Athanasius

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Posts by Athanasius

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  30

  Cigarettes

  by Beans in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  when you left the jw's did you start smoking cigarettes or had you already started smoking cigarettes before?

  and for those who became jw's later on in life, were you smoking cigarettes before joing the organization and was it hard to stop?

  and now how many cigarettes do you smoke a day?

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  Athanasius

  Not interested in smoking. Never took it up.
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  55

  What Would Happen If You Just Walked Into A Kingdom Hall This Sunday?

  by minimus in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  that's the question my wife asked me this morning.

  "what would happen if we just walked into the kingdom hall this morning?

  would the elders be waiting to talk to us?

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  Athanasius

  Last year Robdar and I attended a KH where none of the JWs knew us. I wore an American flag lapel pin so they assumed that we were just a couple interested in their church. Of course the JWs love bombed us. Guess they were hard up for new converts. We both thought that the JWs were counting time while they talked to us. So when you see the Watch Tower's report for hours spent witnessing for the last service year, Robdar and I are responsible for at least 2 of them.

  Then last Memorial I attended a KH here on the West Coast and got the love bombing treatment again. I was the only one who partook of the bread and wine that evening. Nevertheless, they invited me back and tried to start a Bible Study with me.

  However, I don't plan to attend the KH this Sunday. Have better things to do.
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  18

  Is There Anything That You Are Afraid To Talk About?

  by Blueblades in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  one thing for now that i'm afraid to talk about is who i really am on this forum.there are various reasons for this fear and i suppose that it means that the wt.society still has some control over me.. i really want to open up and reveal my real name and address and picture and family and history etc.and connect with others who may know me and are on this forum.

  one day i will,but now is not that day.. is there anything that you are afraid to talk about?.

  blueblades

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  Athanasius

  Name, rank, and serial number is all that is required according to the Geneva Convention. Does the Watch Tower abide by the rules of the Geneva Convention?
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  10

  For Apostates in Middle America

  by Robdar in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  i am finally settled into my townhouse.

  well, mostly settled.

  my new job is going great too.

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  Athanasius

  Hi Robdar, it was fun attending the KH with you last year. Hope that we can do it again some time. Sorry that I won't be able to attend the festivities at your place on Halloween, business obligations make it impossible to get away until next spring. But it sounds like you will have a lot of fun. What costume do you plan to wear? Since I can't make it to your party, plan to attend a Halloween party in Santa Rosa, and wear my priestly vestments. Hope to give counsel and hear confessions.

  Love,

  Athanasius
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  17

  A Decision On DAing.

  by shamus in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  i have decided not to d.a.

  although they treated me like shit, made me feel like a worm, they are not going to get anything that they want.

  i really really want to da myself, but, that is the end of it.

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  Athanasius

  Back in 88 when the JC was investigating my membership status in the congregation ( I had ceased attending meetings in 1984) the chairman asked me if I still considered myself a JW. That's a loaded question and it doesn't matter whether you answer yes or no. If you say no, you are automatically DA'd in their opinion. If you say yes, then you are expected to submit to their rules and regulations and they can prosecute you to the full. So I told him that because of all the upheaval in my life, I couldn't answer his question at this time. I wasn't about to make it an open and shut case for them and I refused to meet with the JC. So a year later they finally announced to the congregation that the Judicial Committee had determined that I had DA'd myself. This was true because I had been received into the Episcopal Church and had no intention of returning to the Watch Tower. However, my case kept the JC busy so they would have less time to ruin other people's lives.
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  7

  Michael Jackson raises money for Scientology

  by DevonMcBride in

  1. jw
  2. friends

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  http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,101280,00.html

  devon

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  Athanasius

  Maybe he is working undercover for the Watch Tower.
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  91

  What CD is in your CD player right now?

  by Dimples in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  i have the best of teddy pendergrass in mine.

  i was just in the mood for some sweet mellow music.. what about you?.

  dimples

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  Athanasius

  Die Walkiire (Ride of the Valkyries) by Richard Wagner. One can never hear enough Wagner.
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  27

  Single Incident

  by Paradise Found in

  1. jw
  2. friends

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  "which single incident do you consider to be most responsible for you leaving the the org"

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  Athanasius

  In my case there wasn't a single incident, but rather a series. It began in 1981 when I was researching background material for a public talk that I was preparing on the Trinity. I had an extensive personal library which included many book on Christianity and early Christian history. Since the Watch Tower writers often quoted from these works by nonJW authors it didn't seem wrong to include them among my reading material. However, it soon became evident to me that the Society's writing department was engaged in scholastic dishonesty.

  Also in that same year the Organization became much more oppressive. The freedoms that were gained in the 1970s during Watch Tower Vatican II were abolished shortly after Raymond Franz was removed from the GB. I saw a lot of people hurt by these changes. So by the summer of 1984 I had had enough 1984 and walked away from the JWs.
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  30

  Unitarian Universalists

  by SpunkyChick in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  i just visited a unitarian universalist church today for the first time.

  i enjoyed it!

  the reverend was a female and she gave a sermon about mystics.

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  Athanasius

  Back in 1987 I attended Unitarian services for a few months. The people were friendly and the sermons were informative. However, it was only a brief stop on my spiritual Aeneid.
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  52

  Were you ever an Elder? Read this Please.

  by Amazing in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  hi guys, men, former-elders:.

  the last leg of the legal project is afoot.

  it is good, no gooder, no great!!!.

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  Athanasius

  I was an elder for 10 years. However, I resigned in 1984 and so have been away from the Organization for almost two decades. But if I can help out, let me know.