Had dinner with some worldly friends, WTBTS is full of it

by thecarpenter 16 Replies latest jw friends

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  SirNose586

  I felt the same way SirNose. I do relate to what you wrote. Conversations with militant JWs does continue to be an endless rehash of the "us vs. them" script.

  Indeed. The difference between the most hardcore dubs and the average dub was that H-dub could only focus on the two things you mentioned: things are so horrible, and we need that system. Average dub can at least think in terms of practical solutions first. For example...

  Conversation: hurricanes in the gulf. H-dub: "The suffering is so great for those poor folks, and for our poor brothers." Solution? "We need that new system." You talk about the same thing with the average dub, and you can flesh out the conversation more. And what's the solution? "FEMA needs to stop screwing up. Bush needs to stop screwing up. Brownie needs to stop screwing up, etc." We could chew the fat on who was screwing up and what needed to happen. H-dub just has his eyes fixed on the 99.99% of humanity that needs to die first before anything good can happen New System.

  A little bit off topic, but I really hate the sister's talks. I really have a problem with them now. Most of them has poor householder fretting over increased living costs, less time, more stress, not having enough help. Does talk-giving sister offer anything practical? Nope! "Let's see, householder sister, you can't pay your bills? Let's read some scriptures that say, 'One day everybody will be building houses and you won't need a job!' Isn't that GREAT!!

  ...

  Oh right, you're still poor. Well, keep warm and well fed."
• 

  greendawn

  That's too much of a generalisation about worldly people, there are nasty wordly people but many are better than the the average JW. So one has to choose who one wants to associate with. Yet the dubs see only evil in the world though they benefitted greatly from doctors, law makers etc who are not JWs.
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  done4good

  SirNose and Arthur,

  I couldn't agree more. I always found that almost every converstion I had with most dubs was at best, cautious, at worst, perfunctory. There were indeed, a FEW intellectual ones, and these ones were the ones I was most comfortable with, as well the ones I stayed good friends with. But far and wide, the biggest reason for not "widening out" as would be recommended, would be that just too many dubs lacked the ability to have an open, honest, and yes passionate converstation about anything other than the New System.

  The upshot of this, is that I blame much of my introverted personality on this. It definately stunted my ability to be easliy open to everyone, especially when discussing controversial subjects. Fortunately, during my adult life, college and my work have allowed me to overcome much of this, but it can still be a stuggle to this day. Very ironic, consdiering so much of what we were supposed to do as jws requires us to be extroverted.

  j
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  SirNose586

  Absolutely, man. Anybody who has an above-average capacity for thinking, I hang on to him/her. There's just no joy in, like you said, conversing in a perfunctory manner with people you couldn't really talk to.
• 

  DaCheech

  did not go to church services on my brother's and sister's wedding because of the elders.

  Will regret it for the rest of my life......

  If I had to do it over again, i would tell the elders to just go *$%*#@%@
• 

  truthsetsonefree

  The upshot of this, is that I blame much of my introverted personality on this. It definately stunted my ability to be easliy open to everyone, especially when discussing controversial subjects. Fortunately, during my adult life, college and my work have allowed me to overcome much of this, but it can still be a stuggle to this day. Very ironic, consdiering so much of what we were supposed to do as jws requires us to be extroverted. Funny, I was telling my wife this just yesterday. We were discussing my personality and this occured to me. When I am around people, JWs or not, who have common interests and can have intelligent conversations, I have few problems interacting.
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  mama1119

  I am glad we can now associate with all of our family without silently judging them. I am so glad I was able to celebrate some holidays with my Grandparents last year, I always wanted to.