freedom96

Joined

• started 205 topics
• posted 3,705 times   see topics posted on
• send a message

Posts by freedom96

• 
  24

  Society's position on illegal aliens

  by sir82 in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  one of the things that has always irked me is the society's position on illegal aliens.. paraphrasing a us boe letter (can't remember the date, not a recent one though), elders were instructed that they are not "policemen", not responsible for enforcing "caesar's laws".

  so, if there are any illegal aliens in the congregation, elders do not report them to any authority.

  no (congregational) disciplanary action at all is taken against them.. however, illegal aliens are not "exemplary", in that they are knowingly breaking caesar's laws.

  1. 
  2. 
  3. 
• 

  freedom96

  I think the WTS really just doesn't care where you are from as long as you go to meetings and out in service, and keep their numbers up.
• 
  30

  In which cities do you feel safe / not safe?

  by DannyBloem in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  me and my lady friend were attacked in capetown by a guy with a knife.

  i was frozen of fear, she kicked him very hard, but became little injured by the knife, he took of injuired also.

  i did basically nothing, just stading there.

  1. 
  2. 
  3. 
• 

  freedom96

  
  

  There have been a few times that I have not felt safe.

  I used to live in Portland Oregon, and nighttime in the NE area, felt very, very unsafe, even driving. Felt that way every time.

  I went to Philadelphia a few years ago, and don't know what area it was, but very scary.

  Also ended up driving through the Watts area of Los Angeles. I wouldn't recommend it.
• 
  22

  Memories of your JW Youth

  by Nosferatu in

  1. jw
  2. experiences

  after reading the responses to amazing1914's recent post, i decided this would be a great thread to start.

  please share some of your memories!.

  when my mother first became a jw, i was very sporatic with meeting attendance.

  1. 
  2. 
  3. 
• 

  freedom96

  I agree, it was tough growing up as a witness. So many different stories, but yet, so many similar.

  My dad was a big elder, my mom never pioneered or anything, but was very strict with the religion as well.

  Things I miss the most is things that many "normal" kids got to do. I wanted to play high school football, go to the dances, the prom, senior trip, the first date, first girlfriend.... etc.

  Anything I did do, which was not much, had to be done on the sneak. I remember going to a high school football game, only staying for maybe half an hour, but freaking out that someone might "catch me" and tell my parents. After all, that was optional school activities, and thus bad association.

  Trying to explain why you were different, and didn't celebrate holidays. I went to school during the 70's and graduated in 86, and a major challenge I had with other boys was, why was my hair so short? This in the day when most kids had longer hair. I couldn't help but stand out.

  A few good memories, but mostly when I look back on my childhood, it all goes back to the witnesses. My life was either school, or getting ready and going to a meeting, and if not that, then it was service.

  Scary to look back, and think to myself: Not once in my childhood did I not go out in service on the weekend. Ever. Rain or shine.
• 
  39

  How many baptisms at your District Convention (if you went)

  by TheListener in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  .

  please, if you went to the convention this year or go later please post the number of individuals baptized.. .

  thank you.

  1. 
  2. 
  3. 
• 

  freedom96

  I hate the fact that they encourage such young ones to get baptized, when the child really has no clue what they are getting themselves into and the ramifications if they decide to leave at some point later.
• 
  16

  Fav Hobbies...Anybody here play paintball?

  by orion in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  my husband and i play paintball and would love to meet others all over who do also.

  we want to make a trip in a few years to go all over and try out different paintball courses.

  my husband wasn't a jw so he doesn't know axactlly what i went through but he is a great support.

  1. 
  2. 
  3. 
• 

  freedom96

  I have played it only once, but loved it.

  I have a friend of mine who took it very seriously, even playing at night with night vision goggles. That sounds like fun!
• 
  43

  They were just here !!

  by Apostanator in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  my wife and i just got home from the gym and there were 2 jw's at our door.

  i couldn't help myself....i felt rage building up inside but i tried to play it cool.

  just coming off the ne apostafest and hearing everyones story just pissed me off when i saw those two dubs standing there.

  1. 
  2. 
  3. 
• 

  freedom96

  Hey, anytime that one has the opportunity to tell witnesses the way it is, I am all for it. Maybe a little seed of doubt crept in, and maybe they will ponder what you had to say, if not now, maybe later.
• 
  21

  Mormons and Ten Speed Bicycles.

  by gumby in

  1. watchtower
  2. beliefs

  the other day my work partner and i were driving back to the shop after finishing working and it was hotter than hell.

  we see these two mormon boys doing their thing on their 10 speeds with their typical white shirts on.

  they had helmets on too.. my friend says..."why in the hell don't they use cars?

  1. 
  2. 
  3. 
• 

  freedom96

  One thing I noticed with the mormon missionaries, is that I never saw them working a territory like we did. I put in hard labor going door to door, hitting each on, doing not at home calls later, etc.

  The missionaries seemed much less technical in their approach. Ride a few blocks, stop, hit a house, ride some more, hit another house. I would be suprised if they hit more than 5 a day.

  Maybe because no one is watching over them so closely. Who knows.
• 
  5

  Did the meetings ever really help you in life??

  by freedom96 in

  1. social
  2. humour

  just thinking to myself a few minutes ago about the meetings, and i was comparing it to the non-denominational church my family and i have been attending.. the last few months the pastor has been talking from ephesians.

  taking just a few verses at a time, and discussing them in detail, and at the same time applying in our personal lives.. today, for example, he talked about being an employee at a job, and what the bibles thoughts were on that.

  next week he will discuss about if we are the employer.

  1. 
  2. 
  3. 
• 

  freedom96

  Just thinking to myself a few minutes ago about the meetings, and I was comparing it to the non-denominational church my family and I have been attending.

  The last few months the pastor has been talking from Ephesians. Taking just a few verses at a time, and discussing them in detail, and at the same time applying in our personal lives.

  Today, for example, he talked about being an employee at a job, and what the bibles thoughts were on that. Next week he will discuss about if we are the employer. He talked for about 50 minutes, and it was enjoyable, and made sense. Bible principles made practical for every day life. So nothing huge and life alternating, but just some good common sense.

  Thinking back to the meetings, I don't remember having any talks ever on success principles, (of course) or things to just help you get by in life.

  It was always teaching or telling you to do more in service, or a boring as hell bland public talk, or the Watchtower study which has got to be the worst hour in history. Do this or do that, your not doing enough.... etc.

  What a huge contrast. You basically go to the meetings to hear that you are not doing enough, and how bad you are, and mentally whip you into shape. They offer nothing to help you out in life at all.

  I tell you, I have learned more about how to lead a good life in 6 months of going to this church, than I ever did in 25 years of JW nonsense.

  Think about it...... any time you had a challenge, their advice was to do more. More service, more personal study, more meetings, etc. Never taught how to lead a productive life in all areas. Somewhere along the line they missed the boat.
• 
  26

  Another marriage bites the dust because of JW beliefs

  by unbeliever in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  i know very few people who have been successfully married where 1 spouse is a witness and the other is not.

  i know there are a few examples on this board.. a couple that i know irl have split after nearly 25 years of marriage because of the stupid shunning shit.

  one of their 3 children got df'd 6 months ago and that is when everything fell apart apparently.

  1. 
  2. 
  3. 
• 

  freedom96

  Somehow I just don't think the WTS stance of disfellowshipping is quite what God had in mind.
• 
  34

  Were You Pressured To Get Baptized?

  by minimus in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  most persons, imo, are pressured to get baptized.

  they are told they "should be ready".

  children are made to feel that jehovah will not protect them any longer at a certain age.

  1. 
  2. 
  3. 
• 

  freedom96

  You know what? Suprisingly not. As I look back, elder dad, strict JW upbringing, they never talked about getting baptized. Weird, very weird as I look back.

  Now so much later, I realize that my mother had severe doubts about it all.

  I was 19 when I got baptized, and only did so because the elders said if I wanted to get married in the hall, I had to be. So both my ex-wife and I did so.

  What is funny though, is that they made her wait a couple extra months, in order to build up her field service time, as she was a bit shy on the hours. Didn't go over so well.