DanTheMan

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Posts by DanTheMan

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  40

  JWs and National Oaths of Allegiance Expose' by Marvin Shilmer-Please Read

  by AndersonsInfo in

  1. watchtower
  2. scandals

  the following three paragraphs are part of a startling new essay written by a well-respected poster on jwd.

  he spent much time and money to gather proof of duplicity on the part of watch tower leaders.

  marvin shilmer (not his real name) has given permission for me to put his entire essay on my website, www.watchtowerdocuments.com.

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  DanTheMan

  Especially galling when you consider what the dubs in Malawi experienced for 'following their Bible-trained consciences'. Nice work.
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  18

  Kirk Cameron Videos about JWs

  by jamiebowers in

  1. watchtower
  2. bible

  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ywqnv3g6cpi.

  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xdh_h_pko8m.

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  DanTheMan

  "Here's why their brand of join-us-or-skydad-is-gonna-get-you fundyism is wrong. Here's why you should choose our brand of join-us-or-skydad-is-gonna-get-you fundyism."
  
  Yawn.
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  45

  Pro's and Con's of DAing myself.

  by lancelink in

  1. jw
  2. experiences

  i have been wrestling with the idea of da'ing myself for close to a year now.

  but there is a small area in my subconscious that whispers "this is not a good idea.

  i haven't been to a meeting in over six months, no service in seven years.

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  DanTheMan

  I DA'd in 2002, largely for the symbolism of it, both for myself and my former JW acquaintances. Nobody in my immediate or extended family was/is JW, so my losses were few, and I was so disgusted with the borg that I felt like I had to formally sever my ties with it. I also didn't want to be hounded by the elders to come back or with moronic trap questions about whether or not I still believed in this or that. I'm not a very patient person and I'd probably have to fight with all of my might to resist telling them to go fugg themselves, so DA'ing was a pre-emptive "fugg off and leave me the hell alone" to the elders.
  
  
  Of course now, as has already been mentioned, the announcement they make is the same whether you DA or are DF'd, so the symbolism of the act is greatly reduced. In fact, I'd say an extended period of inactivity probably has more symbolic value now than DA'ing does, at least to the dubs. Because then they never really know, "is he an apostate? What's the deal with him?" All they know is that you are no longer there and apparently don't miss it. I think this is why they have been making such an effort to chase down the inactives in recent years and force them into a DA or DF situation, so that they can make an announcement that will tarnish your name and put it in the minds of most that you must have committed some grave sin or another, like smoking cigarettes or joining the YMCA.
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  11

  Do you "think" that JW's and Born-Agains are "addicted" to religion?

  by booker-t in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  i must admit i never really thought of religion as an addiction until i was reading a story about a girl that was a strict "pentacoastal" and followed all of the rules of the church until she became fed up with it all and left.

  and then she went to an even "stricter" church until her therapist told her that going from church to church is like a new "high".

  and when you think of some of the lingo that jw's and born agains use it might just as well be considered an addiction.

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  DanTheMan

  Perhaps drug addicts are people who have a deep need to experience the transcendent religious feeling that religious people are able to experience, but who are unable or have no desire to do so by engaging in religious ritual. Are the same neurotransmitters juiced by both practices? It'd be interesting to know.
  
  I smoked mj almost every day from the time I was 17 to about 20, but I found that over time, instead of experiencing the relief from anxiety that I got the first time I smoked, the anxiety kept getting worse. When I made the decision to quit smokin' the wiid it was one of the easiest decisions I've ever made. Likewise, when I was initially studying with JW's and reading the literature, I experienced a fabulous relief from the anxiety and sadness that had been my lot for many years, but it wore off all too quickly, and after eight or nine years of involvement, I was as angry, sad, and anxious as I had ever been - a complete mess.
  
  So, I struck out both as a lightweight THC addict and a fundy religion addict. lol. Nowadays I think I'm a bit of an internet addict. There's worse things I guess.
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  16

  For Dawg's Edification (on Taxes):

  by SixofNine in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  and marvin shilmer's blood pressure ;) .

  you think im rich, dont you?

  by david glenn cox .

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  DanTheMan

  Excellent points 144001. 'Pubs work themselves up into such a lather when wealth is redistributed to the poor and lazy, but turn a blind eye when wealth on a grand scale is redistributed to the rich white men of Halliburton, et al. to aid them in conducting an unneeded, bloody, and colossally expensive war.
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  36

  Why hasn't there ever been or ever be a mass exodus from the WTS?

  by RULES & REGULATIONS in

  1. watchtower
  2. beliefs

  the wts have a history of false prophecies, including teachings that armageddon and the end of the world would occur in 1914, 1918, 1925, and 1975. .

  most of us didn't see that the true point of authority was not the bible, but the watchtower magazine, awake magazine,ministry school and the ever-changing views of the governing body.

  the word of god in the bible does not change and a prophecy that does not come true is not of god's doing.

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  DanTheMan

  said the loss was over 500,000 people and he held Freddie Franz responsible for the whole fiasco.

  But, as Ray brings out in Crisis of Conscience, in the 1960's, growth was flat. They got a pretty good growth spike in the late 60's and early 70's with the 1975 buildup, and the losses they took afterwards were slight in comparison to the prior gains. And of course many that left eventually came back.

  The irony of the WTS is that they owe their entire existence to unfulfilled expectations. 1914 (both as the end and the year that would mark the beginning of the end, now all but scrapped), 1925, 1975, etc. It's interesting to imagine what the current state of the org might be if Freddie had never come up with 1975 as an a "marked" date. Would the org be bigger or smaller today? I think they'd be smaller - perhaps faded into complete obscurity.
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  15

  Do you consider yourself a monkey's uncle?

  by compound complex in

  1. watchtower
  2. beliefs

  or, less simply stated (asked, actually): did you get here by creation or evolution?

  i mean you personally.

  there are some lovely books on the subject, but i trust your gut feeling more than i do a certain book-publishing-empire-posing-as-a-religion-that-shall-remain-nameless-but-its-initials-are-xxx&xx and, of late, has been accused of scholastic dishonesty!

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  DanTheMan

  The similarities between humans and other primate species, especially chimpanzees, are unmistakable. I don't find it at all difficult to believe that we descended from common ancestors.

  I see something very close to human here, and I don't think that I'm projecting.
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  32

  ONE CREATIONIST EXPLANION FOR DINOSAURS DEMISE

  by badboy in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  they didn't arrive on time at the ark.. can't remember where i read it?.

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  DanTheMan

  I can't get into the heads of fundie xtians who believe in a 6000 year old earth, dinosaurs co-existing with humans, etc.
  
  The only way i can understand it is that at some point in their lives, they must have made such an emotional commitment to their absolutist worldview that they can never reneg on it without experiencing a complete breakdown. The mental hoops that they jump through to maintain their blustering, "I'm right, you're wrong, and boy-oh-boy are you going to get it in the end" mentality are simply staggering.
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  16

  I am asking you all

  by mouthy in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  for good vibes ,prayers, or well wishes for an ex jw who does a wonderful work, & is suffering very serious health problems she runs 1-800-why -1914 phone calls her name is marilyn -she and her hubby need them... she is still taking calls .so if any of you newbies want to call her it is free.

  .

  she answers your questions ...if you have any.... thanks in advance ((((hugs))).

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  DanTheMan

  My thoughts are with Marilyn. I too called the "why" line back in 2002 and spoke with Marilyn for 3 hours. I've forgotten what we even talked about, but I was in distress and she was a great help.
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  25

  A question for those outside of the USA

  by seven006 in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  what do you call a flashlight in your country?

  i know in parts of europe (england) it is called a torch but i was wondering if it was called that in other countries.

  the reason i ask is i have been creating/writing/illustrating a childrens book for the past three years and a flashlight/torch has become a very important part of the story.

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  DanTheMan

  Best of luck with your book. I understand that Berke Breathed of Bloom County fame has taken up Children's book writing lately. Have you seen/read any of them? I think you have a really sharp wit like his, so I wonder if your style might be similar to his.