Posts by ambersun

122

This convention blows

by Anony Mous in

seriously, half day in (already had an argument with the wife this morning about individuality in the organization in which she conceded that a lot of it is based on looks) and this is already getting on my nerves.

i'll post a rebuttal based on my annotations later in the week but one thing i got to get off my mind: saying the feminist movement (women going to work instead of staying home) and the diversity laws (allowing for homosexuality - but also religious freedom, racial discrimination etc.

) caused a lot of the problems in our world right from the stage.. there are less people here than last year - about 500 less..

ambersun

They actually had the nerve to say that Jesus appointed his apostles as the governing body of JW in the first century and the governing body is the successor to those apostles.

Good grief! I have been like this after reading about most of the stuff that is coming from the platform at this convention, but this statement just about takes the biscuit!

I am SOOOO glad I no longer have to go. I don't think my already high blood pressure could take the strain lol!!

The explanation for tigers no longer in the paradise pictures: They're going extinct and it may be that we're not going to be able to play with them in Paradise (that's from a Bethel-vet, no kidding).

Thanks for that bit of information Anony Mous! And I presume that explanation was given in all seriousness without his tongue firmly in his cheek? I was in need of a good laugh today and that little gem has certainly given me one

66

Youngest person disfellowshipped -- ever?

by FatFreek 2005 in

well?.

ambersun

16, while pregnant

The very first meeting I ever went to, I was physically stopped from talking to a young girl with a tiny baby. She had been disfellowshipped for being pregnant at the age of 16. Her own father pushed the flat of his hand out in front of me and physically stopped me in my tracks so I could not talk to her, or even hold her baby. I was 14!! I had been brought up to be kind and considerate to everyone and this was the first time in my life I had seen someone being shunned.

The shock and distress of that experience stayed with me and helped me to come to my senses a few years later, leading to my eventual fade. I could never come to terms with their assurance that the shunning of a teenage mother was a "loving arrangement by Jehovah to keep the congregation clean". It was nothing short of cruelty and abuse

29

It's my Birthday on Thursday

by nugget in

jw
friends

i am having my second birthday out of the jws on the 14th of july the first after disfellowshipping and just need a few ideas for the day.

we went to arudel today to do pre birthday shopping so i am really looking forward to see what goodies they found.

there was much whispering in the corner of shops.

ambersun

Happy Birthday Nugget

Whatever you decide to do, have a great day being spoiled by your loved ones !!!

122

This convention blows

by Anony Mous in

seriously, half day in (already had an argument with the wife this morning about individuality in the organization in which she conceded that a lot of it is based on looks) and this is already getting on my nerves.

i'll post a rebuttal based on my annotations later in the week but one thing i got to get off my mind: saying the feminist movement (women going to work instead of staying home) and the diversity laws (allowing for homosexuality - but also religious freedom, racial discrimination etc.

) caused a lot of the problems in our world right from the stage.. there are less people here than last year - about 500 less..

ambersun

Just got in and found an invitation to the convention on the hall mat. I had to laugh when it says the Sunday talk "Let God's Kingdom Come!", will show how this planet will soon be transformed into a paradise and "how you and your family can qualify to live there".

Yeah sure, it's the same promise they made to the families living back in the 1960s (when I was a teenage dub) - and the same as the promise made at least 2 generations before that. Come and give your life to the WTS and you will be rewarded with a lifetime in paradise. Everyone better rush to hear that talk before it's too late!!! ............................

One thing that struck me as rather odd, the picture on the front of the invitation shows the mother and her daughter skipping along hand in hand (in paradise) both wearing.....TROUSERS instead of 1950s durndle skirts (gasp).

And what happened to the obligatory baskets laden with fruit and the tiger/ lion/ giant panda (or any other extremely dangerous wild animal of your choosing) patiently waiting to be petted by the little children??? They seem to have forgotten to include them

49

Help Please. Mother says she can prove I will die using the bible alone, no WT literature

by scooterspank in

she says she can prove i will die if i'm not in the "truth" strictly using the bible .

ambersun

Scooterspank, I agree with Ignat. I can guarantee that your mother's 'proof' will consist of vague scriptures taken out of context. They will be cleverly made to appear as a warning to you of your impending doom, but if you insist on your mom including the verses before and after, (maybe the whole chapter), the meaning will be totally different and she will lose her 'proof'.

Good luck with that

16

Running into a brick wall- conversations without logic

by Joey Jo-Jo in

i had this experience with a family member, lets say you say something against the witnesses doctronic and they dont say anything back, you ask them why are you not replying and they say "well you dont believe in us anymore".. what should i say back, something that wont offend them but goes straight to the point, you see they dont want to use their brains, they just want to listen at their halls about the end and apostates and how special they are and how false the rest of the world is and how they are the only true religion that follow the commandment to preach.

but it does not matter what i say, doesn't matter how big it is it seems to have the reverse effect, it was alot easier before but now a conversation comes which they dont like they shun my conversation, yet they show me love, they dont touch whats the big issue, the big problem which is communication, and they maybe expected me to wake up, go back to the hall like nothing ever happen, like preaching is only for people who like what they hear.

im babling on but you get the idea.. .

ambersun

they maybe expected me to wake up, go back to the hall like nothing ever happen

I can also relate to this. We completed our fade over 20 years ago but only recently my BIL asked my husband if he was going to start going back to the meetings any time soon and seemed unable to understand why the answer was "no" and how we can be genuinely happy living without 'The Truth'.

On the plus side, and it is a BIG plus, at least all our JW relatives are lovely, warm hearted people who have not shunned us, so we can be very grateful for that. Our hearts go out to the poor souls who have not been so lucky and have lost all family contact. Just thinking about that helps us to cope with the inevitable WT speak that invides the conversations whenever we are with them.

16

Running into a brick wall- conversations without logic

by Joey Jo-Jo in

i had this experience with a family member, lets say you say something against the witnesses doctronic and they dont say anything back, you ask them why are you not replying and they say "well you dont believe in us anymore".. what should i say back, something that wont offend them but goes straight to the point, you see they dont want to use their brains, they just want to listen at their halls about the end and apostates and how special they are and how false the rest of the world is and how they are the only true religion that follow the commandment to preach.

but it does not matter what i say, doesn't matter how big it is it seems to have the reverse effect, it was alot easier before but now a conversation comes which they dont like they shun my conversation, yet they show me love, they dont touch whats the big issue, the big problem which is communication, and they maybe expected me to wake up, go back to the hall like nothing ever happen, like preaching is only for people who like what they hear.

im babling on but you get the idea.. .

ambersun

"well you dont believe in us anymore".

Joey, believe me I fully understand your frustration. It is almost impossible to have a healthy debate with a JW who is of the us and we mentality as they are totally unable to think as individuals, only as part of the rank and file as a whole, the way they have been trained to think, therefore not believing in us is the same as not believing in the WTS and its teachings.

Believe me, I know this first hand as most of my family are JWs. Usually they will only answer in terms of us and we. Any question designed to lead to a healthy debate between two reasonably intelligent individuals will just result in a we don't do this, or we don't celebrate that or I have even had one relative say "Ambersun, you know jolly well what the answer is, as you used to be one of us". End of discussion (sigh)

26

My wife and I are lonely....I know too bad....

by itsibitsybrainbutbigenoughtosmellarat in

jw
friends

ambersun

Even as a couple, it was a lonely start when we suddenly found ourselves apparently friendless.

We started by contacting non JW family whom we rarely saw other than at weddings and funerals, and began visiting them and inviting them to visit us, so we were able to develop a close relationship for the first time in our lives. That was a very joyful time!

Then we began making friends of our OWN choosing instead of those who were deemed "suitable company" as was the case during our growing up years in the organisation. Once our children started joining in normal activities at school, we quickly became friends with other parents, and even "worldly" people in the neighbourhood we would only say hello to in passing suddenly became friends when we let our guard down! Also, persuing our hobbies and joining clubs brought more friends. Within a few years we had a rich circle of friends and family that we would never have thought possible, and have never looked back.

22

Bros before ... on the watchtower CD

by bohm in

jw
friends

below are the average occurances of specific words plottet as a function of year for the watchtower.

the occurences has been normalized such that for instance an occurance of 0.1 correspond to the given word being used an average of 0.1 times per page in the watchtower for that year.

(a page is assumed to contain 3000 characters).. any good ideas?

ambersun

Yes bohm, sorry I forgot to say, these graphs are amazing, thank you!

22

Bros before ... on the watchtower CD

by bohm in

jw
friends

below are the average occurances of specific words plottet as a function of year for the watchtower.

the occurences has been normalized such that for instance an occurance of 0.1 correspond to the given word being used an average of 0.1 times per page in the watchtower for that year.

(a page is assumed to contain 3000 characters).. any good ideas?

ambersun

In the 70's they de-emphasized the word ministry in favor of the word service. Our Kingdom Ministry became Our Kingdom Service. Prior to this time all JW's were said to be "ordained ministers."

Yes, 'ministry' became a dirty word for some reason, and did not appear in any of the publications as far as I can remember, the word 'service' being used instead. I remember Our Kingdom Ministry being changed to Our Kingdom Service and wondering why. There was no proper explanation in my opinion and I found it all rather irritating. I was pioneering at that time and I remember being verbally corrected whenever I said I was going out "on the ministry" someone would say "don't you mean you are going out in field service?" Then, as we know, it all reverted back again.