the other day my 14 year old niece came round to say hi and tell me about her day.
she was telling me about an incident in her biology class that day where a christian clique (they're known at the school as the god squad), had remonstrated with the teacher over whether he should be teaching "darwinist rubbish" as fact.
the children in question have also apparently refused to do their homework which is specifically covering the subject of evolution.. .
Clam,
I have thought over and over how to respond...I guess my overriding feeling is I am stunned, but then I guess we did the same thing as Jdubs whenever a teacher was teaching "spritism" or other subjects we disagreed with. I could be out of touch lateley, but here in the U.S. it seems like the fundie thing is slowing down, or at least not being tolerated as well. I can't wait 'til the fundie thing subsides completely. It is quite annoying at the moment.
exjdub
surprised that nobody has been screaming about this.
it seems that even if you turn your cell phone off, it does not deactivate the unit.
the cia and fbi can actually turn it on by remote and use it as a bug and listen in to conversations even if you just leave it sitting out in the room - or the car - or the restaurant...endless opportunities.
I believe that giving up some of our liberties and freedoms, if it is for the purpose of making our country safer, is a good thing.
Deaconbluez,
I have only one thing to say to you:
"Those who would trade freedom for security deserve neither" -- Benjamin Franklin
exjdub
does anyone know anything about auldsoul?
i have been so busy the last few months that i hardly have time to play on my pc.
i just did a post history on him and see he hasn't posted since early april.
Can't get exjdub to call me back even though he outed me as a reader of auras.
AuldSoul,
I am so sorry...I have had one hell of a month and I completely forgot that you left me voice mail on my cell phone, until I logged on and read your "rebuke"...LOL. I will call tonight, if you are available.
And Dude...ya gotta let the aura thing go. I feel horrible about "outing" you. You really know how to beat a brother down . I think you could be good elder material...ROFL. Also, good to see your old screen name, I think that fits you extremeley well. I look forward to talking with you. Take care.
Warmest Regards,
exjdub
PS: You know I am just ribbing you about beating me down...right? You are one of the kindest and sincere persons I know and you said I was fogiven for the aura misstep...so I am holding you to it.
i know a lot of you do meditation and i thought i would share a recent experience with you all.
it's been almost 2 years since i left the mental bondage of the org.
and it's been a journey with lots of twists and turns.
Keep 'em coming Freedom, I enjoy reading your experiences and the discussions that your topics of late have been raising.
exjdub
i never was baptize as a jw.
i use to study with them for years, i even went as for as becoming a unbaptize publisher.
i gave up being a publisher because i did not feel genuine in my efforts to preach.
The words ''spiritual need'' is a term made up by the JW's.
It's dung.
It's nothing but a sales pitch to make you feel that you NEED THEM to tell you how to run your life and be spiritual.
You can find spirituality within yourself.
If you need to believe in Jesus, then turn to him if that makes you feel good.
I personally have left that behind...and now I take in every moment, and see everything with new open eyes...I'm not just waiting to be saved anymore, I'm saving myself, I'm living my life, living in each moment and second, that's spirituallity to me.
What it is to you may be a whole different story. Just go with what works for you.
Eclipse,
Very beautiful, very poetic, and very true...
exjdub
i just read the thread on how many jw's were in "happy" marriages and it got me thinking...there is so much divorces, so many families in and out of the org.
that break up over stupid stuff.
we complain how mothers/fathers/friends cut you off because of different beliefs.... wouldn't divorces also be on "conditional" love?
Gina,
One of the mysteries of the heart is that if it has been broken it cannot repair properly unless it is opened back up. A closed heart is a sick heart and makes a bitter, isolated and mistrustful person incapable of moving forward. Opening the heart up to possible hurt is, of course, the opposite of what one feels like doing when they have been devestatingly hurt, but it is necessarry. I know you have been hurt deeply, however please do not close your heart off. It is a very lonely place for you and for the people around you who care about you.
I'm seeing how true that is. Because of marriages being less and less happy...I so hope my kids learn from all of this and don't get themselves involved.
You really can't trust anyone but yourself. That is one lesson I've learn in life. I hope I can teach my kids that.
I hope that you examine your feelings for the sake of your children. It is a tough load to bear for children when they watch parents split. They are watching very closely how you are reacting and how you both are handling the divorce. To close your children off to the possibility of love by hoping they "don't get themeselves involved" is most likely going to make them emotionally empty shells walking around. There are too many of those people walking around already who have been damaged and feel no responsibility to people, the planet, their community and even their own families.
I know you have been deeply hurt and that is the place where you are talking from, but please give yourself a chance to heal. You have only been divorced for a relatively short period of time. That, coupled with leaving a mind controlling cult, is enough for someone to deal with for a long time. I wish healing for you and I am sorry that you are having such a difficult time. Sometimes when devastating things happen it strips everything away and makes us look at what is important in life. Being a perfect housewife, or having possessions, is not what is important. Those, as you have learned, can be temporary and unable to make you happy. You mentioned that you can only trust yourself. I don't quite agree with that, but I understand where it is coming from. What is true is that only you can make you happy and content...no matter what happens.
Warmest Regards,
exjdub
without elaborating at length, there has been a lot going on in my life of late and i have sought out some therapies that i have used in the past.
they've helped a lot.
they are more along the lines of *natural* therapies.
I also told exjdub that I don't talk about it publicly...but I guess he forgot that part.
Sorry Bro! I didn't realize that you wanted it private or I would have never said anything. I just found it fascinating and admire the ability...I just wish I had it. I hardly post anymore and then when I do I get in the doghouse...
exjdub
without elaborating at length, there has been a lot going on in my life of late and i have sought out some therapies that i have used in the past.
they've helped a lot.
they are more along the lines of *natural* therapies.
I met Auld Soul (Brandon), when he still lived in Georgia, and he said he sees auras all of the time and he has seen them ever since he was very young. He said something very similar to what Insomniac said...that he thought everyone saw them and he was quite surprised to learn that most people did not.
Freedomlover,
Do you have any websites in particular that you have found useful that discusses how to develop the ability to see auras? I will Google as well, but thought you might have some good input. Thanks for the interesting topic, I appreciate it.
exjdub
i need to draw on your collective jw knowledge here; i have two questions:.
1. if satan is supposed to be the ruler of this world and jesus' arrived invisibly in 1914 to rule the world, surely only one is true.. 2. the "knocking" documentary put the dubs on television, does that make them "teledubbies" ?.
ao.
Here is a more compelling question for you.
JW's kick out naysayers (apostates) as fast as possible, but, Jehovah allowed Satan the run of heaven for millennia: what gives with the double standard???
Who is worse: a troubled publisher wanting clarification on flip-flop issues or a demon trying to tear angels away from God's throne?
Great point Terry! Your question just spurred a few others in my mind. If JW's are always being tested by Satan and are going to be tested during the 1000 year reign, why is it they get in trouble for investigating "apostate" websites and literature? Wouldn't that just be testing and not wicked? If a JW's faith is strong enough to endure Satan's testing and the temptations of this "wicked system of things" and all of the things that surround them, surely it wouldn't be so tough or wrong to read something that supposedly contains lies, or listen to someone who is supposedly lying about the JW's? It should be easy to face the testing and prove it wrong, wouldn't it? It would be if they really had the Truth...
exjdub
dear greg: just a note to thank you for the card and for remembering us on our anniversary.
we had a very nice 45th anniversary.
the only thing that would have made it better is if you and ***(my sister) could have celebrated with us .
The JW religion is not a religion you can stay in if you don't believe it yeah know...unless you are o.k. with being dishonest. I would have been content searching while still in but I wasn't allowed to do that. I was pushed to believe it or else. Belief doesn't work very well that way.
That is a very powerful statement Greg...I love it. I can't imagine any JW could read that and not pause because it is a completely reasonable fact and they know it is true, although I don't think any of them are comfortable with it.
exjdub
