i have no intentions of starting a flame.
but, i have a few questions.. i was reading this thread http://www.jehovahs-witness.com/forum/thread.asp?id=24652&site=3&page=1 and it occured to me that americans and brits have a lot not in common.
i will admit i am not very educated when it comes to england.
If the English are as smart as they would have us believe they would never have allowed the Watchtower trash into their country in the first place. It was an American religion, laced with American logic and American ego. It seems that no matter how crass or OTT Americans are, we in the rest of the world can't get enough of them. (the latter is known as a back handed compliment to the US)
Marilyn
today at the store i ran into an old friend i grew up with.
we were both jw kids.
we both rebelled at the same time.
I can relate to your kind of enthusiasm and I can appreciate how it might have unnerved your old friend. I ran into someone just recently that I brought into the Troof. I hadn't seen her for 20 yrs. It was so weird. We didn't have much time to talk, which was just as well or I would have blurted out a whole bunch of inappropriate stuff (as she still attends a little). It was three weeks ago at least and I really must sit down and write her a letter - but I know I have to play it cool and it's not easy is it? Ya just want to tell em' what a bunch of crap it is and I want to tell my old friend that I'm soooooooooooooooooo sorry for ruining her life (which I did)! :-( Oh well....................
Marilyn
i was a jw for years, and i constantly run into old "friends" at the store, gym, doctor's, cinema, etc.
up to now, i have just looked the other way because i knew they couldn't talk to me.. but after reading some posts here - i realized that i was contributing to their shunning.
acting like i was still under their law - well no more!!.
Dawn, Welcome to the club. It took me years to get to where you're at now. I always break into a broad, wide, warm smile and twinkle my eyes at them. They usually smile back and if they don't then I lavish them with Hiya's and so on. Other times I wear my apostasy like a badge. I had to call an elder recently about a house he was selling so I told him "Oh I am disfellowshipped" with much forthrightness and quickly went on with "how much do you want for your house"? It's a real nack but once you've learned it you keep them on the back foot and they always come off worse than you. Best of all it doesn't ruin your day - rather an encounter often makes your day coz you're so darn proud of your assertiveness and confidence.
Marilyn
two things come to mind.
the memorial and the blood doctrine.
with the memorial the witnesses seem to place disproportionate attention and energy on getting people to attend it.
Scully, I think the thing that gets me about the sudden elder involvement in anything vaguely smelling of a blood issue, is that basically the WTS has already done its job and most dubs don't need supervision to say no to blood. It's not just the religious side but the health side that the Society has systematically shoved down the followers throats. They are going to say no to blood on a number of levels. BUT when the blood issue comes up, elders literally rush to the bed side of the patient and take shifts to stay at the hospital to make sure that the dub is complient. I understand that some elders feel that the hospital system may over power the average witness, but generally I feel if a person says no then a hospital will respect it. I know my mother has faced this issue recently and she didn't tell any dubs coz as humble as she is, she felt she wanted to handle it on her own without bringing in the big guns who would have totally over reacted. I guess that's where my post from yesterday came from.
Marilyn
ok, maybe the pic will work from here.
this is my cat lumpy.
she is disfunctional.
testing
WARNING: Memorial invites may lead to chronic meeting attendance, accute need to knock on doors, episodic periods of self loathing due to not doing enough, periodic shunning of innocent people, an aversion to normalcy, intermittent doubts followed by excessive prayers and avid reading of WT literature to reinforce disease criteria. Symptoms may last from months to years or in some cases indefinately with no known cure.
in the context of this forum, happiness at its core is generally defined in one of two ways: a) being a witness or, b) not being a witness.
most of us consider ourselves happier since leaving the organization.
because of a recent discussion between violetanai and marilyn, i've thought about it some more, only to reaffirm the truth i already discovered some time ago.
Dear dantheman, I have noted down the book you suggest. I hope you keep progressing and getting better and better.
all the best
Marilyn
i was just wondering what thoughts some of you may have on the topic of satanism and/or the occult.
i doubt that i am alone in my curiosity, being that we were told that the "practice of spiritism is detestable to jehovah" and all that, but now are free to explore as we wish.... i've actually embraced certain views after a few years of self-discovery, and now have zero fear in acknowledging the fact that i do find the subject interesting enough to practice.. i may or may not get "slammed" for having certain opinions.
just wondered if others have gone in an entirely opposite direction since leaving "the truth"... (i always hated it being called that...).
If you don't like calling it the Truth then try the Troof. I didn't think of it but saw it here and think it's appropriate! :-) Also I asked a similar question about demonism a few months ago. It usually sparks are few excellent replies. I will be interested to read any new thoughts from my posting on the subject.
Marilyn
ok, maybe the pic will work from here.
this is my cat lumpy.
she is disfunctional.
Lady Lee, I dont think it worked. I live in Australia so I guess my cat isn't a Maine Coon but actually Maine Coons are decendants of the Norweigen Forrest cat (also the Siberian Forrest cat). My 'boy' looks just like the Maine Coon. He's a very large cat with big big paws and a long body. He's tabby with a white bib and feet and long hair. He lays on his tummy with his feet flat out behind him like a dog and he measures over a metre when he stretches his paws out in front. He's 3! And he's one spoilt critter!!
Marilyn
two things come to mind.
the memorial and the blood doctrine.
with the memorial the witnesses seem to place disproportionate attention and energy on getting people to attend it.
Two things come to mind. The Memorial and the Blood Doctrine. With the Memorial the Witnesses seem to place disproportionate attention and energy on getting people to attend it. I don't quite get it. These are the people who teach that accurate knowledge and the right heart condition and 100% dub activity is what saves, so what is it in particular about the Memorial that sets off this frenzie of invites to anyone and everyone that might be susceptible to attending? My mother got to hear the Memorial via the telephone last night because she is too sick to attend. Isn't that just a little bit over the top?
Same goes for the blood issue. The elders might not have bothered with you for months, but the minute they sniff a looming blood problem they are like rats up a drain pipe to your bed side. They will not leave the scene of the possible crime until the danger has passed. Again, I don't get it. Is having a blood transfusion worse than committing adultery? Yet they don't personally supervise every person who might do the deed 24/7.
Marilyn
