Open mind

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Posts by Open mind

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  63

  Prelude to a disfellowshipping

  by rory-ks in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  i was 25 years a congregation member; ten years an elder; all told, up to 18 years an appointed man; a decade or so as a full-time minister; assembly speaker, with the pinnacle giving the public discourse at a district convention.. .

  i stopped being an active member of the congregation in november 2010, but it had been brewing for several years, with the customary gradual drifting away - all the necessary mental gymnastics as my spiritual views changed and doubts set in; quitting the theocratic ministry school; ceasing to answer; sitting quietly off to the side.

  i think the straw that broke the camels back was when family worship inevitably became family worship.

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  Open mind

  Great first post and welcome to JWN.

  I've really enjoyed some of your blog posts. Your perspectives on "Christianity" are practical and refreshing.

  All the best to you.

  om
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  42

  A “Born ins” challenge to develop a "post cult" personality.

  by stuckinamovement in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  a born ins challenge to develop a post cult personality.. mentally leaving the organization can be traumatic for a number of reasons.

  one of the biggest challenges for born-ins in finding their pre cult personality is that our entire personalities are based on the religion.

  there is no such thing as a pre cult personality for us.

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  Open mind

  Great post SIAM.
  
  Since there was no "Pre" Cult personality for us born-ins, it's probably more helpful to think of "Non" Cult personality. That boils down to how much of your life you were able to devote to non-JW activities while still a witness.
  
  My parents were fairly strict in many areas but they did allow for some self-expression and development through playing music, non-school sports activities, a bit of non-District Convention travel and, later on, a smattering of classes at the Community College level.
  
  For that I am grateful that the hole in my soul isn't as great as some posters here.
  
  Thanks again SIAM.
  
  om
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  31

  Talking Points for when Witnesses Come to your Door

  by truth_b_known in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  a few weeks back i came home from work and found the latest copies of the watchtower (armageddon fearmongering) and awake!

  (social media site nonsense) lying on the counter.

  it was obvious witnesses had stopped by the house.

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  Open mind

  Question for JWs:

  "I've been told that JWs approve of the irrevocable baptism of children. Is that true?"

  om
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  119

  Great Books Thread

  by Open mind in

  1. social
  2. entertainment

  what are the top 5 books you would either recommend and/or have had the greatest influence on you?

  (if you only want to mention one or two that's fine as well.).

  if you feel like it, please briefly tell us why.

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  Open mind

  Any recommendations from those who had yesterday off work?
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  119

  Great Books Thread

  by Open mind in

  1. social
  2. entertainment

  what are the top 5 books you would either recommend and/or have had the greatest influence on you?

  (if you only want to mention one or two that's fine as well.).

  if you feel like it, please briefly tell us why.

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  Open mind

  bump for 2012.

  FWIW, I'm currently reading "Merle's Door" by Ted Kerasote.

  If you love dogs and want a good cry, it fills the bill. I'm only 1/4 through it, but I know there's going to be some tears shed before it's over.

  om
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  33

  Meeting Times

  by Twani in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  evening all,.

  does anyone know the meeting time for wallington kingdon hall, near croydon, london?.

  i'm planning to go tomorrow.

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  Open mind

  Shame on you mrsjones5!

  Now that you've "stumbled" Twani, you'll get one more day of eternal non-existence when you die.

  Hope this serves as a restraint to others.

  om
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  53

  Why did you become one of Jehovah's Witnesses?

  by Celestial in

  1. watchtower
  2. beliefs

  any other reason than the arbitrary explanation that you were brainwashed or seduced by a millenarianist doomsday cult?.

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  Open mind

  Bored in.
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  34

  What's Your Favorite Snack Or Goody?

  by minimus in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  i have more than a few.. i love blueberry pie with vanilla ice cream..

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  Open mind

  People where I work often spend $1.00 on high-fat, high-salt, low-nutrient vending machine crap. ( I do too when I'm desperate and haven't replenished my office pantry. )
  
  Here's one of my favorite snacks that is very decadent, high-nutrient and inexpensive. Banana dipped in melted Swiss dark chocolate.
  
  Take two squares (40 grams) of top-notch dark Swiss Chocolate (Lindt) and pop them into a tiny, employer-provided, pleated paper water cup. Nuke it for 50 seconds. Stir it with a tootpick to avoid burnt spots. Nuke another 15-20 seconds.
  
  Peel your banana and dip away! By melting the chocolate, you get many more flavor "blasts" than you do my eating the squares at room temperature. When you can't dip any more, push up the bottom of the cup to flatten it out and lick up every last bit.
  
  Total Calories: 225
  
  Total Cost: $.75
  
  Decadence factor: about an 8 on a scale of 1-10 in my book.

  om
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  14

  I'll have to think about that and get back to you

  by donny in

  1. watchtower
  2. beliefs

  yesterday afternoon i was speaking to my jw neighbor and he managed to get on the topic of "unity" that defines true christianity.

  i then said "what if you have some in a church who believes certain days are more holy than others and yet others who think all days are the same?

  is that acceptable?".

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  Open mind

  Hmmmm. I wonder if an active JW would get in trouble for openly observing the Sabbath on Saturdays?

  Probably.

  om
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  22

  Why is the Memorial so important to JWs?

  by Ding in

  1. watchtower
  2. beliefs

  seriously.... there's a meeting where wt dogma is taught... nothing unusual there.... they pass around bread and wine and in the vast majority of khs no one at all partakes.. if anything, it is a pantomime of wt teaching that the "great crowd" of "other sheep" have no part in the blood and body of christ.. hardly something to celebrate....

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  Open mind

  yknot: "Gonna be a snooze fest cuz we got late memorial assignment......."

  Hey yknot, I think you're forgetting that if you play your cards right, whoever provided the wine might invite you over to share the last 1/3 of a bottle that's left. Woo-Hoo!!! Good times!!

  I remember one year when helping to clean up, the guy who brought the wine wanted to pour the wine from the glasses back into the bottle since there were no partakers. After reminding him that over 100 mouths and noses had just come in close proximity to it, he decided to dump it down the sink.

  om