BlackSwan of Memphis

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Posts by BlackSwan of Memphis

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  18

  What are some of the 'good' things you learned during and after being a Jehovah's Witness?

  by Dune in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  my problems with the wtbs have always been their doctrine and their absolute control of the rank and file, not the principles that they and most mainstream religions teach.

  i grew up in a predominantly black urban metropolitan area that had a high crime rate and drug usage.

  when i go back to my old neighborhood, i always hear about how some of my peers are drug addicts, incarcerated or dead.

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  BlackSwan of Memphis

  I learned how important it was to stop and read and take that time to understand what you're agreeing to.
  I remember how often I'd go to the doors and people had zero clue what they said they believed.
  And when I finally applied that to myself, that's really what got me out.
  How to make great desserts for dessert night (book studies).
  That I'm stronger than what I ever gave myself credit for, and smarter too
  That friendships do change, even when you're not a jw.
  That life is not always about What you know, but how you use what you've learned to make changes either in your own life or the lives of others for the better.

  can't think of anything else...
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  11

  If I'm gonna read a book about the bible.....

  by BlackSwan of Memphis in

  1. watchtower
  2. bible

  i finished rereading bart ehrman's misquoting jesus and found that it is a pretty good book.. i just checked out another by him, lost christianities, and am just beginning to read that.. what other books might you suggest to someone interested in topics such as: the history of the bible, the history of religion and christianity and even further reading on textual criticism?.

  thanks.

  meagan.

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  BlackSwan of Memphis

  I finished rereading Bart Ehrman's Misquoting Jesus and found that it is a pretty good book.

  I just checked out another by him, Lost Christianities, and am just beginning to read that.

  What other books might you suggest to someone interested in topics such as: The history of the bible, the history of religion and Christianity and even further reading on textual criticism?

  thanks

  meagan
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  28

  Question re "I AM" in the gospels

  by BlackSwan of Memphis in

  1. watchtower
  2. bible

  hey there:.

  the other day i was discussing the topic of the verse where jesus apparently uses the term i am in reference to himself.. this claim obviously referring to his being god.. i could swear that i have read somewhere that this term ego emi (sp) was used elsewhere in the nt by someone other than jesus.. i am wondering if anyone here would have any information on this topic.. thx in advance..

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  BlackSwan of Memphis

  Wow, okay. Not what I thought it would come up with. Thanks for explaining so much Narkissos.

  Slimboy, ya know thanks for bringing up those thoughts AND also the articles. I definitely they are worth taking the time to read. And I actually do remember the Jason DeBuhn thing but had entirely forgotten about it.
  At the time I had no interest, but at this point think it will be a bit more relative to where I'm at.

  Greatly appreciated posts from both of you.

  meagan
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  18

  Building new friendships

  by troubled mind in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  on the thread about 'moving on after leaving the witnesses', it brought to mind how hard it is to build new friendships .. for me i have been out for a little over three years .

  i knew before i quit that it would be important to fill the void that would be left when old "friends" began dropping us .

  lucky for me i worked with some very fun out going people at my job .

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  BlackSwan of Memphis

  Hey troubled mind:

  Well for me, I have 2 kids. Both of whom are really busy kids. Met a few women from the library and from there I have met a lot of people. Seems like freeing up time is more difficult than filling it.
  I'm a girl scout leader, I'm helping out with a local parks committee and am trying to organize some of us local homeschoolers into various activities.

  I think the most helpful thing for me was finding ne'er been jw's and building a non-jw related life.
  For me that was relatively easy as my spouse was not a jw.
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  28

  Question re "I AM" in the gospels

  by BlackSwan of Memphis in

  1. watchtower
  2. bible

  hey there:.

  the other day i was discussing the topic of the verse where jesus apparently uses the term i am in reference to himself.. this claim obviously referring to his being god.. i could swear that i have read somewhere that this term ego emi (sp) was used elsewhere in the nt by someone other than jesus.. i am wondering if anyone here would have any information on this topic.. thx in advance..

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  BlackSwan of Memphis

  Hey there:

  The other day I was discussing the topic of the verse where Jesus apparently uses the term I AM in reference to himself.

  This claim obviously referring to his being God.

  I could swear that I have read somewhere that this term Ego Emi (sp) was used elsewhere in the NT by someone Other than Jesus.

  I am wondering if anyone here would have any information on this topic.

  thx in advance.
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  21

  Girl Scout Cookies

  by leavingwt in

  1. social
  2. current

  it's that time of year again: girl scout cookies!.

  sales are down 20% because of the economy, but my purchases are going strong -- six boxes.

  i'm sharing them with my co-workers, though.. i'm partial to the thin mints and the samoas.. do you like them?

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  BlackSwan of Memphis

  being the girl scout leader I am....

  we get sixty cents for every box.

  And let me tell you it is a huge pain in the butt to do cookie sales.
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  148

  Since you on the right won't answer this question. Abortion

  by dawg in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  i posed this question on another thread... namely burns and hooberus...wouldn't answer, so i thought i'd ask it again in an open thread..., .

  you on the right disagree with roe v wade... so that means that you want to redefine when a zygote, embryo, or a fetus has what anyone would rule for lack of better words "the right to life"... .

  exactly when is life, human as per your definition?

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  BlackSwan of Memphis

  Not on the right.

  I had the opportunity to speak with a number of women who have taken the abortion option.

  Most, if not all of them, never believed in a million years they would be doing this.
  Nearly every single one chose this due to failed contraception.
  Nearly every single one were in stable relationships, often married.
  Most had given this option prayerful consideration and truly believed in God and believed that this choice was between them and God alone.

  I would love to hear what people who are pro life would do with a mother of 3 who has chosen abortion.
  Would they throw her in prison with hard core criminals for life?
  Why?

  Were they in the bedroom or dark night when the life was conceived?

  NO

  I tend to think that the pro lifers out there think that all the women out there who make a decision such as this are just sluts who get knocked up and don't give a damn about the life inside them. Couldn't be further from the truth.
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  49

  How Many Here Have Voted Since You've Left The Religion?

  by minimus in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  i know a few that have recently registered.

  what about choo?

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  BlackSwan of Memphis

  Every time there`s a war..They need bombs!..Some bombs need engines,to deliver the bombs to they`re targets!.......The Rand Cam Engine Corp. Makes those engines!........The WBT$ and I,both hold stock in that company!..They own 50% of Rand Cam..I own a 500 shares

  They STILL own stocks in RCam??
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  49

  How Many Here Have Voted Since You've Left The Religion?

  by minimus in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  i know a few that have recently registered.

  what about choo?

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  BlackSwan of Memphis

  Never voted, never will, I don't even want to carry a small part of the blame when a leader I voted for goes to war and kills innocent civilians sorry guys :(

  Or you could........vote for the green party. In our case here in the states that would mean voting for Ralph Nader. But hey, it's a Protest vote

  :)

  Keep in mind that some politicans actually are against this war :)

  Either way, no need to apologize.
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  49

  How Many Here Have Voted Since You've Left The Religion?

  by minimus in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  i know a few that have recently registered.

  what about choo?

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  BlackSwan of Memphis

  Yes. Heh heh heh I was bad. I voted before I was technically "out".
  I had not attended in several months and by then the family was questioning me, I was writing my da letter.
  It was raining and I walked up to the nearby school with a hood over my hair and was so stinking happy to do something FOR my country.