Posts by Jourles

32

Do Witnesses REALLY Care About Other People?

by minimus in

jw
friends

i don't think so.. to me, the vast majority of jws become witnesses because they desire everlasting life.

they want to live in paradise.

they love feeling special.

Jourles

This was something that I noticed immediately after I was df'd. Once I was officially gone, my entire attitude towards people started to change. It really bothered me for the longest time. Even today, I still have to fight my natural tendency to not care. When I say natural tendency, what I mean is, I was born into this blackhole religion and stayed in until I was 32. I'm 34 now. What others said about caring only for your own self as a jw is very true. What's in it for ME? When you're raised with that mindset it's hard to shake later on. I honestly feel that this is one of my worst traits. It takes a little while for me to become comfortable around people I don't know.

I am trying more and more these days to consciously become more aware and in tune with the people I know so as to look out for their welfare. It's a slow process but I think I'm gaining some ground - ground that I never had growing up.

thanks min for making me feel like crap for the night.

10

Missing the significance of Putin & Russia

by proplog2 in

jw
friends

just as the watchtower has allowed russia out of .

its speculative cross-hairs the vast majority of .

people in the usa pay little attention to russia and putin.

Jourles

In our existing geo-political arena, there are only a handful of countries that benefit greatly from having these heightened tensions. Can you guess which two countries benefit the most from these tensions? Russia and Iran. Both are huge exporters of oil and at least one of them is unfriendly to the US - the other is somewhat neutral at this point. Putin's power, control, and popularity has been directly related to the price of oil. In your mind, would it continue to benefit Russia(Putin) if the price of oil dropped? Of course not! Which is why I believe we will continue to see rhetoric from Iran and Russia over Iran's "alleged" nuclear weapon's program. The US is simply helping these countries by inflating oil futures by saying there is a possibility of military strikes on Iran. I'm not sure if this is just dumb, stubborn Bush trying to keep to his word about regime change in Iran, or if there is another angle involved. If it is dumb Bush, I wonder if he realizes that he is directly responsible for these countries becoming wealthier than ever before. It is also in Iran's best interest to keep the rhetoric up on their end as well. The US started it, they are merely helping it along. All it is is words. Words that make the price of oil skyrocket. Imagine if we could get a fatter paycheck if we just said, "I want a bigger paycheck, I want a bigger paycheck." This is exactly what is happening in Iran right now. Only the words are: Israel. Nuclear rights. Great Satan. Little Satan. and on and on and on. Anytime the threat of WW3 is mentioned or anytime a major news article says that Iran is only months away from developing a nuclear bomb, the price of oil inches up. How messed up is that?

If the US were to declare permanent peace with Iran and open their arms to trading with them, the price of oil would plummet. As would the profits that goes into their pockets as well. Who knows what the real reasons are for the US's continued presence and nation building in the middle east is for.

The worst scenario I see in the US is this: The US or Israel attacks Iran pre Jan. '09. Iran does their thing and essentially hoses up the world's supply of oil. Gas stations in the US either jack the cost up way too high, or they run out. This causes mass panic and chaos. Bush declares martial law under the Insurrection Act or Exectutive Directive 51 and maintains power indefinitely. This allows him and his chums to do whatever they please, however they please. I wouldn't be surprised to find myself and other likeminded individuals being confined to the new Halliburton built "camps" across the US. That's what happens when our "elected" representatives give the president carte blanche to do whatever he pleases in the form of support for these bills.

34

Crocs and assisted suicide attempts

by RisingEagle in

jw
friends

they are the shoes that everyone loves to hate.

they are also the shoes that have fans that will disregard what others in this world say about them in regards to fashion and taste.

if you wear and love them, you just don't care, your feet are happy and that's all that matters.

Jourles

They hawk those things at all the AVP volleyball events. They are the main sponsor for the AVP.

I agree, they are not the prettiest looking shoes I've ever seen...

14

Does anyone here snow ski? Where do you go and are you going this year?

by Bourne in

jw
friends

i should add that i realize that this is more of a northern hemisphere question.

no offens(c)e to our southern hemisphere friends.. bourne.

Jourles

Crested Butte is having 3 weeks of free skiing this year -- Nov 25th through Dec 15th. No CO resort is ever open 100% that early, but the amount they do have open varies on the snowfall amount they get of course. On average, most resorts in CO are ~30-40% open that early in the season. By late January/early February, almost all are at 100%...unless they get an ungodly amount of snow sooner.

Keystone and Loveland are always trying to outdo each other every year on being the first to open. Both will have their guns running whenever possible, even if it's just for one or two runs. If one or the other says they are opening on such-and-such date, the other will try and match it or beat it by a day. I remember in the past when Loveland would announce their opening day, keystone would match it but would turn on their lights at 6am just to say they beat Loveland. It's all about bragging rights and being the first in the US to open for the season.

177

Jehovah's Witness here.

by nimzo in

jw
friends

i have a question about my religion.

when people turn apostate, why do they seem kinda... weird.

they turn back to false teachings and their bible knowledge even proves that.

Jourles

When people turn apostate, why do they seem kinda... weird.

You mean, normal? No religious crazy eyed look? Maybe it's just due to the fact that you're used to seeing fake smiles and feeling conditional love at the kh. Once people leave that situation, they are free to be themselves. I know that's a hard concept for you to wrap your head around, but that's just the way it is. Did you ever think that people looking in from the "world" feel that you're the weird ones?

177

Jehovah's Witness here.

by nimzo in

jw
friends

i have a question about my religion.

when people turn apostate, why do they seem kinda... weird.

they turn back to false teachings and their bible knowledge even proves that.

Jourles

I'm an apostate and I don't believe in the Trinity. Maybe you have the wrong definition of "apostacy" in mind...

14

Does anyone here snow ski? Where do you go and are you going this year?

by Bourne in

jw
friends

i should add that i realize that this is more of a northern hemisphere question.

no offens(c)e to our southern hemisphere friends.. bourne.

Jourles

Used to live in Summit Co. Colorado. Had the pass, etc. I've been to every ski area in CO except for two places. My top three picks in the state are, 1. Arapahoe Basin, 2. Aspen Highlands, 3. Crested Butte. I typically ski black/double black but sometimes crave a steep, smooth, and fast blue for laying out big carves. I grew up skiing the SoCal mountains (Big Bear) and have been to Squaw and Heavenly up in Tahoe. Since living in Michigan, I've been to most here in the state as well, except for the UP. My favorite one so far is Boyne Highlands. Whistler is on my to-do list. I wouldn't mind hitting a few European resorts sometime in the future before I get too old.

Monarch is a good spot in CO. I've heard they have some of the best snowcat skiing in the state - never did it. Monarch's the running favorite for most of the folks who live in Colo Spgs(and the local jws). If you're coming from there, I would recommend popping over the pass and heading to Crested Butte. It's not that much further. PLUS, they always have a Ski Free time period in the beginning of the season and usually at the end too. You can't beat that deal whatsoever. Who here likes to ski for free? That's what I thought. If you hit CB at the end of the season, there has usually been a ski naked day - typically the last day of the year. If it's warm enough for you to do it, no one cares. I've never done it. The most bare I've gone is skiing only in my shorts, boots, and goggles. Trust me, if you fall hard while skin is exposed, it's worse than a bad rug burn.

151

Just a little Update...(with pictures)

by RichieRich in

jw
friends

so today i was thinking... and i haven't posted here in quite some time!

i came and started reading through some recent posts... and boy have i missed a lot.

the whole trevorgate thing... and danny haszard... whew.

Jourles

Dude, in the way that Osama is Bush's poster boy for terrorism, you're the new poster boy for the WTS. I would love to see your pic in a WT article someday with the caption:

Unfortunately, some youths have left Jehovah's organization to pursue worldy goals

Damn, I could be a WT writer!

36

one in one out...odds of staying married...how long til you know?

by oompa in

jw
friends

it has been sadly interesting to see fadingeld's and others experiences unfold...wife out the door pronto and some not.

many here are still married, one in one out.

i have basically had a sucessful unplanned fade.

Jourles

One in, one out. *raises hand*

A few months ago, I really had it out with her. It was more of a one-way type thing. I told her everything I hated about our "situation." It primarily focused on, wait for it, the organization. Leading up prior to this, I broke out CoC and tried to get her to read it. She said she did, but when I asked her about certain parts, she couldn't "recall" what she supposedly read. That told me she didn't read it at all. Part of my diatribe towards her I mentioned that I couldn't "wait for the day that the WTS finally goes out of business." That I would "do everything in my power to help bring about their downfall in whatever way" I could. I told her how I felt about the WTS simply being a business and that everything they have done in the past several years pointed to their losing money. I brought up the cutbacks in mags, size of the books, child abuse lawsuits, etc. Basically everything I've mentioned here on the board before. I was surprised at myself for saying such things, but it felt great to finally get them off of my chest. And to give her credit, she took it quite well. She didn't lash out at me for thrashing her one and only spritually safe haven, the WTS.

But yeah, things are definitely different these days. Even before I was df'd(fading period), we were becoming more and more like roommates. It sure feels like that today as well. I do my thing and she does hers. I immerse myself in volleyball and the friends that naturally go along with it. She doesn't even care about the "worldly" parties that I go to. No questions asked.

I honestly couldn't say what keeps us together. Our commonalities sank once I was officially df'd. Most of our social contacts prior to that were with jw's only. As a "couple," those are now history. Oh well, I just deal with it. If something happens, it happens.

21

JW's Banned In Tajikistan...

by brinjen in

jw
friends

tajikistan bans jehovah's witnessesposted tue oct 23, 2007 8:22am aest.

ex-soviet tajikistan outlawed the jehovah's witnesses religious organisation on monday, saying its missionary activities violated the laws of the predominantly muslim central asian state.. "door-to-door missionary activities, calls to refuse to serve in the armed forces and their intolerance of other religions contradict the law," tajik culture minister mirzoshohruh asrorov told a news conference.. jehovah's witnesses in tajikistan could not immediately be reached for comment.. according to official figures, more than 95 percent of the tajik population belong to the sunni branch of islam and another two percent are shiites.

the tajik government though is strictly secular.

Jourles

"Door-to-door missionary activities, calls to refuse to serve in the armed forces and their intolerance of other religions contradict the law,"

I guess they better move elsewhere if they feel that the above beliefs are their God given right.