Posts by bluecanary

20

Defining "race".

by lurk3r in

jw
friends

if we enter into a "new world" with no boundries, and people mix freely in a "perfect world", with no regard for race or a particular ethnicity, what will the world become?

how and where would everything settle out genetically in the stream of time?.

bluecanary

Mutts are my favorite dogs and I think mixed races are the most beautiful people.

43

Imperfection isn't the problem. The problem is accountability.

by AllTimeJeff in

this was such a profound statement on another thread that i think it bears some further thought, esp because the governing body tends to put their head in the sand as to how their current teachings and dogma do harm to their sheep.

we will come back to current teachings in a minute.. first of all, this is how jehovah's witnesses are taught to view their leaders.

from the july 1, 2007 wt "humbly submitting to loving shepherds".

bluecanary

How many times have I heard the words and actions of JWs excused by imperfection? Too many to count. The last time a JW tried to use this line on me to excuse the actions of others in the congregation, I finally told her, everyone is imperfect, even "worldly" people, but it's only among JWs that the imperfection excuse is expected to make everything OK. I mean, really, if I had a "worldly" person come to my house to fix a pipe, but they screwed things up even more and now my house is flooded and everything is destroyed, would I just say, "that's OK, I know your imperfect, everyone makes mistakes" and not try to get compensated or fitting repairs? No, I would not. So why do JWs expect me to excuse the damage done by those called "brother" and "sister," after all, the damage they and the GB have done have been much worse than any plumber has done.

Good point! I do believe there are times when it's better to overlook something. But there are other times when someone's "imperfection" is really a problem that could be fixed with a little attention. It all comes down to conscience matters. If it's something that offends our conscience, we'd better overlook it. If it's something that will offend the elders' consciences we'd damn well better fix it!

20

The Void!

by BloominMarvellous in

jw
friends

hi guys.

i need a little more advise, i have spoken to a couple of friends about this void i'm currently experiencing after leaving ( being ignored so decided to leave) the jws.. i feel alone, i'm now longer allowed on the ministry and im not having to study for meetings, so i have this massive great hole in my life.. it's the mental agony as well, kind of knowing that friends that you thought would always be there, arent any more.

and after two years of indoctrination, i feel that im displeasing jehovah or abandoning god.. my head was screwed anyway from ten years of depression and this thing with the jws has really taken its toll.. if you had any coping mechanisms i would love to know.. thank you in advance for your support x .

bluecanary

I second all the good advice already given. Try meetup.com to find groups and activities in your area to become involved with. Try volunteermatch.org to find volunteer opportunities in your area.

Personally, I started meditating. It's a great way to become more self-aware, to put your finger on your wants and needs and figure out how best to take care of them.

183

How many of you knew about the"Jesus is not your Mediator" teaching when you were JWs??

by Lady Liberty in

hi everyone.... just curious how many of you knew when you were active, about the societys official teaching regarding jesus the mediator.

i was floored to find in my research, that they teach jesus is the mediator for the 144,000 only.

and it is only by our association with them that we might have salvation.. i don't know about you guys but i was blown away when i learned they taught this.

bluecanary

"I knew, but didn't understand the full significance."

This goes for me, as well.

Shallow things=what we tell people to indoctrinate them

Deep things=what we tell them once they're too indoctrinated to say WTF!

"I don't understand how jw's don't seem bothered by this when you tell them that is a wt teaching."

Because we were indoctrinated to believe that the GB has holy powers of discernment that we lack. So we trusted their judgement no matter what. I was raised a Witness and frankly, having any kind of relationship with Jesus was neither possible nor important.

"So Jesus is not the mediator for the r & f but He is the High Priest? a priest they are not allowed to talk to or pray to? of what value is Jesus for a r & f then?"

I started to have a problem with this when that last book about Jesus came out. They told us that Jesus was supposed to be our friend but I didn't see how that was possible. I figured, as an example, that someone might really like and respect President Obama. They watch all of his speeches and pay attention to everything that he does. But if they never speak to him personally, they cannot rightly call him their friend.

Thank you Stephen and Isaac. I wanted to ask if someone could post scriptures combatting this doctrined, and you've got it covered.

53

No, God does NOT have the right to make rules for us - and here's why . . . .

by nicolaou in

reading through reniaa's latest topic i found the following sorts of comments from believers and unbelievers alike.

i think they show how habits of thought run most easily along the well grooved and often travelled ruts in our minds.

we need to question these 'obvious truths' more often .

bluecanary

Therein lies the problem with making such a comparison. We don't ever stop living in God's home. If you accept that God exists, than you must also accept that the earth is his, he just merely allows us to occupy it.

I don't think the tenant analogy is entirely accurate. When I become a tenant, I am given a contract to which I must agree or live someplace else. We have no choice to live elsewhere than the earth (or the created universe). It may be a gilded cage, but it is our cage.

Just want to say up front that I'm not committed to any line of reasoning here. I find the argument interesting so I'm willing to play devil's advocate.

53

No, God does NOT have the right to make rules for us - and here's why . . . .

by nicolaou in

reading through reniaa's latest topic i found the following sorts of comments from believers and unbelievers alike.

i think they show how habits of thought run most easily along the well grooved and often travelled ruts in our minds.

we need to question these 'obvious truths' more often .

bluecanary

frankiespeakin, you may be interested in this article on atheistic deism. It hinges on the philosophical concept of idealism. Are you familiar with it?

Might as well go visit your parents and bitch slap them for enforcing RULES on you.

Yizuman, my impression is that this argument is not about parents having or not having the right to make rules, but indicating that there comes a point when they no longer have the right to make rules. At some point, human beings are dubbed mature enought to make decisions without parental input. The parents may still exert some social influence, but do not have power of authority. Is there any point at which humans similarly become liberated from the authority of God?

21

What happens when you pull an instant fade?

by bluecanary in

jw
friends

i left the jws one year ago by moving accross the country and not going to a new hall.

the dubs in my last hall knew i was moving and they know i haven't requested my card for a new hall.

what do they usually do in such a circumstance?.

bluecanary

BTX, you are the awesome. Thanks.

Goodness knows some of the rumors that have gotten back to me about Mr Scully and me are the most outlandish things I've ever heard. All of it fabricated, all of it untrue, all of it manufactured to demonize us for Leaving Jehovah™.

Sorry to hear that, Scully. I had to live with slander when I was a member in good standing. My ex-husband's best friend informed us that lots of people in the hall were saying negative things about us, including some of the elders. I wouldn't let it go, tracked it down and lo and behold the only one talking about us was him! He and my ex had a falling out, but they patched things up when I started the divorce. Yes, there grew a nice little cabal around them of people who despised me. And it really hurt me because I stuck up for my husband all the way till bitter end when even his friends turned on him. And I thought they were my friends, too.

I think the pain from that has finally started to fade. I do feel a little sad about other friends, good friends, that I've dropped contact of, with no explanation. I wish them nothing but happiness in or out of the Witnesses.

6

To Renaia ...straight from the horse's mouth... What say ye now about being here?

by WuzLovesDubs in

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wghucg45gei&feature=related.

bluecanary

there's quite a few who seem to see it their duty to harass and make quite insulting remarks to ex-jw's (and as Shazoolo points out in the

video) label anyone who questions the Watchtower TM Society as an apostate whether that person is an ex-jw or not.

My ex used to get in arguments with people he played WOW with. Whatever religion they were, if they believed something that conflicted with watchtower doctrine he called them apostates. I tried to tell him that was incorrect and a bad witness but he didnt' care. What goes through these people's heads?

18

Lost My Job Yesterday

by InOregon in

jw
friends

i am a little sad today.

i lost my job yesterday.

i have only worked at this job for 8 months and my position was eliminated.

bluecanary

I'm in the same place as you. I wish I could offer words of wisdom or promises of a better future but all I got is empathy.

21

What happens when you pull an instant fade?

by bluecanary in

jw
friends

i left the jws one year ago by moving accross the country and not going to a new hall.

the dubs in my last hall knew i was moving and they know i haven't requested my card for a new hall.

what do they usually do in such a circumstance?.

bluecanary

If I understand correctly, the only reason you don't DA is to keep contact with one friend who already knows you're "done".

No, that's not it. The only reason I don't DA is because of the cretins in my last hall who thought I was either fake or weak as a witness. They will assume I left for one of those reasons, which is entirely untrue. I left when I discovered that the witnesses were not backed by God and not a minute before hand. And I fully admit to being just insecure enough to care about that misimpression.

I just want to be clear that I do not spend a lot of time thinking about this or looking over my shoulder. These are just feelings in the back of my mind and I was curious enough and comfortable enough to ask the members of this board what they thought.

As for my friend, I don't expect her to DA or DF because she has no need to. She's already inactive. She married a worldly guy who is now studying and trying to get baptized but their meeting attendance is erratic at best. She suffers from depression and has an emotionally abusive relationship with her witness father but semi-supportive relationships with other JW family. Neither she nor her husband works due to phyical and psychological issues.

She always relied on me to be a source of encouragement and upbuilding. That's one of the reasons she said she couldn't keep up a relationship with me anymore, because if I wasn't a witness, we could no longer have spiritual conversations. I'd like to show her that the opposite is true. I don't feel like I've yet done all I can do to salvage this relationship and I won't be ready to give up until I do. I see no reason why, if she so chooses, she can't continue to live exactly the same lifestyle, being a witness in name only as she is now, but not having the burden of guilt she carries for not living the proper dub lifestyle. I know how heavy the guilt they place on you is, even when you are doing everything right. She has enough problems without that.