Looks like nothing much has changed since I stopped attending meetings 17 years ago.
jukief
JoinedPosts by jukief
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28
My visit to the Hall Last Night- Highlights
by TR inblah, blah, blah, blah, blah, and blah.
monotone, monotone, monotone,.
monotone, monotone.. you were right, moxy.
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1
Another corporate breakup
by jukief infrom the onion:.
judge orders god to break up into smaller deities.
washington, dc--calling the theological giant's stranglehold on the religion industry "blatantly anti-competitive," a u.s. district judge ruled monday that god is in violation of anti-monopoly laws and ordered him to be broken up into several less powerful deities.. "the evidence introduced in this trial has convinced me that the deity known as god has willfully and actively thwarted competition from other deities and demigods, promoting his worship with such unfair scare tactics as threatening non-believers with eternal damnation," wrote district judge charles elliot schofield in his decision.
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jukief
From The Onion:
Judge Orders God to Break Up Into Smaller Deities
WASHINGTON, DC--Calling the theological giant's stranglehold on the religion industry "blatantly anti-competitive," a U.S. district judge ruled Monday that God is in violation of anti-monopoly laws and ordered Him to be broken up into several less powerful deities.
"The evidence introduced in this trial has convinced me that the deity known as God has willfully and actively thwarted competition from other deities and demigods, promoting His worship with such unfair scare tactics as threatening non-believers with eternal damnation," wrote District Judge Charles Elliot Schofield in his decision. "In the process, He has carved out for Himself an illegal monotheopoly."
The suit, brought against God by the Justice Department on behalf of a coalition of "lesser deities" and polytheistic mortals, alleged that He violated antitrust laws by claiming in the Holy Bible that He was the sole creator of the universe, and by strictly prohibiting the worship of what He termed "false idols."
"God clearly commands that there shall be no other gods before Him, and He frequently employs the phrase 'I AM the Lord' to intimidate potential deserters," prosecuting attorney Geoffrey Albert said. "God uses other questionable strongarm tactics to secure and maintain humanity's devotion, demanding, among other things, that people sanctify their firstborn to Him and obtain circumcisions as a show of faith. There have also been documented examples of Him smiting those caught worshipping graven images."
Attorneys for God did not deny such charges. They did, however, note that God offers followers "unbeatable incentives" in return for their loyalty, including eternal salvation, protection from harm, and "fruitfulness."
"God was the first to approach the Jewish people with a 'covenant' contract that guaranteed they would be the most favored in His eyes, and He handed down standards of morality, cleanliness, and personal conduct that exceeded anything else practiced at the time," lead defense attorney Patrick Childers said. "He readily admits to being a 'jealous' God, not because He is threatened by the prospect of competition from other gods, but because He is utterly convinced of the righteousness of His cause and that He is the best choice for mortals. Many of these so-called gods could care less if somebody bears false witness or covets thy neighbor's wife. Our client, on the other hand, is truly a 'People's God.'"
In the end, however, God was unable to convince Schofield that He did not deliberately create a marketplace hostile to rival deities. God's attorneys attempted to convince the judge of His openness to rivals, pointing to His longtime participation in the "Holy Trinity," but the effort failed when Schofield determined that Jesus Christ and the Holy Ghost are "more God subsidiaries than competitors."
To comply with federal antitrust statutes, God will be required to divide Himself into a pantheon of specialized gods, each representing a force of nature or a specific human custom, occupation, or state of mind.
"There will most likely be a sun god, a moon god, sea god, and rain god," said religion-industry watcher Catherine Bailey. "Then there will be some second-tier deities, like a god of wine, a goddess of the harvest, and perhaps a few who symbolize human love and/or blacksmithing."
Leading theologians are applauding the God breakup, saying that it will usher in a new era of greater worshipping options, increased efficiency, and more personalized service.
"God's prayer-response system has been plagued by massive, chronic backlogs, and many prayers have gone unanswered in the process," said Gene Suozzi, a Phoenix-area Wiccan. "With polytheism, you pray to the deity specifically devoted to your concern. If you wish to have children, you pray to the fertility goddess. If you want to do well on an exam, you pray to the god of wisdom, and so on. This decentralization will result in more individualized service and swifter response times."
Other religious experts are not so confident that the breakup is for the best, pointing to the chaotic nature of polytheistic worship and noting that multiple gods demand an elaborate regimen of devotion that today's average worshipper may find arduous and inconvenient.
"If people want a world in which they must lay burnt offerings before an earthenware household god to ensure that their car will start on a cold winter morning, I suppose they can have it," said Father Thomas Reinholdt, theology professor at Chicago's Loyola University. "What's more, lesser deities are infamous for their mercurial nature. They often meddle directly in diplomatic affairs, abduct comely young mortal women for their concubines, and are not above demanding an infant or two for sacrifice. Monotheism, for all its faults, at least means convenience, stability, and a consistent moral code."
One deity who is welcoming the verdict is the ancient Greek god Zeus, who described himself as "jubilant" and "absolutely vindicated."
"For thousands of years, I've been screaming that this third-rate sky deity ripped me off wholesale," said Zeus, speaking from his Mt. Olympus residence. "Every good idea He ever had He took from me: Who first created men in his own image? Who punished mankind for its sins? Who lived eternally up in the clouds? And the whole fearsome, patriarchal, white-beard, thunderbolt thing? I was doing that eons before this two-bit hustler started horning in on the action."
Lawyers for God say they plan to appeal Schofield's ruling and are prepared to go all the way to the Supreme Court if necessary.
"This decision is a crushing blow to God worshippers everywhere, and we refuse to submit to a breakup until every possible avenue of argument is pursued," Childers said. "I have every confidence that God will ultimately win, as He and His lawyers are all-powerful." -
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why, what made you join JWs?
by tosko ini would like some brief stories of people saying the reasons they joined jw organisation.
where you already in another church, were you disillusioned, were you biblically illiterate?
and if it is possible, please let me know where you come from, hoping you're not all from usa.
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jukief
I was born into it; so was my father. His parents converted (they were Lutheran) shortly after their 12-year-old daughter died. Someone caught them at a vulnerable time and started talking about the resurrection.
My mother converted at age 17. Ironically, I think what drew her to the religion was the resurrection hope, too. At that age, both her parents and one sister were already dead. Also, her mother had been a 7th Day Adventist, and I think the familiarity of the JW teachings might have influenced her. She says she had been actively searching for the "truth" when the dubs found her.
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A question to people born in the Borg*
by Abaddon in* that anyone can respond to even if they weren't born in, or even if they never were in the borg.
the question is;.
"when do you first remember realising that you were a jw, and that the rest of the world wasn't?!.
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jukief
I can't ever remember a time when I *didn't* realize I was a JW. I was three years old when we attended the 1958 international assembly in Yankee Stadium; I have a blurred memory of that. My dad was an elder and my parents always took us out in service from the time we were babies. By five years of age, I was giving presentations at the doors and joined the ministry school at age seven. When I was eight years old and working house to house with my best friend, someone shot at us; I felt the projectile (don't know if it was a bullet or a bb) whiz past my face. Then about a year later, I was working door to door with an elderly brother when the householder booted him off the front porch, injuring him pretty severely. I guess you'd say I realized during my entire childhood that we were different. :-)
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27
I'm sick of this boring life!!
by Nicolas ini'm really tired of always having to fight.
i don't have any friends in this world and i don't want to return to the evil watchtower.
it seem to me that everyone else around have fun and enjoy the life while, i still don't know what to i do with my life.
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jukief
Nick, I think people here have made some excellent suggestions. As someone who has suffered from several severe attacks of clinical depression, I strongly urge you to get help. Depression goes through cycles, just like other illnesses. If you're feeling worse than usual, it's appropriate to go back to therapy. (I've gone back several times over the years.) Also, have you ever been on an antidepressant? I really believe that antidepressants have saved my life. And if you have any kind of social disorder, the meds should help that, too. Talk to your doctor about it.
I also think the suggestion of volunteer work is a good one. I know from experience that when I'm down in the dumps I tend to focus on myself too much. Going out and doing something for other people really helps you to see outside your own limited circle. It's also a great way to meet people with whom you might have a lot in common.
I made most of my post-JW friends when I was in college. It took a while, because when I started I was a 31-year-old freshman, and most of the people in my classes were 18 year olds. But I persevered and went out of my way to befriend older students in my classes. That was 16 years ago, and almost of all of those friendships have endured to this day. I've also made a lot of friends at my various jobs. As a JW, I was shy and retiring and socially inept. I found I had to make a real effort to overcome those tendencies. I'm a different person now--outspoken and extroverted. If you work hard at it, you can change this aspect of your personality. Heck, I went from being a teenaged girl who was afraid to talk to boys to an outrageous flirt! If I could make the transition, anyone can!
It takes time to adjust your attitude about "worldly" people. But in time you'll find that there are a lot of exceptional, lovely people out there and that they're much better friends than any JWs you've ever known. Give them a chance, and reach out to people. You have nothing to lose by doing so.
Good luck.
Julie
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10 years since My Exit - The Introduction
by Amazing inmy exit introduction .
over the next few weeks or months, i will post an accounting of my exit process in a series of 15 short stories.
it will be part of my permanent notes that may someday be incorporated in a book likely a private book for my children and grandchildren.
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jukief
Eric, I know Amazing personally and my husband has known him for a long time. I can assure you he doesn't have an "amazingly bloated ego." I don't know where you get off making such absurd comments. You really should think before you open your mouth.
Amazing, I'm very much looking forward to your posts. I don't read this board very often (because of immature and rude behavior like Eric's), but these types of personal experience are extremely useful and interesting. My parents are suffering through the experience of sitting on the fence, so to speak, so they won't end up losing their JW children. They've been criticized for their position, and the situation is making their "golden" years very painful for them. I'm sure that they'll find your experiences helpful; they may even get some pointers for how to deal with my JW siblings (especially my Nazi-elder brother). Thanks so much for going to all the work to write it down.
Julie
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20
The Merry Widows/Widowers of Dubdum
by Room 215 inhi all,.
maybe this is a local phenomenon, but does it aver occur to you that jws whose mate dies often remarry in what society in general regards as an ``unseemly'' short time after the death of their spouses?
i guess the most prominent example of this is audrey knorr, who tied the knot a second time not long after ``pappy'' knorr was interred in 1977.. just wondering.
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jukief
I think JW men tend to remarry a lot more quickly than JW women. There are probably several reasons for this. For one thing, the widowed, single, or divorced women far outnumber the available men, and in my experience, as soon as *any* man is available (for whatever reason), he has a line of women a mile long after him. I also think that men have a more difficult time being alone than women. Women are a lot more independent, but JW men, especially, rarely do anything around the house; they don't know how to cook or take care of themselves. I think they often want a new wife just for that reason.
My parents have been married for 51 years and have a very close, happy marriage. But I know that if my mom dies first, my dad will probably remarry pretty quickly. Not because he doesn't dearly love my mom, but because he is one of those men who wouldn't know how to deal with cooking and housework, and because he suffers from serious depression; I don't think he could handle the lonliness. If this happens, I know I'll have trouble accepting another woman in his life, but I hope I can do so with grace. On the other hand, if my dad dies first, I doubt my mother would ever remarry. My grandmother was a widow for 40-some years; she never remarried, even though she was only in her 40s when her husband died. And she had her chances. :-)
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I need a copy of CofC
by SexyTeen ini went to my local library and they did not have a copy.
is there a copy up on the web somewhere?
i'm sure somebody has to have it, almost anything can be found on the web nowadays.. buying it is out of the question, i live with my parents.. i appreciate any help given.
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jukief
Or perhaps you can get it from another library through Interlibrary Loan.
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83
no blood cards this year!
by DIM inlast night at meeting they told us to just use our blood cards from last year.
in the past they've always told us how important it was to get it signed every year so that people could see our current views as jw's.....doesn't this new arangement negate everything they've ever said in regards to this?
absolutely nuts!.
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jukief
I don't think it's a secret. I didn't post any details because I wasn't listening too closely when Alan told me about it last night, and I don't want to get anything wrong. I'm sure Lee or Alan or someone else who has the facts straight will post something soon.
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no blood cards this year!
by DIM inlast night at meeting they told us to just use our blood cards from last year.
in the past they've always told us how important it was to get it signed every year so that people could see our current views as jw's.....doesn't this new arangement negate everything they've ever said in regards to this?
absolutely nuts!.
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jukief
I won't steal your thunder, Lee, but you're right. Alan actually went to the meeting Thursday night to hear how they'd make the announcement. He taped it, too. Poor guy, he had to suffer through a two-hour meeting, but he made it up for it by having fun after the meeting asking lots of questions about the blood doctrine. :-)