Faithful Witness I hear a lot these days from this forum that the JWs talk about sanctifing god's name and restoring his sovereignty to the earth. Do they ever talk about the new system any more? About an end to sickness, death, poverty, war etc, just wondering? Without the emphasis on the carrot and more and more being beaten with the stick I just wonder what the attraction is.
Xanthippe
JoinedPosts by Xanthippe
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My Elderette is returning today to CONDUCT another conversation...
by Faithful Witness inshe has had 42 years of training and indoctrination.
i'm feeling sort of nervous, but also looking forward to it.
this will be our second scheduled session together, and we never did agree on a topic.. i'm assuming she will come with an agenda and another prepared presentation.
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What do you do when your job makes you wanna puke your face off?
by Julia Orwell ini'm talking like makes you physically sick and emotionally frazzled just thinking about it.
i'm talking like you hate it to the point you'd rather go without than work at it just for the money.
you'd live on cheap korean packet noodles for the next year instead of exchanging your labor for this job's money.. well, this is how i feel about teaching and tutoring.
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Xanthippe
Your Golden Bengal cat is beautiful. You have a real gift.
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Our throw-away society
by zound incheck out this video if you have 20 minutes to spare - it really is awesome.
anyone want to add their thoughts on how to change societys throwaway mentality?.
the story of stuff.
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Xanthippe
Thanks zound I notice on Wiki other people have had the same problem as I'm having here, I can't tell if he's encouraging rampant consumerism or grimly acknowledging its existence.
Just noticed your question at the beginning. I think we should teach our kids about our throw-away society and what consumerism is about. Teach them about adverts on TV. I used to say to my daughter this is just people trying to sell you stuff, these people are not trying to help you. Teach them that the world is run by corporations and particularly multi-nationals, not governments.
Teach them to recycle and to support charities that are trying to save our environment, our home. WWF is great, it's not just about animals anymore, it's about keeping the oceans, rivers, air and food safe for all of us.
They will still want fancy phones but it will help them to see the big picture.
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Our throw-away society
by zound incheck out this video if you have 20 minutes to spare - it really is awesome.
anyone want to add their thoughts on how to change societys throwaway mentality?.
the story of stuff.
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Xanthippe
zound, brilliant video. We have less leisure time than when we lived in a feudal society? I laughed at that scene where the guy is exhausted from working long hours so he flops down in front of the TV only to be told 'you suck' by the adverts. So he had to go out and buy new things to make himself feel better and then he has to work longer hours.........
I remember a TV ad with well known personality Paul Merton on UK TV and the tag line was 'ashamed of your mobile? ' (Cell phone) Who was it who said in the vid we should fill our spiritual needs, our ego needs with consumerism? Can't remember who it was, can you zound?
Trouble is if you talk about any of this stuff you get labelled a tree-hugger, a save the whale freak, or even worse an environmentalist. Oh I feel so bad, must go shopping!
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Yes, I see you shunning me!
by Blackbird Fly ineven tho i grew up in the org, so much that once seemed normal behavior now seems so bizarre and even cruel.
i have run into at least 3 people from our old cong since the memorial (i didnt attend) anyhow i have noticed how each time they go out of their way to say hello and flash me a big bright smile, only to immediately avert their eyes and end any possible commitment to a conversation.
i dont really care as i dont have anything to say to them anyhow.
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Xanthippe
Xan...thanks.
And thanks...i just read your first post " am i valid" ....yes you are and your posts are better reading than any W.T i ever read.....
That's really kind of you, thanks.
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Yes, I see you shunning me!
by Blackbird Fly ineven tho i grew up in the org, so much that once seemed normal behavior now seems so bizarre and even cruel.
i have run into at least 3 people from our old cong since the memorial (i didnt attend) anyhow i have noticed how each time they go out of their way to say hello and flash me a big bright smile, only to immediately avert their eyes and end any possible commitment to a conversation.
i dont really care as i dont have anything to say to them anyhow.
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Xanthippe
Xan...thanks.
And thanks...i just read your first post " am i valid" ....yes you are and your posts are better reading than any W.T i ever read.....
That's really kind of you, thanks.
Oops double post.
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Yes, I see you shunning me!
by Blackbird Fly ineven tho i grew up in the org, so much that once seemed normal behavior now seems so bizarre and even cruel.
i have run into at least 3 people from our old cong since the memorial (i didnt attend) anyhow i have noticed how each time they go out of their way to say hello and flash me a big bright smile, only to immediately avert their eyes and end any possible commitment to a conversation.
i dont really care as i dont have anything to say to them anyhow.
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Xanthippe
New hope LOL I know what you mean. Actually two people did that thinking back. When I went into my nearest town an elder who used to be my husband's pioneer partner years before, did the same thing to me. Crazy people.
Funny story about that elder. He never liked me. One day I realised he was following me around the KH listening to my conversations. He was always trying to get something on me. I was at the literature desk trying to get a new publication and when I had finished I stepped back and trod straight on this elder's foot in my stilleto heels. Well he started hopping around holding his foot in agony. Wow what a great moment that was! That man was a complete sh*t.
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Yes, I see you shunning me!
by Blackbird Fly ineven tho i grew up in the org, so much that once seemed normal behavior now seems so bizarre and even cruel.
i have run into at least 3 people from our old cong since the memorial (i didnt attend) anyhow i have noticed how each time they go out of their way to say hello and flash me a big bright smile, only to immediately avert their eyes and end any possible commitment to a conversation.
i dont really care as i dont have anything to say to them anyhow.
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Xanthippe
When I disassociated one 'brother' stopped right in front of me when I was walking through the village. He blocked my path but refused to speak. He just stared at me! As if he wanted to make it plain I was persona non grata. Why not just ignore me? To walk up to me and plant himself in front of me was just weird. Well it's a cult.
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Is my clinging on to a belief in a Creator doing me any harm?
by KateWild ini use the word clinging, as i feel that is what i am doing.
as far as my knowledge of science, namely chemistry is concerned, i am satisfied there is evidence of a creator.
i am happy to believe this.
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Xanthippe
I totally agree with you Kate that you have a human right to believe in God if you want to.
Is it doing you any harm you ask?
Perhaps if you feel you are part of some big plan, some greater purpose that might be harmful. I think we need to make our own purpose in life and the beauty of it is it's going to be slightly different for everyone. It's going to be from our authentic personality which is wonderful.
Do you remember that earlier in the thread you said you don't know how you fell for the love bombing of the JWs? Sometimes people prey on us at weak moments if we have a general belief. If we think in the back of our minds that the genuine believers who really have love among themselves are out there somewhere we might be duped again.
What I mean by this is not that there aren't some good people in churches. I mean the Christlike personality as propounded by more cultish groups is a myth, nobody can be that perfect. It just messes people up trying to be that perfect.
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An important difference between atheists and true believers
by Hortensia intrue believers, whether christian, muslim or whatever, want to convert you, they want you to believe what they do, and they're willing to go to extremes to make it happen.
atheists don't really care what you believe, and don't go out of their way to convert someone.. http://ow.ly/vn1jz an example of what believers in power do to suppress any difference in thought.
http://ow.ly/vraeo an example of why believers want to suppress different ideas (because they can't win in a fair fight, that's why).
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Xanthippe
xanhippe I'm still waiting for an example or an apology for calling me dishonest. - Cofty
LOL you do make me laugh. I think you are being intellectually dishonest. When Fraz raised the subject of banning religion and what a mistake that had been in the Soviet Union you said that was not what you meant at all. When I then tackled you about your desire to see the end of religion you said,
I would love to see an end to religion, but only because everybody decided of their own volition that it was nonsense.
This isn't going to happen is it? That's as much a risible fairy story as religious belief. So why are you backing down from the question that I (and I believe Fraz) were driving at which is what do you expect or hope to see happen to religion? We are all well aware that you would love to see an end to it but with the above statement you are dodging the question of how this will happen. Perhaps the crux of the matter is that you haven't really thought it through and you think it is a simple matter of people intelligently deriding religion for a long period of time.