Posts by Band on the Run

23

"Spiritual Endagerment As Grounds For Divorce"? Paleeez!!!

by itscrap&theyknowit! in

i've noticed my husband (w/the backing of the brothers) trying his best to 'catch me' or imply inproper dealings or what whatever with the opposite sex.

we had a big blow up where it resulted in his being terribly cursed out and demeaned (by me, of course and i hate doing that but it is the only way to keep him at bey).

i hate when he tries to incriminate me when it comes to a simple acquaintance or phone call.

Band on the Run

My favorite aunt had a slightly similar problem. My uncle clearly committed adultery and neglect. After many reconciliations,, they divorced. Within a few months, he showed up at meetings and hoped to be reinstated. She thought she accumulated so much evidence and cried to the brothers so hard, they would tell him what to do with himself. They took his side. Sisters come and go but a brother - wow. He was a Bethelite - wow-wow. Plus, an overseer at one point. It wasn't funny to see her tears.

He was reinstated. Altho his son was his son, he would travel from another KH to verbally harass my cousin who did absolutely nothing.

The saddest part was that I lost my light-hearted aunt. She became a shrew with bitterness. They were more bound together in hate than they ever were in marriage.

48

anyone have any experience with ouija boards??

by finallyfree! in

jw
friends

i think im gonna get together with some friends and do a ouija session.

anyone here have any experiences to relate?.

Band on the Run

I always thought demons were men. Well, I did not grow up with good male role models. Thinking about gorgeous demonic women, they must be sexless. And why is the number of female angels available for purchase so much greater than the number of Gabriels and Michaels out there. It is so funny.

As I said, I was demon crazy. I had no idea what they looked like which made it even worse. A shapeless entity. My sleep was compromised heavily. Funny as though they could not act in the daytime. I love joking about the demons!

The WT started to really hammer about demons in my teens. The sexual component was obvious. Our overseer was British and brought in JW England tapes of flying teapots. Oh, what a male dorm would do with those audio tapes. I was such a sap. So I read my 83rd WT article concerning demons. It was a short blurb at the end of an article. A woman in England who engaged with spirits was on her ample bed. A demon popped up to rape her. She fought him up but used all her strength. It was over the top. The sex was not subtle. I knew it was not real--yet I remained afraid.

I've heard people who have seen the Exorcist recently. Special effects have improved so much. Everyone finds it silly, even those who were terrified.

27

Recent activities at the laundermat and Payless shoe store

by loosie in

ok last time i went to the laudermat all i found was a trifold tract from the jw's.

they gave me so much room to write ( why do they do that?

) i wrote on there "when will you jw's stop leaving mags and tracts at this laundermat"...lol i wonder what will be there next week.. my friends works part time at payless shoe store.

Band on the Run

The laundromat might be interesting. When I was in school, there was ladies' room graffiti in the stalls. Somehow a dialogue emerged on one wall of a stall. It started with hooray for lesbians or hot lesbians sign here with telephone numbers. Another student responded. Soon, they were discussing philosophy on the bathroom stall wall. It was very interesting. What if someone answers you back? I find it humorous and I'm certain you distracted the person from the Witness teachings.

Have they ever, ever used humor? The White House Correspondents dinner was so funny. The Jon Stewart Show, Colbert. Even the Sec'y of Defense or Obama use humor. The WTBTS certainly takes itself seriously.

25

JW editorial on how education does you no good...

by PYRAMIDSCHEME in

jw
friends

bill underwood is a phoenix signs of the times examiner staff writer and a jw as well.

his editorials always toe the wt party line, heres the latest on education:.

http://www.examiner.com/signs-of-the-times-in-phoenix/work-without-college-1?cid=examiner_alerts_article .

Band on the Run

Coincidentally, I was searching for sundresses and stumbled upon a lead article in the current New York magazine about how college education is presently being dissed the most at any time in American history. I should provide a link. Frankly, I don't know how to do it and I am too revved up to find out right now. The main argument from outside the JWs against college education right now is the escalating costs. Tellingly, they don't support high school education as the end the way Witnesses do. The escalation of costs is driving the middle class out. In solely pragmatic terms, college loans and tuition paid by parents may not be made up by additional education.

I posted on another thread how economic benefit is a small but crucial part of what my education is worth. College exposed me to a rewarding culture and world view, opposed to the Witness view. I'm not talking about doctrine b/c the world could not care less what the Witnesses believe. Maybe b/c my high school was so bad and my college so good but the Epic of Gilgamesh, the Bhagavad Gita, Sartre, Camus, Beckett nourished my soul. I'd rather be poor and know these things. It is not knowledge primarily for me. The critical thinking skills and towards the end, the ability to see across certain fields at one time. It was't very complex but the rudimentary ability was present. The social exposure to people with similar values was also important. I was the odd one in the Witnesses. With my new life, the Witnesses were the joke.

So many times I sat in class and was told that questioning authority and convential wisdom was important. They did not want nice, good girls. In fact, the school recruited heavily from Catholic high schools and Yeshiva to put an end to student unrest with more pliable students who were conformists. The faculty complained b/c no was questioning anything anymore. Asking hard questions was seen as the norm to be valued. I think of it as matter and antimatter.

College costs must have some correlation with middle class incomes. They just keep burgeoning. There should be tax incentives and other governmental action to make certain that the middle class is educated. The people interviewed stressed higher education. College as the only alternative was questioned.

35

Anyone understand the Federal Reserve System?

by AK - Jeff in

but i want to educate myself.

like all jw's, i didn't give a shit about those sorts of things, unless there was an article in the magazine we were placing that month.

and even then, a very shallow understanding is all that i wanted or needed to 'place' the magazine.

Band on the Run

My point is that no one here screaming illuminati coud detail what is wrong with the concept of a central bank. How is the United States supposed to raise money through securities, pay its obligations and set monetary policy. Many hot constitutional issues that were gray in 1789 have been upset by a modern nation state. I'm not arguing that it is peachy keen. My argument is know what you are talking about. The objective facts.

Antisemitism drives me crazy. It is never the Rothschilds. Always, the Jews. Which Jews b/c I lived and worked where more Jews live than any other place in the earth and I've seen very poor neighborhoods. Rich Jews do exist but so did rich WASPs. It is very sad in this day to see antisemitism trumpeted as acceptable. Sometimes Jewish people get on my nerves if they do things not consistent with my culture. It is not all Jews. Also, who am I to determine for the planet earth what is acceptable. I'm American, Christian and Eastern and proud ot it. There is a whole planet out there besides me.

129

YHWH a minor pagan god: Ugaritic Texts and the Sons of El

by DoomVoyager in

interesting.. here is the first thing i've found on the subject, though i haven't read much of it yet.. http://faculty.gordon.edu/hu/bi/ted_hildebrandt/otesources/05-deuteronomy/text/articles/heiser-deut32-bs.htm.

pseudo.

Band on the Run

This is one of my favorite threads, packed with enlightening information. My mom used to observe that if Jehovah delivered you from slavery with the plagues and parted the Red SEa, would you continue to worship a golden calf. I would be utterly terrified of YHWH's power. If I were Egyptian, I'd hate him but decide to convert to be spared. Synchronous things occur in my life. The good but spooky and unlikely moments. If I note them when they occur, how could people not note Jehovah's miracles.

Does anyone have any views on why of all the ancient gods, we worship some variant of YHWH today? Was it military or politcal power? Monotheism is often raised but monotheism seems to be precisely what Israel lacked.

The NOVA show I referred to earlier was awesome. I can read about something but seeing it with my own eyes is amazing. The goddess was uniquitious and obviously a fertility god. I'm also curious as to how YHWHists emerged from the mainstream culture of Israel and at one point, Jew as chosen people and separate from other tribes is formed.

7

universal souvereignty

by inbetween in

according to the wts in the garden of eden, through the temptation of satan, the issue of universal souvereignty was being brought up.

the answer came in our time, when it was clear, that humans cannot govern themselves, and satans rule is destructive and bad.. however, looking at the events, what did satan question ?

he said, that by eating the fruit, the first couple will not die, but be like god.. about 900 something years later, they died and nowehere became like god.. at least then, the question was answered, case closed.. but jw fabricate something out of it in order to proof their endtime prophecy and cnetere themselve in the socalled issue of souvereignty..

Band on the Run

There must be much significance that of all the fruit of trees, they could not eat the tree of knowledge's fruit. Clearly, it is metaphor. I fail to see the point. The only point I see is that God is arbitrary and capricious. He allowed no defenses or due process. I don't believe the author of Genesis meant to say anything actually happened. It must serve a larger point of obedience.

Does anyone know if other Semitic cultures have such a creation story? It strikes me that this is very preJewish.

When did it become an apple, too? Apples don't seem sinful compare to oranges or cantelopues.

35

Anyone understand the Federal Reserve System?

by AK - Jeff in

but i want to educate myself.

like all jw's, i didn't give a shit about those sorts of things, unless there was an article in the magazine we were placing that month.

and even then, a very shallow understanding is all that i wanted or needed to 'place' the magazine.

Band on the Run

I am mostly certainly not brain dead. The complexity of the Federal Reserve is hard for most people (including myself) to grasp. Banking is complicated iin general. Banking and commercial law are incoherent compared to almost any other field. The law and practices emerged in London and to some degree Holland during the MIddle Ages.

I would argue for finding out what it is, then reading both sides of the control side. Jews might appear to control banking because for centuries Europe had strict laws forbidding Christians to practice usury and interest was defined as usury. If Jews dominated, this was because of religious prejudice. European society needed banking services so they were forced to turn the Jews. The Rotschild family was very prominent. Jews were welcome, then they were completely expelled, over and over again. It is ludicrous to believe there was a Jewish conspiracy at any point in time. Jews were barred from practicing other professions, trades. There was such hatred yet they were essential. Kings became very enmeshed with Jewish banking families. Jews as Jews is a very different story. For me, it is similar to saying all Americans are like the Rockefellers and Gates.

The concept of a central bank no longer seems controversial. AntiSemiticism clearly reigns until the present. The Founders found central banking extremely controversial. From my readings, it also seems that people either heartily supported a central bank or were adamnantly opposed. I've read few middle of the road readings. The Internet has a wealth of material on both sides. How could we function in a global society without a central bank? I feel it is important to know and understand both views. Hence, neutral material first and opinion later.

Another great source would be a British magazine called The Economist. It is the leading economics and politcal magazine worldwide. I love it because it more than reports facts the way newspapers do. It is written in a nonAmerican voice yet b/c of the impact of American policy on the rest of the world, American actions are primarily reported. The problem is that it is very expensive. Any public library should have it available. The magazine appears to cover most mainstream opinions when it reports. The Economist is sort of the Mercedes Benz of economics reporting.

I believe the Fed is so important to our lives that all high school students should have rudimentary knowledge of it. With my Ivy League education, I was only briefly exposed to it. If I did not take American history, I doubt it would have been mentioned. Its importance is so real that I've been playing catch up ever after. Most high school students have no idea when the Civil War happened but I can fantasize.

35

Anyone understand the Federal Reserve System?

by AK - Jeff in

but i want to educate myself.

like all jw's, i didn't give a shit about those sorts of things, unless there was an article in the magazine we were placing that month.

and even then, a very shallow understanding is all that i wanted or needed to 'place' the magazine.

Band on the Run

There are no Illuminati. Wikipedia will have a short article with links and book references. Reading the Federal Reserve Bank's website will give you a basic explanation. I've been interested in this for decades. If I could audit a Federal Reserve course, I would. Of course, if I lived in Manhattan, about four or five different colleges would offer it. It is confusing. I recommend neutral point of view short summaries first. In my quest to understand, I read a book about the development of central banking in Europe. Alexander Hamilton established the first central bank. As you may know, it was very controversial. It was the main item of political discussion in the US for many years. Reading some biographies of Hamilton has helped me get closer.

From my own experience, I've found problems accessing material on my own. I need to know a bit more than wikipedia or the Fed's web site. Economists write complicated books. I'd like something in between. As I write this post, an idea popped into my head for the first time. The Fed must have a public office in DC. Perhaps I should just call and ask them what I could read. Another thought is to call a colleg prof in Intro. Economics and ask for reading material. If it is a very brief conversation, they don't seem to mind.

Hamilton argued that the United States needed to establish credit and to pay its debts. Nongovernmental banks were poorly capitalized and which state's bank would get the business for an entire country that they all felt should expand very far out west. The US wanted to issue bonds and securities. I've read documentary collection of writings for and against the bank. I often don't comprehend the discussion. My interest is American history and the Fed or the concept of a central bank dominated the politcal landscape for decades. Andrew Jackson was adamantly opposed to the bank. Jefferson was another opponent. A lot of it was urban (Hamilton, WAshington) vs. rural (the Virgianians).

37

How is it that well educated and financially stable people become Jehovah's Witnesses?

by 21stcenturywoman in

jw
friends

when i was growing up most of the jws around me were poor and lower middle class.

some were middle class, but very few were upper middle class.

only (maybe) about 1% were college educated.

Band on the Run

I started a thread about this several months ago. Growing up, I felt scummy that a lawyer, doctor, architect, MSW, was so rare. My hunch was that only converts were professional. Of course, the very few professionals we had were exalted within JW. They were almost legendary. I recall that Dritz of Dritz Sewing was a Witness. It was talked about infinitum. There was a story that someone knocked on Jackie Kennedy's door (as tho you can knock on a Fifth Ave. co op door and get past the doorman and her personal security). We were so excited that someone might even hear the name JW.

Several people responded to my thread that all people are emotionally vulnerable. I haven't read Steve Hassan's book yet but several people recommended it to me. Mind control works on the affluent and educated, too. My brother is very bright. He headed for University of Chicago with a scholarship. It was such a victory for a working poor family. With his Witness background, he was recruited by Maoists almost immediately. He was clearly brainwashed. In the 60s, Maoism had a certain allure for those on the left. My brother was a zombie. He never saw the parallel between my fanatical JW father and his zealotry for Maoism.

I believe education makes you more resilient but it is not foolproof. There is a thread on college income vs. high school income. My view is that income is a very important consideration. For me, however, college exposed me to a new way of thinking. Law school further refined it for me. The teaching method to learn the law is the case method. They start with a story and a court ruling. The prof changes the facts slightly to see if they make a difference in the ruling. Lectures would be useless. Now I approach everything with attention to detail. I was brainwashed in a positive way. It might ruin a creative person's mind, though. My world view changed fuindamentally. I gained confidence. Before college, I just hated JW. Now I can analyze why I hate them and put them in a historical and sociological context so their claims to infallibility are exclusivity are comical rather than terrifying.

I have a suspicion that a more educated person might be probe to leave sooner. Affluent people are still human with vulnerabilities. My grandfather converted when his wife died in childbirth. The family Russian Orthodox priest was so upset by her death that he said he did not understand God's will. Overcome by grief, my gf was relieved when a Witness knocked and offered a 567 point explanation and solution.