There will be plenty of time for blame once the living are fed, clothed, and housed and the dead are found and buried.
I wonder if the effort to figure out "whose fault it is" is part of the grieving process...
Ingenuous
JoinedPosts by Ingenuous
-
25
Should Katrina Victims Share Blame ??
by Jeannine init has been a few days since i raged and cried for the victims.
it has been a few days since i cursed our government and became forever disgusted with their actions.
it has been a few days since i made my red cross and animal rescue donations.
-
-
-
64
Does anyone else not really care about Katrina?
by sonnyboy inok, some people may call me a heartless bastard for making this thread, but i have to be honest.. i really don't care about the hurricane victims.
i highly doubt that the people walking through walmart with shopping carts full of clothing and electronics would send me one f'ing red cent if i was in need (and i am in need, by the way).. i just can't find it in my heart to care at all.
maybe i'm the only one who thinks like this, but i've been struggling to survive for the past 2 years and no one has ever lifted a finger to help me.
-
-
Ingenuous
[duplicate]
-
64
Does anyone else not really care about Katrina?
by sonnyboy inok, some people may call me a heartless bastard for making this thread, but i have to be honest.. i really don't care about the hurricane victims.
i highly doubt that the people walking through walmart with shopping carts full of clothing and electronics would send me one f'ing red cent if i was in need (and i am in need, by the way).. i just can't find it in my heart to care at all.
maybe i'm the only one who thinks like this, but i've been struggling to survive for the past 2 years and no one has ever lifted a finger to help me.
-
-
Ingenuous
The first post is pretty much the definition of becomeing jaded: 'They don't care, so I don't care.' That may explain why people become jaded, but it does not excuse it. How different the discussion would be if no one ever responded when disaster struck - no news coverage, no donations at all, no caring at all. At least what we're seeing in response to Katrina is a response. Imagine if these disasters went ignored - as we assume is done to people's "everyday" troubles. What kind of world would it be if people really never did anything, ever. Whether that means advocating, donating money... or sitting down with a homeless person to have lunch and talk. People work every day for the betterment of those at the mercy of "common" forces that create homelessness, starvation, abuse, and other tragedies. Perhaps I'm biased because I've worked with and for those at the receiving end of those forces. Even if we personally have faced suffering in spades, that does not warrant ignoring the efforts that are made everyday to address these concerns. Those efforts are thwarted repeatedly by corrupt people and organizations, but that doesn't mean no one cares. That doesn't mean that no one is benefiting from the efforts put forth against the forces that create suffering. Thank goodness many of those fighting for these things don't give up. I don't expect them to fix the world - I don't even expect they will make a major dent in current policies and politics - but it says something about the power of hope and the power of valuing others when people insist on fighting against the hardening of their hearts and the hearts of those who suffer.
-
31
What would you do if all the gas dried up?
by jayhawk1 inokay, we know all the gas won't dry up soon, but it sure is expensive.
i got to thinking, what would i do and what would others do if there simply wasn't any gas to buy?
myself, would it no longer be worth making payments on my home and moving to another one closer to work?
-
-
Ingenuous
I'm going to start walking soon. I need the exercise anyway. I just need one of those metal carts all the older ladies in my apartment building have! I'm not brave enough to ride a bike in the street.
-
8
Startin' Off Vacation with a Crying Jag!
by Ingenuous ini've been too afraid to go to my parents' place to see them since my last encounter with my dad.
my dad came by this morning to talk.. 90% of it went pretty well.. i gave him a letter i'd composed to give to the brothers in lieu of meeting with them (i don't have the emotional wherewithal to do it, besides having no intention of giving them the satisfaction).
it described the things taught by the org that bothered my conscience - not all of the things, but those things that prompted me to quit service and meetings: the org's insistence on prophesying, its insistence on jws accepting everything they teach to remain "christians", policies which cost lives then are changed (e.g., blood, organ transplants), the "no mediator for the great crowd" teaching, 607 bce, the un fiasco.. in addition to agreeing that these are important issues that deserve answers, he stated that he felt the org did too much "talking" (putting thousands of pages of their perspective into print) and that they were constantly sticking their nose into things they shouldn't be (i.e., prophesying the end of the world).
-
-
Ingenuous
I'm grateful it went as well as it did. I feel a lot less fearful dealing with my parents now. My Dad said he'd let me know if he found anything "helpful" about the points I brought up; I'd welcome his input and the possibility of a calm, reasonable discussion. I'm just glad I had a normal conversation with my mother tonight - the first one in weeks. I'll have to keep any Bible discussions with others to myself for the time being - which I planned on doing anyway. (Theocratic War Strategy, anyone?) At this point, getting DF'd may actually be a good thing: if my Dad thinks my questions are valid and the elders decide they're unacceptable, it could be an eye-opener for my folks. I think I'll take a few cues from IThinkISee - babysteps.
-
64
Since it is obvious all religion is wrong why do so many believe?
by jwfacts inany religion that claims it is the only correct one is obviously wrong.
by it's arrogance it becomes mutually exclusive of any other religion.
when one steps back they can see that the contradiction of one religion over the others is a proof that they all must be wrong.
-
-
Ingenuous
I was always troubled with why i was so lucky to be born a Witness. I wasnt any better or more special than anyone else, so why should I be saved and they wouldn't. JW's say that God draws his sheep, but that rang hollow to me. I knew that most people will never have the opportunity to be a JW, and i would never have believe it if i wasnt born it.
I've had similar feelings. Wow, wasn't it great that I didn't have to search and suffer like everyone else - I had the "truth" dropped into my lap! Actually, I comforted myself with the idea that "God draws his sheep" because I knew there were likely billions of people out there who would never know the first thing about JWs and what they believed. There were people JWs would never reach.
There was also an interesting phenomenon I saw at work in the congregations that I knew had to be at work in other religions as well: Once someone decided that JWs had "truth", they stopped thinking for themselves and let the Org do it for them. They submitted to every instruction and accepted every teaching without the slightest investigation. I thought - If there are people within God's organization who submit once for all time to the Org and refuse to ask questions or think independently out of "loyalty" to God, why would God adversely judge those outside of the organization who at one time were convinced of the "truth" of their system of worship and who refused to question it out of the same sense of loyalty?
I was working the "God draws his sheep" line something fierce before I quit.
-
8
Startin' Off Vacation with a Crying Jag!
by Ingenuous ini've been too afraid to go to my parents' place to see them since my last encounter with my dad.
my dad came by this morning to talk.. 90% of it went pretty well.. i gave him a letter i'd composed to give to the brothers in lieu of meeting with them (i don't have the emotional wherewithal to do it, besides having no intention of giving them the satisfaction).
it described the things taught by the org that bothered my conscience - not all of the things, but those things that prompted me to quit service and meetings: the org's insistence on prophesying, its insistence on jws accepting everything they teach to remain "christians", policies which cost lives then are changed (e.g., blood, organ transplants), the "no mediator for the great crowd" teaching, 607 bce, the un fiasco.. in addition to agreeing that these are important issues that deserve answers, he stated that he felt the org did too much "talking" (putting thousands of pages of their perspective into print) and that they were constantly sticking their nose into things they shouldn't be (i.e., prophesying the end of the world).
-
-
Ingenuous
I've been too afraid to go to my parents' place to see them since my last encounter with my Dad. My Dad came by this morning to talk.
90% of it went pretty well.
I gave him a letter I'd composed to give to the brothers in lieu of meeting with them (I don't have the emotional wherewithal to do it, besides having no intention of giving them the satisfaction). It described the things taught by the Org that bothered my conscience - not all of the things, but those things that prompted me to quit service and meetings: The Org's insistence on prophesying, its insistence on JWs accepting everything they teach to remain "Christians", policies which cost lives then are changed (e.g., blood, organ transplants), the "no mediator for the Great Crowd" teaching, 607 BCE, the UN fiasco.
In addition to agreeing that these are important issues that deserve answers, he stated that he felt the Org did too much "talking" (putting thousands of pages of their perspective into print) and that they were constantly sticking their nose into things they shouldn't be (i.e., prophesying the end of the world). He even agreed with my feeling that pedophiles shouldn't be going door-to-door.
I told him I could not in good conscience go from door-to-door telling people to join this organization.
He said he could respect my need to not participate in the ministry when my conscience wouldn't allow me to. He could also respect my need to avoid the meetings, as he knew that having difficulties with what was taught/done there yet forcing myself to go would be unhealthy.
He said he could respect my doubts.
But I wasn't allowed to pursue answers to those doubts outside of the Org.
That there was a difference between non-participation because of conscience or deeply-injurious personal offenses and pursuing "something else" through another route.
And that only those questions I came up with myself were alright to have - it wasn't OK to "field" questions posed by opposers/non-Witnesses.
Well, at least I know they don't hate me anymore.
-
21
Well its Monday morning and I did it ............................
by vitty in...............this is an update on my thread about giving up drinking.
if you didnt read it, this was my first weekend in years that i wouldnt have a drink.
well ill admit it i was quite worried how id feel, but it was great.
-
-
-
26
The most monumental conversation with my mom and dad.
by Daunt inat the meeting today, me and my family were sitting in the back.
i've been heavily emotional lately because of the katrina disaster and my temper and sadness and all emotions have just been on a rise lately.
well my dad was noticing that i was frowning so my father got sort of angry with me and demanded that i stop.
-
-
Ingenuous
{{{{{Daunt}}}}}
Been there (actually, am still there) and my heart breaks all over again for you.
It's a tough road that very few are willing to take. Consider us your fellow travelers.
All the best...
-
28
*** Results of my Social Security Disability Hearing ***
by BrendaCloutier inhttp://www.jehovahs-witness.com/6/96242/1.ashx my postscript immediately after the hearing.. well,.
i got my paperwork in the mail today.
i was scared shittless to open it.
-
-
Ingenuous
FM and CFS suck.
Congratulations on the ruling!