The saddest thing about DF, at least for me when it happened, is the guilt you feel because you invariably "lost" those friendships. It shouldn't be that way as most who come back in do it because of shame and not because you're sorry for what you did, at least many I know felt that way. I hate that "arrangement"!!
ThinkerBelle
JoinedPosts by ThinkerBelle
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35
Saddest thing about being DFd
by kairos ini always enjoyed being kind.
when someone genuinely needed a hand or what not, it felt good to help family or friends.. i don't really miss them anymore.
i faded over two years ago, so they long ago shunned me.i think about them less and less and have even forgotten some names.i did enjoy some of the friendships and the association.
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Gas prices today & the book study
by LevelThePlayingField inwe all remember, one of the main reasons for removing the bookstudy was the high gas prices, well, have you looked at the gas prices today?
nationwide, the lowest is about $1.65, the highest is about $2.67.
isn't that right about the same gas prices as when they cancelled the bookstudy in the first place?
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ThinkerBelle
Dare I say that the bookstudy was the most tolerable of all the meetings......only because we would have "goodie night" after......and man, we went all out with that!
Like Stuck said, we always were told to stick to your study group because when "times got tougher" these small groups would be our lifeline. So now what?? I notice a lot less commaraderie in the hall now too.
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Other Religious Groups Critical of Higher Education
by Wild_Thing ini was reading an essay online about how witnesses are critical of higher education and discourage it.
the editor's note said there are other conservative religious groups that hold the same view towards education.. there are?
do any of you know of any religious group that works as hard as the jws at keeping their members stupid?.
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ThinkerBelle
Maybe the offshoot groups from the Biblr Students like Christadelphians, Dawn, Millelliasts........I don't know enough about them to say for sure or not, but since they follow Russell pretty closely, maybe they discourage it too. -
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What actually DID you learn?
by punkofnice inmy jw friends that still speak to me, tell me that they love the meetings because of the things they learn.. i wonder what they think they're learning?
it an avenue that always perplexes me because their replies are just so wishy washy or i get a blank stare when i ask.. what's you r experience?.
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ThinkerBelle
I learned that brothers giving public talks who haven't gone to college pull out all kinds of sciencey "facts" that are just bogus to try to "prove the Bible" to a house of nodding heads while I roll my eyes because he's totally wrong. No wonder they don't want us educated!
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Tight pants, colored socks, blue shirts, beards, wire -rimmed glasses...
by Muddy Waters intight pants, colored socks, blue shirts, beards, wire -rimmed glasses... .
does anybody remember any thing else that was once or still is proscribed against faithful j-dubs?
when brothers in our kh started wearing different colored shirts rather than white, it caused a great stir and ruckus.
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ThinkerBelle
An old timey CO said all women should wear pantyhose and no open toe shoes or sandals because they are not appropriate........
I wear fancy flipflops to meetings - it's hot - so bite me!!
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Assembly baptisms/attendance - keep 'em coming!
by freddo indon't forget to post your reported assembly and convention attendance and baptisms and whether they are higher or lower than customary (if you know).. here's some detail passed to me of the last circuit assembly held at surrey (uk) assembly hall.. attendance 922 baptisms 3 (half circuit).
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ThinkerBelle
Simon - Ha, interesting point! They had a cringe-worthy interview nonetheless of the ultimate do-gooder variety traipsing said child all over the U.S. in an RV staying places only months at a time with RBC and need-greater work. When the line "She's been our sister for an hour" came out, I wanted to hurl. I can't even imagine taking the dunk at that young of an age before you hit your developing teen years. Will love to see where the story ends up in 10 more years! -
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Assembly baptisms/attendance - keep 'em coming!
by freddo indon't forget to post your reported assembly and convention attendance and baptisms and whether they are higher or lower than customary (if you know).. here's some detail passed to me of the last circuit assembly held at surrey (uk) assembly hall.. attendance 922 baptisms 3 (half circuit).
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ThinkerBelle
1329 attendance 6 baptized
One 10 year old ( parents had experience during afternoon sesh), the rest most likely teens/young adults and one guy that looked 40s-50s.
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One day assemblies
by Sour Grapes inthis may have been discussed before.
the costs for using the assembly hall for a one day last saturday was $12,000 with another assembly for the other half of the circuit on sunday, which will ring up another $12,000.
if the assembly was for two days the friends might roll their eyes if it were announced the costs for the two days was $24,000.
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ThinkerBelle
What I thought odd is that they first announced the surplus in the "circuit account" (about $15,000) and then go on to talk about the cost of the one day - ours was over $13,000 yesterday in an assembly hall building we built so no need to move equipment or rent - then they announce the incoming donations so far and give the deficit, which was like $2,500, never taking into account the surplus. -
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Jehovah's witnesses are the fastest growing religion.
by hoser inthat is what the speaker said in his public talk this morning.
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ThinkerBelle
Thats funny! According to the guy that gave the last talk at the assembly yesterday, apostates are the ones growing so we need to be very careful so as not to be swayed against the GB. -
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Does growing up in a religious family make you MEAN?
by Divergent inyeah, i was mean.
could it be that i was not encouraged to have non-jw's as friends, so i viewed them as insignificant?
could it be that i found it difficult to live up to "christian standards" and took it out on others?
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ThinkerBelle
Interesting study, but I don't necessarily agree with it from my experience. I was always kind and empathetic to others. I shared my toys and I am a born in. I think a lot more plays into it than just religion like upbrininging, personality, and culture - which is affected by religion, but not wholly. My parents were always kind and helpful. My mom was a caregiver and I would help her with some of the day out excursions ( saw first had how people can be mean towards people who are "different,), so maybe that shaped me. I don't recall being mean to or being instructed to ignore kids at school. Sure, I wasn't allowed to hang out with them for the most part after school unless it was for a project, but in school I had several friends, even had "clubs" with a few in elementary. They were also religious from religious households and treated people kindly and me even as a JW. Maybe I don't relate to the story because I'm more of a humanist than most Christians too.......and my youngest son is the epitomy of kindness towards others and he's only known the JW way thus far.
Adding - however, I do know of many JWs and religious zealots who would fit this bill. I've seen unkind atheists as well (my BIL, for example).