mamochan13

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Posts by mamochan13

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  56

  If you started an organisation (related to exposing the Watchtower, helping Jw's who are disfellowshipped, or any other worthy cause).. What would it be called and what would you aim to achieve?

  by The Quiet One in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  ...?.

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  mamochan13

  Operation Andre has my vote! lol Great brainstorming, lisaO.
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  64

  How Many Here Have Ever Smoked Pot or Tobacco?

  by minimus in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  am i the only one who has done neither?.

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  mamochan13

  Christ Alone - I love it. would enjoy hearing your story some time.

  I've tried cigs and pot. I was curious at age 40 if I could actually get addicted to cigarettes - you hear so much about how it targets the young and they are more vulnerable, etc. So, being the budding scientist I am, I tried to see if I could get hooked. I didn't. But I"ve heard of people getting addicted as adults...so....

  With pot...I did it a few times, but never got high. Never understood the attraction. Until one night. I had a really, really bad experience and ended up in the hospital with weird heart crap going on. So I never tried again.

  I'll stick with alcohol. It knows me. I know it. We know each other.
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  52

  My latest university experience...

  by Billy the Ex-Bethelite in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  this isn't a jw experience, but for those of you that have been following my life, i thought i'd have a drink and share this strange event in my post-jw life.. for you wonderful newbies, you can catch up on highlights of my story in the few threads i've started here.

  i'm finishing the junior year of my engineering degree and the classes are hard as hell.

  i used to be among the smartest students in the room until i hit the 300 level university courses.

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  mamochan13

  That's really awesome, Billy. You know, the WAtchtower sucks our confidence out of us. I was giving this same lecture earlier tonight to my daughter. You are smart and eager and funny and sharp, and have lots of great qualities needed in a research assistant. You have a lot to offer. Engineering studnets have a reputation for being a bit off-the-wall, so I think you fit in well. Doesn't surprise me that others are recognizing that
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  535

  AAWA is here!! (The Association of Anti-Watchtower Activists)

  by cedars in

  1. watchtower
  2. scandals

  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fcic4g5tulw.

  http://www.jwactivists.org.

  facebook the association of anti-watchtower activists.

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  mamochan13

  This is my final comment on the matter. I agree completely with what Muddy Waters says. And while I do appreciate that you do not set up a business by seeking outside input, most successful organizations do brand research before they choose a name. The goal is to make sure you choose a name that resonates with your target audience and will not turn people away. I.e. Chevrolet, Nova and Latin America.

  You certainly could have set up a numbered company and done a short survey to test your brand among the ex-JW community before actually doing the registration. It would not have delayed your mission at all, and it would have given you the type of feedback successful companies value. The fact that you immediately had what I'd consider a pretty strong and well-reasoned reaction against the name may be saying something worth listening to.
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  535

  AAWA is here!! (The Association of Anti-Watchtower Activists)

  by cedars in

  1. watchtower
  2. scandals

  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fcic4g5tulw.

  http://www.jwactivists.org.

  facebook the association of anti-watchtower activists.

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  mamochan13

  I've sent in my volunteer form and I've made my comments there regarding the name, but I"ve been thinking about this and a few things have come to mind. I don't like the name. I think it unfortunately personifies everything exiting JWs have been taught to fear about apostates. It's angry. To me, the question is: who are you trying to reach with your organization and what is its core purpose? If you are trying to make it clear that you are apostates who want to bring the Watchtower down, the name is perfect.

  But that's not what the mission statement says. So if you are reaching out to vulnerable ex-JWs or those who are having doubts, a name that better reflects that would be more effective. I like both "Association Against Watchtower Abuse" and "Association of Watchtower Survivors" as they speak to that target audience.

  I think it's important to keep in mind that many, many people leave JWs not because of apostasy or because they've discovered TTATT. They need a kind, gentle helping hand, not one that bombards them with anti-Watchtower messages. I didn't come to this forum until almost 5 years after I left, and I was deeply offended by the activists. I didn't truly get TTATT until I had been here for a while. But I sure could have used the support long before that - it was simply too deeply ingrained in me to hate apostates.

  I'd suggest not looking at the matter from the perspective we now have as enlightened people who know the truth, but from the perspective of those who are still really struggling and may not have things clear yet. And as Blindersoff says, the name means a lot.
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  54

  Our family wishes to extend our sympathies to Gregg [Greybeard from JWStruggle]...

  by Newly Enlightened in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  gregg, we are deeply sorry for your loss.

  you will be with us in our thoughts & prayers.

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  mamochan13

  So sorry. Thinking of you, Gregg and sending positive thoughts as you provide support to your children and your family.
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  35

  Why I Stayed Married to my "Apostate" Husband for 30 Years. Help for those whose marriages are in trouble now that you have left The Lie.

  by rubadubdub in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  i have to say i am surprised and am quite saddened to hear how many jdub marriages fall apart when one partner becomes an "unbelieving mate" or even an "apostate.

  " i thought i might post my thoughts on my thinking process during the time my hubby, bethelyellowdollarbag, in my jdub thinking moved along the path from an "unbelieving mate" to an "apostate" over the course of 30 years before i finally woke up to ttatt.

  "-1 corinthians 10:13.. *** it-1 p. 126 apostasy ***.

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  mamochan13

  Rubdub - Your story is very interesting. Thanks for sharing. I was df'd partly for marrying my second husband, a nominal Catholic. Your post made me think about a lot of the hell I put him through because of my stupid, intolerant beliefs. He didn't oppose my religion, in fact, allowed me to raise his daughter in it during the years we were together. But the religion and the toll DFing took on our marriage finally wore things down irrevokably.

  I was thinking about the JW marriage philosophy - the threefold cord thing. My nephew recently married, and every speech giving advice just kept robotically repeating "keep Jehovah in your marriage". With that kind of thinking, you are set up to believe that if one partner is not a JW, you cannot possibly have a strong marriage. Which is not true. In fact, my own parents celebrated 60 years just before my mom passed away last year - my mom was a JW when they married and he never became one. But he also never interfered and let her completely run things and raise us as JWs.

  But your story and the various comments got me wondering if we may soon see the Borg suggesting that marriage to an apostate actually provides grounds for divorce. They could argue spiritual adultery, absolute spiritual endangerment, etc. It already breaks up many, many marriages, so I think the R&F would accept it.
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  22

  Governing Body Put Down Education Because The Sad Facts Show Higher Education Leads Lower Bull Tollerance

  by frankiespeakin in

  1. watchtower
  2. beliefs

  as lamented by members of the governing body higher education is causeing many to leave the organization and so it is demonized by them.. subjects the governing body would hate to see young one study are numerous.

  they would like to keep things very simple it is easier to control people.

  they would prefere to go backward in technology to the time the first printing presses back in the 16th century, that is the level they work best at.. .

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  mamochan13

  And don't forget, higher education is like a bullet to the brain.

  You will get a much higher quality university education from reading the Awake.
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  28

  If Someone Goes To The Memorial It's A Huge Deal! Do You Know Why???

  by minimus in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  i believe that if a non regular meeting attender shows up for at least the memorial "celebration", it's a sign, that possibly, the person is saveable.

  not all hope is lost for them.. i heard that last year, the rumour was that i was going to show up and sit with my mother....(of course, that never happened).. so, if you attended or if your family member or wayward friend showed up, they might have a chance for everlasting (earthly) life, after all!.

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  mamochan13

  Well said, AMnesiano. While I can perhaps understand the reasoning of those who "do it for family", your point about Memorial attendance causing you to be identified as "submarine witness" is an important one. In their eyes, if you attend, you are still a JW on some level.
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  25

  Appealing a disfellowshipping - any experience

  by dozy in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  anyone had any experience of a successful appeal against a disfellowship?

  a friend of mine feels he has been dfd unjustifiably & is considering an appeal.

  he probably has something of a case - the jc was a total shambles - but i'm very dubious that he has any likelihood of success.. my only experience of a successful appeal is when elders in a neighbouring congregation were appointed by the co & overturned a df in our congregation a few years ago.

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  mamochan13

  You know brother Flipper, when we join the organization we agree that the body of elders has authority. And if we are accused of a sin we have to cooperate with the elders as they have been appointed by Jehovah's holy spirit to take care of it. We show humility by cooperating.

  This is exactly the catch22 that hampered my appeal. I was afraid that if I told the appeal committee the truth about their incompetence, their lies, their game playing and their deviation from proper procedure, that I'd be perceived negatively. Instead I showed "humility" and respect for the elders.

  I'd suggest that everyone who is DFd who wants to be reinstated should appeal. At the very least it sends a message that what has been done is wrong and that you are not going to just accept it. But it's like Flipper says - it's a chess game.