Posts by RollerDave

44

my "father" decided to send me an email!

by theinfamousone in

before we even begin, if you have not read my story, you may not understand why this is such a big deal to me... this is a part of my story and it can be found at: http://www.jehovahs-witness.com/7/101870/1.ashx.

and here we go... my "father", an abusive bastard of a jw, recently sent me an email that put me in a tizzy!

it was late friday night, i had just gotten home from a shift at a local bar where i bartend on occasion!

RollerDave

Hmmm,

While people CAN change, shouldn't a genuine change also include some admission that the pre-change course was wrong?

An apology consists of an absolute lack of excuses.

I think it just comes down to the ability to delude one's self that seems to go hand in hand with advancement within the organization.

He's offering you the chance to let bygone be bygones and validate the revisionist history he has sold himself by groveling.

Infamous, I've read through your post and nothing in your body of works suggests that you would stoop so low.

So, just remember this:

They can't hurt you unless you let them - Everclear

Hang Tough,

Roller (of the gratuitous rock lyric quoting class)

77

Does A School Yard Bully Attitude Take Over This Discussion Board?

by The wanderer in

jw
friends

does a school yard bully attitude take over this discussion board?growing up, i can recall such times when a rival would want to pick a fight .

with me and when we met, he would bring along two of his friends and i .

sometimes, i would knock their block off and sometimes, it was the other.

RollerDave

To my way of thinking, civility should be the very LEAST we can expect, and often we can be moved by honor to offer much more.

Yes, there are a variety of differing viewpoints here on JWD, but aren't we here to discuss? What would we have to discuss if we had no differences?

'discussion' would then devolve into:

'the wts is mean'

'Yes, isn't it?'

I know that as a witness, I was called upon by the group-conscience to not only never miss a chance to express an opinion, but to be sure it was always the 'right' opinion. If I didn't speak up, I ran the risk of someone making an incorrect assumption regarding whether I was fully on board with the expected view of whatever it was we were discussing.

A luxury I have found since gaining my freedom is the ability to simply refrain from expressing any opinion if I so choose.

So, some threads I see here on JWD don't appeal to me, and that's fine; I don't post in them demeaning them or demanding to know why they fail to interest me, I pick one that inspires me to add something that I hope others will value to the conversation.

Just my take,

Roller (of the 'undigested corn class')

11

Why alaways the 2nd or "Greater" fulfillment of prophecy?

by zack in

one of the things (among many) that always bugged me about the wts, was their insistence on biblical prophecies always having a .

2nd or greater fulfillment.

always, like everything else about the wts, it was based on conjencture.

RollerDave

OMG,

That used to bug me SO MUCH!

I used to sit there thinking about how I could be better spending my time than being spoonfed constant false analogies and self application of every little thing.

'the wheels on the bus go round and round, and as we can see, the third lugnut on the front passenger wheel typifies the modern day 'lugnut class' of rank and file who have no say in where the bus is going, but are spun around mercilessly until they arrive nonetheless.

How joyful the lugnut class must be to have a part in the grand destination of the Bus!

Even tho each member of the lugnut class feels that it might pop off at any second, there are other lugnuts on each wheel so they feel they must toe the line to maintain unity within the wheel.

How fortunate we can feel to know that SOMEBODY is driving the bus SOMEWHERE even thos we cannot see the driver and know not where they are taking us!

but beware of the evil modern day antitype of the apostate Lugwrench class! They want to seperate the loyal lugnut class from their sacred and joyful duty of holding on for dear life as those wheels joyfully go 'round and round!'

These evil apostates are typified by the corn the feces of the high priest of the temple, they have passed through the holy of holies, but have derived nothing from it and have selfishly held back what 'nutrients' they posessed by not being digested and are now cast out with the vilest sort of rubbish...'

Blah blah blah!

Roller

16

To All Lurkers - Feel the LOVE........

by AK - Jeff in

when i first found this site i was overwhelmed by the diversity - jw's are not accustomed to diverse ideas and thought.. i was obligated by the vast volume of information that condemns the religion i had practiced for 4 decades - jw's are not accustomed to facts and logical argumentation that defies the official position[s], to begin forming my own opinions from what i saw here.. i was speechless when i read the similar posts about things that i could have written, things that bothered me for the longest time.. i was overjoyed to realize that i was not alone in the world in my decision to leave the religion.

yet - if what you had/have/want is the truth, nothing here is a danger to that.

if it is - then it was never truth to begin with.

RollerDave

One thing that always kept me in line when I was on the WTS treadmill was the strong show of unity they are known for.

It just never seemed like anyone at the hall could have any doubts, even if it had been permitted.

They just present themselves as being such a homogenous block of solid belief and spiritual strength that it is easy to feel you are the only one having doubts or resenting the harsh unfeeling counterfeit 'love' they beat you with.

This board has so many that are 'still in' faking it for their family, fading at various paces, or just crying out for understanding that even the most cursory visit should have the lurking JW looking with new eyes at their fellow WTS captives.

The person sitting next to you at the hall could be a JWD contributor and you would never know it.

If you are questioning the position, authority, or practices of the WTS, you are NOT alone even at their bastion of unity, the kingdom hall! Fellow dissidents are there with you, they just aren't allowed to admit it.

Take heart lurkers, there is nothing wrong with you for questioning, you are simply responding to your inborn spiritual need that is not satisfied with the tortured logic that places the men of the WTS on the place of Christ.

Keep lurking, work up your courage, and post when you feel up to it, we're here for you because we have been there and know how scary it can be.

We gain nothing by extending ourselves in such a fashion, but do it anyway.

'love among ourselves?' maybe. Certainly more than you are currently getting in the WTS.

Looking forward to meeting you, dear lurkers,

Rollerdave

39

Getting Even With The Watchtower SocietyIs It Necessary?

by The wanderer in

jw
friends

getting even with the watchtower societyis it necessary?at the close of their lives as jehovahs witnesses, some individuals have written books, .

created websites and others have approached the media and the legal system about the .

watchtower society.

RollerDave

The wasted lifetime I spent on the WTS treadmill can never be avenged, it's too big.

But they say, the best revenge is living well and in that regard I am having an EXCELLENT revenge.

If the proceeds from a tell-all book that addresses a need, and warns others against a known danger helps you to support 'living well' it has the added benefit of extracting value from what had previously been without value;your previous existance and experiences within the group conscience of the WTS.

More power to 'em, I say!

Roller

23

This forum using same type of thinking as Jehovahs Witnesses?

by AirDuster in

i notice one of the biggest complaints around here about the organization is often related to their constant use of the "us versus them" mentality, (i.e.

"we" need to be seperate from "them" because "they" are wrong and "we" are right).

yet i also notice that many of the posters here use the exact same kind of rhetoric and thinking.

RollerDave

It is an interesting point, and certainly woth thinking about.

After the treatment I endured among the witnesses, I would never want to turn into those who mistreated me.

However, upon further consideration, the analogy just doesn't hold up.

I have not seen anyone say, that JWD is the ;one true' discussion forum and the only way to understand the JW's.

There is no 'company line' among JWD'ers, there is real variety and diversity of thought, I have seen comments ranging the spectrum from atheistic to born-again... Conservative to Liberal...

The forum admins have not identified their view and required that any who want to be a part of the One True Forum shun those who dare question.

The one thing everybody has in common here is that they have had some connection to the WTS, so the polarization is pretty understandable, there would be no JWD without it.

I am satisfied that I have not, and likely won't become the WTS any time soon.

Roller

20

How do you unwind?

by YoursChelbie in

jw
friends

after a long day, what helps you relax and unwind?.

for me it's having a strawberry margarita.. it's re-freshing and it puts me in a good mood.

yc.

RollerDave

I do jigsaw puzzles using Jigs@w Puzzle 2 by Tibo Software. I usually find the pictures I turn into puzzles at Worth1000.com in the photoshop contest galleries.

Otherwise I go to my sportsman's club and shoot a couple thousand rounds of 7.62X39.

I also like to cook, read, invent things, weld, sculpt, or snark about stuff.

If I'm feeling REALLY vegetative I watch a move on the flatscreen.

Roller

23

What can I possibly do..........

by passive suicide in

i am at a loss.

i've finally realized what my heart has been questioning for many years...'the truth', quite possibly/probably...is not.

meanwhile..........i have a wife, and child........both of which are firmly in the grasp of my former beliefs.

RollerDave

That's an AMAZINGLY good suggestion.

I have found that the average dub thinks they have a monopoly on virtue, and that just because 'worldly people do X' it means EVERY worldly person does X.

They are also so conviced of the purity and truthfulness of their doctrine that it simply makes no sense to them that people leave because of any other reason than the call of sin.

Another one here told his wife the same, and got her to agree not to get involved, something to the effect of, 'tell the elders to talk to me directly. and it seemed to work.

Best of luck avoiding the inquisition and keeping your family,

Roller

12