maxwell

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Posts by maxwell

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  52

  If someone told you to take a Hike --- would you take this one?

  by AK - Jeff in

  1. social
  2. physical

  http://www.brightcove.tv:80/title.jsp?title=1438490562.

  jeff .

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  maxwell

  No, The balance beam walking portion of the hike where the walkway has fallen away would be too much for me. If it weren't for that, I would try it.
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  63

  If you knew how the meat you eat was slaughtered, would you still eat it?

  by restrangled in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  i am no vegetarian.

  but just last week i cooked a turkey i had received as a gift.

  i had never heard of the name brand, house of raeford.

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  maxwell

  I watched a pig get killed and butchered once and I enjoyed eating the sausage and ham from that pig.

  Beyond that I haven't seen many animals butchered other than a few times on tv, in movies or documentaries. However, even if I were to see how they were slaughtered, I think my main concern would be the safety of eating the meat. I am against having animals suffering unnecessarily, but I think many people have too much concern for the life and feelings of an animal relative to the lives of humans. Somebody's stupid dog or cat or that bird with a hurt wing floundering around in rush hour traffic simply doesn't rise very high on my level of concern when there's some guy drowning his children in the bath tub or teenage girls being trafficked for forced sex work, etc.

  That said, I eat much less beef and pork these days simply for personal health reasons. Chicken, fish and the occasional turkey sandwich are in regular rotation.
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  69

  Be Fair = Witnesses are NOT a cult!! What about Christians or democracy?

  by Witness 007 in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  people like to throw around the cult word when describing the watchtower society.

  but look at the definition of "cult" and you will see it applies to any system of thought concieved by an individual or group to control others.

  are christians a jesus cult...yes.

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  maxwell

  real one, I assume by your question, you are asking how I can claim that "asking god to open your eyes is a characteristic of a cult by many definitions.

  As I pointed out earlier, all one has to do is go to dictionary.com and type in cult. Of the many definitions you get,

  "a particular system of religious worship, esp. with reference to its rites and ceremonies."

  Asking God to open ones eyes seems to be a part of many systems of religious worship.

  "an instance of great veneration of a person, ideal, or thing, esp. as manifested by a body of admirers: the physical fitness cult. "

  Some people consider God to be a person and other maybe an ideal.

  "A system of religious belief and worship.

  That which was the religion of Moses is the ceremonial or cult of the religion of Christ. --Coleridge."
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  69

  Be Fair = Witnesses are NOT a cult!! What about Christians or democracy?

  by Witness 007 in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  people like to throw around the cult word when describing the watchtower society.

  but look at the definition of "cult" and you will see it applies to any system of thought concieved by an individual or group to control others.

  are christians a jesus cult...yes.

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  maxwell

  I can type "JW are a CULT" just as easily as I can type "JW are the true religion of God". Asking God to open your eyes is a characteristic of a cult by many definitions.
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  69

  Be Fair = Witnesses are NOT a cult!! What about Christians or democracy?

  by Witness 007 in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  people like to throw around the cult word when describing the watchtower society.

  but look at the definition of "cult" and you will see it applies to any system of thought concieved by an individual or group to control others.

  are christians a jesus cult...yes.

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  maxwell

  As Witness 007 pointed out and as shown on this thread, the word cult can be defined so broadly and has so many definitions that it is easy to call Jehovah's Witnesses a cult. Even though the word cult has so many definitions, many of those definitions are created on the fly by websites with the purpose of labeling certain organizations as a cult. Those definitions are created because the word cult is very sensational and because of it's association with groups led by David Koresh and Jim Jones. 'It's obvious the JW are bad if we can put them in the same category as groups like those led by Koresh or Jim Jones.' So yes, one can find plenty of cult definitions that fit Jehovah's Witnesses. And I can find a few that don't fit Jehovah's Witnesses (Go to dictionary.com and type in cult). I personally feel no need to label them as a cult. They are a religion full of mythological beliefs like almost every other religion on the earth. There is no need to sensationalize it.
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  41

  They Push You In,,,,Then Punish You If You Go!

  by new boy in

  1. watchtower
  2. beliefs

  they brag about the fact that they the don' t baptize their babies because "how can a baby 'know' what religion it wants to believe in the rest of it's life!".

  but a 14 year old does?.....they put so much presure on their children to get dunked, that if your not baptize by 18 years old there is something really "wrong" with you.. so the poor kid does it, just to get everyone off their backs.

  legally a minor can't be held to a contract if they are under 18 years old and why?

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  maxwell

  I was baptized at the age of 12. I didn't feel pressured and I thought I knew what I was doing. And I knew what disfellowshipping was too. I just thought I'd never get myself into that situation, because this was obviously the right place to be, and I would never let myself fall into sin.

  But lost_light06 mentioned something that I had not thought of before but makes a lot of sense. Supposedly getting baptized is the most important decision one makes in life. It is more important than marriage, yet somehow I was allowed to make this "decision" at the age 12, and I've heard stories of kids as young as 9 being baptized. Too young to decide to get married, but sure go ahead and make the "most important decision of your life."

  This thread reminded me of a conversation I had with someone when I was still a believing JW. There was a divorced brother who always came to the hall with his teenage son who was not baptized. We were in field service and somehow we got to talking about young ones getting baptized and he mentioned that he didn't think it was right for teenagers to get baptized. He didn't think they were mature enough to make that decision or that it was fair that they might face disfellowshipping later partly as a consequence of a decision they made as a teenager. I was kind of taken aback at the time since as I mentioned above, I had gotten baptized at the age of 12. And this guy was a ministerial servant. Now that I think back on it, I kind of wonder about him. Was he a quiet doubter, or was he simply thinking more clearly on this one issue? And I wonder about his son. At least the kid wasn't facing any pressure from his dad as a teenager.

  I am disfellowshipped, but like others I have a sibling, a younger brother, who was never baptized. I am shunned by some family members and held at arms length by others, but there's no resistance to associating with my younger brother. The kid is much smarter than I thought.
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  37

  How did you spend the memorial?

  by sinis in

  1. jw
  2. experiences

  personally, i stayed at home (my wife went), made steaks, drank beer, and watched several vulgar/demonic movies in the world of the jw's (halloween, the eye, hitman, no country for old men, saw iv).

  i later went over to my mother in laws house to meet up with some other in laws - who i saved from the jw's - and talked about how the memorial was a waste of f@cking time... then drank more beer waiting for my wife to come back...

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  maxwell

  I only heard that it was memorial about 9 pm Saturday. I went ahead with my plans to check out this very abstract avant-guarde sax player. Music that is an acquired taste for sure, but still much better than being at the memorial. Didn't even think about the memorial while standing there drinking my beer and listening.
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  32

  Favorite Seinfeld Quotes

  by AWAKE&WATCHING in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  i may be the only one that posts on this and i'm going to bed but i'm starting this thread anyway.

  i love imbd.

  *********************************************** ******************************************************************************* george costanza: you ask me to have lunch, tell me you slept with elaine, and then say you're not in the mood for details.

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  maxwell

  Jerry: I had a very interesting lunch with George Costanza.
  Kramer: Really?
  Jerry: We were talking about our lives, and we both kind of realized we're kids; we're not men.
  Kramer: So then you asked yourselves, "Isn't there something more to life?"
  Jerry: Yes! We did!
  Kramer: Yeah, well, let me clue you in on something: there isn't.
  Jerry: There isn't?
  Kramer: Absolutely not. I mean, what are you thinking about Jerry? Marriage? Family?
  Jerry: Well ...
  Kramer: They're prisons! Man-made prisons. You're doing time! You get up in the morning, she's there. You go to sleep at night, she's there. It's like you gotta ask permission to use the bathroom. (pleading voice) "Is it all right if I use the bathroom now?"
  Jerry: Really?
  Kramer: Yeah, and you can forget about watching TV while you're eating.
  Jerry: I can?
  Kramer: Oh, yeah! You know why? Because it's dinner time. And you know what you do at dinner?
  Jerry: What?
  Kramer: You talk about your day! "How was your day today? Did you have a good day today or a bad day today? Well, what kind of day was it? I don't know, how 'bout you, how was your day?"
  Jerry: Boy!
  Kramer: It's sad, Jerry. It's a sad state of affairs.
  Jerry: I'm glad we had this talk.
  Kramer: Oh, you have no idea!

  I also like the scene at the car rental place. That's gold.
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  37

  Who lets it be known that they were once a JW?

  by lfcviking in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  i am curious, for those of us here who have left the jw org, who actually lets it be known to people that they were once a practicing jw.. for me, this is something i tend to keep quiet because it is something i'm not particularly proud of.

  anyone else feel the same way?.

  lfcv.

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  maxwell

  I let it be known if it comes up. I don't necessarily volunteer the information. But if I actually start getting to know someone on any more than a superficial level, it invariably comes up. Like doofdaddy said, it explains the gaps or perhaps the lack of some traditions common to most people in this country. And if they want to know more about that part of my past, I won't hesitate to share. I don't want it to define me, but it is a part of me.

  I am not ashamed of my past as a JW. I was raised a JW. But even if you joined as an adult, I don't think it's something you should feel ashamed about or feel the need to keep from others. Sure it may have been a mistake, but many people make mistakes, and some of us correct them.
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  35

  How do you deal with telemarketers?

  by Outaservice in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  this usually works for me.. "i'm very interested in what you have to say, but first i'd like to ask you a question.

  would you enjoy getting the watchtower magazine from me and studying our books?

  click..............bzzzzzzzzzzzzz........ outaservice .

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  maxwell

  I have a cell phone now.

  When I had a land line, I was on the Do Not Call list and I had caller ID to screen. Before that I would just say "no" and hang up.

  There's a funny line in a Seinfeld episode. Jerry asks the telemarketer for their home phone number so he can call them back.