FreeAtLast1914

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Posts by FreeAtLast1914

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  6

  Ask for their address

  by OnTheWayOut in

  1. social
  2. humour

  stolen and adapted from jerry seinfeld talking to a telemarketer.

  jw's at the door: "can we talk to you about god/bad conditions in the world/living forever/crime/petting lions?

  answer: "listen, i do want to talk to you about this.

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  FreeAtLast1914

  That was great.
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  58

  Is it time to move on from this board?

  by John Doe in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  i spend too much time here goofing off when i should be working.

  i no longer read doctrine threads or much of anything in the way of jw issues.

  anyone else with similar thoughts?.

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  FreeAtLast1914

  I'm new here, but in my short time spent so far I have to say that there is alot of good advice and generally caring people who post. They know what it was like in the org, some having seen it from higher levels, and more than likely most have family still inside.

  I'll stick around for awhile since I too have family inside, namely ALL of them. Even when some come out (I'm crossing my fingers) I don't see ever staying away from this forum for too long. The memories that come flooding back when I read posts here, the blood pressure rising as I witness injustice, the gritting of teeth over a JC, the laughter at deja vu-type experiences -- all of this can be addictive. But so is drinking coffee, and who plans on stopping that one?
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  74

  Just don't know what to do.

  by Weeping in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  i disagree on some doctrine with the organisation.

  yet, i also know these are the kindest,most loving people on earth.

  such people must be guided by the holy spirit.

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  FreeAtLast1914

  Weeping,

  I've read through your posts and subsequent responses, and I have to say that for 50+ you seem to have incredible tunnel vision, choosing to see the world through the Watchtower's eyes, colored by the drug-crazed, Satan-worshipping, orgy-loving clique you hung with in your 20s.

  I spent over 30 years inside the organization as a "born-in". I have now spent three solid years outside. I have been exposed to a variety of personalities of "worldly" (JW term, not mine) people and in my experience the majority are salt-of-the-earth. Sure, there are bad people outside the organization, but there are also bad people inside.

  Personally, I have seen the adverse effects of hard drugs on people close to me and that life never appealed to me, either inside or outside the org. Satan worshippers, I'm sure, are rare. Group sex, pot that knocked you out? Come on, be honest. Where did you go in your 20s? Woodstock?

  Seriously, things in my life have been very good since I left. I see things from a different perspective. I've slowed down to smell the flowers and listen to the birds. I enjoy the occasional cigar. I'm not judgmental. I love debate and frank discussion, the grasping of someone's point of view differing from my own. I have grown to appreciate this forum and check it daily. It has become part of my mechanism for breaking free from WT-think. I can only describe the feeling of liberation as soothing and intellectually stimulating. Mostly, I've grown to love people for who they are, all their imperfections and flaws in tact, an ability foreign to mainline JWs.

  If you give yourself the time to see your religion for what it is rather than what you want it to be, that effort will be repaid beyond measure. Life will become richer and more meaningful, and the little victories along the way will seem just a little bit sweeter.

  That's been my experience, anyway. I truly hope yours will be equally rewarding.
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  161

  What Are You Reading?

  by zoiks in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  ok, here's my current list:.

  i just finished the greatest show on earth by richard dawkins, and am almost finished crisis of conscience by...some guy.. currently in hand, i have:.

  the power of myth, joseph campbell and bill moyers.

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  FreeAtLast1914

  A book about the Dead Sea Scrolls, Ray's second book, and The History of Christianity by Paul Johnson.
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  18

  So an elder came by and asked me if I have found another Church

  by bluesapphire in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  very nice brother came by who comes about every 6 months or so.

  i really like this guy and knew ahead of time that the next time he came over i was going to be friendly to him.

  he came by during a storm and was obviously cold.

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  FreeAtLast1914

  You go, Blue! I love the spunk. And I know what you mean when you talk about some of the JWs being nice. I'm one who deals with these types with respect. They are truly victims unbeknownst to them. They don't understand what they're involved in.

  And, definitely don't play their DA game. Let 'em chase away.
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  19

  Some Great Books

  by jgnat in

  1. watchtower
  2. beliefs

  i'm halfway through two books, and both of them together have greatly helped me understand why people are attracted to extreme religious groups like the jehovah's witnesses, and how these organizations manage to stick around...year after year.

  i figure understanding why is the start.

  if you are waiting for cherished relatives and friends to "see the light", these books might help.

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  FreeAtLast1914

  Thanks for the suggestions. A book that has helped me in my understanding of the evolution of Christianity is The History of Christianity by Paul Johnson.
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  310

  Mill Hill Disfellowshippings

  by BorgHater in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  a few months ago there was a thread about a couple of elders at the mill hill bethel being disfellowshipped because they disagreed with some wt doctrine (i can't recall exactly what it was) and that several other betheliteswere under 'investigation'.

  i haven't heard anything since, does anyone know anything more about this?.

  borghater xx.

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  FreeAtLast1914

  Paulapollos, tough breaks man. I feel for you.

  I do have a question: Are you or any of the four married? If so, how have your wives handled the situation?
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  385

  NEW GENERATION DEFINED -- April 15, 2010 Watchtower

  by Ultimate Reality in

  1. watchtower
  2. bible

  from jw.org, here is the new definition of the generation from the april 15, 2010 watchtower.. .

  article: holy spirits role in the outworking of jehovahs purpose.

  13 third, holy spirit is at work in bringing bible.

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  FreeAtLast1914

  The dictionary definition of "generation":

  A. a group of individuals born and living about the same time. B. A group of generally contemporaneous individuals regarded as having common cultural or social characteristics and attitudes Have you ever met someone of the 1914 generation? How much could you possibly share with them, specifically "common cultural or social characteristics and attitudes"? Even closer to home, when I think about my own Generation X compared to my parents' Baby Boomer Generation, very few things do we share in common. And we're talking a mere 20-25 year difference!! And now there's Generation Y who are growing up with 24hr TV, the internet, email, and now smart phones capable of providing 24hr TV, internet, and email from anywhere! My question: If generations merely 20 years apart share little in common, how much less would the current generation (raised in the digital age) share with those who saw 1914 (a culture who was comfortable on a horse-and-buggy)? The Overlap Theory is a joke meant to cajole a weary flock into another "few" years of dedication to The Brooklyn Twelve, at least until they're dead and gone and the mess lands in the lap of the next "generation" of GB.
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  15

  AN OPEN LETTER TO JEHOVAH'S WITNESSES

  by hubert in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  every year i like to bring up this letter for the "newbies" on this forum.. i found it very true, and right to the point.. thanks again, gaila noble.. hubert.

  an open letter to jehovah's witnesses.

  you may not remember, but i know you very well.

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  FreeAtLast1914

  I got chills, too. But how vivid and true a description for those who are either on their way in or for those who have escaped. To those already inside, to those who need it most, the letter's wisdom sadly will go unheard.
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  5

  Daily Show refers to JW's in segment on Brit Hume comment, funny

  by Wasanelder Once in

  1. social
  2. entertainment

  i have firefox and seem to have trouble embedding but here's the link: http://www.hulu.com/watch/118572/the-daily-show-with-jon-stewart-mon-jan-4-2010#s-p1-so-i0 hope that will take you there.

  starts about 13:00 very funny.

  "jehovah's witnesses its like scientology for black people".

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  FreeAtLast1914

  Good stuff. My wife and I have talked about the unequal treatment of stars like the Williams' sisters and Prince, but oh well. Nothing is surprising about this group anymore.

  The part about JWs being "Scientology for black people" was priceless!