in a conversation with my son, we were going over all the young people he grew up with that were jws.
there seemed to be an inordinate proportion of felons among them, compared to the "worldly" people in his school.
and also compared to the people at work that i know whose kids are doing fine now.. our tentative theory is that raising kids as jws can be very damaging to many of them.
Abaddon, I so enjoy your perspecitve on things. Your post describes Duncan's role playing beautifully. Though I myself was a convert in my teens - and I was quite a self assured kid (you know the type that has no real basis for confidence but has it anyway?) - and I don't recall trying to cover up my dubdom tendencies. But I think if I'd been raised in the troof, things might have been different.
Marilyn
i just finally figured out what it was.
power.
i have read, heard and felt everyones posts here on what it feels like to be shunned.. if i was an ego maniac, so focused on my own everlasting, selfish survival, i could understand the 'power'.. but who of us here want to believe that?
<<<<<<<<<<<<If I was an ego maniac, so focused on my own everlasting, selfish survival, I could understand the 'power'.
Good point. Very good point.
I've had a lot of time to think about all aspects of shunning. I've lived with it since 1981. I wouldn't want to live for ever if it meant I had to treat people like dirt to achieve my personal salvation.
Sadly most JWs don't think about all fascits of this practice. They take the line of least resistance, which is to do what they are told.
Welcome aboard.
Marilyn
in a conversation with my son, we were going over all the young people he grew up with that were jws.
there seemed to be an inordinate proportion of felons among them, compared to the "worldly" people in his school.
and also compared to the people at work that i know whose kids are doing fine now.. our tentative theory is that raising kids as jws can be very damaging to many of them.
Pat I hope you caught my reply to you from yesterday? With your observations about Bible principals you could also add that raising kids strickly according to the Bible probably does more harm than good. I know my sister has been quite devistated that her daughter left home at age 15 so she wouldn't have to be subjected to life as a JW. As my kids (aged 24 and 22) don't seem the least bit interested in leaving home, I'm thinking of introducing some Bible principals into this house or else I'll never get rid of them! Just kidding.
When reading your post I thought more about all the so called misconduct that I've heard about in my old congregation and district since I left the troof 20 yrs ago. There seems to have been a disprotionate amount of naughties naughties going on inside the Org compared to other people I know.
I guess one could say "it's all happening in the Org."!
Marilyn
a water bearer in india had two large pots, each hung on the ends of a pole which he carried across his shoulders.
one of the pots had a crack in it, while the other pot was perfect and always delivered a full portion of water.. .
at the end of the long walk from the stream to the house, the cracked pot arrived only half full.
I'm trying to apply this to my JW family who have shunned me for 20 yrs. I love the story but it seems to have limited application.... or does it?
Marilyn
just wanted to let you know that this db has had over 300,000 posts and almost 5,000 registered posters.
all of this in a little over two years.
I'm waiting for my sheparding call cause I've not been putting in regular hours. I'm not sure that I can cope with this total lack of supervision. My independant spirit is winning - I only post when I feel like it. Will I get thru Armeggedon with such a poor attitood?
Let us bow our heads in prayer!
mrmoe got me thinking... is it just me, or does a disproportionate number of apostates smoke?.
.
"as every one knows, there are mistakes in the bible" - the watchtower, april 15, 1928, p. 126 .
Smoking is not my poison of choice. I'm too health conscious to smoke. Smoking is associated with innumerable health risks. However there are plenty of other bad habits to which I avail myself. Eating too much rubbish (I just ate a cake) and drinking alcohol (much less now than I used to). I hate myself for my lack of control but I spose ya gotta die of something.
Marilyn
if you could have one wish come true, what would it be?
just one wish, that you would have to live w/ for the rest of your life, whether if be winning the lottery, finding true love, world peace, etc...what would you choose?.
i know what my wish would be...i wish i never met him.
Butalbee you said:
I know what my wish would be...I wish I never met him.
***************
Tell us more. And we will help you forget that you met him. This is your chance to have your wish come true!
Marilyn
if you could have one wish come true, what would it be?
just one wish, that you would have to live w/ for the rest of your life, whether if be winning the lottery, finding true love, world peace, etc...what would you choose?.
i know what my wish would be...i wish i never met him.
Hey Beck, I haven't heard that one. I will save all my disgusting ones (and I'm sure I can top or at least equal yours!) for our apostofest. K?
The wish thing???? That's difficult.
I wish that there was a God who cared and who had something great planned for nice people. I think I've got more chance of winning the lottery.
Marilyn
so-called apostates are, imo, actually persons who have been refined in the fires of criticism so that their true personalities shine through.
apostates are the best, most loyal friends in the whole world.
they do not have to worry about whether something is right or wrong, they are free to act upon instinct, upon feeling, upon their innermost emotions.. not for them the wearisome, tiresome, boring old its either right or its wrong mentality that cripples the acolytes of the wtbts!
Pat, Point taken about Bible principals. I consider my self duly corrected. I have learned something today! It's interesting how you can know something and yet not make the connection. I myself have lived my own life since my disfellowshipping for apostasy in 1981. I feel more than competent to judge for myself what I consider right and wrong. My usual measure is whether my actions will hurt someone else. Although sometimes it's unavoidable - like leaving the Org. !!
With regards the real world and shunning. I'm going to stick with what I said. I did qualify my statement by saying we use more finesse about it. So we don't actually not speak to people we don't like, we use body language and avoid conversation with them on a very personal level. It's all very polite, but we certainly don't show the kind of enthusiasm towards them that we do to people we like and approve of. (like you Pat!!!) hehehe!
Marilyn
in south flordia yesterday and apostate found a money bag full of cash in her shopping bag when she got home.
the cash was in the amount of $3700 dollars, and was the stores cash receipts.
so said apostate called the store and reported the money, and then returned it.
Venice, clearly your mother was acting out of selfish motives. She could have kept the money, and lived it up for a week or two, but she chose the path of self glorification, seeking undue attention on herself, pretending to align herself with the righteous and seeking to hide her wickedness from the simple supermarket workers - who would be so easily fooled by her teacherous behavior. I think your mother is a very evil apostate indeed.
"God is not one to be mocked!".... whoops I'm dodging lightening boltz as I type!
Marilyn
