OnTheWayOut

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Posts by OnTheWayOut

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  38

  Why was it so hard for Jesus to convince the Jews that he was the Messiah???

  by James Mixon in

  1. watchtower
  2. bible

  ??????

  ?

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  OnTheWayOut

  It makes for better fiction if there is a central problem in your story.
  
  
• 
  18

  What could the FDS theme tune be?

  by pandorasbox1914 in

  1. social
  2. humour

  what do think guy's?for me it would have to be jimi hendrix "all along the watchtower" and when they end their earthly course, led zeppelin's "stairway to heaven"any other good songs?

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  OnTheWayOut

  ....or SHIP OF FOOLS by the Grateful Dead

  The Ship of Fools is a ship populated by fools, all sailing, supposedly, to the Paradise of Fools. But they have no pilot, and their journey is ill-fated. It represents Jerry Garcia and his band set adrift with no clear course or leader.

  
  

  "Ship Of Fools"
  
  

  Went to see the captain, strangest I could find,
  Laid my proposition down, laid it on the line.
  I won't slave for beggar's pay, likewise gold and jewels,
  But I would slave to learn the way to sink your ship of fools.
  
  Ship of fools on a cruel sea, ship of fools sail away from me.
  It was later than I thought when I first believed you,
  Now I cannot share your laughter, ship of fools.
  
  Saw your first ship sink and drown, from rockin' of the boat,
  And all that could not sink or swim was just left there to float.
  I won't leave you drifting down, but woh it makes me wild,
  With thirty years upon my head to have you call me child.
  
  Ship of fools on a cruel sea, ship of fools sail away from me.
  It was later than I thought when I first believed you,
  Now I cannot share your laughter, ship of fools.
  
  The bottles stand as empty, as they were filled before.
  Time there was and plenty, but from that cup no more.
  Though I could not caution all, I still might warn a few:
  Don't lend your hand to raise no flag atop no ship of fools.
  
  Ship of fools on a cruel sea, ship of fools sail away from me.
  It was later than I thought, when I first believed you,
  Now I cannot share your laughter, ship of fools.
  
  It was later than I thought when I first believed you,
  Now I cannot share your laughter, ship of fools.
• 
  18

  What could the FDS theme tune be?

  by pandorasbox1914 in

  1. social
  2. humour

  what do think guy's?for me it would have to be jimi hendrix "all along the watchtower" and when they end their earthly course, led zeppelin's "stairway to heaven"any other good songs?

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  OnTheWayOut

  BAD BLOOD by Neil Sedaka

  It could've been me
  But it was you
  Who went and bit off
  A little bit more
  Than he could chew
  
  You said that you had it made
  But you been had
  The woman no good
  No how
  Thinking maybe the blood is bad
  
  Bad (bad) blood (blood)
  The woman was born to lie
  Makes promises she can't keep
  With the wink of an eye
  
  Bad (bad) blood (blood)
  Brother, you've been deceived
  It's bound to change your mind
  About all you believe
  
  From where I stand
  It looks mighty strange
  How you let a woman like that
  Treat you like small change
  
  I don't understand
  What you're lookin' to find
  The only thing bad blood do
  Is mess up a good man's mind
  Hear me talkin' now
  
  Bad (bad) blood (blood)
  The bitch is in her smile
  The lie is on her lips
  Such an evil child
  
  Bad (bad) blood (blood)
  Is takin' you for a ride
  The only thing good about bad blood
  Is lettin' it slide
  
  Doo-ron, doo-ron, di di
  Dit, dit, do-ron-ron
  Doo-ron, doo-ron, di di
  Dit, dit, do-ron-ron
  
  Doo-ron, doo-ron, di di
  Dit, dit, do-ron-ron
  Bad blood, talking 'bout bad blood
  
  Doo-ron, doo-ron, di di
  Dit, dit, do-ron-ron
  Doo-ron, doo-ron, di di
  
  Dit, dit, do-ron-ron
  Doo-ron, doo-ron, di di
  Dit, dit, do-ron-ron
  Bad blood, here we go
  
  Bad (bad) blood (blood)
  The bitch is in her smile
  The lie is on her lips
  Such an evil child
  
  Bad (bad) blood (blood)
  Is takin' you for a ride
  The only thing good about bad blood
  Is lettin' it slide
  
  The only thing good about bad blood
  Is letting it slide
• 
  7

  Blood: Article about director of Atlanta's Emory Center for Ethics facing a contorversial decision involving a 17-year-old JW

  by AndersonsInfo in

  1. watchtower
  2. medical

  http://www.atlantamagazine.com/health/emorys-center-for-ethics-faces-some-of-the-most-complex-and-controversial-issues-in-modern-medicine/.

  emory center for ethics director faces some of the most complex—and controversial—issues in medicine paul root wolpe and his team think through the tough questions brought about by medical advances .

  january 28, 2016 tony rehagen .

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  OnTheWayOut

  Thanks for that today. I am often confronted with the ethics questions that have no easy answers, but have not had to face them in a life-and-death situation. Reading these things helps me.

  In that particular situation, I know the correct answer is to educate the boy that doing the bidding of idiots running a dangerous cult is the problem and that he wouldn't lose his supposed ticket to eternity by breaking the rules. But I also know it's not likely that seeking that correct answer will lead to success.

  Funny how the boy has mainly learned that being a JW means looking for loopholes in the rules.
• 
  106

  Walking a thin line - Resigning Elder

  by Sanchy in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  warning of a long boring post ahead.

  i feel like i need to vent my story out, as i feel quite helpless at the moment.. i'm 31 year old, married, father of toddler with another one on the way, due later this month.

  i've been serving as elder for about 4 years now in a south florida congregation.

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  OnTheWayOut

  Five or so hours in and we are at a 4th page. I will answer before I read other answers, as I may never catch up otherwise.
  
  I was serving as an elder longer than you, but found it relatively easy, family-wise, to walk away in my case, so I will say things from that perspective and try to empathize with a different situation that you are in.

  For years, I had questions bugging me. Like you I put them aside with the typical "I'll receive my answer one day". But they only grew and more problems with the religion came up. I eventually caved in and simply googled "Jehovah's Witnesses" and went everywhere the links took me. But to be fair, I took years and years to get to that point. You are way ahead of me if you are an elder 4 years.

  I could not stay in the congregation and try to encourage my wife out. I did quite a bit of that, and didn't get too far. I had to be free of it myself, for my personal sanity and mental health. She's still a faithful JW, but not as hardcore as I would have thought. So I have that.

  While it wouldn't have worked for me, some stayed active JW's, at least in appearance, and helped their loved ones out with studying and questioning. It can be done. No apostate literature is needed, but it is helpful to prepare yourself with it, then just use Watchtower literature to help your wife.

  Congratulations on your resignation as an elder. This is a huge step. I did the "doubt" thing myself, similar to your summary.

  While it's tough that your entire family is in the org., you can start to have friends on the outside. I hate the slight double-life thing but I don't have too much choice. My best friends are from this forum and other ex-JW's. So they are not my wife's friends.

  Your wife said that if you leave the religion, she will teach it to them. I would tend to believe her. She also said you've made her life so much more difficult now. Don't let her hang that on you, it isn't true. I get that and it's hard to release, but the comeback is that each person must take their own spiritual journey and find their own path. I wish there was an easy answer here, but there isn't. The easiest thing to do for a short peace is to let her be, but as you love her so much, you want to help her to think for herself and use her freedoms.

  Isn't it a joke that "the branch" has to approve your resignation? They did that to me, too. I didn't want to make waves, so I said "Do what you want, but I am done- approval or not." I quit in August and they didn't get an answer until October and I didn't tell anyone in the congregation that I wasn't an elder, except my wife. But I sat during meetings without responsibilities, I wore a red sweater instead of a suit jacket, kind of signifying that I wasn't even available to do any assignments. I commented a little bit to say that I wasn't "in trouble."
  
  The main thing about removing yourself from responsibility is to retain relations with your family, so good job. Don't worry so much about the friends. Heck, I lost my absolute best friend over this matter of "fading."

  If your situation persists for years, as is highly likely, you can get help from others here who have had children caught in the middle. I wish you well. Oh, and your reading wasn't terribly long at all. Thanks for sharing another "Waking up" story.
• 
  21

  Hey Everyone! Recently "DA'd!"

  by jacobm in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  i just "da'd" friday.

  i've been posting on here for years but do to anonymity, i had to start with a new account.

  would love to connect with anyone that i may know.

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  OnTheWayOut

  Congratulations on the DA. Welcome to the freedom.
• 
  49

  A philosophical question .... what does the word God mean to you personally ?

  by Finkelstein in

  1. watchtower
  2. beliefs

  to myself it means to seek knowledge and understanding of are selves and the world in which we live.. unfortunately history has shown whenever one tries to connect to god and of his knowledge through men who say they themselves are connected to god through spiritual wifi ie.

  gb members of the jehovah's witnesses for example, one usually ends up finding a accumulation of only man's acquired knowledge.

  over thousands of years of trying to connect to a god(s) for help and answers, mankind has eventually relinquished himself to seeking answers through scientific investigative acquired knowledge of the world in which we live in.

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  OnTheWayOut

  "God" is a mythical fiction of man's invention, who can be described in various ways depending on the myth system of the person describing said God.
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  12

  Did you go to your ASSIGNED congregation?

  by Zoos in

  1. watchtower
  2. beliefs

  the rule was (is) that you go to your assigned congregation.. growing up, i think our family was in our assigned congregation only one of three times.

  the family made two major moves when i was a kid and each time my folks would visit the various congregations in the area and pick the one with the most kids.

  given our association restrictions with the world, they wanted to make sure we had plenty of friends.. i have to give them credit where due.

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  OnTheWayOut

  I moved into a large city and went to the local Kingdom Hall on Sunday after figuring out the meeting time for the one congregation out of the three,that I should be assigned to.

  I was asked by a sister, "Are you still trying to decide which congregation you are going to attend?"

  Apparently, that was the norm.

  My answer was "Nope. I live in this territory. Even if I don't like you guys, I am coming here."

  I was kidding. Anyone would know I was kidding. It became a major issue with the C.O. that I didn't like these people, and I had to remember this virtual non-incident and explain myself.

  I did wind up moving to another congregation's territory a few years later, but they met at that same hall and I was told not to bother changing congregations.
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  22

  Is the reasoning book no longer in use ?

  by opusdei1972 in

  1. watchtower
  2. beliefs

  i would like to know if witnesses are still using the reasoning book in the field service.

  i am asking about it, because i had read that it is currently out of print, doesn't it??

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  OnTheWayOut

  They really only need a single sheet of paper with instructions on reasoning, overcoming objections, etc.

  "Stand by the cart. Do not initiate any conversations. When asked anything, say there's an answer at jw . org."
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  121

  Hey ya'll! My first post. Please help. In need of advice/comfort.

  by Stepford Wife in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  hey ya'll!

  i have been lurking for years on this site and others but never had the courage to post anything.

  actually i was afraid of posting on an apostate site in the event i was wrong.

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  OnTheWayOut

  ...and a real "spiritual head of the family" would resign as an elder if his family wasn't "spiritually strong."

  That is just my opinion. I never needed the title, and actually offered to resign/be removed when my JW wife went to college and missed some meetings. But that was back in the interim when college wasn't so bad.

  They really might remove him, they can say that he is not "making" you do the right thing. So if he really isn't putting undo pressure on you and not reporting all to the elder body, give him some slack.

  I would probably tell him, "Is your eldership so precious to them that they think you should drag me to the hall?" "Will you be okay if they take that away?" "Why not (if there's a neg. response)?"