sparrowdown

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Posts by sparrowdown

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  23

  Christ's sacrifice

  by dogisgod in

  1. jw
  2. experiences

  so, i am having lunch with a group of women with varying backgrounds.

  i asked the circle how many believed in the story of adam and eve and the snake.

  no one believed it literally.

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  sparrowdown

  The simple concept of sacrificing one to save many that most christians have is not that difficult to grasp if you look at it like a religio/philosphical 'trollycar dilemma" kind of thing but this particluar understanding of a 'ransom" JWs have I always found to be even more convoluted, confusing and problematic.

  It opens up a whole heap of other logical questions like who pays the "ransom" to who etc. If the ransom has been paid once and for all time doesn't that mean everyone is atomatically saved? If not why is there other "payments" on top of the "ransom" in the form of obedience to a modern corp/org? If the ransom was paid in full why is there other payments on top of the "ransom" like preaching and meeting attendance etc? I could go on as I had years of boring meetings to sit through and mull over this crap.

  But, surfice to say it sounds more like a perpetual hire purchase scheme to me aka extortion and a perfect excuse for control.
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  33

  Learning New Words

  by compound complex in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  greetings, fellow lexophiles:.

  last night, i watched a cool road movie, the trip, with steve coogan and rob brydon.

  they were counseled by steve's dad to take an "anticlockwise" route home, rather than the clockwise one steve had proposed.

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  sparrowdown

  Firstly; love love love The Trip movies. Hilarious banter with gorgeous scenery and luscious music who could ask for more.

  Had never thought about anticlockwise vs the american version counterclockwise before and now I'm like oh yeah of course, you yanks are so funny. Counter itself is a very interesting word.

  I heard an American say quag in quagmire the other day like quack. I pronounce the quag in quagmire like frog quogmire.

  Quagmire another interesting word.

  One of my favourite words is donnybrook - just love that word.
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  18

  With the ramped up talk are the governing body trying to coerce Jehovah to bring on Armageddon?

  by nowwhat? in

  1. watchtower
  2. beliefs

  i loathe hypothetical questions on this forum.

  but i got the honest impression that they are so delusional they can bring on armageddon with all their talk and jehovah will have no choice but to act.

  ( not that i believe in armageddon anymore).

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  sparrowdown

  They just want red herrings and distractionsin the form of bombastic rhetoric so people don't notice what's really going on with them.

  Very culty. Very deja yawn.
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  26

  How to "turn the tables" on still-in witness who pry about our status.

  by stuckinarut2 in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  so many of us have had (perhaps well-meaning) jws ask us questions about our inactivity, or lack of attendance at meetings.

  they may pry about why..... how is this for a simple, yet straight to the point response?

  to a sincere person, it may play on their mind and make them ask more questions.

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  sparrowdown

  I've never had a JW pry about my status because I have never met one honest enough to actually ask what they are dying on the inside to know. These days if I ever find myself in the vicinity of a JW "friend" I know well and the JW decides to talk to me I say pre emptively right off the bat " you know I don't go to meetings anymore, right." Usual reponse is "Oh I don't care about that" says the person that quit talking to me the second rumours about my JWness became suspect. This bold-faced lie of "not caring" is followed by a nervous laugh and an excuse to go.

  I am not ashamed of not going and I want them to be absolutely clear I will not be playing their JW games of "let's pretend to nice while I fish for info..."

  These people will gaslight you to your face. I can't do anything with that.
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  30

  What is CT Russell's motive?

  by sinboi in

  1. watchtower
  2. beliefs

  what is russell's motive when he started examining the bible with a group of bible students?

  did he intend to form a cult and to mislead others?

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  sparrowdown

  I always got the impression Russell had the idea that he could pluck out what he thought was the best principles and concepts from the bib,e and other ancient texts, other religions, faiths and groups (including secular and fringe), various schools of thought etc from various sources and cobble them all together to make something unique - a super belief.

  He possibly (?) started out in a noble search for ... answers ? But as is common with charismatic leaders with persuasive rhetoric people placed him on a pedastal and it went to his head.

  No one can say what his true motive and intention was except him, but if he was a charlatan or narcissist he would just lie and the people around him would construct a santized history of the man.
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  27

  The right to record your judicial committee meeting

  by UnshackleTheChains in

  1. watchtower
  2. beliefs

  ok.. we have often heard secret recordings online of jc hearings.

  but, what i would like to know is if individuals are entitled to the right of officially recording their judicial hearings?.

  supposing i was to attend a judicial committee and i explained up front that i would like to record the proceedings and then place a dictaphone on the table.

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  sparrowdown

  I have never heard of an elder going to the police to report a JC being recorded without his permission.
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  33

  Why do so many that leave wind up coming back?!

  by nowwhat? in

  1. watchtower
  2. beliefs

  i have seen so many that have left.

  and their life turned into a dumpster fire.

  most do not live the average life of living in suburbs, raising a family.

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  sparrowdown

  I see the journey out is fraught with insecurity and doubt it is a stuggle and you get to a point where mentally and more importantly emotionally you need to let go in order to keep moving forward. I say more importantly because we can see intellectually what's right but emotionally we have to really want it.

  At some point you need to put aside the comforting idea that you can go back whenever you want to, that your family will see the ttatt and open their arms to you, that you will recieve justice for any wrongs committed and apologies for injury. You need to let go of the idea of paradise earth forever and all the perks of that concept. You need to admit deep deep down your religion is wrong and you were wrong. You need to let go fully and completely.

  All of this is a lot harder to do in reality than the bravado rhetoric we give it here. It takes years of waking up and persevering to find truth and be truthful with yourself especially. It's at that point of ultimate letting go that many falter. It's like you are perched on the edge of a shear cliff face and to get to safety you have to let go of the cliff you have just climbed and reach out momentarily having nothing to cling to and reach towards the cliff face on the other side that you can climb to safety from and many cannot make that final push to freedom. So not only do they decide to stay on the seemingly inescapable rock they are on they climb back up and set up camp.
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  10

  Highlights from Leaked Bethel Videos - part 3, Family Day

  by neat blue dog in

  1. watchtower
  2. beliefs

  then there was family day which had an enormous turnout, with guests getting live entertainment, dancing and a dj.

  they said that next time they'll cut back and not invite guests.. .

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  sparrowdown

  It's so they can say "Look, see we're all about family, we have family days."

  No disfellowshipped, disassociated, inactive, weak or worldy family allowed I take it?
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  5

  Do you recognise this artwork?

  by usualusername1 in

  1. jw
  2. friends

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  sparrowdown

  What happened to Jesus? He seems to be having a bad hair and teeth day also his eyes appear to be demonic?
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  27

  Meeting Days Felt Different?

  by pale.emperor in

  1. jw
  2. experiences

  i dont know if it was the same for you, but for me when i was a jw meeting days seemed to have a black cloud hanging over them.

  on thursdays i knew i would be going to the meeting that evening.

  that i would be getting into my meeting clothes at 6:30pm, leaving the house at 6:55pm and be sat in the kingdom hall from 7:15pm-9pm, then milling around for about half an hour before finally getting home for 10pm.

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  sparrowdown

  Yes meeting days felt different just like school days felt different and work days feel different and holidays feel different. It's all about perception.

  But, meeting days for me always felt waaaay better once they were over and I could breath a sigh of relief. I would have pizza and and a glass of wine or a beer after the mid-week meetings and watch star trek next gen on tele. I would have a late brunch and listen to jazz after the sunday meetings etc you get the gist. Hey, anything to get by right.