Pathofthorns

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Posts by Pathofthorns

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  128

  Inky got a letter from her son.............you have to read this

  by Mulan in

  1. jw
  2. experiences

  our niece, irene, who posts here as inky, sent me an email.

  her 27 year old son is getting married in two weeks, and she posted a few days ago about how he didn't invite her to his wedding.. she told me i can post it as she doesn't want to read it again.. "dear mom.

  i've needed to write this letter to you for some time now.

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  Pathofthorns

  Inky, I thought your reply was beautiful and I'm sure he'll recall your words one day and know that he is welcome back home when he comes to his senses.

  I really don't think "warning" his future wife would really have been of benefit and it would have come off badly. She is probably a JW robot just like him and she probably would have been proud of the letter and would have taken "mild" and "industrious" to be compliments (and if someone prefers a milder personality and a hard-working person, aren't they compliments?)

  Hopefully marriage goes well for them and hopefully they come to their sense. You've done all you can and now you just have to be patient and hope.

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  7

  Letter to my family V1.8, request for references

  by ColdRedRain in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  the 2 witness rule in a nutshell says that 2 people have to witness the incident.

  " trees have roots, and when a tree's roots are rotten, all of the tree is rotten too, down to the fruit.

  with truths like these, it's no question that they're a "rotten tree".

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  Pathofthorns

  As others have said, you need to prepare yourself for the probability that they will not really be [i]listening[/i] to you read the letter to them. All they will understand is that you are now an APOSTATE. And since you are living at home you will most likely make things more difficult for yourself.

  If i could toss out a suggestion, it would be to plan to leave home as soon as possible. In the meantime I'd be trying to make life as non-confrontational as possible by avoiding/ending or reducing these futile discussions.

  Concentrate on getting your own life grounded and stable [i]away[/i] from them, perhaps by getting a good education too, and then worry about explantions and helping them later. When you are living at home, sometimes it is just counter-productive to rock the boat, and with JW's, trying to explain why their religion is wrong is really rocking the boat.

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  128

  Inky got a letter from her son.............you have to read this

  by Mulan in

  1. jw
  2. experiences

  our niece, irene, who posts here as inky, sent me an email.

  her 27 year old son is getting married in two weeks, and she posted a few days ago about how he didn't invite her to his wedding.. she told me i can post it as she doesn't want to read it again.. "dear mom.

  i've needed to write this letter to you for some time now.

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  Pathofthorns

  The letter is very mechanical and cold and the years of indoctrination in the group are evident with cliches like "scathing denunciations" and the desire for a "mild and industrious" woman. He has done exactly as he was "supposed" to do in such a situation, except even the WTS would be ashamed to see such a letter get out into the public, because after all "they don't break up families, they love them".

  As others mentioned, I also think most young persons will not live their life out as JW's and that one day he will feel deeply ashamed of what he wrote. Letters such as this are proof that no matter how much this religion tries to change on the surface so they look good to outsiders, very little has really changed for the people on the inside.

  Keep hanging on and I'm sure in time your son will come around. Unfortunately sometimes these things are years away.

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  35

  reponse letter to JW-fleshly-brother about my leaving the WT

  by AhHah in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  dear (jw-brother), .

  i was pleased and pleasantly surprised to receive your thoughtful letter.

  thank you for your concern and for taking the time to write.

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  Pathofthorns

  I thought that was an absolutely outstanding letter AhHah... It's nice to see you are still hanging in... hope your wife is doing well also :)

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  20

  Confusion about support for forces and support for war

  by Simon in

  1. social
  2. current

  the government here is claiming that support for the war is growing and encouraging people to 'get behind our forces'.. http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk_politics/2863055.stm.

  i think they are taking advantage of the fact that people will naturally support "our forces" to make out that people are then supporting the governments actions.

  to put it another way, just because people oppose the war does not mean that they want "our forces" to lose.

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  Pathofthorns

  The absence of a UN security counsel approval leaves me with mixed feelings. I see soldiers on both sides as victims of their government's propaganda and all life lost as a tragedy. Iraqi civilian deaths are of equal loss as the death of an American.

  I also believe in the right of a people to defend it's country against an illegal attack and foreign invasion. The failure of the Bush administration to convince the world that diplomacy and non violent means has been exausted and justifies the death of thousands of innocent civillians and American and allied soldiers at this time, arguably makes this war illegal based on international laws.

  As much as Americans feel justified in attacking Iraq, there would seem to be as much and maybe greater justification for Iraq to defend itself. I think really the only position I could support would have been more time for the inspectors. I also think America should have been applauded for the military pressure exerted on Saddam and the cost of that should have been shared by the world, but I don't believe the means for a peaceful solution was exausted. The way the Bush administration had gone about their justification for war and their mixed motives left many with the impression they were not acting in good faith and that war was inevitable from the beginning. I think much of the world feels helpless and regretful that a peaceful solution could not be met.

  I am satisfied with the Canadian position of sitting this war out due to a failure of the US to receive authorization for war from the UN security counsel and our committment to helping rebuild Iraq after a war. At the same time, relations with the US have been weakening for a long time and have gotten worse. It is a shame that countries are being compelled to support actions they don't agree with at the risk of reprisals from the US if they don't.

  I really can't see the logic in supporting one's military forces in a conflict they are opposed to. Not that one hopes for harm to come to them, but how can u wish them success if it will bring harm to others? I just hope the soldiers and their families believe in what they are killing and dying for.

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  47

  Finally received our "shepherding call" today

  by Jourles in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  it was inevitable.

  after dodging the bullet for a few weeks, the elders finally made their way to our house today.

  the reason i think this to be so, is because he asked me what he should write down for my report.

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  Pathofthorns

  Interesting post.

  A friend came up with what was imo a good reply to make to the elders for those wanting to brush them off politely. He said, "if we could possibly be in attendance we would be". And just leave it at that and say that anything further on the matter is "personal and private".

  I'm glad u expressed your familiarity with the topics in the Worship book (or whatever it's called now). Most of us have studied these publications over and over with different people and simply studying it again does nothing to address matters that we are concerned over.

  I would also express my discomfort over notations being made about me for sharing with others. Friends don't "make notes" about conversations they had with u in your home and then submit these to others to read. I think it is rude for another person to even presume they can size up another man's spirituality or heart condition.

  These untrained guys must really be brainwashed to feel they are entitled to take such liberties about such personal and private matters. I'm sure they would be insulted too if someone offered to "study" with them such basic publications. What a bunch of ignorant jackasses.

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  29

  Jst2laws, Joy2bfree and the Scarlet Letter

  by jst2laws in

  1. watchtower
  2. beliefs

  the short version.

  thursday was the night of the announcement.

  though shunned since september 5, 2002 when we both went on local television to expose the wt society's pedophile protection policy, the official scarlet letter "a" was finally hung around our necks that evening.

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  Pathofthorns

  I just wanted to say that it was a pleasure to have met you and your wife and family and that JW's have given up association with some really good people. I always have a respect and admiration for people that have paid a price to stand up for what they believe in.

  Sometimes I feel good to be called an "apostate" and other times I can't stand it. I just hope that in the next few years, more people will come to appreciate the truth of what we really were trying to do and the sort of persons we are.

  I hope everything continues to go well for you and your family. Thank u so much.

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  80

  Is North Korea getting out of hand?

  by JH in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  n korea threatens us with first strike

  pyongyang asserts right to pre-emptive attack as tensions rise over american build-up .

  jonathan watts in pyongyang.

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  Pathofthorns

  I think North Korea, as well as Iraq have played relatively weak hands brilliantly. North Korea has used Bush's own rhetoric against Iraq back at him, exposing the hypocrisy in American foreign policy. The precendent American actions are setting on the world scene are very disturbing.

  North Korea has proven that simply possessing nuclear weapons will ensure better treatment and command more respect than a country not possessing them. This appears to be driving the world towards a new arms race where the world is kept in check by fear instead of focussing on the mutual advantages of trust.

  No one is saying NK and Iraq are without fault or do not pose threats, but in dealing with these problems in the manner it seems to prefer, America has become a greater threat to itself and world stability imo.

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  28

  CONGRATS TO HAWKAW, SKULLY ET AL

  by acsot in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  the fifth estate program last night was a great example of investigative journalism.

  believe me, there's a lot of talk going on in these parts about the show last night.

  some trying to gloss it over, but even at that there are some die-hard jws who are feeling pretty uncomfortable.

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  Pathofthorns

  I just wanted to thank those that were either in the program or behind the scenes. I think it was well done and hopefully will make at least a few persons stop and think...

  The WT comes across as very cold (because they are very cold) and my heart goes out to those that went through what they did and had the courage to come forward in the interests of protecting others.

  No one chooses to become a JW in this country anymore unless they are influenced from childhood to do so or they are a new immigrant that is taken advantage of. My hope is that this program will make active JW stop and think and realize that not everything "critical and negative" are lies made up by "apostates".

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  Edited by - pathofthorns on 30 January 2003 16:21:13
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  131

  Last Post - My Most Painful Public Confession

  by Amazing in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  my most painful confession

  note to simon: i will use some expletives, but i hope that they will be retained as this is intended to be an otherwise civil and thoughtful post to all my fellow ex-jws.

  please read on, as this is most painful.

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  Pathofthorns

  Interesting post. I think I had expected something a little different but there is lots you leave for us to think about.

  I wish you well with your recovery. Take care and looking forward to reading your comments when you return.

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