David Gladden

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Posts by David Gladden

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  14

  What is God?

  by mindfield in

  1. watchtower
  2. bible

  i have yet to find a personal set of beliefs that will satisfy my mind, but one thing i am starting to get sure of is that there exists no "christian" god.

  the reasons for that belief aren't many, but proof that god exists isn't that plentiful either.

  i use the bible as proof god doesn't exist as it depicts it... others use it to prove he does, in fact, exist.

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  David Gladden

  I am of the opinion that anything that exists has measurable properties.

  We know that the universe exists because we interact with it all the time; in fact we are part of it. The supernatural, on the other hand, cannot be observed or measured.
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  22

  I did it.... :(

  by flower in

  1. jw
  2. experiences

  i didnt mean to but it just came out and before i knew it i was crying and arguing with her.

  well not really arguing but getting excited.

  she got mad and said 'so what are you saying that you dont think this is the truth?

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  David Gladden

  Flower,

  It sounds like you are making good progress. I am very happy for you!

  Like some of the others have said, don't push your mother or anyone else too hard. Directly attacking someone's belief system rarely if ever helps. It's like jerking a baby’s security blanket away.
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  26

  very alone..

  by flower in

  1. jw
  2. experiences

  i know that people have been in the same boat as i am and have felt the same but i still feel very alone tonight.

  and very depressed.

  i dont think some people understand even here.

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  David Gladden

  Flower,

  Having someone to confide in is very important. It is clear that that is what you need. Unfortunately one cannot just "mail order" a new best friend that listens.

  May I break a few social taboos and recommend Talk Therapy? Before DAing myself I used it and was also prescribed Zoloft (antidepressant). The herb “Saint John’s Wort” also helped a lot (You can get that at any pharmacy or even Wal-Mart). Those are what helped me get though my leaving the Org. You would be surprised how much Talk Therapy helps. Before you go though, forget all of the "Hollywood” stereotypes about therapy. You should also “shop around” for a therapist you like.

  My situation is different from yours, but still applicable. I was a third generation JW, but never really believed in the supernatural. I spent my life playing along and pretending, but eventually got exhausted of living the lie. I guess you can say that I was a “Closet-Atheist”. My symptoms of depression and self-destructive behavior got so severe that I was evicted from my apartment and almost lost my job. The idea of disappointing my family along with the prospect of loosing my family and friends terrified me – not to mention the social stigma of the “A” word.

  The Talk Therapy can help you draw out your emotions and feelings to confront and resolve them. Loosing almost everyone I knew was very hard, but I did get through it. It has been three years and I’m just now starting to get a new circle of friends. I must admit that I did have a bit of an advantage in that I am a solitary person and do not have the same need of companionship as most people.

  People who know me now describe me as a one of the most mild and levelheaded persons they have ever met.

  Best Wishes
  David Gladden
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  35

  Beggin for help

  by DIAMOND in

  1. jw
  2. experiences

  ladies and gentlemen of the jury listen to my story then make a wise and fair decision in my case.. i'm a 42 year old male.

  been in the truth for 32 years.

  married to a witness.

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  David Gladden

  I DA'ed myself, but looking back I can't help but wonder if legal action is possible while you are still "in good standing".

  I'm wondering if you can have a lawyer contact the elders and tell them that you wish to leave the congregation. Let the lawyer know that you fear slander and reprisals. Base this on WT publications regarding DA'ed and DF'ed members. For this reason the lawyer can tell the elders that if anything slanderous or any sanctions are imposed against you, you will sue them. They, and no entity acting on behalf of the WTBTS or the Cong may keep information about you or discuss topics about you in a formal manner.

  Give them a simple choice, be sued, or obey a gag order that requires them so simply say "Brother so-and-so has not been Disfellowshipped, has not Disassociated himself, and has left the congregation in good standing." If they say anything beyond that, they are liable.

  Or am I in dreamland with wishful thinking?
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  38

  Are You Vegetarian Or Not?

  by ladonna in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  with all the "food" "fluff" larc has started, it has made me wonder how many here are vegetarian or meat eaters.. i like my meat in winter, but only in very small amounts.. summertime i go completely vegetarian and relish fruits and vegetables.. how about you??.

  ana.

  manners require time, and nothing is more vulgar than haste.

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  David Gladden

  Unfortunately, when I eat, something is going to die.
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  7

  My attempt to join Touchstone

  by borgfree in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  i went to the touchstone site and filled out their registration form.

  i thought if they were really open to discussions it might be interesting.

  i do not have the registration post but the following is the correspondence that followed after i registered.. email from wrench:.

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  David Gladden

  Aaaa, you forgot about using "Spiritual Warfare". According to the JWs, if you deceive the "enemy" of god it is technically not a "lie".
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  22

  we were never s'pose to die????

  by Julie in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  out of the many things from the bible i wonder about there was one i thought i would share with you all and see if you may have any interesting insights on this issue.. according to the bible man was suppose to live forever, no sickness, easy childbirth for women, just your basic paradise, right?.

  so ok, we all know that because that wretched eve screwed it up for all of us and everything we now have suffering and death.. my problem with all of this is this: what if all the people who had ever lived had never died?

  how many of us would there be on the planet?

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  David Gladden

  Not that I believe the bible is true, but I have to say that story in Genesis does make it clear that Adam and Eve were *prevented* from becoming immortal.

  Gen 3, 22 (New American Standard Bible)
  Then the LORD God said, "Behold, the man has become like one of Us, knowing good and evil; and now, he might stretch out his hand, and take also from the tree of life, and eat, and live forever"
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  29

  Are you a Jehovah's Witness?

  by Lee Elder in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  2. you are an inactive publisher and a member of a congregation.. 3. you are an inactive publisher for over 7 years and the congregation.

  any congregation.

  (this is a pretty good place to be).. 4. you are an inactive publisher for over 7 years and the congregation.

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  David Gladden

  Wow, some of you are fortunate that they allowed you to "drift" away. They sure didn't let me! They kept calling and even waited for me in my driveway. Then they started threatening to DF me. To get them off my back I sent them a DA letter. A few years later my mother asked the elders about the DF threat and they denied it.

  I noticed that several people here recommend that you record ALL interactions with the JWs, and they are right! The JWs will deny(lie), deny(lie), and then deny(lie) again if it will help them. (Reference “Spiritual Warfare” and “the right to deceive the enemy”)

  Here is the real kicker, they never officially DAed or DFed me. In their books I am an “inactive publisher with special circumstances”... they refuse to believe that I don't want to be a part of them.
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  10

  Baptism Nullification

  by David Gladden in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  several years ago i sent a letter to the elders of the congregation i was in notifying them that i no longer wished to be associated with the organization.

  over time my brother has moved up the ranks and has recently come across an interesting piece of information regarding my case.

  it turns out that the elders never filed my disassociation papers and never formally disassociated me.

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  David Gladden

  To help clarify my reasoning... I agree that it is pure academics and legal theory, which is the very reason why I am curious about it. My line of thinking is: If my baptism is nullified and therefore never “really” happened, then I cannot be DA’ed or DF’ed. Restrictions would be limited to those of a “worldly” person, or am I interpreting Org Law to strictly?
  
  Being that my DA never “legally” happened, there is an opportunity here for me to take advantage of. I played the game for years to keep the observers happy... I am willing to do it again for a JC or two in order to lighten the load off my family. Bottom line, it is all rules, politics and smoke and mirrors – I’m willing to play if it will benefit me.

  My primary objective is to make sure I am no longer part of the Org and get as many benefits as possible.
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  10

  Baptism Nullification

  by David Gladden in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  several years ago i sent a letter to the elders of the congregation i was in notifying them that i no longer wished to be associated with the organization.

  over time my brother has moved up the ranks and has recently come across an interesting piece of information regarding my case.

  it turns out that the elders never filed my disassociation papers and never formally disassociated me.

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  David Gladden

  Several years ago I sent a letter to the elders of the congregation I was in notifying them that I no longer wished to be associated with the organization. Over time my brother has moved up the ranks and has recently come across an interesting piece of information regarding my “case”. It turns out that the elders never filed my disassociation papers and never formally disassociated me. I am treated by others as though I am disassociated, shunning and all, but I am not “legally” disassociated. I’m just “inactive” and a “special case”.

  Getting to my point, would this be a good opportunity for me to demand that my baptism be nullified? Before I left the org I explained to a judicial committee that I never really believed in god and that I was just “playing along” to keep my family and friends happy. Simply put, I’m an atheist and have never been convinced of the existence of the supernatural or deities. During my JC they mentioned the possibility of nullification but said, “I don’t think that would be necessary”.

  Does anyone have experience with nullification and any side effects it might have? Should I continue in the technical state of “inactive” or demand that I be formally and legally disassociated.

  DG