About 2 years, maybe a little more. I feel like I've grown more in those 2 years than at any other time of my life.
I was raised in it but never baptized, started studying again, then Googling, and the rest is history! I'm indebted to everyone here... believe me when I state that lurkers LOVE this place and they desperately NEED this place! Sometimes it's just reassuring to know you're not crazy (well, much) but what I appreciate the most is all the solid research that's been shared so freely and the open debates. The light DOES get brighter!
~Sue
betterdaze
JoinedPosts by betterdaze
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33
...How Long did You Lurk?...
by OUTLAW inwhen i first found this place,i did not want to post.i wanted to see what was going on,and get a feel for the place..getting into a debate with some of the "meat eaters" here,was not at the top of my list of things to do..lol!
!..now this place is my cyber home..(thanks simon!
)..so my question is:how long did you lurk before you decieded to take a chance and make your first post?...outlaw
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betterdaze
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43
WHAT WOULD IT TAKE TO STOP SHUNNING?
by Mary ini feel really angry and upset.
a good friend of mine is going through hell because they are being shunned by their children and grandchildren.
their sin?
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betterdaze
What about minor children who are baptized, some as young as 8 or 9? What happens if they get disfellowshipped as a teen?
Sure, parents must provide food and shelter. But how can parents shun kids in their own homes? It must be like the silent treatment on acid. Does it not constitute emotional abuse or willful neglect?
~Sue -
33
Were dinosaurs part of a pre-Adamic "paradise"?
by M.J. inthe wts seems to affirm a lot that adam's blunder really screwed up the earth, and that the earth was not meant to be this place full of killing, disease, death, pain, etc.. but according to the wts version of the story, did god create the earth with these types of features before adam even came on the scene?
the wts does not deny the existance of dinosaurs, who in their words were created prior to mankind during the 5th or 6th symbolic day-ages.
yet its clear from fossilized remains that dinosaurs killed each other, had a high mortality rate, often died young, suffered from disease such as cancerous tumors: .
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betterdaze
Oh my gosh, Mr. DannyHaszard, where did you get that messed up image?
What are those brontosauri doing in the background? Even the pterodactyls are fleeing from the wanton dino "play."
Is that why my Lord must admonish them with a wave of His hand? His bronto appears to be belting out Kingdom Melodies! And why is He sittin' side saddle all lady-like, carrying a croc like a pussycat? Huh?
If Rod Serling was still writing Twilight Zone episodes, a single pioneer sister would wake up with this freaky image tattooed across her chest with no recollection whatsoever, and report it to the EL-DORS, who would make a complete examination (!), take up stones, and, well, you can guess the rest.
This one's for the fridge gallery. Thank you, Danny.
~Sue -
24
Ever ask an elder why there are two gods described in the Bible?
by free2beme inface it, there is one very true statement that can be said about the bible.
that is, that there are two completely different gods described.
the old testament, is talking about a angry, vengeful and wrathful god.
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betterdaze
Just finished reading "Jehovah Unmasked," by Nathaniel Merritt, which addresses this OT/NT two God quandary.
I had been grappling with the "may your name be kept holy" thing for awhile after learning "Jehovah" is nowhere to be found in any NT manuscript. Jesus himself nor any Apostle ever used it. It sort of disturbed me that the Witnesses are obsessed with splashing a Catholic mistranslation of God's "sanctified" name all over the place... Could this just be one more way Satan gets his kicks?
This book answered my questions in a way I was never prepared for. It was like putting my faith through a wood chipper.... AGAIN... What Merritt puts forth was truly mind-blowing to me. I certainly don't believe everything he writes (and he could really use a skilled editor) but a lot of it makes sense in a very creepy way. It's my intro to Gnosticism, a "forbidden" subject I had heard about over the years but never investigated.
In the end, my faith is renewed, but I would advise to tread lightly.
Here is a previous thread on it:
http://www.jehovahs-witness.com/14/99637/1.ashx
~Sue -
19
How Long Would They Last Without The Society?
by ThomasCovenant infollowing on a little from 2 topics (xjw critical mass) and (the real reason jw's don't accept blood) sorry but don't know how to show the links, i got to thinking: .
if the society were to finish publishing and closed down because of say bankruptcy from lawsuits, how long do you think the worldwide brotherhood would last?.
i feel this is a good question to ask those still in.would they still worship jehovah without the rigmarole of 5 meetings, personal study and preaching work and the monthly kingdom ministry and other regular literature.
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betterdaze
Perhaps they'd be forced to meet in small groups in private homes and study only the scriptures, keeping in touch with the occasional letter. Some would teach, some would be missionaries, and all would partake of the bread and wine.
Oh wait, that would be Christian!
~Sue -
16
God's Organization? (for the JW Lurkers)
by KW13 inluke 21:8 - he replied: "watch out that you are not deceived.
for many will come in my name, claiming, 'i am he,' and, 'the time is near.
' do not follow them.. this scripture clearly says those claiming to be christ, warning of the end approaching and that we shouldn't follow them.
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betterdaze
Thank you KW13 for putting this together... it makes a great mini-witness!
I especially like the distinction in John 17 between "knowing" God and Christ in a personal relationship, and "taking in knowledge" of them (NWT). There is a tremendous difference! Take in knowledge = buy more books, obey GB.
I recall reading somewhere that the WT translation committee deliberately botched this lifesaving scripture to ensure repeat book sales. Anything to that? Or were they trying separate worshipers from this essential relationship so they could direct the focus back to themselves as usual, usurping Jesus as our only mediator?
~Sue -
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betterdaze
Are you being silly? Of course it's a word! Here are some examples of its proper use in Theocratese dialect... to be read in a robotic monotone:
There were demonistic items at the garage sale, like Beatles records, so I would not buy anything from them.
Beware the public library -- it's full of demonistic books. Best to stick with approved publications from the Slave.
Brother Schmuck gave up many demonistic practices, like Little League coach, so he could get baptized.
See the flag, kids? Aren't you glad we are Theocratic, and not demonistic like the neighbors?
We threw the gift away unopened; the baby chicks on the wrapping paper were surely demonistic.
~Sue -
83
how many of you have armed themselves?
by buffalosrfree ini recently bought a high powered rifle and am presently buying a pistol for back-up.
i have a cross bow, a compound bow, and several swords and knives, in fact i have been collecting knives for some time and have learned how to use them in defending myself and in taking the initiative in learning to defend myself.
i am quite versed in using both the croww bow and the compound bow, it seems the goverment doesn't want to defend us and just wants to unarm us.
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betterdaze
chuckie77 said,
***My mate in Wisconsin is a police officer there, and when I told him the cops in Australia arent allowed to take their weapon home with them, his response was, "well why not? Dont they trust them enough to let them take guns home"? Ludicrous!!!***
chuckie77,
Please explain why you believe this is "ludicrous."
There is NO SUCH THING as an "off-duty" police officer. They swear to uphold the law to protect the public at ALL times. This is why it's called "duty" and sometimes that duty even comes before their spouse and their children. My dad served over 30 years of his life -- yes, it's also called service -- to the people of the City of New York. He retired as a Lieutenant just months before the planes hit, and after many years past of gun thugs in Harlem and the South Bronx exercising their "civil rights."
If an officer is off work and witnesses a crime in commission, he is required by law to intervene, whereas you and I as civilians are not. We can stand clear, or run away. By the time we would dial an emergency number, all sorts of bloodshed and mayhem could occur to innocents. An officer is well trained to handle these situations, and, believe it or not, the law in most states precludes officers from drawing their weapon in public if there's no preliminary threat of force by the perpetrator. You see, the criminals have more rights than we do!
Officers are required to undergo firearms training (with regularly scheduled range duty and yes riot control methods), and operate at a distinct disadvantage to the criminal element who possess more potent firearms with no training at all.
Sweetie, methinks you'd being singing a different tune entirely had you been violently accosted on your visit to Wisconsin and your police officer mate was powerless to protect you.
We knew growing up that even if someone invaded our home, dad's government-issued service revolver was hidden in one place, the bullets in another, and there'd be no time for him to act to protect mom and us kids, anyway. That's the leveling factor that is really ludicrous!
The crimey types hold the upper hand no matter what, even if you reside with an officer of the law who, under order, brings his protection home.
~Sue
P.S.: My non-JW former cop dad is thoroughly disgusted with all the elders in Pennsy who are gun nuts. It's one of the major reasons he never joined up with "Jehovah's" people: How can you preach love and be armed to the teeth? -
85
Remember when KH's had a piano and real singing?
by WingCommander inthe thread about got me thinking about my very early childhood, back when witnesses were allowed to be social and have get togethers.
they also had a piano in every congregation i ever attended, and an older sister would always play the kingdom melody.
there was actual singing - not mindless droning and humming.
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betterdaze
Blondie, I just re-read your post:
Thanks for confirming that there even WAS an Assembly Hall in Monroe, NY!
The pioneer sister I was studying with up until recently was baptized in 1995 and did not believe me when I told her it had been $old the the very large, local and vocal Jewish Hasidic community. Her Bethelite husband gently but firmly "corrected" her. "Hush hush, inferior one. What the returning sheep says is so."
BTW, my childhood KH was sold to nursery school that was owned by a protestant church in a neighboring town.
***Another example of the WTS hypocrisy.*** You got it!
~Sue -
85
Remember when KH's had a piano and real singing?
by WingCommander inthe thread about got me thinking about my very early childhood, back when witnesses were allowed to be social and have get togethers.
they also had a piano in every congregation i ever attended, and an older sister would always play the kingdom melody.
there was actual singing - not mindless droning and humming.
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betterdaze
YES! There was an kind elderly sister who would play on an upright piano, which was then rolled away somewhere so as not to "distract" us from the banquet. If you were a really cheeky child, you might get to plink a few keys before the lid was slammed down and it disappeared.
... and people really did sing then! The only way I can describe the singing today is "wooden." Two years ago I was at Jersey City and heard a sister's voice amongst the crowd, looked over about 20 rows away, and there was Sister S., singing like a bird, crystal clear as ever. Amazing, after 30 years! If I close my eyes, I can still hear her today... Of course there was always some brother with a deep baritone voice that would balance out her soprano. One of too few happy memories.
What was even better was that one of the elders played trombone professionally in an orchestra for Broadway shows... although we kiddies were always reminded that he had to be "very selective" about which shows he could play for.
At the circuit assemblies in Monroe, NY, there he'd be, conducting a tiny orchestra below the stage... Flute, saxophone, violin... and as a kid I used to play "Hey there all you thirsty ones" on my clarinet. Brother M. the trombone player / orchestra director was an encouragement to me.
~Sue