humbled

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Posts by humbled

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  40

  So I'm going through a really difficult time right now.

  by scaredtospeak in

  1. jw
  2. experiences

  i was publicly reproved last year and the elders have taken their sweet time in reinstating my "privileges".

  it's been six months and i can't answer at the meetings or participate in the theocratic ministry school.

  in all honesty- i don't care about the privileges.

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  humbled

  Two of my 3 daughters had the eyes of the elders on them--both left the JWs--one had been baptised.

  My youngest liked to dress "well"-- those days (only 5-6 years ago)that could have seemed too provocative--she walked a fine line Also, when the elders leaned on her to get baptised, she told them that she didn't have a relationship with God to justify that step. You might try talking to your mother about that--maybe she will get off you about being open-minded about JWs if you remind her it is about God and you not the Organization(on second thought, she might not be open to that line of thought).

  Really, a lot of the young women in the congregations I was around had difficulties. Hauled in for one thing and another, pregnancies, sneaking out, spotty meeting attendence, drinking, keeping the wrong company.

  Teen years are tough any way. You will get away eventually.

  I am sorry that you can't confide in your mother. Just let her know that you love her--and that Jesus let each person choose what to do. You need to have people back off and not be crowding you. See if you can at least gain that ground--and try to be happy with it until you are out of the house.

  It is hard. But you will make it--steady as you go.

  Maeve
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  52

  Are first world countries to blame for the bulk of third world squalor?

  by tootired2care in

  1. social
  2. current

  throughout several past threads various posters have emphatically made the point that countries like great britian, united states, france etc.

  basically countries where white people exist, are to blame for the poverty in many other third world nations.

  some have even went so far as to suggest that the first world is to blame for all third world conditions.. i often see excuses such as these for why a country refuses to provide clean water, some food and basic sanitation for its people:.

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  humbled

  If one is born in despair it is hard to have a vision of hope, redvip2000.

  As a previous poster mentioned, the squalor of Native American reservations does not reflect the culture that they had before their decimation and removal.

  They have a culture now--but it too often has become one of violence and substance abuse.

  Have you ever lived in a broken community? I have lived in a community that has been breaking down for the past 40 years. The grandparents of the young men and women having babies here were hard working, pretty solid folks. There has been a breach in the culture--I have watched it--been involved in it-I raised 7 children around it. The young are struggling and failing to a great extent. The people on the margins of a technological society need strong families to make it--when the vision breaks down it is hard to repair.

  When you get to know the back story of some, it is not so easy to write them off.

  also--about housing projects-Sometimes it is hard to assess what you see(And of course, I don't know what YOU, redvip are seeing at all) But the poor always have had more street presence than the middle class.

  My daughter had a photo essay that was the cover story published two months ago in the Washington Post about the housing project she lives in. It's also on line. It doesn't take a "position" on who is responsible. But it gives more texture to the discussion were have here.

  Type in "Darcy Courteau Washington Post" " the Faces of Carver Langston"

  Edit: To gather my posts on this topic--yes, there is a lot of responsiblity among the "haves" for the situation of the "have nots" that result from their invasive and extractive use of the land and the people (sometimes in their own countries). But I am trying to say that it isn't as simple as some would have it.
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  52

  Are first world countries to blame for the bulk of third world squalor?

  by tootired2care in

  1. social
  2. current

  throughout several past threads various posters have emphatically made the point that countries like great britian, united states, france etc.

  basically countries where white people exist, are to blame for the poverty in many other third world nations.

  some have even went so far as to suggest that the first world is to blame for all third world conditions.. i often see excuses such as these for why a country refuses to provide clean water, some food and basic sanitation for its people:.

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  humbled

  Simon,

  For he past five days I thought of this thread-and your comments here:

  You wrote ".....Besides that I think the other great achievement is in organization and management of people and resources for a purpose (my emphasis).

  Those are the things that the 3rd world seems to struggle with. Why do they need the west to dig a well or build a school?"

  Your statements and the question reframes the topic into a more accessible one. Like: what makes one life better than another and what or who should make that better life attainable?

  You said: for a purpose.

  A man who grew up on the border of Alsace-Lorraine, Jean Frederich Oberlin (1740-1826) provided an example to any of us who toy with the idea of philanthropy or else bear with the frustration that we are the perpetrators of our own failure to thrive.

  One of several children of a school teacher, became a clergyman and moved to the desperately poor Vosges region in the mountains and through his own gentle prodding and example (HE shouldered a pick to build a road--the skeptical peasants followed and then pitched in) transformed the lives of the parishes around him over the next 60 years of his life. Interdenominational--he welcomed absolutely all to his services. He showed them how to work as a community, to value education and kindness. How to improve the quality of the seedstock and orchards and how to improve the soil with compost!

  The effect he had on the dignity of the poor, the ELEVATION FROM SQUALOR, the fact that the peasants there were relatively safe from extreme want during hard times due to the principals of public welfare becoming each person's personal responsibility created a growing fame. In circles both secular and religious his result astounded. /the entire population learned how to take care of one another.

  A GOOD PURPOSE REALIZED

  No one had had anything but contempt for these dirty, backward people who spoke their own backwoods dialect --until he came and stayed. When he arrived there was a hut designated as "the School". It was occupied by children too young to work and overseen by a former pig-herder--a man unable to work OR teach, "Sir, I cannot teach as I know nothing myself." He developed a schooling system that is a model for today--with hardly a penny spent!

  In the U.S. in 1833 a college was established and named for him-Oberlin College opened to Blacks, white and women! Astonishing given the times.

  I have read a 150 year old biography taken from his journal. It is a small book, available on line. It should be read by all.

  notable that his funeral was attended by Catholics, Lutherans, Jews and all who realized that his legacy was really one that was a treasure.

  I encourage anyone who finds the problems of poverty distressing, unapproachable and unmanagable.

  Just had to bring this in.

  Maeve
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  22

  A Nice Story.

  by Wrath of Jehu in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  friends.. i'm sure you will all be encouraged by this nice story related to me by a brother in my old congregation.

  4 year old "jana" (not her real name), is from a witness family in a middle sized city.

  she has faced many challenges in her pre-school class.

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  humbled

  I learned the Apostles' Creed as a child Catholic.
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  72

  A "My Book of Bible Stories" tale that I've always hated

  by JimmyPage in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  i've always hated story #53: "jepthah's promise".

  i always felt sorry for the daughter who had to spend the rest of her days at the tabernacle because her father made a numb-nuts promise to god.

  who did he think he was, making promises for other people?

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  humbled

  Sorry-Put in google search then--Genesis Chapter 22-Parallel Hebrew Old Testament.
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  4

  War: large scale self-defense? What is the Christian remedy?

  by Terry in

  1. watchtower
  2. beliefs
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  humbled

  Never was popular.

  Augustine of Hippo changed Jesus' teaching on "turn the other cheek" as fast as he could when war was on his doorstep--the Vandals at Hippo.

  I can agree that if assault becomes personal--I will respond. But do not tell me a cock-and-bull story or feed me a political mish-mash of misinformation and expect me to fight.

  Terrorism? we should first fight it by not going into a Muslim country--such as Iraq-- raiding the oil and leaving the common people with less infrastructure than they had before we attacked the bad guys there--bad guys that the U.S. had supported for years.

  I am sick of the reactive behavior of U.S. citizens. I am sick of the reactive behavior of other citizens of other countries. It will be a great time when we TALK to people we see in airports and farmers' markets who are different from ourselves ---or we think are different.

  They are and they aren't different--we should find better ways.

  Well--there.

  War is hell.

  Edit: Why do soldiers come home with mental health problems--especially NOW? The "Just War" just doesn't resonate sufficient to the horror that they are involved with-- the horrors that they perpetrate as much as any.

  There has to be better way.

  What do you think,Terry?

  re-edit:Oops! You want a Christian perspective? Sorry--I am prolly not orthodox enough to qualify. I don't believe the Bible was really "inspired" by god--He just wasn't breathing hard enough.
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  31

  JWs and Exclusivity

  by Don Schneider in

  1. watchtower
  2. beliefs

  jesus, mark 9-40 (nwt).

  the jehovahs witnesses assert exclusivity.

  that is, they are the only true christian faith.

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  humbled

  Hello, Don1

  A great scripture--one that was never referenced in the 22 years I was a JW.

  The (N) NWT bible the JWs use is stuffed with cross-references that are meant to bind us irrevocably to "the Truth". But clearly that was a problem scrpture. So they chose to supply antidotes to this very inclusive verse.

  WTS gives Mark 9:40 cross references to a couple of verses that shape-shift the matter of inclusiveness. Both Mt. 12:30 and Lu. 11:23 say this: "He that is not on my side is against me, and he that does not gather with me scatters." The context has no bearing on the subject that triggered the topic in Mark

  This is where the WTS jumps the subject inherent in the original story in Mark 9 which makes clear that the MAN WHO IS NOT WALKING WITH THE "IN" GROUP OF JESUS IS JUST FINE--

  So the WTS then makes a cross reference from Lu. 11:23--a verse has no relevance to Mark's point-- to John 11:52. You find yourself dumped in a slag heap that can only mean that you must have arrived at the door of ( Ta-ta!) The Anointed! " and not for the nation only, but in order that the children of God who are scattered about might also be gathered together in one."

  The cross-references from John 11 fan out into the epistles. There, once again you can relax again in more verses that encourage universal brotherhood in Jesus--but only after the ever vigilant WTS has navigated you past those treacherous currents of real, genuine inclusiveness.

  It is a cult.

  l
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  72

  A "My Book of Bible Stories" tale that I've always hated

  by JimmyPage in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  i've always hated story #53: "jepthah's promise".

  i always felt sorry for the daughter who had to spend the rest of her days at the tabernacle because her father made a numb-nuts promise to god.

  who did he think he was, making promises for other people?

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  humbled

  If anyone hasn't seen how spare the clues were in the oldest stories of the bible, have a look at this:

  www.hebrewoldtestament.com/BO1CO22.htm

  It shows the Paleo-Hebrew script of Genesis 22 along with various english translations. How could we be raked over the coals by anyone who thought they knew what was said/meant here?

  As Apog noted above,"Much of every sentence is inferred rather than verbalized.
• 
  72

  A "My Book of Bible Stories" tale that I've always hated

  by JimmyPage in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  i've always hated story #53: "jepthah's promise".

  i always felt sorry for the daughter who had to spend the rest of her days at the tabernacle because her father made a numb-nuts promise to god.

  who did he think he was, making promises for other people?

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  humbled

  Not only that, Apog, but in the time that the elders were dealing with the matter, I saw a picture of a potsherd from the era during which much of the scriptures purportedly were committed to writing. I took a print in of the crude rendering of words from the time--

  OMG! I asked the brothers how could anyone derive a tight theology from so crude a presentation of thought!
• 
  39

  Well, it was your basic KH wedding, now 40 years later

  by JeffT in

  1. jw
  2. experiences

  my wife and i still like each other.

  fortieth is "ruby.

  " since rubies aren't in the budget, we went to ruby beach for the weekend.

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  humbled

  what a great thing that is--40 years that you celebrate--together!

  Great smiles on the two of you!

  Great way to mark the day!

  Thanks for sharing it here.