Thank you all for your comments, insights, counsel and references. Thank you Defender-of-the-truth for the video link. Since JWs are reported to have a higher than average incidence of suicides, you'd think that the matter would receive weightier consideration by the Society. Very sad and, in itself, depressing.
MrCellophane
JoinedPosts by MrCellophane
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18
Suicide Prevention Counseling
by MrCellophane inin the 1980's when i was an elder, i don't remember the society providing any guidance to elders on suicide prevention counseling.
i realize much has changed since then.
can any current/recent elders update me on what the current position of the local elders would be if approached by someone in the congregation contemplating suicide and seeking help?.
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Suicide Prevention Counseling
by MrCellophane inin the 1980's when i was an elder, i don't remember the society providing any guidance to elders on suicide prevention counseling.
i realize much has changed since then.
can any current/recent elders update me on what the current position of the local elders would be if approached by someone in the congregation contemplating suicide and seeking help?.
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MrCellophane
In the 1980's when I was an elder, I don't remember the Society providing any guidance to elders on suicide prevention counseling. I realize much has changed since then. Can any current/recent elders update me on what the current position of the local elders would be if approached by someone in the congregation contemplating suicide and seeking help?
Thank you,
mrcellophane
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LOCAL mini-APOSTAFEST (Sunday 3 /15) Fort Worth (Camp Bowie Starbucks)
by TerryWalstrom init looks like 5 of us will get together tomorrow at a starbucks on camp bowie in fort worth, texas.. this is one of those impromptu occasions which either suddenly come together or else just get jaw-jacked into a non-event:).
ricky g is a recently minted ex-jw who is moving to my vicinity from denton.
he has posted his story and other videos on youtube.
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MrCellophane
Wow . . . Sorry I missed it. I'm in Tarrant county but I don't have a Rolls or an Aston Martin. -
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Maintaining Faith In God As An Ex-JW
by pronomono inas i fade further from the jws, i'm finding it increasingly hard to maintain faith in god.
i've been exploring many alternatives from atheism, agnostic, apathetic, pagan, and satanism (not devil worship, but the promotion of self-indulgence) to name a few.
i'm thoroughly intrigued to learn how those of you who remained christian managed to maintain your faith in god and christ, especially after enduring all the lies that we've been told about them.
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MrCellophane
As a lurker here for many years it seems clear to me that very many ex-JWs have become atheistic, some even agressively so. Possibly they were so wounded by their Watchtower experience that in fully rejecting it they also fully reject the Bible and the concept of God. I've also vacillated in my opinions as I've studied and evaluated non-Watctower information. For example, it's been very difficult for me to resolve the apparent conflict of a loving, merciful God with the practice of animal sacrifice; the relationship of Jehovah vs. Jesus vs. Holy Spirit; "miracles"; heaven vs. eartly paradise; evil spirits, etc., etc,. Yet I can't chuck it all away, deny God, and go with chance evolution as the final solution.
The resolution that's working for me, right now at least, is that that problem isn't with God, it's with mankind's attempts to explain it all and provide all the answers. So what I've rejected is the concept of the Bible being the full and literal explanation of God and mankind. The Bible was written by men and even if some or all of them were "inspired", that doesn't mean they were infallible. They recorded and explained as best they could for their understanding and the science of the times. Much scripture that various religions take as dogma may be fables provided by the ancients to try to rudimentally explain our existence and provide some ground rules for civilization. But mankind's shoddy theological cobblings don't preclude a Creator God. So, although we may feel that we must reject much of the Watchtower, it doesn't follow that we should reject God - or even reject "Jehovah". Nor do we need to reject Christ or "christian" principals.
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Am I wasting my time?
by mrhhome ini am the husband of an ex-jw.
she left when she was 18, because she was dating a non-jw.
they got married, and he began openly cheating on her.
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MrCellophane
Sadly, yes. The more you push against them, the more entrenched they'll become. Their minds are completely closed to anything that doesn't come from the watchtower.
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Anyone wanna copy of the entire God's word is truth District Convention 2013 recording?
by OneDayillBeFree ini somehow got my hands on a high quality mp3 cd of the whole thing.
i don't know how to upload it online but i'll give it a shot if anyone here wants it.. any good sites to post audio online?.
onedayillbefree.
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MrCellophane
Yes, thank you, I'd very much like a copy.
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I hope I'm not the ONLY one...
by YoursChelbie inis there anyone besides me who would like to get a group together for dinner, maybe at a local tgi fridays?.
there's some faces i would really like to meet again.. i don't think that here in the dallas/north texas area, we've had a gathering in a while.. so if you have any suggestions for a particular day?
we could see when it would be convenient for most people.
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MrCellophane
Two or three of us in D/FW have been trying to get together for lunch for the past couple of weeks but things keep coming so we haven't been successful yet. If this June 19th event is really set, maybe we could join in. Sounds interesting and fun. I'll send a note to a couple others.
Mr C.
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Would Witnesses REALLY drink the "Kool-aid" if the faithful slave told them to? Yes or no?
by Witness 007 ina "spiritual leader" tells his followers the must put on rebok running shoes and "drink the cool-aid" to join a ufo in the tail of a comet and "go to a better world" so, afew dozen young people do just that to get "beamed up" to the mothership.
heavens gate cult 1990's.. my mother says "she is faithful to the organisation till her death" which makes me wonder if they ordered a mass suicide like the reverend jim jones did to escape a "great tribulation"....how many witnesses would really drink the cool-aid?...
without a gun pointed at their head of course!.
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MrCellophane
If that directive came from the FDS right now, cold, with no propaganda leading up to it - then, no, almost none would. But I'm very afraid that with a little set-up, a little "new light", etc., etc., an unbelievably high percentage of JWs would do so. After all, it's not really that far removed from helping to kill (by omission) a dear loved one, is it?
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Give me a quick THUMBS UP or a THUMBS DOWN
by Terry inhttp://dl.dropbox.com/u/1595587/barryesques/messin%20with%20mister%20mean.mp3.
http://dl.dropbox.com/u/1595587/barryesques/the%20last%20valley.mp3.
http://dl.dropbox.com/u/1595587/barryesques/eenie%20meany%20mighty.mp3.
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MrCellophane
Terry . . . There are none of them that I wouldn't enjoy listening to over and over, except maybe "Badlands". I particulary enjoy the Mancini-esque qualities of "Eenie Meany Mighty" and "Welles of Mystery". You've beautifully captured the minimalist atmosphere of French cafe music in "The Adventurer" and "Afternoons with Lily". And the haunting, esoteric quality of "Child of Nature" is addictive.
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what is your job ?i was wondering how varied our different jobs are !
by looloo ini am a support worker for adults with profound disabilities and some with autism and i love caring for people ..
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MrCellophane
Magwitch - you have a PM.
My job: Education (Federal Student Loans) Administration - Student Loan Default Aversion.