outnfree

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Posts by outnfree

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  11

  They make us feel like garbage.....but next year we have PLANS!!!

  by Gill in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  having spent last friday evening with jw relatives, both husband and self have been a bit 'uncomfortable in our skins' today.. i don't know why they ask us.

  they treat us as if we weren't there and there is a definite atmosphere that hangs heavily and i believe they only ask us just so they can ignore us.

  they have done this every year for the last twenty years and we have plans to make this one our last.

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  outnfree

  (((((Gill and family)))))
  
  Do it your way next year as you plan and you'll likely feel MUCH better! :)
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  137

  Climate Change. Yes the science is settled.

  by mavie in

  1. social
  2. current

  the science is settled.

  special interests do not want you to think that it is.

  "in a candid memo about political strategy for republican leaders, pollster frank luntz expressed concern that voters might punish candidates who supported more pollution, but he offered advice on the key tactic for defusing the issue: "should the public come to believe that the scientific issues are settled, their views about global warming will change accordingly.

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  outnfree

  "We don't use oil because it's "the best" - we use it because it is entrenched. It is convenient. It is status quo."
  
  I believe this to be true. I am torn every day of my Michigan existence because I drive a Honda Civic Hybrid when the U.S. auto industry--i.e., my region's employer--is hurting. I would LOVE to feel environmentally responsible driving an American-made car. (Yes, some Hondas are built by Americans, but the Civic Hybrid is assembled in Japan. :( ) The only U.S.-built hybrid is the crossover Ford Escape SUV which is larger than I need and only gets 36/31 mpg versus the Civic's 49/51 mpg EPA rating. Of course, I could switch to a Toyota Prius.... (j/k).
  
  Why is it that GM and Chrysler have not yet developed at least one hybrid vehicle for commercial application? How much less would the nation's "carbon footprint" be if every vehicle in America was either a bio-diesel hybrid or an electric/gas hybrid? For starters? What is the hold-up? And I am asking sincerely... What are the drawbacks to having 100% hybrid fleets? I'm sure that, at some point, the extra weight needed for a fuel tank and battery cell large enough to power a vehicle of a certain tonnage renders the fuel economy gains moot. But what is that point? And why aren't all lighter-weight vehicles being engineered as hybrids? This would tell our children that we acknowledge that we need to reduce man-made pollutants.
  
  I realize that I have just taken this thread off-topic. Sorry for that.
  
  I personally do NOT believe the science is settled as far as MAN being responsible for global warming. I DO believe that global warming is occurring as a natural part of earth's weather patterns. I also believe that air pollution is having ill effects on human and planetary health. So let's be prudent and do what we can to reduce our share in polluting our planet with our everyday CHOICES. We are free, after all, to CHOOSE what we do AND what we believe.
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  20

  Is it wrong that I do not wish to see my family?

  by student1 in

  1. jw
  2. experiences

  please excuse the ambiguity of this email, i am confused and unsure of my feelings about my family and have not seen them in a while now.

  my mum has tried to organise a visit but i have avoided going to see my family.

  i have seen my sister but the last time i saw her there was quite alot of upset (if you see my last family related post!

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  outnfree

  Student1,
  
  It is not wrong that you do not wish to see your family. While it is considered "good" to be "dutiful" there is nothing that says one must place oneself in a situation that leaves one open to hurt--of whatever kind. Your family members seem likely--at this time--to say or do some things that seem harmless or even "good" to them, but which may prey on your psyche in a negative way for days or months to come. In your present state of being, you need not sacrifice your own well-being to satisfy some self-imposed standard of filial duty. For a visit with your family to be beneficial, you must be in a place where you are able to set boundaries of conduct and then abide by them with fortitude and without rancor. You need NEVER put yourself in line to be hurt in order to make others feel good. IMNSHO
  
  out
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  24

  Is it official policy that elders MUST advise the parent to report abuse?

  by Must obey! in

  1. watchtower
  2. child-abuse

  notwithstanding the plain fact that the watchtower's heinous "two witness" rule is obviously flawed (scripturally and in terms of natural justice), it seems to me that as long as the elders are advising the parent/caregiver to go to the authorities in every case where an accusation of child abuse has occurred that this is sufficient for the elders to discharge their legal duty, shouldn't it?.

  i have heard rumours that this is in fact the official current policy (since when i don't know) of the society: that they tell the elders to advise the parent/caregiver to inform the authorities of alleged child abuse.

  but how firm is this policy?

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  outnfree

  In all of this, MUSTOBEY, there is still the problem of when the parent/caretaker is the alleged ABUSER of the Witness child in question. When the accusation of abuse involves a family member or parent, the elders clearly should report the abuse to the secular authorities who can conduct a professional investigation.
  
  out
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  56

  It makes me sad to see Ray Franz looking this feeble...

  by deaconbluez in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8yqj0-huvvw

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  outnfree

  He IS a cutie, isn't he?!! I had never seen him before.
  I, too, am very grateful to him and am glad to see him looking so happy. He deserves every happiness.
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  111

  A Moment of Silence For Linda

  by BFD in

  1. jw
  2. friends

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  outnfree
• 
  54

  nine pages of BS from October AWAKE

  by purplesofa in

  1. watchtower
  2. child-abuse

  i hope that some of you lurkers out here really take a look at some of the thread in this section of the board.

  this awake magazine says not one thing about how families are asked to trust their elders and how these very elders were and are abusing their children.

  it mentions nothing about watching out for these trusted men in the congregations.............oh it brings out the internet, other family members and fathers and males in particular.. it will tell you how much your child needs to do to prevent something like this from happening.

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  outnfree

  What makes me sick is that the WTS NEVER apologizes, never admits wrongdoing!
  It is arrogant to the extreme and despite the recent adverse court ruling the articles do not appear to represent any change in the status quo of handling child abuse at the hands of other Witnesses--family members or not.
  
  out
• 
  21

  Mom's Awake ditching incident

  by Junction-Guy in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  my mom went to the doctor last week and while she was waiting to be seen she noticed that awake magazines were all over the lobby.

  there wasnt any other magazines to be read.

  she happened to look in a trash can and noticed that it was full of "worldly" magazines.

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  outnfree

  lol - Junction Guy!
  
  I just rid the waiting room at the local hospital of two Awakes and one Watchtower last week. I was curious to see the newest Watchtower for public versus JW consumption. Sure enough! No study articles. I found that weird...
  
  out
• 
  108

  Hello everyone, first post.

  by Frjprice in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  hello, i just wanted to introduce myself to everyone here - as i will be posting here.. i grew up a jw and pioneered, was a ministerial servant, ect, i was in the organization for 17 years.

  i left and naturally my family did as they were told and cut off all communication with me.

  this left a horrible taste in my mouth for not just jw's, but any religion for that matter.

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  outnfree

  Hello, Father Price!
  
  Up until last year, I had no idea that there were so many splinter groups from the Roman Catholic Church! My daughter's girlfriend's father was a priest with the Polish National Catholic Church -- which group recognized the Pope as the spiritual head of the church, but did not agree with all of the Roman Catholic Doctrine. Obviously, priests were allowed to marry in that denomination. However, gay and lesbian relationships are not seen as okay--no matter how committed the couple or how upright and honest as GLBT human beings. Her father was also divorced--but I guess it was for a 'scriptural' reason. Anyway, due to lack of membership, he is saying his last mass today and has been accepted into the Roman Catholic Church as a priest.
  
  Based on a visit to your site and the "evangelization" link-your Old National Catholic Church seems quite a small group as well. I have a question that I could not find the answer to: Must one be baptized in your church to share in the Eucharist? I notice that your church is very welcoming in many ways, so am wondering if all who profess to be Christians--as opposed to Catholics--are welcome at Christ's table?
  
  Thanks, and welcome to the board,
  
  outnfree
• 
  9

  Another odd thing in my life, I would like explained

  by free2beme in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  i know there are a lot of people on this site who really have issue with the super natural.

  as was seen in my post about my dead grandmother.

  so this one will probably have people upset too.

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  outnfree

  Well, I couldn't find the odds for matching 9 out of 10 digits in the exact order, but I did find this:
  
  "The odds of winning the Grand Prize (matching all 6 numbers) in the US Powerball Multistate Lottery, with a single ticket, under the rules as of 2006, are 146,107,962 to 1 against, for a probability of 7×10-9." -- Wikipedia entry: Orders of Magnitude (Numbers)
  
  So it's no wonder everyone at work is talking about this!!!
  
  Do you think we might live in parallel universes? I do.
  
  out