parlay

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Posts by parlay

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  31

  Gotta get this out today.

  by purplesofa in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  i don't know where to begin to say what is all bottled up inside me.

  i may need to be on another forum, but i have come to respect the posts and input of so many here, and trust.....so it may be jumbled, and may take starting a few topics to fully get it out.. i have already posted about my youngest brother committing suicide.

  i have another brother also.. my mother divorced my father i am guessing when i was five or six.

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  parlay

  Perhaps sharing these two articles of the very same magazines your mother distributes will help her see

  her role in getting the healing started.

  ***w9311/15p.30WhyAdmitaMistake?***

  BeQuicktoAdmitaMistake

  An apology is usually appreciated, especially if made quickly. In fact, the sooner we admit a mistake the better. To illustrate: On October 31, 1992, Pope John Paul II admitted that the Inquisition had acted “mistakenly” 360 years ago in punishing Galileo for asserting that the earth is not the center of the universe. Yet, postponing an apology for such a long time tends to diminish its value.

  The same is true in personal relationships. A quick apology can heal a wound caused by an unkind word or deed. Jesus urged us not to delay in making peace, saying: “If . . . you are bringing your gift to the altar and you there remember that your brother has something against you, leave your gift there in front of the altar, and go away; first make your peace with your brother, and then, when you have come back, offer up your gift.” (Matthew 5:23, 24) Often, restoring peaceful relations simply requires admitting that we handled matters wrongly and asking forgiveness. The longer we wait to do this, the more difficult it becomes.

  ***w7211/1p.644BeBigEnoughtoAdmitaMistake***

  In view of such examples, why should it be so difficult for individuals to admit to making mistakes? No human knows everything; we all keep learning. Time and again, due to insufficient knowledge, we make mistakes. Or, then again, we may make mistakes due to our emotions getting the better of us; we may have let some prejudice or wounded vanity cause us to respond without first using our thinking ability to evaluate the consequences of our words or actions.—Prov. 5:1, 2.

  Being willing to admit a mistake is the right course, for it leaves one with a clear conscience. It keeps us from being on the defensive or attempting to justify our mistakes by saying, “Nobody is perfect.”

  Being big enough to admit a mistake is also the wise course. Even as noted with the children who complained about their Dad’s not admitting a mistake, by our admitting we made a mistake we make for better relations with others, be they our fellows, our superiors, or inferiors—that is, organizationally speaking. And by admitting the mistake it will impress it so on our own mind that we will be less likely to repeat that mistake, if for no other reason than because of the humiliation that was involved.

  So be big. Be big enough to admit a mistake. Be willing to say, “Yes, that’s right. I did make a mistake and I’m sorry.” Then try very hard not to repeat it.
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  23

  Beards and bald heads

  by parlay in

  1. watchtower
  2. scandals

  what do you think about the wts prohibition on beards?

  currently in the us, i think a brother can wear a beard, he just won't be used in the congregation.

  i see all references in the wt to beards are in a negative light, such as the supreme court upholding a supermarket chains no beards rule.

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  parlay

  Saw a brother today that asked me "whats that facial hair?"

  I said yeah, you can wear a beard too, you just won't get used in the cong. I don't have

  to worry about that, so for the first time in my life I'm growing a beard.

  Plus, I said, I noticed that all the prophets of old and even jesus are shown with beards in the

  watchtower, so I'm following their example. After all beards are a part of Jehovahs creation right?

  All he could said was "yeah". LOL.
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  60

  Are Faders "better" than DF'd or DA'd?

  by ESTEE in

  1. jw
  2. experiences

  this is something i've been mulling over.

  just would like to hear opinions as to whether faders, or inactive ones think they are superior to disfellowshipped or disassociated ones?

  what is your experience with this?

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  parlay

  If anyone has any ideas of being superior to another they haven't

  faded mentally because that, I'm better than you minset, is a JW trademark.
• 
  16

  Where have you found JW literature?

  by Funchback in

  1. jw
  2. experiences

  so, yesterday i'm at bally's (a fitness center) and i'm about to get on the treadmill.

  i decided to check out their magazine rack.

  let's see...'bicycling', 'sports illustrated', 'a2z', and about 10 watchtower and awakes.

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  parlay

  Inside a public toilet taped to the wall. Written next to them, " Emergency toilet paper."
• 
  18

  IN YOUR OPINION

  by Honesty in

  1. watchtower
  2. beliefs

  does the watchtower society show the bait and hide the hook when it comes to being open and honest with newly interested ones?.

  in other words, do they make themselves appear to have all the answers, the most righteous crowd and the only truth from god until a person is hooked by the 'fear factor' that unless they conform to watchtower doctrines they will surely be destroyed by god at armageddon or, if they decide the jw's are not for them they will never be resurrected should they die before armageddon?.

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  parlay

  That's why I could no longer go out in service. I would feel like a hypocrite only telling people half the story. Encouraging them to examine their current religion and ask revealing questions about it, knowing that they wouldn't be able to ask the same kind of questions about JW's once they got baptized. How could I encourage them to do something I couldn't even do (with out repercussions)?
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  23

  Beards and bald heads

  by parlay in

  1. watchtower
  2. scandals

  what do you think about the wts prohibition on beards?

  currently in the us, i think a brother can wear a beard, he just won't be used in the congregation.

  i see all references in the wt to beards are in a negative light, such as the supreme court upholding a supermarket chains no beards rule.

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  parlay

  I agree Ironclaw, whether a man has a beard or not doesn't translate into what kind of person he is. There are plenty of clean shaven, smiling hypocrites among the JW's. A lot of the young brothers here shave their heads and it's known that they are not going bald.

  A brother once told me that his father wasn't allowed to give parts on the assembly programs because he shaved his head. Then sometime later I saw purposely shaven heads given parts. Guess the rule was relaxed.

  ***w683/15p.191QuestionsfromReaders***

  What about the length of one’s hair today? Just as the natural length of hair differs among races, so do customs and personal tastes. The short style of men’s hair in the Western world is patterned after the Roman custom, and it is considerably shorter than the style common for Jewish men in Jesus’ time. Similarly, women today quite often cut their hair shorter than was usual among ancient women. Yet, there is still a marked difference between the sexes. So, while personal taste and local custom have a definite bearing on how long a Christian man wears his hair, he does want it to reflect his masculinity. Similarly, Christian women style their hair modestly and with evident femininity, so it will be a glory for them.—1 Pet. 3:3; 1 Tim. 2:9; 1 Cor. 11:15.

  Why isn't the same balance written here about the length of ones hair applied to beards? Could not a beard contribute to reflecting a mans masculinity? Seems like another double standard rule, invading personal decision and conscience.
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  23

  Beards and bald heads

  by parlay in

  1. watchtower
  2. scandals

  what do you think about the wts prohibition on beards?

  currently in the us, i think a brother can wear a beard, he just won't be used in the congregation.

  i see all references in the wt to beards are in a negative light, such as the supreme court upholding a supermarket chains no beards rule.

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  parlay

  Oh and what about the fact that many brothers now shave their heads, since Michael Jordan and other

  celebs have made it sexy and faddish? I don't see any rules on that? Double standard?
• 
  23

  Beards and bald heads

  by parlay in

  1. watchtower
  2. scandals

  what do you think about the wts prohibition on beards?

  currently in the us, i think a brother can wear a beard, he just won't be used in the congregation.

  i see all references in the wt to beards are in a negative light, such as the supreme court upholding a supermarket chains no beards rule.

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  parlay

  What do you think about the WTS prohibition on beards? Currently in the US, I think a brother can wear a beard, he just won't be used in the congregation. I see all references in the WT to beards are in a negative light, such as the supreme court upholding a supermarket chains no beards rule. It's portrayed as something that could prevent a JW from giving a witness, as the householder may associate the beard with something that would prevent them from listening.

  I don't agree that a neat and well groomed beard would have this effect. What do you think? Just another case of WTS pharisee-like rule making?

  Any experiences of JW's that wore beards?
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  16

  LAME (or funny) JW "Get together" stories, please...

  by exwitless in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  ok,i've been sick for 2 days (sore throat, feeling run-down) so i could use some good laughs.

  something just made me think of how absurdly lame jw "get-togethers" always were.

  there were several that we went to (when we were still being love-bombed as newbies) where we ate dinner, then played bible pictionary.

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  parlay

  If the gathering was boring, we would suddenly "have to go to the car for something" and never return. But there were some "gatherings" that were fun, fun, fun!!

  Like one in Brooklyn NY. We could hear the music a block away. Once we went inside there were 2 floors of intense partying, kegs of beer, and snacks.

  The back room was lit by a lone red light.It was packed and you could only see who was in front of you by getting up close. All you could see was a mass of people packed like sardines, moving to the music.

  We saw a goddy two shoes pioneer sister come out of the "red light" room all sweaty. When we called out her name, she acted like she didn't hear us and dissappeared back into the room. We went in after her, but it was too dark and crowed.

  When the people at these "gatherings" would see at assemblies, we would grin with the look like, yeaaah man, whaaaaasup and wheres the next "gathering". MAN DID WE HAVE FUN!!
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  32

  Cover Letter and Letter of Disassociation.

  by AK - Jeff in

  1. jw
  2. experiences

  i am forced to either accept df'ing without any defense [i clearly have none against charges of apostasy], or to at least 'speak my mind' one last time as i exit, with a hope of perhaps helping others to 'wake up'.. to that end - i have elected to send a letter of da to the elders - but more importantly - a copy of it, with a cover letter, to several families in the congregation.

  most of these things never have a positive result, i know.

  but at least i have attempted in this way to give a little defense for my position.

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  parlay

  Excellent Letter. If any of your friends truly knows you and does even

  a little of their own thinking, as opposed to letting the WTS

  do it all for them, they will have to wonder how after 50 years of service

  you are no longer walking beside them. If a long time friend wrote another such

  a letter, it would be read in an effort to at least understand what has happened.

  That is if they were true friend. So if they choose not to read your letter or in-vestigate

  the issues you raise, they either are not truly your friends or they choose to let

  the WTS think for them and dictate their response. Either way you follwed the honorable

  and truthful course. They will have to live with and answer for theirs.