Posts by freeman

2

wake up and smell the troof

by DaCheech in

jw
friends

(lets try this again and see where we go).

every day, more and more witnesses are coming here because the wt has put burdens on them.

(unlike jesus where he said his load was light!).

What Was It That Finally Got You To Leave The Organization?

by minimus in

jw
friends

what pushed you over the edge?.

The thing that did it for me was when I was strong-armed by the elders. My crime was missing too many meetings because my weekly flights to Washington DC and Greenbelt MD were conflicting with the Borg schedule. Out of all the people in the world, I was selected by NASA to test and validate the security of the then most expensive satellite in the world, the Hubble Space Telescope before it launched. I thought that was kind of a special honor from the government, who the hell get’s a call like that, this is something you don’t easily turn down, this was my dream job!

I explained to the dear inquisition panel (elders) that this consulting job (which paid me more money then I ever made in my life and was helping to pull me out of debt in a very short timeframe) would be over in about a month and that I would then take off my NASA security engineer hat and return to my real life as a (cringe) TV repairman, back again in regular attendance at the ever so important meetings (double cringe). I was writing the final report for this project, I had only 30 days to go on this project, 30 lousy days, they couldn’t wait the 30 days, and they said I had to make a choice, meetings or the NASA dream job.

The day I was given this ultimatum was coincidently on July 4 th , 1987.

I won’t tell you directly, but see if you can guess which path I chose.

Here is a hint:

Each year July 4 th is a very, very special day for me, not just as an American celebrating a holiday, but as someone who truly gained their independence on that date and started to live free!

Freeman (who’s very name reminds him of that special day in July of 1987)

35

Sabellianism/Trinity

by JWdaughter in

has anyone studied the heresy that led to the teaching of arianism?

it was an opposite heresy called sabellianism.

it is exactly what the wt has been saying is "the trinity", but which was thoroughly discounted and rejected by early christians.

freeman

Interesting thread Point, counterpoint, I remember myself participating in this silly ping-pong nonsense too. I don’t do that anymore, I just let my rather large friend (800 lbs and very sensitive about his weight) do all the work for me.

Using a snippet from another thread:

I’m reminded of their (witnesses) argument(s) with John 1:1. They go through all sorts of acrobatics with Greek grammar, God or “a god”, Theos, ho Theos etc. However, they have a much bigger problem then that in the very beginning of the sentence. It seems this Word fellow shares something rather significant with this God fellow. It seems they both were in attendance somewhere at the very same time, maybe they were watching a movie or went to a ball game together; no big deal lots of us do that with our friends. Oh wait, I see it wasn’t a ball game or a movie, it seems they arrived in a place called “the beginning”. They both existed in the beginning at the same time, not the little fellow first, not the big fellow first, but at the exact same time, in equality. Yes, that’s the eight hundred pound gorilla in the room, that Word fellow is just as old that God fellow!

The very dyslexic Freeman

(Who thanks his English professor who drilled him on sentence structure until his eyes bleed)

6

Two Classes of Christians

by UnDisfellowshipped in

the watchtower society teaches that there are two different classes of christians -- one that will live forever on earth, and one that will live forever in heaven.. * where does the bible teach this, anywhere?.

the apostle paul wrote this:.

ephesians 4:4-6 (nwt): 4 one body there is, and one spirit, even as you were called in the one hope to which you were called; 5 one lord, one faith, one baptism; 6 one god and father of all [persons], who is over all and through all and in all.. where does paul say that there are two hopes and two bodies of christians?.

freeman

Actually the witnesses destroy the validity of their own argument with the very scripture they cite. When they cite John 10:16 (NWT): “And I have other sheep which are not of this fold, (that is a demarcation, a distinction, however it does not proceed on to become a dichotomy (a branching off) as they have fooled themselves into believing, rather it ends with of all things a union, both groups end up in the same place!

I’m reminded of their argument(s) with 1 John 1:1. They go through all sorts of acrobatics with Greek grammar, God or “a god”, Theos, ho Theos etc. However, they have a much bigger problem then that in the very beginning of the sentence. It seems this Word fellow shares something r ather significant with this God fellow. It seems they both were in attendance somewhere at the very same time, maybe they were watching a movie or went to a ball game together; no big deal lots of us do that with our friends. Oh wait, I see it wasn’t a ball game or a movie, it seems they arrived in a place called “the beginning”. They both existed in the beginning at the same time, not the little fellow first, not the big fellow first, but at the exact same time, in equality. Yes, that’s the eight hundred pound gorilla in the room, that Word fellow is just as old that God fellow!

The very dyslexic Freeman

(Who thanks his English professor who drilled him on sentence structure until his eyes bleed)

56

Candy To A Jehovahs Witness: Anti - Depressants.

by shamus100 in

and why do people go on anti-depressants?

why do most people get depressed?.

most people get depressed because something is wrong in theyre lives.

freeman

You may want to do some research for yourself, but it is unfortunately an established fact that mental illness, including clinical depression is far more prevalent in Jehovah’s Witness then the general population. I have never read a study that nailed down precisely why such is the case, but the fact that it is true really sucks.

References:

Kjell Totland "The Mental Health of Jehovah's' Witnesses." Journal of the Norwegian Psychological Association
Ursula Sack. Case Studies of Voluntary Defectors from Intensive Religious Groups (Ph.D. Diss. University of California, 1985).
Janner "Die Forensisch--Psychiatrishe Und Sanitatsdienstilche Beurteilung bon Diestrweigern," (The Forensic, Psychiatric and Military Medical Assessment of conscientious Objectors), Schweitz Med. Wschr., Vol.92, 1963, 89-826
John Spencer. "Mental Health Among Jehovah's Witnesses," British Journal of Psychiatry, Vol. 126, 1975, 556.
Elmer Koppl. Die Zeugen Jehovas; Eine Psychologische Analyses. (Ph. D. Thesis Germany, 1985).

That’s just a few, many more exist.

Freeman

2

Should everyone have an adsense account?

by badboy in

jw
friends

what your thought?.

freeman

Yes, free money is always good!

Freeman (who collectes adsense money from many of his websites)

10

Why do Religionists get so Defensive?

by LouBelle in

i'm not only talking about our former religion, but all faiths.

members will defend their faith, some very stubbornly no matter what evidence is shown to them, even if it's from the bible.

many a time they only want it to be seen their way and won't allow for another interpretation.. does it stem from the fact that they are scared about being wrong?

freeman

LouBelle,

I don’t think it’s just Religionists that hold on to beliefs that fly in the face of reality, it’s other groups of people too. Some people just happen to be stubborn and unmovable. I believe the reason it appears religious people are so inclined is because it involves a very deep and personal part of their life.

I have found this same tendency in others too. I had a friend at work, Marty, who holds very liberal views to say the least. I was one of the few people that would even converse with him, largely because he was so over the top, he drove people away, but he had like most liberals a big heart. I understand his passion, I was raised very much a liberal too, and I followed the party line that republicans were the devil, only democrats were looking out for the little guy, you know the drill, I had that viewpoint for most of my life. However, he was just so over the top and constantly bashing President Bush at every opportunity. He went on and on about how dumb he was, how he didn’t read, and how he never completed his military service obligation etc.

A little background:

Some of my contacts worked directly in the White House under several administrations, so although I’m not in anyway an insider, I often do know things that most people don’t know, or a lot sooner then most people do. Sometimes it’s interesting and very often it’s amusing. Like the time Hillary Clinton was almost shot by the Secret Service. True story, she flung a heavy ashtray or a lamp (I forgot which) at Bill during an argument and was about to send another his way when two agents, guns drawn, rushed into their residence and ordered Hillary to drop the lamp or she would be dropped. That tidbit came directly from the father of one of the two agents’ involved, who by the way Hillary unsuccessfully tried to have fired.

One of my sources told me Bush read over 100 books in one year’s time, several of them about Lincoln, he has a fascination with this historical figure, not sure why. Bush was beat by Rove who read more books. It was some type of a bet between the two. Again this fact flies in the face of what people commonly say about Bush. Granted he mangles the King’s English at every opportunity, (embarrassing to say the least), but I think he is far from the bumbling idiot image he is often painted with, some of it self inflicted.

Sorry I’m rambling; let me get back to my point. Marty was fully invested in the popular notion that Bush somehow shirked his military obligation in the Guard and droned on and on about it, because he was part of the Guard, all his kids are military brats, and helicopter or jet jockeys like Bush was, and now they are at risk because of the War etc. that Bush started. Days and days of this, I could take no more, and I needed to end the Bush bash fest because it was just plain annoying after a while.

I don’t even remember from whom I obtained it, (maybe it was a public record). In any event, I slammed Marty with Bush’s military retirement credit record which shows he did in fact complete the necessary minimums and even went a little over what he was obligated to do.

I said to Marty, "Do you think they cooked the books in the retirement system too Marty? "

He saw it, I know he believed it, and he knew exactly what it meant, thus crushing part of his little hate-bush world view, or so I thought at the time.

Here is the final point: Marty is a man that holds at least one masters degree in a hard science, is in his late fifties so he is seasoned by life so to speak, he is not stupid. That said, I overheard him in yet another Bush bashing session with some other poor soul using the same tired arguments that I had so completely demolished just one week prior.

Lou, beliefs are hard things to overcome, religious beliefs are often the most deeply entrenched because they have such great meaning to the holder, and in large measure encompass the holder’s world view. Reason and logic do not necessarily apply in these cases. It’s not a matter of how stupid, foolish, or ignorant the person is, often they are not, rather it’s demonstrable of just how powerfully we humans cling to things that provide us with comfort, security, and order.

Freeman

7

I just had to do it

by freeman in

i mostly try to keep the peace here in my house and dont point out the jw bs as much as i used to.

but i have a hard time dealing with stupid, lies, or people that harm or put children at risk.

i found something that encompasses all three elements on my kitchen table.. .

freeman

Hi Hubert,

The statistics were from one of the staff writers at the Washington Post, Annys Shin. I did a little Google searching and I think this is the article that I was quoting:

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/01/03/AR2009010302143.html

You probably won’t find the same exact figures at the BoLS because I believe Shin was using the early projected figures (released in early January) which are always revised when the hard data is finally tabulated. Nonetheless, it demonstrates how utterly foolish the JW stand on higher education is. The simple fact is that a better educated person has a significantly better chance of obtaining and retaining gainful employment. And the fact that that a college grad will generally make significantly more money during the course of their life, is more then enough reason to invest in your education.

Thank you Spike for you input. While I’ll agree with you that education from THE MASTER, is more valuable then a degree of Master’s, education via a Brooklyn based Publishing company is not an education from THE MASTER.

Remember these are the same folks that claimed there was no such thing as germs, that man could not reach beyond the envelope of air that surrounds the earth, that the curse which Noah pronounced upon Canaan was the origin of the Black race.

I have no problem putting my faith in THE MASTER above, however I do have great reservations in putting my faith in the Puppet Masters of Brooklyn ever again.

Freeman

7

I just had to do it

by freeman in

i mostly try to keep the peace here in my house and dont point out the jw bs as much as i used to.

but i have a hard time dealing with stupid, lies, or people that harm or put children at risk.

i found something that encompasses all three elements on my kitchen table.. .

freeman

I mostly try to keep the peace here in my house and don’t point out the JW BS as much as I used to. But I have a hard time dealing with stupid, lies, or people that harm or put children at risk. I found something that encompasses all three elements on my kitchen table.

My wife just happened to leave her notebook (or someone’s that she borrowed) around with something that caught my eye. I’m not sure if it was from a public talk, or the circus assembly, but my eyes focused on the subheading: Higher Education, with the words: “don’t be fooled by the MYTH” written underneath.

It was obviously a bash-higher-education-fest of some type, and that pushed my buttons.

I quickly wrote a little something up, printed it out and pointing to what was written on the open page. I handed it to her saying, honey you really have to stop challenging me on stuff like this, walked out of the room and went outside to play with the dog. When I returned the notebook and the paper I had written were gone. J

Now that I re-read my own words, I do see some technical errors, however errors and all it is a lot closer to fact then what was being espoused at the bash-higher-education-fest. I should have done the work and researched at the government BoLS to get the latest figures, mine are from January I believe, and the figure for the high schooled educated unemployed I cited is actually an aggregate figure which includes a smaller sample of other groups too, however it is statistically weighted something on the order of an 80% percent sample to the group I was talking about. That said, it’s pretty close.

The Value of Higher Education is no Myth!

Unemployment rate among workers with a college degree of BS/BA or higher reached 3.1 percent. Average unemployment rate of the high school educated person reached 6.7 percent, double that of a college educated persons, and the average rate of unemployment for people without even a high school diploma reached a new high of 10.5 percent.

Salary of a college educated person verses a high school graduate is nearly double, and almost triple that of a person without even a high school diploma. A college educated person will earn on average $500,000 to $1,000,000 more over their high school educated counterparts during the span of their working careers. One million dollars extra in income, double the ability to keep and maintain employment makes higher education a very rewarding investment.

Sometimes it’s fun to destroy the credibility of the faithless and decrepit slave-bugger.

Freeman

9

Video response that typifies JW Stereotype...

by Tuesday in

jw
friends

i received this video response to one of my questions today, it was the question about where the great crowd is located.

you might want to see the video but basically it talks about my questions offending "almighty jehovah", also talks about me being disfellowshipped (which i'm not).

i think it's a must-see for the absolute epitome of jw knee-jerk reaction to any sort of questioning of their beliefs... without further ado, here's the video.... .

freeman

Yes that is a pretty typical knee-jerk reaction. I notice she never did answer your question, which is also quite typical, she is incapable. I remember once many years ago I asked a question of a friend of mine (he was an elder), and his quick and somewhat shocking reply was to ask me if I was reading some apostate literature. Wow, I wasn’t, at the time, but that sure made me think that I better find out what these scary so-called apostates had to say.

Freeman