xjwsforChrist

CHARIKLO SAID

Chappy, I'm relating events that took place over a period of about nine months.

I was stood down as an unbaptised publisher but not removed, no announcement made. But then they decided I'd redeemed myself and reinstated me. They decided I simply hadn't understood the gravity of my crime. (Which was true.)

I was an active unbaptised publisher when I left, which was my choice. I walked. I wasn't shoved. I was due to be baptised (read: undergo sham baptism) about five days later.

YPPUPLLEH SAID

Ah I did not know that about other churches being this "Babylon the Great" so even when a person is no longer a participating JW they still have that mental and spiritual block of attending a church that is not a Kingdom Hall?

Is this one reason why some here are anti organized religion? The ingrained notion that all churches other than a Kingdom Hall are evil?
_________________
Love is a warm rubber puppy...

CHARIKLO SAID

Quote:

I'm not familiar with any process of re-education. Generally they will just try to encourage you to get back to the routine, people will start stopping by, elders will call to pray and read the bible, but they generally won't start a study with a person already baptized unless they have been absent for a very long time. That would be very, very rare.

However, they may start inviting the 'weak' ones over for family studies and family WT studies, which isn't the same. It's all about getting them back in that routine and up on that hamster wheel.

I've been through it a number of times.

No, I had to go to a meeting in the KH when two elders talked to me for about two hours, questioning me and taking me through various Bible passages, and then finally admonishing me and preaching. Then I had to prove myself and gain spiritual strength. (!) then about a month later they decided I was strong again, and restored all my "privileges". Their words.

CHAPPY SAID

Yep. That sounds right. They 'reproved' you and took your 'privileges' away. Had you been baptized, you would have gone through the same process, but it would probably have led to a judical committee with 3 elders, and there would have been a reproof. Private reproof if nobody or only a few knew about it. Public reproof if it was well-known. Or DF if they determined you weren't repentant, or that a series of 'bad' behaviors had led to that. THEN, if you didn't get DF'd, they would take away 'privileges' for some amount of time.

Usually that meant you could not comment at the meetings, give talks, lead prayers at the hall (could still do so if you were at home or on a study) couldn't volunteer for special projects, but could still do the congregation responsiblity of cleaning the hall or section of the bigger assemblies---but you couldn't go in for a special cleaning before a convention, etc.

A brother would not be allowed to conduct any hall related meetings.

It was very, very rare (I only heard of it ONCE and it was weird) that they would restrict service for a baptized member. While on restrictions, they would be encouraging the person to go out in service MORE, go to meetings, MORE etc.

As I said, I've been through this a couple a times. Me Bad.

CHAPPY SAID



I don't know, Pup. I guess it would depend on the person. I have no issues attending a UU church from time to time, or even doing things with them outside the Sunday services, and I'm an atheist. LOL. I also wouldn't have an issue attending churches for other reasons that would have given me stress as a JW.

Some former JW's DO join other churches. Cofty even became a Baptist preacher (you may know him as Bill Blythe on my board) before becoming an atheist.

Some people that were converts seem pretty comfortable going back to old churches, if that is what they choose to do.

And there are some that still keep separate from these churches. Perhaps this is a JW thing, perhaps not. It seems that those may think that the JW's are SOMEWHAT correct, but not correct about important key things, causing them to leave. So they may be hanging on to some of the teachings they consider true, while discarding others.

One person made a great comment once. They said for them, the JW's did such an excellent job of criticizing other churches, that when they came to realize the JW's didn't have it either, they had no desire to attend the other churches either.

I suppose we are a sum of our total experiences.

CHARIKLO SAID

Chappy, I am absolutely certain that if I had ever gone through that mock baptism process, it would have been a matter of weeks before I began to rebel, and my turnaround period between baptism and DFing would have broken all records for the shortest time in. Or maybe I'd just have walked anyway.

I suspect that my subconscious had been telling me it was all baloney for some time. You may remember I first appeared on JWN about ten months before I left, when I first sensed things were very wrong. People told me to get out then, and I stopped my study etc and didn't go. Then some more JW's were sent round and somehow I allowed myself to go along with it.

What an idiot!

TEC SAID



Sorry, I thought I answered that, but I might have changed my mind.

My glib answer would be that if they are now Catholic or Protestant, then I would suppose that they do

But if you are actually asking, why some of those who go to the memorial, do not go to these other churches... a couple of things:

a) Perhaps they are not SENT to these other ones.

b) Those in the Catholic and Protestant churches do not NEED a witness to Christ when it comes to communion. No one in those churches are teaching people that they CANNOT have the hope of being with Christ, or that Christ is NOT actually inviting or speaking to them.

Was that what you were asking, Pup?

Peace,
tammy

CHAPPY SAID

C


I did not realize that you had reached the publisher stage. I don't remember your earlier posts----maybe before my time?

I didn't hesitate at all during the study period. I studied for 8 or 9 months and was an unbaptized publisher, and within 2 more months I was baptized. I remember the process took less than a year. I started studying in Jan/Feb and was a publisher in Oct and baptized in Dec.

After a few years, the enormity of living in this cult began to impress itself on me. My husband left, but he didn't find another, so I was not scripturaly free to remarry, as they say, and therefore could not date. I was in my twenties. Then I started getting irregular, and ended up being privately reproved. So I personally understand how that works, but also have a lot of input from people over the years. Then I just went inactive for a couple of years, got married, and needed another judical committe on returning! LOL. I didn't get DF'd, but wasn't allowed to comment etc.

It was fine for a while, or so I thought, but I was a very anxious person. I obsessed on displeasing Jehovah. I had panic attacks, and had to sit at the back of the hall. Toward the end I spent most meetings sitting in the library, kitchenette or bathroom. I just couldn't stand to be there anymore, but thought the deficiency was mine.

Then I got sick and couldn't go to meetings or work. Couldn't do much of anything but THINK. Uninterupted. The sisters would visit, but it became less often as time went on. There were a couple who held in there and saw me a lot----but then I really got weird.

They would want to talk about meetings or other spiritual things, and I would just start crying! I didn't even know why, because my brain had not formed the thoughts that must have been brewing. Tears would just run down my cheeks with no effort from me, and I'd ask them to please stop discussing it. They probably thought I had a demon.

And now I'm here, so they are sure I had a demon. LOL

Another interesting factoid about my time with them. A few months after my baptism, I went into a serious clinical depression. I was having several panic attacks a day, and operating on pure anxiety. I started medication, and kept taking that medication for 20 years. I was always prone to some anxiety, but this was off the charts and unmanageable.

Then I left. I haven't taken medication for several years, after taking them for 20 years straight. It's crazy. Never took them before I was a JW and quit them after I quit being a JW. I still have higher than normal anxiety, but nothing like what I had with those people. I feel pretty relaxed most of the time, and never feel the need for anti-depessants or anxiety meds.

I never put the two together.

JUSTMOM SAID


Hello dear Char...

This particular thought was something that stood out to me.

The WTS emphasizes on the scare tactics of the great tribulation and Armageddon so much that IT IS TRUE....it is a distraction from living each day for " THE ONE" that can SAVE them!

They not only do not live each day for HIM....they outright DENY him each year by not partaking, therefore, denying their "daily manna" ..the true food that will sustain not their physical bodies, but their spirit (UAL) bodies and grant them " life within themselves."

You mentioned being able to make a difference in the here and now...

We as Christians are to live our lives everyday devoted to Christ.
We also know that the time will come when our lord will come back and gather those that belong to him and take them home for a marriage.
Those that belong to CHRIST live identifying themselves as his true disciples, observing his commandments, and sharing the good news of the kingdom.

This good news being the fact that ANYONE can enter into this covenant, receive the free gift of Holy Spirit, therefore looking forward to our lords return and being part of HIS bride, and not a dooms day event.

For those of us including yourself Char, we rejoice that we have been allowed to understand this. That our lord has opened our eyes to this truth and allows us to follow HIM as our shepherd and mediator.

But to the poor sheep still trapped inside, blind to truth, being misled viciously by a cruel beast, for ME I understand them. My lord has shown me why I need to understand who they are and what they teach. The so- called language they use that many seem foreign to others BUT...

For me it is my people and it is how my Lords uses me. Because I speak or can speak their language fluently Per se, so I can enter into their turf or land or country or house ( as an example) and they SHOULD be able to recognize the language. Ezekiel 3:4-6

And in understanding the language if they allow their hearts to be receptive... It can be what leads them to CHRIST .

So although some of these terms may seem WT only...these terms are not. They may be worded differently depending on what translation you use. But the message and prophecies are still there. Grant it, certain terms not in the bible they use are unique to them, this is where those like myself can be used to help them SEE...

But most of the others terms are in all bibles somewhere . And just because some do not understand the meaning or maybe not necessarily concerned with them...does not mean others may not be given understanding from spirit as to their future meanings and fulfillments.

Thank you for that thought
Hope you can understand where I am coming from

Have a great day
Love and blessings to you and your family

Justmom

TEC SAID



I did not find Christ in religion. Never. I tried. Some evangelical services; some united services, catholic high school (which includes mass and prayer in the school). My time with the jws.

Christ found ME outside of any religion. He is with me now... still no religion. So what purpose would religion serve me, except to take my eyes off Him and what He teaches me? Why would I go searching for truth somewhere... when the truth is some ONE?

Then there is what He has taught me about religion... to come out of her... and so I am listening to Him.


So it is not baggage from the wts. I am simply following where Christ leads me.


Peace to you,
tammy

CHAPPY SAID




Did they make an announcement that you were no longer an unbaptized publisher? That's usually part of the process, and I've seen it happen many times. Usually it's kids who have been going out with their parents forever, then they get approved as publishers and can turn in their own time. Then, being kids, they do something, and they get the announcement. Unbaptized publishers don't get DF'd, but they still like to shame them. They also don't usually get commenting 'privileges' taken away.

YPPUPLLEH SAID



Yep so those who chose to have communion at the Memorial may have been called to go to share their experience with those still in the system.

My confusion was i thought people that were worried about the congregation looking at them funny and such might have had a more peaceful experience at a church or cathedral.

So the people that went to the Memorial and partook either had family in the system or wanted to publically share their message with those still in

My only exposure to the exJW world as well as the JW world are through you fine people
_________________
Love is a warm rubber puppy...

TEC SAID

I believe you've got it

Peace,
tammy

JUSTMOM SAID





Yes yes dear HP

Called to go....YES

Have family and wanted to publically demonstrate communion ...YES

No worries as to other churches. All other professed churches already partake of CHRIST. It is not abhorrent to them!

It is only foreign to JWS and they called themselves Christians in union with CHRIST.


Love Justmom

CHAPPY SAID


Most likely the bulk of them just feel disrespected, possibly even persecuted. It may have reinforced things the WT has told them about apostates. It could be that people that would have been prone to listen were deeply offended by this, so they will close up for a while.

It was their thing. Most will see it as simply a violation of their beliefs.