by Stealth 29 Replies latest jw friends
Hi Max:
You're right, I am a little rusty. I didn't understand the reference to bad fruitage, though? Did you mean that my postings are generating bad fruitage, or that the responses from the "temple" were bad fruitage?
I know Alan is not a "deus incarnate", however, after reading many of his essays, I feel I have profited to some measure.
Welcome Stealth,
Glad to see that you are 'reaching out'; fortunately, in the better direction. It certainly would not seem so as a 'start-up JW', but in the later stages of metamorphosis that changes.
Having achieved 25+ years of inactivity, I welcome you on your path. My inactivity peaks in the downward direction from being a pioneer.
You may want to consider becoming a FENCE-SITTER. This would allow you to stay near that gaggle of relatives.
First, you inform yourself, your personal YOU, that I DON'T DO DOCTRINE (WINDOWS ARE OPTIONAL). You may or may not want to proclaim that fact; but inwardly, you must face this.
Next, you might want to consider purposely succumbing to MATERIALISM. This is a pleasant way to go. Actually, no one has been killed by materialism, unlike some claims you may hear. Materialism is definitely an advanced sign of the proper 'reaching out'. The beauty of doing materialism is that it is so easy to customize and 'make your own'.
Materialism is an easy way to coexist with the dyed-in-the-wool dubs.
You might have trouble w/ an In-Yer-Face Dub, particularly if it is an Elder, but nodding and saying yes at the right time does wonders. If a commitment is required, get real wishy-washy. "That's interesting', "good point, brother" and "I'll think about that" are helpful responses. Smile, be noncommittal and pour the good brother another drink, while you are getting ready for your 2nd shift w/ overtime job.
Mention all your debts and put the touch on him for a loan.
Taking a job with lots of travel helps, too.
Whining about your plight in life gets great mileage, here. The pushier they get, the more you whine.
Go to the token meeting, as an appeasement. Wear a beeper, have yourself paged and leave early. (Phony beepers are available for just this purpose.)
If all else fails, move (several times).
You may have more fun doing it this way than a knock-down drag-out doctrinal fight.
Cheers, good luck (said on purpose) and welcome abroad.
Mustang
Fence-Sitter the great
Ooops, UR, sorry about the "they"--was just beating out a note and grabbing an opportunity for a back-handed compliment to you that recognized your use of language. I hate the nitpicking stuff and hoped to come across more jovially. My way too of letting you know someone picked up on you previously, but just hadn't the time to reply. (Remember the Et tu Brute rather than Et tu Brutus?)
"They" is the guys who pretend to dish out the food at the proper time, the meat in due season, those in Brooklyn who "flash light from the temple." That's an old expression you may not be familiar with, and there was an old Latin expression akin to fulguration, flashing light. It is these who are reaping the bad fruitage from what they have sown.
When it is expedient, policy changes quickly; i.e., light suddenly flashes from the temple in some mysterious way. When Gilead grads needed to be vaccinated to get into a foreign country, light flashed quickly and voila! it was suddenly okay for them to do so.
There are actually quite a few of us who savor language, and not a few on the board who read Latin. Sorry about the lapse. In haste,
Max
For others: Ancient plays sometimes presented insolvable situations. The deus ex machina could resolve them. Here's what I meant about Alan, lest one say I called him a god:
deus ex machina, noun.
1. In Greek and Roman drama, a god lowered by stage machinery to resolve a plot or extricate the protagonist from a difficult situation.
2. An unexpected, artificial, or improbable character, device, or event introduced suddenly in a work of fiction or drama to resolve a situation or untangle a plot.
3. A person or event that provides a sudden and unexpected solution to a difficulty.
Thx Max!
Thanks to all for the welcome,
Philo, I was not aware of the 606/607 change until my second round of internet research. It was just another nail in the coffin and proves that 1914 is the date the society will rewrite history to force prophecy to come true for them.
Riz, It's good to know there are others here who were raised in the org. How does your family treat you now that you walked away? If you have any tips on how to make that transistion as painless as possible, please share.
Sleepy, Welcome to you also. Why are you staying in and under cover? I would like to see your letter to the society and their reply if you could scan and email to me. I don't know if it would help to write the society about this, I think they have heard it all before. Do they take any letters serious that are not signed or do they trash them? Just currious.
Utopian Reformist, SAY WHAT? PLEASE TRANSLATE!
Nytelecom1, I agree, I would say that to write a letter to the society would be the second best thing to yelling through a bull horn out in front of the kingdom hall.
gsark, Thanks for the warm welcome. I look forward to new friends and it won't take much to beat the kind of support and friendship that I have gotten from the brotherhood lately.
I like your signature line, it reminds me of another I saw and liked:
"Love is like a roller coaster: When it's good you don't want to get off, and when it isn't, you can't wait to throw up."
Individuals wife, If God is going to ruin those ruining the earth, the WTS is in for big trouble with all of the trees they killed printing this trash. I still have not been able to pitch the stuff even though I know it is taking up perfectly good shelf space. :)
Mustang, Great tips, I think I will make some crib notes out of some of these and keep them handy when the elders come a callin. I don't think I will choose the knock-down drag-out fight. I know who will win that one. In this case I think its better to fade away then to burn out.
Thanks to all others for the welcome, I look forward to being a part of the DB.
Stealth.
I meant welcome to the our free and open board!!!!!!!!!
Stealth and Sleepy
Just wanted to add my welcome.
Mustang
Great tips! Had me laughing out loud...good for the soul (whatever you believe that is lol)
Free
Hi Stealth and Welcome
I loved your comment "reaching out for the office of inactive", my kind of humor.
I too was raised a JW, stayed one for 36 years, was married to an elder, am now married to an ex elder. Needless to say, I am happy to be free. I look forward to hearing all of your story someday.
Sleepy, Welcome to you too!
think41self
"When agnostics die, do they go to the great perhaps"?
Hi stealth, I too was a Jehovah witness and a ms and my journey
started with 607 bce date also as well as other hang ups.Your
smart not to allow Freinds and family know what your studying.
keep a low profile and stay cool, It will be hard at first
knowing that what you had was the truth isn't the truth.My
wife still goes with my young kids but Da'd myself because my mother in law was too zealous over my house so had too dis miss her by
da'd. AND IM HAPPY TO KNOW I DON'T SIT AND LISTEN TO THE SAME OLD STORY OUT OF GUILT. we are here for you.
THE REAL TRUTH STANDS THE TEST OF TIME, IT WILL NOT CHANGE, IF IT DOES ITS A LIE.The sun will rise, The sun will set,AN EXAMPLE of The real TRUTH nobody can change.
Stealth and sleepy,
Warm welcome to both of you! You'll find some great chats and interesting people here. Beware of a cat named Fred! Nah - actually, his growl is much bigger than his bite! Looking forward to hearing more from you.
Billygoat
