Posts by bernadette

36

Are we in love with our own pain?

by nvrgnbk in

jw
friends

i've been doing alot of introspection lately, and i've been wondering this about myself.. what has been your experience?.

do we carry our pain around for so long that it becomes a companion, a part of our self-identity?.

though we know it will benefit us to let it go, do we hold on to it, not wanting to lose an old friend, an integral part of ourselves?.

bernadette

Just to add that for many people dealing with suffering won't make it disappear once and for all - it will keep coming back - but we have to remember to keep on dealing with it. But we do have the option of choosing to live self respecting loving lives despite suffering.

44

Jehovah's Witness Radar----Do You Have It?

by minimus in

jw
friends

some people can spot a "gay" person by using their built-in "gaydar".. can you spot a witness easily?

what are the signs that this person must be a witness??

tell us about you "jwdar".....(prounounced jawaydar)..

bernadette

I spotted 2 sisters yesterday - what gave them away was that they were walking very slowly down a residential st, one was elderly and the other approx 20. The younger was turned very respectfully in towards the elderly lady, listening very carefully. I was driving and pulling up very slowly towards a junction, they both looked at me and smiled, I smiled back. I thought wonder if they're witnesses.

By this time I'd come to a stop at the junction, to my horror I noticed in my side mirror that they had turned and were walking very purposefully toward me with leaflets in their hands. What could I do - couldn't have a conversation at a junction, so I waved and shot away.

In my own area I always see witnesses but they never seem to notice me

bernadette

15

Is it easier for a witness (vs Christian) to stop believing in God?

by Guest with Questions in

i dont have any statistics but am curious if there could be any truth to it; that it might be easier for a witness to stop believing vs a christian.

i dont see this at any of the churches i have attended; people leaving in droves with some totally discarding any belief.. 1 the jw org is the only truth.

you question its authority, then you question god.

bernadette

I think relinquishing the structure and security of a high control group like the witness can prompt one towards independent thinking and towards questioning traditional beliefs and embracing the unknown

36

The Mystery behind the Conventions and Assemblies

by The wanderer in

jw
friends

the mystery behind the conventions and assembliesin the organization, the idea behind the conventions was to unite gods people under one roof.. .

looking back and knowing it is not gods organization raises.

a few questions about the conventions and assemblies.. what was the real motivation behind the conventions?did the watchtower hold conventions to show the world god has a united people?.

bernadette

Did the Watchtower hold conventions to show the world God has a united people?

I think conventions are held to show the FDS their power

And to show dubs the power of the FDS

everyone feels important, safe and secure - roll on next convention

30

Im Pregnant!

by katiekitten in

jw
friends

hey gang, ive been away for a while so i thought i would come back with a bang, and share my good news - im 4 months pregnant.. but heres the really weird thing.

littletoe knew before i had told anyone.

he texted me and said "hows the pregnancy going?

bernadette

Congratulations Katie.

I wonder if LT ever gets confused about what he knows through his psychic abilities and what he knows through ordinary interaction (was gonna say through normal interaction but thought better of).

5

Devil and The Deep Blue Sea?

by sweet pea in

jw
friends

how do you view your friends who are still witnesses - do you look at them and wonder how you can get them out or do you think that many are best off staying where they are.

i find myself constantly wondering whether they would prefer to be where besty and i are now or whether they would be so traumatized by leaving when they have such a large family/network of jws that there is no point in even trying to help them to see the truth about "the truth".

some seem genuinely very happy to be a witness (even though its obvious that its all a struggle).

bernadette

I just keep on hoping that one day they will see the light. with regard to family I'm working towards accepting things as they are more. I try and keep aware in case there has been a change of heart. But it isn't easy. I do drop a hint every now and then, but have to remind myself to let it be.

32

Is this normal parenting behavior for JWs?

by oppgirl63 in

jw
friends

last night as i was waiting in my truck for my jw roommate to come out from tms, this lady comes out with a young girl crying.

i would say she was about 8 yrs old.

they were the only ones out there and i don't thing they saw me in my truck.

bernadette

Spanking children, at the meetings, hard enough so tha they cry loudly is very much a practice in our area too - it has always been like that. I have been associated with 3 congregations and this has been true at all three. In the second school in the toilets and outside the kh.

There was one disfellowshipped person who used to make a note every time a mother spanked her child - don't know what he did with his info as he never got re-instated. Hopefully he reported all the goings on to the authorities.

bernadette

43

607 to 1914 calculation question

by bluebell in

is there any culture that actually used years of 360 days length?

if so, surely there would still be some kind of leap year to correct the calendar, why is that not taken into account?

i'd never thought about it when i was a dub because you're not supposed to think!

bernadette

The egg illustration was funny to me because I work in a hatchery. We hatch out one and a quarter million chicks a week.

It is four in the morning...I woke up...gotta drink.....checked this.

I am horrible at numbers: I will try to get my head around this, tommorrow.

I appreciate you all's patience.

V

Lol - hope they let you take some eggs home free

I remember trying to explain about the 1914 calculation to my mum. She said I'll listen if you do it without the witness books and with my catholic bible. Like a fool I agreed - I tried for an hour to explain it - simply couldn't, the numbers just wouldn't add up. When I told a witness about it he said you need holy spirit to explain the deep things of God ... always use the publications

43

607 to 1914 calculation question

by bluebell in

is there any culture that actually used years of 360 days length?

if so, surely there would still be some kind of leap year to correct the calendar, why is that not taken into account?

i'd never thought about it when i was a dub because you're not supposed to think!

bernadette

Bluebell, thanks for bringing up this topic - It gave me the opportunity to casually raise the same Q with a JW - hopfully he is thinking.

43

607 to 1914 calculation question

by bluebell in

is there any culture that actually used years of 360 days length?

if so, surely there would still be some kind of leap year to correct the calendar, why is that not taken into account?

i'd never thought about it when i was a dub because you're not supposed to think!

bernadette

cyber/vernon

her's an illustration to explain

Say you went to a shop and asked for 6 dozen eggs - you'd be expecting to get five packs of 12 eggs.

But the shopkeeper could give you 6 packs of 10 eggs.

So you've got 6 packs as opposed to 5 packs.

same with the calculation - 2520 divided by 360 =

whereas 2520 divided by 364/365=

you do the math - don't have a calculator handy.

bernadette

also Leo pointed out that the jews themselves allowed for the extra days each year as festivals or whatever so their calenders were still in harmony with the earth's revolution (more or less).