freeman

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Posts by freeman

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  36

  Where were you when you first came here?

  by Xena in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  i noticed in a couple of threads people discussing the impact this board would have on jw's with doubts coming here and reading the messages.

  it got me to wondering where most people that post here were at...what stage in their jw/ex jw process...when they started reading and/or posting here.

  also curious, when you did come here what was your main focus?

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  freeman

  I had a wife and child to support, living in a basement, and was working two jobs struggling to make ends meet. By chance I was offered a lucrative consulting job with NASA. I took the job but because of my extensive travel, the elders told me I had to make a choice between my NASA dream job, or the meetings. That was in 1987. I stopped going to meetings then, and felt guilt all these years because I could not lead the life I knew or thought I should be leading. A few years ago I tried to make a comeback into the JW world for the sake of my family only to discover, thanks to the Internet, the lies and deceit I once held as truth. I’ve been trying to get my wife and children out ever since. I’m still trying and will not give up hope, but in the meantime this board and a few others like it (h2O) have been Godsends, I know I’m not alone. Thank you all!

  Freeman
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  24

  How Big a Liar Are You?

  by Mindchild in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  it seems nothing gets the good people in here so upset as lies.

  we all seem to be extra sensitive to lies and damned lies because of being victimized by one of the biggest lairs around, the wts.. but have you ever really tested yourself to find out if you are really snow white yourself?

  you got the guts to find out?

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  freeman

  I Ain't No Saint, but I guess I'm not too bad. Here are the results of the test:

  Average Liar

  You are a hard one to read. You might have been lying each time you clicked an answer or you might have been telling the truth. Chances are good you at least believe you were telling the truth.

  You think of yourself as a decent and loving person. You like to have fun but within reason. You do your best not to hurt other people's feelings, even if it might put you in uncomfortable situations sometimes. That can lead to problems. Every once in a while you have seen yourself explode because people just aren't noticing how damn nice you are all the time!

  You should get more credit. And you try harder sometimes. But things don't always work out the way you plan.

  You make a good partner a relationship and you usually don't find trouble being monogamous. Your partners have been a different story. Well, take some comfort from Lies People Tell -- it's not your fault. Some people are just, well, liars -- even worse than you.
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  10

  ANGRY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

  by gilwarrior in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  as most of you know i usually write about sexual matters, but i would like to take this time to write about something serious.

  after two months of writing posts and reading others people's posts and have concluded that the jehovah's witness organization purposely prevents people from contact with other people, because that way it is hard for someone to leave the organization.

  if everyone you know is in the organization then how can you leave?

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  freeman

  Gil,
  You hit the nail on the head. The power of this organization stems from the fact that if you step out of line they can really screw you because all your friends are part of the club and will turn on you when you step out of line.

  While you are initially being indoctrinated you are encouraged to either convert or disassociate your friends. The things you start saying and your sudden change in behavior alienates you further from both family and now former friends. Before you know it, just about everyone within your spear of influence is a witness, and all your activities become nothing but extensions of the Watchtower world.

  Everything is built around Watch Tower activities. You pick up and respond to the insider lingo and you feel a sense of belonging as long as you remain in the club.

  Step outside the bounds and WAM, they can put you in a world of hurt. This is a cult Gil, that’s what cults do. CULTS SUCK! Many of us have learned that lesson the hard way.

  Freeman
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  10

  Ex JW Homelessness

  by Celtic in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  does anyone know of any former witnesses who upon being disfellowshipped etc were also faced with the prospect of homelessness, if so, would you please let me know, or, if you know of someone in this impending situation, also please let me know below.. kind regards.

  mark

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  freeman

  My Sons friends, 17 and 21 both brothers, were Dfed and promptly shown the door. Very sad because the 17 year old is trying to get reinstated, and the 21 year old is doing things that in time could kill him. For a while he was living in a car. I have not seen the older boy since he was DFed but the few times I’ve seen the younger one, he avoided eye contact with me; he thinks I’m supposed to shun him and he seemed a bit perplexed when I didn’t. I guess I don’t play the shun game very well.

  Freeman
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  20

  Ever been counciled for doing a craft??

  by lydia in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  coming from central pa - i get to see lots of quilts - and i have started to quilt myself - although i recieved lots of council about spending the long hours alone on a quilt ( the brother apparently never heard the words "quilting bee" ) i finally quit doing them for a while because of the pressure i was getting..... finnally when i realized that i needed to do some form of craft as a stress reducer ( from all the pressure from the borg) i told the elders where to go - and also said " i'd be happy to quit quilting - are you going to pay for the pyschiatri help and the meds they may prescribe??

  this is therapy for me!!".

  it shut him up for a bit.. .

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  freeman

  I was counseled not for a craft, but for what was at one time just a hobby. I was counseled on how much time I spent reading technical manuals and in pursuit of scientific knowledge. I didn’t listen to the wise counsel then and as a result I went from a TV repairman to working on the Hubbell Space Telescope (my NASA dream job). A little more not listening to the wise counsel and now I find I’m Sr. Systems Engineer keeping the air traffic control system up and running in New York.

  To the janitors that tried so hard to admonish this poor lost sheep: I’m sure I’ll regret not listening to your wise counsel one day, but don’t hold your breath boys, don’t hold your breath.

  Freeman
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  2

  bin Laden found hiding in Whitehouse gardens...

  by Abaddon in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  a man answering the description of osama bin laden, disguised as a pretzel, was apprehended by security staff in the whitehouse gardens at 04.30 est today.... .

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  people living in glass paradigms shouldn't throw stones...

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  freeman

  I hope people are not falling for that BS about a pretzel. Folks, that is just a cover story. My sources tell me Laura bushwhacked old W after he suggested she put on a burke-a and let him play the part of Omar during their twice-monthly hoedown.

  Freeman
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  11

  The Price For NOT Being Disfellowshipped

  by Uncanny in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  those two young american girl tennis players and supposed jw sisters have arrived down under again for this year's tilt at the australian open championship.

  yes, the flamboyant venus and serena williams show is back in melbourne town.. after last year when sr venus triumphed at this event, i thought it would be hard for any jw sportsperson to top her ecstatic run around courtside with old glory.

  or the way she stood so solemnly and proudly as her nation's national anthem got played after the big win.

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  freeman

  I for one admire the Williams sisters. Sure they are playing with fire, from the WT viewpoint anyway, but it’s wonderful and refreshing to see someone in this organization living their life fully and not being an emotional cripple because of the cultic requirements of the Borg. As I see it, they are using their celebrity to live a much more free life, and perhaps at the same time thumbing their noses at the old farts in Crookland. Unfortunately this is something impossible for most witnesses to do.

  Freeman
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  6

  Alward's Library Card and the Portuguese Letter

  by Lionel_P_Hartley in

  1. watchtower
  2. scandals

  despite a total lack of credible evidence alward continues to insist that the wts affiliated as an ngo with the un merely to get a library card.

  since the various statements issued by the wts have been deceitful, dishonest and contradictory then there is no reason to believe them.

  the onus of proof is on them, not upon those who documented this embarrassing relationship.

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  freeman

  “I debunk the Portuguese argument in the Main forum”.

  You’re a smart feller and all; and you injected interesting rhetoric, but you debunked nothing sir.

  Freeman
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  44

  PUBLISHERS

  by Frenchy in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  jehovahs witnesses are under a grand and multi-faceted illusion that has been fabricated and is being maintained by the society.

  one such facet of that great illusion is that jws are actually proclaiming gods kingdom and teaching people the truth about god and jesus.

  it was only a few years ago (hey, im not the brightest candle on the cake!

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  freeman

  Well-done Frenchy,

  You have illustrated exactly the true motivations behind these activities, ‘sales, conversion and continuing indoctrination’. If the true motivation had been to spread the good news as written in the Bible, the WTBTS would use the most modern and effective methods known, not ineffective door knocking. Television is by far the most effective, followed by radio. The most cost effective is probably the Internet. However all of these methods have one serious flaw from their standpoint, they don’t provide full control and that is why there is strong resistance by the WTBTS to use them more then they have.

  Freeman
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  16

  New Light On Blood

  by freeman in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  in order for meat to be blood free, as the jews and the early christians would have understood it, one has to cut the neck of the animal and let its heart pump the blood out.

  not hit it over the head like they do in the slaughterhouses today.

  also you have to remove the veins and arteries starting at the neck working down.

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  freeman

  Earnest,
  Sorry you did not find the passages about soaking meat in cold water or salting but this is what the Bible, the real Bible as in the Torah says to do. Rightfully you would find this some place around Leviticus 11 and Duet 14 in an English Bible. The Jews did not just start doing this, it was part of the Torah; it has been done this way for thousands of years and was being done when the blood prohibition was written in ACTS. This is all part of what they would call “shechita”, the proper or correct way of preparation within the Jewish dietary law.
  
  I would suggest you try a better translation then what you are currently using. Perhaps in your translation it may say “running water” or “babbling water”, which means cold. To the best of my knowledge, all known running water in Israel at the time the Torah was written were cold. The use of the Talmud is also important as this carries the oral tradition of the law which was every bit as important in Jewish life back when ACTS was written. If you recall Jesus chastised the Pharisees for nullifying the written word, the Torah, with the oral tradition, (expressed in the Talmud but misused by the Pharisees). One should not overshadow the other, one is the practical explanation of the other used in daily life

  Freeman