NewYork44M

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Posts by NewYork44M

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  15

  Brooklyn Assembly Hall

  by worf in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  i have been told that the brooklyn assembly hall located on flatbush avenue in brooklyn new york and otherwise known as the albemarle theatre, has been sold.. has anyone else heard this?

  can anyone here confirm this?.

  thanks for any info.. worf

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  NewYork44M

  Mike:

  Was just

  at a Circuit Assembley there 3 weeks ago

  My sympathies to you Mike. The Flatbush assembly hall has to be in one of the worst neighborhoods in Brooklyn. The walk from the assembly hall to the subway stop is frightening.
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  14

  Too close to home

  by JH in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  when you were going from door to door, did you hate knocking at doors in your neighbourhood?

  i wonder if the elders did on purpose to distribute territories so that you would have to be working in your neighbourhood.. often i noticed that elders gave me a territory in my neighbourhood, just to see if i would be ill at ease.

  maybe they wanted to know if i had worldly friends in my neighbourhood.

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  NewYork44M

  It is funny how reading a thread like this can invoke recessed feelings of insecurity and mental anguish. I absolutely hated working around my home. When I was a child I had the same dread as has been expressed in this thread of meeting schoolmates while out in service. Even as an adult, I hated the prospect of meeting someone at work at his or her home. I thought I had exorcised those feelings from my subconscious but this thread has brought them all back. Thanks a lot.
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  31

  What did you eat on New Years?

  by Trauma_Hound in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  .

  what are you going to eat, or did you eat on new years?

  i'm going to have fresh atlantic salmon, and lobster.

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  NewYork44M

  Animal said:
  

  Pork and sauerkraut are supposed to bring good luck. I dont beleive in luck, but I like the foods.

  I also come from a German background and always have pork and sauerkraut for new year's day. It may or may not bring good luck, but I need all the help I can get.
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  20

  J.W's and Divorce

  by meadow77 in

  1. watchtower
  2. beliefs

  it has become apparent to me, through many of your stories that jw's seem to have a hard time staying with their spouses who leave the borg.

  i was wondering if this is just a case by case thing or are they in fact encouraged to leave spouses who no longer believes.

  it seems strange that they would encourage that seeing as how we are instructed to stay in marriages even with a non-believer if they are happy to stay in the marriage.

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  NewYork44M

  This is an interesting thread. I was married in 1976 at the age of 19 with the full expectation that Armageddon was just around the corner. Despite our disappointment we had many happy years and we raised two children to the best of our ability. Approximately ten years ago I decided that this was not the truth and began my slow fade away from the organization. Which, as you can imagine was an extremely difficult period time in my life. I felt that if I had not made changes I was destined to a nervous breakdown. My wife never understood or was willing to understand the turmoil in my life. I felt extremely frustrated because I could never get the conversation beyond her understanding that jehovah=organization.

  Ten years into the future, I have grown personally beyond anything I could have imagined when I made my decision to leave. However, I remain married to someone who has not forgiven me for not still being an elder and towing the organization line. This has caused an unbelievable strain on our marriage with no simple answer. So, while I am not divorced, and I probably will remain married, our marriage will never come close to being a partnership.
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  12

  Bradenton,Sarasota FL/Yerington NV/Rifle, Co

  by LFitzwater in

  1. jw
  2. experiences

  my name is laurie fitzwater (formerly gendreau).

  i was raised in fl and lived in bradenton.

  i know a lot of people from sarasota as well.

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  NewYork44M

  Endoftheline wrote back in October:

  I have family that has been in the Brad area forever: the Simons (Wendi/Paul/Derek & Paul's parents). Last time I was there was ~5 years ago to bury Derek after he jumped off of that suspension bridge heading into Tampa....another borg casuality....long story.

  Oh my GOD! We lived in Bradenton for about 4 years from 76 to 80 and knew the Simons well when Derek was a small boy. That is so sad. What happened?
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  27

  New York New York

  by SixofNine in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  .

  six and fosl (the fruit of six's loins) will be visiting nyc between dec 27 and jan 1 (fosl's b-day present).. please share your thoughts on where to go, what to see, what to do.. i'd love to meet up with any nyc apostates as well.

  contact me via e-mail if you're interested.

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  NewYork44M

  Six, I got your e-mail. I corrected the miss-type in my address. Thanks for letting me know. I'll give you a call and see if we can get together next week. If anyone is in NYC the 31st, drop me a line.
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  29

  What is the worst.....?

  by teenyuck in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  name you could call an old, bitter, hateful, ungrateful, sour woman?

  i need some options when i next speak to my mother-in-law...

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  NewYork44M

  Call her your "least favorite" mother in-law.
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  88

  The coming "disassociations"

  by Elsewhere in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  i have seen several threads about how the elders are going to be going around asking people if they still consider themselves to be jehovah's witnesses.

  this will undoubtedly result in multiple da announcements in the coming months.

  i'm curious how the average jw will perceive this and respond to it.

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  NewYork44M

  For some reason, I find it hard to believe that the local elders will pay me a visit. We have been in our current congregation for over a year and I attend about once a month. The only time the PO acknowledged my existence was once when I was talking to his wife. As much as I would welcome a visit, my prediction is that I am totally off their radar and will be avoided at all cost.
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  1

  Groupthink

  by NewYork44M in

  1. jw
  2. experiences

  i posted some information about this subject in another topic, but i thought the topic of groupthink deserves a seperate thread.

  irving janis originally defined groupthink as a mode of thinking that people engage in when they are deeply involved in a cohesive in-group, when the members strivings for unanimity override their motivation to realistically appraise alternative courses of action.

  " according to his definition, groupthink occurs only when cohesiveness is high.

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  NewYork44M

  I posted some information about this subject in another topic, but I thought the topic of groupthink deserves a seperate thread. So, here it is:

  Irving Janis originally defined groupthink as a mode of thinking that people engage in when they are deeply involved in a cohesive in-group, when the members strivings for unanimity override their motivation to realistically appraise alternative courses of action." According to his definition, groupthink occurs only when cohesiveness is high. It requires that members share a strong we-feeling" of solidarity and desire to maintain relationships within the group at all costs. When colleagues operate in a groupthink mode, they automatically apply the preserve group harmony" test to every decision they face."

  When I first read about the group think concept about 10 years ago, I was amazed as to how well it describes the Society. Here are Janis define symptoms of groupthink as and some comments related to these symptoms within the society

  Illusion of Invulnerability. Janis summarizes this attitude as everything is going to work out all right because we are a special group. The society has defined their invulnerability based upon there supposed appoint by god as the Faithful and Discreet Slave. Thus, they can reason that any decision they make is correct because of their appoint by god.

  Belief in Inherent Morality of the Group. Under the sway of groupthink, members automatically assume the rightness of their cause. Of course they are right they are appointed by God.

  Collective Rationalization. This collective rationalization supported a mindset of hear no evil, see no evil, speak no evil." - The society has no interest in descending attitudes. If you do not agree with the society, you are branded an apostate

  Out-group Stereotypes. The collective attitude of looking down and discrediting those outside the group. They separate the world into those who have the truth and the "worldlings." If you do not have the truth as defined by the group, you are going to perish at Armageddon

  Self-Censorship. Members within the group are afraid to voice an opinion outside the group consensus. See comment about apostates

  Illusion of Unanimity. The society makes a VERY big deal about all speaking of one mind and one thought.

  Direct Pressure on Dissenters. Exerting direct pressure on dissenters to join the group decision. The society threatens dissenters with excommunication

  Self-Appointed Mindguards. Mindguards" protect a group from assault by troublesome ideas. I.e. body of elders.

  The result of a groupthink mentality is that the group makes bad decisions. If you go through the many bad decisions of the society, you will see a groupthink mentality.
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  27

  New York New York

  by SixofNine in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  .

  six and fosl (the fruit of six's loins) will be visiting nyc between dec 27 and jan 1 (fosl's b-day present).. please share your thoughts on where to go, what to see, what to do.. i'd love to meet up with any nyc apostates as well.

  contact me via e-mail if you're interested.

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  NewYork44M

  Here are some don't miss sites

  Ground Zero/Wall Street

  Time Square - just a quick look to say you have been there

  Dinner in Little Italy

  Walking the neighborhods around SOHO and Greenwich Village

  American Museum of Natural History

  The Dakota and the John Lennon site in Central Park

  Also, I noticed that Hampton indicated he is in town on new year's eve. I will be working that day in Midtown but will be off early. Just a thought, I would also be interested in meeting that day if you are interested, send me an-e-mail

  Have fun

  Edited by - newyork44m on 19 December 2002 9:0:12