but after seeing what they teach first hand and my reaction to it he is no longer worried.
Just curious what your experiences might be-
-Margy
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JW Funeral Update
by smurfette ini just thought i'd let everyone here know that my grandma's funeral went better than expected.
thank you to eveyone who offered me advice and support.
it helped me more than i can even let you know.
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smurfette
I just thought I'd let everyone here know that my Grandma's funeral went better than expected. Thank you to eveyone who offered me advice and support. It helped me more than I can even let you know.
Dealing with my grandma's death was hard but made easier by the dark very in touch with death Irish sense of humor she had and passed on to most of her offspring. She used to tell us stories about the banshee, loved to tell the tale of getting in trouble for dancing on gravestones with her tap shoes when she was 5, and refused to give up her belief in the little people and spirits even after she was baptized. She loved the idea of the new system (kinda like the Irish Tir Na Nog) and that's what kept her "in" along with all the new friends she made who were actually good to her.
The hardest part was dealing with all the jw family members & their friends. I found out at the family gathering before the KH that the non-jw's had not been told that I was not a JW anymore. This came as a shock to me and them as it's not like I just left the org I left 10 years ago this month. What little contact I've had with any of my family has been carefully monitored by mother (I've finally had to admit to myself after this experience that she is Controlling with a capital C) up to this point and we finally got a chance to exchange addresses and talk. It had not dawned on me that mother and the others would have not told the worldlies why I wasn't around anymore. (I know naive and I should have told them myself, just thought it was common knowledge!) The wordlies had no idea about shunning and after watching my uncle "my son's in bethel" stare through me like a ghost when I said hi they were aghast. If he thought he was giving a good witness by behaving this way he was way wrong. The shunning didn't make me want to confront them like it has in the past and it didn't make me miss them and want to rejoin the sheep like they thought it would. It just made me sad for them and grateful I'm not like them anymore. My non JW uncles & cousins stayed with me & my husband and protected me after they realized what was going on and we sat & talked about grandma while the rest discussed the latest JW gossip.
The KH part was the worst but at the same time very cathartic. My husband had never been to a KH before and was utterly shocked at the service. They talked about my grandmother for 2 minutes and spent the remainder of the hour discussing why she was a good JW and what the rest of us needed to know to get into the new system. By the closing song both of us were out & out laughing. Thank goodness the screeching elder's wife covered it up so no one could hear. My husband later told me he's been afraid that if I went back I might rejoin as he sees it fully for the mind control it is. He is no longer afraid of this after hearing what they preach first hand and seeing my reaction to it. He has vowed to never ever go to another JW KH funeral again ever ever ever! I'm really glad I went to the KH as it gave me a sense of closure both for my grandma and for my past life as a JW that I hadn't even realized I needed until afterwards.
Thanks again everyone and thanks for reading this it got a little wordy on me-
-Margy
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Witness and Agnostic - Not a perfect match...
by Mike Ferguson ini'm agnostic.
i was writing to this 21 year old kid who is having a hard time because he's gay and he believes the witnesses are the truth.
before he broke it off with me, he wrote this:hi mike,.
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smurfette
Your post caught my eye because my dad was an agnostic biker & my mom's a JW. They were definitely not a perfect match!!!
I think you were dead on in assessing that love and fear are the 2 major factors in a JW's life and that's what keeps them "in". I'm sorry your friend decided not to keep in contact with you anymore but I doubt you will be far from his thoughts. Usually (at least in my experience) when they cut contact like that it's because you really struck a chord and he can't deal with the impact of having to alter his lifestyle because of it.
He does sound so sad in his letter. I just hope he has at least 1 friend as good as you seem to have been to him within the tower.
-Margy
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Jehovah's Witness and Birthdays
by lisavegas420 ini know that jehovah's witness say only two birthday celebrations are spoken of in the bible and that neither were held by persons who worshiped jehovah.
or were there any other celebrations that were simular to birthday celebrations?.
inquiring minds need to know.
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smurfette
Possibly. Job 1:4. "His sons used to go and hold a feast in the house of each on his day; and they would send and invite their three sisters to eat and drink with them." (RSV) Someone on this site, I think, posted this scripture in reference to birthdays awhile ago but I can't remember who. Maybe they'll read this and be able to clarify this for you further.
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Vegemite vs. Marmite
by RAYZORBLADE inok folks!.
you think you've got controversy in a nutshell, eh?.
well, you're wrong!.
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smurfette
drwtsn32- The inside vegemite sight was very cool. I still don't get what vegemite is either other than that it is an australian superfood mentioned in a Men At Work song. I had always thought it was like Spam for vegetarians but I now see the error of my ways. I'd never even heard of Marmite before so I can't vote either way. Just intrigued by what the ingredients might be.?
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Preparing for confrontation with JWs
by garybuss ini have been watching myself.
if i knew ahead of time i was going to be present with a jw, i would prepare for a confrontation, and i would get a confrontation.
now, i prepare for a non-confrontation.
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smurfette
Thank you Gary. I especially liked #4. I can't think of anything to add. Great advice!
-Margy
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Time for JW's to make a name change, one of Rutherford few that are left
by run dont walk inconsidering the majority, if not all of rutherford's teachings are all but dead, the only two i can think of that are still strongly supported are........... 1) heavens doors closed in 1935 (which is probaly on it's way out the door as well).
2) changing the name from international bible students to jehovah's witnesses.. so to completely eliminate rutherford what would the jehovah's witnesses change their name to next ?????????.
this should be humourous !!!!!!!!!!!!!
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smurfette
I think they should change their name to: The International Association of Bookbinding and Perpetually Changing Philosophy or The IABPCP. Your pick might be be better though. The Door Knockers is a little less wordy and being it's already their name with the worldly folk it would catch on quicker.
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Coming Out ?
by johnathanseagull indon't you sometimes feel like "coming out" on this board..... as in my name is blah blah and i was in this cong etc etc.
i know some who have done so here.............it's not that i'm embarrassed about giving my details or letting people know here........the only thing that stops me is ...............ahhh f**k it.
jgull.
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smurfette
Grand Marais Congregation, Grand Marais, Minnesota
Silver Bay Congregation, Silver Bay, Minnesota
I knew people at Lake of the Isles Congregation, Mpls, Minnesota also Hopkins Congregation, & all the Duluth halls.
Don't see any one I know or any familiar congregations here but I'm glad you guys all came out of the closet!
-Margy
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A Question for Those Who Believe in a Higher Power...
by Piph in...but not necessarily the bible.
do you pray?
what do you call him/her?
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smurfette
Father, Son and Holy Ghost
He who eats the fastest
Gets the most
Amen!