Posts by breakfast of champions

59

Worst Memorial Talk Ever!

by The Searcher in

i honestly have never heard such claptrap being delivered in a memorial talk.. the speaker repeatedly put down the way other religions administered the bread & wine, and claimed that witnesses do it exactly as the bible describes.

oh yeah????.

he forgot to mention - when reading aloud 1 corinthians 11:25 - that after passing the bread, a full meal was to be shared, before the wine was passed around!

breakfast of champions

Thanks for the heads up, THE SEARCHER.

Reporting from the East Coast of the United States,

BOC

46

JW Table at My Student Center Today, My Response

by breakfast of champions in

they're baaaack!!!

jws "tabling" at my student center again, first time in over six months.

i wonder if the fact it's been 15 degrees out had anything to do with it?

breakfast of champions

JHINE - LOL! So what do I want to be when I grow up? Hmmmmmm........

I am going for a double major in Computer Science and Linguistics.

What can you do with that?

Ideally, I would love to go on to grad school and get a PhD in Linguistics. ...

Realistically, I would love to complete my bachelors and go into natural language processing.

13

A brilliant psychologist

by voodoo lady in

jw
friends

i've been seeing a brilliant psychologist.

he has been pivotal in drawing the parallels between my jw upbringing - specifically the hypocrisy i saw as a child - and the reason i've tolerated lies and inconsistencies in my most significant adult relationship.. i've seen one other psychologist in the past.

she didn't get the issues surrounding the religion whatsoever, didn't regard that aspect of my backstory as relevant, and was of little help to me.. has anyone else seen a psychologist - whether for help with coping in the aftermath of leaving the religion, or for seemingly unrelated issues that actually turned out to be related?

breakfast of champions

Oh gosh yes!

One thing I learned in my Psych 101 class is that if you are not satisfied with or don't feel as though your psychologist is "getting it," feel free to move on without guilt.

My first psychologist (actually a psychopharmacologist) was a great guy, I really liked him. But in retrospect, he really did not see the obvious.

My second psychologist was outstanding. I was refered to her by my university, and going to her was the best thing I ever did. She didn't totally "get the religion thing" at first, but soon came to see it as another source of abuse and control in my life.

Again, seeing her was one of the best investments I ever made in my life.

46

JW Table at My Student Center Today, My Response

by breakfast of champions in

they're baaaack!!!

jws "tabling" at my student center again, first time in over six months.

i wonder if the fact it's been 15 degrees out had anything to do with it?

breakfast of champions

Thanks COFTY and DAGNEY.

Something that kind of spontaneously came out during my meeting with the director of student involvement today was something I don't think I've ever expressed on this board.

When I was in high school (1984-5?) there was a class trip to the state university (the one I am now attending) for students interested in engineering, computers, mathematics.

I loved it.

At the time, the ceramics lab on this particular campus had actual samples of the material used for the Space Shuttle tiles. A student had this white block of material cooking in some sort of kiln until it was red hot, then removed it from the kiln with tongs, and picked the still-glowing tile material up by the cool edges with his bare fingers. Amazing stuff!

It was after this trip that I really started getting the heat about college (just realizing how "punny" that statement is considering the previous paragraph!)

Anyway, not long thereafter, my mother brings me into the back room before two elders: one a mason/bricklayer and another guy who remodels kitchens and bathrooms. They advise me that being mixed in with college kids is dangerous should Armageddon break out. How would Jehovah tell me apart from the worldly kids? And why go to college when the end is sooooo close? You're either in "the Ark," or you're out.

From that point on --- up until I woke up --- I had literal nightmares of walking in front of the engineering buildings on this particular campus and seeing fireballs from heaven rain down, and realizing I was doomed.

But now, I told the director, I walk around that VERY SAME CAMPUS where I had once toured thirty years ago, and had so many nightmares about, and I AM SAFE. NO FIREBALLS. NO ARMAGEDDON.

I am still alive.

And I am learning some pretty goddamned amazing stuff!

15

I've decided to officially disassociate myself

by Garrett in

jw
friends

hey guys, .

i just wanted to thank you all for all of your input, support and help over the past few months.

i've decided to officially disassociate myself from the organization and move on with my life.

breakfast of champions

Excellent! There is definitely something to be said for the ripping-the-band-aid-off method. Beats the constant state of emotional nausea induced by the slow fade. . .

46

JW Table at My Student Center Today, My Response

by breakfast of champions in

they're baaaack!!!

jws "tabling" at my student center again, first time in over six months.

i wonder if the fact it's been 15 degrees out had anything to do with it?

breakfast of champions

An update:

I had a great conversation with the director of student involvement today. She apologized for putting my forwarded email on the back burner and totally understood my point of view.

The university actually does have quite a bit of control over religious groups on campus, more than you might think. Hate speech and even proseletizing activities are out, and if any such activities are reported, your group will get kicked out. I explained to her that unlike other church groups on campus who actually offer services to the community (food banks, homeless centers, counseling) Jehovahs witnesses offer nothing. Their sole aim is to recruit, which she found interesting.

She also said there are different levels of involvement for religious groups on campus, and that JWs were on the low rung of that ladder which meant they did not have to sign a "code of conduct" type of form. She said that thanks to my visit, she will see to it that they too have to commit in writing to certain standards set out by the university for religious groups --- which is a small but fantastic result as far as I'm concerned!

My honest opinion of this person is that based upon what I told her, she would love to kick them off campus, but can't at this point. However, she added that if complaints from students did add up, then action could be taken -- so it was good that I made a complaint.

I said In all honesty, I doubt there being many complaints, as no one ever even approaches the tables/talks to them in the first place! She smiled and said ,Yes I noticed that as well. I explained to her how this was a great way to "get your time in" which she found rather curious.

I had her click on the link to the JW broadcast w/Tony Morris and said if she wanted to see what JWs really think about college education and had about thirty minutes, she would see I'm not making this up. The site was on her her monitor when I left, so I hope she watches!

I've got to say, the people they have working here are top-notch: compassionate, understanding, smart - just fantastic. Every interaction is a pleasure. So glad I had a chance to speak to someone about this whole thing, and perhaps over time changes of some sort might be made.

19

"BRAZEN CONDUCT" The current way of enforcing disciplinary action.

by stuckinarut2 in

the penalty of this charge??

yes, disfellowshipping.. bad association?

excessive time at work?

breakfast of champions

I have been told that some inactive witnesses in "our congregation" territory are acting "brazenly" because they have refused the help of the elders who have offered to do shepherding calls on them! - STUCKINARUT

I don't doubt it, but really you are under absolutely no obligation to go to meetings, out in field service, or meet/talk with elders (or anyone, for that matter) Everything you have ever done as a witness is entirely VOLUNTARY, meaning you have done it of your own volition -- no one can force you to do anything.

If they start Dfing persons for "brazenly" choosing not to have a shepherding visit, then so be it.

11

Air Canada Crash, oops, I mean "hard landing"

by Simon in

just watched the news about the air canada crash in halifax that they want to claim was just a "hard landing".. i can only imagine the distinction matters for insurance purposes otherwise they are just being idiots.

pretty poor behavior for the airline whatever the motivation imo.. now i'm no plane expert but i think when then plane is smashed up, the engines have come off and the nose is in pieces that should be obviously classed as a crash.

if you can't take off again then you have been in a crash, not a hard landing.. .

breakfast of champions

I'll take the Canadian version of a hard landing over the Lufthansa version any day.

2

JW Podcast Interview with Steven Hassan

by God_Delusion in

jw
friends

hi guys & gals,.

i'm really pleased with how the interview with the acclaimed author steven hassan just went.. you can listen to it here - http://www.jwpodcast.org/2015/03/29/s01e11-steven-hassan/.

if you've read the first edition of combatting cult mind control, let us all know what you thought of that book too.. cheers,jaymes.

breakfast of champions

Excellent!

My wife and I have enjoyed every podcast so far.

Keep up the outstanding work!

BOC

32

Trying to live the rest of my life without being bitter.

by Bigdummy in

i'm new to this forum.. i was raised in " the truth" from age six and now i am in my mid 60's.

my wife was born in " the truth" and is very strong in the religion.

i have had many experiences during my lifetime with the other members of several congregations.

breakfast of champions

Welcome BIGDUMMY.

For starters, YOU ARE NOT A BIG DUMMY -- YOU ARE SMART AS HELL!