Posts by MerryMagdalene

33

Hate leaving my family behind.

by Big Dog in

after lurking about for a while i finally decided to join the board.

i have never done anything like this and was amazed at how stressful it was to sign up and press the return key to join up and actually post something.

just a quick bio: 41 year old lawyer who was raised a jw but had the good sense to never get baptized.

MerryMagdalene

Good to hear from you, Big Dog!

I was raised a 4th gen JW. My mother has been one for about 61 years and still goin' strong. Most of my aunts, uncles and cousins are also in the thick of it. I was pressured into being baptized at the age of 18, in spite of my doubts and disbeliefs, then DF'd a few years ago. Those still in are all older than me and they are good people, yet I feel almost as if I am the parent and they are the children and I have to watch them make this "mistake" in continuing to reinforce a huge error in judgement, doing something I feel is harmful. But that is their choice and I can't do anything about it, so I love them and do what I can protect myself and my daughter from their cultish attitudes and beliefs. And I'll always be here for them if they should want to reach out to me again or if they want to discuss doubts and questions of their own...

~Merry

24

Film Documentary about Ex JWs

by Ayernye in

my name is ayernye... sometimes i go by stephan... it used to be stephen mcguire back when i was a witness in the wilmington and groton massachusetts congregations from '83 - '94.

was a pioneer and ministerial servant and was married for two of those years.

with tremendous agony and confusion, i moved far away to discover myself... took years to adjust to my new reality... drugs... drinking... anything to numb my tired brain... but the transformation was eventual and so worth it... of course... i am now my own person... mostly happy, adjusted and living my life to the best i can... .

MerryMagdalene

Ayernye, Welcome!

Sounds like you are doing wonderful work and I want to offer you my best wishes in your endeavor. Please keep us posted on your progress with this if you can.

~Merry

19

What are you in Chinese astrology?????????

by BLISSISIGNORANCE in

.

i'm an 'earth pig'................is better than it sounds.. http://chinese.astrology.com/year/?arrivalsa=1&cobrandref=0&arrival_freqcap=1&pba=adid=14184901.

cheers, bliss..............oink, oink

MerryMagdalene

wood sssssnake

~Merry

747

Rutherford Exposed: The Story of Berta and Bonnie

by Farkel in

it was made by a women who in later years wore crotchless panties and bras which had holes in the nipple areas.

he not only knew the woman in question (she's now deceased), he has met her numerous times.

up until recently this secret of her year's long sexual affair with rutherford was kept by the family.

MerryMagdalene

Well, here's another longshot if anyone wants to check it out--

In the SSDI there is a Margaret Hinson (name of one of the witnesses to Bonnie Boyd's wedding) listed as born 24 May 1901, died September 1981. The minor coincidence that caught my attention is that at Familysearch.org Bonnie Bell Boyd (of Texas) has a sister named Margaret Louise who is listed as having been born 24 May 1912 and died August 1981. Even if it doesn't pan out, I thought it too close to ignore. Or not. You decide. I can't take it any further than this.

~Merry

PS-- Bonnie Bell Boyd's brother, Archie Thomas Boyd (born in Texas 17 December 1904, died in 1985) appears to match up with an Archie Boyd in the SSDI who is listed with that exact birthdate, death in December of 1985, San Francisco,CA.

32

Growing Old and Dying on the Paradise Earth

by Leolaia in

the standard watchtower teaching about the coming "paradise earth" has, as its most prominent feature, the promise of everlasting life and eternal youth.

this expectation is especially based on such texts as revelation 21:1-4 which declares: "i saw a new heaven and a new earth; the first heaven and the first earth had disappeared now, and there was no longer any sea.

i saw the holy city, and the new jerusalem, coming down from god out of heaven.... here god lives among men.

MerryMagdalene

"I Yamm what I Yamm!" vs "I Am Who I Am"???

I'm envisioning a confrontation between a goddess who is part Popeye, part Sea Hag and a god who is zipping about in his many-wheeled chariot, throwing stones. But I am tired and silly.

~Merry

32

Growing Old and Dying on the Paradise Earth

by Leolaia in

the standard watchtower teaching about the coming "paradise earth" has, as its most prominent feature, the promise of everlasting life and eternal youth.

this expectation is especially based on such texts as revelation 21:1-4 which declares: "i saw a new heaven and a new earth; the first heaven and the first earth had disappeared now, and there was no longer any sea.

i saw the holy city, and the new jerusalem, coming down from god out of heaven.... here god lives among men.

MerryMagdalene

I was having a problem with that, too, outoftheorg, only from a purely personal standpoint. I love the sea!

Maybe God is gonna restore the water canopy around the earth just like afore the flood...

~Merry

24

Where are JW's most vulnerable?

by PopeOfEruke in

what's the more effective method to try to open the dormant organ most jw's have as a brain?

is it tackling them on biblical issues and inconsistencies, for instance the "great crowd" dilemma from revelation, or the isaiah "new world" problem recently posted by leolaia?

is it the blood issue, either based on a scriptural attack or else a humanistic "value-of-life" approach?

MerryMagdalene

I dunno... the tactics used by the GB seem to make their control over JWs virtually unassailable from without (but not quite as much from within, perhaps). The combination of making the R&F feel smart by giving them a snappy comeback for absolutely anything (regardless of reason and logic), stupid if they admit they can't digest even half of the outdated "meat" they are fed, safe by promising them eternal life, threatened with disfellowshipping and death if they think, say or do anything other than they are taught, and better than everyone around them (to counterbalance the inferiority complex also instilled by the GB) is pretty powerful.

So I tend to think the only thing that makes JWs "vulnerable" is their own inner doubts to the extent that they will allow themselves to explore them.

~Merry

32

Growing Old and Dying on the Paradise Earth

by Leolaia in

the standard watchtower teaching about the coming "paradise earth" has, as its most prominent feature, the promise of everlasting life and eternal youth.

this expectation is especially based on such texts as revelation 21:1-4 which declares: "i saw a new heaven and a new earth; the first heaven and the first earth had disappeared now, and there was no longer any sea.

i saw the holy city, and the new jerusalem, coming down from god out of heaven.... here god lives among men.

MerryMagdalene

Fascinating... thanks for that, Leolaia. They (WTB&TS) sure do have to twist and turn and juggle their words and ideas to make everything fit the way it was "meant" to----"you see, what God was really trying to say here was..., what he meant was..." A clear-cut case of Cinderella's slipper and the stepsisters who tried desperately to make it fit.

~Merry

9

Moyle, Olin R. (Olin Richmond), 1887-1966

by lurk in

i was wondering if anyone knew anything about him.?.

the princeton library has got diarys and papers etc he wrote from when he was attorney for the wts .

the diaries date from 1931-1951 theres also an unpublished book manscript called "christs glorious church" and also discriptions of legal proceddings.including some of j f rutherford.. princeton said that the diarys have never been published and no i cant get copies, but could see it by visiting whoich is not possible for me.. has anyone seen the diaries ,the book or legal papers?

MerryMagdalene

Re-reading Olin Moyle's letter to JFR listing his complaints about the way things were being run and how JFR had nice houses for his own use in California, Staten Island, and elsewhere, while the Bethelites slaved away in lousy conditions got me to wondering if there is any interesting info on any of those other places in addition to Beth-Sarim and Beth Shan (possibly including the people who took care of them)? If so, maybe someone could start a thread about that, too.

All I was able to find so far was a basic description of the 2 1/2 story, 24-room house on Staten Island (known as the "Big House") that accompanied the WTB&TS's radio station (WBBR). It was part of a 30- acre farm that raised food for the Bethelites, and had a swimming pool, cannery, barn, 2 green houses, 20 chicken houses, and a generator plant sufficient to serve a town of 30,000. It was sold (minus 12 acres) in 1957 for $133K and was located at 111 Woodrow Rd in Rossville.

~Merry

94

Doodle-v's Awesomely Bad Movies-Part Deux

by doodle-v in

the order of these don?t mean anything because they all suck.

some are recent ones i?ve seen, a few others i threw in there for old times sake.

1. the day after tommarow- ok, jake gylennhall is a cutie?

MerryMagdalene

the utterly idiotic and unwatchable remake of Bedazzled the original w/ Dudley Moore and Peter Cook was satiric perfection

~Merry