Posts by Layla33

18

Pentecostals? Should I be afraid of them?

by ThomasCovenant in

just finished watching the film 'borat'.

in it there is a scene where he attends what i assume is a pentecostal church meeting.

for all i know it is a setup.

Layla33

I dated a Penecostal guy for about a year right after I left the JW religion. Imagine being raised as a JW and a Penecostal church is the first place you go?

I am not one to judge people's path, but at 18 I was pretty scared. I watched a big man, almost 400 pounds jump up and down for exactly 10 minutes and then proceed to fall on a piano and break it.

I watched a girl next to me say over and over I believe something like "Gugga mugga oompa lumpa" over over then do a break dance spin on the floor and then jump up jump for about thirty seconds and then fall back in her chair dripping in sweat. Then the pastor did a moonslide down the church aisle and the next thing I know, everyone was either jumping up and down, clapping and crying and shaking their heads.

The good part? My boyfriend and my best friend's boyfriend were also best friends, so she went to their church with me. Well, my best girl friend had never been to a church before either having been raised an atheist, so she and I were the only ones in there that was sitting there like the roof of the place had blown off. When the pastor moonslide over to us to have him put his hand behind our head and speak in tongue and bring out the holy ghost, we respectfully said, "no, thank you". Then he danced his way back to the platform and kept screaming "some of you all don't hear me tonight, some of you all don't want the spirit working in you tonight..."

It was probably the most memorable scene I had seen in my life up to that point. My best girlfriend and I went to the bathroom and laughed till we cried.

I wasn't afraid, nor should anyone else, but the energy in that room was very strange to me. I couldn't reconcile it, so I knew it wasn't for me.

15

Jw's and funerals

by One true Jesus Freak in

i have a thoughtful question.

when a jw dies and there is a funeral or memorial for them, just how much of that person is 'remembered" or talked about?

do they just have a funeral service for them, or do they turn the memorial into a wt study?

Layla33

An issue I am thinking about more and more is what will happen when I die for a funeral when EVERYONE in my immediate family is a JW. I feel like I need to go to every friend, get an official notarized copy of exactly how I would like to be remembered, I do not want to be cremated and I would like people to discuss me and how I lived and what impact I had on their lives. I want it to be a celebration but not in the way that JWs do it.

23

Anyone here do any sort of volunteer work?

by cognac in

i've been thinking about becoming a foster parent, or doing some work at the local shelter or something.

just mulling over some ideas.... anyone have any experiences in it?.

Layla33

I have done and continue to volunteer in my spare time. I think it is rewarding and I have gotten as much from giving as those that received. One issue is making sure the organization that is affliated with volunteer work is reputable is on the up and up.

I have worked with homeless people, delivered food to elderly people - still do that on Saturday mornings, taught people to speak English conversationally - still do that, counsel and mentor young females - still do that.

15

Jw's and funerals

by One true Jesus Freak in

i have a thoughtful question.

when a jw dies and there is a funeral or memorial for them, just how much of that person is 'remembered" or talked about?

do they just have a funeral service for them, or do they turn the memorial into a wt study?

Layla33

It seems to be that being cremated is "the" thing for JWs. I haven't heard all the reasons behind it, but don't expect a viewing.

They only briefly mention the person, talk more about WTS and JW religion and how the death is better than birth...

14

I have to go to a JW funeral

by Mrs Smith in

a very good friend of mine's brother passed away yesterday.

the funeral is on friday and i really feel i need to be there for my friend.

she lives out of town and does not have many friends here that can be with her in her time of need.

Layla33

Going to a JW funeral was the catalyst for my posting here. A beloved family member passed away, it was my first time in a KH in over 10 years, I was so overcome with grief over losing someone I loved and at the same time, it brought back a lot of memories of being raised in such a place.

Stay strong and be there for your friend. They can't touch you anymore.

7

Pregnant Man On TV

by freydi in

anybody see oprah today?

it's on now.

Layla33

I think this is a play on words to sensationalize the issue. This person was born a genetic woman and had an incomplete sexual reassignment surgery/hormonal treatment. That is quite different than "a man" being pregnant. I understand the concept of transgender, but again, to imply it is "a man" that is pregnant is not exactly true.

37

Does anybody actually believe in the Global Warming swiz?

by The Nothing Man in

jw
friends

obviously by my post title you can gather that i don't, but thats not to say i do not agree with lowering pollution in whichever way we can.

but on the flip side, just another money grabbing ploy by the government?

the uk government is making a big thing about it through their mouthpiece on earth, the bbc.

Layla33

It's happening but it is a natural occurence, very little to do with mans activities - and that's not to say that nobody should pay attention to what they're doing - its common sense to recycle, conserve energy and other resources etc as much as we can. Its about being responsible rather than fanatical!!

I think that pretty much sums up my feelings on this. I do think we are contributing to it, but not in a huge way because it is a natural occurence.

What I hate is all the political offshot of this, it's not necessary. Global warming and politics should not mix.

22

You won't believe this...well maybe you will

by mrsjones5 in

back in november the wife of someone who i had been engage to, many years ago, died.

i sent a card of condolence to him.

he googled my name, found my email addy and responded.

Layla33

That reminds me of the time that I told my husband that this guy wanted to be my internet friend. He said "Just as long as the mofo don't come up to my door!".

Funny stuff, my ex husband was the same way. I think we know our limits, but having opposite sex friends can be harmless and rewarding. In this situation (the topic) I would enjoy it for what it is worth, but I would have my back foot down in case my radar went off.

69

Be Fair = Witnesses are NOT a cult!! What about Christians or democracy?

by Witness 007 in

jw
friends

people like to throw around the cult word when describing the watchtower society.

but look at the definition of "cult" and you will see it applies to any system of thought concieved by an individual or group to control others.

are christians a jesus cult...yes.

Layla33

http://www.cultfaq.org/cultfaq-cult-definition.html

Introduction

The word cult comes from the French culte, and is rooted in the Latin cultus, which means "care" and "adoration." That idea comes from the Latin cultus - the past participle of colere, which means "to cultivate."

The word was used in the sense of "to worship or give reference to a deity." (Note 1)

Nowadays the term 'cult' has a variety of meanings, as evidenced by this dictionary entry:

: formal religious veneration : worship
: a system of religious beliefs and ritual; also : its body of adherents
: a religion regarded as unorthodox or spurious; also : its body of adherents
: a system for the cure of disease based on dogma set forth by its promulgator <health cults >
a: great devotion to a person, idea, object, movement, or work (as a film or book); especially : such devotion regarded as a literary or intellectual fad
b: a usually small group of people characterized by such devotion

Source: Merriam-Webster Online Off-site Link

Positive, Negative, or Neutral?

The term 'cult' can be used in a positive, negative, or neutral sense. Examples:

Postive sense:

How much would you pay for a bottle of wine? $20? $40? How about $500 or $1,000? That's how much collectors have been paying for California's so-called "Cult Wines." But why? Source: What Makes A Cult Wine? KRON TV, Feb. 7, 2002
You may also have heard of, for example, cult films, cult bands, or cult hits. Here the term 'cult' refers to a relatively small but devoted following.
Negative sense:
Example 1

The Church of Scientology is a vicious and dangerous cult that masquerades as a religion. Its purpose is to make money. It practices a variety of mind-control techniques on people lured into its midst to gain control over their money and their lives. Its aim is to take from them every penny that they have and can ever borrow and to also enslave them to further its wicked ends. Source: Operation Clambake present: What is Scientology?
You may also have heard of other destructive cults, such as David Koresh's Branch Davidians, Shoko Asahara's Aum Shinrikyo, or Sun Myung Moon's Unification Church.

Here the term 'cult' refers to a movement that claims to be a religion - and which may indeed have all the trappings of a religion - but which in reality is harmful to its followers and/or to others.

Example 2

...while Mormons profess to be Christians, they are outside orthodox Christianity and the Mormon Church is considered to be, theologically, a cult of Christianity. Source: Mormon Church, Apologetics Index entry
Here the term 'cult' is used to indicate that the group in question has separated itself from the mainstream religion it claims to represent. (In this case, given that the theology and practice of the Mormon Church violates essential Christian doctrines, Mormonism does not represent historical, Biblical Christianity, is not a Christian denomination, and is not in any way part of the Christian church.)
Neutral sense:

We have chosen to use the concepts "cults" and "sects" in the title of this volume for two reasons. First, the concepts do have more or less precise meanings as employed by social scientists. Second, it has become abundantly clear that after nearly two decades, the concept new religious movements has virtually no recognition either in the mass media or the general public. By calling attention to the concepts as they are used by social scientists, we hope to begin the long process of educating the mass media and public regarding the non-pejorative meaning of these words. Source: Introductory essay, Religion and the Social Order: The Handbook on Cults and Sects in America by David G. Bromley and Jeffrey K. Hadden
The late sociologist Jeffrey K. Hadden has stated that"[t]he concepts "cult" and "sect" do have precise meaning as they are used by sociologists, and are free of prejudice."

While that is true, some scholars - Jeffrey Hadden en David Bromley included - have unfortunately forsaken neutrality in favor of becoming 'academic supporters of alternative religions.'

It is up to interpretation, but I think the general sense is what I have highlighted in red.

For further reading:

157

What Was The Silliest "Offense" That You Were Counseled For?

by minimus in

jw
friends

when i was a teenager, i was told by an elder that because i smiled a lot and was known for my good sense of humor, that i should come across as "more serious".

so before i was appointed a ms, while in my late teens, i transformed myself into a much more "serious" brother.. were you ever told that you needed to work on something that you knew was stoopid?.

Layla33

For noticing a wordly boy on a trip the farm. Mind you "he" noticed me and said hello at a bus stop, but I was counseled.

For reading too many "worldy books". For taking college level courses in high school. For taking the SATs.

I could go on, but why? LOL