Vinny

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Posts by Vinny

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  44

  I Need A Good Tearburst - Have Not Wept For Many Months.

  by hillary_step in

  1. social
  2. entertainment

  i have always been a sucker for a good soppy love song, .

  last night i was wading through my huge vinyl collection, pulled an album long-not heard and spun this track on the rack.

  though penned almost forty years ago, i have to say, it is still a very handsome song indeed.. coming back to me.

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  Vinny

  Just saw this today. Though a little different than yours, I thought it was touching and nice. You may even shed a tear or two...
  
  
  http://www.packers.com/news/releases/2007/12/06/3/
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  78

  JWs: Biggest Turnover Rate of Members! "Masked churn" rate of 2/3rds!!

  by Seeker4 in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  an article just out this afternoon said the following.

  note especially the second paragraph about jws: .

  for some groups, their relatively steady number of adherents over the years hides a remarkable amount of coming and going.

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• 

  Vinny

  Open Mind said:...
  
  "I mentioned this survey to my oldest teen. Specifically that the JW's have the worst retention rate in the US.
  
  My teen's reply:
  
  "Well I guess that makes sense. Didn't Jesus say that only a few would be on the narrow road to life?"
  
  I had no words. I really thought I was making headway with this one.
  
  
  
  
  
  
  Proverbs 22: 6 says, "Train up a boy according to the way for him; even when he grows old he will not turn aside from it."
  
  
  Yet far more JW's are LEAVING that staying put. Something wrong with this picture?
  
  
  Wonder if all the False predictions, medical blunders, doctrinal flip-flops and blinking light, self righteous and arrogant titles and claims ("we is God's people"), condemning ALL non-JW's to total annihilation, the unscriptural use of shunning to keep JW's towing the line in fear etc etc have something to do with why so many leave?
  
  
  I bet he'll have a hard time replying then.
  
  
  Whoops forgot, he could always go with the generic, "APOSTATE, APOSTATE" tag then...
  
  
  But at least you tried. Tip of the hat for that.
• 
  16

  PSA: Crisis of Conscience Available as PDF on Commentary Press Website

  by Olin Moyles Ghost in

  1. watchtower
  2. bible

  pardon me if this is already well-known.

  crisis of conscience and in search of christian freedom are available as pdfs on the commentary press website.

  coc costs $7.95 and in search costs $9.95.

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  Vinny

  Those are the two best books about Jehovah's Witnesses I have ever read. Very well written and without sarcasm or bitterness. This PDF availability is good to know!
  
  If you want to say thanks to Ray, as mentioned, you can actually call or e-mail him as well. His number and e-mail is listed on the Commentary Press home page. He will answer if he's there and reply if you e-mail him.
  
  Thanks for posting this.
  
  Best,
  
  Vinny
• 
  37

  New study shows JWs have the lowest retention rate of US religions

  by M.J. in

  1. watchtower
  2. beliefs

  the pew forum has put out a report called the "us religious landscape survey.

  ", as reported in the boston globe: http://www.boston.com/news/local/breaking_news/2008/02/more_americans_2.html .

  of note is this quote from the actual report summary: .

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  Vinny

  Not only do they have the absolute WORST retention rate of any religion, but the percentages of people "Divorced or Separated" is above the national average, and one of the highest listed.
  
  I'd sure like to think the "one true faith on earth", providing, "food from God today" would do better than that.
  
  Which is why many (who once were JW's) do NOT think they are the one true faith on earth and which is proven by the fact they have the lowest retention rate of any religion today.
  
  And folks are LEAVING the JW's at the highest rate reported, despite the heaviest of consequences heaped upon them of any faith that I know of.
  
  Labeled, judged and shunned by all JW's including your very own family. Yet they STILL have the lowest retention rate today despite these often devastating consequences.
  
  I wonder what makes so many want to GET OUT?
  
  Silly me, I just remembered why. It Must be Satan, secret sins, the wrong heart condition, the internet, bad association etc...
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  59

  Do you ever miss it? Ever?

  by AK - Jeff in

  1. jw
  2. experiences

  for me - rarely would be the correct word.

  i don't miss the indoctrination.

  i don't miss the wasted time in service.

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  Vinny

  I have sometimes missed the feeling that comes with believing you have all the answers. When you believe it's the "truth", everything is laid out for you. No guessing or having to look for answers to meaningful or difficult questions. Just go to your WT index...

  I sometimes miss the feelings I had after the assemblies and some meetings, especially after giving talks. But again, those were predicated on the notion that the JW's were God's organization. It felt like I was in God's organization, many times.

  But I finally did my homework. I honestly, sincerely and thoroughly examined the faith from all sides while remaining objective. I had no bone to pick with the organization or reasons to leave it. I just never knew how dead-wrong they were, and, just how often they were so very dead-wrong. I never realized how conrolling it was either. Afterall, I was used as an elder and a very busy person with many responsibities. That "buzy-ness" keeps you from thinking too much, IMO. My reasons for rejecting specific JW teachings were as sincere as there can be. I could not just go along with them any longer, once I was fully informed.

  I do not miss the social aspect very much at all, like some others do. Though there were a few nice relationships I sometimes think about. But today, I can see just how conditional they all were. And THAT is major turn-off to say the least.

  Overall, as one that came into the org on my own, you cannot spend over 16 years without missing some aspects of it, in my opinion. But also overall, my quality of life today is better than when a Witness. Freedom is a valuable thing. Taking responsibility for your own beliefs and decisions is another good thing. Cutting the JW leash definitely a good thing.

  Though not always the easiest thing.
• 
  13

  NEWS FLASH: BROTHER PRINCE TO GET HIP REPLACEMENT!!!

  by Bourne in

  1. jw
  2. friends

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  Vinny

  Thanks for the link. I left a comment replying to somebody that is clueless about the JW's and blood. Said Prince could store his own blood if he needed to.
  
  WRONG!
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  23

  OMG - I did it - I told my Mom and Dad how I feel...

  by Princess Daisy Boo in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  my mom and dad came round today and we ended up at the local mall with my hubby and kids having lunch.

  after lunch my hubby went home with the kids and i stayed on with my folks to do some shopping.

  as we were driving home, i pointed out my son's new school, and we were discussing the merits of private vs. public schools etc, and mom says "i just hope that by the time the kids get to highschool that the end has come, and you and the family are in the truth".. i mumbled something about having my doubts.

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  Vinny

  If you want to maintain a relationship with your parents, then I believe you need to stop right now.
  
  Or, you can say something like, "Mom, if I continue to talk about these things with you (((even though they are true))), and you turn me in, I could get into trouble and lose you and dad for good".
  
  And then tell her you will only discuss things further if she promises not to report you to the elders. If she cannot or will not do that, then simply tell her you cannot talk about it any further, that you do not have freedom of speech here and that if she wants answers then just google Jehovah's Witnesses (or buy Raymond Franz's two books) and see for herself.
  
  But if you do continue to be the bearer of bad news about the JW faith, they have a very strong system to shut you up permanently. And this is the road you are currently on.
  
  If that is okay with you, and you are prepared to lose it all with the goal of exposing the real facts about the WT Society, then you need to brush up on your subjects being discussed.
  
  And remember, you are definitely not alone here. They threaten to do this with everybody that leaves.
  
  Good luck Princess!
  
  Vinny
• 
  28

  Prophasies

  by Aleman in

  1. watchtower
  2. beliefs

  this is for the people who believe that jehovah god is the father and jesus christ is the son and that the end of times is here.

  these are just a few biblical prophasies i have found that are yet to come.. 2 tim.3:1-5 ; 2 pet.3:3,4 ; mat.24:7 ; rev.6:4 ; dan.2:44 ; mat.6:10 ; dan.7:13,14 ; psa.46:9 ; 2 pet.3:13 ; rev.20:1-3 ; john 5:28,29 ; psa.37:11,29 ; acts 24:15 ; rev.

  11:18 ; 1 john 2:2 ; psa.110:1 ; acts 2:34-36 ; isa.25:8 ; rev.21:1-4 ; 1 cor.15:26.... these are just a few, there are many more where that came from.

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  Vinny

  I always love it when Aleman posts his JW sermons. Bad spelling and all.
  
  Aleman, you are the best thing happening to help lurking JW's visiting JWD to ABANDON SHIP.
  
  With JW's like Aleman posting here, nobody needs the rest of us.
  
  Aleman, you are wanted. Please continue to post as much as you can.
  
  Aleman, you are saving hundreds or more. Keep doing whatever it is that you are doing.
  
  It is working.
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  35

  My husband is reading about the initial fulfillment of the last days....

  by cognac in

  1. watchtower
  2. beliefs

  that happened in 70 ce... i guess it has 2 fulfillments.... i'm drinking a beer right now, not in the mood for this conversation... mostly i hear, bla bla bla bla bla....... he's trying to figure something out... i asked whether those scriptures had 1 or 2 fulfillments... anyone know???.

  sometimes this is exhausting... .

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  Vinny

  You're so cute.
  
  Is fun reading your attempts here to "inform" hubby.
  
  Is funny how you gotta walk on egg shells with your own hubby. What's he so afraid of anyway?
  
  He's already an apostate. (just don't realize it yet...
  
  : )
  
  Good luck Cognac. Whoops can't say that word to him either...
• 
  35

  My husband is reading about the initial fulfillment of the last days....

  by cognac in

  1. watchtower
  2. beliefs

  that happened in 70 ce... i guess it has 2 fulfillments.... i'm drinking a beer right now, not in the mood for this conversation... mostly i hear, bla bla bla bla bla....... he's trying to figure something out... i asked whether those scriptures had 1 or 2 fulfillments... anyone know???.

  sometimes this is exhausting... .

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  Vinny

  "I didn't want anything that used the word "cult" or "brainwashing"... I just want to be careful when I do decide to send him the 1st couple of things that are jw"...
  
  
  ***** You can copy and paste the article and edit out any words that you think might trip off the panic-apostate-alarms.
  
  heh