Posts by blacksheep

25

Were you psychologically abused into going to meetings/service ???

by run dont walk in

jw
friends

we have all read and watched so many of the child abuse / sexual abuse scandals, and it makes us all sick to our stomachs, i want to touch on a different kind of abuse, i am not trying to draw a parellel between child abuse and being abused.

the abuse i am talking about is just as bad but so different.

i remember growing up a jw, basically having no choice, whether i wanted to go to the meetings or in service, and i always resented this in my parents.

blacksheep

"My dad has been passed away for along time now, if he was alive today, man would I let him have it. (he was never a JW)"

Although my dad's still alive, I can totally relate. I've let him have it a couple of times, sort of half-heartedly. He uses the "united front" excuse. Personally, I think he wanted to just bow out of involved parenting and saw the strict JW rigid rules as an easy way to raise your kids (of course, HE wasn't a believer).

I hated field service, and my mom constantly gave me a hard time about my attitude (I never openly expressed it). I should WANT to go out in service. Didn't happen. As I got older I missed quite a few meetings by feigning illness. I got harranged for that too, esp when my mom realized I wasn't missing any school or work. I remember our being on vacation and my dad telling me that I couldn't do anything else until I went out in service with my mother (real swell vacation pastime). I felt it was pretty much abuse then.

Now having two small children myself, I DEFINATELY see dragging them to meetings, service, assemblies, would be abuse (not only for them, but for ME!) No wonder so many JW women are depressed. Geeze! Trying to keep them quite, clean, dressed appropriately, awake, etc., during all those boring, non-child friendly events has got to be something short of a miracle. Then getting home from evening meetings at 9:30 or 10:00, with the kids all wound up...no thanks!!!

I think it's not at all a normal life for a child.

69

Johnny Depp Likens U.S. to 'Dumb Puppy'

by closer2fine in

jw
friends

http://apnews.excite.com/article/20030903/d7tb04380.html

johnny depp likens u.s. to 'dumb puppy'

sep 3, 11:00 am (et) .

blacksheep

“But I was one of those right-wing conservatives myself - as promoted by ideals in my religion. You know, not charitable, uncaring for other classes of people, and unable to understand the hardships others go through, elitist, always thinking I had the solution for everyone. Thinking everyone had to follow my world view and if they didn't, they were somehow deficient and deserving any hardships they faced. Right-wing in a nutshell. “

Funny, before I read your last senstence, the profile sounded pretty “liberal” to me. Interesting how you see liberals as “charitable, caring, able to understand hardships.” Pretty loaded. Sorta “sheep versus goats” view, if you asked me. During the Reagan years, I was in college, and pretty much influenced by the very liberal views of the college professors. When the topic of a potential draft came up, one liberal professor told us to “tell them you’ve got a date.” Another lamented Reagan’s win, saying “all we women will be back in the kitchen wearing aprons.” I didn’t (and still don’t) understand her (liberal) fear. The cold war ended, the economy improved, the Berlin wall came down, the USSR once and for all was dismantled and no longer post a weapons threat for the first time in decades. I certainly did NOT see the liberal college crowd and faculty demonstrating any great "caring, sensitivity, charity," or in the remotest sense understanding "hardships." The college profs were all weathly, well educated. We students were fresh-faced, supported by parents who could afford to send us there...where exactly was their "understanding of hardships?"

“The difference in me as a liberal is I don't bash them for it. I don't feel a need to punish them or boycott their work.”

The issue I have with such individuals is that they want the best of both worlds. They use their celebrity status to speak out to a WIDE audience. Without that celebrity status their views would hold as much interest as yours or mine. Okay, they want to air their views. But, when not everyone agrees with them, or makes a decision not to buy their products/entertainment, they cry FOUL! " Where’s my freedom of speech?" They’ve got it, for sure. But so does everyone else. If people want to disagree with THEM they are free to. And, if consumers of their products decide not to buy them, that’s THEIR right. That is the only meaningful voice the individual has. Unlike the celebrity.

“It doesn't really harm anybody. But when celebrities start running for major offices with no real qualifications, where their opinions and decisions can actually affect millions of lives, it gets pretty scary. Especially when they are celebrities with a knack for being charming and winning votes, but have no real qualifications for the job.”

Well, it seems to have taken a career politician with all the “right” qualifications to screw up a state. I’m not sure, therefore, that your argument is too compelling.

69

Johnny Depp Likens U.S. to 'Dumb Puppy'

by closer2fine in

jw
friends

http://apnews.excite.com/article/20030903/d7tb04380.html

johnny depp likens u.s. to 'dumb puppy'

sep 3, 11:00 am (et) .

blacksheep

“Reagan's disease is not recent news. I heard this years ago, when CLINTON was newly-elected.” So that's not "3 presidents later". They announced it because he was showing symptoms and that means he had the disease for quite some time (do a little research).

Do a little research? At what precise time do you feel Reagan became incapable of functioning as a president? You obviously have little sensitivity to people with Alzheimer’s. Simply because they develop the condition later in life does NOT mean that they were incapable of functioning well in whatever job, high profile or otherwise, they held years earlier. It’s a cheap shot. Whether that “gets” to you or doesn’t, it’s not my problem.

“And yes, it was a respectful question - it scared the hell out of me, and I am interested in other people's takes on this. Especially Americans cause it is your country and you would have (one would think) the most informed opinions.”

Informed decisions doesn’t have to involve age discrimination. And, sorry I didn’t see the “respect” in your “honest” question. Let’s see, your asking me, as an American, whether I wasn’t riddled with fear and terror that an old man had his hand on the world’s destruct button?.” My answer? No, not at all.

12

Johnny Depp UPDATE!!!! - major backpeddling

by closer2fine in

jw
friends

original thread: http://www.jehovahs-witness.com/6/58037/1.ashx.

http://apnews.excite.com/article/20030905/d7tca00o0.html.

depp says comments were not anti-u.s.. .

blacksheep

"Yeah, it couldn't possibly be an unscrupulous journalist misquoting him or quoting him out of context. Visit Smiley Central! "

Guess anything's possible, lol. But, as the German magazine clearly stands by the story and says that nothing was taken out of context, and because nothing in the article, from the "dumb puppy" comment to his only wanting to expose his children to the US for short bits of time, don't sound like there is much room for taking his comments "out of context."

What in the article and in his comments lead you to think he was portraying the US in a positive, flattering light, that would in fact, make it seem that the interviewer was "grossly misrepresenting" him?

17

What does a true JW really want from life ???

by run dont walk in

jw
friends

could be your parents, a close friend, brother/sister, family member or whoever ........... what do they really want from their life ???.

paradise earth ?.

living forever ?.

blacksheep

Personally, I think they want an easy way out to life: they want a life devoid of ambiguity and tough decisions. They want to believe in a single panacea for all problems in life. The are afraid to make decisions because they fear failure. Their philosopy is that all they need to do is preach, preach, preach, about a future world in which everything will be taken care of by Jehovah: they just wait on him and he'll take care of them. The WTS rules and regs that clearly spell out what to think about everything from religious ideology to cell phones fills the need of people who want to be told what to do.

12

Johnny Depp UPDATE!!!! - major backpeddling

by closer2fine in

jw
friends

original thread: http://www.jehovahs-witness.com/6/58037/1.ashx.

http://apnews.excite.com/article/20030905/d7tca00o0.html.

depp says comments were not anti-u.s.. .

blacksheep

Anyone with a brain can figure out the metaphor of a dumb but agressively dangerous puppy is extremely unflattering. But I suppose JD thinks Americans are so dumb, we'll buy his "immature, developing" BS...

This just proves that not only does he like to slam the country that he supposedly loves so much, he's a coward when he's called on it. Could compromise big bucks and the box office. Pitiful.

44

Tribute to the Troops (USA)

by Uzzah in

jw
friends

the following is a link to a slideshow prepared as a tribute to the military men and women protecting their country.

yes it is focused on the us military.

this is not about iraq or whether or not you like the usa.

blacksheep

"I also think that the best support may be to be eager to bring them home and not so quick to send them out."

I dunno. I always considered "support" of a group of people sharing one experience (e.g. troops fighting a war) to implicitly involve a fundamental belief that what they are doing is right and noble.

I mean, if my husband was a rescue worker at 9/11 ground zero, and I kept telling him and others that I wish he had not been called to duty, I wish the Department had not been so quick to send him out, and I wished that he returned home as soon as possible, would that really be "supporting" him? Maybe him personally. But not his efforts as a sworn defender of the public, not the efforts of the Fire/EMT service. To me supporting the troops is supporting WHAT they are doing. Thanking them for defending others, for rescuing others. It involves promoting their morale by promoting what they are DOING. Of course we want them safe. Of course we want them home. But that is not recognizing and applauding the fundmental importance and significance of what they are doing. To me, if we are constantly questioning and finding fault with why they are over there, we are not supporting the troops. And that's people's right. But I don't see how they can try to spin it so that they have it both ways: support the troops, but oppose what they are DOING.

44

Tribute to the Troops (USA)

by Uzzah in

jw
friends

the following is a link to a slideshow prepared as a tribute to the military men and women protecting their country.

yes it is focused on the us military.

this is not about iraq or whether or not you like the usa.

blacksheep

You who have never lived in a different country would not understand how it looks to those of us who are looking in.

Well, I HAVE lived in two different European countries. Before I lived in Europe, I considered myself quite the liberal. Due largely to my experiences there, I came back far more supportive and appreciative of my homeland than I ever could have imagined. I saw a sad sight of people both condemning the US and hanging on them to help them out of global situations. Lliving over there, I learned just how American I really was.

Please don't try to play the "you can't be objective" card. I encountered far more egregious pro-our-country propaganda in Europe than I ever encountered in the US. It's actually FASHIONABLE to criticize the US among it's citizens (at least the vocal liberals). Most other people (certainly in Europe) simply know their way and their country is superior to others. Which is why they spend far more time WATCHING and criticizing other nations, esp the US.

34

Throwing the baby out with the bath water?

by Steve Lowry in

jw
friends

sometimes i think that because we jws were so deceived, tricked and flat out lied to by an organization that claims to be the sole representative of god, when we take the step to leave the group we (may) have a tendency to discard god as well, in the process.

i realize also there are those who by their nature (perhaps) and their point of view and ideology, that its just a natural personal kind of evolution that brings them to the point that god doesnt exist.

or, that if he does, it doesnt really play any kind of a roll in their lives.

blacksheep

I think it is unique to the individual. Personally, I was raised as a JW, and so I find myself wondering what I would believe if I had been raised in a "normal" religion. I am firmly convinced that no, indeed, "God" did not inspire the Bible, nor do I think "God" inspired the Koran, or the teachings of Confucious, or whatever religious writings you want to point to.

I'm not saying that I don't think there is a spiritual power or powers. But I don't think a "God" in the snese that I understand to be promoted by traditional organized relgion can logically be reponsible for, or overseeing, what goes on in the world. If he is, then he is truly incredibly weak and fiendish and certainly not deserving of worship.

69

Johnny Depp Likens U.S. to 'Dumb Puppy'

by closer2fine in

jw
friends

http://apnews.excite.com/article/20030903/d7tb04380.html

johnny depp likens u.s. to 'dumb puppy'

sep 3, 11:00 am (et) .

blacksheep

It seems to me that Americans are super-patriotic. No dissent is allowed. Shut up celebrities if you don't agree. If people don't agree with President Bush, they're stupid or worse, anti-American.

Funny thing about "speaking your mind." It seems it's okay to speak your mind when you are a liberal criticizing the government. But someone who takes issue with your comments/opinion, in essence, disagrees with YOU, is somehow trying to "silence" you. What, is everyone supposed to sit back and "oooh and aahhh" over your comments: silently and passively listen to your voice and opinions as if they represented some clear "truth?"

Must be nice to be able to use "freedom" of speech both FOR your own personal views and AGAINST any others.