Looks like the bulk of the money is in Social Security. What's your opinion on how people over 65 who maybe didn't earn that much, maybe were living from check to check for a long time, should sustain themselves?
--sd-7
Posts by sd-7
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46US Entitlement Programs At Glance
by Scott77 in1. thirty-nine percent of adults who make more than $100,000 have used entitlement benefits at one point, compared with 70 percent of people who make less than $30,000, according to the pew study.. 2.. the average monthly food stamp benefit is $133.42 for an individual, according to the department of agriculture, which administers the program.
the rate is highest in hawaii ($213.65) and lowest in minnesota ($115.98).
in fiscal year 2012, 46.6 million people (in 22.3 million households) received food stamps, and the federal government spent $74.6 billion on the program that year.. 3. .
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22
January 2013 WT Article is Cruel to JW Parents
by NoRegrets inwhile looking at the pdf of the new "reduced in size is a blessing from jah" wt for january 2013, i noticed this latest sickening "how the bible changed my life" article.
under the history banner is listed "prodigal son".
(i also noted the person was born the same year as me.
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sd-7
I know what it is to hope and wait for someone to come back into the organization. (I guess compared to how hard that time was, it's actually a relief to be married to her, to be honest.) I had no idea just how painful this situation was for people until I had to deal with it myself. And just how cold the elders can be as far as this issue is concerned. I found no comfort at all in anything the Society published on this issue. My one ray of hope came from something Paul wrote at the end of 2 Corinthians 12, a scripture I'd never seen discussed in its context before in any WT literature, about how he mourned for those who hadn't repented.
They hold out this hope to parents, but the fact is, people are never really forgiven once they get booted out. You can only hope to live long enough that no one still alive remembers and never speak of it again, but it'll be in your file long after you're cold in the ground.
It's nothing new, though. Manipulating people's emotions--more like taking an ice pick to them--is something they're experts at.
--sd-7
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23
Could the angel be Jesus @ new watchtower Earthly organizational sheet
by Gorbatchov inquestions raised in some topics about the absence of jesus in the new watchtower / gods "earthly" organizational sheet.. the illustration shows an angel, who could be jesus.
in a watchtower article from 2010 i found a jesus who looks.
similar to the angel in the organizational sheet.
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sd-7
No, it is NOT Jesus, in my opinion. The Jesus in the previous photo is clearly wearing a diadem or something that denotes royal authority. The angel in front is not wearing that, and seems to be specifically flying in the direction of the people out in the ministry below, which seems to suggest more likely these are the 'angels involved in directing the preaching work'.
--sd-7
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20
Post KM Elder School, you may see elders become a little nosier or nebby than usual.
by Theocratic Sedition inafter reading through onedayillbefree's thread about being taken into the back room and asked inappropriate questions, i was reminded about a part done at the km school.
one of the common themes throughout the one day school was viewing things the way god sees them and how doing so will require that elders develope insight.
they defined insight as, evaluating individual aspects in light of others, or getting & understanding facts and how all relate to one another.. next, they gave specific examples where an elder will need insight in order to assist wayward sheep.
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sd-7
If he takes the job, then it shows he's thinking with human wisdom as opposed to Godly wisdom.
"If anyone does not want to work, neither let him eat" is 'godly wisdom', too, if I'm not mistaken.
The thing that really underscores the whole it's a cult problem is that the Bible only says "let us not forsake the gathering of ourselves together". It does not say we MUST gather together for 5 meetings a week and meet a group for field service. Those are rules that were invented by men. Everything about the meetings is contrived from 'human wisdom'. The structure of the meetings is nowhere found in scripture.
So how do they figure that godly wisdom requires a man to continue struggling to feed his family when an opportunity to do so is presented to him? A man who doesn't provide for his family is supposed to be worse than a man without faith. If anything, taking the job would be quite the opposite. It's really a matter of control. Even if you were attending all your meetings that still wouldn't be good enough.
There were a number of ways to handle the man gathering sticks on the Sabbath. I mean, if Adam and Eve weren't executed immediately for what they did, and David wasn't executed for what he did, then how does this guy get the death penalty? There were a thousand different ways to punish him if such was warranted. Remember, this, too was written to help us see that God's way of ruling is best. That says it all to me.
--sd-7
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38
Jan. 1 WT, Their confession for given incorrect dates for the end.
by jam inhave jehovah,s witnesses given incorrect dates for the end?.
jw,s have had wrong expectations about when the end would.
like jesus' first-century disciples, we have "sometimes" (lol).
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sd-7
Nor did they say they unfortunately DFed people who revealed some the bible inaccuracies and understandings .
That particular lie by omission is a glaring one from this article. Pretend to obey Jesus, and expel anyone who actually listens to him...
--sd-7
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Girlfriend probably getting DF'd
by The JHWH inso the local jc decided to df my girlfriend because of basically premarital sex.. she confessed few weeks back to the elders, and the judicial system had its wheels rolling.. they confronted her today, and eventually came to the conclusion described above.. .
she told them that she regretted our sexual acts, and that we wouldn't perform that kind of actions before we're married.. they talked with her about getting married etc.
a week before the jc.. now the reason they decided to df her was not the sexual acts itself, nor the lack of regret,.
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sd-7
Quite literally: Any JW can be disfellowshipped at any time for anything that 3 elders agree upon.
As much as this would ideally not be true, it's kind of the bottom line reality.
--sd-7
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28
Girlfriend probably getting DF'd
by The JHWH inso the local jc decided to df my girlfriend because of basically premarital sex.. she confessed few weeks back to the elders, and the judicial system had its wheels rolling.. they confronted her today, and eventually came to the conclusion described above.. .
she told them that she regretted our sexual acts, and that we wouldn't perform that kind of actions before we're married.. they talked with her about getting married etc.
a week before the jc.. now the reason they decided to df her was not the sexual acts itself, nor the lack of regret,.
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sd-7
Well, there are variations on how this situation is handled, depending on the local elders. I mean, my wife and I got hauled into a committee months after we were already married, for premarital sex. And I take it we were to prove our repentance by what, not having sex anymore as husband and wife for awhile? Well, don't worry, we covered that part already...ha ha...
But in her case, she got off with private reproof and was commenting at meetings like 2 months later. Of course, that was also probably an extra reward for turning me in for having doubts about the organization, but there's no way to know for sure--I think they assumed I was the instigator and seduced her or something, when it was actually quite the opposite...
That said, it does seem strange that they would make that decision based on not having a marriage date planned. Isn't the whole point of repentance that you stop committing the sin? I mean, did it only happen once, or several times? If it was several times, maybe they're just doing a sort of preemptive strike because they're expecting to keep doing it before marriage whether you get married in the future or not. Either way, well, that's elders for you.
--sd-7
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18
For Oompa
by sd-7 init is with great reluctance that i attempt another entry.
i'll keep it short.
oompa, i forgive you.
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sd-7
Every so often, I look back on old threads, and this one definitely stood out in my mind after Oompa's untimely death. I had made a long-winded thread (most of mine still are) and he made a snide remark and I took offense at the time, but I got over it. I guess...in hindsight I realize just how pathetic I sounded back then, especially compared to him, and the bigger problems he had, and how it sadly brought him down to the point where he gave up altogether.
I guess...it's particularly poignant since my thread here clearly had some thoughts of suicide. Thankfully, I managed to beat them, with inner strength and the support of some great people on this site, especially Jamiebowers, who became like my lifeline through some of the toughest stuff that happened over the course of my marriage and struggling to get past the indoctrination and emotional abuse.
I don't know if I was lucky, but I do know that I don't find myself pondering suicide anymore, I've got so much to live for and to explore and to be, really. Even with everything that happened, even with a sub-par marriage and the specter of JWs hanging over my life probably forever, I'm closer than I have ever been since childhood to actual, real happiness.
I have experienced to an incredible degree in the past few years the meaning of the statement "knowledge is power". I've been able to grow so much through understanding what was done to me. Now I feel like I can do anything, if I really want to.
It's still tough. I occasionally talk about the marriage problems I've had, and there are moments when the feeling of depression or helplessness takes hold again, for awhile. Money's tight, I'm sole breadwinner, there are lots of late nights, there's still the JWs and sometimes elders giving me trouble, etc., etc. Sometimes it does seem like there's no way out. There was one night I was just heading out to the grocery store and I felt so sad that I literally could not get out of the car for an entire hour. I had this overwhelming sadness come over me, and I thought about just driving away and leaving everything and everyone behind. Just go as far as I could before I ran out of gas and money. But that's just not me.
There's still work to do, things to learn, a journey to undertake and see to its end. A child of my own to raise, and a child not of my own who I have taken in and watched grow in leaps and bounds. And a wife to cherish and try to forgive and understand and take care of. Maybe there will come a time when Atlas will shrug, if you will, but today, I'm still holding 'em on my shoulders as steadily as I can. They're all I have left now, apart from you guys, most of whom I've never met and will probably never meet.
I don't know why I'm writing this. I just wish I'd had the clarity of perspective back then that I have now. Maybe I wouldn't have gotten so worked up back then and started this thread. I was so close to freedom then, and so far away. That said, I'm glad I didn't hold dear Oompa's remarks against him back then, and I kinda wish I'd gotten to know him a bit better...he seems like he was a great guy, with so much on his shoulders.
Sorry if this one makes anyone sad all over again. I do think of him from time to time, though and this thread has often been on my mind since his passing.
--sd-7
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93
Who would you most like to meet from this board and why?
by usualusername inwho would you most like to meet from this board and why?.
i would love to by danmera dinner.
she rocks!.
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sd-7
I might not be able to name 'em all...
jamiebowers--Surprisingly, we've not met yet. She's been like a second mother to me.
serenitynow!--She seems awesome. Of course, sanctions have been imposed on our dealings since the 2011 Facebook Flaming Incident, so...much as I like her, that probably is a bit of wishful thinking.
elderelite--The one elder I might actually like. Maybe one day we'll have a cold one together...
Nuthouse escapee--Because she accepts me despite my being a doormat. That's all I can ask for.
Like, a lot of other people in the UK. In part because they have cool accents. So I always imagine their posts with a cool British accent. Australian accents are also cool, so...anyone from Australia, also.
So many people I've traded messages with, just because. Well, I could go through my old PMs and just about anyone who has ever PM'd me would be on that list.
--sd-7
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35
Commenting at the Meetings
by nolongerconfused inso i'm still going to the meetings...my spouse is still very much active...however, after i learned ttabtt...i feel like such a hypocrite in reciting (commenting) the wt writings and teachings at the meetings...in your own experience...how did you handle this situation?...and if you did comment, what did you say?...i still go out to service, however, i only use the bible and do not distribute wt literature...so far nobody has said anything lol.... .
thanks!.
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sd-7
I'm not sure, to be honest. I think I placed one Awake! after I'd found what was really going on, but as for commenting, I can't remember. By then, I was mailing it in--showing up halfway through the meetings, that sort of thing. People probably started getting suspicious of me long before things went south. Commenting is clearly a peer pressure thing. There was always someone who would say to me, "I didn't hear your comment today." My demonstration at each meeting that I had a 5th grade reading comprehension level was truly my spiritual life-preserver...
--sd-7