Posts by Jeremy C

74

"Draw close to God, and he will"....never speak to you.....

by oompa in

well me and bonnzo got to go to a big jw funeral today (oh what fun!

)...in a high school auditorium...so i see bonnzo in the crowd and texted him during the service that i could see him, and i was so hoping he had not put his cell on vibrate, but he had....darn it.

so my mind was wandering, and i have been wondering what it would take for me to get any of my faith back (i'm agnostic now)...and this scripture pops in my head: .

Jeremy C

Religion has conditioned people to engage with God like a cosmic parent. It is only in the past year or so that I have realized how absurd this is.

How many times have we observed religious leaders, pastors, and writers who are convinced that God talks to them; only to make absolute asses out of themselves and their members.

The Watchtower Governing Body is getting one message. Joseph Smith also had his cozy moments with God. Herbert Armstrong received other guidance. George W. Bush is receiving his messages. And Jim Jones got his marching orders as well. Jewish settlers are convinced that God gave them that land they are deffending with their guns. All of these people are or were convinced that God talks to them. As if the omnipotent power of the universe would be so petty as to care about who occupies a piece of land in the Middle East, or who becomes President.

Could it possibly be their subconscious mind playing tricks with them?

55

2 years out...yet i still don't feel like doin Christmas?

by oompa in

jw
friends

and damm i love to shop...even on black friday.

i have a feeling it is just because i have never done it and it was forbidden...but so was sex once and i jumped all over that one!

is it because i do not believe jesus was not god nor his son?

Jeremy C

There is nothing abnormal about a lack of enthusiasm for Christmas. Look at all of the "worldly" people who can't stand it. I have heard many of them quiety confess that they wish they didn't have to participate in the whole affair.

I celebrated Christmas for the first time last year. I found it to be pain in the ass. I only particpated in it for my girlfriend. I find it to be a culturally superficial and superfluous affair that I can certainly do without. Having to listen to Christmas music as the supermarket still sucks, in my opinion.

- Jeremy (a member of the Faithful and Discreet Grinch class)

2

entitled or not entitled to know the truth, but still lie to both?

by asilentone in

most of us know what thecoratic warfare strategy is all about.

it teaches it is okay to tell a 'lie' to those not entitled to know the truth, but do you think it helps jw to lie to other jws even though they are entitled to know the truth?.

i am looking forward to get some interesting answers..

Jeremy C

It completely depends upon the individuals. If I was too hung over to work in service with an Elder that I had made arrangements with; I had no qualms about feigning food poisoning. The funny part about that is that if I devoted enough imagination and time to the matter, I could fabricate a plausible sounding Scriptural justification.

In actuality, any group promoting any fantastical silliness can dig through the Bible and construct justifications for those ideas. The Bible is very handy that way.

34

JWs say its impossible for "worldly people" to be happy

by shopaholic in

jw
friends

i've had 3 different jws tell me this over the past few weeks.

basically their thinking is non-jws are not happy and when they appear to be its not real, its not a true happiness.

according to them, non-jws use drugs, alcohol and wild sex to make themselves happy.

Jeremy C

Let me tell you guys something, since I've started "widening out" the more I realize that there a lot of upstanding non-JWs. I've met a number of folks that don't use drugs, profanity or have wild sex parties and didn't have sex until they were married (this actually surprised me) so JWs don't have a monopoly on religious morals.

This fact became very apparent upon visiting a couple of churches and getting to know the members. It is also the case with many non-religious friends that I have.

Most JWs have never attended any other churches or spiritual groups. If they ever bothered to, they could simply write off the happy people as being under Satan's influence. JWs are very good at having it both ways. When "worldly" people are enmeshed in drug use, abusive relationships, and crime, they point out how Satan's system is ruining their lives. But, if someone is very happy and properous, they can simply say that Satan's system is rewarding them.

Living in a closed society (whereby all of your associates hold identical beliefs and worldview) is self-affirming, and self-elevating. One can lament the hopeless state of the outside world from inside the confines of the group while conveniently avoiding disconfirming evidence that might be encountered outside of it.

2

Just wondering

by bobld in

jw
friends

pre-flood: the sons of god (angels) begin to notice the daughters of men,that they were good looking abd beautiful.........had relations with the daughters of men and they bore sons to them and the were mighty.

fast forward a few thousand years.mary a virgin promised to joseph.god has found favour in mary and his holy spirit makes her pregnant she has a mighty son,he can walk on water,raise dead etc.just wondering.. the garden of eden.adam and beautiful eve eating all that good delicious food.why did not lucifer appear to eve as a handsome man and seduce her behind the apple tree.after sex he could of given her the apple and had a cigarette.also why did not the sons of god notice the delicious fruit in the garden.

you would think when they saw the food they would want to try it even before their were women.just wondering.. bob.

Jeremy C

I think you should stop playing hockey without a helmet.

20

Tomorrow is my Circuit assembly

by Iwonder17 in

jw
friends

any ideas to make the day go by quicker?.

i think that i should develop and market a ca or dc survival kit for those that are stuck going.

Jeremy C

At the lunch break, eat a huge helping of chili beans and hard boiled eggs. Then during the afternoon break, you can please Jehovah with the aroma of your burnt offerings.

35

Latest tract campaign a complete bust in our area - yours?

by bud2114 in

jw
friends

so much for worldwide coverage of the latest tract campaign that ended on nov 16.

("would you like to know the truth?

") our service overseer announced last night on the local needs part that our cong.

Jeremy C

The idea put forth by the Watchtower that the door-to-door work is the most effective method for dispensing this "life saving water" is rediculous. This ding-dong and dash charade is just a continuation of organizational tradition. It makes them stand out as "special". It reminds me of the big child character "Stuart" on the TV show MAD TV. He would jump up and down, flail around while saying "look what I can do!"

The Watchtower is basically just saying to everyone "look what we do!". This isn't about saving lives. If it was, they would more effectively use radio, cable TV, internet, and other multi-media to reach the masses. This is akin the the Pharisees who prayed on the street corners thanking God that they were not like their faithless contemporaries.

And the Pioneer Shuffle continues . . . . .

21

They Killed Their Neighbors - Warning to those who above this

by Dogpatch in

jw
friends

i thought this was a pretty good article to find on cnn.

we all like to think that we could never be victims of groupthink.

randy.

Jeremy C

Thanks for posting that Randy. Very fascinating.

I look back and marvel at the view that I had toward "worldly" people when I was a Witness. What would make me view one of my neighbors as worthy of destruction for rudely declining a set of magazines? And thus, by extension, their children were to suffer annihilation for their parent's refusal of our message. I had even resolved within myself that I would be willing to help destroy worldly people at Armageddon if called upon by Jehovah - much like the Israellites who had to "deal with" the Canaanites.

How was I able to think and feel that way? How was I able to rationalize that in my mind? I believe that one of the major factors in this is to be convinced to distrust one's inner voice; to ignore one's heart and defer to a "superior" to do one's thinking for you. There is only black and white. There is the "Group", and the "Non-group". For us Witnesses, there was the "Truth", and the "World" - with no gray area in between.

It is no coincidence that all high control groups require the individual to suppress their internal thoughts and feelings; and instead to unify around central memes and concepts. They insist that the thoughts and feelings of the individual are not trustworthy; that the only true moral compass is that which has been established by the group. Breaking that spell is difficult indeed.

20

Materialism: An Example

by WTWizard in

i have just realized what crap material items the witlesses live with.

just now, i went through my place and marked the things that the witlesses stocked me up with at the time i moved in 1x years ago (more work, hounders, to figure out just when).

and i found plenty of crap.. first, the "furniture" was flimsy wicker.

Jeremy C

Allow me to bring out my violin as we take in your tear jerking tale of deprivation and despair. You know wizzard, if you play your cards right, you may be able to get booked on Oprah to tell your story. If you are really shrewd, maybe a director will make a movie out of this - one of those Hallmark Movie Specials.

People who are homeless can watch your movie and feel grateful that they are not in your shoes. Afterall, what could be worse in life than being given a sub-standard blender? Oh, the tragedy!

This is the most self-indulgent, self-pittying thread I've ever seen. People on this forum have gone through incredible tragedy, and you are bemoaning the fact that people bought you cutlery that was not top quality. Jesus Christ, that's infantile!

What's next? Are you going to criticize the JW sisters for not giving you one of their tits to nurse on?

23

BURNING AT THE STAKE SOON TO RETURN.

by hamsterbait in

jw
friends

i dont just mean in the islamic world but in the world of ex jwd.. i am so thankful that at the time i was seeking help and new ideas this board did not ritually hang draw and quarter those who wanted to hang on to thier witness views (even thought they were already swimming alone in a pacific ocean with no boat in sight).

we need to be kind to those we disagree with, not make them feel like satan.. why complain about shunning when we treat those who disagree with our views just as badly.. reniaa is now going back to the cult because there were too many judgmental posts - some of which i found very offensive because they disrespected her as a person.. all of us matter.

so many come here hoping for support.

Jeremy C

Reniaa is now going back to the cult because there were too many judgmental posts - some of which I found very offensive because they disrespected her as a person.

Is this true? She is going to pursue getting reinstated?

How we deal with Watchtower apologists is a tricky balancing act. When a Watchtower apologist makes inaccurate claims, attempts to throw around Watchtower slogans and one-liners, and ridecules other Christian denominations; I have no problem taking them to task. I have seen some Watchtower posters on here in the past who were just asking for their heads to be handed to them.

But there have been others who did not warrant that kind of treatment. I remember briefly interacting with an active elder on here one time. His only point of contention was the blood policies. He got chased off the forum by a couple of nasty posters which was a real shame.

Often, behavior on ex-JW forums only solidifies the claims made by the Watchtower that "apostates" are hateful, and filled with spite toward "Jehovah's people". One visit on this forum has actually proven to a few JWs that "mother organization" was right about us.

I don't know about reniaa. I really didn't engage with her and didn't know much about her. But I do know that some on this forum claimed that reniaa had engaged in some unacceptable behavior toward them on other forums.

I will say this though. If anyone who has thoroughly investigated Watchtower doctrines would actually go back to the Watchtower fantasy world because of some mean posters; they obviously lack true rationality and intellectual honesty.