Posts by Purple

13

ARMAGEDON

by moses in

jw
friends

what is everybodys feelings out there about armagedon is it all garbage or is god's judgement day coming one day.i know the witnesses always use this as their pitch to keep you in,but is all that doom that is in revelation for our future or what?

Purple

Hey Moses

I found out some interesting news recently. THe Catholic Church has come out and admited that there is no such place as Heaven or Hell. Rather they are ideas and concepts to describe states of being. Not absolutley sure what this means but it has lead me to question well if that is so then what else is symbolic? After all does not the org teach us that revelation is symbolic and meaning has been ascribed to the symbols used.

SO is it possible then that Armageddon be symbolic of a state of being also such as the loss of something, the end of something? For example the coming out of so called "true religion" and the end of being lied too? It may be an over simplistic view of a major topic but I am not so sure it is.

Keep remembering that the bible was written by men in control of civilisations or churches and so on.. So like men in control of large amounts of people who needed to control those people. Basically the bible tells us how we should live our lives and what will happen if we dont. Isnt the bible full of so called real examples of people who have or have not followed their God?

So by telling people how to live their lives you eliminate the kaos factor that leaders cant control and this scares them silly. So if the masses are fooled into believing that there exists this all powerful being who will exact vengence on the one hand yet on the other is loving and caring to those who follow him, what do you think would happen? The majority would follow the so called right way. THe few who dont may have come to mean ends and the leaders hold them up and say "see, see what happened to a non-believer!"

Or would you like to be a leader that says this is wrong because I a fellow human say its so? I would rather use the power an omnipotent being could bring! I wuld also like to be able to hold a book supposedly full of ancient wisdom to justify myself along with the most powerful organisations to back me up.

So do I believe that Armageddon will happen? I am begining to think that it is symbolic of a state of being and not literal. THe fact that the society changes so much to fit into time frames and grabs at anything that happens to back them up makes me think that the Armegeddon that the society talks about is yet another control mechanism to keep people in the flock, contribuing money and making someone rich somewhere and so on.

Of course that's just my two cents worth and if I am proven wrong well....I never said it!

13

Single in the troof

by Purple in

jw
friends

here's something i am wondering.

i was alone in the troof (married but partner not in troof) female without children.

the ignorance and arrogance of so called sisters was outstounding.

Purple

Here's something I am wondering. I was alone in the troof (married but partner not in troof) female without children. The ignorance and arrogance of so called sisters was outstounding. I was made to feel a nothing, a failure because I could not bring my partner to the troof plus we had no children to add to the numbers.

In another post I made the comment that I never felt as alone as when I was with the congregation. The elders really did not know what to do with me as I kind of had a mind of my own and did not necessarily follow their lead. Well lets face it if I did that meant I would have to not talk to anyone but fellow elders, shun half the congregation and be totally hypocritical!

Other single sisters felt the same way to which I thought was interesting and I was relived to find out I was not alone in the opinion I had. I tried reading accounts of single sisters in the truth and read accounts in the Awake about it...they were few and far between too.

So what I am wondering is does anyone have an opinion about single sisters in the truth and how they were/are treated? Was it my imagination that I was generally shoved aside, not invited to the many social gatherings ever, not invited out in field service and such. I often used to get comments like "Oh I never thought of inviting you" or "I didnt think about you". That was unless someone wanted something. Its amazing but once I got a car I started to get invites to places, mainly so I could pick up people and drop them off again.

In one newly formed congregation I was in, my partner and I had literally half the congregation around for a meal and many friendships were formed because of this. Yet we got back not one invitation and my husband (not a witness) said no more. I got upset because I was doing it to help the congregation to form not to get invitations but I did take his meaning on board and was tying to "obey" him like a good witness wife should do.

So if you were a single sister (no partner in troof or just single) in the troof did you ever feel like this or were you ever made to feel like this? Did you know of single sisters who had similar feelings and so on? Or was this something totally unique to me? Was I being unrealistic to expect that I was a fully baptised member of the congregation and a part of Jehovah's family and should have been treated as such?

Now I understand why this happened as the cong is just imperfect humans hiding behind god's word and using it to justify weaknesses and so on. Many were incapable of loving someone who was an individual, different from the main stream and so on. Not meaning to offend anyone here either.

8

Thanks for the warm welcome!

by Meg in

jw
friends

thanks to everyone for the very warm welcome.

i do beleive that i have come to the right place and am very excited about it!

it is so nice to be surrounded by people who actually understand how i feel and what i am going through.

Purple

I am new here to Meg and know what you mean. I have learnt so much since coming here and am glad I did! I have faded away from the org over the last 5 or 6 years and have no qualms about it. I left confident that it was not the true religion but another cult or such. However what I have learnt hear has helped me understand that I still thought of it as the truth but just wasnt beating myself up about it. I now no longer view it as anything but a cult religion who expends a lot of energy controlling the flock! I consider myself lucky to escape from it without too much fuss and bother but I was not brought up in the troof nor did I have my partner in the truth. I never felt so alone as when I was with other witnesses. A sad reflection of the true nature of the organisation! Welcome my love, look around, pull up your keyboard and join in!

23

Palm Reading

by JH in

jw
friends

does anybody here believe in palm reading?

some say that they can see by the lines of your hands if you will live a long life, or any other aspect of your life.. is there anybody good at this here?

if so, read mine.

Purple

reading it...its scary how similar our hands are! Your life line is broken meaning a short life or many lives...you choose! Your mound of venus looks steep meaning you slap the donkey, wax the dolphine etc.. a lot or you are a chubba!!!!! However the rest of your hand shows no evidence of weight gain........Hehehehe see its all up to interpretation just like your dreams..........You can believe it or not.................

19

I love you - do I?

by donkey in

jw
friends

rather than participate in the thread asking if people really loved jehovah i have a different question to ask but it requires a contextual setting prior to being considered.

many posters here at one time loved jehovah and we know our concept of jehovah was that which was created as a result of wt teachings - only to find out that the teachings had no factual basis.

we can also observe people all over the world who worship idols or nature or other gods such as allah or vishnu etc and we know that these people are in love with a god who is not true - if their beliefs about who god is are untrue then they are logically in love with a concept as opposed to a real person or spirit being.

Purple

Hmm Donkey hun you wouldnt be studying philosophy by any chance and need some research for an assignment???? Read Plato and the Allegory of the Cave...the Matrix movie was based upon it. It questions the nature of reality and what we perceive to be real. Are we distracted by the seemingly real and miss what is actually real??? Plato saw shadows and took that to be real.

Is love itself not a concept and the percieving of love another concept, one which is defined by individuality? Is not god a concept that man strives to prove real according to their individual experience? Is the bible real or does it distract us from the real? Is not all religion man made and is used as a controlling mechanism to create order and harmony where kaos would normally rule? How can one ask about love as a concept if one does not understand what love is? We have manifestations of what we feel love is, and this also differs from individual to individual. For example a phedophile is convinced he/she loves the victim and the victim loves what is happening. Those outside would judge, society says its wrong and so on etc. A husband may try to strangle his wife and justify it with I love her and was trying to help her and so on.

So I believe love is relative to the individual and the situation. What is love anyway?? Is it not a concept that can also control the individual and does not society use it to control??? For instace if you love Jehovah youur God you will.......thus making the individual feel compelled to do something and so on..... Also there are supposedly many different types of love as well all we all know! There are varying degrees of love to....... so to suppose there is just a love and a concept may be a little ummm not sure of the word I am looking for here....its not as straight forward maybe??? I hope this rambling makes a bit of sense and sorry for the spelling!

4

Doing law...

by Max Divergent in

jw
friends

while in a rare posting mood, may i just brag say that i scored the 99th percentile (top 1%) in the australian law school admission test of all candidates since 1996 recently!!!

i start the 3-year graduate course at deakin uni part-time external in next month.. i think there are some other budding lawyers out there too...whom shall we sue?

cheers, max.

Purple

Congrats Max. Wow what an achievment too so the society will be able to use good brains like yours heheheheh Joking!

I have to wait till next Monday to see if I got accepted into some post graduate study. BTW I live in Adelaide so its nice there is another aussie on the board!!!!

4

Also got me bloody well thinking...

by dustyb in

jw
friends

i was just sittin here, readin my girlfriends letter (she's a jw) and she says she is so confused over the truth in a lot of things (including religion).

and it made me think about my elders study.

he was talking with me and brought up two mighty fine points that go strictly against the wt society.

Purple

When you are studying your degree you may get a chance to study sociology - the study of society. You may find it very interesting as it looks at why societies do what they do and possible reasons for it. Its like another way of looking at things but sure as heck opened my eyes to many things.. Especially the sociology of knowledge...why do we beolieve the things we do and how things are portrayed and such. It will enrich your understanding of the world around us and how we relate to it.

If you also read a lot of Marx and other like him you will find surprising similarities in the thinking of communisim and the society...for the good of all but actually strictly controling and such!

Good luck with your study and your searching. I myself have applied to do some post graduate study and will find out next Monday if I have been successful!

27

May I rant please

by SheilaM in

jw
friends

not sure if it is the big 40 approaching or just a general disgust of the world but i find myself very angry of late.

mostly due to the crap in the world around us.

i am sick of hearing on the news that people have killed their family, friends or strangers.

Purple

I here ya hun. Maybe its because there is no real justice in this world? I dont think its an age related thing either. There is so much that goes on that burns my butt so I have stopped watching the news I cant stands no more! Use the energy the anger creates to do something creative or new dont waste that energy cause it is energy. Take a walk, learn karate or self defence, do something and maybe you wont feel so helpless. However should anyone of those creeps go near one of my nieces or nephews I would know what to do! A short punch to the neck and a chop in the back of the leg and thats real justice delivered!

Actually people must be sick of it. Recently we had a case here in Adelaide of the son of the biggest land holder here shooting someone else in the eye and robbing him of his means of living, etc. The sentence was a few hundred dollars fine. WHat a joke.. Well anyway there was such an outcry about it that the government instisted that the case be reheard and a huge sentence was imposed upon the B%&%$#(*d.

The family of the accused was outraged, imagine that, one of the richest families in Adelaide had to meet justice after all. They didnt stop for a second to think of the victim who was delivering his newspapers and minding his own buisness who got shot in the eye, lost his means of living, suffered severe depression and who's whole life was ruined!

Maybe if more people speak out against this bull that is called so called justice then more realistic sentences will be handed out and places like the Church held accounible for what must be literally millions of cases worldwide! There is not a month that goes buy where new cases in all different churches are raised. IT really goes to show that man was not meant to be celibate at all and it causes great problems and is basically unnatural...which is why 13 uears of enforced celibacy for me is just so wrong....opps thats another story!

24

Thanks for all your concerns & pms

by morty in

jw
friends

some have noticed that i have not been on board for a while, and i would just like to say, thanks for all your concerns and pms.......( to my surprise, i did not think, i would be missed..

i really dont want to get into my health on such a wide place here, but some of you know my situation, and others have found out through personal pms....i some times find it very hard to answer eveyones pms indivually, because of bad days, but please be reasured that i appreciate your concerns, and thank you so much for caring...(((sassy)))....( latley there of been alot more bad days then good)....not looking for pitty party in the least, just trying to explain my situation, wthout going into long winded explanations.....

i know there is a few here that live with cronic pain, and hopefully very soon i will get the call from the hospital that they have a bed and a time slot booked for me to have my surgery.......

Purple

Get well soon hun and focus on the days after the surgery when the pain will hopefully be gone! Here in Australia the waiting lists have blwon out to around two years or more, so I am glad you aint on a waiting list here!

16

Lousy Friends

by Nosferatu in

jw
friends

i just gotta vent here.

kinda hurting over this shit.

over the past couple of years, i've had nothing but disappointments with friends.

Purple

Congrats on the wedding! I hear you about the fighting alone bit. I have been doing that for the last 13 years and it wears thin. I wonder if they are such bad friends though that you really want them to share in such a special occassion. Its more important to surround yourself with people who really love and care for you and want to be there! Psuedo friends dont really appreciate being part of your life so they dont deserve your friendship anyway!