Markfromcali

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Posts by Markfromcali

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  45

  Men With Older, Uglier Women.....

  by Country Girl in

  1. social
  2. entertainment

  i liked all the fuss on the thread about younger girls.

  i once was a younger girl, and i could command any man to do what i wanted because i was beautiful and young.

  now that i am older and uglier, i have to use my wits.

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  Markfromcali

  Here's one for you CG:

  http://www.jehovahs-witness.com/25/73477/3.ashx

  The 'what is your basic attitude about life' thread inspired a zen koan for me: Timmy! (from South Park) I will have to say that sometimes when people are going on about looks.
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  42

  What's your basic attitude?

  by seattleniceguy in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  i think that if i had to describe my basic attitude toward life, the universe, and everything in one sentence, it would be this:.

  generally, and on reflection, life is better today than it was yesterday.. very anti-thetical to the wt view of things, i know.

  sng

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  Markfromcali

  ... when life gives you lemons, its like a box of chocolates ..

  Actually, I think it can be simply summed up in a word: Timmy!
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  38

  The Watchtower guilt machine is indeed a powerful tool

  by Nocturne in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  i haven't posted as much here as i've wanted these past few weeks, but i've spent most of my time lurking here, or in chat.

  for the last few 2 months roughly, every meeting i attended became extremely painful to endure, such that i would come up with excuses to miss as many as possible.

  but there are 2 events that really gave me a swift kick to wake me up and realize that things had to change.

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  Markfromcali

  This may help with the guilt, lets look at what it is. Basically it is a codependent dynamic, being a JW tends to imply you are enmeshed in that whole social system, as opposed to a healthy kind of unity where one is both an autonomous individual as well as part of the group.

  The key thing to remember is there is no intelligence in the thing, there is just all this emotional stickiness. Therefore there is no reason for the guilt other than the sticky attachments, its just because you are a part of the group. Its a dysfunctional mindset that causes it all.
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  28

  Encouragement to get back to the meetings

  by cyber-sista in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  i keep getting these forwards from certain ones who i knew in the org.

  they know i have left because i was "discouraged".

  they are keeping their distance by not writing to me anything personal, but keep sending these "encouraging" forwards in hopes that i'll be re-awakened, dust off the book bag and head on back to the old kh.

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  Markfromcali

  Okay, even if you do feel better after meetings, (which is not always the case as we know) does that indicate a 'recharging'? Could it be that its actually the opposite, and the good feeling is not an indication one is recharged? If that feeling is an infusion of holy spirit or whatever, why is it you'd have to go to meetings to get them, or some kind of activity under the organization like field service? (which is again questionable, maybe if you placed something)

  I would suggest that what is actually happening is not any kind of 'recharging', but essentially you are having your ears tickled, because the whole Witness mentality is so unnatural that you need so many meetings and be kept busy in order to sustain it. The good feeling is having that identification reinforced, which is hard to come by or in contrast with 'this wicked world' simply because it doesn't match up with the real world - spiritual or secular. Wouldn't an all powerful God be able to encourage one outside of meeting times, instead of limiting himself to certain days of the week at certain hours, but rather encourage people when they need it - which is naturally going to be at all different times?
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  1

  Clown therapy

  by Markfromcali in

  1. social
  2. humour

  i was sitting around with a coworker and came up with these.

  i think there's something to a lot of this, as some of you know i'm a massage therapist - but that doesn't mean i wouldn't make fun of it:.

  * acu-peer-pressure (we call you at random times to motivate you on a chosen key issue).

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  Markfromcali

  I was sitting around with a coworker and came up with these. I think there's something to a lot of this, as some of you know I'm a massage therapist - but that doesn't mean I wouldn't make fun of it:
  
  * Acu-peer-pressure (we call you at random times to motivate you on a chosen key issue)
  * Disco-yoga-pilates (ok maybe this one isn't that far fetched)
  * Psycho-mural-immunology (instead of psycho-neuro-immunology - art therapy for your immune system)
  * Intestinal interior designer/colonic feng-shui (the gastro-intestinal tract is an ecosystem, we will help you create a harmonious inner environment)
  * Past-life intestinal interior designer/colonic feng-shui (get rid of some really old shit)
  * Astral travel agent
  
  I think I had more but this is all I remember for now.
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  18

  thirsty? drink lifes water free!!!!

  by zev in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  yep...... .

  this citys water is a fine product.. .

  drink up!

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  Markfromcali

  Hey, your toilets look like our sinks.
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  112

  JWD ....the opium of the Ex ?

  by ScoobySnax in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  marx reckoned religion was the opium of the people, i'm no marx, but i reckon jwd has become the opium of the exjws.

  it satisfies a need, gives one a purpose, feels someone with a greater sense of purpose, trys to give one a purpose and reason for being here, and very closely becomes a "religion" of sorts to many.

  many here claim they stay to help others out of the wbts, where in fact i think they stay because it has become their new "opium" its a focal point they can meet with like minded individuals to further their own new "belief".

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  Markfromcali

  Scoob,

  In response to your original post, (because I'm way too lazy to completely read a thread with this many replies) is it really religion? You even put the word in quotation marks yourself, and while there may be some patterns that endure, is it even limited to religion in general? If not its not a big deal that you might find it on a forum such as this, is it? Its just kind of human behavior. One thing we don't see too is what people are doing when they are not on this forum, so just judging by what you see here is like selecting only the data that supports your view rather than taking in the whole picture, even if that is not your intention. Sure some of the posts (maybe even majority, I don't read enough to know) may reflect such a pattern to some degree, and in principle I do agree a reaction to the other extreme is not being free from it - but still in general there does seem to be atleast a little bit more awareness.

  This reminds me of that quote from the movie Fight Club: "You are not special. You are not a unique snowflake. You are the all-singing, all-dancing crap of the world." So in a certain sense we're all the same 'crap', but atleast you're not stuck in the same little corner of the world. Even if some people get stuck in another corner, atleast you got a variety going on!
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  23

  At what point would the average witness start to question their beliefs?

  by skittles4u in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  would it be after this "system" continued on and on and on, knowing armageddon hasn't happened.

  how about the issue of love, the fact that it isn't as great as they claim .

  at what point would the masses start wondering ' hum, maybe nothing is coming after all'.

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  Markfromcali

  So, to start to question the jw beliefs takes alot of courage and a very open mind.

  Also we can say honesty. Its certainly true that because they are taught to submit to the authority of the organization, they never question that. But of course theres the question of "do I really know this is God's organization?" We're probably on the same page but I think its important to point out blaming yourself is different from questioning yourself, the latter is just a matter of being interested in the truth more than some false sense of security.
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  75

  I graduate tomorrow!!

  by Leolaia in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  with my phd!

  finally after all these long years.

  the funny thing tho is that i'm walking through the ceremony, but not getting my diploma... yet.

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  Markfromcali

  Congratulations Leo!
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  23

  At what point would the average witness start to question their beliefs?

  by skittles4u in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  would it be after this "system" continued on and on and on, knowing armageddon hasn't happened.

  how about the issue of love, the fact that it isn't as great as they claim .

  at what point would the masses start wondering ' hum, maybe nothing is coming after all'.

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  Markfromcali

  In itself looking at the world wouldn't do anything, after all you can always interpret it through the JW belief system - that's why I first mentioned questioning yourself, like do I really know this is the truth? Basically what I am getting at is taking a fresh, honest look at everything as it is without that interpretation.

  BTW, nice xray of Homer.