Maybe the error of the WTS and similar is the audacity to convince others of anything.
Posts by zarco
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25How can I convince my parents to vote?
by Sharpie inhey, first off i didn't know where to post either here or in the poltics section?
but anyways, for the canadians on this board you all know there is the federal ellection in one month.
now i do remember there are a number of articals that say, or rather don't say its not allowed to vote.
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31
June 15 W/T - "Should Youths Get Baptised?"
by sizemik inthe above mentioned article caught my eye for a couple of reasons .
.. it is obvious to most observers that the children of active jw's provide a potential "large army" and in spite of the attrition rate of jw youths (around 2/3's i believe), it's a resource the borg are keen to maximise.
there tactics appear to be encouraging baptism at an ever younger age.
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zarco
Hmmm... Jesus was how old when he got baptized?
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83
Are You Going To the Memorial?
by headisspinning ini can't see myself not attending.
i would feel horrible not to go.
i don't know where i'm going to land and if i had to look back and think i didn't go... well, i would feel awful..
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zarco
xyz - that is a powerful post. I am so sorry for the awful behavior you and your son experienced.
Headspinning - I think Sizemilk hit the nail on the head. We are conditioned to think missing a memorial is a big thing. When you get to a better place without some of the emotion and hurt it will be easy to miss the goofed up celebration of something (certainly not anything biblical). For now, I understand how difficult it is to miss. I am missing my first memorial this year and am really happy to be at this place in life. It took me too long to get here.
Best,
zarco
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7
Do you miss a place to connect with others?
by zarco instartfragment.
after fading away a couple of years ago and going through the stages of transition away from the wts anger, disappointment with them and with myself for staying so long and now disgust at their harmful doctrine i no longer think of myself as an ex-witness.. recently i have had a longing to check out other groups.. i recently went to a buddhist meditation but the religious symbols didnt feel right to me.
the people were warm, welcoming and genuinely interested in me.
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zarco
OM -
If you fly all of that way, I will provide the steak and wine. It is how we celebrate the memorial now days :)
zarco
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7
Do you miss a place to connect with others?
by zarco instartfragment.
after fading away a couple of years ago and going through the stages of transition away from the wts anger, disappointment with them and with myself for staying so long and now disgust at their harmful doctrine i no longer think of myself as an ex-witness.. recently i have had a longing to check out other groups.. i recently went to a buddhist meditation but the religious symbols didnt feel right to me.
the people were warm, welcoming and genuinely interested in me.
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zarco
The place that I go to has a band and they play about 4 songs throughout the service. There is a short reading or two from a philosopher or from a "thinker". Last week the reading was from the writing of an Native American Chief
There is a talk on a current topic. Last week it was about how the way a universalist looks at "sin" is far different than a religious person. If we find ourselves acting in a way contrary to what we aspire to be or to what we hold dear, it is a sin to us. So in this talk it was more about working to be consistent with our deeply held beliefs. For many in the congregation I went to it was being consistent with environmental causes.
There is a short story that involves the children in the congregation. Then the children go with a youth director for activities. Folks from the congregation can share good and bad things that they are experiencing as part of the service. Some talked about their anniversary, others a birth. Still others lost a family member, etc.
The entire service is about 70 minutes.
A state government official came to the church to talk about budget matters. He came during the week, not at the Sunday service.
The indeed like to drink :)
Best,
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7
Do you miss a place to connect with others?
by zarco instartfragment.
after fading away a couple of years ago and going through the stages of transition away from the wts anger, disappointment with them and with myself for staying so long and now disgust at their harmful doctrine i no longer think of myself as an ex-witness.. recently i have had a longing to check out other groups.. i recently went to a buddhist meditation but the religious symbols didnt feel right to me.
the people were warm, welcoming and genuinely interested in me.
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zarco
After fading away a couple of years ago and going through the stages of transition away from the WTS – anger, disappointment with them and with myself for staying so long and now disgust at their harmful doctrine– I no longer think of myself as an ex-witness.
Recently I have had a longing to check out other groups.
I recently went to a Buddhist meditation but the religious symbols didn’t feel right to me. The people were warm, welcoming and genuinely interested in me. And Buddha seemed happy enough, at least he is smiling in many depictions. I also attended an Episcopal church – a very liberal, active thought provoking group but a little too “jesus” for my tastes.
I finally found a place that feels right. I attended and will continue to attend the Unitarian Universalist Church in my town. The attendees are very diverse made up of, Christians, deists, pagans, agnostics and atheists. The church is focused on good deeds, feeding the homeless, social activism and general alignment philosophy (aligning behaviors with whatever your beliefs are).
The do not have a doctrine, rather follow seven principles:
1. The inherent worth and dignity of every person;
2. Justice, equity and compassion in human relations;
3. Acceptance of one another and encouragement to spiritual growth in our congregations;
4. A free and responsible search for truth and meaning;
5. The right of conscience and the use of the democratic process within our congregations and in society at large;
6. The goal of world community with peace, liberty, and justice for all;
7. Respect for the interdependent web of all existence of which we are a part.
If you, like me, ever need a place to connect with people and if the WTS has knocked the desire to be religious out of you, I really recommend the UU. It seems that most congregations are similar to mine.
Best,
Zarco
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101
How do you feel about the pledge of allegiance now?
by SweetBabyCheezits infor you us citizens (and those whose nations have a similar patriotic oath), how do you feel about your children saying the pledge in school if it's customary?.
my daughter is in 3rd grade and part of her school's morning routine includes the pledge.
when we stopped attending meetings a year ago, my wife and i explained to her that we don't agree with the jw "idolatry" classification so, naturally, she started joining her class in the pledge.. fast forward to the present: my wife and i are both non-theists who want to raise ethical, caring, tolerant children, but also children who aren't afraid to stand apart, especially when that stand isn't popular.
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zarco
SBC -
You sound like a great dad. We did our best to raise our daughter to question, to be brave, to stand up for and choose her own beliefs and other than a few times when I was afraid for her, she turned out to be a wonderful young woman. If I can make a suggestion, I would share this "thread" with her and the responses and listen to her thinking on it. Would love to hear what she has to say.
Best,
zarco
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86
They really are pooping their pants over these latest "signs"...
by undercover ini've seen a few threads/posts where some of y'all have heard from jw contacts and how they've stepped up their 'the end is close' rhetoric because of the earthquake/tsunami in japan.
i usually take those things with a grain of salt.
there's always some jw whose cheese has slipped that reads prophecy into every little thing that happens.
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zarco
It is a heartbreaking catastrophe, however a simple review of the Black Death in 14th century Europe where 30 percent to maybe 70 percent of the population died might help put some of these modern day disasters in perspective.
zarco
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78
May 22, 1969 Awake! promises "you will never grow old" - Creative Writing
by Mad Sweeney inthe year is 1969. faithful followers of the watchtower society are gearing up for the imminent end of the system of things just as they had been for the previous ninety years.
a young witness named andrew is trying to decide what to do with his life.
andrew is a smart kid and he has an entire lifetime ahead of him.
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zarco
Really well written, Mad. And very typical of many JWs.
The 1969 Awake was used by a kindly Congregation Servant in helping me with making choice about what classes to take in high school and also why I should turn down a scholarship to go to college. Fortunately, later in life I disobeyed the WTS's kindly "dumb-arse" advice and went to college.
Secondly, a few years ago some uber-JWs were at our house and we were dicussing their child's educational opportunities. They mentioned that the Circuit Overseer mentioned that the WTS advice on education has always been the same. Starting with the 1969 Awake and then the Lloyd Barry inspired easing on this stance and then the current return to 1969 thinking (read lack of thinking), we were easily able to show that the CO was misinformed and likely misleading in his comments.
Our "friends" have not been back to visit since:)
Best,
zarco
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6
Afterlife, Hitchens, Harris, Wolpe.
by cyberjesus inthey were at the university i teach last week.
watch this interesting conversation.. http://www.archive.org/details/afterlifedebatewchristopherhitchenssamharrisrabbidavidwolpeand.
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zarco
San Harris has a new book - The Moral Landscpape - which is very thought provoking. His arguments seem better constructed than some of his earlier attacking style. I really enjoyed the book.
zarco