Merry Magdalene

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Posts by Merry Magdalene

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  85

  Do you even care about the war of the Muslims?

  by free2beme in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  a man i knew very well at work, who i even traveled to mexico with on a company trip, is a muslim from afghanistan.

  he told me once, "never trust any muslim, as they will not tell you the truth about themselves until it is too late.

  " i found this interesting as this man was muslim.

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  Merry Magdalene

  I appreciated your remarks on this as well, needproof.

  ~Merry
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  85

  Do you even care about the war of the Muslims?

  by free2beme in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  a man i knew very well at work, who i even traveled to mexico with on a company trip, is a muslim from afghanistan.

  he told me once, "never trust any muslim, as they will not tell you the truth about themselves until it is too late.

  " i found this interesting as this man was muslim.

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  Merry Magdalene

  Thankfully, Jourles expressed very well some of what I was trying to formulate in my mind.

  It really worries me when I see people viewing "them" as so fundamentally different than "us" that atrocities against "them" can be justified to protect "us" or "our way of life." Pre-emptive war, ethnic cleansing, genocide, it has been done before--to Jews, Gypsies, Homosexuals, Christians, Muslims, Native Americans, Australian Aborigines, Palestinians, Blacks, and on and on. This attitude must stop.

  Do you really think that if what was done to "the East" politically by "the West" then (from a hundred years ago to now) had been reversed that "we" would still be somehow superior in our reactions and behaviors. It would just be the same beast in a different set of clothes. I think America and Britain and the newer Israel are just terrified that what they have gotten away with doing to "them" for so long is going to be (or is being) reversed. What I hear "them" being accused of wanting to do or threatening to do is, quite oddly, what "we" have already done to "them".

  Insanity. Don't let it spread. Whatever can be said against "them" can also be said against "us."

  As to one of the specifics of the Iraq situation (used to draw attention away from the culpability of America and its allies imo):

  However, particularly in Iraq, Sunnis and Shiites have not always been at war with each other. While Shiites have periodically been persecuted in the modern period, particularly under the rule of Ottoman Sultan Abdulhamid (1876-1909), on a personal and communal level Sunnis and Shiites have long intermarried. Indeed, it is quite common to hear Iraqis proudly describe their families as having members of both sects, or being "all mixed up," as one friend described his family to me. And during the Iran-Iraq war most Iraqi Shi'a fought for Saddam Hussein, choosing their national identity over their sectarian one. But the repression of Shiites by Hussein, which had more to do with power politics (his power base was among Sunni Arabs, particularly from his home town of Tikrit) than any religious convictions on his part, created a system of relative privilege for the minority Sunni population that Shiites have naturally wanted to end now that they have assumed power as Iraq's largest community. The two groups could have worked out some kind of arrangement but for the fateful decision of conservative Sunni leaders to tolerate and even encourage the entrance of foreign Sunni fighters, or "jihadis" into Iraq as part of their insurgency against the U.S. and coalition forces. http://www.beliefnet.com/story/186/story_18621_1.html

  ~Merry
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  85

  Do you even care about the war of the Muslims?

  by free2beme in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  a man i knew very well at work, who i even traveled to mexico with on a company trip, is a muslim from afghanistan.

  he told me once, "never trust any muslim, as they will not tell you the truth about themselves until it is too late.

  " i found this interesting as this man was muslim.

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  Merry Magdalene

  I'm sick of war, deceit, manipulation, all of it. You actually think America is fighting to "help" them?

  http://www.juancole.com/2005/08/fisking-war-on-terror-once-upon-time.html

  And what you say about letting all Muslims kill each other could actually be said about humanity in general, it seems. But I am hoping for better than that. I empathize with the feelings underlying your thoughts.

  ~Merry
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  30

  Were YOU a JW Who Was Always Afraid, Depressed or Ill?

  by minimus in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  while i was an elder (in 2 congregations), over the years, i saw most witnesses that suffered from s o m e t h i n g.. either a witness had chronic depression, mysterious ailments that were never clearly diagnosed by a doctor, or were in fear.

  afraid to offend another brother's conscience.,afraid to upset the elders.

  afraid to grieve the holy spirit.

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  Merry Magdalene

  Always afraid (but appeared calm and confident), often depressed (wanted professional help but knew it was frowned upon), frequently ill (migraines, sleep apnea, anxiety attacks, extreme fatigue). Pretty much from age 11 on...

  I'm much better now

  ~Merry
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  25

  Do you (still) pray to God?

  by Marcel in

  1. watchtower
  2. beliefs

  im still a witness, but my mind is shunned, already.

  im staying for fear, since i dont have anything outside the jw's.

  im not a hardliner saying im sure jw's are wrong or god dont exists, but i confessed myself that i just dont know and i guess strongly that a menmade organization which behaves and acts like the wts cant be the right.

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  Merry Magdalene

  Welcome, Marcel!

  Yes, I still pray.

  Best wishes on your unfolding journey of discovery.

  ~Merry
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  14

  Making you nervous?

  by avidbiblereader in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  did giving talks, parts on the meetings or even answering make you nervous and how did you handle or deal with it?.

  did you ever lie to get out of giving a assignment because of nerves?.

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  Merry Magdalene

  Nervous! (and then some)

  I loved doing research and trying to work up really in-depth, amazing, enlightening "parts" LOL (not easy in a sister-sister setting), but when it came to actually speaking I would nearly pass out from lack of breathing. I guess I hid it well, though, because they had a hard time finding anything to counsel me on.

  I don't remember lying to try to get out of it, but I did often make myself sick with nerves, in the Ministry School as well as in regular school. And then there were those rare nights when I just couldn't bear to miss my favorite tv shows yet again.

  ~Merry
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  28

  Crumpet the Human Guinea Pig -Clinical Trials - Anyone tried it /have info?

  by Crumpet in

  1. watchtower
  2. medical

  has anyone here been involved or know anything about clinical drugs testing and trials?

  i'd just like to gather as much information as i can before i go ahead.

  am interested in info both sides of the atlantic.

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  Merry Magdalene

  My best friend's other best friend used to do clinical trials all the time in Texas. As far as I know, she's just fine and made decent enough money. She even did trials that involved weekend and longer stays in the hospital (or somewhere?). That's all I know about it. I wouldn't do it, but that's just me.

  Best wishes ,ooops, I mean

  ~Merry
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  22

  i got a myspace..add me!

  by candidlynuts in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  http://www.myspace.com/candidlynuts.

  i'm not very good at editing yet but i'll figure it out.. you all add me!

  i'm looking for board members that have myspace's so far found one or two..some pages are too big for my puter to load.

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  Merry Magdalene

  http://www.jehovahs-witness.com/6/92553/1.ashx

  I think there are some others too, but I'm not sure.

  ~Merry
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  19

  At Last! Awards for the Watchtower

  by Farkel in

  1. watchtower
  2. beliefs

  i have been one of the harshest critics of the watchtower lying and printing corporation, and "some" have said i've been unfair with regards to my comments about them.

  fair enough.

  therefore, i think it would only be fair to list their credits and accomplishments and i will now do this.. since july of 1879 when charles ("chuckie") russell produced his first copy of "zion's watchtower and the herald of more nonsense to come", many wonderful things have happened because of all others who are not dubs.

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  Merry Magdalene

  Outstanding accomplishments

  

  ~Merry
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  24

  Complete Amnesty

  by zarco in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  would you come back the organization if all disfellowshipping/other punitive actions were completely reversed?

  if you came back would it be for association with friends and family only?

  what policy and behavioral changes would the society need to make to "entice" you back?.

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  Merry Magdalene

  For all too many of us such amnesty would be coming a bit too late. My JW mum, who I did want back, is dead now. The WTS can't give me back the missing years or grant me any new ones. They can't compensate anyone for loved one's who have died for their medical policies or neutrality rules.

  As for changes...I guess if they accepted the Qur'an and morphed into Muslims, but that wouldn't work for too many others here, so no...looks like there's no going back and absolutely no desire for it. Gotta keep moving on...

  ~Merry