Posts by Country Girl

71

Criticism worthy of your time

by johnnyc in

as i read posts throughout this site, i became amazed at some of the criticism people have actually spent time creating, reading (as i did), and responding to.

dont get me wrong, some of what i read are good issues that seem worthy (to me) of discussion, but to be honest, i find that 90% of the posts are based on ridiculous petty topics that are obviously tied to a sense of deep hatred of the wtbts.

i can appreciate that some of the people who leave such post, and have this hatred, are taking their time to discuss such things as part of a therapeutic process to combat the fact they spent a large portion of their life dedicated to an organization they feel abandoned them at some point.

Country Girl

Deep hatred for something often leads to irrational behavior, and unwillingness to consider alternative viewpoints. It can have the same blinding effect you claim the Watchtower places upon its members, making the criticism thereof hypocritical. Who would I consider more reasonable - a Islamic radical or Catholic crusader? In discussing a subject matter, like…uh, say “Who should control Jerusalem?”... how could I take seriously either one to give me a fair, balanced viewpoint? My point to this posting was simply state that many discussions are based upon frivolous statements coming from an extremist point of view. Obviously, everyone has a right to participate in such – as I do in pointing it out. I realize I might sound arrogant in expressing my feelings on the matter, but to give you some of my background: I am a 32 year old architect living in the Northwest. I was raised in the “truth” from very dedicated JW parents, and married a dedicated wife (full-time pioneer). I stopped being an active JW about 8 years ago, and I go to a meeting every 4 months or so. About 2 years ago I started an active search for “God”, only to be very disappointed in what I found out there, and have been disillusioned with certain realizations I had about the subject matter altogether. I’ve since been looking all over for information, and truthfully have been considering going back to being a JW (though have not acted upon it) based on not finding anything better out there. My wife is now pregnant, and this has hastened my desire to settle upon something. My visit to this site was based upon my deep inner desire to find a “smoking gun” on why I shouldn’t be a JW – yet most of what I have read so far seems to be rantings of an extreme position. It would be nice if there were some threads of discussion based upon serious matters, with reasonable views….understanding that “reasonable” is a relative term.

Why do you have to FIND anything Johnny? Why not just let it come to you? There are many threads here that are rational: based on science, and history, and archaeological evidence that would convince even the most devout JW that the doctrines are not the truth. The Bible says that any utterance that does not come true indicates a false prophet. They've made many utterances that have never come true. The Bible says that is the test of the truth. What more do you need? THAT is the test of a false prophet. That is what Jesus told his disciples. Anything else is anecdotal.

Test it for yourself. You can go back to being a JW, and I wish the best for you if you do, but most likely you will be more miserable than if you were living YOUR truth; what YOU believe. You can go back to the stink that is the vomit of the Watchtower Society. Something drove you here, and you are challenging here. Why? If you are self-sufficient in your knowledge that this IS the Truth, stay with it! Don't bother us lowly heathens that know no better. The Bible says that we are to be constantly examining our faith to make sure that it is the Truth.

If this JW doctrine is YOUR TRUTH, why do you feel the need to bother the rest of us with it? Lots of us have been treated badly by the JW's and we have come to realize that by their fruits we "do NOT know them." You can't stand there and walk in the shoes of all these people and say it didn't happen. You can only judge on what you know to be true. You don't know the hearts and minds of thousands of people that have been abused, disenfranchised, and treated badly by this Cult. You cannot presume to know that, or presuem to know what it feels like.

Sure, I hate what happened to me because of it, but this board has helped me heal; and if I had to vent, or get brought down a few notches, I had to. That was my path.

Good luck on your path. I have a feeling you know the truth; and the truth will set you free.

CG

71

Criticism worthy of your time

by johnnyc in

as i read posts throughout this site, i became amazed at some of the criticism people have actually spent time creating, reading (as i did), and responding to.

dont get me wrong, some of what i read are good issues that seem worthy (to me) of discussion, but to be honest, i find that 90% of the posts are based on ridiculous petty topics that are obviously tied to a sense of deep hatred of the wtbts.

i can appreciate that some of the people who leave such post, and have this hatred, are taking their time to discuss such things as part of a therapeutic process to combat the fact they spent a large portion of their life dedicated to an organization they feel abandoned them at some point.

Country Girl

JOHNNYC:

As I read posts throughout this site, I became amazed at some of the criticism people have actually spent time creating, reading (as I did), and responding to. Don’t get me wrong, some of what I read are good issues that seem worthy (to me) of discussion, but to be honest, I find that 90% of the posts are based on ridiculous petty topics that are obviously tied to a sense of deep hatred of the WTBTS. I can appreciate that some of the people who leave such post, and have this hatred, are taking their time to discuss such things as part of a therapeutic process to combat the fact they spent a large portion of their life dedicated to an organization they feel abandoned them at some point. Perhaps when it was felt they needed this organization the most. Others have another reason, but the fact remains the basis for some of these posts reflect a deep sense abhorrence to anything bearing the name Watchtower. The beliefs many of you held as sacred, and worthy of spending countless hours spreading to other people, are now the focus of your malcontent. Now, you spend a lot of time working against the very thing you once promoted. The very thing you thought you would never do. The very thing you spoke out against. The very thing you detested. Go ahead – ease your pain. John-Paul

Your point would be? People generally feel a great deal of disgust, guilt, anger, mistrust, etc. over something they held sacred in their lives, but they found later to be a bastion of deceit. Do you blame anyone?

An analogy: All the kids in the Jim Jones cult, those that lived, are shocked that what they so dearly clung to as being the "truth" was merely a pathway to destruction. They believed, then, in what was happening. Why? Because they were "immersed" and indoctrinated, to believe that way. Then their parents and family are gone, and it hits them like a lead balloon.

Of COURSE they feel a deep abbhorrence toward anything "watchtower." It has taken many of their lives, their families lives, blood guilt, pedophilia, the whole she-bang. Do you expect this group of harmed people to come out of this undamaged? You must be one cold-hearted beast to expect that anyone would emerge from this cult unscathed; and then not give them enough human compassion to honor and respect their feelings. Good riddance to you.

CG

50

Things to wear at mtg that will raise eyebrows but won't get you into 2...

by cognac in

jw
friends

much trouble... or, things to do at the mtg that will raise eyebrows but won't get you into to much trouble.. i've been thinking about this since i still go.

i'm surprised at how much a person can get away with if they are in a hall that they have no family in that particular kingdom hall.... at the memorial i put on so much dark eye make-up i was shocked my husband didn't say anything walking out the door.

instead, i got compliments, lol, not exactly what i planned on.... one of my friends who faded went to the memorial and she had a pretty low cut shirt on.

Country Girl

Dowse yourself in cheap perfume.

Get a good pair of closed-toe leather shoes, walk around outside in them, sans socks, in the hot sun for 8 hours, then wear them to the meeting, and take them off.

Wear nice leather sandals or clogs with white socks with your dark suit.

Wear a Panama hat and don't take it off during the meeting. Answer meeting questions in a Southern accent. Yayusah!

Wear a purple shirt, and a gold tie, with a tie-tack of a Masonic symbol and say you got it at Goodwill.

Dress vintage, circa 1970, wear a toupee, and keep reminding everyone yer a "Fun guy!"

Walk around with your zipper slightly undone, white shirt draping out.

Walk around in the hot sun for 8 hours, sans deodorant, then go to Sunday meeting.

Bring a large straw bag and constantly pick it up during the meeting, place it on your lap, and dig through it for 10 minutes, at intervals of 5 minutes. Make sure there's lots of empty candy wrappers, and metal trinkets in it.

Sit in the aisle seat, cross your legs, letting your shoe hang off the tip of your foot. Stick your leg WAAAAAY out into the aisle and flip your shoe up and down off your toe, making a large "smack" as your shoe hits your foot on the rebound.

Smack your gum.

Low cut dresses, spaghetti straps, thongs (worn with a clingy skirt), and slits up the sides of skirts are always nice touches.

Lucite 5" high-heels.

Frequent trips to the powder room because of bladder control problems (make sure you're sitting in the front for this one!).

Lots of tinkly jewelry.

Different colored wigs every Sunday.

cg

63

If you knew how the meat you eat was slaughtered, would you still eat it?

by restrangled in

jw
friends

i am no vegetarian.

but just last week i cooked a turkey i had received as a gift.

i had never heard of the name brand, house of raeford.

Country Girl

Well, I don't know, depends on how bad it was.

My extended, and some immediate, family all come from farms; and I think their ways are/were more inhumane than most of the slaughter-houses, so I'd have to say generally, yes.

On the other hand, I have a friend who is a vegetarian and she thinks that animals that are kept and slaughtered inhumanely are totally frightened all the time, so they build up toxins from stress in their meat/organs that may affect humans adversely. Could be right.. who knows.

On the other hand <how many hands do I have left?> there's a group of police officers here that go out and shoot wild hogs that run around the county eating people's gardens, bushes, lawns, crops, that are breeding like rats. They use the meat to feed a bunch of people at the food pantry.

CG

12

American Haunting.....ever seen it?

by AK - Jeff in

one of the scariest movies i have seen, i think.

interesting concept.

and an interesting driver.. jeff .

Country Girl

Saw it when it first came out at the theater. It wasn't really that good of a movie: alright, but then, it takes a lot to scare me. The legend is real enough, though. Went to see the actual cave where the supposed "Bell Witch" originated from, and it's pretty creepy. The house is long gone, but the owners have built another house there, and run a pretty good little business with tours of the cave. They also have a scrapbook containing photographs others have taken at the site which contains some pretty anomalous pictures. Supposedly, American president Andrew Jackson went to the house while it was haunted by the witch and said he'd rather take on the whole British Army than the Bell Witch. Shrug. Who knows...

CG

30

How about a show of solidarity...

by Mickey mouse in

jw
friends

...at this year's convention for those who are still in?

can we come up with a way of doing something which doesn't identify us individually whilst at the same time shows there are others "of us" there?.

any ideas?.

Country Girl

Men could wear white shirts.... erm... too bold.

How about putting your arms in your suit jacket and pretending to be armless? Go around swinging your suit arms about and flapping people as they walk by?

CG

39

Mary imperfect, Jesus perfect

by heyfea in

my husband never ceases to amaze me with the things he asks me.

yesterday night he asked me: why was jesus born perfect when mary was not perfect?

i said to him that it should be the same as having a surrogate mother.

Country Girl

I always wondered, even as a child: if Adam were created perfect, then it would not be in his nature to even CONTEMPLATE sin, right? The very word, "perfect" indicates no free-will, but a course of behaviors and thought that is directed, and can't be sidetracked. If you are perfect, then sin is not even a comprehensible option.

CG

13

Swartzentruber Amish Ordnung

by blondie in

jw
friends

sometimes i wonder, is there a religion with worse doctrines.

yes and no, while the rules about clothing and material possessions is more strict, much is very similar to the wts.. http://www.amishabuse.com/ordnung.htm.

the ordnung is not about scripture out of the new testament or the salvation of your soul, but it is about control.

Country Girl

Thought I'd bring up this old post to point out some help we could offer to Amish children who have suffered abuse. David Yoder is attempting to get 200,000 signatures to help get an initiative on the ballot: The Amish Children's Equal Protection Act, which would give Amish children the same rights as all other children in America, and also serve to protect them under the Child Labor Laws.

www.amishdeception.com

32

Crisis of Consciousness: Finally Got It

by RAYZORBLADE in

oops, well i had intended to post a message along with this new topic and my fingers were faster than my brain (need more coffee .

well, i suppose it's like preaching to the converted; me obtaining this book, but i guess it's one of those things i just needed to do to finalize everything.. i know there are countless topics on ray franz' book.

but to finally pick it up, i feel like: 'i can hardly wait to read it'.. before, i more or less figured: 'i am out of the wtbts, so why bother?'.

Country Girl

Hey Rayzor!

Hope you are doing well! I liked the book and found that it wasn't bitter or toxic, just a taste of the truth. Good read: you'll enjoy it. Even if you were a person who had no prior information about the JW's, it's quite informative and historical.

CG

Hi Nimmers!

57

Homeopath= Urine therapy cures many illnesses drink yours twice a day!!!

by Witness 007 in

have you looked up urine therapy on the net?

many web-sites praise drinking your own urine as being extremely good for you.

i thought this was nuts!!

Country Girl

This is really creepy... but one time I got a really bad cut on my foot and my Father doused it with urine because he said it would stop infection. He was from the old country... I was totally grossed out. Well it didnt get an infection, but it sure smelled bad.