under roman rule, which covered a large part of the civilized world around the mediterranean, to be a trouble maker or a magician or an insurrectionist was a capital offence.. to live back then in a civilised society was a boon.
naturally for the sake of law and order certain compliances had to be met to as part of the social bargain to be a roman citizen.
among them were included the requirement to respect the “genius” or spirit of the emperor, not to be an atheist and to respect the roman gods.
This is a complex question.
Every one who has fought in a war (willingly that is) had a cause they were willing to die for.
Sometimes they didnt even know what was really going on between leaders at high levels, only what the propaganda was that reached the common man and still that was enough to form armies of people ready to die for the ideology of the moment.
this is my first post, i will introduce myself later.
first of all, i must say that english is not my mother tongue (i'm spanish), so excuse me if i make any mistake.. do you think that some people simply can't cope with being outside the jws?
some of them are too worldlyphobic to be around non-jws, too dependent on a fixed set of rules in order to carry on with their lives, too dependent on the hope of paradise and resurrection, too unable to leave their personal comfort zone within the organization.
Welcome Paradiseseeker,
Nice to see some new (to me) posters writing on this thread.
Wayne Dyer says "We dont see the world as IT is - we see the world as WE are."
This saying helps me to understand activists and what they choose for a "cause". Some people are passionately saving whales, others trees, you get the idea - many causes, much sincere passion from the people who pick up the banner of their particular cause.
I am not an activist. I see the world as I am - just like everybody else and my view tells me to let people be where they are and be ready to support them if they grow in a different direction.
So yes, I think some people are better off in the Org. Especially what comes to mind is elderly people. Many are widowed and draw tremendous daily comfort from the idea of seeing loved ones again soon. They like the daily structure of meetings and field service and it gives them a social group. I see that as no different than an person of any other religion that has a lot wrong with it.
I guess it boils down to the age old argument of do you want to be "right" (or in this sense, correct about the JWs) or do you want to be happy?
my sister sent me this youtube.
in it are witnesses waving their phone lights and dancing in the aisles.
sorry if this vid has been posted before.. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4k7iw-zisgw.
LOL at Flippers comment about the comparison to Moses coming down from the Mount. So true!
Funny how the leadership on the platform/stage dont seem to be participating or entirely comfortable with the dancing/waving.
Makes me wonder if this was a spontaneous audience directed action?
But upthread it was mentioned that some feel Bethelite guest speakers at events encouraged it. So who really knows?
Either way it speaks to the leadership losing control. A fragmenting is taking place. More emotion is being brought in to the mix to add to the total volume and help bulk up the content.
So the real question is why do they need to do this?
Whats internally wrong?
https://realty.newsru.com/article/26dec2017/iegov_med.
(the following article is translated using google translate).
the building selected in "jehovah's witnesses" in st. petersburg will be given to scientistsdecember 26, 2017 publication time: 09:42. in a building selected from a banned organization in russia, "jehovah's witnesses", will soon be able to read scientific lectures.
The building selected in "Jehovah's Witnesses" in St. Petersburg will be given to scientists
December 26, 2017 publication time: 09:42
In a building selected from a banned organization in Russia, "Jehovah's Witnesses", will soon be able to read scientific lectures. The city authorities will give the former site for worship to the medical research center
So does it appear that the Russian government is sensitive to the appearance of what they are doing by insuring the building will now be used in a manner most people would deem a "worthy" one?
i was baptized 30 years ago and have been in the faith for over 35 years.. our organization isn't perfect.
but i'm sick to death of seeing stereotypes about us.
we are not mindless automatons.
Bad news - this guys a troll...not great at it...not subtle enough.
Good news - He gave everyones "humor" muscles a good work out!
I find all the responses very encouraging in a wonderfully expressed way!
i hope i’m not the only one who experienced this but i hated it when we moved to a new congregation and another family from the congregation we were in would move to the same congregation basically following us.
and it was annoying because i always felt like there was this competition over privileges and participation during the meetings with this particular family.
it was so annoying.
I have heard of family members moving when other family members did.
Havent heard of someone moving just to be where someone else moved but I can totally see how that would be over the top annoying!
i am sitting here, so utterly bored and waiting for this day to be over.
so i'm starting a new topic that probably has been done a thousand times but hey, i'm fairly new here.
humor me :).
Phoebe I recall so many things reading your words.
The going out in service and always feeling like we were intruding (plus we were cold- apparently our parents didnt waste a lot of money on niceties like gloves and mittens as well as "gifts on worldly holidays "). So the feeling of a cold winter morning and all the warm houses full of happy people and kids opening gifts and here we came interrupting with cheap paper magazines.
Once when I was around 8 or so I wrapped up old toys in paper and put them around the pedestal of a tall floor lamp in the living room. My parents were able to recognize the intention of a floor lamp with crudely wrapped old toys around its base as a mimic of a Christmas tree and demanded to know who did it.
Fortunately there were people coming over and in the bustle of things they forgot!
Today I am texting my worldly friends and family and DFd relatives and drinking egg nog by a nice fire. Life is good.
Your thread is cathartic and I love it.
just had a coffee on way home when two young mums with babys in strollers came in with the usual bags and stuff for the little ones needs.
i recall our days of little ones and the times we rarely went out.. i bought a coffee voucher for each mum and gave them my best wishes.
i delight in doing random acts of kindness.. i wish everyone here as well a safe and happy christmas/ new year time.
zeb
Just had a coffee on way home when two young mums with babys in strollers came in with the usual bags and stuff for the little ones needs. I recall our days of little ones and the times we rarely went out.
I bought a coffee voucher for each mum and gave them my best wishes. I delight in doing random acts of kindness.
I wish everyone here as well a safe and happy Christmas/ new year time. Hugs!
Live long and prosper peace unto you all
Wonderful Zeb.
I have been rushing about all distracted lately...I will deliberately seek out a kind moment I can give to someone today - all thanks to you and your post.
i know that some are upset because of the time lost because of ever having been a witness.
have you moved on as an ex jw or are you stil devastated because of your past jw lige?.
The Fall Guy
Years ago, certain steel components were heat treated in baths of molten salt and then a furnace, in order for them to withstand the stresses of the rigours to which they'd be subjected. Some components were twisted by the experience and discarded. The parts which endured could then take whatever came their way.
Ruined? Definitely not. More determined and resilient.
and...
mentalclarity
I did need a huge learning curve when I left to get some life skills I didn't posses as a born-in. The choices I make now about my life are very intentional - that includes being responsible for becoming aware of how my JW upbringing might have skewed my thinking. Being a JW took time away from me and I am not willing to let it take any more of my time. As soon as I got out I hit the road running and I am now reaping the rewards. My life is far from ruined.
I copy pasted the replies above because they express how I feel better than I can. On a good day and even a so - so day the above is exactly how I view it.
On a really bad day (usually precipitated by hurt due to still in family members words or actions) I remind myself that many people walking the earth today - in fact most, struggle with something. Some of their backgrounds are less than ideal, far less.
Being raised a JW was an obstacle but not the only one. Most people have situations from childhood of one sort or another they have to overcome, and overcoming them is the true heart of the matter.
This helps me when I think along those lines and I can honestly say the bad days come less and less the further away you get from the whole JW experience.
i saw an article in the news yesterday that laws are going to be passed subjecting the police to being recorded by anyone while performing their duty or enforcing the law and encourages citizens to sue if they interfere.
some law enforcement agents become angry and confiscate recording devices from people recording them while making an arrest, etc.. it does seem that the work that the police and other government agents do is public and not private or confidential so there should be nothing to hide from the cameras.
on the other hand, how can one distinguish being shot by a camera or by a weapon until one is hit?.
Yes.
