Posts by toladest

17

She Went To Sleep And Woke Up 30 Years Later

by dh in

jw
friends

just came accross this interesting story, it's old news but still thought it was an interesting read.... .

she went to sleep and woke up 30 years later .

the real-life story of annie shapiro - who fell into a coma at age 50 in 1963 - is more remarkable than the movie based on her miraculous re-awakening.

toladest

I don't know about that story but here is a REAL story of a women awakening after 20 years! This just happened a couple weeks back and I saw it on the news. Incredible!

by Steven ErteltLifeNews.com Editor
February 14, 2005LifeNews.com) -- Sarah Scantlin was unable to speak after an automobile accident in which a drunk driver crashed into her, leaving her in a coma. Though doctors believed her brain was injured so badly in the accident that should would never be able to talk again and spend her life in a vegetative state, Scantlin began speaking a week ago.

Sarah's friends and family gathered Saturday at the health care center where she lives to celebrate.

"She's 100 percent Sarah again. The family is back together, and it's just simply a joyous situation," her father, Jim Scantlin, told CNN.

Scantlin was 18 when she was injured and, until last month, she was aware of her surroundings but unable to speak. Suddenly, she began talking to workers at the health care center.

"It just happened one day and nobody really knows why," said Sharon Kuepker, administrator for the Golden Plains Health Care Center.

Now, Scantlin is forming words, counting, and remembering people and places.

"You condition yourself to be able to try to deal with something like this, and then all of the sudden, the world instantly changed from despair to joy because it's amazing how important communication is between human beings," her father told the Associated Press.

Doctors have no explanation but pro-life advocates believe the case proves that Terri Schiavo, who is not in a PVS state, could find her disabled condition improved if she were given proper medical care and rehabilitative treatment.

Robert Schindler, Terri's father, says he hopes the courts will see this "miracle" and think of Terri.

"In light of the miraculous awakening of Miss Sarah Scantlin in Kansas and the success of the new brainwave test reported ... this week, my daughter deserves to have this test before she is starved to death by judicial decree," Schindler said.

Schindler is referring to a study released last week showing the level of neural activity of disabled patients who listened to tapes of their loved ones sharing family experiences matched that of the healthy patients.

The Schindlers say videotape shown on CNN of Sarah interacting with her parents prior to speaking is remarkably similar to videos of Terri interacting her family.

Dr. James Dobson of Focus on the Family says the Scantlin case shows why Florida courts should spare Terri Schiavo's life and prevent her estranged husband from ending her life.

"Terri Schiavo deserves the same chance at life that Sarah Scantlin was given," Dobson said. "Both cases have involved women who suffered debilitating injuries and continued to live in a disabled state. Today we celebrate the news that Ms. Scantlin has regained her memory and ability to speak, and is apparently on the road to recovery."

"Mental disabilities do not damage a person's worth -- the preciousness of life is not defined by one's abilities," Dobson added. "Those who suffer a disabling injury are entitled to the same right to life as we all are. Those seeking to take away Mrs. Schiavo's right to life should have second thoughts after hearing Sarah Scantlin's story."

Terri's parents are traveling to Kansas to meet with Sarah and her family.

Related web sites:

27

Is it possible to go back after you are an Apostate?

by lv4fer in

jw
friends

how would you go back?

go to the elders and say i repent and know i'm was wrong.

i want to work towards getting reinstated?

toladest

When I was DFed/DAed for apostacy one of the elders on my DFing commitee told my mom that usually apostates do not get RI, but if it was possible I would be the one that could come back. I think it's because he KNEW that at the time I was ONLY looking for answers and still thought they had the truth. (despite not understanding why they did some things) They could not answer my questions so they booted me out. If he only knew me now he would NOT want me back! If JW's were able to listen to me I would be telling them ALL ABOUT THE LIES told by the WTS. I would LOVE to confront him now!

22

Apostagrams!

by Swan in

i want to repeat an idea i have been mulling over for some time.

i responded on another thread with this same idea.

on that thread someone wanted to send a newly df friend some comforting message, but was afraid of revealing herself and leaving herself open to possible dfing.

toladest

I'd be willing to help. I think it's a great idea. The letter is very well written. I do like the idea about putting something in to show our concern for what they are going through. Let me know what I can do to help.

Laurie

14

Just read Crisis of Conscience!

by inquirer in

jw
friends

...well except for the appendix.

i felt i didn't need to!

this book is unbelievable!!!!!!!!!

toladest

Shouldn't that reviewer be thanking Ray Franz if he thinks Ray caused those crimes?! I thought that JW's THRIVED on being persucuted.

It's a bunch of Bull**** anyway. It's like saying that Jeffery Dahmer was only killed in prison because the courts and newspapers told people he was a canibal! WELL, IF HE HAD NOT BEEN A CANIBAL NO ONE WOULD HAVE REPORTED THAT HE WAS! Should he have never been exposed and thrown in prison because he may later be persucuted for it?!

The WTS is responsible for it's own crimes and THEY are the one responsible for their followers being persucuted. Just because Ray made their crimes public does not make him responsible for their crimes. He has made his apologies for his part. He is trying to make it right.

Laurie

28

Ozzie's Weekend Poll #126 (It's all about feelings!)

by ozziepost in

jw
friends

and a great big g'day!

to all those who've joined us in the past week or so, especially those from the land downunder.. how's things with you this weekend?

the weather's gloomy around bethel today (so what's new, you reckon!

toladest

They taught me a lot! Some things they intended to teach me and others they didn't. AT FIRST they taught me scriptures and how to speak in public. They taught me I should love people and care about them. (This was a case of do as I say and not as I do.) THEN, they taught me that people can be mean and hateful and cruel. They told me it was the "worldy" people that were that way but eventually I learned it was them. They taught me that people could lie and be judgmental. I learned that I did not want to live that way. They taught me that if you place all of your trust in people you can be burned very badly. They taught me to question everything. They taught me search and study and seek out the truth. (I think thats one of the things they never intended to teach me.) They taught me to be a stronger person by going through what they did to me. They taught how NOT to raise my kids and how NOT to treat my family. They taught me how much it hurts to feel conditional love from them, from my mother and from other family members. They taught me what a cult is and what brainwashing and mind control are.

There is nothing like learning from first hand expierience.

And during all that taching they did for me, they fooled me, they failed me, they twisted me, they tortured me, they harrassed me, they lied to me, burned me, they slandered me, and they almost killed me......

Thanks to the internet and all of you, I found my way out of the whole they threw me in and life is now VERY GOOD! : )

38

What Have You Learned From This Site?

by minimus in

jw
friends

i see that some people feel that jwd is a godsend.

they've learned so much in so short of time.....have you been helped by this site and other similar ones here on the internet?

toladest

Well, this is not the first site I found. I was DFed/DAed almost 7 years ago and was SHOCKED and CONFUSED when the elders called my husband and told him they were formin a Judicial Comittee for me for charges of apostacy. After all, I WAS NOT AN APOSTATE! Or so I thought. I did not realize at the time that all it took was to question the elders. And it wasn't like I was talking to others about my thoughts. I had talked to my husband and my mother (a long time pioneer and the one who raised me as a witness. Who better to ask for help?) I could not understand them letting a child molester get away with what he had done with NO consequences from the congergation. Those thoughts led me to more doubts about the WTS's teachings. So when I was called an apostate I went to the internet. I looked up ex-JW sites. I wanted to know the reasons for others being DFed for apostacy. I felt if my idea of apostacy was wrong maybe others labeled apostates were just like me. I was again SHOKED and CONFUSED! So many people had the SAME story as I did. I learned that there were really good people that had been rejected by the WTS and thrown away like trash. These people helped me to realize that it was not just child abuse issues that the WTS was lying about. I met some really wonderful people online and I found great sites like Freeminds.org and Watchtower Observer. If I had not found these people and these sites I truely believe I could have done something really bad to myself. Before I got online I had felt that I had failed God and my family. I felt that my doubts were a sin and I was committing the unforgivable grieving of the spirit. I thought it would be better if I were dead than for me to bring down my husband and kids with me.

Thanks to Randy Waters and Simon and all the other EX-JW board administrators! And thanks to ALL of you here that are SO supportive and insightful. I love ALL the differing viewpoints that have helped me find my own path.

LIFE IS GOOD!!!!!

Laurie F.

2

Queens Congregations

by jeannie in

is there anyone on who is from the queens ny area?

toladest

Not from Queens, but are you Jeanie from the SilentLambs march?

5

Holly Brewer Music CD

by Hyghlandyr in

jw
friends

ok wayyyyyyyyyyy back when they first tried to df mr. bill bowen, i met ms. holly brewer.

she had recorded a cd and my friends and i bought 3 of them.

now i'd like to input info on the names of the songs etc into my media player.

toladest

No, I don't know but I would love a CD! I heard her sing on the abuse special and she is AWESOME!

11

God's intervention or.....an apostates?

by toladest in

i was reading the post about god's intervention on the last page.

( started a new one to be on current page) anyway, the question was wether or not god intervines in peoples lives.

i have never believed that he does in our time.

toladest

I was reading the post about God's Intervention on the last page. ( Started a new one to be on current page) Anyway, the question was wether or not God intervines in peoples lives. I have NEVER believed that he does in our time. Even when I was a very faithful witness. But I am more sure now than ever.

On the other hand, my mother has ALWAYS credited good things to God and bad things to Satan. After I was DFed for apostacy (my only crime was questioning the elders privatley) we moved out of state. My mother would not talk to me. I had rented my home to one of my brothers (not a JW) and when he was ready to move out he said that mom really needed a place to stay. We let her move in (my way of at least getting her to talk about business matters with me) and she only paid half of our mortgage. We paid the rest for 2 years. But everytime she talked about having a place to stay so cheap it was because Jehovah provided! But in reality it was an "apostate" that was providing. Did Jehovah work through me? I have 9 other siblings, 3 are JW's and only one other is DFed. (the other 5 were never baptized) Why didn't Jehovah use them to provide? Why didn't he use one or more of the wealthy brothers in her congergation? My mom had been married 29 years and then my dad finally left her. ( he was never a JW) She sued for child support but never for alimony, because "this system will end before the child support runs out". Well it ran out and my dad is no longer under legal obligation to pay her, but he does anyway. But to her it is not my dad providing (out of his disabilty income) it is Jehovah! Again, is Jehovah using a worldly person instead of his own people?

Of Course, when my niece died at 5 weeks old after suffering for 3 horrible weeks in the hospital, that wasn't Jehovah's fault. We were told not to pray that she live but that Jehovah's will be done. When she died it was all Satans fault.

And the BS about some people having grace! What a load of crap! Why would God have grace on a car and not a helpless, suffering, innocent child?

76

When did you stop growing ?

by frenchbabyface in

jw
friends

it's seems that people can grow about until they are 25 (unless a sickness still make them grow).

i've stop growing at 12, i'm the same size since then 5'5'.

also they told me that anyway having a baby at 14 would had stop me growing anyway that i should have been taller !

toladest

I stopped growing at 13. I was 14 when I met my 6'4" boyfriend. I thought I would grow. By the time I realized that I was Stuck @ 5' tall it was too late. I was in love! We have been Married for 17 years now. People do give us the funniest stares though. My kids are both getting tall now too, so I kinda look like a circus freak when we all go out. hahahaha