Posts by Podobear

9

The final shackle thrown off

by moley in

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i've been out for 13yrs but its still funny how some things are so ingrained, but no more.

i had a full english today complete with the devils offering "black pudding" and how mighty tasty it was..

Podobear

Disgusting, vile, stuff... safer to eat your own Mother's blood clots!

7

This night a dream made me cry

by Gorbatchov in

jw
friends

this night was a painful one.

i had a very emotional dream and woke up realise that i was crying emotional.. in my dream my past 43 years did go by with all my close family and ended abruptly after i had to tell my paralyzed brother that we were the only two left and that our parents died.. because he can't talk, he only could express himself with his facial expression in his small room of an institute.

it seems something is going on with me, it feels painful and i think it has to do something with our believe background.. wish me luck to deal l with it.. gorby.

Podobear

The day before yesterday I woke up to a News report of a young, 9 year old girl, sent by her brother and family to an army checkpoint in Afghanistan. She was wearing a Suicide vest, and had been told she would kill the Soldiers but her life would be spared. It riled me up... that poor girl... she sought help and there was a debate whether to send her back to her family. She would surely be used as an instrument of destruction again... and used as an abused skivvy for life. It filled me with anger and a sense of hopelessness.

I am male and 58.... but that night I woke up screaming in a nightmare... my partner found it difficult to shake me out of it.

In that dream, I was a little (white) girl, determined to face up to my oppressor... a male dressed in desert garb and with facial covering. He removed the material to reveal his cruel and hateful face... and I screamed for help.

As a boy... the "fear of Jehovah" and in a divided household ruled me. Whatever I did, was not good enough... and I was held in by fear until my mid twenties.

The links are still raw in my brain... and at night... the connections make all sorts of strange hook ups... when heartfelt stories provoke it.

Fill your mind with delightful things during the day, avoid stimulants and renin (cheese especially) after 8pm... and your links should produce a calmer night's sleep.

All the best.

Podo

2596

The Pastor of my Old Church Tried to Re-Convert Me Yesterday

by cofty in

yesterday evening my wife and i were invited to friends house for new year's eve.

we met them when i was a christian and we have kept in touch.

they had a few other friends there as well, including the new church pastor and his wife.

Podobear

Hey Cofty: My comments were meant to bolster your original reasoning! I was simply quoting from a report on the Psychological effects of the 2004 Tsunami on the various faith groups in the Indian Ocean basin. The reasoning of the Pastors of Christendom and Imams of Islam were weak by comparison to the acceptance of being part of a "Universe", with cycles of birth and death.... amongst the Buddhists

It was the measure of psychological strength I was referring to. And, in that sense, that particular group (the Buddhists) appear to have recovered better when compared to others. I was done with wasting time dogma and doctrine bashing, when I left the WT some 30 years ago.

If you want to pin the tail on my donkey, I guess you can label me Agnostic.

Atheism holds no water for me. There is some purpose in the design of the Universe... I remain to be convinced as to what it is.

All the best

2596

The Pastor of my Old Church Tried to Re-Convert Me Yesterday

by cofty in

yesterday evening my wife and i were invited to friends house for new year's eve.

we met them when i was a christian and we have kept in touch.

they had a few other friends there as well, including the new church pastor and his wife.

Podobear

I found it interesting to read about the psychological impact on parents and children after that Tsunami. The main faith groups of the Indian Ocean basin are Islam, Christianity and Buddhism.

Of these groups the impact was worse amongst the Muslims, who found such a tragedy, incompatible with the actions of an all loving "god". The next group, most traumatised, were the Christians. These, Cofty, struggled with explanations as you so admirably put to text.

However, those who seemed to come to terms with the tragedy and loss the most... were the Buddhism. It was "mummy and daddy's" time to rejoin the Universe. Their "spirits" lived in the trees and they would accept that it would be their time one day to rejoin the rest of the Universe. The hurt prevailed, but it was not attributed to an all wise and loving Creator. Simply, that we are part of a "whole" Universal cycle. Our destiny is influenced greatly by our Genes and our Circumstances.

When we can, we move away from danger... we don''t build hospitals on the San Andreas fault line, for example!)... and do our best to string out our existence.

Of course, if You are a dyed in wool Atheist... you don't have the luxury of any such reasoning. Maybe that is why Atheists have the lowest retention rate of their Young ( and you guessed it, the JW kids are not far behind!).

All the best to all, for the New Year

2

Happy New Year

by Podobear in

i have just enjoyed the new year concert from vienna.

nothing like the "blue danube" to get the whole world rising to a waltz!.

let's hope the whole world enjoys a lift of the heart.. and the "lions will sleep with the lambs" one day.. and all of us put our differences aside.. peace and good will to all those reading these words.

Podobear

I have just enjoyed the New Year concert from Vienna. Nothing like the "Blue Danube" to get the whole world rising to a Waltz!

Let's hope the whole world enjoys a lift of the heart.. and the "Lions will sleep with the lambs" one day.. and all of us put our differences aside.

Peace and Good Will to all those reading these words. HAPPY NEW YEAR from the Mountains of Austria and the beauty of the English Cotswolds (my home).

139

Ever consider joining The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints?

by rawe in

has anyone here left jehovah's witnesses to join the churuch of jesus christ of latter-day saints?

what was your motivation for doing so and how has it worked out?.

if you haven't joined the lds or considered it, as an ex-jw, what is your general view of the lds faith?.

Podobear

Thank you Earnest: So why insert a word, which did not appear in the original text, in parentheses in the first place? I agree that this point is worthy of another thread. However, in line with the theme of this thread: I would never consider joining the LDS church, because of such Plaigiarism and dishonesty, any more than I would consider now going back to WT teaching for its dishonesty in such matters.

How far can a religion go in such critical exegesis, to establish its own particular doctrine?

139

Ever consider joining The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints?

by rawe in

has anyone here left jehovah's witnesses to join the churuch of jesus christ of latter-day saints?

what was your motivation for doing so and how has it worked out?.

if you haven't joined the lds or considered it, as an ex-jw, what is your general view of the lds faith?.

Podobear

It isn't the force of argument I am questioning TD... It is the dishonesty of translation/translitteration... adding something that is plainly not there... to bolster individual interpretation.

139

Ever consider joining The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints?

by rawe in

has anyone here left jehovah's witnesses to join the churuch of jesus christ of latter-day saints?

what was your motivation for doing so and how has it worked out?.

if you haven't joined the lds or considered it, as an ex-jw, what is your general view of the lds faith?.

Podobear

Cofty & Qcmbr: Thank you for acknowledging the point I have raised...I hope I get an official LDS response:

Please now refer to Colossians 1:15-17 in the NWT 1953 and subsequent revisions. The word (other) is inserted in the text as I recall x4 times.

I was quite happy to uphold the WT position here in my field ministry. Without being sucked into yet another "Trinitarian" debate, I could uphold WT/JW Theology with honour.

Would a JW Apologist now stand up and be counted: Why, oh Why has the latest NWT translation removed the Parenthesis and accepted the word "other" as part of the official text?

I accuse the Quorum of the LDS and the GB of JWs with the same fundamental dishonesty. We are all well aware of the curse upon those that alter/add/delete the wording of Scripture.

Salt Lake City AND Brooklyn. SHAME ON YOU!!!

139

Ever consider joining The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints?

by rawe in

has anyone here left jehovah's witnesses to join the churuch of jesus christ of latter-day saints?

what was your motivation for doing so and how has it worked out?.

if you haven't joined the lds or considered it, as an ex-jw, what is your general view of the lds faith?.

Podobear

Can any Mormon or exJW explain the following for me, please:

"For thine is the Kingdom, and the power, and the glory, forever. Amen" 3 Nephi 13:13 B.O.M and Matthew 6:13 KJV

Did the translators of the court of King James copy over the same words from the B.O.M? or, is the B.O.M merely a plagiarization of the King James Bible?

Why do no other versions of the Lords Prayer contain this verse?

I would love to read the official LDS explanation.

Recently I had cause to advise two Mormons making a return visit on a Nigerian lady in an apartment above my Clinic. They were with an older Mormon lady. When I asked the two young lads if they knew that the LDS church barred blacks from the priesthood until relatively recently... they were astonished... and the older lady confirmed my assertion. This policy, and the JW view on Neutrality were the issues that helped my Father decide which of the two faiths were promoting the "Truth".... Dad became a JW in the mid '60's. I was surprised that young LDS missionaries were ignorant of a fairly new change in their church policy.

16

i am vocal visible apostate with a transgender kid i support publicly and i am getting HUGGED in public by an active witness; WHY??

by chickpea in

my initial withdrawal from the cult about 5 years ago or so, was as a fader, but now there is no doubt i am so over the cult, having publicly sat on the board of the local pflag chapter!

my bumper stickers declare don't believe everything you think and stop the violence; legalize marijuana (also a generic pflag sticker)... i am out and i aint coming back and i denounce the cult as a cult, i never call it anything else... .

today at the local food co-op a congregant saw me and bee-lined it over to hug me!

Podobear

I was always taught: If in doubt,... chuck a bucket of love over it. It will soon put out the fires of hate and prejudice. Err on the right side of life. All power to your transgendered kiddie, and well done for standing by your child's side. Not all JWs are sucked in by the hate rhetoric of the Watchtower. It used to be that only out and out rebels, seeking to destroy the congregation were "shunned"... I am sure you are not that, and are standing up for the real "Truth". Maybe that is why she hugged you... will you reciprocate and let down your defences too?