Posts by under the radar

3

Human Perfection

by 2tone in

read at your own risk.

some people may find this offensive or funny.. i had to go to the bathroom and i wisely checked to see if there was toilet paper.

there was none left so i found the last one roll in the garage.

Funny you should bring that up. As a matter of fact, the Society used to teach that urination and defecation would no longer be necessary once humans achieved perfection. Perfect bodies would completely use whatever nutrients were taken in and there would be no need for elimination. Somewhat along the lines of believing that blacks would all turn white as they approached perfection. Are you kiddin' me???

Like many of their other teachings (then and now), they were the products of a few jerks sitting around dreaming up their own ideas of how things "oughta be," without any Scriptural basis at all. So many of their earlier beliefs were idiotic and embarrassing, it's no wonder the Society discourages perusing older publications, or heaven forbid, the internet (!), and anybody who does so is automatically suspected of having apostate leanings.

17

Just call me donut guy.

by TotallyADD in

jw
friends

just have enough time to let you know our donut shop is open now.

after one week of training in pittsburg and one week of training at our new store we are now up and running.

i did a soft opening with little fan fare.

under the radar

Congratulations! I'm very happy for you. How exciting to be starting a new business. I wish you great success in your new venture.

Where is your donut shop? And what is its name? I travel a lot and can promise I will stop in if ever in your area. Looking forward to it!

I do hope your wife gets better real soon. Pneumonia is nothing to fool around with, and you two were smart to get medical attention right away.

Best wishes to you both.

Radar

68

Interracial Marriage

by Quendi in

here is a question i want to pose because i do not know the correct answer.

i have seen many interracial married couples among jehovah's witnesses--moreso than i have seen in other religions.

however, i have been told that once upon a time, interracial marriage was frowned upon by the wts hierarchy.

NewChapter, you are absolutely right. The sad fact is that you cannot use the Bible to condemn slavery. It is provided for (allowed, albeit very lightly regulated) and even tacitly encouraged. Remember Paul telling Christian slaves to return to and be obedient to their masters?

You could correctly deduce that, strictly speaking from the Biblical standpoint, slavery is part of the normal and natural order of things. No god whose "Holy Book" teaches such things is worthy of respect, much less worship.

And don't get me started on "His" arrogant, egotistical, homocidal, genocidal personality... Hitler was a gentle, kind soul compared to "God."

34

What's Fun in Boston?

by SixofNine in

jw
friends

any travel advice from boston natives or people who know the area well?

i will be flying into boston on my way to a cabin in maine at the end of august, and my schedule allows me the flexibility to either fly in and drive to maine immediately, or spend a day or two in the boston area.

what is a must see/must do in the boston area?

under the radar

What a coincidence! We just got back from a few days in a lake-side cabin near Machias, Maine. Had a wonderful time. Acadia National Park is nearby, and so are a lot of little towns on the coast just across the water from Canada.

We live about 50 miles from Boston, over in New Hampshire. One "must see" for anyone interested in American history is the John Adams house. You can get there easily on the "T." It's almost exactly as it was when he lived there. Filled with priceless antiques and historical objects and documents. His personal library, with its original contents, is right next door. Fascinating!

I can also highly recommend the Fine Arts Museum, the Museum of Natural History, the Science Museum, and the Isabella Gardner Art Museum (a little off-beat and quirky, but well worth the visit). You won't be disappointed. And whatever your political persuasion, the JFK Presidential Library and Museum is very interesting and informative from a historical perspective.

Have a great vacation! Don't forget to post some pictures when you get back...

102

How do you make a living?

by paulnotsaul in

jw
friends

since most of us believed it was right around the corner, how many of you went to any secondary schools or training?

what do you do now to survive?

are you working or unemployed?

under the radar

Pilot for "major" airline since 1987, captain since 1995. Mostly in the lower 48 (US), with a few intra-European trips thrown in. Will be transitioning to our biggest, longest range plane beginning next monh, after which it'll be almost exclusively long range international flying. A lot of non-stops between the US and major cities in southeast Asia and western Europe, with a few non-stops between Asia and Europe as well. I'm looking forward to it.

A LOT more interesting than banging on doors pestering disinterested people with tripe I don't even believe myself. Of course, I haven't actually done that for many years (thank goodness!), but I can guarantee you I will NEVER do it again.

20

Opinions on Streaming Netflix......

by AK - Jeff in

jw
friends

my hdtv sits just feet behind the wall that houses my computer.

i have a g-router for my laptops in the house.. i thought of running hdmi interface to my tv, but alas no hdmi outport on my computer.

i used to use a laptop with vga, so considered doing the same with my desktop, but alas no vga port on my desktop computer.

under the radar

IMHO, if you want a Blu-ray player, just buy one with built-in Netflix capability. Almost every maker has one, and they usually cost no more than one without.

If you don't need a Blu-ray player, I think the new version of AppleTV is the way to go. Like most Apple stuff, you take it out of the box and it just works. My (-N) router is in the basement and the AppleTV is on the second floor. It streams Netflix perfectly.

Good luck getting your HDTV set up.

18

Study Participants Wanted

by JW_Researcher in

please contact kira directly if you're interested.. .

my name is kira harris and i am a phd student at edith cowan university.

the aim of my research is to further the understanding of the disengagement process through in-depth interviews with participants who self-identify as ex-members of entatitive social groups.

under the radar

Hi everyone! Just my two cents worth...

I emailed Kira and she promptly got back to me and arranged an interview. Everything is as stated. It is undoubtedly on the up-and-up.

She called me here in western Canada from Australia at a time convenient for me. Took about an hour to do the very professional interview. Painless. Even enjoyable. I told her to feel free to get back in touch if she had any more questions or needed anything clarified.

If you want to help someone conducting serious research in furtherance of their education, drop her an email and offer to participate. You won't regret it.

An additional benefit: this study could demonstrate that many ex-JWs leave for perfectly legitimate reasons. We're not all disgruntled sex-crazed drug addicts. I believe the vast majority just come to the realization that it is in fact NOT the "Truth®" and choose not to live as hypocrites or slaves anymore.

Radar

55

WT article on ''never have we said Jehovah has said"

by Aussie Oz in

been going nuts looking for this.. i am sure i have read, and probably saved, a quote by them about not being false prophets but i am buggered if i can find it anywhere in search, google or my own pc.. can you help?.

i think its 2009 but not sure, where they have the line 'never have we said ''jehovah has said'' when ...'.

a link or pdf or scan or cut n paste, etc would be great!.

under the radar

Here's a good one.

The Watch Tower of July 15, 1894, page 226 said:

"We see no reason for changing the figures; nor could we change them if we would. They are, we believe, God's dates, not ours. But bear in mind that the end of 1914 is not the date for the beginning, but for the end of the time of trouble. We see no reason for changing from our opinion expressed in the View presented in the Watch Tower of Jan. 15, '92." (NOTE: That is 1892, not 1992.)

Just one of many, many times the Society implied that relying on and obeying them is the equivalent of doing that to Jehovah. Presumptuous and arrogant, if not outright blasphemous statements.

Radar

106

Flying to Orlando tomorrow, my daughter is in the hospital

by coffee_black in

jw
friends

my daughter is in the hospital with pneumonia, and possibly a blood clot in her lung.

they'll be testing through the night...apparently, her heart is enlarged as well.

she is scared... and if her jw father catches wind of it, he will be there trying to intefere with her treatment... he lives close by to her, so i'll be flying down in the morning....to head him off at the pass.

under the radar

Hi Coffee!

I am so sorry to hear about your daughter Ali. By the way, she is gorgeous! I hope with all my heart that she recovers, and quickly! She is very lucky to have Mom flying to her rescue. Just knowing that her kids are being looked after properly will make her feel better.

Two things should ease your mind, even if just a little. First, since she's obviously an adult, her dad nor anyone else has any say in her treatment. So unless she invites them, the HLC and anyone else her dad's friends might send can just take a hike. And unless she has a current "Blood Card" on file with the hospital, her dad's religious convictions are completely irrelevant. In the absence of written proof otherwise, the doctors and hospital staff can safely assume she would want whatever treatment(s) will give her the best chance of a complete recovery. In fact, they would be remiss if they didn't pull out all the stops.

Second, even if she has pneumonia and her heart is enlarged due to the stress or whatever, the most likely course of treatment will be medication and rest and probably hydration... not surgery. With all the latest advances in medicine at their disposal, and since they apparently caught this situation relatively early, the doctors have an excellent chance of "fixing her up" real soon.

I know anything I could say would be little comfort to a worried mother, but rest assured that you and Ali have all the prayers and positive vibes your friends at JWN can muster coming your way. Take care of Ali and the little ones first, yourself too, of course, and then keep us informed as you have the chance. We're all there with you in spirit.

Warmest regards,

Radar

51

My Dad's passing

by happyexjw in

quite a while ago i wrote about my dad who has been living with prostate cancer for 13 years with secondry bone cancer for the last 2 years.

we all thought he was going to leave us back in april when he had a bad chest infection.

i was talking about wanting to be able to say some words at his funeral.

under the radar

Dear happyexjw,

I am so sorry to hear about your dad. I hope you find some comfort in that he went peacefully in the end, surrounded by his loving family.

I am appalled, but not shocked, by your treatment at the hands of your JW relatives. Their whole lives revolve around their version of the "Truth" and they are taught to treat with disdain any who do not fit into their little mold of how a "True Christian" should think and talk and act. I am so sorry you had to put up with their self-righteousness... especially at a time Iike that.

I lost my own father in May, his brother the previous February, and the brother's wife in June. I was specifically disinvited to the customary gathering after my father's service, even though it was to take place at a restaurant open to the public. I was warned there would be a "scene" if I showed up. Since the vast majority of those who would be there would be Daddy's friends from the congregation anyway, I gracefully bowed out without a fuss. But it still hurt. Mind you, I am neither DA nor DF (though truth be told, that's only a technicality). It just alternately saddens and infuriates me when ordinarily kind and loving people turn into cold unfeeling martinets just because one no longer shares their precious beliefs and superstitions.

You would think a person truly "Christian" at heart would suspend his judgmental, self- righteous attitudes at a time like that, particularly when it comes to other family members. I grieve with you that the words and actions of some in your family actually made a time of sorrow even worse.

Please accept my condolences in the loss of your father. May you find some measure of peace in the knowledge that he now knows the truth about the "Truth" (whatever that may be) and that he is no longer suffering.

Radar