Incense_and_Peppermints

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Posts by Incense_and_Peppermints

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  6

  to questioning/lurking jehovah's witnesses

  by Incense_and_Peppermints in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  are you "under the influence"

  of a destructive group or belief system?

  find out with this

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  Incense_and_Peppermints

  ** you know, now that you mention it.... (good point)
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  27

  First Impressions : Men & Women

  by professor in

  1. social
  2. relationships

  this question is kind of related to the male and female friends post: .

  a female friend of mine once told me that many women find it necessary to flirt with a man the first time they meet him, even if there is no real attraction.

  the reasoning is that a man will never pay attention to a woman unless there is a sexual interest first.

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  Incense_and_Peppermints

  A female friend of mine once told me that many women find it necessary to flirt with a man the first time they meet him, even if there is no real attraction. The reasoning is that a man will never pay attention to a woman unless there is a sexual interest first. I'm not sure if this idea is more anti-man or anti-woman, or if it is partially true.

  *** absoultely false. why waste your time if you're not attracted to someone? and why would you want the interest of a man who pays attention to only the sexual aspects of yourself?
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  5

  Kingdom Melodies Writer Revealed!

  by Stephanus in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  http://www.dundee22.freeserve.co.uk/default.htm

  some examples of his work:.

  http://www.lester.smith.net/mcgonagall.htm.

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  Incense_and_Peppermints

  ugh. his work is some of the most insipid, idiotic stuff i have ever had the misfortune to read...
• 
  6

  to questioning/lurking jehovah's witnesses

  by Incense_and_Peppermints in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  are you "under the influence"

  of a destructive group or belief system?

  find out with this

  1. 
  2. 
  3. 
• 

  Incense_and_Peppermints

  Are you "UNDER THE INFLUENCE" of a destructive group or belief system? Find out with this SELF QUIZ:

  Does your group discourage doubts, criticism or ideas that differ from their belief system? Yes____No___ Do you tend to rationalize whatever the group does even when it goes against your sense of right and wrong? Yes___ No___ Do you often feel exhausted from lengthy group activities, meetings and projects? Yes___ No___ Does your group have its own unique words, cliches, slogans, chants, prayers and doctrinal phrases that reinforce the group viewpoint? Yes___ No___ Are doubts viewed as a lack of faith, dedication, commitment or disloyalty? Yes___ No___ Have "your thoughts" become "the enemy?" Yes___ No___ Do you often find yourself doing more and more things in the group or because of group peer pressure that you would not have done on your own? Yes___ No___ Does your group publicly humiliate or criticize members? Yes___ No___ Does your group have a system of punishments and rewards for behavior? Yes___ No___ Group paranoia: Does your group obsessively think other groups or people with different beliefs are out to get them? Yes___ No___ Does the prospect of leaving your group seem scary, difficult? Yes___ No___ Do you feel the need to leave in secret? Yes___ No___ Have you been told something bad might happen if you leave? Yes___ No___ Does your group/belief system think they have/are the only or highest truth, or have the solution for the worlds problems? Yes___ No___ Are your leaders ideas or belief system considered beyond reproach or sacred? Yes___ No___ Do you follow a particular individual or belief system that requires unquestioning obedience and loyalty? Yes___ No___ ) Do members of your group feel specially chosen, superior, exclusive, elite? Yes___ No___ Do you feel the need to save or convert others to your belief system or ideology? Yes___ No___ Is your group secretive to outsiders about its inner workings, teachings, activities or beliefs? Yes___ No___ Does your group equate purity and goodness to being in your group, and impurity or evil to those outside your group? Yes___ No___ Do you place your groups mission or agenda above your own goals and ideals? Do group interests come before your own interest Yes___ No___ Do you find yourself thinking in a we-they, us-versus-them mind set? Yes___ No___ Does your group/system have a clear outside enemy? Yes___ No___ Do you see less and less of your family and friends who do not belong to your group or who do not subscribe to your groups belief system? Yes___ No___ Does your group use frequent public testimonials, confessions, or sharings that reinforce the groups mission or agenda? Yes___ No___ Is communication within, into and out of your group controlled or censored in any manner? Yes___ No___ Does your group criticize, shun, abandon or demean individuals who leave the group? Yes___ No___ Do members seek approval or get permission from group leader(s) for personal life choices? Yes___ No___ Do you feel pressured to attend meetings, events, lectures, seminars? And do you feel guilty if you dont attend? Yes___ No___ Do you feel pressured to give a portion of your income to the group, or spend money on courses, books or special projects? Yes___ No___ Are the groups financial needs more important than your own economic well-being? Yes___ No___ Does your group discriminate against anyone regarding race, gender, belief, or sexual orientation? Yes___ No___ Does your group have a totalitarian structure: a strict, top-down centralized control? Yes___ No___ Do you wonder if you have been in a destructive group? Do you... ...have difficulty forming new friendships and intimate relationships? Yes___ No___ ...have low self-esteem, poor self-image or loss of identity? Yes___ No___ ...have difficulty making simple decisions and choices? Yes___ No___ ...often feel depressed, anxious and nervous? Yes___ No___ ...feel isolated, lonely, guilty, cynical? Yes___ No___ ...feel like you are just now growing up, becoming a mature adult? Yes___ No___ ...feel you have nothing to believe in? Yes___ No___ ...often feel anger and rage towards the group? Yes___ No___

  This quiz has no scientifically predetermined number of "yes" answers to indicate a distructive group. However, answering "yes" to any of the above questions means you may need to examine your group and its influence in your life in those areas.
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  12

  JWs: No Social Conscience

  by Room 215 in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  of all the delusions a jw labors under, perhaps none is more tragic than the one that deprives him/her of the truly satisfying reward of spontaneous help to a fellow human being in need.

  this is achieved by the promulgation of the notion that the jw ``join us or die'' ministry is the single most worthwhile endeavor any human can aspire to, and supercedes any other claims on a jw's time, talents or resources.

  although wts literature targeted for public consumption cleverly words any reference to charitable works to deliberately create the misimpression that jws excel in this regard, the social pressure within the organization against involvement of significant effort and time in humanitarian voluteerism is palpable.

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  Incense_and_Peppermints

  they just spend their time engaging in many other wholesome activities....

  

  

  C.O.W. gone bad... (shudder)

  
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  64

  Monthly Complaint

  by comforter in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  the watchtower has said that those who deviate from the faith only seek to pull down and do not try to build up.

  they have no positive teachings.

  only negative ones.

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  Incense_and_Peppermints

  The Watchtower has said that those who deviate from the faith only seek to pull down and do not try to build up. They have no positive teachings. Only negative ones. This forum proves that the organization is telling the truth. The people that frequent this place concentrate on negativity and tearing down. The only support that they offer is the enablement of anger and hate. That is it. It has been said that one staring in the abyss too long will eventually become like the abyss.

  where's all this hate and anger you speak of? i see people posting happy posts, meeting each other and sharing happy conversations. you seem to focus on only negative things.

  it seems to me that you are doing more than a fair amount of 'abyss-staring'. better run away before you get polluted... methinks jw's can't stand expatriots being happy and free... as free as the wind blows...as free as the grass grows.... (you know the rest)
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  21

  To Applaud or Throw Up - Which?

  by metatron in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  i pointed out the evidence that the society is sneaking away from.

  the blood issue to a 'loyal' relative.. she replied "well, that's good then, right?".

  sometimes it just takes your breath away!.

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  Incense_and_Peppermints

  I heard N.H. Knorr say, from the Yankee Stadium podium, that it was better to be a short-order cook than to really get an education!!!

  henious
• 
  21

  To Applaud or Throw Up - Which?

  by metatron in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  i pointed out the evidence that the society is sneaking away from.

  the blood issue to a 'loyal' relative.. she replied "well, that's good then, right?".

  sometimes it just takes your breath away!.

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  Incense_and_Peppermints

  Book One, Chapter 3

  "If the [WTBTS] could thrust its hand into the past and say this or that even, it never happenedthat, surely, was more terrifying than mere torture and death." pg 32

  "And if all others accepted the lie which the [WTBTS] imposedif all records told the same talethen the lie passed into history and became truth. 'Who controls the past' ran the [WTBTS] slogan, 'controls the future: who controls the present controls the past.'" pg 32

  "Day by day and almost minute by minute the past was brought up to date. In this way every prediction made by the [WTBTS] could be shown by documentary evidence to have been correct; nor was any item of news, or any expression of opinion, which conflicted with the needs of the moment, ever allowed to remain on record. All history was a palimpsest, scraped clean and reinscribed exactly as often as was necessary." pg 36

  *** yes. and they all have that same glazed look on their faces too. when you try to pin them down, they just look at you with those glazed eyes and don't even deny what you're saying. they just say what it is NOW.

  ugh...
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  2

  van gogh

  by Incense_and_Peppermints in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  it's ok. everyone freaks out sometimes.

  if you want to talk about it, write to me: [email protected].

  your confidentiality will be respected a thousand percent.

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  Incense_and_Peppermints

  it's ok. everyone freaks out sometimes. if you want to talk about it, write to me: [email protected]

  your confidentiality will be respected a thousand percent. you may not believe it, but there are a lot of people in the world who care... i know that's hard to believe when you feel so alone.
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  9

  the dustrabbit still rules!!!

  by Incense_and_Peppermints in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  .

  ~~~he is the sweetest, kindest, most adorable being..

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  Incense_and_Peppermints

  aw, dustrabbit, i just saw this! "linguistical flowers"... i like that. you're such a poet.

  spice: the dustrabbit has a sweet soul. i just feel it. and who can resist that profile pic of his, "little dustrabbit". you just want to hold on tight... (plus i've seen his earthly self and he is *cute*.)

  now, if he could just get back on American soil...

  love,
  ~incense