Posts by palmtree67

159

Breaking News: Big Trouble with the Watchtower

by Bethelite Elder in

jw
friends

a couple of weeks ago, an ex-bethelite(10 years) by the name of mel smith was disfellowshipped.

i understand that he still lives in ny are and has a mortgage company.

evidently, he was hurt while serving at the farm and watchtower did some horrible things to him.

palmtree67

baltar447-

You're weird. I like you already.

53

beer

by John Doe in

jw
friends

i never really liked beer, but, i got a hankering for one on the way home from work.

i picked up a six pack of foster's (never tried it before) and i must say, it's prettty danged good.

what do you drink?.

palmtree67

I really like a Guiness.

Or Negro Modelo.

13

You Used to be a Jehovah's Witness? What an Ugly Human You Are! (until you get a glimpse of the beauty)

by AllTimeJeff in

jw
friends

(truth be known, i am a bit of a softy, with a nice @$$shole exterior).

i think when we leave jehovah's witnesses, there is this time where we look back, and it is absolutely killer.

damn, what a waste.

palmtree67

Sometimes, you see a person who looks really attractive on the outside. But when you get to know them and they turn out to be a nasty-ass person, they start to look ugly to you.

Sometimes, you see a person who at first doesn't look very attractive on the outside. But when you get to know them, and find out all their wonderful qualities - they begin to look very beautiful.

This is a truism that I have learned in life.

126

MY BROTHER-IN-LAW HAS DIED

by Mary in

jw
friends

this is one post i had always hoped i would never have to do, but after a long and brave battle, my beloved brother in law has died.

i have done a couple of threads on this in the past, so many of you know the battles he was facing.

he had been diagnosed earlier this year with myelodysplastic syndrome and the mortality rate of this disease is quite high.

palmtree67

Thank you for sharing some details of his life with us. He sounds like a great person.

Very sorry for such a great loss in your family.

11

I am thinking about buying a new car

by asilentone in

jw
friends

i was thinking about getting 2010 toyota corolla, a very quiet car.

.

palmtree67

TThe Toyota Prius is very quiet.

In case there are some people you'd like to run over.....

121

November 15 Watchtower (Study Edition) - discourages showing affection to your spouse

by CrazyBlonde in

jw
friends

another gem from the same edition - article to be studied december 28 - january 3 (which most will miss lol coz of summer vacation) entitled "what do your prayers say about you?

" page 6 para 19 reads:.

19 when we are being represented in public prayer, we need to display reverential "fear of god.

palmtree67

What I see happening here is what I've seen happen over and over:

A few people are "over the top" with being touchy feely during prayer. And rather than privately counsel them, the Org now has to make a rule:

No touching or holding hands. Period.

15

Your space: creative mess or tidy idleness?

by compound complex in

jw
friends

greetings savers and tossers and messers and tidiers:.

do you get to your projects whatever the state of your work area or do you have to prepare unduly to get everything just right?

sort of like a writer unwittingly puts off his paper by spending the morning sharpening pencils .... et tu?.

Everything About Being An Elder is Weird (my misc rambling memories of being an elder)

by AllTimeJeff in

for any brother who is a jehovah's witness, the goal is put before them to reach out for the privilege of being an elder.

i can only speak for myself, but being born into the religion, i wanted to be an elder since i was 5. i would have much rather wanted to be a doctor or engineer, but those are the breaks..... i'll skip the part about what it takes to reach out, all the crap you have to put up with as a ministerial servant to get appointed, and go straight to the reality.. i know many elders who sincerely just wanted to be shepherds.

i did want the spotlight.

palmtree67

Wow, ATJ!

You sound soooo much like my brother. He was also made an elder very young ( I believe he was younger than 26 ) and was giving talks on the DA before he was 30. Everyone said, he was super ambitious and played the politics game well. He let it all go to his head and was instrumental in that case I told you about where the brothers were deleted from positions and sisters put in to do literature and take the second school. When that happened, I remember he called an elder that I was friends with and asked for his backing on the decision. The elder (still one of the wisest men I know) said "First of all, I cant give you my backing. And second of all, if you feel that you've done the right thing, then you shouldn't need my backing." He's the one who told me that "the brothers needed to be humbled." and "We're elders, we can do whatever we want."

He lied to get his kid into Bethel (it lasted less than a year) and everyone knew it. But he's so damned arrogant and intimidating that no one calls him on anything he does. He doesn't have anything to do with anyone in our family and we all thought it was because we weren't spiritual enough for him. None of us were df'ed. he just did a "personal disfellowshipping" to us all.

What I really respect about you is that you couldn't go along with it all. I know how hard it is to buck that tide. And you're only 35??? You have a whole lifetime yet to live and you've made some really important insights into life. My brother is nearly 40 and still playing in the "little boys club". He can ACT like he has empathy for people, but he really doesn't. And I don't believe he ever will.

I also like that you are using your wisdom and insights to help others. It's not easy to open up about things like this, but it's incredibly helpful to us who read your words.

Take care of yourself,

81

An Elder wrote anomously...

by Butterflyleia85 in

jw
friends

i realize as an elder that i am speaking out against the very organization i try to faithfully represent, but i personally think that the governing body is wrong by teaching that only what they teach us, as printed in the watchtower publications, should be considered to be the truth.

theyve made the expression of any personal opinions or group debates over their official versions of biblical truths subject to disciplinary action often leading to someone being disfellowshipped.. .

that is why i feel that i must keep my own identity somewhat anonymous.

palmtree67

I like to think of myself as a "wirl" : half-way between a woman and a girl.

9

Introducing Cthulhu (though a bit belated)!!

by Cthulhu in

jw
friends

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in the last year i actually moved to the camp grounds and spent 10 months living right there where i worked.

palmtree67

That's an interesting journey you are on! Thank-you for sharing it!