NotaNess

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Posts by NotaNess

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  43

  Jesus was not a carpenter, Let's end the lies! He was a stone mason

  by magdalenefan in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  i believe jesus was not a wood carpenter like long believed and taught by the churches.

  i think this is a lie!.

  i believe he was a stone mason.

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  NotaNess

  Interesting, but reminds me of thinking Jesus is Michael the Archangel.
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  19

  Can't have kids while working at Bethel? This is like Anti-family right?

  by NotaNess in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  i found out about this a couple years ago.

  it was one of those shockers, that is just hard to accept when you hear about it, when you're not in the "truth".. i posed the question, "why can't they just have a daycare system setup.

  seems that would be a standard setup", but one witness from bethel told me "cause it's not the responsibility of the organization to raise our kids".

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  NotaNess

  You need hugs.

  As I've stated, I truly am in deep feelings for yours and other's situations. This reason is why also, that I have somewhat of a need to vent my thoughts on this orgs control, as do those who are ex-jws. You don't have to be an active or in-active to see and feel the pain of your situation.

  This is the last thing you want to hear but, if you have a hard time finding comfort in your struggle, read some other's posts on not giving up on God, finding Christ, feeling real un-conditional love and compassion in a local Christian congregation. You will experience things unlike you were conditioned to in the "truth".

  I belong to a more contemporary youthful on the edge kind of church, very creative and active, fun and uplifting. Great for lifting spirits. We have many programs, and groups to help with life issues, fellowship and support. When you get into some of the older, more traditional types of churches, you don't get that same energized "on fire" for God experience, but the message is still pretty much the same when it's all boiled down. It's the style that can really make a difference for different people, it did for me.

  If this is completely out of the question, find some other loving friendly good moral based community group, that you can volunteer or join in at. You can make great friends, that can help ease what you're going through until it hopefully works out the way you need it to. I also know you probably get a ton of love here too.

  For some Christian energy start by juicing up with some good alternative Christian groups like:

  By the Tree / Newsboys / Switchfoot / Chris Tomlin / Jeremy Camp / David Crowder Band / Superchick / Kutless

  If you just want to sample their styles, go to iTunes and search these groups, double click on 30 second clips of their songs.

  Keep your chin up, hang in there.
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  19

  Can't have kids while working at Bethel? This is like Anti-family right?

  by NotaNess in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  i found out about this a couple years ago.

  it was one of those shockers, that is just hard to accept when you hear about it, when you're not in the "truth".. i posed the question, "why can't they just have a daycare system setup.

  seems that would be a standard setup", but one witness from bethel told me "cause it's not the responsibility of the organization to raise our kids".

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  NotaNess

  You missed my point, NotaNess. I’ve read a lot of your posts and it seems like you are all too willing to take shots at the JWs, but have you ever had the courage to sit back and evaluate your religious beliefs and the ideas that you were indoctrinated with as a child? If not, what the hell do you think gives you the right to sit back in judgment of others? It’s easy for you to sit back and poke holes at the JW religion, but have you ever gone through what we that have left the religion have undergone? Do you know how difficult it is to lose faith in everything you ever believed was true? The people you seem so happy to poke fun at are people that include my parents, siblings, and friends I grew up around. I don’t really appreciate the tone you take, or are you one of those voyeuristic sick bastards that likes to slow down at the scene of an accident to see if you can catch a glimpse of a dead body lying at the side of the road.
  
  A lot of use here have gone through excruciating pain and misery that you will never understand. You can choose to hide behind your long-held religious beliefs, but it means nothing to me unless you can honestly sit back and say that you’ve gone through the process we’ve gone through of analyzing your faith and reexamining it with honesty and openness. I have read a lot of the posts from other non-JWs that are very courteous and respectful. Many of them sympathize with us and try to help us out. A lot of them openly accept criticism of their own faith and try to earnestly search for truth. What do you want? To prove that JWs are wrong? We know that already. This is a forum that XJWs use to try to help find others for moral support and companionship. I have no patience for religious people that come on these types of discussion boards to poke fun of and criticize the JW faith UNLESS they are willing to critically assess their faith as well, or do you still believe in the fairy tales you were taught as a child?
  
  For all the former JW that now embrace another religious set of beliefs, this isn’t directed at you. This is directed a religious people that show the same stubbornness and narrow-mindedness that JWs show and come on these types of discussion boards to criticize JWs yet refuse to recognize that their religious beliefs might be wrong.

  Where do I start? If you haven't read my post on some reasons why I joined here, I'll elaborate.

  For the last 3 years, I've spent approximately 6,000 hours of my life working/living with about 7 JWs where I work. To put it in perspective, there's 8 people that work at this place. I'm the only one who's not a witness. And I've been baptised and belong to a church for only 3 years as well. You've heard the term "a sheep among wolves" right? Well, I'm living it. They know I think they are living a lie and are under mind control. We've had many arguements, as you can imagine. This forum is truly a venting place for my situation, you have no idea. But I mean no harm to anyone. Dealing with these people is half of my daily living. I was interested in learning their version of faith in the beginning, but was immediately pushed away after discovering things like you all did here on this forum for the first time. But I've been all over the net with my researching too. I was lurking here for possibly a couple years before I joined.

  What you call poking fun is your opinion. For me it's pointing out faults, that are WORSE than the faults of other faiths, even my own. I already stated in my previous post that I wasn't saying other faiths were perfect, so pay attention. And I have to tell you, there are a lot more posters here with uglier comments than what I've stated.

  I have stated in other posts, that I respect everyone here, but if I have something to say, I'm gonna say it, and I won't be using potty mouth to do it as some others do.

  I've spent many discussions previous to my walk with Christ, arguing the validity of the bible with many Christians. I've always believed in God though. I am relatively new at having my faith, but I don't have to have that faith to see what's wrong with this organization. I could be athiest, and would still point out the faults of the WTS, plenty of others do.

  I know scripture talks about judging others, but the reality is we do judge people, and if we don't it can be careless.

  Trust me when I tell you, I feel for you witnesses that were under this mind control in your lives and the damage it has done, and those currently living it. I see what you all have experienced and, I experience some of it at work on a regular basis. Mostly my situation at work is, I have to keep my mouth shut, and keep it all inside or there's problems, so what that does is force me to have to listen to comments, that I can't stand up and give alternative discussion to. Believe it or not, these people have also become kind of like family as well. I truly care about my co-workers, and that's what is also troubling for me. It's like seeing a family member caught up on drugs, and I can't help out.

  I'm sorry if you thought I've been just out to bash witnesses, but that's not my goal. Some here are ex-jws, and don't have to put up with actives, I have to daily. I think I've got reason to be here. If any of you think I should go, I will, just let me know. But I need atleast 2 witnesses though on anything that's pointed out as reason I should go though, & a JWDF Judicial Committee to visit my house to let me know on what grounds.
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  105

  After reading many topics.. I'm confused. Is this a JW forum or an ANTI-JW?

  by MichaelM in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  i'm studying with a jehovah's witness and it makes quite a bit of sense but i've been reading many topics on here and it seems that i can find every christian denomination and every religion except jehovahs witnesses.

  do any jw's actually browse here?

  maybe i'm just getting unlucky and picking the wrong topics where everyones discussing about how they used to be jw's.

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  NotaNess

  Not to worry, he's gonna soak it all in. You can't ignore looking into a subject(the Truth), and discovering that there are thousands probably who are exposing many of its faults. Just when he was starting to agree with this Witness, he finds out it's not exactly how it's being presented to him in study. And not only how it's being presented, but on this forum, he get's the experience of what's to come if he follows this false organization that uses scripture to manipulate.

  He'll be able to figure it out.
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  27

  For Warlock:

  by SixofNine in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  the other day, i wrote: .

  "a good way to do that would be to proactively hold their civilian leadership accountable.

  to which you responded: .

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  NotaNess

  Trying to stop people from killing us out of hate, will always be valid.

  Just showing you're arguments are relatively small compared to other wars. This however does not lessen the importance of the loss of lives we are incurring in this war on terrorism. Enjoy your freedom to relax here in the US, and don't forget to be thankful for those past leaders and soldiers that made tough decisions and lost lives to have that freedom. You would probably be angry with them as well too, regardless.
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  19

  Can't have kids while working at Bethel? This is like Anti-family right?

  by NotaNess in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  i found out about this a couple years ago.

  it was one of those shockers, that is just hard to accept when you hear about it, when you're not in the "truth".. i posed the question, "why can't they just have a daycare system setup.

  seems that would be a standard setup", but one witness from bethel told me "cause it's not the responsibility of the organization to raise our kids".

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  NotaNess

  I'm no fan of JWs (I just got away after giving them the best years of my youth), but this is no more anti-family than priests and nuns not being able to have kids, or Christian missionaries, for that matter. I personally have very little tolerance for religious people that point out the flaws in the JW system belief system but can't see that those very flaws are present in their own system of belief. These people are just like current JWs, in my opinion.

  Well good thing I'm not in a faith that agrees with the priest and nun situation then huh? Now you can tolerate me. However, I might agree if you were comparing apples to apples but you're not.

  I'm not talking about leaders in faith, I'm talking about an organization that says, "if you want to do good for God here, then you'll have to ignore starting a family, or enjoying the love that comes with having a family", so you can't serve Jehovah, and have a family there. Same goes for the Catholics, or any faith that TAKES LOVE OUT of living for God. That leaves a negative not a positive. It's anti-God. It's slavery. This is how little the WTS thinks of it's R & F. You just can't do 2 things at once as a witness, I guess.

  I'll point out flaws in this False organization all day long, doesn't mean other faiths are perfect in my mind, we are all sinners and flawed are we not? Some just more than others apparently.

  It is true that in the witness system of things in Bethel, kids are spared the aggressive brain washing, and that IS good, I totally agree. The Christian Church as a whole, has a much better program for it's children, no doubt about it. But it stands to reason, this is just another reason, the dubs have so little followers comparitively. Poor agenda, poor programs, lack of creativity, thought control, hate, feelings of superiority, closed minded, tunnel vision, mis-leading, conditional love.........................................................................................
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  19

  Can't have kids while working at Bethel? This is like Anti-family right?

  by NotaNess in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  i found out about this a couple years ago.

  it was one of those shockers, that is just hard to accept when you hear about it, when you're not in the "truth".. i posed the question, "why can't they just have a daycare system setup.

  seems that would be a standard setup", but one witness from bethel told me "cause it's not the responsibility of the organization to raise our kids".

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  NotaNess

  Juni typed:

  I noticed from reading 5th generation's post about his daughter's b/day that you also have a 10 year old daughter. I raised 4 (3 boys, 1 girl) in the organization. There is no way in h*** that I would want to submit them to such a regimented lifestyle w/all that goes along with it.

  Not sure I quite get which side you're favoring here.

  Do you mean the deprivation of kids enjoyment of birthdays or you think that birthdays are a big hassle, ie. putting them together. As in 4 kids = lots of work?

  If you mean the latter, then I would say that sounds like Witnesses griping about "worldly" people putting up decorations for the Holidays...."why would anyone want to go through all that"?, is what I've heard from them.

  I'll sum it up - joy, happiness, fun, creativety, family & friends. Kind of what God gave to us to have don't you think?

  If you meant the deprivation, then yes I agree, witness kids are very much deprived of some of the happier things in life.

  As for the Bethel thing, it was very sarcasticly implied. The point is that they feel they have to leave kids out of the flow of things, based on THEIR way of doing things in the borganization. If done lovingly and with common sense, kids would not impede the structure there. Atleast that's what those with "honest" hearts feel.
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  27

  For Warlock:

  by SixofNine in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  the other day, i wrote: .

  "a good way to do that would be to proactively hold their civilian leadership accountable.

  to which you responded: .

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  NotaNess

  Consider about 600,000 or more American lives were lost in 4 years during the American Civil War.
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  27

  For Warlock:

  by SixofNine in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  the other day, i wrote: .

  "a good way to do that would be to proactively hold their civilian leadership accountable.

  to which you responded: .

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  NotaNess

  Hemp Lover and Sparkplug,

  Chew on this when you want to overly dramatize the war, let's compare your 5 years comment to these battles that took place over just periods of days: Some numbers on American deaths in battles below--

  The Wilderness, May 5-7:	17,666
  Spotsylvania, May 10 and 12:	10,920
  Drewry's Bluff, May 12-16	4,160
  Cold Harbor, June 1-3:	12,000
  Petersburg, June 15-30	16,569

  My point was for everyone to stop the arguing in these posts.
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  19

  Seems this Forum was started by Pro-Witness people, what say you?

  by NotaNess in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  if you go back to the original posts, it looks a whole bunch different than it does now.

  the posts are like being at a sunday kingdom hall greeting session.. anyone care to comment?.

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  NotaNess

  Monophonic

  EXACTLY my thoughts too.