lately, in the february broadcast program, at the 46 minutes mark, the watchtower provides the story of felicity sneesby.
this report focuses on how, despite her serious illness, she, along with her family, has always placed her faith in jehovah and how happy she is for being part of jehovah’s family.. i am shocked by how this jw’s report completely ignores the help that this family has received from this system of things through the years.
for instance, they slept at the ronald mcdonald house on at least 6 separate occasions and for long periods of time.
The JW organisation isn't into feeling the joy of humanity - but just loves self promotion.
That, is my observation - and when I was fully trusting and obedient, it was this niggling feeling and sense of shame that made me feel that this self appointed 'ark' was not where Jesus has solely given favour.
all these damn years in that damn cult -- remember how they tell you that jehovah looks upon those "who are sighing and groaning" (at all the terrible things being done.... focusing on all the evils and woes of the world and satan's system) -- and that all this sighing & groaning is some sort of mark of holiness?????.
every negative news article, every bad bit of something or circumstance - all support and become part of that woeful mindset.
and we are supposed to keep on being like that, sighing and groaning our lives away to receive some sort of damn mark from an angel's ink horn, to mark us as worthy of life..
'Keep dwelling on on upbuilding, holy things, Loveable things' and so it goes in so many words.
One day I was looking at a series of illustrations executed by the Art Department - each was the realisation of their own imaginations, depicting savage expressions, agony, viciousness and other horrific emotions/circumstances and experiences.....and it occurred to me that these garish, unpleasantly rendered productions came from the minds and hearts of other humans, who would have had to spend hours, getting that 'expression' just right in their eyes.
And these folk were JWs.
I then wondered how spiritually and mentally healthy was it to subject oneself to being so absorbed FOR HOURS in producing representations of wild eyed horror.
I paint and draw.....it draws something out of oneself to do this....it isn't something you whip up in five secs and feel untouched by your work and the canvas.
Made me think - a few years ago.....another tipping point along the way...I started to acknowledge my deep fears thatsomething was terribly terribly wrong with the WTBTS.
the world is filled with superstitious people.
and some of the most superstitious are jehovah's witnesses.. remember, i didn't say they alone are the most superstitious, nor did i say they are on an island.
how do we know that this is true?
Looking back - it's clear that JWs are In fear of material objects in ways that are very unhealthy.
So many stories to relate - many first hand observations.
An obsession with demons.....we've recently covered the issue re second hand goods....
And The sign of the cross spooks the average JW...I remember a pioneer who was going to give me a hand with some housework (paid of course!) she was introduced through a friend...and one of the first things she said was how she had bad demonic reactions to the 'cross' - even if it were just printed on the front of a bible.
I really didn't want someone having a demonic episode in my home LOL - I mentioned that I had a collection of bibles and books on religions of the world - I hoped this wouldn't be a trigger.
Thankfully - she got through the day without any nasty experiences.
I sensed she was a little unstable so I refrained from asking her how she coped with literature from the society which sometimes had visuals of pagan gods and symbols, including the cross...
So many stories, unhealthy superstition.... Creating fear and anxiety.
the watchtower 2007 feb 15 pp.30-31 explains why jehovah's witnesses are not to toast.
what is astounding is that for each point they then go on an explain why the point is irrelevant, yet still conclude toasting is wrong.
what did people think when reading this?
The piñata issue was another tipping point for me - the two page (?) article in the Awake spoke warmly about the 'light hearted' tradition of Piñata.
It's religious and pagan origins and associations were dumbed down in the article - a quick google search and a different picture emerged of its history.
So inconsistent it's not funny.
It occurred to me that this was a compromise to the fast growing numbers of studies and converts from cultures where the Piñata is an entrenched tradition.....
so as some are probably aware the january study edition has two articles on the anointed.
one basically discouraging people from believing they are anointed and another about how ones should view partakers.
this photo is from the second article:.
Hold on - the many stories coming out of this staged shot are soooooo obvious.
No, bugger it - I'm NOT overanalysing - my first impression was where it is.
Guess I'm easy to teach....
so as some are probably aware the january study edition has two articles on the anointed.
one basically discouraging people from believing they are anointed and another about how ones should view partakers.
this photo is from the second article:.
No one at the memorial is actually looking at the guy taking the emblem. No one.
Very telling.
Exactly Steve - and the most prominent face ( the one with the glasses) has a strongly shaped turned down mouth.
The mouth of the partaker looks a little weak..... Just my impression, maybe I'm overanalysing or maybe my intuition is spot on!
i know this sounds like a ridiculous question but i was talking with my mom in the car today and of course we got on the topic of getting babtized again.
she told me that jehovah holds me accountable for my sins regardless of wether i am babtized or not so i have no reason to be holding back because it won't change anything.
my parents are the type of super strict jw who will shun you just for not being a witness.
I had a discussion with a JW friend a couple of years ago at a transitional point when I was starting to wake up - we were having lunch and she proudly talked about her 11 year old daughter, the good girl she was becoming etc - sadly she was being badly ignored by the other youngsters within the congregation, who come from big influential families in the organisation. My friend said that her daughter was really keen to get baptised.
A friend who was with us that day and in 'excellent standing' said its better to wait until she's older.
And I said something like ' it IS better she waits until old enough to understand what baptism as a JW really means, it's not just a personal dedication to God which begins a life journey - but a vow to obey the organisation.....and for that reason alone, she must be old enough to make that vow whilst understanding everything it means'
Perhaps you could say to your mother that you consider a vow to the organisation to be a very serious situation - many non witnesses get baptised into a relationship to God and call themselves Christians , but JWs are different - we vow to obey men as an extra to the scriptural baptism.
That's serious in a mighty different way.
is it possible to full time pioneer while working a full time job without making up the hours?
i know of a brother who recently got married too a pioneer the guy was really desperate to get married because his wife despite her many 'spiritual credentials' has very few christ-like qualities unfortunately, anyway that's besides the point.
he is a pioneer now and i'm sure he will be a ms soon the organisation likes that type of stuff the 'pioneer couple' so it shouldn't come as a surprise.
I used to Auxillary Pioneer - and like everyone here from around the globe, I observed 'tricks' of the trade.
The telephone call from home to an RV meant the 'day' had officially started to count time, this trick was used regularly by the career pioneers.... An RV close to KH was highly prized and overworked...RVs when it was raining to those who were stuck at home and were likely to invite in.
It was and is awful really.... Counting hours like that - four of us huddled in a car, driving around empty residential streets to visit NHs and RVs - counting time, counting time. Driving way across town to visit an obscure RV that hadn't been at home for the past 2 years despite numerous 'calls' since first 'found' - I saw it all.
In the final months of attending meetings I gave 'service' as many hours as I could fit - I'd go out practically every morning or afternoon, I'd been deeply depressed and really didn't want to stay at home feeling bad. Going out just made it worse.
One morning as I looked at the faces of my group, as we had coffee, I thought how wrong this all was...I felt really sick and following a comment by a brother that he could leave a tract in his favourite house in a hyper wealthy suburb to claim it in the new system ( said in a joke?) - I left the group and never went out again.
so as some are probably aware the january study edition has two articles on the anointed.
one basically discouraging people from believing they are anointed and another about how ones should view partakers.
this photo is from the second article:.
I really dislike the photos and illustrations contained in the publications showing brothers and sisters in certain settings.
Every posed stance, facial expression etc is to 'teach' an idea - to infer something, to shape the mind and so often, it has a sharp ring of judgement about it. No doubt a question will be asked at the study concerning this photo - probably on the lines that one shouldn't judge who is or isn't a partaker ( I haven't read the article, sorry) and all this after planting the reasoning that a number of partakers are mentally unstable. Nice. What a mental prison. The more I observe and think - the more I see how thoroughly manipulative the org is.....how horrible for those who feel they must partake to have these unpleasant words read out aloud and commented on - especially if in fact they are mentally unstable....ugh, I don't know - what a mess.
i did not realize that they were symptoms that something was wrong with my cat -but i did notice that my cat was breathing a little differently for a period of about a few days.
i also noticed prior and after to that, that on occasion, my cat would cry at the litter box, but that was a very seldom event.. anyway, about a week ago i noticed the symptom that my very loved cat was breathing heavy.
so i called a taxi and i was going to rush him to emergency room for cats.
Fisherman,
it sounds like he was a darling oriental syphnx cat, being hairless.
I've had and have 4 beautiful oriental cats in the course of my life - each one was and is individually irreplaceable - the utterly wonderful things they do, the sheer joy, laughter and tenderness they bring into our lives.
No words to describe the pain of loss - but somehow the loss softens.....and the grief turns into something else that is kinder. You know?
Your boy sounds very special, what a delicious life he must have had with you (((( hugs)))
