Posts by Xanthippe

15

Green Burial

by Xanthippe in

jw
friends

so my cousin gave up her fight against bowel cancer a couple of weeks ago.

yesterday was the funeral.

i haven't experienced a green burial before.

Xanthippe

Thanks for your thoughts and support guys.

15

Green Burial

by Xanthippe in

jw
friends

so my cousin gave up her fight against bowel cancer a couple of weeks ago.

yesterday was the funeral.

i haven't experienced a green burial before.

So my cousin gave up her fight against bowel cancer a couple of weeks ago. Yesterday was the funeral. I haven't experienced a green burial before. The idea is you have a quickly biodegradable coffin, she had wicker, and you are buried in a woodland. It's a beautiful place with trees, wild flowers and it's full of birds. You can have a memorial tree planted at the site of your burial and there are no headstones. The tree has a support post where you can have your name engraved so relatives can bring flowers to that spot later if they want to.

It was quite lovely but very sad. She was only 54 and the cancer treatment didn't work so she wrote her own eulogy and planned her own funeral to help her husband although she totally praised him at the funeral for his support. She thanked her parents for a happy childhood and good education, (never a JW. ) She thanked the Marie Curie and the Macmillan nurses who got her through her last days. There was opportunity to leave a donation. She thanked all her friends and family, neighbours and work colleagues. She described her life from childhood, meeting her husband, working as a teacher. It was cool to here stuff I didn't know. Do you ever think at funerals why didn't I hear this before?

There was music which was meaniful to her and her husband. As she was a primary school teacher she had a friend read a story she used to read at school to the children about getting over sadness. A couple of friends also spoke up with memories, some funny, which was a light relief. It was very moving and in such a lovely setting with birdsong and trees all around us. About a hundred people came. She requested that none of us wear black and there was no religious element because she was an atheist although she quoted the Dalai Lama about sad times making us stronger. A strong lady, I shall miss her. God knows how her husband and mother will cope.

It was a long day, we left the house at 7am and got back 11 hours later. I fell asleep on the sofa after dinner and woke with a start thinking, is my daughter alright, is she still alive! She was upstairs, she was fine, it had just been such a heavy day.

One thing she said in her eulogy which the celebrant read out was, really value life. She said she was enjoying every wild flower while she was dying. Really loving every minute with family and friends. She said she had always wanted to go to Barcelona but didn't make it. She said do the things you have always wanted to do, value every minute of your life. I just wanted to share that and it has helped me writing this down, thanks.

44

After 15-17 years JW daughter coming by for a visit today.

by James Mixon in

is something going on in jw land i don't know about.

she and her new husband and my two.

grand daughters, one i have never seen.

Xanthippe

JM I suggest keep an open mind. Anyway you get to see your grandchildren so have a great time.

100

Is it Time to Declare that The Great Tribulation Has Started ?

by OnTheWayOut in

i don't really engage in doctrinal discussions about jw's anymore.

they seem to say some pretty crazy stuff.

but i have read some threads discussing doctrinal changes and how watchtower is really out of ideas and money at the same time.

Xanthippe

Yes I said on another thread they are going to say soon the GT has started and blame all their money worries and persecution on fulfilment of this prophecy. I said :-

I think they have reached critical mass with donations and income from real estate. They don't need any more recruits so they don't care what the outside world thinks. They are intent on keeping 'awake' ex-JWs out by shunning adult children who rebel against the cult; young people who realise they are gay, and members who leave because they know intellectually it's all rubbish.

The bunker mentality they are developing in people is, I think, to turn all the negative publicity such as the ARC, the Charities Commission investigation in the UK and child abuse court cases in the U.S. into 'persecution' and fit it into Bible prophecy as the start of the great tribulation. They could drag out this great tribulation for many years.

17

Is JW.org being played?

by jw07 in

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wackkicmf4k.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b5lsyndc1me.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fnk52bu92oe.

Xanthippe

I think they have reached critical mass with donations and income from real estate. They don't need any more recruits so they don't care what the outside world thinks. They are intent on keeping 'awake' ex-JWs out by shunning adult children who rebel against the cult; young people who realise they are gay, and members who leave because they know intellectually it's all rubbish.

The bunker mentality they are developing in people is, I think, to turn all the negative publicity such as the ARC, the Charities Commission investigation in the UK and child abuse court cases in the U.S. into 'persecution' and fit it into Bible prophecy as the start of the great tribulation. They could drag out this great tribulation for many years.

42

"Just don't overthink the truth"

by stuckinarut2 in

jw
friends

so after almost a year of complete inactivity and non attendance, i ran into a nice brother from the local congregation.. after some nice chit-chat, he says "we really miss you and your family...etc...you were always the kind and supportive one, the approachable and encouraging one in the congregation.

your absence has confused so many".

i thanked him and said "oh no, no individual has stumbled us.

Xanthippe

It's not always comfortable being a thinker. It's easier to follow the crowd but as we all know seven million people can be wrong. Trusting yourself and the knowledge you've gained through doing some deep thinking will set you up for life but it doesn't always make you popular.

20

Which Public Talks did you enjoy giving/hearing? And which ones did you dislike giving or hearing?

by humblepotato in

jw
friends

i was just going through some of my talk outlines and i've decided to git rid of quite a few of them.

i'm still serving, but as time goes on... there are many subjects i will not teach anymore.. i got rid of the outlines dealing with blood, the field ministry, and ones talking about 607 and 1914. i can barely stand hearing them let alone give them.

in fact, talk 41 "stand still and see the salvation of jehovah" is one i got rid of because its whole point was about having blind obedience toward the gb and the elders during the great tribulation, and that we need to start practicing obedience now if we want to survive.

Xanthippe

I hated the ones about marriage and the family. Men going on about how emotional women were and making allowances for their vicissitudes, the dear little things, yuck.

50

Does the governing body know what they are doing?

by Gefangene in

what do you guys think?.

are they only some uber religious zealots or do they pursue hidden agendas beyond religiosity?.

Xanthippe

The GB know if they say it's all bullshit they lose their homes, their daily food, their families, friends, social status, prestige, foreign travel ...... their cognitive dissonance must be intense. They're blocking out so many parts of their brain it's a wonder they don't sound totally ridiculous ....oh wait

147

Challenge to Creationists

by cofty in

in response to the 37 threads in my evolution is a fact series - see bottom of op for links - perry posted a link to an article "44 reasons why evolution isn't true".. i offered him a challenge on the thread and by pm.

predictably he is totally ignoring it, so i am offering the challenge to any evolution-denier who thinks they have evidence to support their position.. please present one specific piece of evidence for creationism.. my task will be to refute it with evidence within 24 hours.. then i will present one piece of evidence for evolution and your challenge will be the same.. all posts must be as succinct as reasonably possible.

entirely in your own words, without copy-paste, videos or links.. please post your interest to take part and we will set it up before the first actual post in the exchange.

Xanthippe

any discussion of topics that touch on religion in any way is of course valid. In fact, we have subject areas for most things totally unrelated to religion so anything goes

Thanks for clarifying that Simon.

147

Challenge to Creationists

by cofty in

in response to the 37 threads in my evolution is a fact series - see bottom of op for links - perry posted a link to an article "44 reasons why evolution isn't true".. i offered him a challenge on the thread and by pm.

predictably he is totally ignoring it, so i am offering the challenge to any evolution-denier who thinks they have evidence to support their position.. please present one specific piece of evidence for creationism.. my task will be to refute it with evidence within 24 hours.. then i will present one piece of evidence for evolution and your challenge will be the same.. all posts must be as succinct as reasonably possible.

entirely in your own words, without copy-paste, videos or links.. please post your interest to take part and we will set it up before the first actual post in the exchange.

Xanthippe

I was disagreeing with your point that the purpose of this forum is to discuss religion. The purpose is support, friendship and tolerance for exJWs, no matter where they are in their journey since leaving the cult, according to Simon's intro.