sparky1

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Posts by sparky1

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  50

  Sometimes I feel like I Should Believe something...

  by freemamaof3 in

  1. jw
  2. experiences

  has anyone else felt like they should believe something after leaving wt?

  i am an agnostic atheist and its so so hard for me to believe in a god or higher power.

  it just doesn't make sense.

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  sparky1

  Believer.......I accept your apology. If you will notice, any time that I have posted on one of your threads, I have never, ever resorted to calling you names or demeaning your personhood in any way. If you check back, you will find that I have stated that you have every right to believe anything you want. What I have done is 'lampooned' your beliefs quite heavily and this I certainly own up to and I will continue to do so if I have the urge. When I gave you my friendly advice it was in reference to how other posters are reacting to you. The mirror and the advice have nothing to do with me since I can't find any instance where you have said anything personally negative towards me. I have been on this forum for 10 years and never once have I felt that my 'skin' was abraded to the point that it was too 'thin' to continue a discussion. I hope you enjoy your time here but you must realize by now that the majority of the posters here are not 'religious' to any degree. There are some very nice, kind and thoughtful believers here. Maybe you should restrict your interaction on this forum to like minded individuals and respectfully decline to engage in a discussion with those whose beliefs do not resonate with your own
  
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  50

  Sometimes I feel like I Should Believe something...

  by freemamaof3 in

  1. jw
  2. experiences

  has anyone else felt like they should believe something after leaving wt?

  i am an agnostic atheist and its so so hard for me to believe in a god or higher power.

  it just doesn't make sense.

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  sparky1

  Quick question Believer: Are you drawing the conclusion that I am thin-skinned?
  
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  50

  Sometimes I feel like I Should Believe something...

  by freemamaof3 in

  1. jw
  2. experiences

  has anyone else felt like they should believe something after leaving wt?

  i am an agnostic atheist and its so so hard for me to believe in a god or higher power.

  it just doesn't make sense.

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  sparky1

  

  Believer, maybe you need to look into one of these once in awhile. I mean this with all due respect: Sometimes what you post and the manner in which you present yourself could try the patience of a 'SAINT'.
  
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  19

  1930s Vertical Phonograph for Bethelites and Pioneers- of passing interest.

  by Balaamsass2 in

  1. watchtower
  2. beliefs

  just thought this might be of passing interest to a few members.

  we were unpacking some estate items from a 1930s bethelite and were confounded by his vertical phonograph.

  lots of old rutherford books, and some trashed rutherford records, but the phonograph was something to behold.

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  sparky1

  

  I believe that this is a photo of Grant Suiter and some other Watchtower Stooges at an assembly introducing the new phonograph and demonstrating how to use it. Notice the 'brother' on the right showing where the 'secret' compartment is to store a sandwich or other literature. I vaguely remember some old timer making a joke to me how after you play Rutherford's speech, you could press a button or move a lever and 'out pops a sandwich for your lunch!'
  
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  133

  Why Are You Here?

  by Believer in

  1. jw
  2. experiences

  i'm wondering why believers remain members of this forum which is clearly hostile to believers.

  as one member said, nonbelievers pounce on any semblance of belief like piranhas on prey.

  as former jws we should have had our fill of judgmental know-it-alls, but here we are.

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  sparky1

  WHY ARE YOU HERE?

  The question if taken at face value is a legitimate one. My answer is as follows:

  I AM HERE TO LEARN!

  I was 'blessed' (can't think of another term to use) with a fairly high IQ, a strong intellect and a fairly quick wit. Of course, I am not as smart sometimes as I like to think I am. It is unbelievable to me how much I am learning from many of the posters here. There are so many intellectually gifted people here that I am blown away by what they know and have learned in their lives. The collective knowledge here is priceless. Also, I was raised as a Jehovah's Witness and never knew anything else. To read other peoples stories who have been raised as Witnesses or converted later in life just helps me gain more and more empathy for the human condition. No disrespect to Believer or any true believers that post here, but I do not come here to get re-immersed in any form of 'religious' thinking whatsoever. As a young boy my motto was: You can learn something from everyone. I intend to keep that motto as I interact with some posters here or just read through different topics.
  
  
  
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  61

  Did others experience this on the ministry or among JWs generally?

  by slimboyfat in

  1. watchtower
  2. beliefs

  sometimes it's hard to know if our own experience of jws was typical and what features were peculiar to our own area or the individual jws we knew personally.

  i was wondering if others experienced this among jws:.

  a few times on the ministry, when we were working wealthy areas with large houses, some brothers and sisters would make the comment that they look forward to taking ownership of one of these big houses after armageddon, when the worldly people have vacated them.

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  sparky1

  Yes, I remember this very clearly:

  1. My mother and her friends always talked about which houses they were going to take over after Armageddon. I actually asked my 71 year old sister about this topic this morning and she remembers very well many Witnesses talking in this manner.

  2. About 20 years ago, when I still sporadically attended meetings, one of the Elders gave a talk and specifically stated that Bethelites, District Overseers, Circuit Overseers, Missionaries, Elders, Ministerial Servants and Pioneers will get their pick of the best properties in the New System because they gave their all in this system of things and will be rewarded accordingly for their efforts by Jehovah. The Bastard came home from work a few years ago and sat down in his easy chair and dropped dead. Of course, it remains to be seen what 'palace' he will be bequeathed in 'God's New Order'.

  3. When I was Pioneering, I called on a man that had a decent home on a lake. He told me, 'I'm not interested in religion or what you are selling'. Being a Watchtower Stooge (on the surface anyway) I dutifully said to him, "don't you want to live in Paradise?" He replied, "What do I need your Paradise for? I've got one right now!" Every time I drive by that home I think of than gentleman. He was a pretty smart guy.

  Since I haven't knocked on one door since 1990, I couldn't tell you what conversational foolishness the current crop of Jehovah's Witnesses engages in. Frankly, I don't give a damn.
  
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  19

  1930s Vertical Phonograph for Bethelites and Pioneers- of passing interest.

  by Balaamsass2 in

  1. watchtower
  2. beliefs

  just thought this might be of passing interest to a few members.

  we were unpacking some estate items from a 1930s bethelite and were confounded by his vertical phonograph.

  lots of old rutherford books, and some trashed rutherford records, but the phonograph was something to behold.

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  sparky1

  If you recall, one of these phonographs was featured on the AMERICAN PICKERS SHOW sometime last year. It was a subject of conversation over at jwtalk.net. Danielle, the woman that works for Mike and Frank was raised a Witness and she remembered the name Rutherford. There is a link to the show over at jwtalk.net.

  http://jwtalk.net/forums/topic/22702-our-phonograph-in-american-pickers-show/

  
  
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  7

  Hope you enjoy John's comments

  by wheelwithinwheel in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yjtx-r5ryfq.

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  sparky1

  This old dude is cool!! He is the ERIC HOFFER of ex-Jehovah's Witnesses. He seems to be self educated by being a dedicated observer of the human condition.
  
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  240

  Introduction - Any Believers?

  by Believer in

  1. jw
  2. experiences

  i’ve been reading it for a few of years off and on, but have been a little too ... maybe ... timid to join.

  i left the watchtower organization almost 20 years ago but never abandoned my faith and belief in god.

  i knew the gb/organization didn’t represent god, so when i lost my faith in them, i managed to keep my faith in an all wise benevolent creator.

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  sparky1

  I'M A BELIEVER......I'M A BELIEVER........I'M A BELIEVER......I'M A BELIEVER!!!!!!

  I just finished reading the YourAnus papers and I have found the TRUTH about Jesus!

  

  Gosh......sorry if I am making an ASS of myself.
  
  
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  95

  slimboyfat joins the Mormons!

  by slimboyfat in

  1. jw
  2. experiences

  i know that some people on the board have experience of being mormons, so i would be interested in your feedback.

  at church this afternoon it was an uncanny experience.

  in the past i've read a lot about mormons, so i thought i was prepared in general for what it would be like.

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  sparky1

  

  Pssssst........the plates are buried in the basement, to the left of the coal bin. It true, for a laugh, my best friend and I visited Joseph Smith's home in N.Y. once on vacation!