Posts by Incense_and

29

uh-oh...

by Incense_and_Peppermints in

jw
friends

i just read this in my "moe/syn thread"... .

simon wrote: most disturbing has been a few accounts, all registered within a short space of time, that have been used several times to reply to each other and purport to be from people unfamiliar with the original poster, not know them and their family etc.

i am guilty of registering with more than one account.

Incense_and_Peppermints

...confession is good for the soul (kisses Simon's ring)

39

I. P. Freeley.

by Englishman in

jw
friends

remember when we were kid's at school, how we used to love to make up book titles with fictitious authors to match?.

this sort of thing:.

"the dangerous cliff" by eileen dover.. "the un-answered telephone" by isabelle ringing.. "bare-back horse riding" by major bumsaw.. the fad faded for a while only to surface in a re-generated form for "the simpsons".

Incense_and_Peppermints

i always liked "Under the Bleachers" by Seymour Butts.... (what a riot)

32

moe, can we see syn?

by Incense_and_Peppermints in

jw
friends

i was just thinkin' about him, i mean, since you said he was so cute well i got all curious.. .

ooh it's late and i'm totally drained.

good night

Incense_and_Peppermints

How about asking SYN if you can see SYN?

well, i didn't want to look like i was after you... (it was healthy curiousity, and now i found out) yikes don't get mad moe, but --syn, you are so purty *sigh*

spice i doubt that moe would be mad @ you, she loves you and seems to be an easygoing sort. she can be mad @ me if she wants to, i don't mind...

29

uh-oh...

by Incense_and_Peppermints in

jw
friends

i just read this in my "moe/syn thread"... .

simon wrote: most disturbing has been a few accounts, all registered within a short space of time, that have been used several times to reply to each other and purport to be from people unfamiliar with the original poster, not know them and their family etc.

i am guilty of registering with more than one account.

Incense_and_Peppermints

i just read this in my "moe/syn thread"...

Simon wrote: Most disturbing has been a few accounts, all registered within a short space of time, that have been used several times to reply to each other and purport to be from people unfamiliar with the original poster, not know them and their family etc.

i am guilty of registering with more than one account. i did it because i had seen a few others doing it, so (i know, i know, if so-and-so jumped off a bridge, would you..."). but this (Incense_and_Peppermints) is my original account. then i created "NeonRainbow" because i couldn't post from Incense_and_Peppermints one day. then i created "FreeRangeChicken" just for fun. i don't use "NeonRainbow", but i do use FreeRangeChicken to post funny pictures and things. oops i just remembered one more... "pale recluse", heh.. but i have never posted to myself with any of these accounts (check and see). i'm sorry Simon. you can delete all of those but maybe could you let me keep "FreeRangeChicken" in addition to "Incense_and_Peppermints"? if not, i understand, totally. just let me keep incense, ohpleaseohpleaseohplease.

p.s. who's stupid enough to "pose" as someone and post to themSELVES? Simon sees all, Simon knows all, and won't tolerate any mischief for long... and any deliberate stuff like what he mentioned will get your account deleted, as well it should. internet imposters cause a lot of problems for people.

25

Will the force be with me??????

by SpiceItUp in

jw
friends

this is the big 1000 for me..... its funnie cause i know that you need 1001 to become a jedi but alas i will have to wait another hour (i couldnt wait to start the festivities though .

oh well...the question remains..... will the force be with me?.

and will i get a cool sword to go with it?

Incense_and_Peppermints

--- here's to ya (and i don't even drink!)

10

Wind Turbines, Photovoltaics, Steam

by The_Bad_Seed in

jw
friends

.

just curious if anybody in the jw.com community have hobbies in, or are interested in renewable energy technologies, steam engines, or otherwise.... thats where my interest lies, would love to chat with an 'apostolic' like mind about the subject..

Incense_and_Peppermints

the way i see it, todays photovoltaic modules are extremely safe and reliable products, with minimal failure rates and projected service lifetimes of 20 to 30 years. most major manufacturers offer warranties of twenty or more years for maintaining a high percentage of initial rated power output. when selecting pv modules, look for the product listing (ul), qualification testing and warranty information in the module manufacturers specifications. simply put, pv systems are like any other electrical power generating systems, just the equipment used is different than that used for conventional electromechanical generating systems. however, the principles of operation and interfacing with other electrical systems remain the same, and are guided by a well-established body of electrical codes and standards. although a pv array produces power when exposed to sunlight, a number of other components are required to properly conduct, control, convert, distribute, and store the energy produced by the array. here, let me show you a basic diagram of a photovoltaic system and the relationship of individual components:

(actually, i swiped that off a web site, heh. i don't know what any of that stuff is, but it sounds incredibly exciting.... NOT )

32

moe, can we see syn?

by Incense_and_Peppermints in

jw
friends

i was just thinkin' about him, i mean, since you said he was so cute well i got all curious.. .

ooh it's late and i'm totally drained.

good night

Incense_and_Peppermints

mercy

thank you spicegirl. i don't see why moe would get upset with you - it appears it was already posted, right?

(incense wonders how she missed that)

27

Theocratic War Strategy at my house

by freeman in

jw
friends

well it looks like i find myself in the middle of the jw battlefield once again fighting the borg for nothing less then the soul of my younger son.

many months ago i had forbidden my full-blown dub wife from bringing my young boy to cult programming, i mean meetings anymore.

at issue was the shunning and blood issue.

Incense_and_Peppermints

avengers, do you happen to have any prints of your covers for sale? i always save them because they're so incredible. i actually want to have whole gallery of your work in my hallway. seriously. these are awesome. p.s. you should make a book out of them and try to get it published. i'd buy a copy.

and i think plmkrzy's idea would work! excellent suggestion. evil people require secrecy... this is shining the light right on them, much like when you turn on the bathrrom light at night and see that icky sewer roach skittering away (shudder). which reminds me, the water department's been digging in our neighborhood lately to repair a leak and i swear to god i saw the most gigantic roach hiding in my bathroom the other night... i mean, it was kafka-esque. scared the $#@% out of me. i woke up my son and made him kill it. i couldn't even stand to look at it. oog.

32

moe, can we see syn?

by Incense_and_Peppermints in

jw
friends

i was just thinkin' about him, i mean, since you said he was so cute well i got all curious.. .

ooh it's late and i'm totally drained.

good night

Incense_and_Peppermints

i was just thinkin' about him, i mean, since you said he was so cute well i got all curious.

ooh it's late and i'm totally drained. good night

27

Theocratic War Strategy at my house

by freeman in

jw
friends

well it looks like i find myself in the middle of the jw battlefield once again fighting the borg for nothing less then the soul of my younger son.

many months ago i had forbidden my full-blown dub wife from bringing my young boy to cult programming, i mean meetings anymore.

at issue was the shunning and blood issue.

Incense_and_Peppermints

http://www.freeminds.org/family/family.htm

	Click here for Ken Watters' story of his family background (revised 5/25/01, their 57th anniversary!)
from top left, clockwise: Randy, Sue, Joy and Ken Watters

Recovering Your Family after leaving the Watchtower

see also How I Helped My Family Leave Jehovah's Witnesses by a former elder

When dealing with authoritarian religions, the words "cult" and mind-control" sometimes conjure up images of brainwashing techniques of the sixties as used on American POWs by the Communist Chinese. Yet religions are basically an extension of the family model, with a new set of authority figures as well as "brothers" and "sisters." A destructive cult, therefore, is a "family gone bad." If one has seen an over-restrictive, abusive father or a domineering, oppressive mother try to discipline their children into obedience and unquestioning loyalty by force instead of by love and trust, you are capable of understanding almost all the dynamics of destructive cults. In a word, they are "bad parents." Their methods of control betray their excessive egotism, their grandiose yet over-simplified solutions to man's problems, and their lack of trust of almost everyone not entirely loyal to them personally. Jim Jones provided the classic model of cult mind control with the mass suicide-slaughter of over 900 members of his "Family" in Guyana in 1978.

One can spend weeks and years studying the many doctrines and rituals of cultic organizations. Yet the real problems are almost always family related. There is no shortage of information out there regarding most cults: their teachings, history and practices. Attempt to show some of this documentation to the cult member, and you will be met with non-interest, horror and possibly violence in rare cases. Why? Did the group really "brainwash" them, cutting short their ability to think for themselves or perform simple exercises in logic?

Modern professionals in the field of cult research such as Margaret Singer and Steven Hassan have provided us with models of understanding cult mind control. The programming technique used by most modern cults is more subtle and refined, and is often more aptly called "coercive persuasion." Kind of like slick advertising with a sharp, barbed hook on the end. Times may have changed and cult members don't dress funny or act out-of-place in society in most cases, but they still want your time, your money, and most importantly, your exclusive devotion. Furthermore, they do not trust you until they have stripped away your natural personality with its cyniscism, caution and primal awareness and replaced it with a clone of the leader(s). Exactly what a very controlling parent wants.

Traits of Bad Parents	Traits of Good Parents
little or no communication	talking and sharing generally pleasant, mixed with humor; times of displeasure not weighted with silence.
no respect for the children	children are taught to be responsible with kind, patient lessons, so as to eliminate the need for supervision in most cases. They often act out how they are treated (If you are treated like dirt you will think of yourself as dirt.)
unyielding expectations	parents willing to listen to complaints or suggestions, not assuming the child's heart is bad. Willing to yield so as to highlight the beauty of the child's character.
unable to enter a child's world	parents not so busy or inflexible that they can't become a child again, and step out of the parenting role for a few minutes.
touch and eye contact not pleasant to the child	a kind touch and pleasant words are the rewards for the good child, a very-desired thing for kids who have cultivated a liking for such intimacy.
no support for the child's goals and dreams	parents don't lay out their child's career without their full assent in later years when they are responsible enough to make such decisions. Children are not "kept" so that the parents can live out their aspirations through them.
negative outlook on life, fatalistic, complaining	life is what you make it, and good parents know the value of fun, joy and hard work. We are living in better times than man ever has!
no trust in the better self of the child, too much focus on the "sin nature."	a good parent recognizes that most children really want to do good. Helping them through their problems with love and understanding, and seeing the positive outcome of a responsible, mature son or daughter convinces the good parent that we can really be good persons if we put a little work into each other. Good parents are proud of their children.
incapable of a horizontal (peer-type) relationship for special times	children need to play children games, sometimes even with their parents. Will mom or dad play hide and seek? Will they cry along with you when you suffer a setback? These are examples of occasionally excercising a horizontal relationship, instead of always being "head of" or the "authority" in charge (vertical relationship).
no toleration for other ideologies or outsiders	parents recognize the best protection is often a richer understanding of life and basic human behavior. People are not constantly judge due to parent's insecurities or fears, the world is in color rather than black-and-white.
view of God is harsh	people tend to be more critical of the motives of others when their own motives are suspect. One would reasonably expect that God would be kinder and more loving than the best of parents, and good parents have faith in the love, justice and mercy that would be expected of a Supreme Being and his creation.

I was very fortunate to be raised in a family that did not practice manipulation, supported the goals and dreams of the kids, and was always punctuated by light-hearted humor. People who don't take themselves too seriously enjoy a much higher quality of life. My parents, Ken and Joy Watters, have been married for over 53 years. My sister and brother-in-law have been married for over 30 years. Last Thanksgiving I was asked to say something at the table, prayer or otherwise. I took the opportunity to say that we have such a great thing, in that we can get together year after year and have a good time, without fights or bad feelings, and always plenty of love and good food. THAT is something to be thankful for.

One Criteria Sufficient

If one reason alone should be chosen for deciding a group or organization is not from God, it should be the love among themselves. Not the phony cookie-cutter love in cults (that only loves you if you have given up your natural self to be what they want you to be), but the decision to love others in spite of your differences, and to be able to trust such a person to do good. Whether one be a Christian, Buddhist or atheist, the story of the love of Christ reveals a greater love that can change our lives.

Randy Watters

Similar articles:

Are Jehovah's Witnesses good parents?
A Mother's Disassociation Letter after 40 Years in the Watchtower
Children: The Introduction Of Phobias (Deep Rooted Fears) And Other Development Traits In The Jehovah Witness Child
College Education Ban Now "Old Light"Coming Out of the Watchtower: Why Is It So Difficult?Confronting Witness Relatives Disfellowshipping and Simon Says: Shun Your Family Divorce My Jehovah's Witness Mate?Families Broken Apart by Jehovah's Witnesses: Can They Be Restored?Family Connection: When A Cult May Not Be Your Worst Enemy (family involvement)Growing Up Within the Watchtower: How Parents Are Taught to Influence Their Children How Do You Feel After Leaving the Watchtower? (survey)
How To Tell Your Children You Have Been In A Cult Indoctrination Process: A Psychological and Sociological Examination Joining the Club (how cults are like clubs)LIES My Mother Told Me LIFE After Leaving the Watchtower Love of Structure or Love of God Mind Control or Brainwashing? and Fear of Apostasy Miseducation of Jehovah's Witnesses Myths and Facts About Cult Involvement Punishment Vibe: Use of psychological punishment in controlling cult members Quotes From the Watchtower On Psychiatry
Shunning: A Part of the Faith of Jehovah's Witnesses Shunning: A One-Legged Stool
Understanding Watchtower Phobias: How and Why the Watchtower Uses Fear to Control Its Members UNITY: Why Only the Cults Seem to Achieve It Watchtower Teaches Youngsters To Give False Testimony in Court

Incense_and_Peppermints

Posts by Incense_and_Peppermints