Posts by dubstepped

2

A Shunned Success Story - From GED to MIT

by dubstepped in

i haven't shared any of my podcasts here in a long time but since i started a new type of episode i thought some might like it.

welcome to the first episode of the shunned success stories series.

in this episode we meet kelsey and get to learn from her path as she went from a homeschooled member of jehovah’s witnesses to recently being accepted to attend mit.

dubstepped

I haven't shared any of my podcasts here in a long time but since I started a new type of episode I thought some might like it.

Welcome to the first episode of the Shunned Success Stories series. In this episode we meet Kelsey and get to learn from her path as she went from a homeschooled member of Jehovah’s Witnesses to recently being accepted to attend MIT. You’ll learn about her struggles on this path as she is shunned by her family and former friends, how she overcame that for this part of her journey, and the new opportunities that she’s found. Success as defined by these episodes is personal happiness, so look for the lessons you can take on your own journey to find more happiness in your life.

You can listen on the podcast app of your choice such as iTunes, Apple Podcasts, Google Play Music, Podbean, Podcast Republic (my personal choice), or many others.

You can also find the podcast on iHeartRadio, Spotify, Radio Public, Player.fm, Radio.com, and Owltail.

There is a player on my website where you can listen at:

https://shunnedpodcast.com/shunned-success-stories-1-from-ged-to-mit/

Or if you prefer you can listen on YouTube at:

https://youtu.be/fLUv_xGdaog

17

According to History

by Gorbatchov in

jw
friends

according to history, now only a reichstag fire is needed to eliminate democracy.

it is very likely that this will happen.. g..

dubstepped

Funny how the country is on fire and I don't even smell smoke. What you want to be true and what is are two different things. That doesn't mean it couldn't devolve but it's not at this point. I live 5 miles from where riots occurred because Louisville had it's own bad situation (though not necessarily racist). Yes there are issues but as time goes by people will settle in, cooler heads will prevail, and hopefully some real changes to policing will take place at a minimum.

30

Has anyone ever turn down being appointed an Elder or MS?

by Davros in

jw
friends

has anyone turned it down or know of someone who did turn down being an elder or ms?.

yes, it should be one of the biggest privileges a brother can get !!

(how do i put the barfy icon in?

dubstepped

At 18 I was a pioneer, then appointed a MS. They had me doing everything at the KH. Burned me out, plus I had 3 part time jobs to support myself. I handed it all back to them. Well, I tried to but the elders wouldn't accept it so when the circuit overseer visited I pulled him and the presiding overseer to the side and told them that whether it was accepted or not I wouldn't be doing either anymore. The next week the presiding overseer pulled me in the back and chastised me for embarrassing him.

I knew an elderly brother that was never more than a MS that turned them down many times. I knew a family man that turned down being an elder too for years but he finally succumbed and I believe they ended up deleting him later because his job schedule kept him from being an effective slave anymore.

15

Peace and security

by BourneIdentity in

scrolling through the news this morning and i couldn’t help to think we are light years from any leaders crying out peace and security.

jws are going to have to wait another decade or two and see how things develop before they get excited about armageddon coming in their lifetime.

.

dubstepped

Actually next year is supposed to be the International Year of Peace and Trust recognized by the United Nations. And 1986 was an International Year of Peace. And world leaders have mentioned "peace and security" many times. Yet here we all are. No sudden destruction has instantly come upon us.

32

My Mom died last week.

by Still Totally ADD in

jw
friends

last wednesday my elder brother called me to let me know mom had died.

she was 97 years old and was in a nursing home for the last 7 years.

her mind had left her many years ago to the point she didn't recognize any of us.

dubstepped

I'm so sorry for your loss, both now and for parts lost in the past. These relationships are complicated enough without a cult in the mix. Don't judge your feelings, just feel them, and be kind to yourself as you grieve. Take care and I send my condolences.

60

Will You Constantly Wear A Mask?

by minimus in

jw
friends

today, it will be 90 degrees and humid!

this morning i’ll be playing tennis again.

while most people have been holed up in their houses, i have regularly played the sport outside.

dubstepped

I wonder if some that have it on in their car just don't want to touch it to take it off and put it back on. Or they're just idiots. Probably a mix of both skewing toward idiocy.

The question presented isn't something though that I've heard anyone say they'd do. Even the people I know that are all about some masks don't wear it constantly.

I wear one when going indoors where there are lots of people like the post office the other day. Other than that I don't wear one. I met a friend for lunch last week on the riverfront and we ate at a picnic table and we sat at opposite corners and had a good time. Tomorrow a friend is coming over to sit on my screened porch to social distance and have lunch.

Masks have a place for sure. I think it is stupid to wear one constantly. I think it is equally stupid to refuse to wear one regardless of the circumstance.

5

A quote from Mysterious Stranger by Mark Twain

by dubstepped in

my wife was reading this book and telling me how much she enjoyed it and looked up the quote below to share it with me.

i quite enjoyed it, so i'm sharing it with you, for what it's worth:strange, indeed, that you should not have suspected that your universe and its contents were only dreams, visions, fiction!

strange, because they are so frankly and hysterically insane—like all dreams: a god who could make good children as easily as bad, yet preferred to make bad ones; who could have made every one of them happy, yet never made a single happy one; who made them prize their bitter life, yet stingily cut it short; who gave his angels eternal happiness unearned, yet required his other children to earn it; who gave his angels painless lives, yet cursed his other children with biting miseries and maladies of mind and body; who mouths justice and invented hell—mouths mercy and invented hell—mouths golden rules, and forgiveness multiplied by seventy times seven, and invented hell; who mouths morals to other people and has none himself; who frowns upon crimes, yet commits them all; who created man without invitation, then tries to shuffle the responsibility for man's acts upon man, instead of honorably placing it where it belongs, upon himself; and finally, with altogether divine obtuseness, invites a poor, abused slave to worship him.

dubstepped

My wife was reading this book and telling me how much she enjoyed it and looked up the quote below to share it with me. I quite enjoyed it, so I'm sharing it with you, for what it's worth:

Strange, indeed, that you should not have suspected that your universe and its contents were only dreams, visions, fiction! Strange, because they are so frankly and hysterically insane—like all dreams: a God who could make good children as easily as bad, yet preferred to make bad ones; who could have made every one of them happy, yet never made a single happy one; who made them prize their bitter life, yet stingily cut it short; who gave his angels eternal happiness unearned, yet required his other children to earn it; who gave his angels painless lives, yet cursed his other children with biting miseries and maladies of mind and body; who mouths justice and invented hell—mouths mercy and invented hell—mouths Golden Rules, and forgiveness multiplied by seventy times seven, and invented hell; who mouths morals to other people and has none himself; who frowns upon crimes, yet commits them all; who created man without invitation, then tries to shuffle the responsibility for man's acts upon man, instead of honorably placing it where it belongs, upon himself; and finally, with altogether divine obtuseness, invites a poor, abused slave to worship him.

29

Trump declares houses of worship essential service

by Vanderhoven7 in

what do you think about this?.

https://abcn.ws/3bqn4tt.

dubstepped

As a government approved "essential service" maybe they should kick in some tax money like most other such services.

41

The ransom makes no sense

by BourneIdentity in

if mankind needed to be redeemed from sin and death, why didn't the redemption happen as soon as jesus successfully lived his entire life without sin and sacrificed his life?

if he was successful, the price was paid and we'd all be living forever.

it's all bullshit, or jesus fucked up and sinned, so it nullified his sacrifice.

dubstepped

God had a half price sale on justice that day. Two perfect humans lost perfection. It only took one, and god had to bring in a ringer in his own superhuman son, to somehow create justice. If I was Satan I'd feel like I got ripped off. I mean, first I'm the devil and I totally got more people on my side than on his over millenia, so who really won here? And second, god couldn't even win his own game fair and square. Weak sauce there god.

43

Craziest thing you ever saw in a KH?

by dubstepped in

i did this in my facebook group for my podcast and it was fun.. so what's the craziest thing you ever saw?.

for me it was watching a brother have a heart attack during the meeting in the auditorium.

i was a kid and noticed him shaking and acting strange.

dubstepped

@La Capra - Sounds like the elders at the other congregation had dirt on the elder of yours that forced the vote for the sucky schedule, lol. Few people want the afternoon Sunday meeting. It wrecks your day. I like how he passed it regardless.

We had a vote on a KH remodel once. It was right after a Kingdom Ministry part showing how you could build KHs in Africa for something like $5000. We were voting on spending $50,000 or more on things like carpet and recovering chairs (we had theater seating) and other upgrades. I thought it would be better to use the money to build 10 KHs in some other country but what did I know.

When the elder got up to announce the resolution so that we could get our remodel he literally told us that we'd have to be stupid not to support it. By doing so he poisoned the well. I wasn't in favor of it but wasn't going to get singled out by opposing it publicly. I did at least approach him after the meeting, told him that if he really wanted accurate numbers both myself and my wife were opposed to it, and let him know that how he framed it wasn't fair. It had been an issue that people were somewhat divided on but when he got up there and presented it as a no-brainer that you'd have to be stupid not to want to approve suddenly everyone was voiceless.