Posts by lalliv01

79

Spirituality

by Aleman in

why care about spiritual things?

i see most of all of you speak in different opinions of what is or may be true spiritual things (while a few ar just freezing cold or dead spiritualy), but i ask all of you, why even bother to care or pretend to care of spiritual things?.

-aleman.

lalliv01

I sometimes read these posts and can't believe what I'm reading. I get the impression that I'm reading a

preplaned spoof or act, a conspired debate between a supposed JW and posters on this forum. An antagonist

is picked to debate the side of JW'ism against posters here. WHY? So that the lurkers here can see, hopefully,

the foolishness of JW'ism. ALEMAN played the part of an unhappy, hateful,haughty JW trying to convince someone

of something. Did he succeed? No, of course not, but I bet the lurkers were made to think.

ALEMAN, you don't fool me. I bet you're really a happy,humble and sweet guy, am I right? But, you played your

part very well!

22

It's not WHAT you believe; it is HOW you believe.

by Terry in

overheard:.

"is your cup half full or half empty?

"well, depends on whether you just poured something out or poured something in.".

lalliv01

Terry, truly a well thought out "talk."

I enjoyed reading it.

How we see ourselves prepares us for how we make the journey from here to there. A road trip is what life is all about. A constant whine about "Are we there yet?" makes death the destination! Certainly death is not the purpose of our life!

I believe you are so right in saying "death is not the purpose of our life" and, this is why this board exists, all here have felt and maybe

still feel a need a need to find "the purpose of life." I am tranquil and content with my life, but is this all there is? I realize all answers to

this question is mere conjecture and imagination. But, why can I imagine living for a thousand years, what's the use? Some would say

death is the purpose of all life, I think.

20

What "Type" of Poster Are You?

by new boy in

jw
friends

this was posted on "james free" thread on why others people opinions were not respected here.

to which i said...... o.k.....lets look at the facts.

in general what type of people post here?.

lalliv01

Me? I retired at age 60 and am on days off,every day! So, having time on my hands and desiring to explore computerdom and the internet, I started

exploring. Anything I've looked for, for information, is here on the net. I was a JW once, so I was curious about what I might find about JW's. I found

this site and was very pleasantly surprised to find people with a lot of good thinking and information. I am amazed that people here have a "common

ground" and yet have such diverse thinking and ideas. Makes me wonder, were we once all alike?

Before I came here I was content and happy with my life, I wasn't looking for a place to vent any anger or animosity towards anyone. But, it's good

to know there are many, ALL AROUND THE WORLD, who "know you" and "understand you" cause we were (almost all here) "Jehovahs". That's

what my worldly friends used to call me, "he's one of those Jehovahs."

32

The Governing NARCISSUS: the psychology of the FDS

by Terry in

narcissism is a term of psychology/psychiatry characterized this way.. has a grandiose sense of self-importance .

is preoccupied with fantasies of unlimited success, power, brilliance, beauty, or ideal love .

believes that he or she is "special" and unique and can only be understood by other special people .

lalliv01

A JW child learns to attract attention by not pledging allegience to the flag or sing the national anthem.
A JW family doesn't decorate for Christmas or Halloween. They stand out by being different and considering themselves superior!
I grew up JW. Just because JW children have narcissism modelled as the correct behavior does not mean they embrace it.
I hated being different as a child. It was embarrassing to not pledge allegiance. It was embarrassing to need to leave the classroom while the others had their holiday candy and whatever else they were doing in the classroom while I went down to the library or went home early.
I (like others have expressed on the forum) didn't feel like I fit in, either with the JW's or with the world. I tried for many years in my adult life to fit, but never got to be in the "in club" among JW's. I felt alone when I pioneered. I felt alone when I was an MS (never an elder).

Gopher: Wow,how I do identify with this. I never felt superior or somehow better than my friends or others. As a matter of fact, I (pretended) to have a chip

on my shoulder so that friends wouldn't dare bring up my "goofy" religious beliefs, thereby avoiding my need to make a defense, which they most assuredly did

not want to hear.

Maybe Terry is right,but, I know that neither I nor my witness friends at the time felt better or somehow more priveledged than our worldly peers. I liked my

school mates and I surely never,ever, wanted them to die. Later on in life I had dealings with DO's and CO's who talked about the need for "tightening things up"

as the "end" was drawing near. I felt their smugness and air of superiority, truly sickening.

That was back in the SEVENTIES. I was an elder at the time and I still dreaded having to make a defense for my "goofy" religion. And yes, I still have beliefs

that are indefensible but the "chip" is gone. Now, I want someone to show me the real truth.

78

SO MUCH FOR PREVIOUS TRADITIONAL MORALS

by REBORNAGAIN in

jw
friends

the city of philadelphia has decided to punish the boy scouts of america because it will not allow homosexuals to serve as scout leaders.

city officials said they will charge the cradle of liberty scouts council $200,000 a year to use the city-owned headquarters.

the council was paying $1 per year (since 1928).

lalliv01

Groups with "Family" in their name

I am also wary of orgs. that use heritage in their title or name.

Having said that, Philadelphia did the right thing. There are people

who think the Constitution of the U.S. only applies to them.

They are wrong.

91

Do you suffer INTELLECTUAL STARVATION?

by Terry in

jw
friends

symptoms of intellectual starvation:.

1.purposelessness, time-wasting, apathy, cynical desuetude.. 2.aimless hobbies that run out the clock.

3.fluff reading.

lalliv01

Somehow this thread, the theme of it, reminds me of Dr. Frankenstein, his obsession, his concern with what he thought was most important in his life.

He certainly had no time to mow the lawn, wash the car or work on crosswords. His was on a mission above all others, nothing else mattered to him. Is

that what you are perhaps referring to Terry? Dr. Frankenstein was obsessed with scientific matters, with creating life, he had no time for frivolity. He

didn't suffer intellectual starvation, but he did suffer from a lack of something. He wasn't normal. Maybe a crossword and a nice cold beer once in a

would have mellowed him out some. Just imagine the doctor and the Monster enjoying a 12 pack...and...working on a crossword puzzle together.

I have enjoyed reading this post, flirting and all. But I can certainly see how flirting turns you off,Terry.

100

Staying a Christian Upon Leaving

by serotonin_wraith in

so you found out the jehovah's witness religion/cult was bogus.

congratulations, it's a step in the right direction.

now all you have to do is escape the cult of christianity.. while other christian groups are (perhaps arguably) less controlling (on the whole), the foundation christianity rests on is bogus too.

lalliv01

SW: I feel depressed

SW, I hope I didn't contribute to your felling blue, dispirited, depressed. I truly do enjoy your intelligent,thoughtful postings.

I sometimes play the antagonist in order to get answers, you surely do have answers and I thank you for them. I sense

you've done a lot of studying and, to me, you don't come across like a poster that is not reading the responses from the

other "amigos" and does not bother to answer their posts, to the contrary, you answer most,if not all, I appreciate that.

SW, don't worry,be happy. I heard that somewhere.

About the thread: Staying a Christian Upon Leaving. I'll think about that tomorrow.

100

Staying a Christian Upon Leaving

by serotonin_wraith in

so you found out the jehovah's witness religion/cult was bogus.

congratulations, it's a step in the right direction.

now all you have to do is escape the cult of christianity.. while other christian groups are (perhaps arguably) less controlling (on the whole), the foundation christianity rests on is bogus too.

lalliv01

S_W

Faith is the fallback position, and it should not be held up as a virtue. There are a couple of ways to respond to the claim it is. Firstly, if faith is a virtue, could you name just one other thing apart from God you believe in with no evidence or reason? After some thought, you'll find there is nothing. You demand good reasons, and if there are none available, you will tend to think those who use faith in things such as faries, Zeus, invisible unicorns or reptiles living in the centre of the Earth are deluded. For some unknown reason, you don't stay consistent when it comes to God

I don't recall saying faith is a virtue. What I was trying to say is that faith just IS and you can't knock it out of people. Cockroaches,lions, apes, none of these creatures

have the ability to love,hate,to ponder their past or their future, or to exercise faith, only man has this ability, this trait. Nature,your nature,has endowed humans with

this ability. Your debate is with nature,evolution,natural selection,whatever,not with mankind. All of mankind has this trait,like it or not.And we all exercise this trait at one

time or another. Mankind would have to take a giant step if we are to ever be rid of this trait and we instead did everything in life based on "sound" logic. Imagine life where

everything,everything, is done based on logic. I daresay, mankind would cease to exist. Of course, the Vulcans are still around.

I also don't recall mentioning the bible in what I said. The circular reasoning is on your part I believe. You see, it's nature that made us this way,having faith is natural.

You need to take it up with nature,your nature. And round and round it goes.

49

greetings fellow apostates!

by SethMo in

jw
friends

i should introduce myself, since this is my first post.

i'm actually not an ex-jw, but rather someone who has just lost his faith in a different church, the mormon church.

i've long suspected that in terms of the organizational aspects of our two churches, how they hook you mentally, how they condition you, how they socialize you and make it very hard to leave, from an abstract level there's really not a dime's worth of difference.

lalliv01

Welcome Seth Mo.

I surely enjoyed reading your post and consequent replies, very interesting. I read a book by Paul Bailey titled For Time and All Eternity. It was

about an independent, strong willed Mormon girl who ended up in Utah and her life growing up as a Mormon who ended up marrying a "gentile"

U.S. soldier. The author wove the story of the Mormon faith, from it's begining, throughout the whole of the novel. As I read it, I couldn't help

but notice the strong similarities between JW's and Mormons when it came to control of the members and how it is accomplished. Also

the unstated fear of those in charge, you just don't challenge the GB, or for you, I guess it's The Quorem.

Once again, welcome.

100

Staying a Christian Upon Leaving

by serotonin_wraith in

so you found out the jehovah's witness religion/cult was bogus.

congratulations, it's a step in the right direction.

now all you have to do is escape the cult of christianity.. while other christian groups are (perhaps arguably) less controlling (on the whole), the foundation christianity rests on is bogus too.

lalliv01

Oh,by the way,I heard a British newscaster on T.V. the other day state that, rugby was the passtime,the game, they

played in heaven. Is that true? Naw! you don't believe in that heaven. *chuckles*