Posts by joelbear

12

If Witnesses Had To Be Honest in F.S.

by NikL in

jw
friends

witness: hi.

witness: right.

witness: oh yes.

joelbear

Didn't Noah tell people they were going to be destroyed if they didn't get in the ark?

If the end is near, shouldn't witnesses be telling people the same thing at the door?

Joel

18

Do all Bethelite marriages end up happy?

by freddi in

jw
friends

i just wanted to know if anyone out there knew the stats for bethelite marriages ending happily ever after.

whenever i would visit bethel, it seemed as though all the married couples were in it for life.

i know that marriage is supposed to be until death do you part but we all know that things do occur.

Other than my suppressed homosexuality, I was happy at Bethel. Bethel is like the kingdom hall raised to an exponential power. You don't have to make any decisions, you just follow the rules, because there are rules for everything including where to store your shoes in your room, what size and type of appliances you can have, what pieces of cloth you can use to clean up spills. Me and my roommates got in trouble for violating each of these rules.

You cannot vary work times even by a few minutes. You cannot refuse to do any type of work even if you are untrained. One day I started off work at my graphotype machine typing and ended the day in a cow barn trying to jackhammer through concrete with an old jackhammer whose bit fell out every time it was lifted off the ground. LOL, I laugh at it now, but I'm sure I could have hurt myself pretty bad, not having a clue how to use it.

But I was happy at Bethel. Beyond following the rules there is no pressure. Meals are always served on time and the food was very good. A housekeeper cleaned your room every day for you. The laundry did your clothes. You were treated like a god in your congregation often getting invited out to nice restaurants and over to friends homes for great parties and meals. I had a blast there.

But, I'm sure as people get older and want to see more of the world or the intelligent ones want to achieve more life goals, it would get frustrating.

hugs

Joel

51

Demonic sex

by philo in

i'm not being a pervert, really.

i was just wondering whether there was a psychological explanation for why people (women, i think) experience sex, when there's nobody physically there.. there's a lot made of this in dubdom, so i'm thnking there couldbe a connection with the dub 'culture'.. just curious.. philo (honestly, but still a male)

joelbear

Since demons have to come to earth to have sex, I assume that means that there is no sex in heaven.

And people still want to go there?

snugs

Joel

36

Report on Jacksonville losing WT convention

by expatbrit in

jw
friends

city loses big convention .

by bill johnson, special to the daily record.

wash your car, it will rain.

joelbear

LOL.

I love all these convention memories.

Have any of you floridians run across a guy named John Henry in your congregations. He was a buddy of mine in Jax, but he married and moved.

I'm curious as to where he ended up.

hugs

Joel

76

I attended the meeting tonight.....

by silentlambs in

i went to the meeting tonight to check out things in the local congregation.

this spiritual paradise is showing a few cracks.

when i arrived about ten minutes before the meeting started, i felt like a ghost.

joelbear

Silent,

I also appreciate the tone of your reply.

I applaud your efforts to get victims to communicate with each other. Even if nothing happens to watchtower policy itself, this communication will lead to healing.

I certainly also wish you peace as you continue your journey outside the witness system.

take care

Joel

9

FBI FILES

by Yerusalyim in

jw
friends

just for your info, you can look to see if the fbi has a file on you at the following web site.

i recommend against using your ssn to check this out.. yeru.

click here: http://www.policeguide.com/cgi-bin/criminal-search.

joelbear

You can tell that's an old picture of me. The hair on my back is much longer now.

hugs

Joel

76

I attended the meeting tonight.....

by silentlambs in

i went to the meeting tonight to check out things in the local congregation.

this spiritual paradise is showing a few cracks.

when i arrived about ten minutes before the meeting started, i felt like a ghost.

joelbear

And also,

When someone puts themselves forward as an advocate and/or representative for others, he carries a higher level of responsibility for his actions, since any actions he takes can and will affect those who he has put himself forward as an advocate for.

peace

Joel

76

I attended the meeting tonight.....

by silentlambs in

i went to the meeting tonight to check out things in the local congregation.

this spiritual paradise is showing a few cracks.

when i arrived about ten minutes before the meeting started, i felt like a ghost.

joelbear

As with absolutely any subject matter and/or group, it all depends on which side you are on as to how you judge someone's actions.

Of course Brother Bowen is imperfect. And I certainly don't pretend to sit in judgement of him as a person.

I would ask him what he hopes to accomplish with the "in your face" approach. I haven't questioned his right to go to a meeting nor to raise his hand. I still don't understand his purpose in doing so. Was it to demand his rights as a Jehovah's Witness, an organization which he wholeheartedly condemns? Was it to bring attention to his cause? How would going to the meeting do accomplish anything additional to his revelations in the local press?

Sorry, I just don't get the reasoning behind it.

Joel

103

The "Tree" of WHAT?

by Farkel in

jw
friends

the account of adam and eve as a literal event is so full of logical contradictions that it is mind-boggling.

it only takes a minimum of scrutiny to discover that fact, too.. there is something god did not want adam and eve to know.

he didnt want them to know the difference between good and evil.

joelbear

Interesting thoughts Farkel,

I have always since the Adam and Eve fable as a moral lesson in personal freedom.

Do we have the freedom to do whatever we wish or only what we are told? Are we capable of perfection only if we submit to a will that is not our own?

I continue to think about this concept as I think it is an important one.

hugs

Joel

76

I attended the meeting tonight.....

by silentlambs in

i went to the meeting tonight to check out things in the local congregation.

this spiritual paradise is showing a few cracks.

when i arrived about ten minutes before the meeting started, i felt like a ghost.

joelbear

Hi Had,

I appreciate your thoughts. I come hear not only to speak my thoughts but also to listen to those of others in order to help me learn and sort out things, so I don't expect people to just agree with everything I say.

I can understand silents going to the meeting to make them face the ugliness of their actions, especially when he is not even disfellowshipped (although I think the whole idea of DFing is heinous and ridiculous). I can understand him pointing out their fear of him by the raising of his hand. I can see this as making them think about him and the issue that he has raised.

However, I'll stick with my thoughts on the game playing with the attendant and especially the burning rubber. But, Silent is a grown man, he will have to decide for himself how to behave and live with how those behaviors affect his efforts.

hugs

Joel