shopaholic

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Posts by shopaholic

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  25

  Jehovah's Witnesses---A Religion That Frowns On Everything!

  by minimus in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  you can't do anything in the religion!

  you can't hold hands with your spouse during prayers.. you can't wear a logo themed tee shirt when doing menial outdoor work at a "quick build" kingdom hall.. you have to wear a suit and tie or a dress when visiting a watchtower factory.. you can't enjoy an older recording of a favorite talk and pass it around because "the faithful slave" disapproves of that.. you can't further your education with college.. you shouldn't want to get married or have children as the end is soooo close.. they suck the life and enjoyment of people.....and i've only mentioned a fraction of things jws frown on.. .

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  shopaholic

  The only thing you could do on Saturday morning, unless you had to work or was in a wedding, was go out in service. If you did anything else, folks talked badly about you.

  If you take a class, it was only a matter of time before you fornicate with someone in the class.

  If you have a hobby, thats time you should be in service or give to personal study. You'll have time in the new world to do your hobby.

  If you have a "gathering", you shouldn't invite people you like to spend with but the folks that no one wants to be bothered with.
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  10

  Dancing with some JW friends tonight

  by jwfacts in

  1. jw
  2. experiences

  i was walking past a bar tonight and recongised some old jw friends inside dancing to a live band.

  i went in an attached myself to them and spent the night with them.

  it was quite funny as they were very comfortable with me but also exuded unsure guilt about the whole situation.. it seems to stress jws when we seem exactly the same as before.

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  shopaholic

  It is often best around former Jw friends to be happy and relaxed. That is a bigger shock than any doctrinal point that can be raised.

  Very true...I've come to realize the same. Like the saying goes "living well is the best revenge".
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  123

  How I obtained my personal files from Bethel

  by jwfacts in

  1. watchtower
  2. scandals

  it has taken me a long time, but i have finally put together an article outlining how i used the law to force bethel to send me my personal files.

  it is a very long article full of scans, so i have linked to it at http://jwfacts.com/watchtower/experiences/personal-files-privacy-act-1988.php.

  in brief, in 2006 i requested that bethel send me my files on the basis that the australian privacy act 1988 entitles people to receive a copy of any information a corporation holds about them.

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  shopaholic

  Regarding the blood issue, I believe you will only be DF'd if you willing accept it but not if its forced on you. I had a friend go through that whole thing in our late teens. It was forced on her and there were a ton of JC meetings to determine if it was really forced on her or if she lead the doctors to believe she wanted it.

  Thanks for posting your files. It was all very interesting. I got a good chuckle on the letters about your seeking excessive entertainment and leading on sisters. I've known guys that have been forced to marry or lose their position because they "led" someone on. They are ALL divorced.

  What was particular interesting was the letter from the branch to the CO/congregation which said something along the lines of non-belief not being a disfellowshipping matter.
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  43

  New Here....and a Brief Intro

  by Yan Bibiyan in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  after lurking around here for about a month, i thought it's appropriate to introduce myself to such fine group of people.. i was never a jw.

  been married to a baptized mate for over 15 years.

  my wife was never technically all in, more of a fader, rarely went to meetings, the occasional memorial, a convention once or twice.

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  shopaholic

  Welcome to the board!

  I am very analytical by nature and if 2+2 ain't 4, there is no way I can accept that and move on. Yet, I kept thinking that maybe I don't get it just yet and need to "study" more to get the big picture. In the mean time, I started getting the questions of "what my spiritual goals are", the urgency to set such and the commitment to follow through with them.

  I'm sure this resonates with most people on this board. I am also very analytical and even though I was raised in, it never added up to me either. I also thought I needed to study more or do more because I wasn't getting the same euphoria as the rest of them. And thats how they get you...rush, rush, rush to salvation by doing more and getting involved as deeply as possible right away. Hurry, hurry before Armageddon comes.

  Glad to hear you and your wife were able to talk it out peacefully.
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  8

  Why are jw children so parent depended?

  by XPeterX in

  1. watchtower
  2. bible

  i have seen many jw teens who can't behave properly in the outside world or won't go out alone unless they give detailed report to their families.in addition,they give the impression that they can't be on their own unless dad or mom is near them.correct me if i'm wrong but that's what i think.....

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  shopaholic

  VERY TRUE.

  The issue is that in the JW world you are not considered an adult unless you are married or at least 45 years old. Before then, everything is "Have you talked this over with your parents?", "What did your parents say?"...even if its just taking a weekend trip.

  And if your parents are not witnesses or if live in a different town, then its your "spiritual parents" I had several people over the years offer to be my spiritual parents and I've always told them no. Of course, they ran and told the elders who had a talk with me because I must be up to something if I don't want spiritual parents. I simply repeated "I have parents. I don't need another set of them."

  Sometimes I wish I'd known that I was an adult when I became an adult...probably would have left a lot sooner.
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  28

  Oh boy! Don't even try to communicate with a JW relative. It don't work!

  by outlander in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  sitting around the picnic table outside i just happen to mention to my sister that i heard that the watchtower org.

  has tons of money held in offshore accounts.

  wham!

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  shopaholic

  I can totally relate. Several of my relatives become very defensive even if you mention anything nice about a non-JW. They are quick to tell you that the person is being deceptive long enough for me to drop my guard and then BOOM...the person will try to get you fornicate, do drugs or steal money, etc.

  Its completely insane. Just recently, a relative got upset and started shouting at the top of her voice that she knows about "worldly people" and if someone doesn't love Jehovah then you can't trust them. If you bring up the elders, servants and pioneers that have stolen KH funds, swindled money from others in the congregation, stolen or have done jail time (1 day to a few weeks) and then lie that they were on vacation...the response is simply that they got caught up in this system of things or had "worldly" friends that influenced them to do it.

  Insane...
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  37

  JW's being asked not to marry?

  by life is to short in

  1. watchtower
  2. beliefs

  ok another poster just went to the two day assembly and i just went to the one day special assembly day sunday.

  at both of them it seems there was strong words against getting married.

  they had on the stage a group of young men about three of them an older sister who is not that attractive but she is really nice, of course not brother would give her the time of day, and this older brother who is in his 60's and nice but very strange.. they all went on and on and on about not getting married.

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  shopaholic

  Taking note of the ad at the top of page...

  Back on topic, those who do remain single for the Lawd typically feel a since of superiority but many are not honest with themselves.

  There was a long-time pioneer that I used to look up to when I was in younger. She was single but you could tell she wanted to get married even though she denied it. At the time she was in her late 30's/early 40's. Anyway, a few young pioneers stayed the weekend at her home...to cut to the chase we found out that she has a masturbation habit. That first night we were like "what is that"...she was going for it. The second night we simply looked at each other in disbelief. I don't think she was used to having company stay the night and did not realize how thin her walls were. We said nothing that first morning but that second morning, we did not make it halfway through the text when someone blurted out "Why don't you just get married? What are you trying to prove? We heard you both nights you know!"

  We were so embarassed for her and the poor lady got teary-eyed and said she was staying single for the kingdom. Sadly, she's not the only JW I knew in that situation in their efforts to stay single for the kingdom. Unfortunately, some marry out of desperation because they waited so long for the kingdom when they come to their senses they marry any tom, dick or harry as long as he's baptized or about to be baptized.
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  22

  Its Prom Night!

  by dissed in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  no, not the movie.

  but my daughters final prom as a high school senior.

  although to a jw parent, the real thing could be just a scary as the horror flick.

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  shopaholic

  Yes, we all went to the prom...my dad is not a JW. Glad your daughter went, the whole event is overrated but I would do it again in a heartbeat.
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  72

  Jehovah's Witnesses---A Religion That Does Nothing For Anyone

  by minimus in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  the reality is: jehovah's witnesses benefit no one but themselves!.

  they don't contribute to society.

  they refuse to get involved in local interests because that would constitute violating their neutrality.. if sexual abuse allegations are made amongst their members, unless two witnesses can attest to the molestation, they refuse to get the "superior authorities" involved.. they claim to be doing their neighbors a "life saving" work but the reality is that they simply are pests to their "householders".. they are a tax free "religion" and they do not pay taxes.. they are judgmental people and regard the "world" as "worldly" and in the "power of the wicked one".. and if the individual members do not conform to the organization's dictates, they might very well be "shunned" and regarded as "dead".. why anyone would want to be a jehovah's witness is beyond me..

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  shopaholic

  There is no denying, there are some individual JWs that performs acts of good deeds and charity towards those not of their faith. However, it is a very, very small percentage of the organization. As a whole, the Jehovah Witnesses organization is not a charitable one as it goes against their core beliefs.

  The donating of the blood machines, it was for the use of JWs...others just happen to benefit.
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  15

  Would You Die

  by sammielee24 in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  for your religion or your country?

  just curious.

  i know many people that say they wouldn't die for religion but follow practices that might cause their death.

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  shopaholic

  No on both accounts.