Posts by bem

9

Deism, Anyone?

by Dan-O in

i've dabbled in this on & off for the past 15 or 20 years.

and i've found that many of the central concepts of deism are well aligned with my own thinking on the nature of the supreme being.

webster's defines a deist as "one who believes in the existence of a god or supreme being but denies revealed religion, basing his belief on the light of nature and reason.

for giving me something else to think about. A friend from the forum recently asked me where I stood on my religious beliefs now. best I could say is that I believe in a higher power.I'm sure this is a worn out phrase by now. I always think try taking your next breath without Him....(I too wish to not offend anyone, I am just answering the ?)

"All national institutions of churches, whether Jewish, Christian or Turkish, appear to me no other than human inventions, set up to terrify and enslave mankind, and monopolize power and profit. I for one agree with the above statement from your post.

I had thought a lot of these things even before reading the post and further info.

bem

23

Apostate Literature

by glitter in

jw
friends

.

a jw once told me apostates print their "own" version of the publications with "convincing" covers to "trick" people - apparently they used to stand outside a shop in sheffield and jws had almost taken literature from them.. has this got any truth to it at all?

i'd have thought most self-published apostate literature would be photocopied leaflets.. other than the brilliant photoshopped spoof covers people post of course!

bem

Sorry I can't give an answer to the question Glitter.

But am LMAO at those mag covers.those are too funny.

84

Post pics of.....your desk!

by Xander in

jw
friends

yup, we all know you have one.

it's what you are sitting at right now reading this thread.

desk your computer sits on.

bem

4JWY and Special K, You two had me ROTFLMAO! you would have laughed had you seen me,I just got home from work and my son thought I lost my mind. thanks for the laugh!

Tried to get my work desk and home desk on but got error.... so ok folks just imagine the neatest cleanest areas you have ever seen. NOT! actually I have a groove worn in the one at home where I prop my feet.

I too appreciate being helped by someone & not made to feel like I might need to be put in a paragraph in guide to an idiot, glad you appreciated and mentioned the kindness of the advice.W...

84

Post pics of.....your desk!

by Xander in

jw
friends

yup, we all know you have one.

it's what you are sitting at right now reading this thread.

desk your computer sits on.

bem

4jwy, you had me puzzled you said roll top was messy to be prepared. then seen second shot ok girly-Q what do you do with the stuff when you use the desk? please say you shove into a pile,Like I do.: ). Hey is that feather a talking feather? I need to make ya'll one! (native american for those who don't know talking feathers are used for discussions whoever has the feather or stick has the floor so to speak and gets the respect of being heard or just respected if unable to talk at the time great learning tool to teach folks to honor one another.) the doll is pretty.

Well with A. being a race driver and mom being a driver teacher don't doubt that you have neat clean vehicles.

I'm so glad I'm not the only one that uses furniture for a clothes rack.

Loved the photo of A's truck above the desk,great shot.

O-cowboy love the wall color, you decorate? looks way nice,and a country music fan.WooHoo!

Awwwwwwww wolfy you have a living paperweight.like so many of us do! kitty always tries to help way too much here.

Country girl! great choice for the color of your pic.goes with the decor.nicely.

great shots all ! will try to get a shot on later tried once before and it didn't work.Will try E-mans advice sounds so easy...

38

What First Stumbled You?

by glitter in

jw
friends

what was the very first thing that "stumbled" you?

mine was: i was about 5 or 6 years old and of course i used to find it really hard to find things in my bible at meetings (couldn't find the books quick enough before they moved onto the next paragraph and used to get frustrated).

i had the idea to make little tabs for the edges of the pages so i could tell where the books were - so i asked mum to help me neatly write out the book names on tiny slips of paper and tape them inside.

bem

Awww ((((Fleur)))), thanks your kind words,They are so well recieved yes I agree with the rest here,the stories sound so familiar,with things expierienced at original kh then the move to the one here where I now live.

((((happyDad))) sorry for what you expierienced!

I remember an elderly sis. in original cong. saying that more flew out the back door at a run! than they could convert through the front door! Understand that phrase so much better now.

I wonder now to the truth of the comment if Eldies were taught "incensitivitie" I'd imagine it's not hard to aquire that, With training. some of the men were kind.And I know there are sincere ones here on the board that took the work seriously.I mean no offense to any of you. But actions of jws at times made me think they we're getting way too much out of the authority! not acting like a service to the cong. But more like the long arm of the law.Gone wrong,and to there heads not there hearts.

sorry I'm being wordy.Hug's to all of you. ((((glitter)))) thanks for the post.

32

May I look inside your heads for a moment?

by SwampThing in

jw
friends

hello again, forum members.... well, as many of you have suggested, i?ve been reading, and reading, and reading... i?ve even purchased the book several of you recommended, "crisis of conscience.

" it should be delivered next week.

some of your stories are absolutely heart-wrenching.

bem

AlanF:

Thank you for your response to SwampThing's Thread it really was well put and I for one appreciate that you answered in such a way as to not make us feel bad for making such life altering decisions! as so many of us made. I beat myself up so much all on my own! It really has made us who we are.

32

May I look inside your heads for a moment?

by SwampThing in

jw
friends

hello again, forum members.... well, as many of you have suggested, i?ve been reading, and reading, and reading... i?ve even purchased the book several of you recommended, "crisis of conscience.

" it should be delivered next week.

some of your stories are absolutely heart-wrenching.

bem

SwampThing, Your welcome! Thanks again for the post.

I had something in mind entirely different from what I am getting from this forum when I first joined.I certainly am not disapointed! I am really glad that the post is helping you. and feel good too that it is helping others.

Abuse is something we never out-grow we may heal to an extent, But I have taken care of folks into the end of there life and in some way or other they always remember surviving abuse and that toll it takes on our lives .It's always worse when that abused person goes on and becomes an abuser them-selves that is hardest and saddest to accept.

Surprises me! when I sometimes do not even realize a spot inside me needs healing until the process has begun. Hope things go well for you.

38

What First Stumbled You?

by glitter in

jw
friends

what was the very first thing that "stumbled" you?

mine was: i was about 5 or 6 years old and of course i used to find it really hard to find things in my bible at meetings (couldn't find the books quick enough before they moved onto the next paragraph and used to get frustrated).

i had the idea to make little tabs for the edges of the pages so i could tell where the books were - so i asked mum to help me neatly write out the book names on tiny slips of paper and tape them inside.

bem

Goodness folks... ((((Glitter)))) I hate it when children are shamed.(By the way I love hello kitty!)

((((Fleur)))) Yes it stumbled me when I had my first mis-carriage/still birth.I was 6-1/2 months into the pregnancy.They thought I was being comforted when they visited me in hospital.I suppose it could of been. 'til they told me the baby would not be "included in the resurrection".These were women friends! that were also mom's. Then a year later had another miscarriage.same visit...same story...different day! Hurt me all the same. then big and dumb believing hubby tried to pick -up that story.at the time I was very obedient... but it hurt so much coming from him...it numbed my heart. We never forget that those were babies in there floating/bouncing around. Here I am years later knowing if my first one lost was born on his due date he would be 18 years old this coming 4th of july.

((((Confucious)))) having lost a brother-n-law to suicide I can relate to that sad frustation that goes with the loss. My husband was told his brother probably would not be resurrected... it stumbled me but he accepted it. or said he did.

Besides those stumblers. Having an elder that I respected treat me worse than anyone had ever treated me.in my life & thats saying a lot! cut me to the quick. doesn't hurt me now but back then... Thought the pain would kill me.

Thanks for the post Glitter

32

May I look inside your heads for a moment?

by SwampThing in

jw
friends

hello again, forum members.... well, as many of you have suggested, i?ve been reading, and reading, and reading... i?ve even purchased the book several of you recommended, "crisis of conscience.

" it should be delivered next week.

some of your stories are absolutely heart-wrenching.

bem

swamp thing:

Most of the above sounds really like what I was thinking as an answer for you.I could add that as a twenty-three year old Mom at the time,I was called on in the door -to-door work.I had two small children.I loved them so dearly and I wanted them to live forever. so I was willing to do whatever would keep them alive! My now 3rd.child is 16 years old and he was born after I heard the wt.story. interestingly he grasped the words and learned fast but he never accepted it as the "truth" he didn't influence why I left.the wt.just thought it interesting that he always questioned it.

I appreciated Lady Lee making the comment that it's not un-like an abusive marriage. I've been married over twenty-six years almost all of them have been with an abusive husband. Why did I stay? I feel dumber for staying now that I'm doing my own thinking than I did all those years. being abused! Isuppose we get to the low point of letting someone tell us what we need we forget to do it for ourselves....

I believed at the time what I was hearing was the truth! it seemed to make sense then. but when it started to un-ravel it fell apart fast.And it took a series of eye-openers for me. to really question and think about whether I wanted to stay. Yes I had a fear of god.

Not sure if I answered your question, but glad I got to read the other comments thanks for the thread.It helps me to talk out my feelings.... Welcome to the board.

bem is Dorothy.

14

If you can't run with the big dogs . . .

by moonwillow in

i never quite figured out why the sexual urges of men and women differ.

and i never figured out the whole venus and mars thing.

never figured out why men think with their head and women think with.

bem

Okay we'll probably both catch heck for this one. But way to go dude.I loved it,( I am a mom by the way.) Using sex as a pawn or token is so not right... But what a good idea. The shopping trip...of course many will try that now on there mates.

bem