Well...I've read the Bible 4 times. I don't know if that helps.
--Christopher
Posts by sd-7
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30Did you read the literature?
by WuzLovesDubs ininitially i suppose i did.
i know i over studied the articles for the wt study because i thought my enthusiasm as a study would make me more accepted.
but after awhile i didnt read the awakes at all except for a cursory glance because i was giving them to people.
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32
"Do not become unevenly yoked"--weird comment at meeting
by sd-7 ini heard a really bizarre comment at one of the recent meetings.
someone, in quoting this scripture, of course went with the usual doctrine of not marrying/dating someone who is not a jw.
but one woman took it even further, by saying that this applied even to people inside the congregation who 'weren't spiritual enough' or didn't have some magnificent spiritual goals in life.
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sd-7
Excellent point, babygirl. I would say that it works in both directions. A sister who is 'zealous' in the ministry and comments and gives talks and even shows such kindness at the KH--in private, she can be as nasty as can be towards her husband. Not to turn it back on women here, but just to make the point. It's the same kind of facade.
This is the problem that can come from spending time together only amongst the JW group, where people aren't that likely to show their true colors anyway. You can date a person and have no real idea who they are. Of course, that's not to say that group dating is evil in itself, just to say that it can help or hurt in equal portions.
But the big problem in this religion is that spirituality can be 'proven' by superficial means--statistics, tasks, assignments. It's quantified, when spirituality is a matter of quality, not quantity. True spirituality can't be proven that way. Perhaps...I was unable to cope with the absurdity of seeing ministerial servants and pioneers making obscene jokes and gossiping to no end. For some reason, all of that was okay and I'm sure the Thought Police would recommend any of 'em as suitable marriage mates. Yet a genuinely good quality person who doesn't make 10 hours a month is seen as dubious.
This sort of thinking worries me because it will surely rub off on my wife and she will have serious regrets about marrying me, regrets that could grow exponentially the more she's exposed to the heavy-hitter sisters out there. I just...never understood the elitist attitudes I saw in the religion. It always seemed so different from Christ. Makes me sad.
--Christopher
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30
Did you read the literature?
by WuzLovesDubs ininitially i suppose i did.
i know i over studied the articles for the wt study because i thought my enthusiasm as a study would make me more accepted.
but after awhile i didnt read the awakes at all except for a cursory glance because i was giving them to people.
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sd-7
In my heyday, I read it all--except the Yearbooks, I didn't read most of those. (Did read about the Malawi history in the Yearbook, though...)
I believed my spirituality was directly linked to how much of the literature I read. Probably much of why I ended up getting ousted is BECAUSE I read the literature and noticed just how out of touch with reality the Society really was and is. And I always noticed little peculiarities. Eventually, it was like being raked over the coals or it was just boring. Once I woke up to reality, I found myself terrified of falling asleep during a convention and waking up reassimilated. I never dozed off at any of the events again.
I think if you read the literature, you would eventually find the inconsistencies. But that in itself is not always enough to wake you up. But to the extent possible, I definitely read it.
--Christopher
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26
How do you handle JW encounters?
by Girlie inso this past saturday, i stopped over at my parents' home to take care of some business.
as my brother dropped me off in front of the house, lo and behold, the witnesses from my previous congregation were parked right in front of my parents' home.
damn..... they were in a car group working a frequent rv who lives next door to my folks.
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sd-7
Great. Now you have another PM! It's like lather, rinse, and repeat up in here!
--Christopher
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sd-7
Impressive. You managed to get back in while still being a double? You must've really kissed some theocratic behind! Wow. Well, hope you accomplish your objectives then. Gaining trust from everyone is always the most important step. I didn't last long as a double. Hope it doesn't frak with your psyche as much as it did mine. Wish you the best.
--Christopher
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How do you handle JW encounters?
by Girlie inso this past saturday, i stopped over at my parents' home to take care of some business.
as my brother dropped me off in front of the house, lo and behold, the witnesses from my previous congregation were parked right in front of my parents' home.
damn..... they were in a car group working a frequent rv who lives next door to my folks.
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sd-7
Already did, Girlie--check your PMs. Taking off the mask now to show my true face to you...
--Christopher
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26
How do you handle JW encounters?
by Girlie inso this past saturday, i stopped over at my parents' home to take care of some business.
as my brother dropped me off in front of the house, lo and behold, the witnesses from my previous congregation were parked right in front of my parents' home.
damn..... they were in a car group working a frequent rv who lives next door to my folks.
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sd-7
Well, since I'm about to be put on ice--was about to PM you about it, by the way--it's become a moot point. But if I had to come up with a clear plan, well...
RANDOM JW ENCOUNTER!
3 JWs appeared--2 Pioneers, 1 Elder!
Attack <----
Defend
Magic
Item
Run!
SD-7 attacked! 15 points damage to Pioneer!
Elder attacks with Judicial Committee Fire! SD-7 is burned, 30 points damage!
Attack
Defend
Magic
Item
Run! <-----
SD-7 attempted to run! Got away safely!
--Christopher
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60
April 15th WT/ Generation - MORE Points/ Mind Control by WT Society
by flipper inwe all chewed on this article pretty well when the news first came out about the " overlapping anointed " concept , however we discussed so much on just those 2 paragraphs dealing with the new " generation " theory - that almost the rest of the article was overlooked .
our lurking inactive jw friend on the board sent us a copy of the april 15th.
i think you folks may find this interesting.. on pg.
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sd-7
I brought this up in my own recent witch trial, the "overlapping generations" thing. "At a certain point," I said, "you have to realize that we're stretching the rules of logic here." It was like talking to the braindead.
This sort of discussion is particularly strange in an article talking about HOLY SPIRIT'S role. Because holy spirit had nothing to do with this doctrinal change. You would really have to just not be paying attention at all to not realize that they're buying time for themselves.
Consider also this logic: if "this generation" could refer to anointed ones whose lives overlap with other anointed ones, then who's to say that we couldn't extend this reasoning BACKWARDS in time, so that we have an [imaginary] unbroken line of anointed ones whose lives overlapped with previous anointed ones? I mean, if we're assuming it refers only to anointed ones, why not?
The other weird thing, I think, was a box that was on the opposite page from the overlapping stuff--it references recent changes, like the elimination of the 1935 as the closing date for the anointed ones to be chosen. My wife and I were going over the daily text sometime ago, and the Watchtower comment was from a 2008 article, printed after the 1935 date had been boxed. But that article specifically mentioned that apparently the calling of the anointed was just about done...in the 1930s!! A 2008 article stating something that had been rendered obsolete in 2007? If I find it, I'll post the quote.
But clearly, "this generation", singular, is apparently now "THESE GENERATIONS". Get three words into your vocabulary, Writing Committee: I DON'T KNOW. Just say them.
The elders told me, at the end of my committee, that I needed to be more humble. I don't consider it arrogance to ask legitimate questions about things that clearly violate common sense, like this. It doesn't require humility to believe this sort of doctrine; it requires mental blindness, a complete lack of individual thought and reason.
To attribute statements like this to holy spirit, I would think, and to put these words in Jesus' mouth, should constitute some form of arrogance, if not blasphemy, in my opinion. "Evidently" is uh, evidently a warning sign that whatever follows that word is probably not true, lacking evidence, and, quite simply, a shot in the dark. I watch for that word now more than most others as a signal that speculation is sure to follow it.
Man plans, God purposes? Why does God need a special term for what is ultimately his plan? The only real difference between God's plans and man's plans is that God's plans work (assuming you believe in that sort of thing). He doesn't need to give everybody every detail, and if something happens to screw with the big plan, he just works around it. The objective is the relevant thing, not the details, so...purpose or plan seems like a nonsense study of semantics. Just another word to throw in when they write the next new song book.
I've wanted to give them the benefit of the doubt, but every article I read has something that just demolishes any reason to give these people credibility as teachers of the scriptures. As for me, holy spirit is definitely leading me away from this kind of stuff and towards the Bible itself, which, evidently, speaks for itself far better than any magazine ever could.
--Christopher
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32
"Do not become unevenly yoked"--weird comment at meeting
by sd-7 ini heard a really bizarre comment at one of the recent meetings.
someone, in quoting this scripture, of course went with the usual doctrine of not marrying/dating someone who is not a jw.
but one woman took it even further, by saying that this applied even to people inside the congregation who 'weren't spiritual enough' or didn't have some magnificent spiritual goals in life.
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sd-7
Why whatever do you mean, LostGeneration? There are no cliques in God's organization! Ha ha! Had to say it.
--Christopher
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"Do not become unevenly yoked"--weird comment at meeting
by sd-7 ini heard a really bizarre comment at one of the recent meetings.
someone, in quoting this scripture, of course went with the usual doctrine of not marrying/dating someone who is not a jw.
but one woman took it even further, by saying that this applied even to people inside the congregation who 'weren't spiritual enough' or didn't have some magnificent spiritual goals in life.
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sd-7
I would, if I really had to. But I don't anymore. I never really went along with much of the Borg Collective laughter/applause/etc. that so often happens at meetings. So...now I just engage in criticism of the organization because I have no [poisoned] spiritual food of my own to provide.
--Christopher