I think you should start a new thread. This is an interesting question.
Annanias
JoinedPosts by Annanias
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39
John 10:10
by Dawn injohn 10:10the thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; i have come that they may have life, and have it to the full.
a friend of mine quoted this and applied it to life "right now" - her application was that jesus meant for people to enjoy life now - not always putting off for the future - but to have joy, peace, etc in this life.
this life is a gift in itself.
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65
Questions
by 2evil inok, this is my first post.
i'm 30 years old.
raised in "the truth" my whole life.
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Annanias
2evil, first of all (and take this with a grain of salt) forget about your "extended" family. They are as much your "family" as the IRS. As long as you don't need any help, they'll be there to help you. As long as you don't need any support, they will be your most ardent supporters. As long as you don't think for yourself, they will consider you smart. Remember that old joke, "Hi, we're from the government, we're here to help." Well....
"Though she grew up in the "truth" her family was never regular out in service, had a family study or any "spiritual" activities. She never had this so this is what she wants and cannot have because of my views and distrust of the society."
Task, read the italicized part 10 times. You've already got the guilt bug. Jeff Foxworthy did a bit about how wives just naturally "train" their husbands, "The other night my wife and I were reading in bed and she told me that it was getting warm in the room. You know, I was half way to the window before I realized it. The next day she was on the phone with her mother, 'Oh yes, mom, Jeff's comming along fine.'"
Nina would probably be a good person to talk to about what changed her mind as a wife. For me, the mistake was that I accepted the guilt, instead of deciding what was and wasn't going to be enough.
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Jehovah - The Magical God
by Nosferatu injehovah is such a magical god.
he can make the impossible possible.
he will cure all your problems, he will create logic when there is confusion.
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Annanias
Nos,
And then there is Art. He had a nice job, nice home, nice life, but then his employer got bought by a company that worked only military contracts, so Art quit his job because Jehovah would be hurt. But Art wasn't worried because he had always been told that Jehovah cared for those who put their magic faith in him, and Jehovah would find a way out. But Jehovah just sat there, not so much as a Monty Python fart in Art's general direction. Art is now destitute. He's lost his family, his possessions, his good name. Art is going to commit suicide.
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65
Questions
by 2evil inok, this is my first post.
i'm 30 years old.
raised in "the truth" my whole life.
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Annanias
Nina - question: when people ask for your nationality, do you tell them you're a Virgin? (Just kidding) You and your hubby, dodged a bullet, you are indeed special people.
2evil - do you want to progress? I know, I know, "reaching out" is a wonderful thing, but so is Monday Night Football, Disneyworld, and a warm body on a cold night. If you feel that you must, then get busy. If you feel that you have to because of wife, "elders", mommy & daddy, or whatever other than it's something that YOU need to do, you're a fool if you go along with it. If your wife isn't going to be complete unless she's the wife of an elder, I don't know how to break this to you, but you be screwed because you're on the treadmill to hell. (I garuntee what will be comming next: "Honey, if you really loved me you'd...")
But whatever it is, don't live a lie. That's what I did. Lost all my friends except one. But that last friend (there always seems to be one) stayed with me thru thick and thin. You might know him, his name is Jack. Jack Daniels to be precise.
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65
Questions
by 2evil inok, this is my first post.
i'm 30 years old.
raised in "the truth" my whole life.
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Annanias
2evil, FWIW, I agree with kls, take it slow. But take it deliberately. A couple of questions, your doubts are holding you back from what, exactly? You won't "progess" how, exactly?
Okay, your wife isn't going "to open her mind a bit on her own". Now what? I know what is going on at your place, because it went on at mine. So, if your wife said, "Oh goody, honey, I didn't really want to go to the meeting every sunday anyway, and it doesn't matter if you're an 'elder' or not." Would life be good for you?
Cuz here's what you're headed for. Not this week, nor next month, nor maybe even next year, but sooner or later something is going to happen (sickness, poverty, large spiders) and you will end up blaming yourself because of your lack of spirituality, i.e. God is punishing me! If you've been "weak" in your wife's eyes, she is going to wholeheartedly support you in that misapprehension. (Job) And then she will begin to hate herself because she wasn't "strong" enough to save her family from this sorrow (whatever it is). And what is actually happening at that point is that you two will now be back to back, with gun in hand, and you will begin a slow, inexorable, 10 pace walk away from each other.
Now, as long as you are married to her and want to remain so, it doesn't matter how many cool discussions you have on this board, or how many Ray Franz books you read, or how many of the GB are BFing little furry animals, or how many drunken orgies the FDS have each week. The issue comes down to you, and her, i.e. how much do you want your marriage. And the peanut gallery on this site and/or at Bethel be damned.
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65
Questions
by 2evil inok, this is my first post.
i'm 30 years old.
raised in "the truth" my whole life.
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Annanias
Like a lot of others on this board, your attitudes sound a lot like mine. In reading their comments, I can assure you that you that you will get a plethora of differing religious opinions here. Your statement about the UN/NGO thing was heartwarming because you indicated that you are actually, honestly thinking about this stuff.
But what I wanted to address is the chilling statements about what your wife said to you, because I hear the seeds of the same kind of disaster that has almost (literally) killed me. Do not, do not, do not, do not, do notx1000 toss away what your wife says and feels like so much noise. First of all, she has a right to her feelings, her outlook, her dreams, just like the rest of us. Now, that having been said, you are going to have to determine what is best for YOUR FAMILY. Not just you. I know the doubts that you are at war with. But what is happening right now, and what you two do/think/say right now, are seeds, the result of which won't be seen for another 10 years. How important is your family to you? Important enough to die for? How about important enough to eat mindless drivel for the next 20 years? Now the biggy question: how important is religion in your relationship as a couple united in marriage, and as a family? You indicated "not much" because you don't "study", don't FS, don't meeting, but those are trappings, not substance. How much do you mention Jehovah around your children each day? How much do you consider his thoughts in front of them? To yourself? Between your wife and yourself? I would guess that it is quite a lot, otherwise you wouldn't be having this discussion. If religion is a "big deal" in your family, what have you got to replace the one you already have? Will that vaccuum make a difference to your family?
What I mean is this: does your wife love you because you're you, or does she love you because she doesn't want to piss off her God? ( Her "never get what I want" statement is one that should be mediated on at length) Do you love your wife and your family because you've always heard the "elders" say it should be so, or because they are your family? Religion, especially the JW religion because of it's fatalism and the fact that all life is held in constant comparison to some ethereal, and unattainable ideal, is a weapon. To a loving, honest, truthful people, religion rarely (if ever) is a shield, but in fact, becomes a sword for some heartless, selfish pig to use to cut hearts out. If you continue to stay around this board and ask questions and investigate, the emptiness within you is just going to get bigger and bigger. All the while, your wife will be getting more and more ammo towards getting rid of your sorry butt, and (trust me on this) if your FS score is low and your lips aren't chapped from kissing the "elders'" butts you will NOT receive any support from your congo when the chips are down. Unless your wife looks like an M1 Abrams (and then, it's only 50-50), the moment she goes to the elders and sniffles and moans because you're not "spiritual" enough, you are dead meat. They will be all over her, with sympathy and love and caring and assurances that the devil has taken you and yadda, yadda, yadda. I have never known an "elder" not to fall for the "Oh, you're my hero!" gag yet.
*******DISCLAIMER!!!! Before I get burned at the stake here, I am using the word "wife" because you have indicated that you are male and a husband. I am not saying that women get prefferential treatment. What I am saying is that the borg sees life through and extremely narrow keyhole: the congo. In the never ceasing stupidity of the human race, if they can reduce it to numbers they will. "Wow, brother X has 10 hours this month, brother Y only 7. Hmm, well, I guess brother X is more 'spiritual' than brother Y. Yup, yup, yup!"
The result of all this is that you are about to embark upon a very, very painful mission. Not just for you, but for your family as well. By staying with this board, you will learn things you never knew existed, you will, indeed, gain a freedom you didn't know was possible. But that freedom ain't free!!! Where you might be delighted and happy and dancing on air, your family may not see it so. But maybe that's okay, it ain't our call.
You have doubts, you're no different than anyone else; and the fence sitting is starting to hurt your butt. I was once told that I could take myself out of "the truth" if I wanted, but I could never take "the truth" out of me. Funny thing though, at least for me, the opposite is true as well.
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10
How many times....................?
by vitty in...............do you come on this site and how many hours do you spend here?.
i joined this forum not so long ago, and i know i spend too much time here and other sites, but at the moment its been a real life saver and i`m sure as time goes on it will become less and less, or will it?.
i feel really guilty, spending so much time here when i should be doing other things (housework!!!
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Annanias
Yes.
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JWs and voting. Is it okay now?
by NikL ini know there has been lots of discussion on this issue in the past year but i have been unable to find it.
i need to know where to find the questions from readers that talked about it being okay for people to vote if their concience allows.
i brought this issue up with a couple of people, one a rank and file dub and the other an elder.
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Annanias
catchthis - but now you're into predestination and a whole nother can of worms. Face it folks, it is now for man who is walking, to direct his own steps.
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How To Personally Defeat the Watchtower, Lurkers!
by metatron inso, you wanna "leave the 'truth", huh?.
let's examine the two options:.
you dissassociate yourself - and what happens?
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Annanias
observador, My ex and I had split up (not yet divorced). She had whined and kept the two youngest kids. Brothers came by in droves to see if my ex needed any help, no invitation, just "bing bong" on the doorbell and there they are. One guy would just stop by and start cutting the grass for her. (Gotta take care of those widows, y'see) One of them was the son of the PO of the congo. The PO wanted her for his son so bad and so obviously that it sickened my daughter. Anyhow, my daughter stops going to the meetings, and then my son walks out of the meeting, never to return. You can count on no fingers the number of times any of the "brothers" came by to check on why my children were suddenly missing from the congo. Real spiritual concern there. But they never stopped comming by to see if my ex needed anything. And she does have nice tits. You do the math.
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Idea to Settle the U.S. Defficit (SERIOUS THREAD)
by Confucious ini think this would honestly work... .
sell advertisment on the back of currency.
get microsoft on the back of the $100 bill for say 1 billion dollars.
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Annanias
Simon, even if what you said worked, and the debt was paid off to the penney tomorrow. How long would it last? I thought that we had paid off the debt and even had a surplus arounf 1998-99 didn't we?