parakeet

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Posts by parakeet

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  91

  Ooooooohhhh...My "unofficial" DA letter...yup...got it in the paper!!

  by HadEnuf in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  over the years here on the forum...i have read with interest many da letters.

  brave people!!

  not so brave.

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  parakeet

  Cathy,
  ***Don’t demean people by taking away their freedom of life, liberty and the pursuit of entertainment. ***
  
  Love that line! You sure left with a bang, not a whimper.
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  32

  I tackled that beast!! Beat it to a bloody pulp...

  by Sparkplug in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  i will next month be the proud owner of a bachelors degree!

  so now the question is, do i stay in for a masters or start paying back the loan.

  i really hate to think a main reason for higher education was to avoid a monthly payment.

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  parakeet

  Congratulations, Sparkplug. The deciding factor about going on for a master's should be the requirements of the field of employment you'll be entering. For example, in business, it's usually worth going on for an MBA, but in some of the liberal arts, unless you're planning on teaching in higher ed, a bachelor's degree is often sufficient.
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  21

  Hiring the wife to other men

  by greendawn in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  in india having a daughter is a big economic liability due to the need to provide a dowry for her future husband.

  better have sons to receive dowries.

  so, many parents abort or kill their infant daughters and as a result there aren't enough women for all the men to marry with.

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  parakeet

  I'm sure the wives are just thrilled about that particular arrangement. Ten-to-one their wishes are not considered in the least.
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  43

  CAT or DOG - Why?

  by hamsterbait in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  i am amazed at the almost complete polarization between cat and dog lovers.. .

  i know few who love both.. .

  cat lovers argue that cats are more intelligent than dogs.

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  parakeet

  Old joke:
  A dog looks at its owner and thinks "You feed me, care for me, and love me...you must be a god!"
  A cat looks at its owner and thinks "You feed me, care for me, and love me...I must be a god!"
  
  Wasn't there a WT or Awake article about whether it was proper for "christians" to have cats?
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  41

  What Things Were You Shocked To Find Out About, While In The Org.

  by Warlock in

  1. watchtower
  2. bible

  these are just 3 things that i was shocked to learn when i was in the org.

  they may not seem like big things to some, but they are to me.. 1. speakers at the d.a.

  had food catered to them.

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  parakeet

  When I was 15, two years after being dragged into the org by my parents, my older brother and I visited a JW couple who's DFed daughter was still living there.
  My brother told me just before we went in that if I saw this girl (about 18 at the time), I was not even to say "hello" to her. I was totally shocked. This was my first introduction to JW shunning practices; I wasn't even aware before that they existed.
  Although I was a still a kid at the time, I remember arguing with my brother that if I saw this girl, I wasn't going to be rude; I'd say hello, how are you. Looking back on it now, I can see my instincts as a clueless kid were better than those of the adult JWs around me.
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  19

  The Rumor Heard Round The World

  by Siddhashunyata in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  al gore is studying with jehovah's witness.

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  parakeet

  Gore would make a great JW. He's got everything required: a inflated sense of his own importance, ability to lie about his accomplishments, so uptight you could bounce a quarter off him, feigned concern with environmental problems, disregard of facts that weaken his position. He's 9/10's of the way to JW-land already. All he needs is a Watchtower and presto! a perfect JW.
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  41

  Could You Forgive the Watchtower?

  by Ms. Whip in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  did that question make you feel anger?

  did you automatically say "no way, never?

  i've been reading a little bit about what anger, resentment & bitterness does to our health.

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  parakeet

  Ms. Whip,
  ***But, here is where I ask "Could You Forgive the Watchtower?"***
  ***If we learn to forgive those who have hurt us we no longer give them the power to keep on hurting us.***
  
  If it were a one-time injury done by one or a few individuals, I would agree--get over it and move on. But for many here, we're talking about years of abuse, even continuing after leaving the WTS through continued shunning from close family members. And the nature of the damage--indoctrination from birth, an isolated childhood, loss of higher ed opportunities--often follow the victim throughout life. A simple "I forgive you" cannot even begin to compensate for the extent of harm done by the Society. I think such an attempt trivializes what many here have undergone and continue to undergo because of the WTS.
  Attempts to restore sanity into our lives after such an experience will depend on individual personality. Posting here about past wrongs helps some. Some get into activist activities. Some write books exposing WT lies and hypocrisy. If you can forgive the WTS and JWs who have injured you, more power to you. But for many, including me, the WTS's blatant ongoing disregard for the welfare of its followers is beyond forgiveness.
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  34

  Why are EX-JW's and JW's in doubt(faders) so ''afraid" of the elders?

  by booker-t in

  1. jw
  2. experiences

  i have been out for years now but i still tremble alittle when i run into an elder at the store or run into an elder on the street and my post question certainly applies to me as well but why do i still have fear of jw's elders?

  i have been da'd for so many years but that fear still comes up.

  and reading alot of the post here i still see ex-jw's and jw's faders living a pretended jw life or pretending to be happy when they are miserable in the wt.

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  parakeet

  I faded almost 30 years ago and soon moved away from the area, so running into former JW acquaintances is not much of a problem, although when I do occasionally see one, I find it uncomfortable because of their oily friendliness (at least those who will talk to me).
  I still try to keep a low profile, however, because my JW parents are elderly and in failing health, and they need me to help them. If I were somehow to be DFed now (don't know if that's even possible), it might affect my parents' and my relationship. I don't fear the JWs, but I have a healthy respect of their ability to stir up trouble.
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  33

  I did it. I finally graduated from College at 40 years of age.

  by booker-t in

  1. jw
  2. experiences

  well posters i did it.

  i finally got my associate in science degree from college the other day.

  i was so excited.

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  parakeet

  Congratulations. Especially because you achieved it under the most difficult circumstances. Working and attending college classes is the toughest way to go; it takes guts and hard work to finish. Good for you.
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  41

  Should you try and call an old dub friend? What if you did?

  by gumby in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  ok, sunnygal inspired this one.. today i wondered what would happen if i called an old dub friend.

  he's an elder.

  i met him in jr. high as he was in my metalshop class and i mentioned i was a witness.

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  parakeet

  Wow, Sunnygal, you're a kinder and braver person that I am. When I left, I pretty much "shook the dust from my feet," and never looked back. There were a few I had regrets about leaving behind, but I never followed through to see how they were doing -- I assumed they wouldn't talk to me. May have to rethink that assumption.