Gretchen956

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Posts by Gretchen956

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  24

  Hate crime affects everyone...

  by avishai in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  a few weeks ago, i was coming home from having a beer with my bro.

  when i started having a minor seizure and he had to hold me up.

  5-7 guys in the parking lot started calling us faggots.

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  Gretchen956

  Well its not my thread but I'm going to jump right in here.

  Derek, simple assault gets a slap on the wrist. These guys targeted gays, because they were gays to the point that they were blind to the fact that they might be mistaken. That type of blind hatred towards a class of people results in simple assaults turning deadly. Hence the more serious nature. The fact is, if you do this once you will do this again. You go to jail longer as a hate crime than as assault because of those factors. You are a danger to a segment of society.

  Mary, no, they were not looking to just beat up "anybody" this happens because these groups of guys get liquored up and decide to go beat up some gays. You hear the same story over and over with this type of attack. Avi isn't the only friend I've had who has been a victim.

  The fact that it was a gay bashing has resulted in over 150 people looking at this thread but only a few replies, even though Avi is not gay. Where's the compassion? Very upsetting.

  Sherry
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  24

  Hate crime affects everyone...

  by avishai in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  a few weeks ago, i was coming home from having a beer with my bro.

  when i started having a minor seizure and he had to hold me up.

  5-7 guys in the parking lot started calling us faggots.

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  Gretchen956

  (((((((((Avishai)))))))))))) Dammit I'm so so sorry to hear about this. I can't tell you the number of people that have told me that hate laws are unnessary because this is no longer a problem in the United States. In fact that is the argument all over radio talk shows on the conservative side. It makes me absolutely sick to think that ANYone is getting beat up for this, gay or straight.

  Sherry
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  4

  Criminal charges...gag order

  by loosie in

  1. watchtower
  2. scandals

  ok, just throwing this idea out here folks.. isn't covering up a pedophile's actions considered being an accessory to the crime or haboring a fugituve?.

  now are there criminal charges that can be bought against the wt society for doing what they did?.

  i mean teachers are required by law to report suspected child abuse should church leaders be required as well?.

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  Gretchen956

  I wish this would work, its right out of Law & Order!

  However, last year when I was monitoring bills for passage in Washington State there was one in session that would have forced clergy, daycare providers, etc, to report this. It was very controversial and the religious lobby (even in Blue States in the great unchurched northwest US) has a LOT of clout. The religious lobby were crying about this bill violating the rights of the confessor and that the clergy would not be able to intercede for god (my words, their intent) if people were afraid to confess to them. Sure enough the bill was revised to exclude clergy and passed both houses with that change and is now law.

  I can't remember how many states are required, but its FAR short of the entire 50.

  Sherry
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  44

  my "father" decided to send me an email!

  by theinfamousone in

  1. jw
  2. experiences

  before we even begin, if you have not read my story, you may not understand why this is such a big deal to me... this is a part of my story and it can be found at: http://www.jehovahs-witness.com/7/101870/1.ashx.

  and here we go... my "father", an abusive bastard of a jw, recently sent me an email that put me in a tizzy!

  it was late friday night, i had just gotten home from a shift at a local bar where i bartend on occasion!

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  Gretchen956

  Infamous you poor kid, I too came from such a household, the bully was mostly my mom, but when dad decided to weigh in he used his fists instead of a belt like mom did. I'm not going to go down the road of comparing bruises, only to say that the outward wounds are not the worst, the inner wounds are longer lasting. It takes a long time for all of those wounds to heal and for forgiveness to take place. I'm like you, I have forgiven them, but I am very thankful they have elected to shun me. I don't choose to be around people that are negative and cause constant drama, family or not.

  You are correct, IMO about why your dad sent the email. My mom is the same way, very manipulative. You've passed the first hurdle by not responding to him. People like that like to lob word grenades and then scurry back to watch the turmoil they have caused. And your reacting to those word bombs is where they feed on that energy. So congratulations on that step.

  If you need more family, I'll volunteer to be your eccentric Aunt Sherry!

  Take care and don't worry about what other people think about how you handled it. You are growing and learning and I think you did awesome. Personally I think when we stop growing and learning we die. I hope to live a long time, lol.

  Sherry
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  53

  JERRY FALWELL DEAD

  by sf in

  1. social
  2. current

  breaking news on all stations.. skally.

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  Gretchen956

  Jerry Falwell is coming back in his next life as a gay black man. There is karma!

  Sherry
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  64

  Board Demographics

  by snowbird in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  maybe this thread has already been started before.

  please forgive me if it has, but i would like to know how many on board are active witnesses, inactive, da/df''d, or never been witnesses.. i am inactive since 2005, black female, separated, head of household, etc.. rsvp.

  snowbird.

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  Gretchen956

  White female, age 50, single. Third generation witness though there's a fourth and fifth after me still in. I've been out for fifteen years. I left because I knew they were wrong on one count, that part of being the only religion to really be loving, because I saw their "fruits" and they were rotten! Drifted for awhile, there wasn't much going on with exJWs during that time that I know of and if there was I probably would have been afraid to join such an apostate group. After my eyes were open on the one point, I learned about other facts that were actually lies. After the possibility that they are lying all the house of cards falls down.

  My family is split between those still in and those out, this goes all the way across the family tree to cousins and distant cousins. My parents think I'm demonized.

  Sherry
  
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  8

  JW's and Domestic Violence

  by Mum in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  it has been a long time since i left the jw organization.

  it seems that families may be more fractured now than back then (1979).. recently i was reviewing some materials about domestic violence.

  some of the traits of the abuser are traits also exhibited by the watchtower authorities -- specifically, never admitting a mistake, blaming the victim for her/his own abuse, limiting the victim's association with others, particularly family members or supportive resources.. it follows that jw males in particular are almost programmed to become abusive.

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  Gretchen956

  Hmmm well it was an elder that told me that if my husband was abusive that it must be something I had done. Oh did I mention that elder was my dad?

  Sherry
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  10

  Our sappho sisters

  by ShirleyW in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  there are two sisters that have been roomates for, i would say about forty years now, who live in the queens area of nyc who run a music studio teaching young children piano, etc.. i'm almost fifty and they're one of the few "couples" that i remember as a child that are still together.. what the heck is going on here, bethel lurkers if you read this, why are they allowed to be in good standing with jehoo all these years when it's obvious what's going on.

  i even asked my mother if one of her relatives had a roommate for more than 40 years and you were questioned about their relationship what would you say, and believe it or not that's one of the few times she couldn't come up with an answer to defend the cult.

  even their personalities are that of a same sex couple.. i'm sure the general answer is "jehoo will take care of in time" but that just proves it's all bs.. do you guys know of any such couplings in your former kh ?

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  Gretchen956

  Sounds like don't ask, don't tell to me.

  Sherry
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  8

  df'd ,yet still being gunned for by the remaining elder..whats the point?

  by aquagirl in

  1. social
  2. humour

  i was df'd like 15 years ago..of the three idiot elders that came to see me,only one is still alive..i just found out this past weekend,that he is still gunning for me...like he still has it in for me and uses my family "still dubs"as vehicles for this petty revenge..now what could it possibly be?

  i barely even knew this loser.he was butt ugly,had a nasty personality and an ugly wife..had two nice sons tho,one of whom is df'd..id completely forgotten about him till this weekend,someone mentioned that he still bodes me ill..any one have any experiance w/childish revenging elders?like,im out of the cult,what more could they want?maybe he found out that i sold my soul for great wealth,fame and beauty??

  ?did i forget to tip him?ummm,what does one tip an elder these days,anyway?

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  Gretchen956

  My best friend has an elder gunning for her too. She's not disfellowshipped, but she's been out at least 15 years as well, doesn't even live in the same STATE he does. He knows where her sister lives so he has had four different people ask her about my friend over about 6 months. Of course her sister told her about it, so she got his phone number and called him. It went something like this (his words in red):

  Hello?

  Hello is this A. O'Blenness?

  Yes it is, who's calling.

  This is T., I heard that you are looking for me, do you mind telling me what you want?

  Where are you?

  I don't think thats any of your business, what is it you want from me?

  I need to know where you live, what is your address?

  I'm not going to give you my address, is that what you wanted is to get my address?

  I need to know where you live, can you at least give me your phone number? (guess he isn't too up on new technology)

  And I'm not going to tell you that so if thats all you want I'll just hang up then.

  No, wait, are you attending any other church or are you associated with a congregation?

  I don't attend any church including the Kingdom Hall, is that what you wanted to know?

  I need to know where you are, could you give me your address, a town, your phone number, something?

  I think this conversation is ended now. Good bye.

  -click-
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  4

  I now believe in KARMA

  by Es in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  found out some interesting news last night from ex hubby.

  when ex hubby and i were wanting to get married we had alot of trouble with the elders because my dad didnt like my ex, dad being an elder held a lot of weight on the decision for us to get the hall, even tho we had not done anything scriptually wrong.

  anyway my best friend and ex hubby's cousin were our bestman and bridesmaid.. they got together after our wedding and things went down hill pretty fast, she hardly spoke to me i guess she was too busy with her new man, anyway the next thing we hear from the fam is that they were getting married and we were no longer allowed to be in there bridal party.

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  Gretchen956

  Cause and effect, but you could also title this "a tiger doesn't change his stripes."

  Your ex-friend may just be pretty contrite right now.

  Sherry