Posts by Pathofthorns

5

The new me and DE shaving

by PlatinumFix in

jw
friends

i haven't seen a thread quite on the same subject so weren't sure where to file it :) so 2016 will be the start of the new me.

i've nearly cleared my small amount of debt.

i'm going to get some new clothes and stuff as a single person.

Imo, DE shaving is the way to go. Most recommend starting with something like an Edwin Jagger or Merker razor. Most vintage Gillettes are good and clean up nice and the adjustable ones are sought after, particularly the ones called a 'fatboy'. These are available on Ebay and imo worth the investment. Initial start up costs can be very low or you can get carried away and end up buying several razors (a syndrome referred to as Razor Acquisition Disorder ;) You can also order a cheap chinese razor and they work well too.

Blades are mostly personal preference and you need to take into consideration your facial hair type, skin type, and aggressiveness of the razor. Most recommend a 'sampler' pack of blades ordered online and once you find ones you like, then you can order more reasonably by the 100 pack from online sites.

For the full experience it is recommended to use a badger brush and creams and soaps as opposed to shaving foams in a can, but there really are no rules that say you have to. You can also buy a bristle brush for less money. You don't have to spend an arm and a leg on these things for good results, but again one can get carried away.

There are lots of forums that discuss the benefits and offer advice on de shaving so google is your friend. It does take a little longer and at least 2 passes but turns a boring ritual into something enjoyable. You can also be a bit too nervous at first and that will pass as you develop a good technique.

4

1/27/08 Winnipeg Free Press Live-Courts to sort JWs Kids Blood Battle

by AndersonsInfo in

sunday, january 27th, 2008. .

courts to sort jehovah's witness blood battle when kids involved.

sun jan 27 2008. by terri theodore.

Pathofthorns

"In the B.C. case, the four extremely premature babies were seized and transfused with blood when doctors for the B.C. government convinced the court they wouldn't survive otherwise. The lawyer for the parents argued in court last week that the government didn't have the right to simply seize the children without the parents questioning the medical necessity of the blood transfusions and the court agreed to hear the case." I agree that, within reason, the court should allow the parents to question the medical necessity of blood before a judge. My prediction is the JW's will win against the BC government in this respect. Witnesses should be able to choose viable and reasonable alternatives for themselves and their children if such alternatives exist. In the absence of these, the doctors should be able to justify their position for the medical use of blood before a court under questioning that doesn't lead to an unreasonable delay in the delivery of competent medical treatment. We cannot have the state seizing babies and delivering care they deem necessary without at least allowing the parents a chance in court to object and provide a reasonable alternative.

33

* NEW DVD _ YOUNG PEOPLE ASK: WHAT WILL I DO WITH MY LIFE *

by truthseeker in

jw
friends

this is an in-depth look at the new dvd released this fall.

it is primarily designed for young jehovah?s witnesses; in fact, the whole dvd is geared towards witness youth only.. .

on the front cover there are 8 happy youths carrying school books and bags.

Pathofthorns

The Society has an unbelievable hold on young people. Even though I think most leave, most of these seem to come back due to the fear and guilt implanted in them over the years.

Videos like this do a lot to influence young ones, and while the message seems hard to criticize on the surface, the damage appears years later due to wasted years in "full time service" instead of making practical choices.

It is easy to underestimate the hold the Society has on youths and mistake the fact that so many are leading a double life as a victory for xjw's. Imo, most of these young people are just having a good time but do not take the time to investigate their beliefs and why JW's are wrong, and because of this, they will almost certainly go back.

After seeing so many young ones return to the Society, I am beginning to doubt the youth will be responsible for the Society's downfall, but almost seem to typify the mixed up nature of JW's in general. Only after they waste their life serving the Society do they find out it was all a pipedream, and only then do they do what it takes to leave without going back.

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19

Got a visit today - they'll be back.

by Garnet in

jw
friends

the hubby and i moved not too long ago and decided that it would be the perfect time to do our fade from the congregation...well actually, he had already made up his mind to stop going and i thought it would be the perfect time for me to stop going.

well its been some time and today we got a visit.

i didn't even realize it until i had opened the door.

Pathofthorns

I think it is good to start preparing for the strong possibility that you will lose some or even many family and friends even if you are not "officially" disfellowshipped or disassociated. It is important to use the time now to do this and make new friends, since merely withdrawing association from the organization causes them to withdraw from associating with you.

I don't really think disassociation is on their minds and there is probably no reason to be unduly paranoid over this unless you have given them reasons. They probably are just doing their "job" and following up on someone who is "weak" and depressed. But as long as you appear interested in attending if your health was better etc, you will be subjected to repeated unwanted visits and magazine deliveries.

I think it is in your favour that you moved, so there really isn't any personal attactment to you and your husband yet and they would be more inclined to leave you alone if you wanted that. Perhaps if you told them that you and your husband are working through some personal and private matters and that you would not like any visits from them at this time while you work through these confidential matters. Let them know that you appreciate their concern and interest but that this is the way things have to be for the time being. You don't owe them any further comment or explanation on "personal and private" matters that aren't the business of people you don't even know.

Ultimately, the charade is difficult to keep up and how it turns out often depends on things such as the local body of elders as to whether they leave you alone or pester you to death. You will also find out who really was a friend or if you really had any at all that cared for you for being you and not just because you were in the same "club" as them.

Your belief system will change and evolve quite a bit over the next while, so I would not be too discouraged over the uncertainty you feel right now. Enjoy the time exploring all your options and growing as a person and be careful to investigate everything thoroughly so you don't make the same mistake joining another wacky group. There is no rush to go "somewhere" after leaving JW's. Take your time and enjoy things once this rocky period is over.

Path

16

New on silent lambs regards vicki boer case

by needs_lots in

silent lambs just sent me this.

i thought you all might like to read it.. http://www.silentlambs.org/newsletter/newsletteritem.cfm?sendoutid=157 .

i would love an opinion.. vicki

Pathofthorns

Vicki,

I had hoped to make it to the apostafest last Saturday evening to hang out with you guys but things just didn't work out for me that day. I'm really glad though, that WT dropped the costs for you, but disappointed in general for how things went for you and your trial. I really think with a better suited lawyer for the case, that the WT lawyers would not have been unreasonably difficult to beat. I give you alot of credit for hanging in there and doing the best you could. I think it is a shame that it takes so much money to even hope to win sometimes in these legal systems.

As for the newsletter, I really think Silentlambs needs a more "PR" conscious writer that can say what needs to be said in a more palatable way. As it is, the article lacked balance, is angry and resentful. Perhaps rightly so, but I doubt it is helpful in reaching a broader audience with their message or in helping abuse survivors to focus on positive feelings and directions in life.

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208

THEY'VE DONE IT!!!! The WBTS set a new date!

by dmouse in

the latest watchtower, dec 15th 2003, is an out and out attack on the rank and file for dropping into a drowsy state spiritually.

ok, so armageddon didn't come before the generation of 1914 grew old and died.

but does that mean that the big a isn't near?

Pathofthorns

I would tend to agree with Minimus that there is no suggestion of any particular date. It would definitely be counterproductive imo.

What they may be addressing are insecurities among the r&f that something has gone wrong due to Armageddon's apparent delay. This artical would simply be reassuring those ones that even a 120 year time frame would not necessarily be out of line.

For them to be predicting a date as late as 2034 would also mean an adjustment to their 1935 teaching regarding the calling of the annointed as well as calling into question "who is the faithful and discreet slave"?

This is a religion built upon the belief they are living in the last days and every generation of JW's must believe that "the end" will happen in their lifetime in order for it to work. As soon as "the end" appears too distant, (or they are exposed as liars and "false prophets") they lose members.

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45

United States and Canada.

by Englishman in

jw
friends

most europeans have more than a little difficulty in telling a us accent apart from that of a canadian one.

it's a bit like ozzies and kiwi's, until you've met a few, the differences aren't that apparent to the untrained ear.

some folk even think that the us and canada are simply interchangeable terms for what is basically the same place.

Pathofthorns

Hey, Canada's one cool country
SAMANTHA BENNETT You live next door to a clean-cut, quiet guy. He never plays loud music or throws raucous parties. He doesn't gossip over the fence, just smiles politely and offers you some tomatoes. His lawn is cared-for, his house is neat as a pin and you get the feeling he doesn't always lock his front door. He wears Dockers. You hardly know he's there.
And then one day you discover that he has pot in his basement, spends his weekends at peace marches and that guy you've seen mowing the yard is his spouse.
Allow me to introduce Canada.
The Canadians are so quiet that you may have forgotten they're up there, but they've been busy doing some surprising things. It's like discovering that the mice you are dimly aware of in your attic have been building an espresso machine.
Did you realize, for example, that our reliable little tag-along brother never joined the Coalition of the Willing? Canada wasn't willing, as it turns out, to join the fun in Iraq. I can only assume American diner menus weren't angrily changed to include "freedom bacon," because nobody here eats the stuff anyway.
And then there's the wild drug situation: Canadian doctors are authorized to dispense medical marijuana. Parliament is considering legislation that would not exactly legalize marijuana possession, as you may have heard, but would reduce the penalty for possession of under 15 grams to a fine, like a speeding ticket. This is to allow law enforcement to concentrate resources on traffickers: If your garden is full of wasps, it's smarter to go for the nest rather than trying to swat every individual bug. Or, in the United States, bong.
Now, here's the part that I, as an American, can't understand. These poor benighted pinkos are doing everything wrong. They have a drug problem: Marijuana offences have doubled since 1991. And Canada has strict gun control laws, which mean that the criminals must all be heavily armed, the law-abiding civilians helpless and the government on the verge of a massive confiscation campaign. (The laws have been in place since the '70s, but I'm sure the government will get around to the confiscation eventually.) They don't even have a death penalty!
And yet, nationally, overall crime in Canada has been declining since 1991. Violent crimes fell 13 per cent in 2002. Of course, there are still crimes committed with guns — brought in from the United States, which has become the major illegal weapons supplier for all of North America — but my theory is that the surge in pot-smoking has rendered most criminals too relaxed to commit violent crimes. They're probably more focused on shoplifting boxes of Ho-Hos from convenience stores.
And then there's the most reckless move of all: Just last month, Canada decided to allow and recognize same-sex marriages. Merciful moose, what can they be thinking? Will there be married Mounties (they always get their man!)? Dudley Do-Right was sweet on Nell, not Mel! We must be the only ones who really care about families. Not enough to make sure they all have health insurance, of course, but more than those libertines up north.
This sort of behaviour is a clear and present danger to all our stereotypes about Canada. It's supposed to be a cold, wholesome country of polite, beer-drinking hockey players, not founded by freedom fighters in a bloody revolution but quietly assembled by loyalists and royalists more interested in order and good government than liberty and independence.
But if we are the rugged individualists, why do we spend so much of our time trying to get everyone to march in lockstep? And if Canadians are so reserved and moderate, why are they so progressive about letting people do what they want to?
Canadians are, as a nation, less religious than we are, according to polls. As a result, Canada's government isn't influenced by large, well-organized religious groups and thus has more in common with those of Scandinavia than those of the United States, or, say, Iran.
Canada signed the Kyoto global warming treaty, lets 19-year-olds drink, has more of its population living in urban areas and accepts more immigrants per capita than the United States.
These are all things we've been told will wreck our society. But I guess Canadians are different, because theirs seems oddly sound.
Like teenagers, we fiercely idolize individual freedom but really demand that everyone be the same. But the Canadians seem more adult — more secure. They aren't afraid of foreigners. They aren't afraid of homosexuality. Most of all, they're not afraid of each other.
I wonder if America will ever be that cool.

Samantha Bennett is a columnist for the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette.

15

Is it worth it to sue the Society?

by Pathofthorns in

jw
friends

a few weeks back i helped my brother move out of a shared apartment to a rented room in a rooming house.

there's no question that the years of having been a jw took their emotional, physical and mental toll on him and now as a former witness, life is not easy for him.. he understood when i refused to help him move the boxes and boxes of wt literature, the "apostate" cassettes/vhs tapes and other literature.

i asked him why he had to keep these things that had hurt him so much and he replied that "it was for the lawsuits".. i wondered in the back of my mind how many others obsessed over suing the wt society.

Pathofthorns

A few weeks back I helped my brother move out of a shared apartment to a rented room in a rooming house. There's no question that the years of having been a JW took their emotional, physical and mental toll on him and now as a former Witness, life is not easy for him.

He understood when i refused to help him move the boxes and boxes of WT literature, the "apostate" cassettes/VHS tapes and other literature. I asked him why he had to keep these things that had hurt him so much and he replied that "it was for the lawsuits".

I wondered in the back of my mind how many others obsessed over suing the WT Society. How many put their lives on hold for some sort of perceived justice for lawsuits that might never come or that might be dismissed for appearing so frivolous? How many gamble their future for a long shot at justice?

There is so much talk of lawsuits and we applaud those that go forward with them but i really can't recall off hand any real victories for all of the talk. There are so many things in the WT's favour that a victory is difficult although not impossible. I wonder how many really understand the challenge in front of them. What will be the financial and emotional toll on them? Will it be worth it in the end, and can one accept the possibilty of defeat and carry on still?

The WT seems to be sending a message by trying to recoup legal costs from those suing them (as in Vicki Boer's case). Ultimately anyone suing the WT needs cold hard cash behind them to pay for a skilled legal team in addition to solid arguments and encouragement and I doubt those funds are available in most cases to be effective.

As much as we all like to see people inconveniencing the WT with lawsuits, and recognizing that effective (and sometimes ineffective) lawsuits do result in change, I would encourage any contemplating such to weigh the personal costs both to themselves and their families to make sure that if they do proceed they are proceeding wisely. Make sure that it is your personal choice to proceed with an acceptance of the risks involved and that you are not influenced by others.

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91

To: IW - Stop Dodging the Bullet

by Amazing in

jw
friends

first, simon and other mods, please let this thread run its course for a while.

if it gets too dicey, then i will move or lock it.

my goal is not to have a big flame war, but to expose an issue for what it is.

Pathofthorns

I think it sets a dangerous precedent when long-time posters are allowed to use their personal credibility to make bold statements or strong implications against other persons based on THEIR OWN personal interpretation of privately held information. Just because someone is "well known" or a "good and honest person" doesn't mean they can't misinterpret a situation.

It goes against the principles of an open and free society for individuals to privately be the judge and jury of "secret information" and then to publicly condemn individuals and damage their character without a full explanation. This is not fair to the individuals being condemned or "warned" about and can easily lead to deliberately libelous statements or damage caused by a simple misinterpretations of the "facts". Both parties need to have an opportunity to explain their side of a matter.

It is almost always dangerous territory to make strong statements about another, and the one doing so must be prepared to back up those statements with solid facts. And so many times these comments just don't need to be made in the first place.

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42

Official Blood Document for Legal Purposes

by AlanF in

below are scans for the two-page document that jehovah's witnesses give to legal authorities to state their official policy on blood.. page 1:.

page 2 can be found here, but is too large to comfortably include as an image: http://home.attbi.com/~alanf00/images/med_alt_p2.jpg.

alanf

Pathofthorns

I guess if JW's really followed the Scriptures (according to their strict interpretations) the chart would have Blood at the top with an arrow pointing to "poured out on the ground" (or otherwise disposed of).

It looks like by clearly listing what is acceptable and what is not, they are avoiding the abvious question as to why some parts of blood are acceptable and others are not. The chart makes it clear that they are not "abstaining from blood" since it is plainly obvious where these fractions come from.

I think the average non-thinking JW needed something a little plainer and clearer to explain to their doctor such a confusing position. Previous articles on blood fractions were bizzarre and confusing. By simply dictating to the members what is acceptable and what is not, they avoid having to explain the reasoning behind a policy that makes no sense. And unfortunately for most JW's, as long as something rolls off a WT press, they don't need to ask any more questions.

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