Posts by Quandry

19

Prince Thanks "Jehovah God" on BET Awards Tonight...

by owenfieldreams in

jw
friends

just watched it about an hour ago.

i know that it's old news that he got involved with the organization while his career was basically in a free fall, but now that he is enjoying some success again, i am very surprised that he is still claiming to even be a jw.

Quandry

Remember Charles Sunutko? Maybe too long ago for many. He was a very prominent C.O. whose life was recently hightlighted in the Awake magazine. In the 1960s he was supposedly sought after as a singer but left the lifestyle to become a witness. Many articles in the awake magazines over the years have highlighted ones who could have had a lucrative career as a singer/musician/actor/sports figure, etc. but gave it up because it would cause them to come into association with "worldly people" and would take up too much of their valuable spiritual time.

Guess the standards for some at least are changed. Hypocrites!

290

JW Children Lie in Custody Cases

by compound complex in

direct and cross-examination questions in child custody cases.

wtb&ts, page 42.

"be careful that they [jw children being questioned] don't get the impression that they are in a demonstration at the circuit assembly, when they would show that the first things in life are service and going to the kingdom hall.

Quandry

Show hobbies, crafts, social activity, sports, and especially plans for the future.

"Be careful they don't all say that they are going to be pioneers. Plans can be trade, getting married and having children, journalism, and all kinds of other things. Maybe you can show an interest in art and the theatre.

HERE NOW IS THE SESSION WITH LITTLE JOHNNY:

Mom/Dad: "Now Johnny, a nice man from the court is going to ask you some questions. He might ask you what you want to be when you grow up. What will you say? A fireman? A policeman?"

Johnny: "Oh, no, I'll tell them I want to be a pioneer and CO at Bethel, just like you always tell me I should have as a goal."

Mom/Dad: "Well, never mind, Johnny. What if the nice man asks you what hobbies you have? Remember you told me you like baseball?"

Johnny: "Yes, but you said I couldn't be on the team because I would have association with worldly kids and the practice might interfere with the meetings or service and that it is competitive and Jehovah wouldn't like that."

Mom/Dad: "Now, look, Johnny...you need to try and cooperate here. Just tell them you like the theatre. Remember the school play you talked about last year?"

Johnny: "Yes, I wanted to be in the play but you said I couldn't because of the association with...

Mom/Dad: (Cutting Johnny off) "Now Johnny, why don't we just end this discussion and you go outside and play with Billy from next door. You always wanted to play with him."

Johnny: "But you said his family was really worshipping Satan and would die at Armageddon because they are worldly and bad association spoils useful habits and the birds would.....

Mom/Dad: "Johnny, you littlle &^%#!; get outside and play with that stupid kid and tell the ^%$#%^ lawyer in court how normal we are!!!!!

24

MERRY CHRISTMAS & A HAPPY NEW YEAR 2007!

by Dansk in

jw
friends

merry christmas and a happy new year 2007!.

love,.

ian & claire.

Quandry

Wow

After more than thirty five years I can say

MERRY CHRISTMAS TO YOU

AND YOUR FAMILY

11

40 years!

by Blueblades in

jw
friends

it is our 40th wedding anniversary!

we are invited to a nice family dinner tonight.

merry christmas and happy new year to you all.. blueblades.

Quandry

Congratulations to you both. Glad you are enjoying yourselves. To have someone who loves you is a wonderful gift.

43

I lost my parents today cause of the Dubs...Uggggh!!

by FreedomFrog in

jw
friends

everything has been going well for me for awhile until tonight.

mom calls and announces she can no longer talk with me.

i'm sad because i don't get to see mom and dad or my little neice that's sierra's age.

Quandry

I know that many of the posters here do not share this view, but I think that grandparents are immensely important in the lives of children, even if some problems come with it. Especially now that mom does not want to speak to you. They are still family. This does require balance and patience, but I do not think you have anything to fear from occasional visits to grandma's house. Your children will not like it if grandma downs you to them and will likely report back anything negative she says, so you can change the arrangements at a later time if it becomes necessary.

I do not want to be like the cold selfish organization that uses children as pawns. These are their relatives, and they should grow up deciding for themselves the course they wish to take in life. Undoubtedly they will side with your views as you are their mom and do not take them to any Kingdom Hall. In fact, you could take them on a Friday evening and pick them up Saturday evening to eliminate any threat of them taking taking the kids to a Sunday meeting.

I just hope family love prevails and your children are not deprived of those who care about them. I think grandma will soften over time and look for occasions where "family business" needs to be discussed.

Remember, at one time we felt as your mom does. It is not her fault. She is torn and trying to please God as she wholeheartedly believes is right.

38

When is a fade finished?

by Nellie in

so i was thinking - if i don't da myself and they don't df me, am i doomed forever to this limbo called "fade?

" when do i stop worrying about "what if they find out?

" when will they (if they saw me) just think of me as someone they knew, rather than "one of their flock" - even when they know i'm inactive?

Quandry

Good question!!

A side point--I think you look very debonaire in the white shorts, Willyloman, and I tend to agree with your assesment of matters, although I realize others may view things differently. My hubbie was an elder for over twenty years. He knows the big head they get from excercising authority over others. They do not want to be viewed as insignificant--they way they view others.

We have been away for two years now, and are aware that the congregation was given "warning talks" about not going along with the authority of elders when they disfellowship someone (in this case, our teen daughter, after being falsely accused, and treated as worthless).

For many months we hid behind closed front curtains, devastated that this could happen to a family as dedicated and servile as we were. My husband would not even mow the front yard unless I was outside with him.

Now he says that next year we will have lights at Christmas outside. We no longer feel their authority in our case and will tell them so. We have nothing to fear from them. If they want to df us, they can make up stuff to do it for like they did to our child.

I do feel that this will, for us, be a satisfying feeling--to tell them they are of utterly no importance to us and we will not-yes-play their back room kangaroo court games.

290

JW Children Lie in Custody Cases

by compound complex in

direct and cross-examination questions in child custody cases.

wtb&ts, page 42.

"be careful that they [jw children being questioned] don't get the impression that they are in a demonstration at the circuit assembly, when they would show that the first things in life are service and going to the kingdom hall.

Quandry

Plans can be trade, getting married and having children, journalism, and all kinds of other things. Maybe you can show an interest in art and the theatre.

One can express an interest in jounalism but an interest leading to a career in this field must include a college degree in order to land a job.

If the average witness child came home from school and said, "Mom and Dad, I want to make the theater or sports my life's pursuit," they would immediatly pull out Watchtowers and Awake articles to discourage this. We all know that.

No, the Watchtower Society is too clever to ask children to lie----that is why this little "talk session" (not to be confused with coaching) is recommended before the court hearing.

Does George Orwell's book 1984 come to mind? Newspeak, Thoughtspeak, Doublespeak, etc.

43

I lost my parents today cause of the Dubs...Uggggh!!

by FreedomFrog in

jw
friends

everything has been going well for me for awhile until tonight.

mom calls and announces she can no longer talk with me.

i'm sad because i don't get to see mom and dad or my little neice that's sierra's age.

Quandry

When your mom's emotions calm and she thinks about the way you handled the situation she is going to feel even worse. You kept your head, spoke in a calm and loving way, and left the door open. Good for you. You are making the best of a bad situation and at least you can have the comfort of knowing that you did not say anything you will later regret. Give mom time to think about things.

I was thinking that perhaps you could arrange to meet your mom halfway to let her see your children. She could pick them up at a halfway point and then later that same day or the next return them. That way the drive would not be too far for either of you. The children need a Grandma who cares about them even if the circumstances are less than ideal.

27

there is apparently rampant apostacy in my ex kh

by unbeliever in

jw
friends

my friend called and told me there were 3 announcements last night at the kh saying x, x, & x are no longer jw's.

they all da'd themselves.

all 3 sent letters out to a select group of friends and family before they gave their letters to the elders.

Quandry

They also think there could be others in the congregation who have apostate thoughts as well.

Soon there will be entire congregations full of people eyeing each other suspiciously through the meeting--hanging on the speaker's every word--scrutinizing every comment made during the Watchtower study and book study--waiting to hear a word that sounds "suspicious" or "not quite theocratic enough." Could they be leaning toward apostacy?

Already no one is good enough as an associate--this one's child takes college classes-that one is not a pioneer. This one missed some meetings with the poor excuse of being sick.

Pretty soon it is bound to happen. Each individual will be so self righteous that no one is able to reach their standards of acceptance. Every member of the congregation will shun every other member.

Sounds great.

13

Pep talk needed...

by esw1966 in

jw
friends

i have been nervous about this for 6 months and now the time has come.

my kids are coming by plane to see me on the 25 of dec to jan 3. they are good little jw's.

i am no longer a follower of jw.. i havn't been with them for 2 years.

Quandry

Because you care so deeply about seeing your children and want so much to be a good dad, I'm sure you will.

You might get some games for you all to play.The girls will start to giggle and everyone will join in and have a great time and memory from the togetherness. Even card games can be fun. Also, cooking together. Get the kitchen good and messy. Shopping nearby or going out looking at the lights on Christmas Eve can be fun. Be sure to have presents for them but don't be upset if they wish to wait till after Christmas to open them. Go to a teen looking store for jewelry and fun looking pens, pencils or jewelry boxes. Things with fake fur on them are attractive to the age group of your girls. So are picture frames that say sisters and then you could take their pictures and send them later to put in the frame.

You might also buy a big book of fairytales. I read to my daughter and niece till they were grown, and even after when we would get together at Grandma's house. I'm sure this could make some special memories.

You do not have to initiate any conversations about the tree, etc. Just answer questions that they will undoubtedly have when they arise.

Hope you have a great time.