Posts by nugget

221

Why do Ex-JWs start celebrating pagan Christmas?

by DubR in

hiya guys and gals.

im not trying to be self-righteous but i want to understand the thought process of someone who knows the origins of christmas, but starts celebrating it (putting up christmas tree, exchanging wrapped gifts; repeating merry christmas to everyone they see in the month of december)??

it seems very silly to me (imo) after knowing how and why christmas was created (to cater to pagans sun worship and convert to christianity)!!

nugget

Rather than ask why people start celebrating christmas, it would be more meaningful to examine why JWs don't.

We know that the reasoning is flawed and early Bible Students did celebrate Christmas (the old song book in our hall contains Silent night). Rutherford banned Christmas to seperate JWs from other christian faiths to make them different and to exert control. It was one of the USPs of the faith it's contrarinous and holier than thou attitude. But Rutherford;s motives were not whiter than white.

That being said why would anyone want to hold fast to a teaching from a man with Rutherford's track record? The fact that he banned it is even more reason to deck the halls.

Besides it is fun and frivalous and brightens up a dreary winter.

19

What a scary nerve wrecking Day

by troubled mind in

my son's girlfriends mom has an abusive boyfriend .

today he has had her hostage by gun point all morning .. just now the police got her out to safety .. during the ordeal he called my son and made drunken threats to him too .. i am a nervous wreck .

the police has the whole downtown evacuated and on close down until the issue is resolved .

nugget

How shocking for you I do hope it is all resolved ok. Will be thinking of you and your son it can't be easy.

5

All I can say is "WOW"

by lepermessiah in

jw
friends

i love those life-changing books that you read and they seem to come at the right time and really touch you deeply.. most of you have read crisis of conscience, but the beginning of chapter 11 just blew me away......unbelievable......... ray is such a gifted writer, the sincerity just oozes off the pages, and even people that treated him like garbage, he still has a kind and respectful tone toward those scum bags.. i just read a three part series on the third reich, and it is truly scary how similar in structure and operation the wtbs is, when it comes to authoritarianism, eliminating "enemies", and instilling fear in people.. ray put into words exactly how i feel, why i feel the way i do, and made me feel good about feeling that way.. i just wanted to share these few paragraphs and see if they had the same effect on many of you!.

i now began to realize how large a measure of what i had based my entire adult life course on was just that, a mythpersistent,.

persuasive and unrealistic.

nugget

I read this book only recently and was deeply affected by it. I had always felt that people in charge of the organisation were imperfect men but I had thought that they had spent time in bible research and prayer, that they loved the rank and file and cared deeply for us. What was most upsetting was that they didn't seem to care about the rank and file at all. Decisions were arbitary and Bible research minimal or non existant .

I vividly remember the Malawi time and was disgusted that such great hardship had been caused for no good reason.

There is no humility or love demonstrated by the GB it is all politics, apathy and empire building no wonder these qualities are reflected in the elder arrangement too. They probably read it to see how they as individuals were portrayed and failed to see the bigger picture. Do they honestly believe that they are going to heaven, I doubt it.

Waking up to the lie is painful but at least you're awake.

59

QFR..Feb 15 2010. RE Shared Living Accommodation??

by BluesBrother in

if this has been posted, then i missed it... .

.

nugget

This article shows how out of touch the organisation is and how they don't truly appreciate the level of hardship they may be imposing on others. If everyone was wealthy then they would no doubt have their own house or apartment, preferably with swimming pool and maid service. I feel for those struggling to make ends meet now guilt ridden because they can't afford their own home.

Soon the society will forbid anyone to share a home with a member of the opposite sex whether they are married or not. I bagsy the house, hubby can have the garage.

15

Baptism numbers decreasing?

by Mattieu in

jw
friends

the last 3 weekends have seen 3 circuit assemblies in victoria with over 1000 attending each circuit.

yet only 10 baptised over the last 3 weeks, including 3 last weekend.

i can remember a few years ago when only 1 bro was baptised at a 2 day convention.. its funny, when 10-20 were being baptised at each circuit assembly back in the 1980s & early 90s it was always brought out that this was a sign of jehovahs blessing upon the org.

nugget

I wonder if it has reached the point yet in the US and UK where numbers fading / being kicked out is higher than those being Baptised / reinstated?

That will be a sign of the end ..............of the Borg!

9

They have no idea! Fools in darkness

by Aussie Oz in

been snooping around facebook and am amazed!

(although i guess i shouldn't be) that the ordinary jw has no concept of the 'organization' in control.. every thing is 'jeh' 'jah' that, every teaching they support is attributed to jah.

every action.

nugget

What always shocks me is what is on some JW facebook sites. Scratch below the surface and there are the slutty pics and suggestive comments you find anywhere. What is surprising is how little monitoring by parents seems to go on in our congregation.

I was trying to find a contact number for someone who moved to another congregation and found her facebook page complete with boob shots and a picture of a bum. Not quite what I was expecting.

I often think that JWs are a bit like the victorians respectable surface but a lot of sexual tension not very well handled underneath.

49

What Ever Attracted You To The Witnesses In The First Place?

by minimus in

jw
friends

i have an excuse, i was born in it.

the thought of living forever and never dying was certainly a draw but when i realized it wasn't true, there wasn't much of an attraction anymore.. what attracted you as a witness?.

nugget

My mother came into the organisation when I was 4 so I knew no better. She said she had been praying and the angels led the witnesses to her so pretty heady stuff when you are 4.

I wanted to believe that people I loved deeply would be resurrected but lived in fear that others who were not baptised would die at Armagedon. It is kind of warped to be glad and sad when unbelieving relatives died because then they would get a resurrection. Paradise is a great concept but the price sucks.

48

How Did You Discover JWD/JWN ?

by minimus in

jw
friends

i always read h2o, randy's site and anything that might stay current.

i think it was h2o that said they were closing there but another site was opening and it was this one.. i'm curious how you got to find this place..

nugget

I found this site after cantleave kept quoting from it. Eventually he had to courage to introduce me to the evil apostates and show me where he was getting his info from. I also discovered that according to the policy files I've been a closet apostate for years since my personal views have often conflicted with official doctrine. I just had the common sense to keep my thoughts to myself.

18

I'm out

by HappyGuy in

jw
friends

there are a half dozen or so self appointed thought police on this board who are harassing me.

now one of them is talking trash about my wife.. i don't need this kind of stupidity in my life.. i'm out..

nugget

Happy guy,

I have always found your posts interesting and thought provoking. I know my husband has always appreciated your advice and found your PMs helpful. He will respond to the ones outstanding later when he comes back from work.

If you need to take a break and allow the thought police to fade away from the board then do what ever you need for your sanity, you are in control of your life and what you choose to do. All power to you for making your own choices but you will be missed.

29

Just recieved a mail from an elder

by bohm in

jw
friends

hey, here is a little update on my fade:.

an elder have been calling me for a couple of weeks now... i didnt answer the phone, and after two weeks he stopped calling.

i was releaved... until today... i just recieved a mail from the same elder, telling me that he and another elder wants to visit me - he gave a bs reason about them rearranging the groups in the congregation and wrote they were visiting all the puplishers.

nugget

The way I would deal is accept what they have said at face value and email the following:

I really appreciate your wish to meet with me to discuss the group changes. However I know how busy you are and as I am happy to comply with what Jehovah deems necessary please feel free to asign me where ever is felt appropriate. There is no need to meet with me to discuss changes as I appreciate that any change will be made with my best interests at heart. Please update me with details of new group arrangements when they are finalised.

If they insist on a meeting after this then they were lying about the reason for the visit in the first place and Jehovah hates liars so feel free to remind them.