eyeslice

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Posts by eyeslice

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  4

  Making big issues of non issues

  by eyeslice in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  looking at my avatar, which is not me by the way, sort of made think that it seems to me that the organisation has the unfortunate knack of making big issues out of trivial, non-issues.

  take beards for instance, an long time favorite for discussion on this board.

  one of the only two times in nearly 50 years in the 'truth' that i ever got counselled, i was always a 'goody two shoes' in those days, was over taking the ministry school wearing a full beard.

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  eyeslice

  Looking at my avatar, which is not me by the way, sort of made think that it seems to me that the organisation has the unfortunate knack of making big issues out of trivial, non-issues.
  
  Take beards for instance, an long time favorite for discussion on this board. One of the only two times in nearly 50 years in the 'truth' that I ever got counselled, I was always a 'goody two shoes' in those days, was over taking the Ministry School wearing a full beard. What happened was that I had been on holiday, and as I wasn't as grey in those days, always like to grow my beard for a week or two. I came back home but didn't shave it off immediately, and ended up taking the school, and if I remember rightly, a Service meeting part. So, I got the private counsel treatment.
  
  A brother was assigned to approach me about the incident, at the behest of a number on the body of elders, remember I was an elder too at the time, so this sort of thing is always a bit clandestine. He quoted that ancient Watchtower about a beard brother on the work one day being told by the lady of the house that he looked like a drafting dodging hippie (not an exact quote I have hyped it up slightly). Anyway he went on a bit about it. I wasn't too bothered about it and was always a loyal witness at the time but I did point out that Charles Russell wore a beard and that as far as I was concerned the no beard policy was more of a reflection of right wing American thinking; the reason GIs are clean shaven and have cropped hair is to make them look the same and conform. As I said, I wasn't too bothered by the incident or the counsel as I had already shaved my beard off by that time. The 'counsel' was given about a month after the 'incident' and by the Sunday following that dark Thursday of the sight of a bearded elder on the platform I had already shaved it off.
  
  So as far as I was concerned at the time it was a bit of a non issue, and now I don't go to the meeting, guess what? Most of the times I don't wear a beard and certainly am not offended by others who do.
  
  I should mention other non issues, sisters having to wear dresses or skirts to the meeting, pre teen kids being made to look stupid by having to wear a suit, shirt and tie to the meetings.
  
  None of these things have anything to do with our spirituality or our quest to find God and our place in this universe, which are the important things that religion should be helping it adherents with.
  
  Eyeslice (a bit like Salman Rushtie but without the beard or the talent)
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  12

  What is a Presiding Overseer, just a super elder

  by insearchoftruth in

  1. watchtower
  2. beliefs

  the husband of my wife's study conductor is a po, what is so special about this position, what are the responsibilities?

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  eyeslice

  I think it is important to the organization that they get an 'organizational' man as presiding overseer.
  
  A few years back our presiding overseer moved to another congregation and it was interesting to see the hassling for the position that went. I know was in the running myself but am sure that I didn't fit the ideal 'company' man image.
  
  However, I was approached by a couple of elders and asked who I thought should be presiding overseer; elder X the real company man with no people skills, and certainly not an inspirational sort of person, or elder Y, a real 'people person', caring and loving but total disorganised. My answer was "we can help organize brother, Y but you can never make a non people person caring and loving, go for the spiritual not the company man.
  
  Remembering, it is the CO that has the final say in these sort of things but that he does take opinion from the BoEs, who do you think got appointed? You guessed it brother X.
  
  He then gangs up with his cronies, and within a year they have made life so difficult for brother Y that he ends up leaving the congregation after one of the most acrimonious elders meetings I have had the misfortune to attend.
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  22

  No further education - is the policy backfiring?

  by eyeslice in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  it seems to me that there was a softening of the no further education edict for a little while.

  but just lately the 'dangers' of pursuing further education and worldly careers has been made a real issue again.

  it seems to me though that this has as much danger of driving the very ones they would like to keep, the talented, the bright, the high achievers, out of the organization.

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  eyeslice

  Hi Pistoff - totally agree with your comments.
  
  Those young ones I see remaining in do so because of family pressure. The only way they can date, and hence eventually have sex, is to get baptised - strange thought isn't it. But if you are a young one and not baptised, the whole of the congregation has been taught to view you as unacceptable. I have not seen what I would term a 'spiritual' young person get baptised in years.
  
  May be I am cynical here, but I can always see other motives than wanting to serve God.
  
  Eyeslice
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  22

  No further education - is the policy backfiring?

  by eyeslice in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  it seems to me that there was a softening of the no further education edict for a little while.

  but just lately the 'dangers' of pursuing further education and worldly careers has been made a real issue again.

  it seems to me though that this has as much danger of driving the very ones they would like to keep, the talented, the bright, the high achievers, out of the organization.

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  eyeslice

  It seems to me that there was a softening of the no further education edict for a little while. But just lately the 'dangers' of pursuing further education and worldly careers has been made a real issue again. It seems to me though that this has as much danger of driving the very ones they would like to keep, the talented, the bright, the high achievers, out of the organization.
  
  Although I no longer attend the meetings, my 17 year son has continued to attend with his mother. That is until a couple of weeks ago when he told me that he was going to stop attending. And the reason; he wants to go to university. He was 'encouraged' by the elders to pioneer from leaving school but he can see that there is no long term future in that. So the society loses yet another youngster.
  
  I am not saying that all the bright ones will leave. One of the brightest kids I know, who could have got into any university a few years back, left school and went straight into the pioneer service. 10 years down the line, she no longer pioneers and is married to a window cleaner. What a waste of such a sweet girl's life.
  
  However, I do see the society hemorrhaging talent. With almost no new converts now a days, the loss of the next generation of people who in the future would be the elders, the organizers, the Kingdom Hall builders, etc, must be worrying to the leadership. Or, perhaps not.
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  34

  How long did you stay active after having major doubts?

  by jambon1 in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  for me, i had doubts from the beginning.

  however, my 1st major doubt came as i had it confirmed that other people felt like i did about certain big issues within the org.

  there were many, i realised, that just knew things were not right.

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  eyeslice

  I think I became disillusioned first, then lacked the motivation to push myself as I had in the past and then the doubts set in. A process that took 2 years from stepping down as an elder, to finding this site, and six months later, deciding simply to stop going to the meetings any more.
  
  10 years ago I was serving in a congregation in a 3rd world conducting just about every meeting. Now it has been 5 years since I have been to a meeting; oh how time flies.
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  10

  What features do you like about this site?

  by eyeslice in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  i detect a level anxiety due to the fact that this site is shortly to close.

  i too find the familiarity of this site reassuring and i feel comfortable navigating my way around it.

  as more of a 'lurker' than a 'poster', i find active topics the best feature of this site, as it means i can log in, and in 5 minutes catch up with the news of the week.

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  eyeslice

  I detect a level anxiety due to the fact that this site is shortly to close. I too find the familiarity of this site reassuring and I feel comfortable navigating my way around it.
  
  As more of a 'lurker' than a 'poster', I find Active Topics the best feature of this site, as it means I can log in, and in 5 minutes catch up with the news of the week.
  
  I ran a forum for a popular author for a while and was always surprised how popular it was and how loyal, even in the event of technical difficulties on occasions, it users were.
  
  What do you look for in a good forum?
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  84

  Longtime JWD posters/professional lurkers with low post counts

  by Black Man in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  hey all,.

  just checkin' in.

  been here since '01, but don't even have 500 posts.

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  eyeslice

  Not sure if I can reach the 1000 post mark before the site closes .... but here's another
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  15

  Witless numbers are not in decline - nobody leaves the Truth.

  by hamsterbait in

  1. watchtower
  2. scandals

  as was pointed out at the circus a$$embly, people are leaving the churches in droves, yet only the constant increase in witless numbers was noted.. why is this?.

  are we too dumb to realize that if somebody stops going to the kingdumb hell and starts living the way they choose, they are not really witlesses, and therefore no witlesses ever leave?.

  or, as freddie f might have argued - bless his rotting dead heart - think of zeno:.

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  eyeslice

  Sort of reminds me of an Eagles song
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  42

  Remembering Danny

  by purplesofa in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  i did not realize i had a topic left.. two years ago my brother committed suicide.. people from this board were very helpful and supportive.. suicide of a loved on is a difficult death to deal with.. my heart goes out to all who have lost a loved one to suicide.

  purps.

  i had this song played at his funeral ......sharing it with you all.. .

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  eyeslice

  purplesofa - I hope and wish for peace for you and your family.

  Perhaps what the sentiments of the song should do is to help us live each day in hope together with an attitude of respect and peace for our family, friends and neighbours.

  May peace be with you.
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  5

  Bible and Sex

  by zagor in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  a documentary that might change your perception of bible for good, or "bad" either way a very good doco, check it out.

  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bky0avzxnhw.

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  eyeslice

  I found the background music strange. Sort of reminded me of assembly Bible dramas!