daniel-p

Joined

• started 120 topics
• posted 4,509 times   see topics posted on
• send a message

Posts by daniel-p

• 
  122

  BETHEL NEWS: Bethel Elder Arrangement to be dissolved as of Aug. 31, 2006

  by Elsewhere in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  here is some news from a source within one of the wts branches:

  hot news from todays morning worship announcement worldwide -- letter from gb being read on 1st of march 2006 to every branch (hopefully we will have a copy of the letter soon.).

  as of aug. 31, 2006 the bethel elder arrangement will be dissolved!

  1. 
  2. 
  3. 
• 

  daniel-p

  "Has Bethel Elder Arrangement to be dissolved as of Aug. 31, 2006 been announced in the congregations as of yet?
  
  Toreador"
  
  
  I highly doubt they would announce it to the congregations since the average R&F dont even know what a Bethel Elder is.
• 
  24

  Regarding the Pledge of Allegiance....

  by Princess in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  at our monthly poker party the other night, things were going well until my brother "went to the bad place" as my friend julie says.

  julie's husband is a second grade teacher and during a discussion about the daily flag salute, he mentioned he has not led his class in the flag salute all year.

  he was never a dub, just doesn't believe in children being forced to recite a pledge at such a young age.

  1. 
  2. 
  3. 
• 

  daniel-p

  It's an obscure fact, but I was in the middle of reading The Devil in the White City, and aparently the pledge of allegience (sp) was written by a journalist in responce to the Dedication Day of the World's Fair at Chicago, 1892. He was so taken with the patriotism of the event that he was inspired to write something that all the children of the nation could "give" back to their country. So anyway, the government adopted it and sent copies out to every school.
  With that said, I remember how hard it was to be a good jw kid and not salute the flag and at the same time not incur the wrath of my peers.
• 
  12

  What was the appeal of Judge Rutherford?

  by VM44 in

  1. watchtower
  2. beliefs

  what was the appeal of judge rutherford?.

  each year when he was alive, tens of thousands of people would travel many miles, and camp out for days in tent cities to hear him speak.

  people read his book, listened to his recordings, and basically did everything he told them to do.. people gave rutherford expensive gifts, an air condidtioner for his office in brooklyn, cadillacs, the beth sarim home and property, and so on.. it is quite clear that rutherford provided something that the masses "bought", but what was it?.

  1. 
  2. 
  3. 
• 

  daniel-p

  Strong leadership. Charisma and ambition lead to ultimate power.
• 
  30

  To Fade or Not Fade

  by daniel-p in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  so it's been five months that i've been on jwd and i've made a lot of progress.

  first i want to thank everyone, wholeheartedly, for the encouragement i've recieved here.

  when i first posted i was still an ms, and being used in the cong.

  1. 
  2. 
  3. 
• 

  daniel-p

  Well, thanks everyone, for giving your advice. I have to say, this community has been a life-saver for me. You people are the only thing that reassures me I have a handle on things.
  I just had a talk with my wife this night, actually... I think I could tell something was brewing. She went into the bathroom and I heard the toilet paper dispenser rolling a lot and I thought 'that sounds weird,' (heh I dont usually snoop about those things) but anyway, I heard her crying in there and when she came out her face was all red, so it was obvious. Come to find out, she was upset because she feels like she "has no control over things" and "doesn't know where I'm headed." She even asked me if I still believed what the Bible says about marriage. I expressed to her that I still feel the same, that I'm not going anywhere, and that I wouldn't hesitate to renew my vows to her. I knew that she was feeling insecure - I just didn't know the extent of it.
  Anyway, I was able to express to her in a round-about way that I did not believe in the "truth" anymore. I told her that I would not be opposed to attending the meetings with her, and even reading the Bible with her, but that I must go "my own way." I told her I wanted us to come to some sort of mutual understanding based on love and repsect - and I think we are definitely closer to that.
  It's so hard, sometimes I feel utter anguish in my heart, thinking that this religion is going to take her away from me. I am terrified, of it, really. I told her I would not express my own opinions about spiritual matters because I didnt want to dissuade her faith (in reality I do, I just dont know how to do it without her throwing her guard up or feeling like I am taking advantage of her). She expressed to me that she felt she had a man who would take the spiritual lead when she married me, and now things are not turning out how she thought... it broke my heart when she said that... I felt like such a jerk and that I had robbed her of her dreams. SOmetimes I look at all the other single men in the cong. and thoughts come into my head about how they would be good to her and she could respect them as "spiritual" men... but I know it's probably not good to think like that. So I told her I know she feels dissapointed and insecure about me changing so fast, buut I promised her I would make it up to her in the long run.
  Anyways, I think it went over pretty well. I know this discussion is just one of the many we will have in the future, but I think this is a good start. At least she knows a bit more about how deep my disbelief is, and she can learn to accept it.
• 
  30

  To Fade or Not Fade

  by daniel-p in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  so it's been five months that i've been on jwd and i've made a lot of progress.

  first i want to thank everyone, wholeheartedly, for the encouragement i've recieved here.

  when i first posted i was still an ms, and being used in the cong.

  1. 
  2. 
  3. 
• 

  daniel-p

  "What the hell is a conniption?"
  
  Webster: A fit of rage, hysteria, or alarm. In my mother's case, it would be all three - lol.
  
  I dont know what the hell im gonna do... I guess I'm just feeling down is all. Sometimes Im really angry and other times I feel depressed. God dammit this whole ex-cult thing sucks. Sometimes I second guess myself - but then I quickly realize how stupid the whole thing is. The other day I think I had my first real outburst of anger over the whole thing: I was flipping through the WT and read some espcially dumb thing - I got so pissed I spit in it and threw it across the room. - daniel-p, of the never-threw-his-WTs-away-class.
• 
  30

  To Fade or Not Fade

  by daniel-p in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  so it's been five months that i've been on jwd and i've made a lot of progress.

  first i want to thank everyone, wholeheartedly, for the encouragement i've recieved here.

  when i first posted i was still an ms, and being used in the cong.

  1. 
  2. 
  3. 
• 

  daniel-p

  Here's the thing: my family are super-JW's - as blindly zealous as they come. If I DA myself they would freak-out and my mother would have conniption. On the other hand, if I fade I will have to suffer endless badgering and JW inquisitions in order to test me out and see why I am fading so rapidly. So I am wondering which is better. I have asked this question soooo many times before and I can never come to a conclusion.
• 
  87

  If The Elders Wanted To Disfellowship YOU, What Action Would YOU Take?

  by minimus in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  would you go?

  would you hire a lawyer?

  play cat & mouse games?

  1. 
  2. 
  3. 
• 

  daniel-p

  I wouldn't waste my time by playing their game. Going to late night liasons with the judicial committee, allowing them to get to me, pouring my guts out... all they want is to see you grovel and get emotional - that's the only way they think a person can be "repentant." So no, if they wanted to DF me, I wouldn't even meet them, just turn around and don't look back.
• 
  30

  To Fade or Not Fade

  by daniel-p in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  so it's been five months that i've been on jwd and i've made a lot of progress.

  first i want to thank everyone, wholeheartedly, for the encouragement i've recieved here.

  when i first posted i was still an ms, and being used in the cong.

  1. 
  2. 
  3. 
• 

  daniel-p

  So it's been five months that I've been on JWD and I've made a lot of progress. First I want to thank everyone, wholeheartedly, for the encouragement I've recieved here. When I first posted I was still an MS, and being used in the cong. Now, I have forced them to stop "using" me, "stepped aside" as an MS, become "irregular," and havent been in the ministry for 3 months. My wife is trying to be kind to me, asking me if I still want to come to meetings. She gets the week's WT out and places it on my desk without me looking. SHe is so sweet in how she is trying to set a "good" example - it breaks my heart to know she is trying to get me back into the swing of things when I know I am out for good. I haven't told her I just don't believe any of it anymore... but I'm sure I will sooner or later.
  What I wanted to ask you all today was whether you thought it was better to fade or not fade - to just take the plunge and make your feelings known. I am debating whether or not to just fade out and gradually stop attending meetings, or to just tell my wife and family I don't believe in the "truth" anymore.
  What are your thoughts?
• 
  37

  Dumping Sodas

  by Sparkplug in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  i am so mad right now.

  last night i went to the grocery store.

  they have ten packs of soda for 10 dollars.

  1. 
  2. 
  3. 
• 

  daniel-p

  "I took it from him which caused him to shriek "No no no I will be good" etc. etc. I then went into the parking lot, threw this mf-er as far as I could hurl it. (he was watching.) I then put him in the SUV with me, and we drove over it and flattened it into the thickness of a piece of paper. It took about 4 backing up and going forwards. His eyes looked like plates they were so big."
  
  
  lol, awesome.
• 
  32

  Has there been any fall out yet over the Higher Education WT article?

  by truthseeker in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  have you heard any complaints about the wt article on higher education?.

  are there those for college?

  against college?.

  1. 
  2. 
  3. 
• 

  daniel-p

  The big education article was the last straw for me also. It made me realize how inexorably different I am from the JW mindset.