Posts by CruithneLaLuna

5

Religious e-mail violates town rule

by Smyler in

jw
friends

judy strege wrote a "dear mayor" e-mail to dunn from her town office... dunn said strege approached him in a parking lot on new year's day when he was talking to a television crew about the city smoking ordinance... she has been active in jehovah's witnesses for 40 years.. .

what an outstanding citizen, using city computers and while working for the city, trys ministers to the mayor!

maybe its a blessing from jehovah so she will lose her job and be able to pioneer!.

CruithneLaLuna

The woman made a simple, well-intentioned mistake. Anyone (person or entity, such as town government or employer) who would not either forgive outright or minimally punish a first-time, once-only infraction of this nature would be pretty harsh and heartless, IMO.

Lose her job over it? I sure hope not too. But then I also hope she has made herself too valuable an employee to have reason for serious concern in that area. I have made far more serious well-intentioned errors without losing my job.

Cruithne

70

Gadget's ill..........

by reboot in

jw
friends

*cough,cough, cough,cough* hope you feel better soon

.

CruithneLaLuna

Get yerself well, there, Gadget.

Cruithne

33

Check this book review out.....

by caligirl in

jw
friends

below is a review left on barnes & noble about diane wilson's book.

i, too, am one of jehovah's witnesses.

but jehovah's witnesses do no do that.

CruithneLaLuna

A helpful review will leave one with the assurance that the reviewer did actually read the book, even if they were biased against the author's stance when they began, retained that bias after reading, and thought the book was garbage (or something like that). I have a measure of respect for such a review, even if I agree nearly 100% with the author and nearly 0% with the reviewer. However, someone who uses a "book review" as an opportunity (or excuse) to defend against "common objections," having no direct knowledge of the book's contents, would have been better off doing something else, and others can find better things to do that read such doubtless well-meaning, but completely misplaced, apologies. "It is not the time or place to preach."

The "reviewer" is reviewing what he/she imagines or surmises the author's ideas, arguments, experiences, and attitudes to be. That cannot possibly be "a good witness," in any meaningful sense. It's trather pathetic, and serves if anything to make thinking people wonder why someone would feel so threatened by such a book.

Cruithne

23

can a disfellowshipped person go in the KH to get literature??

by orangefatcat in

jw
friends

this is the question that a asked my exhusband?

he of course was all eager to call the overseer,who was my favourite on of the cong.

i was in and to ask him if it was okay for me to get any literature that i wanted.

CruithneLaLuna

There are innumerable ways to circumvent the "stupid rules." I wanted a copy of a certain KM, and my friend who is DF'd, but whose active JW mother depends on her for transportation and other assistance, surreptitiously borrowed her mom's issue and photocopied it for me. This was as easy as asking, basically. Many things are as easy as asking - and finding the rigtht people to ask.

Cruithne the Relatively Resourceful

31

Jehovah invented the radio

by onacruse in

jw
friends

but when the lord invented the radio, he started something that is calculated to cause great anxiety to such pastors as have made his pleasant portion a desolate wilderness; and some of them now admit as much.

nevertheless the radio is here, and nothing can prevent the truth from going out by that means and penetrating where otherwise it could never reach..

in what manner could this witness work be done except by means of the radio and by a publication of books containing the message of the truth?

CruithneLaLuna

I imagine (what else can one do?) that what the writer had in mind was that the Lord created the laws, principles, and materials that allowed humans to assemble a communications device that converted sound to electromagnetic waves and broadcast(ed) them, and another device to receive the EM waves and convert them back into sound, and to call the system "radio." The Lord also created the the abilities of those humans to think, communicate, use their opposable thumbs, etc. From that perspective, it's reasonable to say that "the Lord invented the radio." Keep in mind that it was considered most appropriate to give the Lord credit for all things good and neutral, and inappropriate to give humans credit.

While we might disagree somewhat with the author's world-view, putting oneself in his shoes temporarily (and those of many of his readers) may reveal that the statement is not really as ludricrous as it may at first appear. I.e. if you "read between the lines," it makes sense, even if you don't agree with all that it implies.

Now, is there anything else lying around that I can analyze...?

Cruithne

29

Do meetings help Depression?

by Gadget in

jw
friends

i read this on another thread:when i asked if they knew my son had clinical depression, they said, well, even he says he feels better when he studies and goes to meetings, and shrugged their shoulders.).

i've been told this by my ex too, that when she attends meetings it makes her feel better.

anybody else noticed this?

CruithneLaLuna

Drug abuse, over-indulgence in alcohol, and a variety of other things make a person feel (superficially) "good" in the short term, but can ruin one's life in the long run. It was looking at what being a JW had done to me over a period of time that led me to the conclusion that I no longer wanted any part of the religion.

Of course, it is typically very hard for someone who is striving mightily to stay faithful ("at all costs") to take an honest, objective, somewhat balanced and unbiased look at the long-term effects.

Cruithne

18

Whats a Real family Really like and how does one get there?

by Celtic in

jw
friends

they say patience is a good thing, but what happens when your patience starts to run out?.

what's it like having a real real family, a family where different members look out for one another and offer support when the going gets tough?.

i feel somewhat ashamed of myself for posting this question.

CruithneLaLuna

Celtic,

I cannot revive my non-Dub relatives from death, into which they have nearly all passed. I cannot revive my relationships with my aunt and cousin. I was in touch with my cousin for a while, but then came the time when she would no longer respond to my emails or telephone calls, I know not why and apparently she didn't want to tell me. Yes, I am talking about non-Dubs here, but you have to realize that I essentially rejected them years ago because of my religion, and then when I got back in touch with them I was in desperate circumstances and needed help which at that point they weren't willing to provide. So, they cut me off to fend for myself and make my way as best I could.

I am not going to return the JW religion, therefore unless/until my two children, now 18 and 15, who live with their faithful Dub mother and her elder husband, wake up and shake off the repression under which they were raised (partly by me, in former years), I will continue to be cut off from my kids as well.

I have no family.

The only options one has under such circumstances are: 1. To feel sorry for oneself, lonely, and I could go on, but I don't want to focus unduly on this one; besides, you already know the story. 2. Go out and find friends and associates who are, as far as possible, "like family."

I have joined myself to two groups primarily, based on personal interests and a desire to be positively involved with others: a congregation of Neo-Pagans, and a service organization for social and political change, promoting the aim of equal justice for all. Through both of these venues, I have met many people with whom I share common perspectives and goals. As a result of these associations, I now have an enhanced sense of security, I feel that my time is being well-spent, and I'm meeting, becoming close to, and enjoying a wide variety of people.

One can then sit around and contemplate the idea that "what you have here is at best a second-rate substitute for the real thing," but the wiser and more productive course is to appreciate the beauty of life, enbrace it, and use the resources and tools at hand to create the life one wants. That is a gradual process, in fact I suspect that it will never be completed in the earthly realm, but when approached with the right attitude, the process (working the project) is a thing of joy in itself.

Cruithne the Bard

6

I found a couple of new friends! (via ex-JW meetup)

by CruithneLaLuna in

not trying to steal any of your thunder, dear aztec.

consider my borrowing your title to be "imitation as the sincerest form of flattery.".

i went to the local (sacramento) ex-jw meetup tonight.

CruithneLaLuna

I'm not sure, in advance, whether I will be able to attend next month, but it is definitely something I want to do as often as is practical for me.

In a largely unrelated incident, I met another ex-JW who lives in the area last night. I connected with her some time ago via another forum, we have become good friends via email, and her attending the Grove gathering yesterday evening facilitated our meeting face-to-face for the first time. This person was raised in the JW milieu, but was never traptized.

Warm regards,

Cruithne

6

I found a couple of new friends! (via ex-JW meetup)

by CruithneLaLuna in

not trying to steal any of your thunder, dear aztec.

consider my borrowing your title to be "imitation as the sincerest form of flattery.".

i went to the local (sacramento) ex-jw meetup tonight.

CruithneLaLuna

Mouthy, I sent you a PM on the subject.

I mentioned first names with discretion. The three of us are all very publicly out.

Warm regards,

George

44

Fibbing about your time

by SC_Guy in

i'd never thought about this... but last night my father asked for my time.

and i told him i didn't have any.

he didn't seem to mind so he went ahead long his way.. .

CruithneLaLuna

What I have trouble with is the percentage of JWs who do street work in Sacramento on Saturday mornings, who just walk around looking businesslike, displaying the magazines and talking amongst themselves. Relatively few actively try to engage people in conversation. I was relatively proud of one "brother" who had a fairly engaging conversation with a bus driver (who had arrived at the stop early and was waiting for the appointed departure time) and placed magazines with him. "Proud" as in, this person was doing what he was supposed to be doing, as opposed to just "counting time." I hope he went home with a clean conscience; I have to wonder about the others - unless they are leading double lives, and don't really believe that the witnessing work does any good or is needed, etc.

As far as I am concerned, I can't see how reported time could possibly give anything remotely resembling a true picture of the amount of witnessing actually being done. If the Society truly cared about accuracy, they could hire (appoint from among suitably trained brothers [wait, there aren't any!], or whatever, but I think an independent entity would do a better job) a team of analysts to develop a statistical profile of field service reporting inaccuracies, and adjust their reports to the world and the brothers (and sisters, who although they do most of the work, aren't directly mentioned because the masculine term is intended to include them as well, by implication) accordingly. One wonders, if the Society KNOWS that the reports coming in are grossly inaccurate, why they wouldn't just make up whatever figures they want to show, as many of the friends in the field are doing? (Is it possible that they do this ... to some extent? What would prevent them from doing so?)

Cruithne