Posts by panhandlegirl

107

How do you keep your hopes up while in this doomed existence?

by sabastious in

jw
friends

coming from aguest's thread where she showed us the article that describes a "brain drain" that has been occuring for centuries do to "mutations" i can't help but be a little fed up with how much negativity comes from the land of science.

sure, facts are facts and they do not set out to sound good or bad, but instead of identifying the problems of doom, like our brains are devolving, why not focus on the solutions to those problems?

where are the hopes and dreams that our culture so desperately holds onto which actually provides the drive to progress towards them.

panhandlegirl

Afterlife, friend, afterlife.

-Sab, If you believe in an afterlife, why worry about the future? I am not sure there is an afterlife, but there is life now. We are not assured of the next minute. Life is fragile. We have to live life to the fullest this day, this time. Others in history have had a more difficult life than we have. They were destroyed by invaders, the plague. the Spanish flu, and many other catastrophies. We are living in a better age now than anyother time in history. Besides, there is no proof that our brains are devolving; that was just a paper someone wrote. It has not been proven true. Don't worry about what may or may not happen. Enjoy what life you have today with your little one and don't worry about solar flares or the world freezing over. I know it is important to plan for the future, but there are some things you cannot control. Like flipper said, we have spent too many years concerned about Armageddon.

PHG

23

The Judicial Committee Gossiping Reach, Two or Four Counties? Three!

by ÁrbolesdeArabia in

how far does the "barking chain" of gossip spread from one kingdom hall's judicial committee to another kingdom hall?

the record to my personal knowledge (three counties away 100 miles.

)is i had a brother call me and ask if "brother so-and-so was going to be disfellowshiped on thursday night", he heard it from our cobe.

panhandlegirl

Even when I was in my teens, I realized that the elders had no qualifications for having oversight over the sheep. All you have to do to become an elder is work hard doing everything the organization requires. These men have no training except in how to enforce and carry out the rules given to them from WTS. I have seen men who've been in the organization a short time become elders. The majoriety of these men are nobodies in the community at large. When they become elders they become somebody: get puffed up, and become much more important in their own eyes than they actually are. Yet, they exercise power and influence over the flock. They hold their lives in their hands and can make the life of the flock a nightmare. I have seen this dozens of times. One of my lifelong friends married an old man, more that twice her age, but an elder. He was overbearing and a know-it-all. She became a elderess, she told him everything she ever heard anyone else say or do and he was always getting into everyone's personal business. He was so stupid that he quit his good-paying job, took his retirement, which was about 30K, and told everyone he had enough money to last until Armageddon. That was in 1961! As for gossiping, everything that happened in the congregations, spread like wildfire through the district. There are no secrets in the circuits, except it seems, that there are pedophiles among us. This same elder, when he was looking for a wife,and we were in his car alone, (the others were out of the car), asked me, a 15 year old, what I would do if he put his arm around me. I answered that I would slap his face. He left me alone, but got lucky with my friend.

43

Ethos said: ''the GB have never claimed to have any special ability'' Some WT quotes..

by punkofnice in

(wt 1957 june 15 p. 370) .

watchtower 1957 june 15 p.370 "it is vital that werespond to the directions of the "slave" as we would to the voice of god.

" (wt 1964 june 15 p. 365) .

panhandlegirl

MARKED

39

Can YOU solve the following Paradox??

by Terry in

before i address the paradox (a statement that contradicts itself) i want to insert a fact from history.. .

the romans used a malleable (and highly poisonous) metal (lead) for water pipes and conduits.

as snows melted into pure water, it was channeled into sluices and pipes made of lead that ran through the cities as drinking water.. .

panhandlegirl

We should just all drink wine and that would solve the problem. I once read about explorers (probably Spainish) who were exploring the coast of California. Those who drank the water, died, those who stuck to drinking wine, survived.

As tec said, if you decide to drink the water, get it directly from the source, avoid the pipes. I trust science more than religion, but they don't have all the answers either; as brin said, science admits they are still learning.

PHG

18

apropos of absolutely nothing

by Hortensia in

i occasionally go on self-improvement benders, as witness my attempt to eat healthy food this week.

that is going well, so i thought i'd check out where i am intellectually.

the guardian recently published a list of the 100 greatest novels of all time.

panhandlegirl

Two of my favorites are Exodus and Trinity by Leon Uris. The first is about the founding of the State of Israel and the second is about Ireland. These books helped me to better understand the political events/feelings between the Palestinians and Israelians, and the Protestants and Catholics in Ireland.

talesin, I have read some of Mario Vargas Llosa's novels in Spanish, notably, ¿Quién mató a Palomino Molero? / Who killed Palomino?It's a short and sad novel. I will put The Dream of the Celt on my list of must reads.

perfect1, I have One hundred years of solitude sitting on my bookshelf and have actually started it once. I have read most of Gabriel García Márquez's books. He is one of my favorite authors. I have almost finished Una vida, a biography of GGM's life by Gerald Martin. What quality about One hundred years made it your all time favorite? I read Cróníca de una muerte anunciada/ Chronical of an announced death. The book detais the events of the murder of one of Márquez's boyhood friends. It is a reviting read. Márquez's mother insisted he wait until the murdered boy's mother died before he wrote about the event. What I could not believe about the murder of this boy is that most of the people in the small town knew he was going to be killed and only one man tried to do something about it, but no one warned the young man; hence the title.

34

what an evening

by wha happened? in

jw
friends

just got out of bed.. i've been feeling a bit flu like since thursday.

no big deal.

yesterday it kicks in full gear.

panhandlegirl

wha happwned, sorry you've been having a rough time. It looks like what you just described is "rigors." I have seen patients suffer from the rigors and they shake so hard that they nearly jump out of the bed. It is terrifying. We call it "shake and bake." We usually give demerol iv to stop them. You must have had a bad flu. I have seen rigors brought on by certain antibiotics, but infection can bring rigors on. Take care of yourself; the flu can be serious. Stop being macho and get some rest.

PHG

65

It's Official! The Governing Body IS the Faithful and Discreet Slave (Annual Meeting Report - jw.org)

by 00DAD in

it's official!

from the jw.org website:.

november 9, 2012. annual meeting report .

panhandlegirl

marking

18

Game changer for Jehovah's Witnesses ? Bishop CONVICTED for failure to REPORT. NY Times.

by Balaamsass in

tonight in new york times.

what will this mean for elders, service desk bethelites, c.o.s and d.o.s....possible jail time ?.

kansas city bishop convicted of shielding pedophile priest.

panhandlegirl

marking

18

atrapado's story parte dos

by atrapado in

we met after the meeting which i found strange i figured if i was to be named it would be before the meeting.

they read me the letter from the wt.

it basically said that they were happy about my recommendation but they couldnt accept the recommendation of a 16 year old that i should wait until i was at least 17. of course i was not 16. the problem is that in spanish you write the day first the month after.

panhandlegirl

WOW!,atrapado, you sure put up with a lot of nonsense.Of course, I understand how it was to be under their heavy hand. Also, being a female, I never had "reach for greater resposibility; althought some sisters could put you down for not going out in service enough. I was df'd when I was young, in the early sixties, and when I asked, after a year of going to meetings, sitting in the back, and being shunned, when they were going to consider reinstateing me, the young elder, my friend, told me that Jehovah may have already forgiven me, but they had not. I was too scared of dying in the big A to argue. I am so happy for you that you got an education and are on the right path. You sound like a very intelligent young man. I enjoyed your story and look forward to hearing more from you. Too bad your dad does not understand what you have accomplished and how valuable your education is. Maybe some day he will.

PHG

17

Do you believe god answers prayers about health?

by snare&racket in

jw
friends

why doesnt god heal amputees?.

not one amputee healing...... why only invisible, ambiguous disease?.

http://whywontgodhealamputees.com/god5.htm.

panhandlegirl

It makes me sad to say, No. I don't think He answers any prayers; unless the answer is always NO.

PHG