Markfromcali

Joined

• started 89 topics
• posted 1,434 times   see topics posted on
• send a message

Posts by Markfromcali

• 
  13

  Do not become unevenly yoked with an unbeliever unless she is asian.

  by XQsThaiPoes in

  1. watchtower
  2. beliefs

  i notice a few "brothers" with asian non -jw wives.

  many tend to be at least 10-30 years younger often second wives.

  i notice the "friends" don't tend to pick on their budist,shinto, etc wives to convert them to jws.

  1. 
  2. 
  3. 
• 

  Markfromcali

  I don't have much to say about the specific topic, but it brought to mind something about the general subject of marrying an unbeliever:

  Anyone who considers themselves spiritual would probably agree that spirituality is the deepest thing, and for the sake of making this point I would use this model:

  1. Environment/conditioning
  2. Biology/genetics
  3. Spiritual

  With 3 being the deepest level. If you look closely at what religions like JWs are doing, they are really only working on the first level - and since the matter of marrying involve biology, they don't stand a chance unless they make a big deal out of it, condition you with 5 meetings a week, assemblies and conventions and things like that. Even then it is really temporary, but it can be sustained indefinitely.

  This is why I think it is quite possible to take the power out of the mind control even when there is years and decades of conditioning, simply because the JWs are working on the shallow level of behavior modification, number one. (there is some overlap with number two in the case where you grew up with JWs from an age where it's kind of burned in, but even then it's not the deepest) All things being equal, if you work on that level to try to reverse it of course it would take just as long. But if you go deeper to say number three - and you can just as easily substitute another word for spiritual if you like - then you are dealing with something more powerful. This is really what gives the behavior modification any power, it's the real power of your own mind - not the filling and shuffling of information around based on conditioning. In case anyone is wondering how exactly this is supposed to be done, the first step as I've said before is to realize you are controlled by the contents of mind, that is to say your mind is information driven, rather than the mind using information.
• 
  19

  Let's face it. The main reason to be a JW is the feeling of belonging.

  by new light in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  don't you agree?

  the doctrine part has its appeal for some people, but most join and stay because it feels good to belong to something larger than yourself.. realizing this may make it easier for some to stay away.

  that longing you may feel at first to join them or go back to them is not holy spirit, it's just the natural human inclination to belong to a group.

  1. 
  2. 
  3. 
• 

  Markfromcali

  The doctrine part has its appeal for some people, but most join and stay because it feels good to belong to something larger than yourself.

  I would pose the question whether that something larger than yourself is a group of people. Although one may quite naturally want to be part of a group, the whole spiritual deal is supposed to be about something larger than that, larger than belonging to a group of people. Whatever you think that is or even if you think that is doesn't really matter, but the point here is be honest about what you want. If you just want to belong to a group of people, there are lots of ways to do that. If you want something more along the lines of it fitting who you are, then that's another story. Remember even when you are with a group on the same page as you, you're still you and they are still them.
• 
  122

  Do you fear death?

  by onacruse in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  .

  the ultimate test of our existence: termination.. i don't fear death...no reservations, no nightmares.. craig

  1. 
  2. 
  3. 
• 

  Markfromcali

  Forgetmenot, of course I am speaking of something other than a physical death, so maybe we're not quite on the same page. However, all I can say is in the big picture death happens all the time, I don't mean just the death of individual organisms, but every moment. Death actually gives birth to something new, it brings about change, see birth and death are then two sides of the same coin called change. (no pun intended) So I hope that is helpful in some way. What I can tell you is fear died here with me, we call that dying into life - or change if you like.

  Mark
• 
  23

  When You Were A Witness---Were You Ever On A Spiritual "High"?

  by minimus in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  i knew soooo many jws that would get pumped up because of an assembly or elder's or circuit overseer's talk.

  after hearing the reasons to pioneer, for example, some would wait in a line to get their applications from the service overseer.

  some would go to their first district convention, see the "love" and want to get baptized.......were you one of those persons that ever found yourself "on a spiritual high"??

  1. 
  2. 
  3. 
• 

  Markfromcali

  Well the kind you mentioned I wouldn't call a spiritual high, just an emotional high. And like many I had those, but it was nothing, really. While a Witness I did have a spiritual high, but it had nothing to do with the Witnesses - I read an article in a science magazine titled quantum consciousness or something, and although I didn't understand most of it something had blew my mind and I was lying on my bed full of energy. It was for sure a qualitatively different experience from the "will you serve more?" crap.
• 
  30

  What gives you your spiritual high now?

  by poppers in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  just wondering what sorts of things give you the "spiritual high" that you may have previously gotten from jw.

  another form of religion (within christianity or some other religion)?

  meditation?

  1. 
  2. 
  3. 
• 

  Markfromcali

  I'm glad you mentioned yoga Gretchen. I think this really goes right along with enjoying nature, because our bodies is closer to nature than our minds, which may be filled with a bunch of thoughts from religion like the JWs. When we're out enjoying nature, we certainly enjoy through the senses - we can't have that just by thinking, you gotta have the body to have your senses after all. That is the way we were programmed into believing the JW worldview, it was thought driven. Lately people on the board have posted about a visceral response to being in the organization just before they got out, the body tends to be more in tune with nature than the mind is. So enjoying living in the body can be a great way to go beyond the JW stuff.

  Frankie, remind me to play you a song called Alive Again Today, I was reminded of it reading your last post..
• 
  5

  Thank you SAHS and MarkfromCali

  by Crooked Lumpy Vessel in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  for your kind words....thank you for the hug.

  i know part of me is through a metamorphous.

  i have learned a lot of truth on this board and there is this battle going on inside me.

  1. 
  2. 
  3. 
• 

  Markfromcali

  You're welcome Crooked. The whole process of freeing your mind is like a metamorphosis, while it's happening it can be painful, but even while you are still in the middle of it you can begin to see the end when you're half way through. Although our past as JWs was less fulfilling than an ordinary, normal life, (to say the least huh) if you go through all the way what you find is better than what most people outside the JWs have. Frankly to compare the JW life and a normal life is like saying this illusion is better than that one as far as I'm concerned, but if you step out of that altogether then that is really something, even if the JW life has been most of your years the quality of a truly free life is imcomparable. So I say to all that are still in the middle of it - don't stop! Go all the way! Besides, once you pass the half way point that is the point of no return, you are closer to the end than you are to the beginning - and why would anyone want to go back to that anyway?
• 
  37

  Time to get on with it

  by onacruse in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  if you do the "work", there comes a "time.".

  there is so much i could say, and feel yet the need to say "what can i say"?.

  it's so hard, and yet so simple, to "get on" with our exjw life.. damn that religion me all the more if i let them continue to influence my life.. it's over.. from now on, as far as my participation on jwd, it will be only and simply to cut the guts out of that pathetic sociopathological antisocial mind-controlling cult.. i hate what that religion has done to me, to my marriages, to my family, to my life.. i hate the wts, and i hate those that defend them.

  1. 
  2. 
  3. 
• 

  Markfromcali

  Craig, for the record I haven't read every post but two things come to mind: Something coming up into your awareness doesn't mean you've had a setback or is not making progress, it just means you are aware of it - which may in fact be progress if the same stuff has been there but you just become more aware of it.

  The other thing is seeing it doesn't really do the trick - you have to be touched by it, engaged and connected with it so that it's one with you - because it is - rather than treat it as just information separate from you when you know it is a part of you. Bashing the external reflections of it or even the internal will not do it. Obviously you're not going to erase the past, but when I babble on in my many messages what I'm really pointing to is something which cannot be changed by the JW experience or any experience, it can't be taken from you. When you recognize it you'll see it was always there, even before the JWs.
• 
  30

  What gives you your spiritual high now?

  by poppers in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  just wondering what sorts of things give you the "spiritual high" that you may have previously gotten from jw.

  another form of religion (within christianity or some other religion)?

  meditation?

  1. 
  2. 
  3. 
• 

  Markfromcali

  I found that spirituality isn't about such a high. As far as nature goes, I agree - but what isn't nature? In the big picture even a piece of plastic is nature too, and so are we. I think it's more helpful to look at it as appreciating life, not this human life but life in general, which is just to say the movement of nature. One of the wisest things I've ever heard in this regard is: "Why is there anything at all?"
• 
  29

  Poll: Anyone thought they sinned against Holy Spirit? Any anxiety or anger?

  by SAHS in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  certainly not that i would ever imply that anyone would have sinned against the holy spirit, but i was just wondering how may people either think they may have done this, or in the past thought they may have, or if they felt they were ever a victim of that wt scare tactic.

  if so, did you at some point in your life feel anxiety over it?

  did you ever feel anger about being misled into thinking you had when you realize now that you really couldn?t have (at least by that time)?

  1. 
  2. 
  3. 
• 

  Markfromcali

  I have to just say one more thing folks - if you ask me what sinning against the Holy Spirit means, I would say it's simply sinning against love. And what would the JW who shun their relative be doing when they reach out to them in love? Isn't there also a little something about lack of natural affection??
• 
  29

  Poll: Anyone thought they sinned against Holy Spirit? Any anxiety or anger?

  by SAHS in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  certainly not that i would ever imply that anyone would have sinned against the holy spirit, but i was just wondering how may people either think they may have done this, or in the past thought they may have, or if they felt they were ever a victim of that wt scare tactic.

  if so, did you at some point in your life feel anxiety over it?

  did you ever feel anger about being misled into thinking you had when you realize now that you really couldn?t have (at least by that time)?

  1. 
  2. 
  3. 
• 

  Markfromcali

  <duplicate deleted>