digderidoo

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Posts by digderidoo

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  179

  Goodbye to JWD ... hello to JWN !

  by Simon in

  1. forum
  2. announcements

  as i announced some time ago, jwd as it is will not continue .... ... but .... it's clear from people's comments that they do like the site and many would like it or something else like it to continue.. one issue was the forum software that was self-developed and not really in a good state to hand-over to anyone but i've been working on that and can now reveal the first release of what will probably be called jwn (son of jwd):.

  http://www.jehovahs-witness.net/.

  it is still work-in-progress so not all features are enabled yet but it will allow you to browse the site in a similar way to this one and it is pointing at the same database (although because of the way the caching works, new posts made on this site won't appear immediately).

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  digderidoo

  I am glad that this site is carrying on in some form.

  Is there going to be new things for the site, as so far it basically looks the same as this one?

  Paul
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  36

  Why isn't disfellowshipping a breach of contract?

  by DT in

  1. watchtower
  2. beliefs

  i had some thoughts that might be relevant to the recent rumors and discussion about possible changes to the disfellowshipping arrangement.

  (see this thread http://www.jehovahs-witness.com/9/168468/1.ashx).

  most jehovah's witnesses think their baptism represents some kind of lifelong dedication to god.

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  digderidoo

  Speaking as my new found status as a law student Under English law there would be no contract.

  Entering into a legally binding contract requires an 'intent to cause legal relations', or in other words an intention on the forming of the contract, that if there is a breach the courts would step in to rectify.

  Under domestic agreements of any kind, agreements with friends, family members, before the courts act they want to see that, there was an intention of it being legally binding before they step in.

  In the case of baptism, no person would say at the point of baptism that they intended the agreement to be legally binding. Therefore, an English court would not step in. Similarly as has been mentioned the American system requires an agreement to be legally binding before courts take action.

  Paul
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  35

  Brothers who were Gay but couldn't admit/accept it! Did you have some?

  by Witness 007 in

  1. jw
  2. experiences

  i have come to realize that being gay is something you are just born with....so why judge them if it's like being born a certain race.. a brother g_____ i knew was a zealous pioneer pushing 43 years old.

  he never married though the sisters thought he was dreamy and he had plenty of offers....."she's not for me" he would always, many times tell me some excuse.

  he loved to give only brothers a big hug...say if you gave a public talk or something.

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  digderidoo

  I knew of two guys in my old cong.

  One guy about 5 years older than me, so he was never really a close friend growing up. He was very ifeminate and camp, had lots of girlfriends. In his youth he went out a couple of girls, but never really got close enough for serious relationship. Everyone knew he was gay, occasionally he'd overhear someone say something and he'd go ballistic. The last i heard he comes and goes to the meetings, he's mid 40's now, still single.

  Another guy who is now an elder. It's one of those worst kept secrets that he is, i think he mentioned it to one or two during his youth. But kept himself to himself, stayed single and now serves as an elder.

  Paul
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  334

  WHY don't Americans realize GUNS are destroying their country?

  by Witness 007 in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  usa today everyone has a gun, why?.....to protect themselves...from who?

  other folks with guns!.....yes it's in your laws...but they were written when the british ruled you.

  one school gun killing every week does not happen anywhere else in the world....maybe you need more guns to protect your kids.....one in the lunchbox.....does anyone else see this.

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  digderidoo

  >>>>>In Britain for example, after the Dunblane massacre hand guns were outlawed. Carrying a hand gun now has an automatic 5 year sentence. The application of this sentence is something that needs to be looked at. As within the legislation, judges in exceptional circumstance can use their discretion. This therefore means, that many do not in fact go to prison and judges have been criticised for using this clause too much<<<<<
  
  Then it's not automatic, is it?

  Carrying or owning a hand gun is against the law. There is a clause in the so-called automatic sentence that judges have been criticised for overusing, therefore the sentencing procedures are being reviewed. If the judge does not want to use this clause, the sentence is 5 years.

  Do you guys enjoy living in a police state just because it makes you feel safer? One might be inclined to wear a full pillow suit so if they trip and fall they wont be hurt. Better yet why not legislate padding on all sidewalks? The mere possession of an instrument that could possibly/potentially be used in a crime makes you a criminal? You are guilty of a crime before you commit it?

  I cant understand the mind from which these ideas come.

  I wouldn't agree with the statement that you are guilty of a crime before you commit it. The carrying of a hand gun in this country is a crime in itself, therefore you have already committed the crime by carrying the gun. Much like carrying an offensive weopon is a crime, for example carrying a knife with the intention of using it to harm, is a crime in itself. I guess this law is a development of carrying an offensive weopon, for what reason would someone need to carry a hand gun, unless it is used for a crime? Guns are not an integral part of our culture, there is only one reason why someone should carry a hand gun and that's to carry out a criminal act. Rifles and shotguns are not covered by this though, as they can be used in sport. That said there is a tight control over their use. The Dunblane massacre, where school children were shot precipitated this legislation. It may well have been a knee jerk response, but it does get guns off the street. Every now and then the police hold an amnesty where people can dispose of their guns, without fear of any repurcussions. A far more sensible approach in my view, rather than allowing people to carry guns. Paul
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  334

  WHY don't Americans realize GUNS are destroying their country?

  by Witness 007 in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  usa today everyone has a gun, why?.....to protect themselves...from who?

  other folks with guns!.....yes it's in your laws...but they were written when the british ruled you.

  one school gun killing every week does not happen anywhere else in the world....maybe you need more guns to protect your kids.....one in the lunchbox.....does anyone else see this.

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  digderidoo

  WHY don't Americans realize GUNS are destroying their country?

  In my opinion this shows the rigidity of their constitution. At one time guns were needed in America. During the developing years of the country guns were needed.

  In modern America, criminals now have the guns. The only protection guns now serve, is a protection against criminals. Criminals have guns, therefore people need to protect themselves against crime, rather than the original need for guns.

  The motives for 'bearing arms' now is different, to when the constitution was amended. Guns are now an integral part of crime and in my opinion if this amendment wasn't in the constitution, gun crime would not be out of control. But now i feel it's too late, it's a bit like shutting the door after the horse has bolted.

  In Britain for example, after the Dunblane massacre hand guns were outlawed. Carrying a hand gun now has an automatic 5 year sentence. The application of this sentence is something that needs to be looked at. As within the legislation, judges in exceptional circumstance can use their discretion. This therefore means, that many do not in fact go to prison and judges have been criticised for using this clause too much. Obviously there is gun crime in this country, but at the same time the government has been doing something about it.

  In my opinion a hard line should be taken in America, but it's not going to happen as it's going to be near impossible to amend the constitution as the gun lobby is so powerful.

  Paul
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  18

  should jws buy christmas stamps?

  by badboy in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  because christmas is of pagan origins,should jws buy stamps with christmas themes?

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  digderidoo

  I can't really see an issue. It's a bit like asking can JW's use stamps with the Queens head on?

  Paul
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  21

  The Prisoner

  by mrsjones5 in

  1. social
  2. entertainment

  amc is doing a remake of "the prisoner" one of my absolute favs.

  are there any prisoner fans out there?

  when i first started watching it (on pbs) my dad thought i was being my usual weird self, but i didn't care - i loved it and still do.

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  digderidoo

  I have visited the set in North Wales. Bit disappointed in it to be honest, but dad loved it though.

  Paul
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  22

  Did anyone hear that not being married cuts off 9 years of your life?

  by Bubblie in

  1. jw
  2. experiences

  heard this on the tv tonight that married people live 9 years longer than single people.

  another reason to be pissed at my ex for divorcing me.

  oh well, he is left handed and they live less time than right handers.

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  digderidoo

  I have heard that too.

  Married people look out for each other, nag each other if they didn't do anything about a symptom. I guess marriage is a survival tool. That said a bad marriage can give you stress, which in turn can shorten your life. So i guess it's a happy marriage that can prolong your life.

  The regular sex helps as well i suppose

  Paul
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  24

  To all the people who have been trying to quit drinking. How are you doing

  by cognac in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  i'm pregnant, so haven't touched anything in about 5 months or so.

  i love it!

  don't miss it at all and never planning on even having a sip again.

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  digderidoo

  Good thread Cognac.

  At the end of the month it will be 6 months sober for me, i like you don't miss it, i now have no desire to have a drink. Over the last year i can count on one hand the times i have drank.

  I do occasionally miss the craque that comes with a night out with mates though, that i can't seem to experience sober. But that said i my life has come such a long way over the last year, that i can sacrifice the wild nights out for it. I have started a degree and took up interests such as scuba diving that i would never have done. In general my life has got a whole lot better over the last year or so, i wouldn't give that up for a nights drinking. In fact my social life has got better, i have met more new people this year than any other year really, something i never thought possible without the drinking scene.

  Oompa,

  i drink each night...it is medicine to help me sleep and it works unfortunately

  I used to find that, but from my experience and the experience of others i have come to learn that if you can go 10-14 days without a drink and the restless nights that comes with it, you can generally get a better nights sleep. Lack of sleep is actually a withdrawal symptom, especially if it occurs with the first 4 days of not drinking after drinking every night.

  Well done though for cutting back.

  Gregor,

  I'd like your opinions. If someone is presently drinking at, say, a value of 10 and they want to cut back to a 5 or a 3, is that more difficult than simply targeting zero?

  It is for an alcoholic. I tried it over 2 to 3 years, but found zero a lot more easier to achieve.

  Hamsterbait,

  The hardest thing about sobriety is changing your socializing habits and missing all you lovely alcoholic friends. (That has been the most painful part)

  I second that, this was and still is the most difficult thing for me. But on balance it's a sacrifice worth making for me.

  Jaguarbass,

  It doesnt sound like your an alcoholic if you could quit drinking for 5 months and not miss it.

  If your not an alcoholic and you quit drinking what you said is like saying I havent eaten at McDonalds in a year and I dont miss it.

  Big deal.

  If you were an alcoholic you couldnt say what you said.

  Having said that I doubt there is anything an alcoholic would say that would interest you.

  Because an alcoholic can not do what you did.

  I must say that i totally disagree with that statement. I am an alcoholic and don't miss drinking. I know that if i were to take a drink, i would be back to square one. I certainly couldn't stop at 1 or 2. After about 5 months of attempting abstinence, with two slips, i came to the point where i had no desire to have another drink, it almost felt empowering, that was in May, my final drink. I went out for a lads night out and just didn't want a drink, but felt compelled to have one as part of the night out, i couldn't stop at a few, so got paryletic. From that night on i have had no desire to drink. I am an alcoholic and now i don't miss drink at all, i know other alcoholics that would say the same too.

  Don't get me wrong i am not saying that cognac is or isn't an alcoholic, that's something that only she can decide, but i totally disagree when you say that an acoholic cannot get to a point where they do not miss drinking.

  Cognac,

  Well done and good for you. I would like to add though now you have a major reason not to drink, so it that sense it's easier not to drink. Whereas after the baby is born, with all the stresses that comes along with it, bear in mind it may be more difficult to resist drinking again. Whether or not you were an alcoholic is something that only you can decide, no one here can really tell you that.

  I hope things really work out for you and your baby.

  Good luck (we can say that now :-))

  Paul
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  23

  Why don't I have friends?

  by mtsgrad in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  been in the troof for 30yrs, pionered for 15yrs, became servant and did mts and had loadsa friends.

  faded and now no witness will talk to me.

  i was a crap friend so deserve itmy friends were not real friendsthe religion is to blamenon of the abovecheers.

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  digderidoo

  mtsgrad,

  I would certainly say the religion is to blame. We were actively discouraged from maintaining friendships in the 'world'. So when we leave we have nobody. I didn't even know how to make friends with people and was very wairy, for me i ended up in the pub scene and met people through that. That in itself led to it's own problem though, i started partying hard and began to neglect other areas of my life.

  I wouldn't necassarily say your friends weren't real friends. I would say though their friendship was conditional, but then to a degree most friendships are. For example, if you were to do something that hurt a friend then that in itself could destroy the friendship. In the JW case though they take that conditional aspect too far, in my view. I am certain they would become friends again if you went back, but that just goes to show that those friendship are conditional on your actions.

  We have all been where you are now. My advice would be that it takes time to cultivate new friends and in so doing extending your social circle. It may be difficult to understand or comprehend now, but time is the greatest healer.

  Paul