serendipity

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Posts by serendipity

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  32

  Best Potato Chip Flavour (Fluff Again)

  by 5thGeneration in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  .

  hey, i'm canadian eh!

  (should be hostess) .

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  serendipity

  I like Ruffles BBQ.
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  12

  JWD Birthday #2

  by serendipity in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  well, it's that time of year again- my 2nd jwd birthday!

  and amazingly, i'm still not an alcoholic crack ho.

  here's the post i made last year: http://www.jehovahs-witness.com/6/124298/1.ashx.

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  serendipity

  Well, it's that time of year again- my 2nd JWD birthday! And amazingly, I'm still not an alcoholic crack ho.

  Here's the post I made last year: http://www.jehovahs-witness.com/6/124298/1.ashx
  After reading it, I thought,"I haven't made much progress this year", but realized that even subtle progress is good.

  The biggest change: We attended the Memorial, but other than that, we haven't attended any meetings or conventions
  in a year. I've told different JW relatives that we were "taking a break", and no one asked ME why.
  But evidently, the family has been talking. My mother told them I'm depressed about my pending empty nest and
  that I hate my job. (How conveniently timed those circumstances are!) I've still been invited to some family events,
  so there don't seem to be repurcussions -yet. No one, except for my mother (inactive and sporadic meeting attender),
  tries to encourage us to go back. That's shocked me. Now that they know I'm a slacker, I'll have to be
  careful about criticism of the WTS lest I'm labelled as apostate.

  (We've moved, so I don't have to worry about the elders or 'friends' tracking us down. The lack of love makes
  fading soooo much easier.)

  I don't act much differently, but feel little, if any, guilt/fear for the things I do or say that aren't "JW kosher".
  I feel freer when talking to people because I don't have to put up my "protective shield to guard against
  Satan's influence through worldly people ". Wow- what an energy drain that used to be. I guess people are reacting to
  my openness, since a few have reached out to me in friendship. Ditto for the love life- it's great that I've been
  able to broaden my search. Now I'm hopeful I'll actually find love. As a JW I felt it was hopeless.

  In an effort to define what I do believe, I had plans to do a lot of research on the Bible, early Christianity
  and Jesus, but my "recovery" and spiritual journey has been put on the back burner because I had enough other
  stuff to deal with. That's reflected in my participation here: The first year I made 3362 posts. This year I
  only made 400. I think a few people have noticed my absence in gabbly as well. ;-)

  My daughter's fade is going well too, unbeknownst to her. She doesn't ask to go to meetings! She cusses!
  She plays violent video games! She listens to debasing music! She ocasionally asks questions about JW beliefs.
  She mentioned that she would like to march in a peace rally. I said "well, I can't go with you. I could get df'd."
  She was shocked. I mention all the silly reasons JWs can get df'd for. She said "that's not much incentive to get
  baptized." "Yippee!!! She's getting it" I think. Then today, she was talking about Turkmenistan, and
  I asked "do you want to visit there?" She said "no - it wouldn't be safe for us as JWs". *sigh*
  I hope to get us unlabelled over the next year. Stay tuned.
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  20

  Pedophile in the hall

  by martinwellborne in

  1. watchtower
  2. child-abuse

  there's a pedophile in our hall i aint going back, i've had enough.

  why wont the elders disfellowship him, or tell him he aint welcome anymore?

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  serendipity

  Because they don't care about the safety of young children.
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  29

  Are We Kind Because It's the Right thing to Do/Or Because "God"Tells Us To?

  by flipper in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  in seeing the " debates " the last couple days of religionists debating with atheists i couldn't help but start a thread on what i have noticed since leaving the jehovah's witnesses religion.

  personally just to set the record straight on my views personally i consider myself a strong agnostic, perhaps a weak and learning atheist, if that makes any sense .

  while in the witnesses, i was always annoyed ( for 44 years i might add) by some who considered themselves very " spiritual " being kind to others in a facade kind of manner.

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  serendipity

  Christians (and Jews to a lesser extent) can point to the Bible for standards of kindness, goodness, etc If a person doesn't claim to be Christian, what are they going to use as a standard or how would they define kindness?
  
  I know people who think they are nice, but don't bother to return phone calls, answer emails, etc. Polite is not equal to kind in their book. My aunt thinks she's kind, but won't hesitate to point out a weight gain in front of a crowd (and she's not thin herself). Discretion and empathy are not the same as kindness in her book.
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  14

  Habitat for Humanity builds home for jws?

  by blondie in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  http://www.charlotte.com/breaking_news/story/369279.html.

  monday, nov 19, 2007 posted on mon, nov. 19, 2007home built on sweat, skill and faithtim funkthe couple from the congo stood quietly sunday, smiling as their new friends showered them with books, blessings, t-shirts -- and a brand new habitat for humanity house.

  "first interfaith all-clergy build" read the t-shirts, commemorating a first for charlotte and for the country.

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  serendipity

  I know of a JW that donated his crews for Habitat for Humanity. He now spends his time on the RBC.
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  11

  Weird dream.

  by Anti-Christ in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  i had a weird dream last night, just wanted to share and see what you all thought.. i was at an assembly, a big one.

  it was at the end and a i was getting up to sing, i so did not want to be there and i was trying to pretend that i was singing.

  i look down at my song book and it's in french but i'm at an english assembly.

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  serendipity

  While you were at an assembly did you ever (day) dream you were in your backyard grilling?
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  20

  How are you dealing with the increase of fuel and home energy price increas

  by hambeak in

  1. watchtower
  2. beliefs

  price of gas is higher and home energy costs are increasing as well as the price of food.. lets help each other on how to deal and handle this.. lets give ideas and suggestions on how to make it through the financial crisis.. ham.

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  serendipity

  I now live in a smaller home, which is newer and presumably more energy efficient, so my electric bill has dropped. That decrease has more than compensated for the increase in gasoline prices.
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  26

  Childhood fears

  by beksbks in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  i'm sure this has been asked, but is there anything that you were horribly afraid of as a child, that you most likely have gotten over since?.

  i was just watching x-files, and there was a spontaneous human combustion scene.

  that was one of my big fears as a kid once i heard of it.

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  serendipity

  Snakes (still not over that one)
  Werewolves
  Zombies
  Vampires - thankfully we weren't JWs yet, so I wore my cross to bed to protect me. I guess if I had been afraid of vampires after becoming a JW, I would have slept with garlic. ;-)
  Demons
  My parents, when they were angry
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  81

  Ahhh, just what is your guilty pleasure?

  by FlyingHighNow in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  sausage biscuits from mcdonalds.

  i broke down and got one today.

  come now, tell me about your guilty pleasures.

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  serendipity

  Chili Cheese burger with pickles & onion rings from Sonic.
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  22

  Fading From the Witnesses- How Hard Did Your Family Try to Bring You Back?

  by flipper in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  i have been a fader now for 4 years , and at this point my witness family pretty much leaves me alone in that they don't try to push their beliefs on me anymore !

  at first they did, the first 6 months or so.

  my daughters showed me a video of korah talking against aaron, etc.

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  serendipity

  I think it was about a year ago that I told my sister that I stopped attending meetings. I expected phone calls from other worried relatives, as the gossip spread through the grapevine. I don't think my sister told anyone because I got no phone calls.
  
  Next person I told was my mother, earlier this year. Once again I expected phone calls. Got none.
  
  Back in September, I cast a wider net and told several family members at a family gathering, thinking they'd try to 'gang save' me, since this group included the VERY THEOCRATIC members who are actively involved in the RBC, etc. I thought for sure, I'd be getting "encouraging" phone calls. Haven't heard a peep.
  
  On Sunday, my brother asked me which cong. I'm attending since I moved. "Haven't you heard the gossip?" I asked. He had not, so I told him the news. He didn't ask why or anything.
  
  With the exception of my mother (inactive 20 years), none of my relatives have asked me why I'm not going or have tried to encourage me to go back.
  
  Of course, this makes things easier, but I have to wonder if they truly don't care about my daughter and me.