Posts by WinstonSmith

13

The Haka

by zeb in

has anyone been priviliged to see the maori haka performed live?.

WinstonSmith

As a Kiwi living away from my home country, when I hear or see a haka now, I have to pretend that I have dust in my eye....

336

The New Diary of Winston Smith

by WinstonSmith in

we had to go off grid for a time, time and half a time as we thought we had been outed.

fortunately it was a false alarm, but it was a stressful time.

i asked for my original diary thread to be deleted in case there could be anything on there to identlfy mrs smith and i. i am always very careful when posting, and am sure there was nothing on there, but felt it best to have it removed in order to be as cautious as a dove.

WinstonSmith

I'm reading a really interesting book at the moment called Everything You Know About God is Wrong . I am really enjoying it. It is a compilation of essays and articles that cover everything from Iranian bloggers getting arrested for Muslim apostasy through to showing that Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John didn't write the books that carry their names. Tonight in a chapter called "The God from Galilee" there was a point the clanged with me and punched another hole in my view of the reliability and claimed sources of the bible. Here it is, nice and simple:

Thus, the God of the bible, who is portrayed in the Old Testament as the relentless enemy of human sacrifice among the heathens, turns himself, in the shape of his own son into the New Testament equivalent.

In other words, God spent all this time in the OT saying how bad human sacrifice was - and in particular the sacrifice of children - and smiting people for it, yet in the NT, what does he do? He sacrifices his firstborn (to appease himself?).

The God of Double Standards.

I now know where the WTS gets the "this applies to everyone else but me" attitude.

336

The New Diary of Winston Smith

by WinstonSmith in

we had to go off grid for a time, time and half a time as we thought we had been outed.

fortunately it was a false alarm, but it was a stressful time.

i asked for my original diary thread to be deleted in case there could be anything on there to identlfy mrs smith and i. i am always very careful when posting, and am sure there was nothing on there, but felt it best to have it removed in order to be as cautious as a dove.

WinstonSmith

Some interesting info on all the money the WTS has made / is making on their big sell up.

Also interesting to note that the new HQ has a cost of $11.5M while what has been sold or is under contract (according to the article) totals over $500M.

There is a lot of extra cash somewhere!

http://therealdeal.com/issues_articles/nonprofits-sitting-on-gold/

48

Here it is, the truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth so help me you...

by chapstick in

jw
friends

if all of the ex-watchtowerites and other critics of the religious bs we've been fed all our lives want to know and understand all the whys and hows of this monstrocity called the christian church, how it really came to be, what it is and what you can do about it, here it is on a neat platter.

it will shock the sensitive ones among you (if there still are any) to your core.

no fantacy and no bullshit here guys, this is the unadulterated truth.

WinstonSmith

I think by using the term Suez Canal, most people would assume that he was talking about the modern construction. If he had said Pharoah's Canal - something I am guessing most people have never heard of - it would have made more sense.

As for his jacket, like I said, I was just being cheeky - there's every chance it is vinyl.

As stated, I think there is merit in the thought that religion (and a lot of other common practices we have today) have come from ancient times and have arrived with us as copies of copies of copies.

I'm reading The Golden Bough and also The Secret Teachings of All Ages at the moment. Both show that practices common long long ago are still with us, often by other names - including much of Christian symbolism.

Does he get on to a more structured format as he goes along?

48

Here it is, the truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth so help me you...

by chapstick in

jw
friends

if all of the ex-watchtowerites and other critics of the religious bs we've been fed all our lives want to know and understand all the whys and hows of this monstrocity called the christian church, how it really came to be, what it is and what you can do about it, here it is on a neat platter.

it will shock the sensitive ones among you (if there still are any) to your core.

no fantacy and no bullshit here guys, this is the unadulterated truth.

WinstonSmith

I think there is a lot of merit in the whole "religion and lots of common practices came from ancient times" train of thought. What we have today with religion is essentially a copy of a copy of a copy.

I'm only about 25 mins into this video, and I really wish he would get to the point. It seems more like a stream of consciousness than a structured presentation.

At the 23 minute mark he says that the Suez canal was controlled by the Egyptians before the Phoenecians came in and began to control commerce. Didn't the Suez canal only get finished in the mid 1800s sometime?

And for a guy that has said a couple of times so far "do no harm to other living creatures" he sure wears that leather jacket well....

Just being cheeky.

Chapstick does his talk take on more of a structure after the half hour mark?

32

People, I'm still living in fear.

by Julia Orwell in

i'm not da or df and for some reason i can't bring myself to da just yet.

but i'm living in terror.

today it something came up that reminded me.

WinstonSmith

Hello Julia,

I know how you feel, and know what you mean. And this is exactly why I chose to DA in the end, even after a pretty successful fade. People have said to me "why that is playing by their rules" etc, but my decision was about me, and no-one else. For me to be free in my own mind I had to do it otherwise, to me I would not be offiically out. I wouldn't be able to post about birthdays, or Christmas or hang out with people who are DF'd and do whatever I wanted without thinking someones gonna read this or see that and dob me in. I wrote a DA letter to free my mind of the shackles. If you have no family in apart from hubby then really what have you got to lose? Some people look at you and turn their nose up as they walk by you in the supermarket? So what, anyone who dumps you like that was not your friend in the first place and you will be better off without them in your life. It hurst and it is not easy, but it most certainly does get easier.

You don't have to write a big fancy letter, to be honest (I know from experience being elder) if you have been missing meetings, and they get a letter from you, all they look for is that part that says "I don't want to be a JW" coz they don't care about your reasons - gotta follow the rule book.

If you do it, keep it short, and if you want to stick it to them on a particular point, do it nicely. Don't give them anything that backs up the "frothing psychotic apostate" picture that the GB paints for them.

I have pasted my letter below. I sent it off and heard nothing until a week or so later when I got a one line email from the COBE saying "We acknowledge your letter and have destroyed your records as requested." No attempt to save me, or stop me, or talk it over. Ahhh such love and concern.

Here is the hard truth that every JW needs to know: No matter what they say, they do not care about you at all. They will probably even be relieved that you are out of their hair. Trust me on this as an ex-elder. I am ashamed to say it.

Whatever you choose to do, do it with full confidence knowing that every day that passes takes your further from this mind controlling, family destroying cult, and for that reason, you will be better off.

To the Body of Elders,

This letter is to advise you that I, <Winston Smith>, no longer consider myself to be a member of the religion “Jehovah’s Witnesses” and to request that you destroy any records that you hold on me.

This religion was assumed from an early age, however now as a mature adult I have compared the doctrines and policies of “Jehovah’s Witnesses” with the contents of the bible and can see a vast difference. My personal beliefs and the doctrines and policies of “Jehovah’s Witnesses” no longer align. For many decades now the Governing Body have claimed to represent Jesus, and in that position have either predicted dates for the end of the world, or dangled the thought of it being “soon” yet Jesus was very clear in his words at Luke 21:8:

“He said: “Look out that YOU are not misled; for many will come on the basis of my name, saying, ‘I am he,’ and, ‘The due time has approached.’ Do not go after them.” - NWT

I hope that our friendships will transcend the difference in our beliefs, however I know - despite there being no sound scriptural reasoning for it - the Governing Body requires that no contact be maintained, even on a social level. This is of course ironic given that the July 2009 Awake on page 29 states:

“No one should be forced to worship in a way that he finds unacceptable or be made to choose between his beliefs and his family.”

It would appear that what is printed in the magazines, and the behind closed doors policy of the organisation differs markedly. This is but one of the many issues I have with the Watchtower Bible and Tract Society, along with its policies that allow the committing and cover up of sexual abuse against children.

<Mrs Smith> is a loving wife and amazing woman and as such she understands and supports my decision. I alone am disassociating.

I do not wish to be contacted with regards to the contents of this letter except for it to be confirmed by email that you have received the letter, and have destroyed my records.

We may no longer be sharers of the same faith, but as far as I am concerned we will always be friends.

Yours sincerely,

Winston Smith

<email address>

I sent it, and then we went out and got some ice cream.

Take care Julia, and feel free to PM me if you want to chat.

336

The New Diary of Winston Smith

by WinstonSmith in

we had to go off grid for a time, time and half a time as we thought we had been outed.

fortunately it was a false alarm, but it was a stressful time.

i asked for my original diary thread to be deleted in case there could be anything on there to identlfy mrs smith and i. i am always very careful when posting, and am sure there was nothing on there, but felt it best to have it removed in order to be as cautious as a dove.

WinstonSmith

Hi everyone!

It is an absolutely gorgeous day here in my city. Had a lovely weekend just chilling out with Mrs Smith.

Nothing to report on as far things are going with mum, the extent of contact has remained at a Like and / or comment here and there on my blog.

Thought I would share something that has popped up a couple of times in the last little while.

Since I DA'd I have not seen or run into any JWs anywhere. I am waiting for the day when I get my first official shun ha ha. I have always wondered what I would say, I guess it would depend on what they said. Anyway about a month ago I was walking to work having left the train station about 5 minutes before. I got to my corner and when the lights changed, crossed the road. As I was almost across I noticed approaching me from the right was a JW that I knew. He was not in the congregation that I was in when I DA'd, but in one that shared the same hall.

We saw each other at the same time, and I thought, "Here we go!" But to my surprise he walked right up with his hand out for a shake and greeted me with a "Hey bro!" Straightaway I thought, "Okay he is either being really cool, or he doesn't know that I am DA'd. We stood on the corner for a couple of minutes making small talk - where we worked etc - and in amongst it he asked me where which congregation we were in now. I said "Oh man we have moved house, and we are all over place" He just laughed and said "Yeah I know what that is like. We live in X territory, but go to Y congregation." I laughed with him and said "Well, there ain't no scripture against that!". He agreed and said "They are pretty relaxed about that kind of thing now."

We then parted and went on our merry ways. He obviously has no idea that I am DA'd, and I saw no reason to bring it up.

Then last week, I had just got out of the station when I felt a tug on my jacket. I turned around and it was him. Again, handshakes and hey bros. As we walked down toward the corner where we met last time, I was wondering if he might have heard about my DA. Maybe he has mentioned to someone that he has seen me and they had said that I was out. But then I thought that if that were true, and he was in dub-mode, then he probably wouldn't have tugged my jacket, but remained silently behind me.

As we walked along we talked about work being busy, the weather, nothing real deep. It is literally a 5 minutes walk so we soon parted ways again.

I wonder how this will turn out?

5

Jehovah's Witness 70, stripped of all privileges, jailed for historic sex abuse against his young stepdaughter prior to being a Witness. Nelson, New Zealand

by Sol Reform in

http://www.stuff.co.nz/nelson-mail/news/9458000/man-70-jailed-for-historic-sex-abuse.

man, 70, jailed for historic sex abuse james greenland last updated 13:00 29/11/2013.

share a nelson man has been jailed for six years for historical sex offences against his young stepdaughter.the victim spoke in the nelson district court at the sentencing of stephen robert carter, 70, this week.. she described the deep psychological trauma she had lived with as an adult as a result of his controlling and manipulative sexual abuse in the family home.. she explained the difficulty of living under a "burden of secrecy", unable to tell anyone about what carter did to her because of the effect it would have on his high standing within the nelson jehovah's witness congregation.. carter had admitted seven charges, including representative charges of rape, sodomy, inducing a girl under 12 to do an indecent act, permitting a girl under 12 to do an indecent act on another male, and counts of committing an indecency with an animal, and being party to an indecency with an animal.. the court heard that carter converted to christianity about three years after ceasing the sexual abuse, which he initiated under the false pretence of sexual education when his stepdaughter was 10 and 11.. in one of the first instances of "grooming", carter showed the victim his semen under a microscope, the court heard.

WinstonSmith

As sung by The Bloodhound Gang: "We don't need no water, let the mother****** burn"

That final quote from the article is chilling.

I hope this lady gets all the help she needs.

62

What a beautiful setting for ignorance! - Play my 20 questions type game.

by nicolaou in

brits might find this easier but where do you think i snapped this yesterday?

i'll only answer with a yes or no.. .

huge kudos to the winner.

WinstonSmith

Good to see they are following the advice of the Octopope and "going where the people are" I can see that they will be inundated by the thronging masses.

Is this really what counts as 'witnessing' these days?

No matter which language you translate this into, its always going to read 'desperate, waste of time'.

72

C,O's,D,O's from down under...who remembers??

by karter in

wolford and betty john,nice loveing couple,always loved children.. arther and tinnie roderson, nice couple he passed away some years ago too young from cancer.. wiakato and hine gray couldn't ask for better people.. jack teesie ..single guy would never go to a single sisters place for dinner even if she had children apperantly a bad look.. joe sleighman and wife nice couple were d.o's leaft and joined our side.. sandy pannell and wife...he reminded me of bill clinton always love to look down from the stage and wave his left finger at the congro....never liked him.. han's hubler,nuff said has been a few threads started about him.. there is many more.. karter..

WinstonSmith

Hey Joe, I grew up sitting behind Glendenning the meetings. Don't remember too much about him as I was young. I'm fairly sure they moved to the South Island and are still there.

We were good friends with Kelvin and Sarah. Good memories of he and I sitting on my patio sipping beers while the BBQ sizzled away. The best times to have COs over was Sunday evenings because all their work was done and their weekend was underway.

Tell me more about the talk of his that started you on the way out....