ctrwtf

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Posts by ctrwtf

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  58

  What are you reading right now??

  by DATA-DOG in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  i am reading "stranger in a strange land" by robert a. heinlein.

  i read it over 20 years ago.

  now i am reading it from a completely different perspective.

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  ctrwtf

  In order....

  Doctor Sleep Stephen King's follow up to The Shining

  The Book Thief

  Unbroken The Story of LouieZamparini
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  14

  Just become a window washer..............ya that.

  by ctrwtf in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  i"m normally the kind of guy that likes to count his blessings.

  i've got two great kids.

  and a super wife who loves me despite myself.

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  ctrwtf

  I"m normally the kind of guy that likes to count his blessings. I've got two great kids. And a super wife who loves me despite myself. I've also successfully faded along with my entire family. I live in a beautiful setting with terrific neighbors. But......

  Lately I've been bummed about my job. I'm basically an overpaid construction worker. Sometimes I enjoy the fact that I'm always outdoors, although the winter really sucks. I enjoy the physical aspect of my work as well. It keeps me in shape (sort of). And the money's good, I get paid more than many professionals. It is also mind numbingly boring.

  The thing that is bugging me the most is the fact that I'm just a manual laborer. No, not the President of Mexico. Prior to getting involved with the cult, both my parents had post graduate degrees with professional careers. Although they have both passed away, I find myself being more resentful of them for putting me in this position. Some might say, "you have the power to change your situation." But at this point in my life, it's just not realistic. So I will labor on.

  I know that there are many who share this same situation. My question is how do you mentally cope?
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  28

  Has all life descended from a common ancestor? Watchtowers view

  by DS211 in

  1. watchtower
  2. beliefs

  many scientists point to the fossil record as support for the idea that life emerged from a common origin.

  new features appear suddenly.

  would it be reasonable to assert that your preconceived idea of the movie was right because of the five frames?

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  ctrwtf

  What this article doesn't address, and what is probably more meaningful to those inclined to believe in the bible is the fact that Adam and Eve were not the first human pair.

  The argument over how many billions of years ago, life emerged, or whether it branched out like a tree is interesting to say the least but not really relevent to their (the WTS) argument. The evidence that humankind existed well before 6000 years ago is immense to say the least. The fact that there were civilizations all over the globe at that time makes the Genesis narrative a mute point.

  If Adam and Eve weren't the first human pair, then the concept of original sin is null and void. So then too is the idea of the need of a sacrifice to make things "right" again. The idea of a kingdom of god with his son as ruler, likewise falls. Even if you want to believe in an historical Jesus, his teachings were predicated on a falsehood.

  Argue all you want about how the first spark of life occured. The fact is the Genesis account as well as the rest of the Bible is nothing more than a tribal account of mythology. Of course this will never be addressed on a website designed to disinform like JW.org.
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  5

  To Tree or Not To Tree

  by ctrwtf in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  that is the question.................. been inactive for five years now and into what i consider a very successful fade.

  wifey and kids are out.

  and we're truly enjoying life.. probably 4 years ago we started with the completely religiously neutral "family day.

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  ctrwtf

  Hey Dazed, Yeah next year will be the outside lights. I've got a big pine tree in the front yard that's beggin it. Merry Christmas everyone!
• 
  5

  To Tree or Not To Tree

  by ctrwtf in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  that is the question.................. been inactive for five years now and into what i consider a very successful fade.

  wifey and kids are out.

  and we're truly enjoying life.. probably 4 years ago we started with the completely religiously neutral "family day.

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  ctrwtf

  That is the Question.................

  Been inactive for five years now and into what I consider a very successful fade. Wifey and kids are out. And we're truly enjoying life.

  Probably 4 years ago we started with the completely religiously neutral "Family Day." (Bleecchh! How lame is that?) This was brought about by my then 8 yr old who was extremely self conscious about not celebrating Christmas due to having to explain to her friends after the Christmas break that she got absolutely bupkiss for Xmas. So we bought a ton of presents and stacked them in the corner, waiting for the special day to arrive. Great success! Everyone had a lovely time! Plus I got some really cool shit too, yaay!

  As you can guess, by last year we progressed to the full on celebration of Christmas. Cards, gifts for friends, even a few wishes of "Merry Christmas! to friends and business associates. Wifey wore a hideous Christmas sweater. We had a huge Xmas dinner. Mind you, at this point, no one in my house really even believes in the story of Jesus. As any really honest 21st Century person will tell you, its all about family being together and, of course, PRESENTS! The only thing missing was, you guessed it, the tree.

  Now, here's the rub. Just last week I came home to a tract stuffed in the door. Something titled "What happens when we die?" or some sort of dishonest nonsense to trick the unwary into accepting a bible study. Along with said rubbish was a note stating that we were missed. Please! Enough already with the insincere, sappy nonsense. If we were really missed, how come it was so easy to fade into inactivity? But I digress. The problem lies in the fact that anyone even getting within spitting distance of my doorstep can see into my entire house. Any meddler's will be sure to inform the local Gestapo (elders) that we are now worshipping Satan because we have an Xmas tree.

  One part of me wants to cry out to the Gestapo, "Go to hell, do what you need to do!" The other part of me, happy with fading into obscurity, wants to keep my life on the down low. I just don't need the drama. Additionally, my wife still has some extended family still in that she would like to not totally lose. On top of all of that, do you know how much work goes into a tree? Holy crap! You have to go to the tree farm. Cut it. Wrap it. Haul it home. Set it up. Water it. String hundreds of lights. Decorate it. Lotsa time and lotsa cash.

  So...............not to keep you in suspense. I have a date this Sunday. Not going to the meeting, no. Going to the tree farm, family and dog in tow. We are going to cut our tree, drag it through the snow and spend the afternoon decorating and having fun. Probably have a few hot toddy's as well. Should any ne'er do wells come to the door, let the chips fall where they may.

  Through all of this I am reminded of the story of the town donkey and the prospecter donkey. They're both tied onto the same hitching post. The town donkey looks to the prospecter donkey and sees a heavy saddle, all the tools and supplies the prospecter uses, as well as four fifty pound sacks of ore. The town donkey says, "That's quite a load you have there." The prospecter donkey says, "What load?"

  You don't realize until you're outside of it, what a burden this F'd up religion places on people. Who today should worry about losing relationships over a goofy holiday? If you need to DF me because I want to spread some cheer and generosity in the middle of a long, cold winter, go ahead.

  Just remember Ebenezer, that the ghost of Christmas may reach his bony hand onto your shoulder
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  5

  Just wondering....

  by ctrwtf in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  not really up on the latest from the org.

  but it seems that most of what's surfacing has to do with "generations" and the "faithful slave.".

  whatever happened to the un?

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  ctrwtf

  Not really up on the latest from the org. But it seems that most of what's surfacing has to do with "generations" and the "faithful slave."

  Whatever happened to the UN? It seems to be remarkably absent from the Wits rhetoric of late. Could they have come to the realization (like the rest of the world) that far from the evil tool of Satan, the UN is a mostly irrelevant and bankrupt icon of the 20th century? Are they distancing themselves from yet another failed prophecy? As a New Yorker, the only real influence of the UN is to make East Side traffic unbearable for one week out of the year.

  BTW putting up new banners on buildings that will be condo's in the next few years is a sign of desperation.
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  102

  Since leaving the truth, do you celebrate holidays, and does your participation in such bring you happiness?

  by Stand for Pure Worship in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  i ask this respectfully, and do so after watching a favorite show of mine's season opener which had a new years storyline.

  hollywood tends to make movies and television show episodes centered around holiday themes appear warm and blissful.

  while i'm thankful to have never participated in such holidays, i can't deny my curiosity about ex-jws that do celebrate.

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  ctrwtf

  SFPW posted on my last thread that he/she was not going to post anymore. I guess that standing for the "truth" includes lying.
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  23

  Sorry to be so negative.....

  by ctrwtf in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  today, and just today i've decided to go over to the dark side.

  be forewarned this is an intenesely negative thread.

  maybe i had a bad day.

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  ctrwtf

  Thanks to all for your support. I guess we all need a reality check from time to time.

  To Prologos. Not to put too fine a point on it, but to me, those born in including myself do not have much choice in the matter. Go to meetings and get baptized or Mommy and Daddy will have to abandon you and you will rot for eternity while we and your siblings play with lions and eat fruit in paradise forever.

  Thanks also for the opportunity to write (as I should have previously) that not all converts are self important lemmings. I also believe that there are and were people like LHG that were subject to the bait and switch. I also agree with her assesment that now, today, it should be difficult for anyone with access to the internet to be duped.

  Maybe the most evil thing about the wits is the fact that ( I Believe) there are a significant percentage of active JW's that seriously have difficulty with doctrine but are afraid to do anything about it for fear of losing everyone they love.
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  23

  Sorry to be so negative.....

  by ctrwtf in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  today, and just today i've decided to go over to the dark side.

  be forewarned this is an intenesely negative thread.

  maybe i had a bad day.

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  ctrwtf

  Today, and just today I've decided to go over to the dark side. Be forewarned this is an intenesely negative thread. Maybe I had a bad day. Maybe people were rude to me. Maybe I'm just suffering from male menopause. Maybe I'm just sick of trolls on this forum making themselves feel superior by insisting that anyone who decides the JW religion is not for them has an axe to grind or is mentally defective. Not mentioning anyone in particular. (Stands for pure worship)

  My observation after 45 years as a born in witness is that those who convert to this religion are largely ill informed, under acheivers who are attracted to the idea that they have "special knowledge." They like to believe that they are the chosen few, while having done absolutely nothing constructive in their lives to deserve any sort of special recognition.

  They salivate at the idea that soon a god of love will kill off anyone who dares to believe differently from them. They pat themselves on the back for spending hours and hours in a fruitless quest for anyone who will drink the poison philosophy they espouse. All the while, they choose the homes of the dead families that they will reside in when god vindicates their quest for superiority. They do so in the name of true christianity. How utterly vomit inducing.

  The reality is that no reward awaits them. The will molder in whatever vile grave they are laid in having wasted a life in service to a publishing corporation that used fear to dominate and control them. I can think of no better end to a life lived in fear.

  As for me. Tomorrow"s another day.
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  58

  Anyone Celebrating Halloween this Year???

  by cognac in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  i started yesterday.

  took the kids (they were both princesses) and my nephew to 3 different events.

  got tons of candy and the kids had a blast.. .

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  ctrwtf

  Have celebrated for several years now. At first took my daughter trick or treating. This year, dropping her off so she can do make-up for a friend. (A chelsea grin) Then they're going t or ting in our little village. As for me, home with a cocktail and Bram Stoker's Dracula.