Posts by lrkr

4

What is this week's book study "lesson"?

by lrkr in

i've been told that its very "powerful" and been asked to attend as a personal favor to a loved one.. i might- as a personal favor- attend.. lord knows- i sat through a conservative jewish sing/reading of the torah as a favor..

lrkr

So, shall I rip my garments apart in recognition of the fact that I have pained the true god??? WTF?!! where do I start? Listening to an hour of incomprehensible singing is great compared to being beaten with guilt over "falling away" from the True God.

How did I get involved with a 20th century cult that uses 3000 year old torment, doom and guilt structures???

Yes mercy and loving kindness should motivate me to use high pressure sales tactics and coercion on other to persuade them to join my thought control cult!!!!

And not going to meetings is clearly a result of my pride and arrogance- not my desire to coach little league!!!!

Maybe I should look to the elders for support- they can tell me to read the bible more and come to meetings. Yeesh!!!

4

What is this week's book study "lesson"?

by lrkr in

i've been told that its very "powerful" and been asked to attend as a personal favor to a loved one.. i might- as a personal favor- attend.. lord knows- i sat through a conservative jewish sing/reading of the torah as a favor..

lrkr

I've been told that its very "powerful" and been asked to attend as a personal favor to a loved one.

I might- as a personal favor- attend.

Lord knows- I sat through a conservative Jewish sing/reading of the Torah as a favor.

5

OK which one of you knows Pete and Mary- my neighbors

by lrkr in

jw
friends

we had our lovely across the street neighbors over about a month ago.

somehow, after a little wine and margaritas, the subject got onto religions.

they asked what religion we are (a baited question- they've watched us pile into the car 3-5 times a week wearing a suit for a few years).

lrkr

BTW- whats up with me being "Emperor Class" with only 400 posts- I must have missed where Simon seriously lowered the standards here.

5

OK which one of you knows Pete and Mary- my neighbors

by lrkr in

jw
friends

we had our lovely across the street neighbors over about a month ago.

somehow, after a little wine and margaritas, the subject got onto religions.

they asked what religion we are (a baited question- they've watched us pile into the car 3-5 times a week wearing a suit for a few years).

lrkr

Making non-witness friends has not been the problem- In fact it probably was one of the things that aided in my escape. But talking about the witness experience with new friends- that was tremendously liberating.

So- no takers yet??

5

OK which one of you knows Pete and Mary- my neighbors

by lrkr in

jw
friends

we had our lovely across the street neighbors over about a month ago.

somehow, after a little wine and margaritas, the subject got onto religions.

they asked what religion we are (a baited question- they've watched us pile into the car 3-5 times a week wearing a suit for a few years).

lrkr

We had our lovely across the street neighbors over about a month ago. Somehow, after a little wine and margaritas, the subject got onto religions. They asked what religion we are (a baited question- they've watched us pile into the car 3-5 times a week wearing a suit for a few years). I explained that I was raised as a Witness but am not active anymore. Sooo, turns out they are good friends of someone on this board- but I've misplaced your number- so if you could just PM me if you recognize the circumstances.

BTW- this was kind of a big milestone for me- talking about being a "former" Witness with people who are friends but were never witnesses. Its liberating to talk about it a little. (I'm still quite embarrassed to discuss it much with too many people- and my wife is plain terrified that the gestapo will come and get me)

18

Former J.W. Now atheist?

by Aculama in

just curious.... did the disallusionment of j.w.

experience make you hate god or disbelieve everything about god?

could it be god's grace that kept you from or freed you from their hold on you?

lrkr

Nod to Done4Good- Hows it going?

I think that the WT teaches you to be proud of being different, question orthodoxy and tradition, and at least pay lip service to intellectual curiosity. When the blinds finally fall off you have no problem applying all of those traits to all religion, and then to God, etc. It seems that many of us are athiestic or agnostic. I think part of it is that we were told all of our lives that religion was bad. We have lost the innocence of childhood and are cynical adults.

"We are all athiests about most of the gods that humanity has believed in. Some of us just go one god further." R. Dawkins

13

Brooklyn Bethal lunch break.

by greenhornet in

hello all you apostates.

got a quick question on the lunch break at brooklyn.

when you are working at the factory how long is lunch?

lrkr

Now they have dining rooms in the Office complex and at the Sands building (near the Factory)- so the walk isn't what it once was (I still dont think it was a mile).

But the other aspects are correct- clean up- put on a tie- wait for prayer- and 20 minutes to wolf down lunch.

11

Tuesday nights- freedom is great

by lrkr in

jw
friends

so i had a great tuesday evening- listened to live jazz sitting in a park by the (large water body near my house).

had a bit of pino grigio.

watched the kid play on the playground.

lrkr

Oh- don't get me started on Saturdays. Tuesday evenings are like a little bit of fresh air. Saturday mornings to sleep in, or play baseball, or read the paper- like being born again!!! (Not that I'm into that sort of thing- being born again- not that there's anything wrong with that...)

Its just great when you kind of forget how hectic life used to be and how better it is now.

30

An attempt at reconciliation.

by AK - Jeff in

my cousin - who was also my best friend for 35 years have been involved in an email exchange in recent weeks.

previous to that he was mostly shunning me.

without getting into details, he had given me room to explain things, especially as to how i have 'changed' as a result of leaving.

lrkr

Jeff- ferocious (in a good way)!!

81

How do you feel now? EVOLUTION OR CREATION??

by chuckyy in

jw
friends

as jws we were no doubt staunch creationists.

but how do you feel now??

do you still opt for creation or do you now feel evolution offers the right answer.

lrkr

It seems to be a false alternative. Evolution is a fact. It is the basis of modern medical science, zoology, biology, etc and has been confirmed by modern discoveries from fossils to DNA to microbiology.

Is there a creator is a wholly unrelated question. Its like the issue of the earth revolving around the sun and the issue of is the Bible true. Two separate questions. They got a bit confused about 500 years ago, but most people treat them separately nowadays.