I’m surprised that they didn’t come out with a modern, up-to-date death countdown card for October 2014 – an online version, that is, on JW.org!
Posts by SAHS
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19JW.org: " One Hundred Years Ago1914"
by rebel8 inhttp://www.jw.org/en/publications/books/2014-yearbook/one-hundred-years-ago-1914/.
all links and content are posted here for critical review in compliance with copyright laws.
the be thou faithful unto death countdown card was used by some in their resolve to remain faithful to the end.
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How Much Drinking Is Too Much?
by minimus ini have seen that some say if a man has 3 beers per day or a woman has 2 glasses of wine per day, that they may have .
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SAHS
I’ve heard it said by folks at a certain “12 step” program that it’s not quite so much the amount of alcohol that they drank but what it did to them. (I probably shouldn’t mention the name of the particular “12 step” program because apparently they like to remain anonymous.)
I would agree that anything over three 12-ounce bottles/cans of beer daily, every single day, would be considered a bit “too much” for an average-sized man. And I would agree that around four or five standard drinks would usually be at the beginning of being “drunk” for the average-sized man.
Most here said that they have less alcohol tolerance as they get older, but in my case I find that my tolerance has definitely been increasing. I’m currently 48 years old, and my tolerance has pretty well doubled over the past 20 or so years.
I myself am definitely a “binge drinker” and a “chance drinker.” I could go several months without any drinking, but then when I got the opportunity when my folks were away for a week or two, or when I was alone doing some house/dog sitting for a week, then I would sort of be off to the races and usually have between six and eight 20-ounce pints of beer from the taps in one session at a bar, and I would do this twice a week during those times when I would be alone for a week or two. My record is actually 14 of those 20-ounce pints of beer in one day, and I didn’t seem to really feel much undue effect from it.
I’ve been on and off that friggin’ wagon quite a few times in my life, with a nice long slew of relapses to boot. They say that resentment is a large part of alcoholism, and I find that there’s nothing like living in a strongly JW family since birth to foster that. I just have to keep exploring some general scientific knowledge about psychology and anthropology and try to maintain some level of emotional well-being and balance.
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Elders, apostasy and disfellowshipping issue's - thoughts please
by FeelingFree inok so... when i was talking to my mil about why i no longer wanted to be a witness she kept trying to convience me that i needed to speak to the elders.
i said from the word go i didn't feel the need to as my mind was already made up and no one could change it.
i also said if the elders new all my reasons for leaving they would view me as an apostate and i would get disfellowshipped.
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SAHS
There is never a “one-size-fits-all” answer to such a situation. It all really depends on you – how much you would care if you were actually to be disfellowshipped versus how important it is to you to take your stand against the WTS and let them know that they aren’t your boss anymore. Different strokes for different folks, really. As long as you consider the long-term consequences of your decision – which it looks like you already have – then all should be well, as it’s ultimately your decision and your life.
I say, All the power to you whatever route you wish to take. Just get out one way or another, and whatever happens make sure you keep your dignity! Take care.
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Blondie's Comments You Will Not Hear at the 09-28-2014 WT Study (JESUS WIT)
by blondie incomments you will not hear at the 09-28-2014 wt study (july 15, 2014, pages (28-32) new testament jesuswitnesses.
review comments will be headed outside the boxes.
wt material from today's wt will be in quote boxes.
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SAHS
I made a comment in paragraph 11, which begins by saying, “As earth’s new King, Jesus Christ soon began to deliver his anointed followers from captivity to ‘Babylon the Great.’” I mentioned that they didn’t completely separate themselves from Babylon the Great because for quite a time after 1919 they were still celebrating Christmas at the Bethel and the Watch Tower magazine had a logo of a cross and crown on the cover at the top-left. I was hoping that some in the audience would either think that Jesus’ cleansing of his earthly temple must of really taken a long time or that perhaps the WTS wasn’t really his choice after all. I always try to plant some kind of a little seed in people’s head.
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2015 special talk outline-A PROMISE OF PERFECT FAMILY HAPPINESS
by suavojr injw's are such a happy group .
let's see how this talk addresses the internal issues that we find within the jw's such as:.
courtesy of jwfacts.com.
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SAHS
“PERFECT FAMILY HAPPINESS”
Just think for a second what that word, “perfect,” really means. Just hear me out: There have apparently been around 20 billion people who have ever lived up until now (not including our evolutionary ancestors – that statistic, I believe, is assuming 6,000 years of human existence, as in Christianity). Now – definitely playing Devil’s advocate here, folks – let’s say that a good number of the over seven million Jehovah’s Witnesses currently alive today make it through Armageddon into the “new system” Paradise. Then, let’s say that a fairly significant number of that 20 billion or so people who have ever lived and come back to life during the “resurrection of the righteous and unrighteous” end up being faithful under Paradise and pass the “final test” at the end of the thousand-year reign of Jesus. However many people there would likely be left remaining by that time, including whatever offspring would be born during that thousand-year reign and beyond, that would be, for lack of a better expression, a lot of people.
Now, to my point: What would you say are the mathematical, statistical, logistical odds of all those people (however many that would likely be) having, not just ho-hum, not just pretty good, not just fairly awesome, but perfect family happiness – supposedly for all eternity? (Assuming that the sun won’t be doing its red giant/white dwarf thing.) Now, I don’t know about you, but I would say that the idea of many billions of people worldwide throughout all eternity having perfect family happiness, or perfect anything else, for that matter, is just a tad, well, f^@#ing retarded! (And, yes, I believe that the sun will eventually get real nasty nasty, putting the damper on perfect anything, indeed.)
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JW's and depression
by FeelingFree ini was wondering how many of you suffered badly with depression when you were in "the truth" and if you feel your depression was related to being part of the organisation?
are you better now you have left or still have issue's?
whatever your experience's i would be very intrested to know (if you feel you can talk about it.).
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SAHS
“hoser”: “It is hard on the mental health if it is repeatedly implied that you are not good enough.”
“Apognophos”: “I felt like life had pretty much no point and I did nothing to plan for my future because I thought I was going to be destroyed at Armageddon.”
“FeelingFree”: “. . . the whole doom and gloom dieing at armageddon, not ever being able to do enough and what you are doing isn't good enough blah blah is extremely negative and can't be good for anyones mental well being!”
Those above points illustrate a common theme experienced by JWs, especially born-ins (as I am, born 1966): People, especially around the age of puberty, often begin to feel that they are simply “not good enough” and subsequently are in line to be “destroyed at Armageddon.” This fosters insecurity and anxiety, which manifests in various ways – some of which we aren’t even aware of, as in the case of general “free-floating” anxiety.
I myself couldn’t say exactly what I would be like if I had never been a JW, because that is all I have ever know (there was no “before” being in a JW family for me). My long-time and well-known elder dad used to scare me about sinning against the holy spirit since I was a young child, and I had a reoccurring dream about a dark, tornado-laden storm slowly but steadily approaching from the distance. Around the age of puberty, I more prominently began having some unnatural fantasies (of the naughty kind), and this certainly exacerbated the situation. Around the time I started community college (right after high school), I developed a rather severe form of OCD (Obsessive Compulsive Disorder), which is very much an anxiety-related condition. It was then that I also accelerated by alcoholism. Now, I have professional help, as I am under the care of a psychiatrist, and I am also recovering in AA (with a lot of relapses).
So, yes, the teachings and policies of the WTS have a lot of negative and harmful aspects to it, which does do tangible harm to families, especially children. But now that we know the real truth about the “truth” (TTATT), the challenge is to explore and learn new ways to rise above it and try to be able to just walk with our heads held high and get on with the rest of our lives with some degree of serenity and contentment. We just need some practical healing.
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Spiritually strong people don't care what others think of them.
by hoser injesus is a good example of this.
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SAHS
I believe that it is a matter of balance and what kind of “care” someone has about other’s opinions. The title of this thread could more accurately be: “Spiritually strong people don’t care overly much about everything others think of them.” Obviously, a sane person would care about what others think of them if they were to, say, run outside completely bare-naked, or have sex with a little child on their front lawn while wearing a Donald Duck mask on a Saturday afternoon in front of everybody, or play an Alvin and the Chipmunks Christmas album at deafening volume through speakers facing outward on their window sill at three o’clock in the morning on a Sunday night in the middle of the month of June. No, sir. I think we would all care at least that much about other’s opinions.
But, at the same time, a spiritually strong person – or, more scientifically, a psychologically/emotionally healthy person – doesn’t care inordinately or unreasonably about what others think of them. Such a person has the confidence and security with their ego to go about their lives within a fairly broad range of what is socially/legally acceptable without internalizing and worrying about other people’s parochial and narrow-minded tenants of etiquette, as they see it. I myself don’t judge anybody based on their income, clothing, vehicle or house (or lack thereof), or their ethnicity, religion, political affiliation, or sexual orientation (unless that involves harmful sadism or rape), but the thing that I do judge people on is how they treat others. (I never cared for bullies.) Other than that, I just accept everyone for who/what they are – and I wish and hope that others will likewise be that way with me.
So, while “spiritually strong people” do have some basic “care” regarding fundamental logical social norms, they also, nevertheless, are able to walk with their head up and be proud of who/what they are. The basic “spiritual” principles, I believe, are: Live and let live, love and not harm, respect yourself and others.
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Why I hate Tuesdays
by kneehighmiah inall throughout my life tuesdays were my meeting nights.
well tuesdays and thursdays to be more precise, when we had book study but book study was at my house so it wasn't terrible.
anyways as a kid i hated coming home from school, doing homework and then going to the meetings.
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SAHS
I used to hate all the meetings (still do!), but the big midweek meeting, usually Tuesday, was always harder to bear – I think because of it being later in the day than the Sunday meeting when you’re already naturally starting to feel tired and want to begin gearing down.
The thing that really pissed me off (still does!) is when the circuit overseer visited and always had his little whip-cracking meeting on Friday. I used to hate his guts since childhood, since all my favorite TV shows were usually on Friday night. I thought it was such an ego trip for the guy to always have the meeting schedule changed just to accommodate him.
Of course, I treasure the day (whenever that will be) when I never have to set one foot into a Kingdom Hall ever again. That will have to be when my fade is completely accomplished, which will obviously involve getting my debts paid off so I can finally move out from my elderly parents’ place and live on my own. (Time and money are my two longtime enemies as far as that goes.)
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2015 special talk outline-A PROMISE OF PERFECT FAMILY HAPPINESS
by suavojr injw's are such a happy group .
let's see how this talk addresses the internal issues that we find within the jw's such as:.
courtesy of jwfacts.com.
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SAHS
“Jehovah’s purpose to have one large happy human family without factions” . . . but evidently not without fractions!
(Sorry. I just couldn’t resist.)
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" Do not ask permission, just play the video--" service meeting instructions.
by prologos inthis statement startled me out of the pleasant mental absence during this week's "service" meeting.. pushing the org.
explanation: "the listener has time to interrupt, if they want--" .
together with an incredible boring "study" of an hand held device, or it's stored content, i will be a totally new crop of orgies at the halls,.
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SAHS
“prologos”: “"The listener has time to interrupt, if they want--"”
Well, maybe next the WTS will instruct publishers to bring along an amplifier system with high-efficiency speakers turned up to a volume that will override those “interruptions.” My mom told me that in the early days, publishers were instructed to read a rather lengthy sermon and not allow the householder to interrupt until they were finished. Looks like the WTS is coming full circle in that regard.
“westiebilly11”: “Suspect the video approach is because the org don't trust the witnesses to deliver a message....because basically they don't know why they're calling on people anymore...”
The WTS is probably being hyper-vigilant in considering the potential image damage and legalities of their rank-and-file publishers misrepresenting the organization by, let’s say, less than polished presentations. Now everything is canned, not just the piano music at the Kingdom Hall.