I was playing chess on Roku while my grandson was busying himself pondering the peculiar letter or I imagine it would only have taken a flash glance at the insert. That artwork is telltale!
I wonder if being locked down for pandemic is sorting JW's into a divided group due to lack of fellowship???
Posts by Terry
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6A MYSTERIOUS (maybe romantic) LETTER arrives!
by Terry inmysterious romantic letter?.
my story begins at noon with the letter-carrier dropping off a mystery envelope.
(for my grandson severin (he was out walking his chihuahua.).
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Terry
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6
A MYSTERIOUS (maybe romantic) LETTER arrives!
by Terry inmysterious romantic letter?.
my story begins at noon with the letter-carrier dropping off a mystery envelope.
(for my grandson severin (he was out walking his chihuahua.).
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6
A MYSTERIOUS (maybe romantic) LETTER arrives!
by Terry inmysterious romantic letter?.
my story begins at noon with the letter-carrier dropping off a mystery envelope.
(for my grandson severin (he was out walking his chihuahua.).
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Terry
This throw-back to analog snail-mail is primitive but how can it be effective?
How do you hold a Covid-safe Bible study?
How do you invite a HH to the virtual Kingdom Hall and love bomb them?
No, I think this is to keep JW's busy with the ILLUSION they are engaged in witness work of importance.
Who would ever have predicted it would come to this feckless last-ditch travesty? -
6
A MYSTERIOUS (maybe romantic) LETTER arrives!
by Terry inmysterious romantic letter?.
my story begins at noon with the letter-carrier dropping off a mystery envelope.
(for my grandson severin (he was out walking his chihuahua.).
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Terry
Mysterious Romantic Letter?My story begins at noon with the letter-carrier dropping off a mystery envelope(for my Grandson Severin (he was out walking his Chihuahua.)(age 28) Severin - not the dog.The return address gave the name "Lucia."Ahhhh…As far as I knew - there was no special love interest in his life.Or… was there?(Cue the music).I placed the mystery envelope in his room and when he returned, I asked, “Who is Lucia?”“I don’t know any Lucia - why?”I smiled. “She’s in your room waiting on you!”Severin gives me his “Grandpa needs professional help” look.(A familiar expression around here.)Shortly afterward, he returns from the bedroom to the living room grasping the hastily opened letter in his hand - and the most bewildered (but excited!) demeanor.I could read his face:there was hope in his eyes.There was a thrill coursing through his bloodstream.Eyes opened wide with expectation; he was panting like the Chihuahua.“What does Lucia have to say - and who the hell is she?” I queried eagerly.“I don’t know - I CAN’T READ SPANISH!”“Say Wha-a-a-at?”“I took 2 years of Spanish in school and I can’t read a word of it!”I could see how distressed he was and tried my best to calm him“You better translate it because the love of your life, your better half - the girl of your dreams Is out there reaching out to you and WAITING to hear from you!” I suggested placidly.For some reason this didn’t calm him.“There’s some clipping or something that came with the letter.”“What do you mean?”“It is in Spanish too. It looks like an invitation or - well - I just don’t know.”I rallied my resourceful side and instantly came up with a plan.“Take a photo of the letter and the invitation and send it to somebody you know who can read Spanish.”He was getting overtaken by the spirit of this romantic enterprise increasingly, minute by minute.“Whoever it is - “ he began, “she’s probably been admiring me from afar all this time”, he added - “only now getting up the courage to contact me - THE MAN OF HER DREAMS- to invite me to something special - some incredible date… or something.”That last word had an extra tremor inside, like a resonant bell after it has been rung.Finally, I twigged.“Let me see it!”Severin handed it over. Sure enough it was hand-printed carefully. A long letter like nobody his age even knows how to write anymore in this age of e-mail and text messages.This was motivated by strong feelings; it was plain to see (except for the not-understanding-one-damned-word part of it) - all those hand-crafted words had poured out of a kind heart brimful of hope, longing, and probable lust!I blurted out, “Your whole life changes from this moment forward! It was meant to be - it is heaven sent - the gods are crying out to you …”I suddenly broke off from my impassioned, eloquent speech because my eye caught sight of the insert; that ‘other’ thing from inside the envelope.It was like a little familiar pamphlet of some kind.A stirring welled up from the soles of my feet all the way up my spine like an unwinding anaconda.Somehow...someway...I intuited the images printed upon the paper.A closer look - eyes squinting - a dawning volcanic sudden comprehension smashed my brain like a brick through a plate glass window.(Ian Fleming had written that phrase in Dr. No referencing the Walther PPK .765 mm pistol.)I exclaimed aloud: “HOLY SHIT - this is a JEHOVAH’s WITNESS and she is trying to EVANGELIZE YOU!!It all came rushing back straightaway - the pandemic has restrained JW’s from going door to door in their ministry and the Watchtower leaders have admonished the Brothers and Sisters to copy in their own personal handwriting a message about JEHOVAH’s Kingdom!The insert is a Tract meant to propagandize my unsuspecting grandson and draw him into a web of culty craftiness!!I explained all this aloud to Severin and watched (like an ambulance driver) as the light of hope left his eyes and the flush of pinkish hue drained from his cheeks!Hopes dashed.Back to an empty world of isolation and solitude.Those insidious well-intentioned bastards!He crumpled the letter and tract into a wad and tossed it in the trash.I requested that he retrieve it so I could have something to write about and post here aboutThis temporary excitement.Oh well. It may have been a false alarm but at least neither of us got ahead of ourselves.Severin began to see the humor in the situation. In fact, he started laughing.I agree. It’s just a much needed break in a rather monotonous life in a chaotic world ofPandemic.And that’s the end of it. I have attached the photo of the telltale love letter.
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Terry
Yes. Did you watch the follow up program ABOUT Jehovah's Witnesses she did?
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Are We Now Living in a POST-Science world (at least politically?)
by Terry inif your sex is only what you say it is, without any reference to biological reality, .
your race can be only what you say it is, without any reference to biological reality.. .
is this repudiation of science?
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Terry
There is a literary series for kids called, "Choose your own adventure".
There are several continuations within each book,and the reader takes whatever path appeals.
Current generations seem to apply that template to everything in life.Truthis what they choose and there is no IS-ness to "is". (Right, Bill Clinton?) -
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Are We Now Living in a POST-Science world (at least politically?)
by Terry inif your sex is only what you say it is, without any reference to biological reality, .
your race can be only what you say it is, without any reference to biological reality.. .
is this repudiation of science?
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Terry
...and IDIOCRACY.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=clYwX8Z43zg&ab_channel=LuisMedeirosPereira -
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Are We Now Living in a POST-Science world (at least politically?)
by Terry inif your sex is only what you say it is, without any reference to biological reality, .
your race can be only what you say it is, without any reference to biological reality.. .
is this repudiation of science?
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Terry
If your sex is only what YOU say it is, without any reference to biological reality,ThenYour race can be only what you say it is, without any reference to biological reality.Is this repudiation of Science? Reference: biologically male individuals have one X and one Y chromosome (XY) while those who are biologically female have two X chromosomes.
What we are seeing today: a mode of argument which stresses the need to sever links with Science in order to create a new and revitalized social order.
What next? Can we turn poverty into wealth by asserting it into being?
All sorts of cheeky questions could come into play here. But what I'm interested in is the clash between two assertions.
1. Science cannot be ignored when it comes to CLIMATE
2. Science can be repudiated when it comes to gender politics.
What are your thoughts, facts, evidence, arguments either way? -
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The JWs don't like Chess
by mickbobcat ini can remember when i joined the chess class in middle school.
my mother brought out an older watchtower article about how chess is a game of war.
since i left the cult in 95 i have slowly lost any connection to the cult.
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Terry
First off, once we realize Jehovah's Witness governing attitudes are PURITANICAL, OCD, neurotic, and disconnected from practical everyday life, we must accept
the fear based rationale isn't really "rational" but psychiatric!
"This specific need for control often comes from a deep sense that control is inherently lacking in the world, and needs to be asserted. Control freaks generally believe they have to create order themselves, as they can't trust anybody else to provide that stability for them."
"Perfectionism, even though it usually has a good reputation (wanting to do everything 100 percent can't be that bad, right?), can actually be a seriously crippling voice in your head, demanding absolute excellence and delivering horrible punishment if that standard isn't reached. Which it never is."
Justification for aberrant behavior is much easier if it comes direct from God.
I hardly ever met a male JW who wasn't quite obsessed with sports.
In Texas, it is football. Nobody ever preached against the "war-like" dark side of football from the lecturn.
Cherry-picking what is good and bad for JW's conforms to the personal tastes of the one in charge.
Rutherford was a heavy drinker. He railed on like a maniac against Prohibition as his righteous cause for many years (importing illegally from Canada the booze supply for Bethel.)
The WT leaders are a neurotic bunch of misfits hellbent on control-freakish pronouncements.
There is nothing reasonable going on - ever. -
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What went WRONG with the Great Pyramid teachings of Isaac Newton, Piazzi Smyth, Pastor C.T. Russel
by Terry inpyramidology .
of isaac newton, piazzi smyth, pastor c.t.
russell:)what went wrong?let’s keep our investigation simple!where and how was the obsession with the great pyramid begun?
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Terry
Each person (such as myself) approached by a salesperson, evangelist, or propagandist is confronted by information which doesn't sound "quite right".
Depending on temperament, an open-minded person might listen first before
rejecting the presentation.
What makes religious presentations more likely to succeed? :
1. Like a virus the teachings have mutated over and over adapting to strong arguments and growing stronger and more appealing in order to survive. In other words: Evolutionary adaptation. (Christianity = 1000's of years of honing arguments.)
WatchTower cult teachings = constant changes / adaptations in presentation.
2. No potential convert has the same level of skill as a well-practiced veteran JW.
3. A fair-minded person tries and fails again and again to refute what is present using every means at their disposal. BUT - almost everybody has false beliefs easily disproved - and seeing one's false beliefs EXPOSED is highly disruptive of confidence.
4. JW's don't simply present tricky arguments - they introduce a SOCIAL FAMILY STRUCTURE of welcoming, smiling, helpful human beings eager to accept and adopt the victim. (Yes, love-bombing).
5. Once personal bonds are established - its all over.
I'm describing myself here, of course.
I couldn't win an argument with my best friend (JW) but he pulled me in on a social level when I met his family and attended his Kingdom Hall.
I NEEDED SOCIAL STRUCTURE and I got it.
The "belief" in dogma was a s-l-o-w process.
Largely, the resistance and interference of MY FAMILY is the single most determining impulse causing me to dig deeper (just to answer their questions and meet their challenges) in order to maintain my friendship with my JW friend.
I began to be indoctrinated when I was 12 years old and I thought it all sounded like BULLSHIT - but- (and importantly) - I KNEW NOTHING about the Bible.
I only had a practical argument to offer. It failed. Again and again and again.
You can't successfully win an argument with an EXPERT.
My JW friend was a highly intelligent, intellectually aware human being. He was
a True Believer who'd done his homework.
IT WAS THE CHALLENGE of a lifetime for me. I fought him every step of the way.
Fast forward 6 years...
I was about to be baptized!
WHAT HAD PUSHED ME SO FAR into that cult's trap?
Friendship and society - but mostly acceptance.
In for a penny, in for a pound.
The Great Pyramid teaching was as quacky as anything else I was shown.
Once you swallow the bait - the hook is in.
The more you struggle; the deeper it goes.
It's all about the PEOPLE; yourBrothers and Sisters: the "Friends."