Posts by enlightenedcynic

49

"Giving Your Wifely Due"

by love2Bworldly in

jw
friends

did anyone hate that expression as much as i did?

my husband and i are separated right now, and my jw sister reminded me on the phone the other day to make sure i gave him 'his wifely due'.

that expression makes me want to barf.

I agree with Finally-Free...that term "due" makes it seem like the wife is "doing" you a big favor. My wife tells me all the time that when I do x, y and z then she feels better about "giving" me sex. I thought that sex was supposed to be about interchange..both giving and receiving? Whoops, my bad, that exists only in marriages that are based on true love and are not controlled by a cult!

EC

12

A question for all those who were a witness in NY........................

by vitty in

jw
friends

for someone who lived in the uk, brooklan was like rome is to a catholic.

we all had strange ideas to what it was like.. so how was it for you who live in ny.

did it "feel" more spiritual, cos the hq where there or did you take it for granted?.

enlightenedcynic

Vitty,

I have lived in Brooklyn my entire life and was raised as a witness. I recognize that many witnesses from other places view Brooklyn Bethel like the Catholics view the Vatican or the Muslims view Mecca. It used to have the same hold on me. To get invited down to Bethel for lunch or to visit someone in their room was a real treat. To actually meet a member of the GB while on tour or while eating lunch...well by the look on the faces of everyone you would think that Christ had just floated down from the sky.

Nowadays, I think that most jw's that live here are overwhelmed and exausted, NY is a very tough place to live!! And while many still view Bethel as a special place, it doesn't quite seem to elicit the same open-mouthed awe as it once did. In regards to field service, I remember 15-20 years ago how zealous everyone was in the ministry. Witnesses regularly reported 30 or more hours per month without breaking a sweat. Since I assist the secretary from time to time, I see the time slips being turned in now.....8 hours, 14 hours, 22 hours, 6 hours, the brothers and sisters just can't keep up with the demands of the society and it is showing. While I am sure that there are many who still legitimately make their hours, there are many more, including myself, who fudge the numbers and report time they have not done, just to keep the elders off their back.

In addition to attending my own meetings, I have visited a number of halls here in Brooklyn enough times so as to get an accurate pulse of the congregations. The large majority of congregations that I have experience with, are cold and unkind. Whether you are a regular member or visiting, no one approaches you or greets you unless you speak first, and then what you get is just a perfunctory "hello" and "nice to meet you". Many witnesses here are joyless and unhappy. Marriages are falling apart here at an alarming rate..elders walking out on wives...wives leaving husbands and children behind..I know of these cases not through hearsay but directly from the sources.

I guess to sum it all up, there is no "spiritual paradise" here in Brooklyn if you ask me. While friends from other states and countries revere Brooklyn Bethel and think that this is the super hub of spirituality for jw's....nothing could be further from the truth. I wonder if there are any other posters here from New York who can add their viewpoint about the atmosphere here in NY and surrounding Bethel?

EC

16

your momma is...

by moomanchu in

the wbts.. u can say or do anything u like but, do not disrespect your momma.. .

your momma got so much real estate she makes donald trump look like donald duck.. lets get a list goin.

i'm sure u guys can do better.

enlightenedcynic

Yo momma is so fat...she has to lay down to pick up a quarter off the street.

Yo momma's teeth are so rotten....that when she smiles it looks like she has a mouthful of dice.

Yo momma is so cross-eyed....that when she cries, her tears roll down her back.

da-dum-dum!!!

ec

24

the all knowing god?

by the dreamer dreaming in

dont know if this has been discussed or not...but.... it always bothered me when people claimed that god is all knowing... what exactly does that really mean or can mean?.

after all, according to all, there was some point when only god existed and so its pretty easy to be all knowing when there is nothing to know.. but why should we assume that a being who had no one teach him and nothing to learn from could be anything but insane?.

we should trust god, some have told me, because he made everything and therefore knows everything about what he made... sorry, but that does not follow at all.. my subconscious, apparently, seems to be able to manifest many dreams of very complex things which leaves me puzzled as to their workings not understanding them at all..... the bible shows god to be less than all knowing on many occasions, especially in genesis 18:20-21 where he is going to investigate a report that has come to him.... from where or who we are not told.... but it makes it clear he is desiring to find out if the report is accurate or not... .

enlightenedcynic

The gnostics may have it all figured out. Perhaps this bible god Jehovah is just a demiurge or lesser god who is imperfect himself and created this imperfect universe? Makes sense to me because to reason the other way makes absolutely no sense...an all knowing, loving and kind god allows suffering, sickness and death because he needs to prove a point. Pure bull****!!!

ec

31

Each time I go to McDonalds I see..........

by JH in

jw
friends

.

each time i go to the mcdonalds near by, i see jehovah witnesses there.

either for their morning break in the field service, or just an afternoon coffee, or an evening lunch i'll meet one or a few there.. last night i went to the drive through at mcdonalds, and noticed that the car in front of me looked familiar....and finally i saw that it was a brother.. i'm pretty sure you'll find mcdonald restaurants in the new system .

enlightenedcynic

I personally don't eat mickey d's food nor does my family, but anytime I pass one I think of the movie, "Supersize Me"...it was a documentary about a man who ate McDonald's food for 30 days straight to show what if any effects it would have on his health. Trust me, watch this film and you will never eat at McDonalds again!!!!

ec

P.S.- Just like if you read "Crisis of Conscience" you can no longer in good conscience remain a dub!!

53

Asked my Book Study group a question......................

by enlightenedcynic in

tuesday night's book study dealt with the resurrection and why we can have confidence in it...blah, blah, blah!

so after meeting as we are sitting around and chatting i spoke up and said, "did lazurus get resurrected with his same body or with a new one?

" i asked it purposely because on page 68, par.

enlightenedcynic

Stealth,

I recognize that! My question is, if you are a fairly intelligent or reasoning individual, how do you just ignore flaws or holes in the wts reasoning. If dubs are as informed about the bible as they claim, when you read certain scriptures and hold it up against wts theology...there is a big problem...whether you believe the bible to be true or not.

ec

53

Asked my Book Study group a question......................

by enlightenedcynic in

tuesday night's book study dealt with the resurrection and why we can have confidence in it...blah, blah, blah!

so after meeting as we are sitting around and chatting i spoke up and said, "did lazurus get resurrected with his same body or with a new one?

" i asked it purposely because on page 68, par.

enlightenedcynic

Tuesday night's book study dealt with the resurrection and why we can have confidence in it...blah, blah, blah! So after meeting as we are sitting around and chatting I spoke up and said, "Did Lazurus get resurrected with his same body or with a new one?" I asked it purposely because on page 68, par. 8, of the What Does The Bible Really Teach Book, it says 8 The stone was rolled away, and Jesus cried out with a loud voice: “Lazarus, come on out!” What happened? “The man that had been dead came out.” (John 11:43, 44) Can you imagine the joy of the people there? Whether Lazarus was their brother, relative, friend, or neighbor, they knew that he had died. Yet, here he was—the same dear man—standing among them again. That must have seemed too good to be true. Many no doubt embraced Lazarus joyfully. What a victory over death! As we all know, witnesses teach that when a person dies, they no longer exist, their memories and personality are stored by the big Jehovah server in the sky. When and if that person gets a resurrection, they will supposedly receive a new body. If that is the case, how can it be logically said that "the same dear man was standing among them again". If he had a new body, how did everyone know that it was truly Lazurus? I am still waiting for an intelligent response, my wife nudged me and said now was not the time for a questions like this..why are you trying to start something? Once I got home, I thought a little more deeply on this matter. So lets say we are in the new system(yeah right!), and you have just been resurrected back to life in a new body as the witnesses teach. Will that body be a perfect one or an imperfect one? The answer has to be the latter because witnesses teach that perfection will be attained gradually through the 1,000 year reign. So our dear wonderful God Jehovah is going to bring back those who have died with flawed or imperfect bodies. This from a God of love? Am I off in my reasoning? Your thoughts please! ec

49

Went to a witness party....oh, excuse me, "gathering" over the weekend.....

by enlightenedcynic in

the mrs. and i were invited to a "gathering" this weekend.

was just supposed to be some friends getting together for some food and fellowship.

when we arrived, there were a bunch of jw's in the back yard(50 to 100) and the music was pumping loud(not that i minded{smile}).

enlightenedcynic

The mrs. and I were invited to a "gathering" this weekend. Was just supposed to be some friends getting together for some food and fellowship. When we arrived, there were a bunch of jw's in the back yard(50 to 100) and the music was pumping loud(not that I minded{smile}). Anyhow, I saw a few elders and some ms' from our congregation and they didn't seem to mind one bit what was going on. The beer and liquor was flowing and oh did I mention that the music was pumping? Reggae, Hip-Hop, Soca and Calypso music. Hips were gyrating...breasts were bouncing...pelvis was touching pelvis....all until 2:30 in the morning!!! The wife said that while she enjoyed the "gathering", she felt uncomfortable about some of the things she saw! Not me, I have always known that most dubs are a bunch of hypocritical, pleasure seeking folks, just like the "worldlings". ec

4

Pay Up..............NOW!!!!!!!

by enlightenedcynic in

i am neither shocked or suprised anymore with the actions of the wts, but i have to admit, from time to time they do some s**t that makes me say, "wish i could pull that off".

at meeting yesterday, the p.o.

makes an announcement.

enlightenedcynic

I am neither shocked or suprised anymore with the actions of the WTS, but I have to admit, from time to time they do some s**t that makes me say, "Wish I could pull that off". At meeting yesterday, the p.o. makes an announcement. Nervously, he says that everyone who promised to donate or loan money outright for the KH renovation, needs to do that A.S.A.P. because as of July 1st, the initial mortgage payment of $2,000.00 is due. What's the big deal you say? Oh nothing, just that the work on the KH has not even begun. It was supposed to begin the first week of June, but due to paperwork and applications for permits not being filed properly,(wonder who botched that...the wts or the local brothers) here we are in July and the work has not started. Nonetheless, the good ole' wts wants to start collecting on the loan! I swear for about a minute yesterday I could see a slight look of confusion mixed with annoyance on the face of several people. It was like they were trying to process how payments could be demanded by the "slave" without any work being done or better yet any materials having been delivered to the work site. The congregation is conducting meetings in the meantime, at another KH. The wts strikes again, and the brain-dead dubs sit there and just suck up the abuse!!! ec

20

I Asked My Wife A Question Yesterday

by enlightenedcynic in

over the last two weeks since i posted about my wife taking me to the elders, i have been working very hard to save my marriage.

i have made arrangements for babysitting so that we can go out at least once or twice a week.

we have taken in a movie, gone for a walk, gone to the beach, gone to the museum, gone to a jazz concert and just yesterday we went to a coffee house and talked over a nice cup of joe.

enlightenedcynic

Dreamer, The typical jw response is that Jehovah God holds the thoughts, ideas and memories of all deceased ones in his mind...(Jehovah is after all like a gigantic computer server or something)and will return all such components to a new body apon the person's return from grave. I never could accept this fantastic and improbable line of reasoning either. ec