Creepy. My mom used almost the same language to explain why, unlike our cousins, we would not be dedicated or marry until thirty-five at the earliest. She was baptized at fourteen. No matter how zealous and sincere, teenage brains are not developed. Law recognizes that teens have less brain capacity. It is medieval.
Band on the Run
JoinedPosts by Band on the Run
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JWs and Infant Weddings - Marry as young as legally possible
by doubtful init sickens me to hear the venemous propoganda against the evils of higher education.
they talk so much about how it consumes valuable time during one's youth - how it takes away time from pursuing spiritual goals like pioneer service, missionary service, mts, bethel, etc..that's one of their biggest talking points in their argument against a college education.
their other point is that we shouldn't be preparing for a long stay in this system, so why the need to prepare for a lucrative and satisfying career by attending college for 4 years, when time is running out, and the big a is literally right around the corner...it shows a lack of faith in jah's promises and a materialistic attitude..etc.. yet..they never say anything about the countless thousands of teenage or near-teenage weddings!
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Fox has dropped Glenn Beck's show
by unshackled inwell this is refreshing.
good to see interest has faded for his fear-mongering, hate-filled conspiracy rants.. .
glenn becks fox show droppedby david bauder ap television writer apr 6, 2011 2:30pm.
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Band on the Run
Beck's crazy rants are dangerous! William F. Buckley, Scalia, Roberts, Alito and other conservatives I can respect. The world is richer for exposure to different points of view. Opponents of my views help me clarify and explain my own. I joined a Fox news boycott years ago. What concerns me is the birther nuts. Becks knows Obama is a ciitizen. He is not that dumb. Michelle Bachmann knows Obama is a citizen.Donald Trump knows for certain. She is not that dumb. It terrifies me to see educated people spout a crazy story to rev up the base. I loved John Stewart's Rally for Sanity.
Colbert knows he does comedy. What did Hitler do? He was not that bright but I admit I also don't believe that he believed the venom he stirred up. Millions died.
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Band on the Run
I notice that it does not say Kingdom Hall or WTBTS but JW Meet-Up. I am used to meet ups where private people interested in a particular area meet to share their interest. A meet up can not speak for the KH or WTBTS. I am a lawyer. Altho I don't know JW policy, I find it hard to believe that an email would be appropriate. Written notice means snail mail. Many people do not have a computer and internet access, particularly among low wage earning JWs.
I don't understand your problem. In the short months I've posted here, I've noticed that you post here frequently. It is hard to wear two hats. I can understand frustration but I don't understand the pain if you don't believe. Family concerns are valid. You need to be a better spy.
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Bristol Palin makes $262,000 . . .
by JRK inas an abstinance counselor!.
http://wonderwall.msn.com/entertainment/bristol-palin-earns-262000-as-abstinence-ambassador-1612721.story?gt1=28135.
can this world get more f**ked up?!.
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Band on the Run
I have a feeling there will be a second pregnancy. It seems that the sanctimonious, John Edwards, Bill Clinton marketing his marriage to gain the women's vote, Larry Craig, the gay bathroom sex dude....are guiltier. They certainly make the news more. Admittedly immoral folk do not make news. I could continue a thread for days with hypocritcal tales. I'm curious as to how many politicians might mirror normal people. Maybe the total is the same as for regular people. OMG, Prince Charles wedding to Diana Spencer. The millions wasted on a marriage of a few years. A large part of the hype was that she was a product of divorce and now she knew she would never have her husband leave her. All the commemorative dishes and other souvenirs at the same time he was screwing Camilla Parker Bowles. I read he never wore a ring from Diana but now he sports one. Fergie and her toes.
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Why God keeps silent to somebody even after intensive cry?
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Band on the Run
I suffered utterly excruciating facial pain for 30 years. The suicide rate is 95%. The pain is the worse known to humans. It is far worse than terminal cancer pain. Clearly, I fear death. I am not certain what your point is. I worshipped at the episcopal Cathedral in NY when I became ill. Of course, I could not work as a lawyer so I travelled to the Cathedral to help with their charitable missions and learn more about the community there. If I stayed in my apartment, I would kill myself. Other people, particullarly helping other people, kept me alive. A famous author, Madeleine L'Engle, A Wrinkle in Time and many other books helped me. She listened carefully to my fears. When I explained that I could not understand God's silence in light of horrible events, such as the Holocaust. She asked me where it was written in scripture that being Christian meant I was protected from bad deeds.
She correctly pointed out that Jesus' predicts great tribulation for Christians. In fact, he promises great prosecution. He does promise to be present with me through my crisis. This shows that my secular knowledge is stronger than my scriptural knowledge, even when I know the scripture well. A protege of Sigmund Freud, Carl Jung, was the son of a Lutheran bishop. He finds God very immoral. Abraham and Isaac - what a bloodthirsty awful monster. And he pulls the same crap with his own son. Why do we worship such a creep? His arguments are in The Problem of Job. I read Job carefully. It does not say what I think. If you take away the opening prose, it is a majestic poem. Who created the crocodile? is pure beauty. I cannot say it is a sufficient answer. God falls short.
The author of Job confronted this. I am certain this issue was addressed by the gods that predated Jehovah and the gods that will postdate Jehovah. Actually, YHWH does not translate Jehovah. They can't even get his name correct.
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Crazy theories and tough questions asked by a kid
by fade_away insorry for the lengthy thread, i've spent too many years preparing talks.
i can't help it.
i had so many questions as a kid when my dad read me "my book of bible stories".
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Band on the Run
I popped out of the womb with questions. It did not endear me to Witnesses, particularly my brutal, stupid father. First, I was very confused by statements of Jehovah is here during some assembly, all of which were sheer hell to endure. I started looking at the air vents, etc. Yet I knew if you saw God's face, you would die or something. It was very spooky and how does a little kid figure out when thousands of years of human thought have yet to solve.
My next bump was in third grade. We had no friends in the Witnesses. I was very social. The isolation pained me. I hated it. Of course, I had no choice. Flag salute, blood, birthdays, holidays - hell. The kids tormented me at school. My mom said to say we were Christian if anyone asked. I did. The kids found out I did not cross myself. Some kids refused to talk to me since I was a heathen.
Fifth grade was the turning point. I could always read several grades above my level. Some WTBTS book was written on a very simple level. The all powerful brothers could not read. They were functionally illiterate. I assume the apostles were illiterate. Jesus read in the Temple. I kept reading the paragraph and it was clear, they screwed up big time. My problem was that I had the thought that they were wrong. I convinced myself that I sinned against the Holy Spirit (males). It caused great torment. Would God strike me dead at Peter's behest? I still find those passages bizarre. Make them do extra labor to atone for holding back money. Jesus dies for us and then we're struck dead! There was no one I could talk about my fears and my discovery. My aunt and uncle lived in a suburb. There brothers could read. Why could I not have a nice hall and brothers who could read.
Teenage years - I know from my very soul that the WTBTS is false. My family has been in since Russell. All of the stories of major corruption and venality don't total up with the Kingdom Hall orders. Fundamentally, every person I love and respect will perish at Armageddon, which my mom says not to mind b/c she lived through two separate Armageddon dates. Close family friends sold all their assets and went up a mountain. They were ruined. In contrast, every person I hate with an ardor is a Witness, who will live through Armageddon. Once Armageddon is over (and all my family is certain we are not good enough), I can look forward to shoveling up carcasses for a thousand years after which an epic battle will take place. The Beatles land in the US. I screech with glee. Bob Dylan does Newport. Civil rights workers are murdered in Missippi. I am often in Manhattan. Something has to give. The Witnesses go. My father literally drags me to the KH. He kicks me and pinches me in full view. I am very adamant that my physical body may be present but he can't control my mind. He dies. My mother refuses to use physical violence. Two weeks later, my entire family does not go.
Whenever I think life is rough, I remember my WTBTS years. Life is glorious.
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Who's old enough to remember Queen for a Day?
by Nickolas inwhen i was a kid back in the late 50's / early 60's (yes, i am very old, now let's move on) there was a television program that capitalised on the lives of miserable women.
it was my mom's favourie.
each day monday to friday there would be four women on the show, each with a sad story to tell.
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Band on the Run
iWhen I was very young, Queen for a Day mesmerized me. My mom was a big fan. She watched one half hour soap, As the World Turns, Art Linkletter, and Queen for a Day. My father treated my mom like crap. I loved my mother but wondered why she wasn't treated nicely. The roses, robe, crown and throne appealed to the little girl in me. Yes, how a woman should be treated - in very sharp contrast to my JW mother who wore a dog print dress at her wedding and had to pay for her wedding ring. As I grew older, I paid more attention to the stories. A child was severely crippled or dying and the family faced utter ruin all the time. The audience actually applauded the story. If I recall correctly, the saddest, most histrionic story won.
It certainly celebrated victimization. My brother has cerebral palsy. CP centers were just beginning. Our lives were shaped by his cp to an very large extent. He has a minimal case but early intervention helped. So I was raised in this suffering ethic. Sick show but it defined my TV experience.
I was at the Romper Room stage. Fury, Lassie, the Rifleman, Wagontrain, Lone Eagle, Broken Arrow, -oh, I was in the peanut gallery for Howdy Doodie. They filmed in NY. Rin, Tin, Tin, Sky King and Penny, Flipper, Walt Disney, the Mouseketeers. The mouseketeers were my favorite as a child. I so much wanted to be a Mouseketeer. As I aged, Anette Funicello being Ms. Perfect and doing every damn role annoyed me. I grew to despise Annette. Bob Cummings, Jackie Gleason, Andy Griffith. Some shows were local NY shows. Shari Lewis and Lamb Chop. Commercials were crazy. I'd cry for those toys to end my boredom. Very rarely, I did get one. It never worked like on the commercial. The kids were always excited and animated. The toy was boring for me. I could not understand why it wasn't so much fun for me.
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Discussion Topic God's Sudden Personality Change as Seen in the Bible
by charlie brown jr. inok i'm sure this has been talked to death... but since we have a thread saying we're missing a good debate here we go..... when the bible meant something to me way back when .....even then i pondered.... god starts off as this vengeful being..."listen to me or i'll lay your soul to waste".
to his enemies ....keep your distance or you will feel the wrath of yahweh or if i want what you have ....best leave now unless any of you men wanna die.
then overnight.. he is patient, loving, kind, his son says love they neighbor.
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Band on the Run
God is not God but a shifting concept. Kill! Kill! Kill! Rape! Rape! Rape! PLague! Plague!. John 3-16- For God so loved the world that He gave his only beggoten son so that whosoever believes might have eternal life.
The shift can't be explained by shcizophrenia. In fact, I wonder if we are even discussing the same entity. Probably not. Thank God, God becomes more human in the good sense as time moves on. Abraham and Isaac - how can anyone worship that demonic fiend? Yet I said it made sense as a child. No way.
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JWs and Infant Weddings - Marry as young as legally possible
by doubtful init sickens me to hear the venemous propoganda against the evils of higher education.
they talk so much about how it consumes valuable time during one's youth - how it takes away time from pursuing spiritual goals like pioneer service, missionary service, mts, bethel, etc..that's one of their biggest talking points in their argument against a college education.
their other point is that we shouldn't be preparing for a long stay in this system, so why the need to prepare for a lucrative and satisfying career by attending college for 4 years, when time is running out, and the big a is literally right around the corner...it shows a lack of faith in jah's promises and a materialistic attitude..etc.. yet..they never say anything about the countless thousands of teenage or near-teenage weddings!
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Band on the Run
We attended an inner city KH. I grew up with these kids from elementary school. During a three month period during my junior year, 3/4 of them were disfellowshipped for sexual activity! We had no mixers, no dances. No trips, no special ministries such as youth ministry. My church 's youth group went to Ireland and toured Iona. It is not normal to just attend JW ministry functions. What would be bad about a group trip to see a decent film? Book clubs?
I know from the pressure of academia that a balanced life is necessary. Sadly, b/c sexual relations cannot be condoned, they are condemned to AIDS and other STDs.
I have a law degree and I've seen Europe many times. Paris and London are my favorites. Very few people can live as Paul did. Paul never suggested that everyone should be celibate. To expect someone to die from AIDS or to refuse a needed abortion, kills young people for certain.
Honestly, there are a host of ways a youth ministry with responsible sex education could be built around JW doctrine. Wholesome fun is possible. Maybe all this A. raz ma taz makes people desperate. Meetings were sheer hell. The thought of a JW theocracy for eternity would send anyone to rash conduct and suicide.
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My JW mom refuses to attend my wedding!?!?!?
by d_yell inok...i just don't understand this.
i am getting married in a few months and i thought this would be the happiest part of my life.
right now it is the most agonizing!
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Band on the Run
My very strict JW relatives were invited to my sister's wedding in a Roman Catholic Church. I don't see their point to just sit and observe. Maybe active participation is different. Guests are there to support the couple not to endorse their religious choice. No one can validate your choice except you. It is very unreasonable of her. We always make excuses for crappy behavior from the Witnesses. Let her accomodate you. Graciousness, though, is supposedly a godly virtue. Anyway, they saidl only attend the reception. Lo and behold, they entered the church en masse. Initially, they came in for a quick peek.
Others have researched the Witness rules. As a lawyer, I see a big problem with Witness rules. It is the discretion left to the local elders. No matter what Brooklyn says, Witnesses must live under the regime (no joke, correct term) of the local dudes. Rules should be uniform to have value. Uniform rules ensure consistency and fairness. So much is left up to discretion. I had relatives who telephoned Bethel frequently about local brothers. They won usually but at what price? We live our lives locally. All politics is local.
This is your day (and maybe your fiances day). You are the bride. Your mother is not essential. My mom could quote whatever scripture or belief. When push came to shove, she was always present. You know your mom best but maybe she needs an etiquette book. I despise what all this cult stuff does to families. And it is cult stuff, not religion. Her presence in no way signals that she agrees with the church doctrine. I am New Yorker. When I attend my Christian services, many Jewish friends also attend at Christmas. I've been to Seders. No one was prosyletizing others. Maybe if she can refrain from preaching JW crap one day, you can promise not to chide her for being a silly culty Witness for one day.
And Jesus said to turn the other cheek.