JAVA

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Posts by JAVA

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  31

  No longer innocent

  by fairchild in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  we are now approaching the year 2005, i am again going to all the meetings and most of my friends are jw's.

  however, i don't feel that 'love' for god, and i certainly don't feel that he listens when i pray, which i do every day.

  after talking about this with an elder, he suggested i study some more, and i am currently studying the book 'worship the true god'.

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  JAVA

  Fairchild -- You've made 1000 posts on the forum, but you've only been on this walk for about 6 months. As Alan and others suggested, it takes a little time to feel truely free from the harmful effects of the Tower. I think the longer a person was in, and how deep they were influenced, can contribute to the time needed for healing, etc.

  There are many folks of faith on the forum that have found freedom in their new walk. There are also many of us that are happy to be free from religion. There really is no correct way of finding what's right for you--you'll know it when you find it. But there is great comfort in knowing there is a brother and sisterhood of people here that truely understand. That's a blessing we all share. It's a journey we've all experienced.
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  29

  What's up.... am I not worthy?

  by upside/down in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  i've lived in my new house for a year and a half... in a nice newer neighborhood, in town.. the dubs have never been to my house and i've never seen them in the neighborhood.

  i'm home almost all day every day!.

  i've had the mormons here 3 times.

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  JAVA

  if you want the magazines just go to your local laundry mat, thats where they leave. them

  Not if I've been there. If I see any JW stuff out in the open, I pick it up and put it in the nearest trash can. If the Tower has the right to put garbage out, I have the right to put garbage were it belongs.
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  42

  What was your most humiliating point of being a jw?

  by love11 in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  mine was when my mom signed me up to sit at a table at our local university.

  we had to sit there and talk to students as they passed by our table.

  a few people came up to start a conversation and i didn't even know what they were talking about.

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  JAVA

  Standing on the street corner of Third and Main holding The Watchtower and Awake! I was 18 or 19-years old, and prayed that none of my school friends saw me. I wanted to fall into a crack in the sidewalk!
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  33

  Well, how do you like it?

  by Schizm in

  1. jw
  2. friends

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  bronze sculpture depicting david & goliath.. actual size: 14 feet high x 16 feet long x 14 feet wide.. .

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  JAVA

  According to the sculptor's explanation, one would have to say that Goliath's death has to be attributed to David's wit and skill at using his slingshot.
  

  But does the account at 1 Samuel 17 suggest otherwise?

  Wit and skill goes a long way in the business of slaying dragons. It doesn't hurt if you're perceived as the Good Guy either. :) The Bible leads the reader to believe God was behind the killing of Goliath, thus teaching others a lesson, too. Of course one can argue that God directed David to do what he did, perhaps even guiding the stone that killed Goliath. It's an arguement that can't be proved because there was nothing supernatural about the event.

  Looking at the recorded event (holy books are not the best record of history) the sculptor's explanation holds up to what really happened. The Bible's account lacks hard evidence. That doesn't mean 1 Samuel is wrong--there's just no proof.

  If I was God, and I wanted to prove I was behind David's effort to kill Goliath, I would have done it differently. On a clear day I would have David (or better yet, a little boy or girl) go out to meet Goliath, point a finger at Goliath with a lightening bolt going from the finger to Goliath's head. That would have been proof that God was behind the event. You really wouldn't want to mess with me if I was God!
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  27

  Were you caught, did you confess, or did you run?

  by sass_my_frass in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  hi, fyi: d'f'd a month ago, and glad you're all here.

  i'm just assessing the sum of the madness that happened since my parents guilt-tripped me into confessing what got me disfellowshipped.

  i do very sharply recall that at the moment i decided to do so i had an overwhelming feeling of relief which at the time i thought was me hating the lying about what i'd done and wanting to come clean about that and clear my conscience as a witness, but have since thought might have been me hating the lying about how i feel about the organisation and wanting to come clean about that as a human, ie, whether i'd turned the corner as a witness or i was glad to be getting away from it.

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  JAVA

  I was caught with my hand in the voting booth. My JW-spouse found out that I voted, and turned me in. I wish I would have told the elders to get lost, but didn't. I confessed to the crime of voting and was disfellowshipped. They didn't want anyone in the congregation who voted to support their kid's school levy--bad JAVA !!! What a strange cult.
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  33

  Well, how do you like it?

  by Schizm in

  1. jw
  2. friends

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  bronze sculpture depicting david & goliath.. actual size: 14 feet high x 16 feet long x 14 feet wide.. .

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  JAVA

  Art, and the meaning to the artist and those viewing it is always interesting because of the various interpretations folks come away with. The suggestion that David used a staff as a "ploy" to draw Goliath out from behind a large shield makes sense. David matched wit against brute strength, and David was the victor.

  The moral of "Big is not always bright" leaves me with questions (I think art should do that). For example, what was behind this outcome? David's wit, David's luck, Goliath's lack of foresight, Goliath's disdainfully proud attitude, Jehovah's guiding influence, or something else?
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  33

  Well, how do you like it?

  by Schizm in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  .

  bronze sculpture depicting david & goliath.. actual size: 14 feet high x 16 feet long x 14 feet wide.. .

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  JAVA

  Our son graduated last weekend, and his bronze and metal sculpture is on display at their university art museum. I'll see if I can attach a photo here.

  Well, the attachment is very small, and you can't see the details. It's life size, and dad and mom are very proud.
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  33

  Well, how do you like it?

  by Schizm in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  .

  bronze sculpture depicting david & goliath.. actual size: 14 feet high x 16 feet long x 14 feet wide.. .

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  JAVA

  Who made it, and where is it located?
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  57

  Do you miss feeling that "Jehovah" was listening to prayers?

  by LyinEyes in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  this is hard to explain, but i will try.

  the other day, my neice was put in the hospital for test , after having two seizures, she is 20 and has never had any medical problems at all.

  i now know, that by doing that it seemed to take the burden of helplessness off of my shoulders.

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  JAVA

  Lyin' -- thanks for starting such a good thread, and the various posts are excellent, too.
  
  As a JW my prayers felt mechanical and more rote-like than from my heart. I'm not surprised when thinking about it because the religion is nothing more than going through the hoops, following the rules, and being mechanical. Why should prayers be any different?
  
  Prayer didn't do much for me as a JW, and I have little need for it today. That doesn't mean there's no value in prayer, because I believe the value is in the mind of the beholder. If one believes a higher power listens to prayers, it can bring comfort. It's great knowing that we don't need a religion or denomination to pray or not to pray.
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  45

  What do you want on your tombstone?

  by xjwms in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  for years i made it known that when i die, on my stone, .. or plate, or whatever, .. it should say.

  "what the hell was i thinking" well now as time goes by i think i would rather it say.

  "he died ... living"

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  JAVA

  The Atheist tombstone could read:

  "All dressed up, and no place to go."