Carmel

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Posts by Carmel

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  40

  Does anyone else have a problem with conformity?

  by milligal in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  recently my husband and i moved south to an area known as the 'bible belt' for his job.

  we are northerners and from a liberal area.

  i just cannot seem to tolerate the amount of 'shut-up and put-up' around here.

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  Carmel

  Yeah, my non-conformity pretty much cost me my job recently. Luckily I don't need to work so that probably led to my refusal to conform to the dysfunctional management of the county! Free at last! carmel
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  13

  Incorporated Churches

  by golf2 in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  has anyone done research on incorporated churches?

  if jesus were alive today, would he be incorporated?

  golf

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  Carmel

  Probably an LLC. carmel
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  41

  My parents are going to meet with me!

  by Confession in

  1. jw
  2. experiences

  it was two years and two months ago when i told my mother that i no longer recognize the wts religion as being "the truth.

  " as you may know, to a jw mother, this is like telling her you've decided to jump off a skyscraper.

  i have spoken to her only two times since then, and have not seen her or my dad since then.

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  Carmel

  Confession, You may not be seeking my input, but forgive me if my comments are unwelcome. I hope your relationship improves with your parents, but I would prepare myself to deal with the worst you can imagine. I say that because if you do that anything less than that you can deal with since you've prepared for something beyond that. We often anticipate the worst but fail to thoroughly prepare psychologicaly for it. I sincerely desire for you to be pleasantly surprised. carmel
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  58

  Opinion poll: Is it wrong for grandparents to buy presents for all but one?

  by cognizant dissident in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  my parents (jw's) have 4 small grandchildren between the ages of 5 and 8. they recently went on a trip and brought back presents for 3 of the kids but left out one because they "didn't have time to find anything".

  my sister was very upset and refused to accept the present for her daughter if they had nothing for her son.

  my parents thought she was making a big deal out of nothing and since gifts are voluntary, technically, they don't have to buy them for any of the kids and can do so as they choose.

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  Carmel

  Hey, I was one of those "children" left out when the goodies were passed around. Seems when my mom died she left all her vast wealth, (an old trailer house and a couple acres of land) to my older brothers. I was left with $1 in the will so I couldn't contest it.

  Sorry, mom, but I didn't want any of your material possessions. I hear my brothers had a real falling out over how to divide the spoils.

  One unnecessary war not fought! No scars from it though. Life has been too good to worry about how your parents percieved your independent thinking..

  carmel
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  52

  Hello everyone! New here. Born into it....ugh.

  by Lady Zombie in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  where to start?.

  i thought about typing out a nutshelled life history but changed my mind.

  suffice it to say, i was born into "the truth," attempted suicide at 14, "lost my faith" at this time, beat into submission into carrying on as usual, endured a horrible marriage and equally horrible divorce, and am more or less still in it (appearances only!

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  Carmel

  welcome from a collegue. I escaped the borg and got my degree in zoology so have taken the opportunity to read a lot of what you probably have,,, clear back to Watson and Crick. I've come to a different conclusion than you but that's cool. some of my best friends are former athiests and present ones as well. I admire your compassion for your parents. If you percieve leaving the Tower would be be devistating to them and you are willing to sacrifice for their behalf, I commend you. be well carmel
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  80

  ***** Name a reason people wont make it through Armegeddon *****

  by FlyingHighNow in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  let's start a list of reasons why you were told, or overheard people telling, won't make it through the big a day.

  i'll start.. 1. they don't take showing up for cleaning the kingdom hall seriously and never show up.

  i overheard a sour puss old elder say this to his wife after he just gave a scolding talk on it.

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  Carmel

  dying of old age
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  9

  Cinco de Mayo everyone.

  by tan in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  looking forward to a drink or two....

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  Carmel

  I'd love a double cheese burger with mayo! throw on some mushrooms and sliced tomato! mmmmmm
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  70

  If you believe in nothing, then how do you know JW's are wrong?

  by slimboyfat in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  many who leave the witnesses go on to affirm other recognisable sets of beliefs.

  some become christians of various sorts, others tend toward patriotism as a kind of rejection of the anti-patriotic stance of the watchtower, while yet more simply affirm in general the secular values of mainstream society.

  do you believe jehovah's witnesses are wrong?

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  Carmel

  Me thinks there is a boat load of dichotomous thinking prevelant here. There are quiet often multiple options not simply a choice of two. For instance, "either God is out to lunch or there is no God". This assumes the author of such has a perfect understanding and knowledge of reality. Limiting the potential options makes more a statement about the author than the object of the statement. carmel
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  42

  Hey guess what?

  by sh4m3sh4m3 in

  1. watchtower
  2. beliefs

  apparently my posts are too hard to read.

  i will try to post with as few words as possible for you uneducated ex witnesses who never got a chance to go to college.

  some of you have been more than kind, but a lot of you are just assholes.

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  Carmel

  Oh literary one, please provide me with a commentary on the Sura of Joseph, then I'll know you are the return of the 12th Imam. carmel
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  25

  Old JW memories.

  by nicolaou in

  1. jw
  2. experiences

  with all the talk about the book study recently i couldn't help recalling the old 'group' we used to go to from about 1970. i remember the smell of those books, the drone of the study conductor and the struggle - often in vain - to keep my eyes open.. i remember my old ministry briefcase and the kitchen of the sister where we used to meet for field service.

  she was my best friends mum.

  i can still feel the biting wind at twickenham conventions and the overheated, dehydrating stuffiness of bowes rd assembly hall.. i remember shuffling the snow with my shoes at the doors of homes i didn't want to be at.

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  Carmel

  My fondest memories of being a Jdub youth was the assembly in Astoria, Oregon. I and two other younguns were given trays of icecream sandwitches to sell. Each time we returned the emty trys and turned in the money, I shorted the older youth a dollar. He never caught on as he lumped the money in an envelop and turned it over to someone else. By the time the assembly was over I'd short changed them $13 which I took home with me and bought a catcher's mitt. Sinner that I am I did ten hail Mary's.....oh, wrong religion... never had any guilt pangs as hair was till not growing on my palms so I was pretty sure Jehovah was ignoring my transgressions....Funny, now I live in Astoria and suffer no remorse yet!!! carmel