I was like most JW?s very critical of anything that was different then the way I was taught to believe. I fell hook line and sinker into the misinformation they taught. Once I left and felt I was doomed anyways, I began to look at other belief structures, my eyes were opened to diversity. Every faith, culture, people across the globe has good and bad points about themselves as a group and as a person. I have personally found it to be a wonderful thing and embrace diversity. I love to see how different and honestly how similar most things are across the globe and time. So yes, I am very much more tolerant of others and what they believe then I could ever possible be before. For not only have I learned tolerance, I have also learned to accept diversity and show it respect, even if I don?t? agree with it for myself. Such as being a JW any more. I also expect the same from those close in my life. For I hope that by accepting openly other choices, I hope they in turn accept mine. Jahna "Forever trusting in who we are, and nothing else matters" Metallica
Posts by Jahna
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Non-JW teacher needing advice
by Teacher inhi there, i'm new to the board and have turned here for advice.
i am a new teacher and have a child in my class who is a jw.
as i know nothing about the religion i thought i would ask here.. i am aware that he will not be able to take part in re or religious assemblies or christmas activities.
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Jahna
Cult or not, until the time comes that ALL religion forever forbidden in the house, ALL religion is banned world wide, ALL cultural differences are done away with globally, you will have people that just don?t believe, practice or otherwise, think like you do.
Children of JW?s, Jews, Muslims, Atheists ect are different, they may or may not celebrate Christmas or any other holiday, and we certainly don?t allow for other religious holidays. (Ever have Kwanza a pubic day off like Easter?) These children are not to blame, they are learning from their parents who are only trying to do what they feel is in their children?s best interest. While JW?s may have hurt us personally, they are no worse then any other group out there. Muslims do not celebrate Christmas they are not traumatized for life by it. Amish children never play with X Box, they live through it. It?s when the child gets to be of age that they will make their choice about what to practice as a faith. By respecting all diversity found globally in the class room and elsewhere your giving them the ability to judge what they believe without prejudice and pre conceived notions of hatred.
Bigotry starts by stirring up negative emotions about something different. For example all Islam is bad because of terrorist? True or false? All JW?s are not bad because of a few bad apples, they exist everywhere. Cult is a bad word, it may or may not fit in this case and it?s only stirring up negative emotions towards the innocent children that our teachers must teach.
Let?s teach children to have respect for themselves, and others, by showing them respect despite their differences.
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Non-JW teacher needing advice
by Teacher inhi there, i'm new to the board and have turned here for advice.
i am a new teacher and have a child in my class who is a jw.
as i know nothing about the religion i thought i would ask here.. i am aware that he will not be able to take part in re or religious assemblies or christmas activities.
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Jahna
I found as a Witness the best teacher was someone who approached me and asked questions. In our school board many different religious groups are represented in the schools. One school right now does not have any Christmas pageant ect, they have a ?Winter pageant? thus taking into account the various belief systems out there. Even today while talking with my daughter?s teacher from high school, the teacher mentioned different belief systems as she related a story about two ?religious young girls? in her class, half expecting to hear Jehovah?s Witnesses I was very surprised to hear, Mormon. See these two Mormon students found something offensive about what was going on in class.
Depending where you live, you will find that people believe different things and want different things taught, finding the happy medium that respects all belief systems is impossible. The best parents and teachers can do is have open communication with each other. Raised as a Witness myself, and from a Jewish back ground, I can tell you, I never felt that out of place when I couldn?t draw lights on my pine tree, it was just part of my life, and it was what I was raised to believe, just like a Catholic believes differently then a Muslim. You either teach your children and class to respect those unique differences in belief structures that are not your own, or your just as bad as the those that want us all to be the same. Children that are different do not need pity, they need acceptance that their values have merit and worth, and respect as a person, doesn?t matter Witness, Mormon, Catholic or Hindu, they should not feel shame for what they believe because it?s not ?mainstream? or deemed right.
Personally as a parent now I am very happy to see that my youngster is learning about all types of religious holidays and broadening his horizons and acceptance of difference between cultures and peoples. Even if those differences are not represented in his current class, they should know at the very least they can and do exist. Let us teach children to embrace differences, not condemn them.
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Anyone interested in cyber sex?
by RubyTuesday innow that i have your attention.
with the total anonymity available on-line, is it truly cheating, to flirt with, tease, or even "have sex" with someone via your computer?
is this the same as actually committing adultery, or is it just generally "harmless" fun?
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Jahna
Cyber relationships can be just as titillating, emotionally binding and physical attractive as offline relationships, in fact they can often be even more compelling. This is true because as many of us know, sex starts and ends in the brain, even if sometimes we think differently. The cyber medium of communication is written, this means it stimulates our brains and only our brains in ways we may never have felt before. Attachments can be emotionally strong because we are reaching out to others in fantasy, if all we have are words (sometimes a pic or two, real or as in often the case, not real) all we can do is create pictures of ourselves in someone else?s mind. For men and women alike we can paint the picture we want others to see, we all can be stunning with great bodies and with the sexual stamina of sex starved beasts. Who can beat this if your lonely or otherwise unfulfilled in your lives. Even some who are in ?normal? happy relationships often get a thrill out of cyber exploration and titillation.
Is it cheating? This all depends on your relationship, and emotional involvement. For those that do have more ?open? relationships, not at all, for those that don?t then possibly yes. If your typing away in the dark, behind your partner?s back then most definitely yes! Some couples have found cyber exploration an asset to their own relationship, it allows free testing of waters, in a safe environment. In other relationships, it has broken the bounds of trust and ruined it.
The dangers of cyber sex and relationships are real, and threatening, for many online only trysts often become offline as the emotional thrill of the relationship demands more and more. As in any relationship, trust is a fundamental key element, if cyber sex, real sex, phone sex, or even fantasy sex breeches trust, then you have indeed cheated on your partner, cheated them out of something very valuable, trust. The only real answer to this question is found between two loving people in a relationship. You, not any of us will set the boundaries of your relationship, what is right for one, maybe totally wrong for another.
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Circuit Overseer's Talk: " We need 5 meetings a week and weekly mags"
by truthseeker inat the circuit overseer's talk last week he made the comment that some "of the friends" are finding it difficult to move ahead with jehovah's organization (tm).
the co said that a few had asked, "is it necessary to have 5 meetings a week, and a magazine every other week?".
"couldn't we do without one meeting a week, and have monthly editions of the watchtower?
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Jahna
And here I thought they spent 40 years in the wilderness because they sinned, silly me. Makes me wonder what sin the early "bible students as they were called" did.
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Boyfriend gone to GTA :(
by Nancy Drake inwhat is with you boys and your video games?
my boyfriend was first in line last night to get his grand theft auto-san andreas that he prepayed for in may and has been talking about for months.. i won't talk to him for like a month.. anyone know the average age when guys are supposed to grow out of this?.
stupid boys.
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Jahna
The only way to combat this is to get involved yourself. If you can't beat them, join in the fun. Good luck!
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Same sex marriage and religion
by Jahna infrom cbc.ca news ?many of the groups opposed to same-sex marriage are concerned about their freedom of religion, fearing ministers from churches opposed to gay marriage would be forced to perform same-sex ceremonies.
the tird question on the reference is meant to deal with their concerns.?
the issue of same sex marriages are being debated in canada?s top court starting today.
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Jahna
I tend to agree with you, yet, the Canadian Charter of Rights is the legal and binding force behind this question. In a nutshell no one can discriminate regardless of anything including common sence. It has sweeping implications and legal backing. It?s also pretty nit picky in practical use. For example if I fire alcoholic and accident prone employee number 1 for burning down my building in a drunken rage, I can not give a bad reference, EVER! I will be charge under Charter of Rights Act, and it can be stiff.
Technically, if, let?s say, cleric A refuses to marry gay couple B, cleric A is violating the Charter of Rights, and faces stiff repercussions, why, because cleric A discriminated against gay couple B and is breaking the law. While this is only a what if, it is the very grounds that got same sex unions legalized to begin with!
I agree the religious implications are unheard of, but, so was gay marriages.
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Same sex marriage and religion
by Jahna infrom cbc.ca news ?many of the groups opposed to same-sex marriage are concerned about their freedom of religion, fearing ministers from churches opposed to gay marriage would be forced to perform same-sex ceremonies.
the tird question on the reference is meant to deal with their concerns.?
the issue of same sex marriages are being debated in canada?s top court starting today.
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Jahna
From cbc.ca news ?Many of the groups opposed to same-sex marriage are concerned about their freedom of religion, fearing ministers from churches opposed to gay marriage would be forced to perform same-sex ceremonies. The tird question on the reference is meant to deal with their concerns.?
The issue of same sex marriages are being debated in Canada?s top court starting today. For the full story:
http://www.cbc.ca/story/canada/national/2004/10/06/same_sex_court041006.html
The comment above is interesting because of it?s religious implications. I wonder, will sects like the Witnesses have to marry same sex couples soon? If so, how will they deal with it?
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You Will Know By The Love They Have Among Themselves
by Corvin inthe organization of jehovah's witnesses boasts of having true brotherly love for one another.
i always believed they did, although i never felt it growing up in it.
i reckoned that there was something wrong with me since i never felt that "joy" and "spirit of love" that supposedly permeated the congregations.
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Jahna
Like Corvin I spent many sleepless nights in tears wondering, what?s wrong with me. I analyzed myself and prayed harder, worked harder and still, the love that was suppose to be there, wasn?t. I was first told, ?it?s the congregation? it appears I failed to have the right last name. This congregation was devolved due to ?lack of progress? and we were switched. It remained the same. The only time I got invited out was to parties where you have to buy something, and the congregation picnics. We moved, and I thought, ok it will be better. It got worse.
People were nice enough when new babies were on the way, but no one ever invited me out in field service, even when I was aux pio with young children. No one dropped in to see how I was doing, or hardly spoke to me at meetings unless they wanted my expertise in my secular field of work (my ex and I owned our own business and it was well known, we did not want to discuss business at the KH yet they still came up to us). We went out of our way to always have the CO come for dinner, invite younger couples and new couples over for dinner, we never got invited back, but they sure came over when we invited them. I tumbled into despair of ?Jehovah is telling me I don?t have his blessing, why bother.? So I left.
Even today, years later my mother still tells me, ?many of those elders have since stepped down because of failing to shepard the flock,? ?they were afraid of your husband (now ex),? and ?things are different now.? Are they? You read of those heart warming stories in the magazines, in the books, and hear them over and over again from the platform, yet, when you look around, you fail to see it. My last weeks at meetings were me sitting in the mother?s room with my toddler crying, I just couldn?t stop. I blamed myself. Since I left, I have (at the bequest of my mother) gone to one day of the DC several years ago, I cried. I have also gone to a funeral of my new husband?s family at the KH, I cried. I have worked hard at stop blaming myself, but to see the broader picture. They want new blood, the old blood, well they can fend for themselves.
There is love among the congregations, it?s few and far between. Some have a very giving spirit, but, as a whole, I don?t see the difference. For a group that defines themselves based on love, I found more concern from strangers online, who missed me chatting for a couple of days, then those who never missed me at meetings when I was a person who hell or high water never missed one before. Odd, strange, but true.
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How do you handle JWs interacting with your children?
by Nosferatu inthis has been on my mind lately.
i'll probably end up having kids in the near future, and i would not want my mother preaching to my children.. so, i must ask, how do you handle your jw relatives who try to preach to your children?
how do you deal with a "gift" like my book of bs?
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Jahna
I have to say, yes, some people will shun family members to the max, and others, well won?t. In my own case my disfellowshipped sister and myself work in the family business (I am not disfellowshipped, yet I should be. Get my meaning.) I must admit that for awhile the relationship between my parents and my sister was cool, though now over the years it has warmed up a lot. Neither of my parents or my Grandmother has ever been on reproof or threatened with disfellowshipping for the contact. Further, the elders do know about it, they drop by the office quite a bit. (Yes they keep their own distance but for the most part say a warm hello.)
I feel strongly that if your family that are in the truth, (Grand parents especially) are favorable towards not preaching ect then having that family contact is very important for your children. Just because someone is a Witness doesn?t always mean they are cut from the same cloth as the fanatics, which BTW exist in any organization, not just the Witnesses.
Only you as the parent can judge how close you want ANYONE to get with you children. Base it on individual case by case, not on blanket statements.
Jahna