Posts by Marilyn

34

For all x-JW's: quick question.....

by Kathy in

jw
friends

if you remember, i've been inquiring about how to discuss jw issues with my boyfriend's sister.

it appears she is accepting the watchtower driven interpretations of the bible, but we are still not giving up.

if you are willing, would you respond, in a nutshell, to the question, "what is the doctrine or belief that the jw's hold that was most instrumental in leading you to abandon this religion?

Marilyn

Hi Kathy, I think some of our experiences are not very useful to your boyfriends sister. I don't think my story would help much. My husband and I basically saw thru it (after 10 long years). Being in a church like the Jehovah's Witnesses, is like being semi asleep. Your boyfriends sister is already nodding off, accepting their word as true, and from now on she'll attempt to shut out anything that will threaten to wake her up. Try speaking to her from your heart and telling her how much you admire and care about her and how you are terribly afraid that she is only seeing one side of the story. Beg her to get some other viewpoints from non JWs . Ask her if she had a hundred thousand dollars would she give it to someone to invest without thorougly researching the bad things that have been said of that persons investment abilities? Or would she trust her own instincts and hand the money over. Many people have lost moneythat way!! Tell her her life is worth more than a hundred thousand dollars, and therefore she needs to hear what informed people have to say about Jehovah's Witnesses.

Ask her if she wants to join a church that stops families from being together. I left the WTS 20 yrs ago because I stopped believing it was true. I have been disowned by my family for leaving the church - TWENTY LONG YEARS. Ask her does that sound right to her? Tell her to look for a religion that really does emphasis love - not one that defines love by how much you obey what they say!

So sorry for your plight. Also sorry if too many of us have given you too many leads to follow. The problem is that there is sooooooooooo much wrong with the Jehovah's Witnesses, it's hard to know where to start first. THE AGONY OF CHOICE!!! There is a movie on video called Holy Smoke. It stars Kate Windslett and Harvey Kitell. It's about a family in your situation. The movie is a bit bizarre - but it does illustrate well how "off the planet" or "out of it" a young woman becomes after joining a cult. Your boyfriends sister might not think she is getting involved in a cult - but the JWs do fit the criteria of a cult religion. You and your boy freind might like to borrow the movie and assess it's usefulness in your situation. (it's a funny movie - not a serious slog by any means)

WARM GREAFDS
mARILYN

24

The evolution of an exjw

by Marilyn in

jw
friends

us and our neigbhours have a guy who trims our trees annually.

he's a jw.

for the last 2 weeks our neighbours have engaged him to pave their driveway.

Marilyn

Hi Joebear, Have you ever head of John Shelby Spong, a retired American Episcopalian bishop? Look out for him. He's currently touring Australia - and us Aussies are eating him up (loving him). I saw an interview with him last night. His comments about the churche's attitude to many things are riviting. He is particularly down on intolerance of gay people. He looks very conservative, but that's where his conservatism ends. His thoughts about traditional religion are spell binding. I have been out of the Org. for 20 yrs and have settled on athiesm for want of something better. Spong may not convince me that there is a God, but his perception of God appears mostly to involve love, tolerance, and caring. How can I not believe in those things? I don't do him justice in my feable attempt to explain his wisdom. :-(

Marilyn

24

The evolution of an exjw

by Marilyn in

jw
friends

us and our neigbhours have a guy who trims our trees annually.

he's a jw.

for the last 2 weeks our neighbours have engaged him to pave their driveway.

Marilyn

::::::::::Where else can an indistinguishable person who trims your trees and drives a beat up truck, buy a suit for the equivalent of an ounce of gold and wear it as a pre-requisite to associating with a like minded group....

Flip, This is a sterotype we all know WELL. You're a funny guy!! However, can you explain to me why some educated, happy, comfortably off people bother (and not born into it either)?

My theory is they were in the wrong place at the wrong time!!

Marilyn

24

The evolution of an exjw

by Marilyn in

jw
friends

us and our neigbhours have a guy who trims our trees annually.

he's a jw.

for the last 2 weeks our neighbours have engaged him to pave their driveway.

Marilyn

::::::::::::::::: Witnesses have a vested interest in being correct. Most have invested, or we might say
gambled, the very essence of their lives, that is their time in the concept of being delivered
from their misery either now or at a later date.

Joel, I know this. It's a combination of being conned into believing it, and knowing it's true because you were able to see it when everyone around you couldn't. How special are you then? The course is set and you follow your nose after that.

I thought your comments were interesting that you'd still be at Bethel and celebate today, if it wasn't for the elders. They are the opposite of what they claim to be aren't they?

Marilyn

9

Anybody in UK for a pint?

by Sincere in

jw
friends

i will be coming to the uk shortly for business from south africa.

and would love to meet get together on an evening with anybody who.

may be in the london area for a pint of the good stuff and a chat.. any takers?.

Marilyn

Hi Kent, As I said, the trip is not certain yet. He has to wait for the Big Chiefs to pow wow over who to send. No one else wants to go and David said he didn't mind. He'll go anywhere as long as someone gives him a ticket! He will send you a mail if it comes off! Englishman's offer sounds pretty tempting - David might just get a courier flight and go anyway! :-)

Marilyn

28

Atheist debate techniques

by Rex B13 in

jw
friends

1. intentionally twist any scripture to have less or more than it's intended meaning.. 2) ignore dispensational exgesis and time tested methods of interpretation in favor of jw style single scripture exgesis.. 3) pretend that you are above everyone else in intelligence and knowledge.. 4) pretend that your every statement is factual and there is no room for disagreement.. 5) intimidate your opponent by slander and insult.. 6) use various 'logical' terms to make yourself sound well...logical!.

7) use 'straw man' arguments and generalization to gain an edge from the beginning of the debate.. 8) pretend that science is clearly on your side and that no 'reputable scientist' would disagree with your claims.. 9) have your various allies and followers 'chime in' by attacking your opponent while you work on your response.. 10) above all, pretend that god doesn't exist and that there is no evidence beyond the physical.

make it sound reasonable to believe that all life came from nothing and totally by accident.. rex

Marilyn

3) Pretend that you are above everyone else in intelligence and knowledge.

Dear Rex, This one is so untrue. I have always acknowledged my ignorance. :-0 I became an athiest at the same time as i realised the WTS was wrong. I am not university qualified but a mother and housewife. I just stopped believing in God - nothing clever or smart about it - it's just how I felt to the roots of my being. I have noted that some of the intellectual heavy weights here like AF, JH, Cygnus took a little longer to get to the point that I reached virtually over night.

Some of your reasoning shows great ignorance of what it's like to reach the point of not believing.

Marilyn

24

The evolution of an exjw

by Marilyn in

jw
friends

us and our neigbhours have a guy who trims our trees annually.

he's a jw.

for the last 2 weeks our neighbours have engaged him to pave their driveway.

Marilyn

DB, I've found Brucie!!!! He surfaced at "Anyone for a pint in the UK?" by Sincere. He's digging up rocks - 50 tons of them before spring. As you do!!!!!!

Don't ask!!!!!!!!!

Marilyn

9

Anybody in UK for a pint?

by Sincere in

jw
friends

i will be coming to the uk shortly for business from south africa.

and would love to meet get together on an evening with anybody who.

may be in the london area for a pint of the good stuff and a chat.. any takers?.

Marilyn

Brucie, Speaking of rocks:

A philosophy professor stood before his class and had some items in front of him. When the class began,
wordlessly he picked up a large empty mayonnaise jar and proceeded to fill it with rocks, rocks about 2" in
diameter. He then asked the students if the jar was full? They agreed that it was.

So the professor then picked up a box of pebbles and poured them into the jar. He shook the jar lightly. The
pebbles, of course, rolled into the open areas between the rocks. He then asked the students again if the jar
was full. They agreed it was.

The professor picked up a box of sand and poured it into the jar. Of course, the sand filled up everything
else.

"Now," said the professor, "I want you to recognize that this is your life.

The rocks are the important things - your family, your partner, your health, your children - things that if
everything else was lost and only they remained, your life would still be full. The pebbles are the other things
that matter like your job, your house, your car. The sand is everything else. The small stuff.

"If you put the sand into the jar first, there is no room for the pebbles or the rocks. The same goes for your
life. If you spend all your time and energy on the small stuff, you will never have room for the things that
really matter. Pay attention to the things that are critical to your
happiness. Play with your children. Take time to get medical checkups. Take your partner out dancing.
There will always be time to go to work, clean the house, give a dinner party and fix the disposal.

"Take care of the rocks first - the things that really matter. Set your priorities. The rest is just sand."

But then... a student then took the jar which the other students and the professor agreed was full, and
proceeded to pour in a glass of beer. Of course the beer filled the remaining spaces within the jar making
the jar truly full.

The moral of this tale is: that no matter how full your life is, there is always room for BEER!

(or in this case JW.com!!!)

Marilyn

9

Anybody in UK for a pint?

by Sincere in

jw
friends

i will be coming to the uk shortly for business from south africa.

and would love to meet get together on an evening with anybody who.

may be in the london area for a pint of the good stuff and a chat.. any takers?.

Marilyn

Hi Sincere, David (my better half) may be in London late August (though it's far from settled yet). Guess that's way too tenuous an offer. Pity, as me thinks you would love David. Norm and kent can vouch for him!!! He's a seriously nice guy! (definitely your type!!!).

Hoping all is working out ok for you,
Marilyn

9

Anybody in UK for a pint?

by Sincere in

jw
friends

i will be coming to the uk shortly for business from south africa.

and would love to meet get together on an evening with anybody who.

may be in the london area for a pint of the good stuff and a chat.. any takers?.

Marilyn

Brucie, Speak of the Devil!!! Danny Bear and I were just wondering what had become of you? Hope all is well with you and yours??? Drop me a line sometime - I don't like loosing touch with my favorite lunatics!! :-)))))

love
Mazza