Posts by LisaRose

28

Be effective or people will die

by Odrade in

my husband and i have been out of the org for quite some time, but still find that old ideas and values come up and bite us on the ass.. lately, i've been plagued by an increase in the frequency and severity of my nightmares (which have always been an issue,) so i've begun to dream journal.

in just a few days, this realization cropped up.

i can't save people.. i've been blogging again recently.

LisaRose

I think being in a cult affects every one in a different way, some people are just more likely to be damaged by the experience. My daughter obsessed about being put in a concentration camp as a child, thanks to the experiences in the yearbook. While it's not good for anyone, some people are just more vulnerable.

I just got through reading a novel about a Mormon family with four children and what happens when the youngest daughter dies. It's very good, the culture of the Mormons is so similar to the JWs, it felt very familiar. The writer was a Mormon until age thirty, so it's was very true to how a belief system like that affects people.

You could see how the same teachings affect the different children in different ways based on age and personality. The oldest boy never bought into the faith, he struggles with having to pretend he believes he will see his sister again. The youngest boy had trouble accepting the death because he has been taught people can be resurrected and doesn't really understand that it can't happen right now. The older daughter worries excessively about making a mistake and not being worthy of the celestial kingdom and see her sister. The mother, who doesn't have a strong belief, goes into a deep depression and the father, a bishop, struggles with being there for his family while still doing his church work, and everyone feels guilty for what happened. The book is called a song for Issy Bradly by Carys Brady.

13

Jehovah's Trumpet - Dangers of Superstition

by cofty in

the latest blast of "jehovah's trumpet" warns us about the irrational nature of common superstitions.... the article then goes on to provide counsel on the dangers of the domonic attacks that often result from unwisely purchasing second-hand objects.

the risk is demonstrated by recounting the real-life story of poor sister lemming and her new ministry bag.. genius satire as always!

please take some time to read the community comments.. .

LisaRose

I love this site, my favorite is the one where the sisters put a hanky on their head out in service because the five year old boy with them was baptized. The satire is so well done, not over the top, just enough to illustrate the absurd nature of Watchtower beliefs.

102

Bill Cosby - too much smoke for no fire?

by Simon in

it seems like the list of people who are accusing him of rape and sexual assault is growing every day.

i'm skeptical of single accusations but the number of people and the similar stories seem overwhelming now.. it's not a conviction but to the court of public opinion ... guilty?.

.

LisaRose

I think this shows he had an interest in using drugs to get women to have sex. I remember at the time thinking it was funny, I really just thought he was joking, but in light of the allegations it seems chilling.

"Guys standing around and talking about Spanish fly: 'You know anything about Spanish fly?'

'No, tell me about it.'
Well there's this girl Crazy Mary, you put some in her drink man, she, 'Haaaaaaaaaaaaah.'
Oh yeah, that's really groovy man, Spanish fly is groovy, yeah.
From then on, any time you see a girl: 'Wish I had some Spanish fly.'
Go to a party see five girls standing alone: 'Boy if I had a whole jug of Spanish fly, I'd light that corner up over there. HAAAAAAH.'"

102

Bill Cosby - too much smoke for no fire?

by Simon in

it seems like the list of people who are accusing him of rape and sexual assault is growing every day.

i'm skeptical of single accusations but the number of people and the similar stories seem overwhelming now.. it's not a conviction but to the court of public opinion ... guilty?.

.

LisaRose

I remember the Spanish fly routine, that rumor is true. At this point there is very little doubt in my mind, too many women with the sane story, too many others confirming details, and no real denial from anyone.

17

Sick, sick, sick - Elder-Missionary gets off.

by berrygerry in

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LisaRose

He put his hands down her pants just to warm them?

Yeah, sounds legit.

31

I tripped into a JW literature cart

by diana netherton in

i wasn't looking where i put my feet, and i almost took the cart out!

anyway, i stopped and chatted with the people for a bit.

three women and a man -- an elder and his wife.

LisaRose

Yes, I agree, being rude doesn't help anything, it just confirms their brainwashing that apostates are all evil and bitter. I have talked to many JWs that have come by my house, even when I explicitly state that I am an apostate they continue to talk with me, because I am polite. Nothing much you can say in any encounter will shake them, but if you are rude it gets their back up and causes the cult programing to kick in.

I was reading recently about the amygdala, the primitive part of the brain. This part of your brain is activated when you are in a stressful situation, and it responds much faster than the part of your brain that controls higher level functioning. If you hear gunshots for example, your pulse rate will increase and adrenaline will course through your body and you wil be running away before your higher level brain can determine if the danger is real or not. Obviously this is an evolutionary advantage, as it helps you to run from an immediate threat.

I think what happens with Jehovah's Witnesses is that they have been so thoroughly conditioned to fear apostates that if they are in a situation with someone that is acting in a hostile way, the primitive part of their brain takes over and they become very uncomfortable and afraid. The logical part of the brain is not in control, so nothing you then say will sink in. This is true even if they have doubts themselves, because it takes time being away from the meetings for that fear conditioning to go away.

31

Wal-Mart Workers Plan Huge Protest on Black Friday

by talesin in

wal-mart, which pays a top wage of $12.00+ to its full-time employees, is under attack, once again, by its employees and those who would like to unionize them.. i can't speak to the usa, but here in canada, most wal-mart employees are not full time.

it is mostly a part-time employer, so zero benefits.

in my opinion, that makes the $12.00+ look a lot smaller when you envision the actual paycheque.

LisaRose

This is exactly the point. If Walmart is the only employer (not likely) in your town, then a low-paying job is better than no job. If a person has no education and no skills, then making $7 an hour sounds about right. "Lesser qualified" = less play

Sure, those jobs will never be highly desirable, and will never pay big bucks, but when you have people who are working as many hours as Wal Mart gives them, and still make so little they qualify for food stamps, the tax payers are subsidizing those low prices. It's unfair to workers, who need to make a wage they can live on, and its unfair to other employers who can't compete because they pay a decent wage. Wal-Mart is so big it's setting prices and wages, thus it's manipulating the market. They also are tough on their suppliers, causing a ripple effect, the suppliers have to cut wages to meet Wal Marts price demands. They are the bully of the playground.

Sure, those workers are not the smartest and most highly educated,but they are human beings who are willing to work, they should not have to rely on government subsistence. I don't think many Wal Mart employees expect forty dollars an hour, most are well aware of their limitations, but they deserve to put food on the table for their kids and to have some dignity. And how would they educate themselves out of poverty if they can't afford groceries? Education is expensive.

I don't think it should be illegal, I just don't support these types of business practices with my business, I am willing to pay a bit more and support businesses that pay their employees better, like Costco. There are other reasons I don't shop there as well, the quality of their goods is not that great, and its not an enjoyable shopping experience.

31

Wal-Mart Workers Plan Huge Protest on Black Friday

by talesin in

wal-mart, which pays a top wage of $12.00+ to its full-time employees, is under attack, once again, by its employees and those who would like to unionize them.. i can't speak to the usa, but here in canada, most wal-mart employees are not full time.

it is mostly a part-time employer, so zero benefits.

in my opinion, that makes the $12.00+ look a lot smaller when you envision the actual paycheque.

LisaRose

I don't shop at Wal Mart, and this is one of many reasons why. The business model of selling cheap things at super cheap prices only works because the rest of us (tax payers) end up picking up the part of the bill through heath care costs, at least here in the US.

But Wal Mart is not evil, they are simply doing what all businesses do, attempting to make a profit by whatever legal means possible, and they couldn't do it without the cooperation of their customers, employees and the government. If people stopped buying from Wal-Mart because they don't pay a living wage, War Mart would raise the wages. It wouldn't even add the much to their overhead, Costco manages to pay their employees a decent wage while still offering low prices, so it can be done.

As far as employees, it's not as simple as just getting a job elsewhere, it's a tight economy and there aren't a lot of jobs out there for lesser qualified workers, but if every Wal Mart employee made the effort to make themselves more employable through education and training, many of them could probably get better jobs. If enough employees did that it would force Wal Mart to compete.

And if the government required employees like Wal-Mart to cover health care costs for all employees it would level the playing field for businesses that do the right thing by offering it. They also need to do something about illegal immigration, which helps keep wages at a lower level.

20

My day

by Hortensia in

decided to spend the day wasting time.

drove down to redding.

on the way i saw the real woody woodpecker -- every time i see one of those red-headed woodpeckers i think of the cartoon character.

LisaRose

There are a flock of turkeys that reside in my neighborhood, they will often stroll down the sidewalk like they own the place, they never fail to make me laugh. It's true they are dumber than a box of rocks, but they get by. It's hilarious to see them courting, the males prance around, shaking their tail feathers, the females seem unimpressed for the most part. The babies are born in the spring, we see them grow all summer.

Monday is laundry day for me, but I managed to get in a little craft time. After a long dry spell I finally got my creativity back. I am making Christmas ornaments, they are very complex, with lots of layers and a vintage feel, tons of glitter and mica snow, very fun. I got a lot of supplies at the dollar store, you would be surprised what they have now. My JW mom would be rolling over in her grave, but since she didn't believe in life after death (until the new system anyway) she can't be, lol. I also managed a nap, I am a serious mapper these days.

53

TYRED OF SPELING ERURS? SIK OF BAD GRAMMUR?

by Terry in

jw
friends

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LisaRose

Everyone makes mistakes, and I make my fair share, but it does bug me when people make spellings a error in the title of a thread. You would think they would try to at least get that right.