my husband and i faded/mysteriously disappeared from meetings over a year ago.
we've had a few visits from elders (where we said very little but thanked them for their time), the last one being when we had some nice jack o lanterns sitting on our porch.
on saturday, we got letters cordially inviting us to our beheading, i mean, our judicial committee meeting.
lol, well, if the house is decked out I agree. If its just a few odds and ends say that a group of kids came around selling jack-o-lanters for cancer research and we couldn't turn them down, although we realize it was probably the wrong thing to do. Ours hearts just broke and we couldn't launch into an anti-holiday speech. We're very sorry, obviously we'll take them down...
I dont know be creative.
my husband and i faded/mysteriously disappeared from meetings over a year ago.
we've had a few visits from elders (where we said very little but thanked them for their time), the last one being when we had some nice jack o lanterns sitting on our porch.
on saturday, we got letters cordially inviting us to our beheading, i mean, our judicial committee meeting.
So, what, you're going to spend the rest of your life trying to ignore them?
You're not goign to ignore your way out of this, I'm sorry.
I'd go and just lie. I mean: jack-o-lanterns? Thats it? Can't you come up with some BS excuse for that?
i'm not the biggest fan of depeche mode, but a couple of their albums were actually ok. there's one track by them i've always loved called, "strangelove" from their music for the masses album, and the lyrics remind me of my own thought process at times.
the lead vocalist sings at one point, "i give in, to sin, because you have to make this life livable.
looking back on it, i feel that i needed to watch that fight.
Yeah violia,
Thats not necessarily so easy for a guy that has been confused and pent up and conflicted about how to act, how to be decisive, etc. I know because I think I'm in a similar mental situation as MLE.
Its just very difficult. You're stuck in this inexperienced, awkward stage of trying to make everyone happy; trying not to let anyone down; trying to see if you're still happy while you're juggling everything else.
My guess is if you hook up with this girl (or any girl, JW or otherwise), and it didn't work out or wasn't making you happy, that you'd have a very difficult time ending it, even if there was nothing left in the relationship for you.
I dont know, its hard to explain. And its not that he's a geeky shy guy that doesn't know how to attract a girl. I just think that being a conflicted JW for so long has really short-circuited the decision making process
just to give you a little background about myself, i was a born-in, i'm in my late 20's now, i faded away a few years ago after researching the history of the wtbs on the internet.
my fade was aided by moving away with my job(i definately feel lucky about that).
eventually, i had discussions with a couple of my closer jw friends about why i no longer believed in the wtbs.
"so many good people live worse lives than they could simply because they were sold a lie."
Then again, a lot of people live better lives because of a lie. Not speaking of JWs specifically but believing in a purpose beyond this short life we have, believing in seeing your dead loved ones again, etc, is a very comforting and soothing thought. I sincerely believe there are many people not equipped to handle the pains of life as a conscious being. And there are many people in unspeakably horrible conditions who might not be able to live through those conditions without giving way to despair if not for the hope given them by religion.
Example: Suppose a wife, totally in love with her husband, had two options: 1) life the rest of her life happily married and blissfully ignorant of his transgression or 2) know the truth and never get married again. If you ASKED her if she would want to know the truth she'd say yes. And if she found out the truth, she'd never say "i wish i never knew and he just kept on cheating on me behind my back". But she would have been happier if she had not known. Its an interesting situation reallyh.
re; overcharging at special assembly daysmessage hey, .
having a wee bit of trouble but may have stumbled across a couple of things.
can you confirm or look into this- .
What would they do if a person dropped in $100,000? Would they say the operating expenses were $105,000?
I always wanted to drop in a fake check for some huge amount and see what they would say...
another thing my jw friend says to me when i question the wt is, "what would their motivation be?
they're so humble and no-one gets paid except a basic living allowance for the workers at bethel.
they're not like those other rotten 'ministries' whose leaders get paid a lot of money, etc.".
I refuse to believe these men do not know and understand the lies they're perpetuating, and I ESPECIALLY refuse to believe that those working in the legal department do not understand that it's a big con they have been retained to make look spotless and legit.
Well then why aren't there leaks and defectors from these people to expose everything that is secretly known by the inner circle. If this was some big conspiracy that only the select inner few know and have conspired to perpetuate upon the masses, then they have a 100% retention rate for no reason. And when someone DOES defect (like Ray Franz) he paints a picture of people who are simply blinded in the belief they are speaking for God. His portrayal of the GB are that they may not be 100% united on issues and may have their own doubts about certain things, but he certainly DOES NOT portray a picture of a bunch of guys knowing they are peddling bullshit and trying to cover it up (especially for any sort of hidden material agendas).
I think those of us who are out WANT to believe someone is behind all this. Its all so destructive and harmful that it couldn't have come about randomly. It can't be that people all the way up the line just believe in the same stupid lies we believed in. But thats how it is. Its almost like the creationists argument. How could all this come about by chance... there must be someone behind creation and humans and original sin and the origin of the rainbow. Well, folks, I'm sorry but there isn't; and there isn't some grand conspiracy behind the walls in Brooklyn. The JWs are an idea that grew from nothign to the complex web of lies that it is today, ensnaring everyone from your mother-in-law to the 8 men sitting around the Most Holy in brooklyn bethel.
a few of my friends who also used to be jw's, say they miss certain things abt it...i can honestly say that i don't miss a single thing (my sister obviously who's still in but nothing else).. before i could sometimes miss having such a strong belief but that's also gone.
i guess i've moved on big time.
/newborn.
Sometimes when I see pictures of the conventions , I feel a little melancholy. I miss the innocence and being naive. I miss having my binoculars, trying to find my best friends sitting across the convention hall. I miss feeling like Im the luckiest girl, being priveleged to be born into the "truth". I miss being with people who automatically believe the same way as me, so that I dont have to try and scrape for similarities. Sometimes, I find there is truth to the saying "Ignorance is Bliss". Now that I know what I know, I never want to go back. But sometimes I wish I didnt know what I know
This kind of struck a chord with me. As a fader, sometimes I still go to assemblies for a day here or there, and sometimes I'm in the audience, sitting by myself, and one of the better songs comes on. Everyone is standing, singing. I remember being a part of something special. As much as I didn't like assemblies, the whole JW lifestyle was a peaceful disconnect from the harsh realities of life. Now I stand there, not singing, seeing all these people still believing they are part of something special. The difference between me and them: Neither of us are part of something special, but only I know that. Melancholy was the perfect word to describe it.
another thing my jw friend says to me when i question the wt is, "what would their motivation be?
they're so humble and no-one gets paid except a basic living allowance for the workers at bethel.
they're not like those other rotten 'ministries' whose leaders get paid a lot of money, etc.".
Maybe I'm naive but I truly don't believe anyone (or hardly anyone) is benefitting from the JWs financially in any sort of shady way. What are they getting?
1) Most honestly believe they are serving God in the only correct manner
2) (for the R&F) The feeling of belonging to something special
3) (for the higher ups) The feeling of power/authority/respect and influence
4) (For the higher ups) Lack of real monetary worry
say hello to ark encounter.. .
kentucky governor unveils plans for creationist theme park complete with full-sized ark.
.. a joint project between beshear and answers in genesis -- a christian organization that also built a similar attraction, the creation museum -- the park will reportedly cost at least $150 million and create 900 jobs, according to the news release.. beshear's spokesperson kerri richardson declined to comment beyond what was in her office's news release on the project.. the amusement park, named ark encounter, will include all the modern recreation amenities, including: a full-sized wooden ark, a "walled city much like was found in ancient times, a replica of the tower of babel with exhibits, a first-century middle eastern village" and even outdoor parking.
a replica of the Tower of Babel with exhibits
hope its not life sized, god might get pissed. Although, maybe then I could go and learn a new language with more ease then Rosetta Stone?
so russia get the 2018 soccer world cup, and qatar get the 2022 world cup.
it's a real shame that they gave it to such crap venues.
who's gonna want to go to russia?
Russia? The whole place is bent. So much corruption. You can get pulled over by traffic cops, and if you don't give them a bribe, you're screwed.
Ok, well that rules out two thirds of the world then...
