Posts by VoidEater

10

Is this why the WTBTS is changing the "generation" meaning?

by TooBad TooSad in

during the 1970's, 80's and 90's i was always calculating how old the generation was that.

saw 1914. at one time they had to be at the age of discernment 12 to 14 years old.

and then it was just being born by 1914. well we all know that this watchtower teaching.

VoidEater

While cooking the books wouldn't be beyond the GB (after all, they've proven their lack of integrity on the 607 BC issue), it's surprising to me that they haven't done so already. Since the number of Anointed seems to be more or less consistent (perhaps there's a statistical representation here based on number of adherents, or number of publishers, or maybe there's just a "float" that the number will always be between), they will have to start making things up to prove The End Is Near.

With the latest light, there isn't any objective streetsign to mark the passage of time and generate Armageddon Frenzy. Can't use a calendar - not base in time. Whatever will they do? The only measure now is the number of Anointed. And they've already backed away from saying that all the Anointed will be gone in time for the big party.

So, I wonder...although the number of Anointed seems to now be the ONLY marker they can use (other than Earthquakes! Floods! Civil Dissent!), it's not even all that important either...

What's an apocalyptic cult to do?

8

Let me expand a Business....

by united states of nothing in

ok, so i'm 26 years old and i was thinking of expanding my business.

i currently have a few publications which i am paid to print and bind.

this really pays the bills and i even have a team of people and some machines i am looking to pay off.

VoidEater

Andrew Dice Clay is very funny - but I can't stomach sitting through his act...

18

Raised a JW from birth...

by portcontrol7 in

jw
friends

i am now 31 and after leaving the "truth" in my teenage years i was plagued with anger towards the organization as well as christianity in general.

has anyone come to read the teachings of the buddha and found them a refreshing and eye opening insight into the nature of reality?

not long ago i picked up a book entitled "awakening the buddha within", and have found spirituality in a way that i could never find in the jehovah's witnesses organization.

VoidEater

Welcome, Port.

Has anyone come to read the teachings of the Buddha and found them a refreshing and eye opening insight into the nature of reality?

I have found Tibetan and Zen Buddhism have given me some interesting perspectives. I have studied with a couple people who use Zen practice as the basis for their practices. I have participated in indigenous rituals of American and Meso-American peoples and gained insight from their perspectives. I think in general these two sources of insight have helped me shed some degree of subjectivity, and helped heal a lot of damage that the WTS has caused.

And unlike Christianity completely non fear based!!!

To be fair, I think some Christians (as may be found on this board) have found a Christ-centric spirituality free from that fear - though in my experience that's still pretty new to me.

But your point about the WTS not wanting others to know that you can have a spirituality free from their autocratic threats of annhilation is well taken.

115

My Life as a 'Famous' Jehovah's Witness

by united states of nothing in

just let me start out by saying i am unable to give certain details of my life as i have learned very quickly this can cause a lot of problems.

i was born into the 'truth' as my mother had been studying with a few sisters on and off at a local congregation.

my father was never a jw and came in and out of my life for many years..to this day i do not give him much time.

VoidEater

Hmm...since the name-calling has started, and only because I asked for more "meat" to the thread's actual topic - well, there's not much to see, so I'll mosie along. Too much ulterior motive here, I got out of the WTS so that I wouldn't have to bow on my knee to anyone anymore.

EDIT: Ooh! Didn't even notice I made Senior status! Thanks for pointing that out! ;-)

44

So, you're in love with someone that you're not compatible with ....

by Frequent_Fader_Miles in

perhaps it was "love at first sight", but then you get to know him/her more intimately and realize your goals and amitions couldn't be further apart.

not that he/she isn't a good person ... just not right for you.

the physical attraction is real, but issues that are important to you pale into insignificance in his/her mind.

VoidEater

Been here...

Would you stick around trying to change him/her and hope for the best?

I left. The relationship. The town. The state. It was a big deal, we were pretty well known among amongst our communities of interest. Everything reminded me of them, I had been consumed. Not healthy. Bad choice to get consumed? Yup. Bad choice to leave the relationship? Nope. Bad choice to leave the state? I don't know - but it led to a pretty nice life.

Would you be brave enough to forego the security of familiarity, to find true fulfillment in the unknown?

I did, and I did. It was hard. I spent two years in grief/rehab (figurative).

And I'll always love them - hopefully in a more healthy way now.

115

My Life as a 'Famous' Jehovah's Witness

by united states of nothing in

just let me start out by saying i am unable to give certain details of my life as i have learned very quickly this can cause a lot of problems.

i was born into the 'truth' as my mother had been studying with a few sisters on and off at a local congregation.

my father was never a jw and came in and out of my life for many years..to this day i do not give him much time.

VoidEater

I don't care who USON might be - and I'm not really all that interested in the crumbs being thrown to entice us to guess. That's a bit wierd, you know?

I am interested in knowing the impact of this religion, where he is now, where he wants to be. The rest seems...distracting.

EDIT: What I am reacting to is a seeming contrdiction - Can't tell you who I am! Oh, I'm not them! But here's a clue! I feel played with. USON can tell us or not, it's fine either way - but might we not move on to the common interest we share here rather than get consumed by celebrity? The celebrities I know are pretty down to Earth folks.

37

Whats the worst thing you have heard from the stage???

by karter in

jw
friends

at a circuit assembly the co stopped his talk and asked the attendants to remove a crying baby and his mother .. she go up walked out the back started crying as she was studying she never came back.. saved by the co i say..

VoidEater

Well, how about those out in the audience who had suffered thru a rape, in other words you were not deserving of Jah's protection.

There ya go. For me, it's "waiting on Jehovah" to put things right (ok, here's to hanging on until Jehovah gets this effing elder out of my pants).

110

What if God IS a farce?

by LouBelle in

jw
friends

that would really rock my world as i know it.

after i initially left the jws' i did question the whole "is there a god"" especially when you look around and see all the atrocities - the sick sick things happening in your own back yard.then i put it out of my mind and carried on believing in a god.. right now i choose to believe in a god, whether that god be jesus, jehovah, buddha, allah, shiva, it doesn't matter - i'm happy with the idea that there is a spiritual & powerful someone running things.however lately i've been questioning again - so many posters on here that are atheists really make good arguments & i can't reason my way out of it.. why does god keep so quiet?

why not just let us know - tadaaaa i'm here.

VoidEater

Can I ask an easy question? Not what is God, but WHERE is God? Might make more sense if I knew that.

That really depends on what definition of "God" is being spoken about. A Creator? A Teacher? Love? It's too small a word to have a nice, neat, complete definition without further explanation.

What does your own experience tell you of God, and where he might be?

Burn: I'm glad someone has responded to you in a way that has made an impact.

13

How hardcore?

by 4mylove in

i've slowly found out that my hubby was a great big jw in his active days.

he's been inactive now for about 5 years.

he has only attended 1 memorial and one assembly recently to supposedly appease his father that came into town to have to drive 1.5 hrs to attend the one in our area.

VoidEater

Not sure that I'm "typical", though I was completely mindless drone; but I was a liberal drone: while I wouldn't consider leaving at the time, I never believed the WTS was God's infallible representative on Earth.

14

I just got "Crisis of Conscience" last night....

by Dorktacular in

jw
friends

i got home from work late last night.

the brown box from amazon.com leaning against the front door.

i knew what was in it.

VoidEater

What I love most about the book: it's written in a similar style to certain Aid Book articles (duh, no wonder), which is the only WTS publication to ever have made an impression on me. If you took the cover off, a JW could start reading CofC and it would feel "familier" enough that they might theoretically get hooked on it without even realizing the source. And that would be an interesting education for them.