Posts by AvailableLight

31

My husband is stepping down tomorrow night . . .

by Prisila in

jw
friends

i'm extatic .

my husband is stepping down as an elder tomorrow.

how do you guys think that will go?

AvailableLight

Here's an idea for resignation:

What could they do if during a TMS assignment or service meeting part you took 30 seconds and made the following announcement yourself:

"I'd like to take a brief moment to inform the congregation that I have decided to discontinue serving as an/a [elder|ministerial servant] due to matters of principle and personal issues. I look forward to continuing to serve God alongside you as friends."

Make no mention to any of the body that you were planning to make this announcement, so everyone is equally surprised. Then simply cease to attend elder's meetings. When pressed by the other elders for reasons, refuse to give them and kindly mention that the reasons were private and that the elders were no more entitled to them than the members of the congregation. How good would that be?

25

JW internet warnings

by larc in

jw
friends

folks,.

don't they know how dumb their advice turns out to be?

you tell a teenager not to go to the internet, and that is the first thing they will do.

AvailableLight

Folks,
Don't they know how dumb their advice turns out to be? You tell a teenager not to go to the internet, and that is the first thing they will do. The WT tells them that they shouldn't go there because they will see naked ladies and people making fun of their religion. Now, what could be more fun than looking at skin and reading stuff that pokes fun of the old fuddy duddies in the religion? Do the GB and the writing staff really believe that they can control this, with their dire warnings?
Common on, cut me a break.
The kids are history.

Actually, people follow advice. A lot of JWs think the internet is the personal network of Satan himself and perceive no value in it, preferring to think of it as a worthless collection of "worldly wisdom."

There will always be those who ignore the warnings, whose curiosity will get the best of them, or who are simply too open-minded to accept the mantra. This group may even be growing slowly in size. But for now, the majority of witnesses jump on the apostate-bashing bandwaggon at every opportunity, with the internet as a primary target.

21

Did You Ever Read ????????

by YYHWH in

jw
friends

did you ever read any of the following completley cover to cover ?.

watchtower.

awake.

AvailableLight

Yes. Read the Greatest Man Who Ever Lived from cover to cover when it was released. Other than, I don't think so.

Even when a WT or AW would come out dealing with a subject I found interesting, it was usually written with such a shallow scope as to be completely worthless. But then again, we're not dealing with the writers of NewsWeek.

10

WT and AW Issues You Just Couldn't Place

by AvailableLight in

jw
friends

having just read the donut shop thread, i was reminded of the typical way my fellow publishers and i would deal with hard- or impossible-to-place issues of the watchtower and awake!

magazines.. one in particular that comes to mind is the issue of the wt, released around the late 80s or early 90s, that depicted a close-up facial shot of an old man with tremendously bushy eyebrows.

my friends and i affectionately dubbed him "pubic brow.

AvailableLight

Having just read the Donut Shop thread, I was reminded of the typical way my fellow publishers and I would deal with hard- or impossible-to-place issues of the Watchtower and Awake! magazines.

One in particular that comes to mind is the issue of the WT, released around the late 80s or early 90s, that depicted a close-up facial shot of an old man with tremendously bushy eyebrows. My friends and I affectionately dubbed him "pubic brow." I think the cover article was something like "The Great Issue Faces You" or at least along those lines.

Another one that comes to mind was the issue of the Awake! on boredom featuring a pink background with an enormous head shot of a nerd lethargically resting his head on his fist. You could clearly see every pore on that guy's face.

We used to come up with pet names for different issues of the magazines. Once in a while when we'd be searching for an appropriate back issue we'd recruit each other's help. The exchange went something like:

Pub1: "What back issues ya got?"
Pub2: "I got 'Pubic Brow', 'Nerd Boy', 'Date Rape', and 'Paint Chips'".
Pub1: "Throw me a 'Date Rape'".

Which magazines were especially difficult for you to unload?

32

WOW!!! I scored BIG at the Donut Shop!

by LDH in

jw
friends

well i took the little crumb-snatcher for a ride in the stroller this morning.

usually i meander over by the college with all of its big, shady trees.. well, satan himself musta been with me this morning cause i got a hankering for a donut!

i eat maybe 4 donuts a year, not my thing..... anyhow, i decide to turn for the donut shop where i choose my sin, an eclair covered in chocolate..... i turn to look at the little stack of reading material and what do i see?.

AvailableLight

Amazing - so true.

There are those who read the magazines religiously, laboring over every word. I am not and never was one of them, but they do exist. These obnoxious types like to grill you in field service car groups, asking pointless questions. The conversations would go something like:

Obnoxious Publisher: "Did you notice the new point in the caption of the third picture adjacent to paragraph 7 in the second study article of the newest WT?"

Me: "Yes."

OP: "Didn't that make you feel wonderful and thankful and yet humbled at the same time for the gift of spiritual light?"

Me: "Yes."

OP: "So how do you feel about the "old understanding" of this issue in light of the new?"

Me: "I feel like a shade of dim lavender."

OP: Puzzled look. Apparently realizes I'm being sarcastic; comes to realization I've not read WT article in question. Oh the horror! Opens up issue and begins to read to me, kindly ignoring the fact that I said I'd previously seen the article. Summarizes the three-sentence caption for me after having read it to me in a condescending tone, making sure to dumb it down so I can understand it. How loving.

Me: "F-ck you."

OP: "Excuse me!?"

Me: "Ker-choo."

OP: "Oh. Kleenex?"

Me: Declines.

OP: Disdainful look.

Me: "I believe the next door is yours. Would you mind taking sister Bimbo's little brat with you?"

And so it went.

...

I must admit that I too was at times seduced by the prospect of reporting huge numbers of magazine placements afforded by laundromat periodical racks and other similar areas. And I knew they'd be most likely thrown away. But then again, there was always that miniscule hope that perhaps a seed of truth would be planted...

15

For Adults: JW's and Sex/ Part II

by teenyuck in

well, i now have the answer--oral sex is bad.

from the just jw website comes more insightful information.. the original thread is at:.

http://www.jehovahs-witness.com/forum/thread.asp?id=23039&site=3.

AvailableLight

Thanks for the info.

I did find the community but it appears that thread has been deleted or something. Nothing like JW censorship.

29

Circuit Assembly Bklyn NY -Saturday 4/6/02

by worf in

jw
friends

my sister went to the circuit assembly this past weekend here in bklyn ny.. they had a young sister on the platform helping to promote pioneering.the interesting point about this is that this young sister is attending college full time and actually said this in front of the audience.she brought out that she is going to college full-time and that since she "has only one more year left, she will wait to pioneer when she is in her last year of college because maybe then it probably won't be so hard.

" these were her exact words.. i find this to be very interesting.

those of us who have done parts or experiences or talks for circuit assemblies know that each talk and each part is scrutinized in practice sessions prior to the assembly in front of the circuit overseers.

AvailableLight

Very interesting.

When it comes to circuit assemblies and district conventions, there are indeed practice sessions held for any part that features interviews, demonstrations, or skits of any kind.

It's interesting that the young sister's interview was allowed to float, perhaps that particular CO was a liberal. They are out there, even if few and far between.

The fact remains that if you were a teenager prior to the mid-90s, you were absolutely looked down upon if you did anything other than pioneer after high school. Occasionally, some would get away with some kind of technical schooling so they could "support themselves in the full-time work."

Sadly, many of those individuals are now struggling in life with marriages and families they never learned to support. I know of at least a few who sharply resent the "brighter light" on the education issue.

But at least it has gotten a little better. Post secondary-school education is still frowned upon, especially by the old-timers. And recent KM articles in the past year or two have seemed to take a step backward. Fortunately, the damage done by that famous/infamous '95 WT study article is hard to undo after many JWs have now had a taste of the benefits of college.

Here's to hoping it continues to improve...

15

For Adults: JW's and Sex/ Part II

by teenyuck in

well, i now have the answer--oral sex is bad.

from the just jw website comes more insightful information.. the original thread is at:.

http://www.jehovahs-witness.com/forum/thread.asp?id=23039&site=3.

AvailableLight

How can you get to this community?

14

Being Single...

by wonderwoman77 in

i was just thinking about being single today.

i feel like it is the yin-yang experience.

there is good and bad with the whole experience.

AvailableLight

I agree with what COMF said up to a point - a relationship can be a real distraction when you are trying to focus on reaching a goal.

On the other hand, a healthy friendship can also be a motivator whether the nature of the friendship is romantic or not. Ever work out? Do you think it's easier and more enjoyable with a partner? This is partly because you have someone with whom you're sharing a common goal, and you are encouraged by each other's progress and success.

But then again, romantic relationships tend to consume every ounce of your attention in their early stages, regardless of whether you think you will "allow them" to or not, and that could slow you down. While you may be able to avoid that to some degree by finding someone who is working towards a similar life objective, that's not always easy or ideal.

Certainly a lot to think about.

Another factor is priority - to a lot of people relationships are more important than education and the extra prosperity it can bring. There's nothing wrong with that viewpoint either.

Ultimately, you need to figure out what you think will make you happiest. There is no guarantee that finishing school will make your life immediately better - even if your definition of happiness is material wealth. It does, however, increase your odds.

161

I've been studying for about a year now...

by Meow921 in

i've been studying with the jw's for about a year now.

i know that by nature (or nurture!

) i have an addictive personality so i have tried to be real careful that i'm doing the right thing by getting involved with them.

AvailableLight

Meow,

You Know's posts are perhaps the best reasons you'll find *not* to become one of Jehovah's Witnesses. Is he the kind of person you'd like to spend your life associating with? Does he display the love that Christ taught?

Interestingly, he spends his time pathetically defending the righteousness of an organization he clearly does not agree with and that would most certainly disfellowship him if they knew of his beliefs. He is far more hypocritical than any he's ever accused of apostasy. He is himself an apostate in hiding as defined by the JW religion through his words and actions.

He is also most likely counting field service time every time he posts here.

I was going to leave you with one question to get you thinking, You Know beat me to it.

He said:

Many are drug users, drunkards, and fornicators, homosexuals and perverts. And if they are not they at least support and encourage those who are and congratulate anyone who flauts decency and morality. From Jehovah's standpoint they are mere unreasoning animalistic beasts. That's why verse 22 likens them to dogs that have returned to lapping up their own vomit.

If this is true, then why are JWs taught so strongly to avoid what apostates have to say? If JWs really have the truth, then what are the JW leaders so afraid of the R&F finding out?

Wouldn't you agree that truth is unconditional? JW literature often accuses "apostate" literature of being "sly as a serpent" and "deceptive." But so what? No matter how clever wording may be, if something is the truth it is indisputable. Don't you think this would be especially the case where God's word the Bible is concerned? Therefore if the JWs really have the true religion, it wouldn't matter what any drug using, drunkard, fornicating, homosexual, perverted "apostate" had to say.

As has been recommended, read Ray Franz's "Crisis of Conscience." You'll find that the wording is quite straightforward and simple and the events he recounts are quite well documented.