Matty

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Posts by Matty

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  24

  Birthdays & the Cult of the Diminished Indi...

  by joelbear in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  yesterday was my birthday.

  i got greetings from a number of friends from here in atlanta and also from people who had never met me from around the world since my birthday announcement was carried on a couple of the central bear pages on the internet.. there is clearly no prohibition against birthdays in the bible.

  the reason the watchtower prohibits birthday celebrations is the same reason they discourage college, extracurricular activities in school, etc.

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  Matty

  Very good point jb. Some of the older ones in the congregations may remember the "Daily Manna and Birthday Record". This was the predecessor of the "Examining the Scriptures Daily" book. I was told that you had to make a note of everyone in your congregation's birthday, and you had to give them a card. The brothers and sisters in a big congregation would have to buy cards pretty much on a weekly basis, and so some of them were quite relieved when the birthday ban came, because it was an expensive business! I wonder if this was the true reason for the axe, i.e. plain stinginess?!

  I have never heard of one satisfactory reason for the birthday ban coupled with the wedding anniversary obsession other than the insidious reason you mention. To me they are the same thing.
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  34

  WOULD YOU PREACH TO A DOG???

  by minimus in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  this little gem is from the watchtower, january 15, 2000...."in el salvador,one man tied his vicious dog in front of the door whenever he saw jehovah's witnesses nearby.

  the man would wait for the witnesses to move on, and then he would bring the dog back into the house.

  the brothers were never able to speak to the man.

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  Matty

  Unfortunately, pets do not currently qualify for a resurrection, no matter how good a Witness they are. Hopefully in the future there will be some new light in the Watchtower that may rectify this imbalance.
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  45

  I have just been shunned!

  by Vivamus in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  i have just been shunned!

  i was standing in my kitchen, which has a view on a parking lot in front of my house.

  well, i was doing my dishes, and i see this car parking (quit clumsily i might add).

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  Matty

  I guess that's the way it is with them. The kind of "love" that you get from the congregation is a very childish one, and this is demonstrated clearly when you are DF'd. I think a lot of us who have left or who are thinking of leaving identify with poster Larry when asked why he left the Borg, he says "My love for people outgrew the love that I was taught."
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  45

  I have just been shunned!

  by Vivamus in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  i have just been shunned!

  i was standing in my kitchen, which has a view on a parking lot in front of my house.

  well, i was doing my dishes, and i see this car parking (quit clumsily i might add).

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  Matty

  RF It's amazing how they have a love on/off switch isn't it? Haughty righteous indignation once and then click! the kingdom smile!

  The trouble with the Witnesses interpretation of John 13:34-35, "I am giving you a new commandment, that you love one another; just as I have loved you, that you also love one another. By this all will know that you are my disciples, if you have love among yourselves." Is that they deliberately only stretch it to those "within" and therefore try and make people on the outside want to join them for their own allocation of bruvver luv! And deliberately treating disfellowshipped ones like scum will make them miss that luvvin so much they come running back. Sadly, many do. It's a marvelous twisting of a scripture really, and this phony love that is displayed within the congregations is worth nothing in my book.
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  110

  On The Art Of Fading

  by expatbrit in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  in october of 2000, i faded away from the watchtower.

  like most people, i have family and friends who are jw's (including my wife and parents).

  fading is generally the best method for people in that situation.

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  Matty

  I'm going to use this brilliant post of expatbrit's because I am in "the process" at the moment. It's funny how you work so hard to gain "privileges" during your dubdom, but it's even more difficult to lose them!

  If you used to regularly Auxiliary pioneer, every so often you get a lecture from an elder, asking whether you would like to consider it again. If you used to be a Ministerial Servant, you are also harangued! I make excuses, saying I'm "not ready", I'm getting "stress from work", and stuff like that. I know they want to make me up again, and that would be a disaster. My next plan of action is to cut down on the ministry. If I do below the average, then I wouldn't qualify for "privileges" and they might leave me alone. The thing is I hate being hassled by Elders and my family, I just want a quiet life, and I guess there is little I can do that wouldn't warrant attention in some way.

  This is valuable stuff, thanks again expatbrit.
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  2

  Digiguide TV Listings program (US launch)

  by ignored_one in

  1. social
  2. entertainment

  i've been using this program in the uk for some time and find it great.

  well it's being launched in the us soon.

  here's the link for the info:.

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  Matty

  Iggy

  It was thanks to Digiguide that information about the "Suffer little Childern" Panorama was posted here for the very first time, wasn't it?
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  34

  WOULD YOU PREACH TO A DOG???

  by minimus in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  this little gem is from the watchtower, january 15, 2000...."in el salvador,one man tied his vicious dog in front of the door whenever he saw jehovah's witnesses nearby.

  the man would wait for the witnesses to move on, and then he would bring the dog back into the house.

  the brothers were never able to speak to the man.

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  Matty

  My cat seems desperate to invade the Tuesday book study at every opportunity, maybe she's interested in da troof? She bursts in the door and starts howling at everybody! I think she could be counted as an attendee, it would help boost our attendance figures for the next CO visit.
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  45

  I have just been shunned!

  by Vivamus in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  i have just been shunned!

  i was standing in my kitchen, which has a view on a parking lot in front of my house.

  well, i was doing my dishes, and i see this car parking (quit clumsily i might add).

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  Matty

  I've just looked in my wardrobe at my dozens of dub suits and I'm wondering what the hell to do with them all when I leave as there is a casual dress policy at my work. I feel naked without a tie! I guess this would be the very least of my problems to work out.

  ((((((Vivamus))))))

  Perhaps he saw you, but didn't think you saw him, and so he just walked away. It's utterly despicable and cowardly, but it's likely that I would have done the same only a few months ago. Who knows what he might be thinking inside though? If he's anything like me it would be guilt and embarrassment.

  They are scared, fearful people, frightened of breaking the rules because then they will get God's judgment too. Just be glad you are well out of it!
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  8

  I'm all hyper to-night

  by meat pie in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  i cannot calm down at the moment because as i was cooking the tea,( sausages burgers chips beans eggs mushrooms etc) the chip pan appeared to ignite and flames ,no ,one big flame shot almost to the ceiling.i couldn't get near the cooker after i'd turned off the gas, as the heat was so intense.only my daughter with me, she started to call 999, i took over the call, trying to describe how to get to our fairly off-the-beaten track house, spelling t-h-e-n-a-m-e-o-f-o-u-r-h-o-u-s-e, heat getting very intense now, ceiling about to catch fire,spelling the name of n-e-a-r-es-t-t-o-w-n, screaming to daughter, get out of the house!

  giving up with woman on phone, husband comes home, turns off gas bottle ( duh!

  ) beats out flames on wall.

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  Matty

  Now, if you went to the Tuesday book study tonight God would have prevented it from happening!

  Glad you're OK meatie!

  Luv

  Matt
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  32

  Creepiest poster of all time?

  by The_Bad_Seed in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  while having most enjoyed my 4 month tenure here at jwc, i have come across quite a few posters that leave me with this vomitous lynchian feeling in my stomach after having read their messages and responses or retorts to the community - not because they speak of sickening things, but because they are really, really goddamn creepy.

  in my opinion, the creepiest poster i have come across is comforter.

  he may not be the worlds greatest writer, or even all that scary, but he creeps me out nonetheless.. cast your votes for creepiest poster of all time.

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  Matty

  No competition. The guy known as JamesG, Lotus or Mark J was rather scary to say the least, especially to those of us unfortunate enough to have felt sorry for him and tried to be supportive to him. Talk about biting the hand that feeds ya!