Max Divergent

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Posts by Max Divergent

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  34

  A Little Game

  by JH in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  mind game

  this is strange...can you figure it out?

  are you the 2% or 98% of the population?

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  Max Divergent

  I've got a Ardvark in Bolivia eating a Kiwi Fruit...

  Max of the Divergent Class......or family or somthing...
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  10

  District Conventions this year

  by ScoobySnax in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  "give god glory" is the theme for the 2003 conventions.......so who here is gonna be coming with me?.....form a queue now, i know there must be many here who want to attend.....if anyones going to twickenham in london, i can maybe help out with a lift in my car.

  if you are and continue to remain apostate, i will just drop you off outside the convention grounds where you can continue to make that silly spectacle of yourselves with flipcharts etc...... this offer is open to all of course...

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  Max Divergent

  WHAT!!! No jamboree in Melbourne or Adelaide or Brisbane??? Umm... that's three of the four biggest cities in Australia! Some of them will have to travel a hell of a long way... Garwd... Fuck me... if I was in now, I'd have to travel about 1500 miles to Carins or 2000 miles to Perth!!

  I'm so glad I'm way out of it...
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  39

  upcoming elder visit, need help

  by greven in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  i have been inactive for quite a while since i started to do research on the society.

  the elders knew about this and even encouraged it, until i started to ask the wrong type of questions, mostly of the kind: "can you provide verifyable evidence for that?".

  anyway, they wanted to meet to discuss my current position towards the religion and towards the bible.

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  Max Divergent

  Hi - By the sound of it you've got some verbal juggling to do if you want to avoid DF.

  The question they asked me was something like: 'In your opinion, do the Witnesses present the truth, but that truth isn't for you; or, do you believe the Witnesses do not present the truth' (or words to that effect). 'Yes' to either = probable Judicial Committee, 'No' to both = more hassles as you’re not acting in accord with your words by being inactive.

  I took an approach that suited me, but may not be right for others... I replied that I'd given that some thought and checked the dictionary definition for heresy and that seemed to describe the first condition they described. I'd also checked the dictionary definition for apostasy, and that seemed to describe the second condition.

  I said that I didn't think that either condition described my position, but that I was acutely aware that my current thoughts were probably wrong and that I couldn't and wouldn't presume to trouble others with it. 'At the end of the day, I'm not sure where I'm at in regard those very serious positions you describe, but I remain absolutely dedicated to truth and goodness. I just don't know about those sorts of really big questions at the moment' (and what's wrong with any of that from the JW point of view?).

  They left spitting that I was creating smokescreens to hide behind. True, of course. They don’t like people just walking away on their own terms. One of the guys was a buddy and when he called for a (further) follow-up call, I said that they were always welcome for a cup of coffee but I had nothing religious to discuss with anyone. They never came for another official visit.

  That worked for me, but may not for others. I just suggest that you consider it from their point of view before they come and before you speak. Give them uncertainty and humility, but avoid any definite positions on anything, especially anything they suggest even if it sounds like it’s an ok thing to agree with – they’ve practiced this and have a clearly thought out strategy to find out apostates.

  Easy answers to any question include: “I don’t know’; ‘I’m not sure’; ‘I’m sure I’m wrong’; ‘I’d have to do more research/prayer/meditation on that’; ‘I don’t understand what it’d mean to say Yes or No to that very deep question’; ‘I don’t remember’; ‘Not in my presence’...

  Good luck, with clear thought and good preperation it's possible to get through.

  Cheers, Max
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  28

  Bad Doors in the field service

  by JH in

  1. jw
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  did you ever knock on a door, and realize that the person knew more about the bible than you did?

  what was your worst experience in the field service?.

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  Max Divergent

  Hi Jan

  All the time. One of the BEST experiences was meeting a professor (suppose he was by the way he spoke and his homes proximity to the uni) who 'just happened to be reading this "little black book of philosophy"' and proceeded to give me a lesson in thinking, the origin of the ideas in the WT&A and the lack of originality of it all. He only took 15 mins to help me open my mind.

  Cheers, Max

  (The born again fundies were always fun too...)
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  Max in NYC...

  by Max Divergent in

  1. jw
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  hey - well, i've left my desert home in oz and ventured to the us of a and am writing you from harlem, nyc.

  having a fantastic time, what a great country (my second time)!!

  just had 6 days in dc checking out the museums, capitol etc.. maybe i'm a bit sensitive, but the the jw's seem ever present!

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  Max Divergent

  Hey - Well, I've left my desert home in Oz and ventured to the US of A and am writing you from Harlem, NYC. Having a fantastic time, what a great country (my second time)!! Just had 6 days in DC checking out the museums, Capitol etc.

  Maybe I'm a bit sensitive, but the the JW's seem ever present! I walked up to my accomodation near 145th St and St Nicholas, three doors down is a Kingdom Hall!!! (I just might go:-) I went to the Holocaust Museum in DC, when you go in you get an ID Card of a victim... Mine belonged to a JW!!!

  Anyway I've gotta go now... I'm going to try to get on an HQ tour too.

  Cheers, Max, NYC
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  34

  What's The First Step To Leaving The "Trut...

  by minimus in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  for those that have entirely left, what was it that first got you seriously thinking that this really wasn't the truth?

  for those that may be in just mentally, you can answer too....

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  Max Divergent

  We stayed with the in-laws for 2 weeks in the tropics, got roaring drunk every night, didn't shave, talked to wordly people like they were human, considered there may be another life possible... Suddenly (in the shower, seeing myself full length in a very kinky mirror they had...) got the thought that I didn't NEED to be a JW which left me completly panic striken, I remained so (and loosing sleep) for the next 6 months before confessing to the Mrs... we were out 6 months later...
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  20

  Ozzie's Weekend Poll #22

  by ozziepost in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  today ozzie's weekend poll returns after a short break.

  we promised that it would come back brighter than ever, so here it is!

  well, it's a start, isn't it?

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  Max Divergent

  Other (please give details)

  Juicy local needs, full of sex and intriuge to give the (progressive) dinner party circle somthing to get right into for months to come......

  Delete an Elder/MS/Pioneer/Un-baptised Pub (or DF anyone) one month, give a non-1900 porno phone service Special Needs talk the next...

  'As our brothers repetedly urge us to remember, the marriage bed is not to be defiled. It is a place of peace and christian love. Such shocking acts that may bring Jehovah's wrath are not be be even contemplated, or brought to mind... Should our brothers consider their wives in a manner not fitting to the christian mariage arrangement, then they bring shame upon the house of our God, Jehovah...'

  Better than any bluey, it's REAL and you KNOW the actors!!!! ... and it's all left to your imagination.....

  Those were the days........
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  6

  Bali, Terrorism, Iraq, War, My Town

  by Max Divergent in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  a few weeks ago there were heated discussions here along the lines that "if your city was attacked by terrorists, you'd want to attack iraq too" v's "iraq hasn't done anything (big) wrong yet, don't invade".

  i'm from perth, western australia and last weekend 30-40 or even more perth people died in a c4 and (apparently) napalm car bomb attack at a nightclub in bali (hence the burns).

  bali's not perth, but there are very, very close links between the people of perth and the people of bali built over many years, illustrated by maybe a quarter or a third of the fatalities being from perth.

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  Max Divergent

  A few weeks ago there were heated discussions here along the lines that "If your city was attacked by terrorists, you'd want to attack Iraq too" v's "Iraq hasn't done anything (big) wrong yet, don't invade".

  I'm from Perth, Western Australia and last weekend 30-40 or even more Perth people died in a C4 and (apparently) Napalm car bomb attack at a nightclub in Bali (hence the burns).

  Bali's not Perth, but there are very, very close links between the people of Perth and the people of Bali built over many years, illustrated by maybe a quarter or a third of the fatalities being from Perth.

  For example, I've been there this year, last year and in 1998, and my wife's been there six times more than me. Its our favoured destination and well be there again soon I hope. We've walked past the (now obliterated) Sari Club (SC's) on Jalan Legian many times, although we prefer the SC's Seafood Restaurant up the street. Try the deep fried whole fish with lemon and garlic with a next time you're there...

  But as personal and close as it was to many, I still haven't heard anyone say, "Let's attack Iraq (or anyone else) because there are out of control terrorists in the world and they hurt us in Bali".

  So, I don't believe the argument: "If your city was attacked by terrorists, you'd want to attack Iraq too". There might well be reasons to attack Iraq, but it's nothing much to do with 9/11 or terrorism or responding to the killing of people from your town. That was Afghanistan.

  Salamat pagi, Max

  Edited to replace the ' and " that were lost to the ether...

  Edited by - Max Divergent on 18 October 2002 9:25:49

  Edited by - Max Divergent on 18 October 2002 9:27:43
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  18

  IQ Test. Just how smart are ya?

  by riz in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  click me and find out ---->http://www.iqtest.com/.

  remember to count your time.

  *snicker* this isn't field service.

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  Max Divergent

  I bow to your superior genius eyegirl, I only got 143, bugger!
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  41

  My Dumb Ass JW Brother

  by Reborn2002 in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  as some of you know from my sharing portions of my story on this board before, i disassociated myself from the jehovah's witnesses in 2001. my family, including my mother, sister, and brother, remain jehovah's witnesses.

  i have an extremely limited relationship with my mother and sister.

  i possess no relationship whatsoever with my brother, his wife, and their now 1 yr old son.

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  Max Divergent

  So when he asks God why He didn't provide, God will reply 'Well, I sent you a generous brother and I sent you a great job, but you knocked both back - what else did you want me to do?'