Posts by Mum

Their numbers are declining in the developed world, and they're really desperate. This post brings up some benefits of the women's movement I had not considered: fewer JW conversions of unhappy housewives, fewer divided families, fewer children torn between opposing factions in their household, more families celebrating holidays and enjoying life!

Good job, Big S!

SandraC

36

Did being a JW make you overly judgemental?

by Frequent_Fader_Miles in

looking back, being a jw meant constantly analyzing and categorizing others.

on field service, persons were either "sheeplike" or "goatlike".

in the congregation it went even further.

Mum

Probably. My family was pretty judgmental to start with, but the JW thing made it worse.

80

I wish I had _'s . What do you admire about other posters?

by AWAKE&WATCHING in

i wish i had leolaia's brain.. i wish i had eryn's reasoning skills and sense of humor.. i wish i had purps, sparkplug and seven006's talent and creativity.. i wish i had wasanelderonce's dedication.. .

do you wish you had another poster's wit, compassion, heart, personality, tenacity, sense of humor, looks, way with the ladies, way with words or anything else that you admire?.

fess up - what do they have that you want?.

Mum

I wish I didn't want to be anyone but myself, but to learn from others how to change myself into the person I want to be.

Okay, I would like to look younger.

SandraC

7

Pictures from a KH quick build in Norway

by kifoy in

jw
friends

so, i was just googling around, waiting for the forum to update (no, not addicted i think .

i found a web-site with a lot of pictures from a kh quick build in norway in 2005. i was not there of course, but i sure recognised a few former acquaintances.

so, i thought i should share with you guys, if you would like to see how norwegian quick builds look like: .

Mum

Kingdom Halls in Norway have windows? Or is this one an aberration? The architecture looks almost as uninspired as it is for U.S. KH's. Regards, SandraC

8

I am afraid......

by OnTheWayOut in

jw
friends

i guess i won't.

i can't imagine .

it would be allowed anyway.

Mum

Everyone is afraid of something. I don't know what has prompted your fear, but I hope it can be overcome in time. After all, Thucydides (I think that's the right guy) said that happiness comes from freedom, and freedom comes from courage. Regards, SandraC, becoming more and more courageous

100

Would You date a black man or black woman?

by Save My Soul in

jw
friends

my sister-in-law is recently divorced and went to a witness online dating site.

she mentioned that many of the witnesses specified that they wanted a white or latino only.

of course there is nothing wrong with this (personal preference), but i found it interesting.

Mum

Of course I would if (1) I found him attractive and (2) if he would date an elderly, moderately obese, hillbilly cripple. Regards, SandraC

23

American Class Structures. How Does That Work?

by bigmouth in

jw
friends

save my soul made a comment in his current thread that interested me: .

"he said he had never met a black man of his class in his small town.

" - this was said to him by a white man.

Mum

We do have a class system of sorts in the USA. It is not as rigid or well established as it is in the old world. It is difficult to describe, in part because the rules are not so clear cut, and it is subject to change without notice. We always have at least one group that it is okay to push around. African Americans were consistently in this category until the Civil Right movement in the 1960's. In Colonial America, add the Irish; in 19th-century America, add the Chinese; in the early 20th century, add immigrants from eastern and southern Europe. Today, it is immigrants from Mexico, particularly if they are illegal. In the area where I live, there are demonstrations from time to time supporting immigrant workers, without whom, IMHO, our town would not function. There is a higher than average populatiion of Native Americans here, too, and I see them being treated unfairly or spoken of in a derogatory manner at times. In contemporary American society, there is far less division based on race or ethnicity. It is mostly based on wealth and status. Sports figures and entertainers have more status than scientists and artists. Skill and knowledge take second place to wealth and fame (even notoriety). The good part about the changes that have taken place, mostly because of the Civil Rights Movement, is that we are more free to choose friends and associates without regard to race, creed, or national origin. There are those who would make it illegal for so-called "illegal immigrants" to have access to education or health care. There is snobbery about English versus Spanish. There has been proposed legislation to penalize anyone who hires or rents to "illegals." So, the more things change, the more they stay the same. At one time it was illegal to teach a black child to read; now it's "illegals" (translation: future citizens from Mexice for the most part). Side note: I am not one who rails about "illegals." My Scottish, German, and Irish ancestors on both sides of the family came to this country in the early 1700's. No one questioned their status, legal or not. All they had to do to become regular Americans once they got here was to kill any Indians who tried to get in their way. I know I have nothing to be self-righteous about when it comes to the American citizenship that is my fortunate heritage. Regards, SandraC

18

Mormon Celestial Sex... A Quantitative Analysis

by FormerMormon in

i posted this on some mormon recovering bb's.

i'll modify it to make it a little more understandable to jw's.

this is an example of how the unerring truths of mormon doctrine meet the unerring mathematics.

Mum

Hi, FM. I have read two books by ex Mormons, both women. One book (I can't recall the title) was by Sonia Johnson; it was the story of her campaign for the Equal Rights Amendment and her very scary ordeal being excommunicated from the church and the heartbreak of losing her husband to another woman. Powerful stuff! The other book was by a woman named Deborah (whose last name I forget) entitled Secret Ceremonies.

Both books made me wonder why any woman would choose to be a Mormon. But who am I to talk because I chose to be a JW?!

In Deborah's book, she described the Temple wedding ceremony wherein she was given a secret name so her husband could admit her into heaven. Why would a Mormon woman want to go to such a heaven? I don't expect you to have answers to my question(s), but it all sounds really weird! Your post makes me question even further any Mormon woman's desire to go to that wacked out heaven, a heaven that sounds like total mindless self-indulgence for men but total mindless boredom at best for women.

Thanks for the lesson. I know a lot of Mormons, including at least one very prominent family. Most of them are very nice, well-educated, sensible seeming folks. I sometimes find it hard not to ask them endless questions anyway. I keep my mouth shut because their everyday behavior seems so normal to me.

Regards,

SandraC

46

About "dawg" and growth...

by changeling in

jw
friends

i only checked in here briefley yesterday and missed dawg's "good-by" thread.

i posted there just now, but don't know if he is checking in any longer.. many of you realize he and i have had our differences.

in fact, is was after a "cyber-fight" with me that he left the last time.. when he returned, he pm'd me several times just making nice, brief little comments on things i'd post.

Mum

Sorry, shell. I don't feel any wrath, and I am certainly not sure what gave you that impression. I do understand that changeling is most likely to be trying to be conciliatory. Does that translate to wrath?

All of us have our own approach, and I do not believe any particular approach is not "superior." That is why I made some changes and have adopted a somewhat more assertive stance in standing up for what is right. I have learned to be less of a conflict avoider and face others with less fear of offending or being verbally beaten down.

Shell, I love you just the way you are. I don't want you to be more like me. I don't want my own children to be more like me. I don't have any "superior" perspective, just my own. We all have to be who we are, and sometimes it leads to misunderstanding.

Regards and Happy Holidays!

SandraC