Posts by Rubyvixen

6

David and Solomon...little more than tribal chieftans?

by Rubyvixen in

there was an interesting article in the ny times recently regarding an ancient alphabet discovery.

i found one paragraph in the article of particular interest though : .

"a vocal minority of scholars contend that the bible's picture of the 10th century b.c.

Rubyvixen

Gollum, thanks so much for that link.

Great reading! This is making me want to dig up more on the topic.

6

David and Solomon...little more than tribal chieftans?

by Rubyvixen in

there was an interesting article in the ny times recently regarding an ancient alphabet discovery.

i found one paragraph in the article of particular interest though : .

"a vocal minority of scholars contend that the bible's picture of the 10th century b.c.

There was an interesting article in the NY Times recently regarding an ancient alphabet discovery.

I found one paragraph in the article of particular interest though :

"A vocal minority of scholars contend that the Bible's picture of the 10th century B.C. as a golden age in Israelite history is insupportable. Some archaeological evidence, they say, suggests that David and Solomon were little more than tribal chieftains and that it was another century before a true political state emerged."

I find it interesting because I really view the Bible as nothing more than a collection of myths reflective of the times of writing. Most myths are based loosely around the world political and social climate of the time and I have often tossed the idea about in my head that many of the referenced names in the Bible were put there to lend validity to the myths and many of the figures were exaggerated in position to create more color to the stories.

This is the first time I have ever read something along those lines in a secular source though. I wish I could find more on this.

Here is the full article:

http://www.nytimes.com/2005/11/09/international/middleeast/09alphabet.html?incamp=article_popular

40

Jwitness roofing service blog overun with JW! Go make a comment! Plantseed

by PaNiCAtTaCk in

jw
friends

here is the link.

copy and paste and post.

here is an actual post from a jw.

Rubyvixen

"I also have to laugh at the comments of ex-witnesses. I mean, really, would you have anything NICE to say if you had been kicked out? I doubt it. Why did you bother to go through getting approved and baptized if you were just going to quit? You have the right to change your mind. That is why Jehovah gave it to you. But don't go slamming others who didn't follow you out the door."

Ok, I lied.

wow, just wow.

Let's see, I was 12 and in utter fear of my power hungry elder father and my 'no personality' mother and was scared to dis-please them so like SO many did the stupid dunk thing.

I don't know why I continue to be amazed at the pompousness and utter ignorance of the JWs (the attitudes in the comment section are such a great show of how they generally feel).

I need to stop reading the comments section. It is making so upset.

40

Jwitness roofing service blog overun with JW! Go make a comment! Plantseed

by PaNiCAtTaCk in

jw
friends

here is the link.

copy and paste and post.

here is an actual post from a jw.

Rubyvixen

"I have to comment to those here who have stated that JW's treat "sinners like they were dead" ... Look, we are directly commanded in the Bible to "separate ourselves" as Christians from those who PRACTICE SIN (not just those who slip up--I'm talking about people who just don't care what they are doing)...and those who straighten out their lives are to be WELCOMED BACK AND TREATED WITH LOVE...these directions to the Christian congregation are given in 1 Corinthians 5 and 2 Corinthians 2...the congregation was instructed to "confirm their love" for the man who was at one point kicked out for practicing incest...he had cleaned up his act and was again acting like a Christian. Now what's wrong with that??!! You take a vow to serve Almighty God and dedicate your life to Him. Then you go do what you want, go directly against God's laws on how to conduct your life, and then YOU complain about how HE handles it??!! How dare anybody question how God wants to do things?? How many people would not have the messed-up, drugged-out, crime-ridden lives that they have today if they had received some of this POSITIVE PEER PRESSURE from THEIR churches--if their churches had followed the Bible and handled people with behavioral problems according to the Apostle Paul's instructions!! I guarantee you that the crimes committed in the Superdome and the looting were NOT carried on by any of Jehovah's Witnesses!! Jehovah's Witnesses are known world-wide for their good conduct and their TRYING to follow the Bible instead of the world. That makes us "weird" because we let the Bible MOLD US instead of picking and choosing what we want to believe. You take a vow to God, you LIVE BY IT. Those who have chosen not to live by it and who have either left or been asked to leave have no right to complain--we all have total freedom to live our lives the way we choose...but don't tell God what to do!!!!"

Specifically-

" That makes us "weird" because we let the Bible MOLD US instead of picking and choosing what we want to believe."

How the hell can someone be proud of this?

How?

Loss of individuality...amazing.

Sorry I will stop quoting but these people make me so angry and they have the nerve to criticize fundamentalism when they are exactly the same way.

40

Jwitness roofing service blog overun with JW! Go make a comment! Plantseed

by PaNiCAtTaCk in

jw
friends

here is the link.

copy and paste and post.

here is an actual post from a jw.

Rubyvixen

"Reading the list of negative comments has made my resolve stronger to stay a JW."

These people are insane.

Lemmings.

40

Jwitness roofing service blog overun with JW! Go make a comment! Plantseed

by PaNiCAtTaCk in

jw
friends

here is the link.

copy and paste and post.

here is an actual post from a jw.

Rubyvixen

"Such comments are generally made from disgruntled former members who were expelled because of their own gross moral practices which they deliberately chose not to correct. Once removed from among us, they can only state mean-spirited half-truths and beligerant allegations against us. In nearly all such cases, those who make such allegations are carrying on lifestyles that are in gross opposition to the Bible's standards on morality. So, consider the source whenever you read anti-Jehovah's Witness comments."

I cannot tell you how angry that comment just made me.

Gross moral practices???

Consider the source?

Let's see...people who educate themselves and are not ignorant and lead lives not full of fear and repression verses people living in a state of blind adoration to the words a bunch of old men write stroking their power (and yeah my uncle is one of those old men) living in fear and utter delusion.

Yeah, I will take my own life anyday,thanks. Those people can shove their 'morals' you know where.

39

Do you find it difficult to tell your JW parents you love them?

by misspeaches in

jw
friends

does anyone find it difficult to express their emotions to their jw parents?

my father has never been a jw and i feel comfortable enough to tell him how much i love him without hesitation.

when it comes to my jw mum i feel like it is forced and then i feel resentful and then i feel guilty all at once.

Rubyvixen

Wow.

This entire thread now has me with a knot in my stomach and I am choking back tears here at work.

This is my experience too and I have often wondered if it was just in my mother's personality to be that way but now I see a pattern and I feel anger now because while I knew the religion contributed to it, I can see it contributed more to it than I thought :( :(

My mother is very devoid of any emotion other than that fake 'kingdom joy'. When we started talking after years of her refusing to talk to me (post my dis-fellowshipping at the age of 17) it was really strained and I am a very warm person so when she would come visit me, I would go to hug her when I said goodbye and it was (is) like hugging a mannequin which makes my heart shatter everytime. I even say 'I love you' when we part ways because I do love her (I don't love what that religion has done to her) and she never says 'I love you' back and it almost looks painful for her.

I feel sometimes like she is a robot and it breaks my heart especially since I am so open and so warm and so outgoing and I cannot even fathom being that way if I had a child.

Something else I have thought about a lot recently is that I have an extreme abandonment complex which my boyfriend pointed out to me a while back (I had never realized how severe it was). I really think this has a lot to do with growing up in that religion and constantly being in fear of destruction around me, losing people (I had amazing hidden friendships with kids outside the truth)...ugh...

97

What silly rules did your congregation make up?

by weinermcgee in

jw
friends

elders were famous for making up stupid rules with no bible base at all as an ego trip i guess, what were some of yours?

i am not talking about the stupid rules that we all had to follow, just the congregation specific silly ones.. 1. having to button your jacket while on stage (this was later changed due to all the elders having a beer gut).

2. suits only or no privledges.

Rubyvixen

Did this ever happen in anyone else's congo?

42

Does your family still think you are coming back?

by kid-A in

hope springs eternal in the wts.

despite having left before even being baptized, i would have to say my parents still wholeheartedly believe i will someday come around, .

get baptized, become active and maybe even become an elder !

Rubyvixen

Oh, oh, oh!

Sorry, this topic hits such a nerve with me :(

On top of all the above, my mother also plays the whole 'I would love it one day if you come back because then we could all be a family again'....

WTF???

My brothers (flesh and blood) haven't spoken to me since I was 17 when I got DFed because it would 'hurt their conscience'. They don't know me at all! Where were they when I was holding 4 jobs, working 6 days a week and putting myself through college???? Where were they when I had medical issues that were terrible that I had to get through???? They don't even know what I look like, what my interests are....nothing.

Sorry but those people just because they are flesh and blood are not my 'family'. Who the hell would want a family like that?? Where love is CONDITIONAL?

I have actually said this to her over and over again and she has nothing to say to that...usually changes the subject and then brings it up again like a broken record.

Again, logic doesn't seem to apply there for those people.

42

Does your family still think you are coming back?

by kid-A in

hope springs eternal in the wts.

despite having left before even being baptized, i would have to say my parents still wholeheartedly believe i will someday come around, .

get baptized, become active and maybe even become an elder !

Rubyvixen

Sadly yes.

This only confirms the fact that it is a cult and they are brainwashed.

I left it 10 years ago formally by being DFed, have been living on my own ever since (well with roommates and boyfriends etc...and now with a most wonderful boyfriend for the last 3 years but you get the point, supporting myself with no help from them whatsoever), have a pretty good life, a job I love and am devoted to, friends I can count on who are fabulous and so many life experiences I wouldn't trade in for anything. No regrets.

Yet, somehow, in my mother's eyes I *must* want to eventually go back to that which I got myself DFed from. I guess I don't fit the mold of the hopeless, lost, depressed worldling who is so unsuccessful and needing of them huh?

It drives me crazy.

It's like logic just completely goes over their heads and their myopic way of thinking that everyone who is not a part of their ridiculous cult is starving to be in it as well makes me so furious sometimes as well.

But I take a deep breath and look around at what I have which is richer and deeper than any of that BS and that is that.