Hi Toronto Guy:
My hubby (Kwin) and I are from the Niagara area, living in Nova Scotia now. Nice to see you here.
Heart2Heart
heart2heart
JoinedPosts by heart2heart
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Any former Witnesses here in Toronto or Southern Ontario?
by Toronto_Guy ini was df'd last february, a year ago now, from my cong.
in toronto.
just wondering if anyone on this board is from toronto or the gta?
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heart2heart
what truth: I don't really "care" - it was the first time it happened to me, and I actually thought it was funny! The main problem is that it is this guy's job to greet everyone and he blatantly ignored us after he saw us coming. It just pisses me off because some take it a little too far.
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Hypnosis and JWs
by ezekiel3 inthe ministry school features the #4 talk "why hypnotism is not for christians".
first we learn the jw definition of hypnotism:
*** g03 7/8 p. 26 is hypnotism for christians?
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heart2heart
I agree that hypnosis for meditative/medical reasons is ok - the kind that people use for entertainment scares me a bit. I have tried self-hypnosis as a way of turning off my conscious mind and letting my sub-conscious mind do it's work (apparantly you can actually overcome bad habits, gain more confidence, etc by doing this). It is very relaxing and empowering.
JWs make hypnosis into something superstitious, but if done the right way for the right reasons, there is no harm. There are many levels of consiousness of our brain (I think 12?). Anaestheticians are aware of these and use them to "put people under" before surgery, etc, with medication. (Comas are a level of subconsiousness ). With that in mind - how many "strong" JW's would not undergo general anaesthetic if they needed surgery? But of course, they don't look at it that way, do they.....
I agree with the others that said hypnosis would cause a problem for the WTS if those with repressed memories began to recall incidents of abuse, etc that had been covered up.... who knows how many more cases there would be?
H2H
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heart2heart
OR you could have contacted all the ex-jws in the area had them walk by one by one in one afternoon
Not a bad idea!! Calling all local (Halifax) ex-JW's!! Bayer's Lake WalMart!! Be there!
lol
I don't think there are enough of us here that he would know but that would be funny!
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heart2heart
I'm sure he's an excellent "shepherd".
AlmostAtheist: HA! This brother was always trying to be nice, asked if he and his wife could come over to visit (this was months ago, when I was still attending) - they took the kids and I out in service and payed for coffee break.... he was always saying that he would come over to check on us (aka sheperding call) but never did make the effort. I wonder if there is some sort of inter-congregational news link - their son & daughter in law attend at Kwin's parents' hall.... maybe they heard something about us and birthdays, Christmas, etc. Or maybe it was just our letter to the elder body about the UN scandall. Like most elders though, I'm sure he picks and chooses who he's going to "help", who is worthy enough to be "saved" - we were told for the past 2 years that someone would come over to see us and no one has. Only one visit in the past 2 years. They are just so full of crap
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heart2heart
Elsewhere, I think #2 is the most likely - he is just going to be so flustered next time we come in the store - I mean, he'll know who it was that complained. Oh well! I'll make a point to be extra nice next time I see him just to bug him even more.
I thought that the WTS said it was ok to deal with da'd or df'd people on a business level when it's required, just not in social settings. The only reason for that probably, is because the WTS knows the R&F would get fired so fast if they dared to treat their customers that way - makes the company look bad, and no one wants an employee like that. Plus the Witness' "human rights advocates" scheme would get blown to bits if Witness employees were shunning every da'd or df'd person that they came across at work. The WTS knows exactly what they need to do to save face, to make the right impression on the public while keeping their real motives and actions secret.
H2H
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heart2heart
An elder working at a Wal-Mart? Its my experience that the elders are the only ones with good jobs, seriously
Another thing I find so funny about this, is, great job for an Elder still LMAO!! I'm sure he's raking in the cash for his retirement.
classicist and calamityjane: it is a really weird job for an elder to have, especially at his age - he has to be at or quickly approaching retirement age. Then again, it is difficult to get any decent job here... I work in a store that has mailboxes and I've seen another elder there (he works with his brother - window cleaning of course) - only saw him the one time though and he was out so quickly I'm not sure he even saw me. I'm waiting for him to come back so I can say hi and get his reaction. I wonder what has been going around the hall??
W people like that it's always nice to walk right up to them, like two feet away from them, give them a big smile and say hello brother
Satanus: when we were leaving, I really wanted to go up to him and say hi, introduce Kwin, just to see his reaction and make him squirm. I was too busy fumbling with the change and bags and my wallet though to make the effort. I think next time we go in and he's there I will definetly go right up to him. Now that he's going to get in trouble for his attitude, he likely won't ignore us again if he wants to keep his job!
H2H
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heart2heart
Kwin and I went to our local WalMart, and what do you know, the "people greeter" completely avoids us!! I was a little shocked because we haven't da'd ourselves or been df'd - not to mention IT'S HIS JOB TO SAY HELLO TO EVERYONE! We had seen him at the McDonald's in the store a few weeks ago - he said hi to our 4 year old and walked past us... thought maybe he didn't recognize me. But today, he saw us, I said hello, and he turned away and avoided any contact what-so-ever. The same thing on the way out. Definetly saw us and made effort not to say hi or acknowlege us at all - he wouldn't even look at us! (we were the only ones coming/going at the time, so it's not like he was busy). Needless to say, Kwin called the store to speak directly to the manager and told her exactly what happened, and made sure to mention that he is a Witness and that they have a habit of shunning people who no longer go to their church. She said that whatever happens outside the workplace should stay outside the workplace, and that it was unacceptable, as soon as he gets back from lunch she is going to call him in to talk about it. Knowing this "brother" he is going to turn beet red and be very flustered about the whole thing. I should mention that he is an elder too. I'd like to see him talk his way out of this!! It's ridiculous how the nicest people (he was a very nice "brother") can be so malicious at the same time. Completely two-faced. That's all I have to say!
Heart2Heart
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watchtower red flags
by Ticker inwhen i was studying and in the org i never did put two and two together becuase first off it was peer pressure and a young baptism age.
i was indoctrinated as a child so i never got a chance to ever use sound reason and judgement toword the validity of the society's claims.
but anywho i was thinking the other day about certain things that are obvious red flags and far fetched claims that the org makes.
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heart2heart
I speak from personal experience here of being "emotionally abused" by local elders because, they failed to follow instructions as set out in various publications. I have had issue with them not the Org.
Sometimes a body of elders in a particular congo do not listen to the instructions given and will act when they should not, that is their fault not the WTS .)
JW Ben: So you said before that "For me the Bible best expalins these things" - so why is it that the organization is allowed to write out "instructions... in various publications" - wouldn't that be adding to what God has set forth already in his Word? You are saying that the Governing Body/WTS is in charge, through their instructions, not God.
Of course JWs are alowed to have their own ideas if they do not agree with the WTS. and they are allowed to talk about it. The Bible shows that the apostles had their own ideas at times. But in time they were corrected.
So for me any extra detail or modification has nothing to do with religous teaching.
Oh but it does for the WTS!! If you do not agree with them, and question them, you are considered "bad association", a "false prophet" etc. If you speak your mind, and voice your opinions or do not agree with the WTS the other JWs will stay away from you. Is this freedom to have your own opinion? And the very fact that you say "but in time they were corrected" says it all: you really are not allowed to have your own opinion or disagree with the GB/WTS - you're saying that any idea outside what has already been pronounced by the WTS is wrong. Only the WTS is right.
They do not say 10 hrs a month witnessing or meetings a week are necessay for salvation. Where do you get these ideas from? perhaps you were not paying attention when we are told to just do your best according to your circiumstances. There are many many JWs that, because of their circumsatnces, can not get to 5 meetings a week and can not spend 10 hrs a month and they are in good standing with their congs.
Maybe they are in good standing - but how many people call them to see how they are? How many people in the cong. would invite them out to socialize? The more hours you have, the more meetings you attend, the more "worthy" you are to everyone else, the more friends you have (and not because of spending all that time in service together, but because you are considered to be a good Witness for all the time you put in). I know this from personal experience. My circumstances did not allow me to spend much time in service, I went to all the meetings I could, but I went unnoticed by the rest of the cong. because I wasn't a prize JW. No one invited us for dinner, or to do something together. No one called. I struggled with taking two small children to the meetings and out in service by myself each week, with barely any help, and no encouragement. If your circumstances do not allow you to do as much as everyone else, you're just as unworthy as the one who decided not to do anything at all. If you can't keep up, you're not good enough. (My personal experience spans several different congregations, in different cities & provinces so it is not an isolated case).
My JW relative claims : Well the organisation is made up of humans and we are all imperfect, so the organisation makes mistakes. OK, but then why is it the one true religion?? Why can't the Catholic religion also be excused by God for making mistakes? Why are JW mistakes acceptable to Jehovah and Baptist mistakes not? Are our mistakes better? What a stupid logic!
Pope: You said it perfectly! It just doesn't make any sense!
Heart2Heart
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I think my cat is a crack addict! :S
by Elsewhere inok, it isn't really crack... but it might as well be!.
i have to be very careful not to leave any plastic bags anywhere around my apartment or my cat will try to eat it.
i'm always paying close attention to the plastic bags that i bring home from the store... they all go straight in to a covered trash can so that the cat can't get them.. now, for the last two days he has been puking all over the place and i can't find any plastic that he might have been eating off of... but i am finding the plastic in his puke... so i know thats what is going one.
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heart2heart
Orange Fat Cat,
I am very offended that you don't consider me to be one of your feline friends! I thought I was pretty cute and adorable!