free2beme

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Posts by free2beme

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  1093

  THE NEWS IS BIGGER THAN DATELINE, BBC, CBC, ETC.

  by AndersonsInfo in

  1. watchtower
  2. scandals

  if i told you that something bigger is on the horizon than dateline, bbc, cbc, sunday (australia), and all other tv programs which exposed the sexual child abuse cover-up by watchtower in 2002-2003, would you believe me?

  have i ever misled you?

  i'll answer that--no!

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  free2beme

  95stormfront

  Couldn't agree more. It would be very easy to do that on a board like this.
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  1093

  THE NEWS IS BIGGER THAN DATELINE, BBC, CBC, ETC.

  by AndersonsInfo in

  1. watchtower
  2. scandals

  if i told you that something bigger is on the horizon than dateline, bbc, cbc, sunday (australia), and all other tv programs which exposed the sexual child abuse cover-up by watchtower in 2002-2003, would you believe me?

  have i ever misled you?

  i'll answer that--no!

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  free2beme

  With all the Catholics still attending, after all that was exposed there, I don't think even showing Satan himself leading the Witnesses, would even be a bump in the road to their growth and attendence.
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  23

  Did you ever see or experience prejudice in the religion?

  by free2beme in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  besides the strong hatred of woman, that we know the witness religion teaches, did you ever see black bothers ignored in their attempt to reach out to be ms or elders?

  did you ever see latinos treated different because of how the local community viewed them?

  i know the watchtower teaches that this does not happen, but i actually experienced an event with a black brother that was a friend, that bothered me when i was in the religion.

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  free2beme

  I remember once that I was in a car group and we had a referral call to a woman. The elder sent two woman to call on the householder. They got kind of a negative response. The elder was surprised and said to me later, "I should have sent brothers and not sisters, as a brother would have been able to do better." Why not just say, "thhose dumb woman, it is amazing they even know how to breath." I am sorry, but some of the smartest people I have met in this life, were woman and to belittle them so, is just one more reason why Witness woman are treated with prejudice to the point that they learn to believe it.
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  11

  Talking about a person, at their funeral, "how taboo!"

  by free2beme in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  i went to a funeral yesterday and they did something you never saw at a witness memorial, and it is so refreshing to me when this is done.

  well they actually mentioned the person who died.

  they talked about their life, their family and even some fun stories about what they did in this life.

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  free2beme

  I have been out over a decade and the guidelines were the same back then, as mentioned, and they had been around along time.
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  23

  Did you ever see or experience prejudice in the religion?

  by free2beme in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  besides the strong hatred of woman, that we know the witness religion teaches, did you ever see black bothers ignored in their attempt to reach out to be ms or elders?

  did you ever see latinos treated different because of how the local community viewed them?

  i know the watchtower teaches that this does not happen, but i actually experienced an event with a black brother that was a friend, that bothered me when i was in the religion.

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  free2beme

  
  Besides the strong hatred of woman, that we know the Witness religion teaches, did you ever see black bothers ignored in their attempt to reach out to be MS or elders? Did you ever see Latinos treated different because of how the local community viewed them? I know the Watchtower teaches that this does not happen, but I actually experienced an event with a black brother that was a friend, that bothered me when I was in the religion. His wife and him moved from California to Oregon, he had been an elder for many years in California. When he moved here, he was in good standings and the elders sent the appropriate letter to make it possible for a reappointment. The CO came, and the announcements were made and no announcement of him as an elder. The brother asked the elders what happened, and they stated that they never got the letter. He contacted the older congregation and they confirmed they sent it. Not wanting to call the local elders, "liars", he asked those California elders to call and explain. To which they did and the elders were all, "okay, no problem, we will handle this at the next CO visit." The man was disappointed, as you could image, he wanted to do more then the average publisher and had over a decade of elder experience. Well about six months goes by and here comes the CO, the elders met with the black brother and explained they would not appoint him. Their reason was, "his hours were not great, averaged about 10-15, and they felt his attitude in how he handled the last CO visit and their mistake, showed a lack of humility." So the CO came, no appointment. He Auxiliary Pioneered, he did everything he could, they never appointed him. Finally he moved back to California and was appointed on that congregations next CO visit. Now the elders in my old hall were all white older men. Not a ethnic blood in any of them. A year later a white brother moved into town and was here about a week or two and when that CO visit came, he was appointed, he ended up being a liar and a cheat on his wife and was disfellowshiped within the year. Am I wrong, or does that not smell of prejudice?

  So, did anyone else see things like this?
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  11

  Talking about a person, at their funeral, "how taboo!"

  by free2beme in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  i went to a funeral yesterday and they did something you never saw at a witness memorial, and it is so refreshing to me when this is done.

  well they actually mentioned the person who died.

  they talked about their life, their family and even some fun stories about what they did in this life.

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  free2beme

  The JW funerals were better. ; (Now I'm going to hide.)

  No need to hide. Like everything, there are exceptions. I will give you an example of one I went to that was terrible and one that was wonderful (only one I could think of in the Witness religion). There terrible one first. A elder was visiting our congregation with his wife and family. During the visit, a local elder in our congregation offered to take him up on a flight in his plane and see Oregon from the air. I went to lunch with him that Sunday, as it was our book-studies turn to do the lunch thing for the speaker and off they went to the flight. That night on the news they mentioned that the plane crashed and all on board died (two people). Because of the plane crash, the local media covered the memorial a bit. By chance, the reporter was someone I knew from another work connection. The media covered our local elders memorial, as the other man was from California. The news did not show much more then the parking lot and the people before the memorial. When I left the religion, I was drinking a beer with the reporter and I decided to ask why they showed so little, wondering if my suspistions were true. He stated, "it was not a funeral, it was an attempt to convert!" He was right, at that funeral, I don't honestly remember anything being said about that elder, other then he had a loving family that was going to miss him. The elder giving the talk was "grand-standing" to take advantage of the media.

  Now a child died in our congregation, murdered at his day-care. At his memorial, the elder had a family member read childrens poems and thought from the family. It was very touching and I felt comforted more. They did preach to a lesser extent, but kept it more low key and realized the loss of a child needed to be handled more gently. Thinking about that one, it still hurts and I hope that family ended up moving on, which is hard to do in a situation like that.
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  11

  Talking about a person, at their funeral, "how taboo!"

  by free2beme in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  i went to a funeral yesterday and they did something you never saw at a witness memorial, and it is so refreshing to me when this is done.

  well they actually mentioned the person who died.

  they talked about their life, their family and even some fun stories about what they did in this life.

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  2. 
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• 

  free2beme

  I went to a funeral yesterday and they did something you never saw at a Witness memorial, and it is so refreshing to me when this is done. What did they do? Well they actually mentioned the person who died. They talked about their life, their family and even some fun stories about what they did in this life. I was thinking about all the Witness memorials I went to, while I was in the religion, and remembered how often I wanted to stand and say, "enough with trying to convert people here, please just talk about the person who died." We knew that did not happen though, and to do so was taboo, as it would take away from Jehovah's glory and people did not want that to happen. I even remember a few memorials that had relatives that were non-Witnesses, standing and leaving in disgust at the attempt to convert them during what is considered an emotional event.

  Did this bother others, and if it did, have you attended any non-Witness funerals since leaving to see the other side?
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  5

  Remember them, from time to time

  by free2beme in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  remember them from time to time.

  we sail through this life collecting memories that we cherish.

  these memories might be a simple laugh from time to time, as we think about something that happened a long time ago.

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  free2beme

  Thanks, it all went well. I actually like funerals that are not Witness ones. As you actually talk about the person who died and not the faith they belonged too.
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  5

  Remember them, from time to time

  by free2beme in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  remember them from time to time.

  we sail through this life collecting memories that we cherish.

  these memories might be a simple laugh from time to time, as we think about something that happened a long time ago.

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  free2beme

  I should add an explanation. I was asked to write something to read at my spouses grandfather's services this weekend and this is what I wrote. I kind of just posted it up there to see if it sounded okay. As I am often my own worse critic, and everything I write I generally hate later. So I wanted some feedback, if people were willing to give it.
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  5

  Remember them, from time to time

  by free2beme in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  remember them from time to time.

  we sail through this life collecting memories that we cherish.

  these memories might be a simple laugh from time to time, as we think about something that happened a long time ago.

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  free2beme

  “Remember them from time to time”

  We sail through this life collecting memories that we cherish. These memories might be a simple laugh from time to time, as we think about something that happened a long time ago. These memories may be a tender moment that we will never forget. Perhaps the day we starred into our loved ones eyes, as we said “I do” or the first moments we shared with our new born child and felt them grab our finger with their small soft hand. These memories in life, take us back in time to a moment that went unnoticed by most, but were the life we had and experienced and treasured.

  In the time one lives, this journey across life’s ocean with the sails caught in the wind blowing us forward, ever faster then we thought possible. Sometimes we face the storms that remind us that we loss the ones we loved and shared this voyage with. Their memories, however, remain on board, reminding us of why were still here. The winds are ever blowing, the sails ever filled, but yet we must sometimes stop and take these memories and cast them to the deepest part of our dwelling and slow this journey from time to time, maybe for a second or maybe for a day. Holding it firm upon the strong foundation that is our love for this life, and those who shared it with us. Solid memories that keep us in one place long enough, to hear the voices of those lost, to see the images of them laughing and telling us stories of their own journey that brought them to us. Smiling as you sit their and realize that the sun it setting and the sun is rising, and even though they are no longer with you in your continued journey, these memories allow you to have them share these moments with you from a location far deeper then you ever felt before, a location deep with in your heart.

  For days do move by, the wind does ever fill our sails to move on and we add more memories and more joyful moments to each day that passes. Memories within us will ever be the anchor that helps one to remember those who have moved on, holding us strong and steady with the joys that life brought us and the times we shared together. A heart that is full, and strong and ever more growing to allow these days to pass and ever reminding us, that joy and love are not just about where we are going, but more important it is the connection of strength and confidence that allows us to know how wonderful the journey forward will be and how as long as we have those memories to anchor us back, we will never be alone on any journey today, or where the future will take us, tomorrow.

  Set sail, cast your destination upon your life, journey forward to that third star from the right and straight on till morning, happy memories are what give life it’s meaning, and meaning is what allows us to truly live and to truly live, means to know your destination is as much about the joy you hope for, as it is about the love you bring with you. Love of this life, fills yours sails to move forward, but you are never alone. Never alone, as long as you remember where you been, and those your shared the journey with.

  Just take time to remember them, from time to time.