Posts by Silverleaf

20

What Are Your Beliefs?

by MoeJoJoJo in

jw
friends

i am very curious in what everyone believes as far as religious beliefs.. since leaving the org, i feel i am still in a limbo state, i'm not quite sure of what i believe yet.

i believed a lie most of my life which i'm sure most of you can relate with, so its not so easy for me to jump right into something else.. i do feel there is a superior being who created us all.

i am still trying to sort things out.. so if you care to share, are you atheist, pagan, christian, etc.?

I was never a JW but considered it when I was engaged to one many years ago. I never felt comfortable with Christianity because it didn't make a lot of sense to me, then I read the Bible and discovered that it REALLY didn't make any sense. I've always thought I must be pagan - a bad thing according to JWs- so I didn't pursue my beliefs until my DH started researching Wicca. I picked up a book on Wicca and finally found things that made sense to me. I don't consider myself Wiccan - I call myself a Pagan Universalist most of the time and my beliefs have evolved a lot in a last few years and are still evolving.

Basically I see our creator as the mother goddess - a truly loving spirit that created the earth for Her children. Like human parents, She cannot and must not do everything for us, we have to learn some hard lessons on our own and She is there to guide us and love us even when we screw up. We don't have to sing special songs or spend certain days of the week worshipping Her [unless we choose to]. We live our loves to the best of our abilities and be the best people we can be and that's enough for Her.

I do believe in reincarnation - it just makes sense to me that souls would live forever, and keep coming back to live different lives and learn different lessons. I have no direct evidence of this, but it makes more sense than having one chance at eternity and being able to condemn yourself to oblivion for making one mistake. I belive those of us who truly sin - commit unforgivable acts such as murder, child abuse, etc, will face their actions in the afterlife, not with torture and damnation but with complete clarity of thought so they can fully understand their wrongdoing. I think shame is a far worse punishement than anything else.

I believe in celebrating life at every opportunity and learning about all the paths we can take. There is no one true religion and no path is right for everyone but I do believe the destination is the same.

Silverleaf

17

I was pondering...again.....

by VioletAnai in

jw
friends

i have another question re a bible topic.

i know some of you don't believe what it says, but just to get your opinion would be helpful.. ok, so in genisis.....the angels see the beautiful women of earth and get hot under the collar and proceed to come down and have sexual relations with these women.. now, some time before this happened, two silly individuals in their naivity, listen to a dumbarse snake and to tell you the truth if i was a new human and a snake spoke to me, i'd take pretty much what he says as gospel....cos that just doesn't happen.....or i'd be having a psychotic episode.

so they go and disobey god and what do they get for punishment....kicked out of home and left to fend for themselves without food, shelter, health, happiness or they father's love...all for disobeying him over a silly apple (i know this is to do with the 'sovereignty' issue, why he needs to prove himself i'll never know).

Silverleaf

Hi Violet,

You wrote: Is it my constant questioning that's destroying my already weak spirituality or is it the association here?

Questioning cannot destroy one's spirituality, I believe. What destroys spirituality is having to swallow weak, unreasonable answers to these important questions or face punishment of some sort for asking them in the first place. It's when you ask questions and begin to get answers that make sense, are truly uplifting and thoughtful and when you are rewarded for insight and logic that your spirituality really begins to grow. As for associating here, true spirituality can survive doubters, dissenting opinions and arguments - being in a place where you are free to speak your mind without fear of being 'outed' is far better for your spirituality than being somewhere where your silence is expected when you disagree with the rank and file.

Just my 2 cents,

Silverleaf

disliked by members of the WTS for insisting on logical answers to my questions

62

Do you ignore certain posters?

by LDH in

jw
friends

ok before we get off on the wrong foot this is not a flame war.

i read a comment by belbab on hillary's post this morning...he remarked that he had asked a question after the 09/11 attack, that no one answered.

well, i didn't even remember reading it, so i did a simple search.

Silverleaf

Since I was never a JW I don't always feel qualified to comment on a lot of the posts that deal with life as a JW. I read them but I try to follow the concept of "speak not of what you know not of."

I'm usually drawn in by interesting titles, and I generally check out anything with a flaming folder but I don't respond to fundies, preachers or trolls if I know them to be trolls [I've been lulled now and then by what appear to be intelligent posts that only turn out to be the hook that some trolls use to catch their victims.] No real offense but I don't respond to You Know because I usually have no idea what he's talking about and to be honest, I usually skip anything started by Fred Hall.

That's just me,

Silverleaf

14

Accident & Emergency = Kid Magnets?

by Simon in

jw
friends

coming home from work yesterday and i got a call from angharad, "dylan has hurt his arm and won't move it".. damn, i hate calls like that.

total inability to do anything other than say 'i'm on my way, i'll be there soon'.. i had all sorts of images of him with a broken arm, collar bone or something for the 10 minutes it took to get home.

and when i did, there he was looking very miserable and sorry for himself.

Silverleaf

Hi Simon,

I think they should offer parents sedatives in the ER [A&E]. I've been there with my daughter [fell of a swing at age 3 and cut her lip open - needed exactly ONE stitch] It was a four-hour ordeal and the nurses kept asking me if I needed to sit down. Had to rush my son to the ER with croupe one midnight [he was gasping and refused to wake up] nothing like a ride in an ambulance when you're half asleep and scared to death. And last summer he rode his bike off a retaining wall in our back yard [he took his bike helmet off FIRST though] and got a gash in the back of his head that required staples. [I was more upset than he was]. We've also been there twice when my daughter dislocated her elbow [same symptoms, screaming hysterically, wouldn't move her arm] then 1, 2, 3 it's back in place and it's like nothing happened, except you feel like someone let all the air out of you.

Unfortunately these are the things nobody warns you about when you have kids.

I'm glad your son is okay,

Have a day,

Silverleaf

15

"All of them witches"...

by Preston in

"all of them witches" was the name of the book that mia farrow read in in the film "rosemary's baby" which eventually lead her to believe that ruth grodon, ralph bellamy, and several other actors from the 40's and 50's rooming in her apartment were satan-worshippin' wiitches.

in this day in age i think people who are witches in real life have to live with various stereotypes permeated from movies, t.v.

shows, and whatnot.

Silverleaf

Hi Preston,

Nice to meet you. My husband is Wiccan and I have studied Wicca for several years, though I consider myself an Ecclectic Pagan, and somewhat of a Kitchen Witch, though I am not Wiccan.

Your boyfriend is right about the journey being a personal one and it is not dictated by a church, it comes from the self and is guided by the self. Not all witches cast spells but those that do so must understand the serious nature of their actions and never do anything to harm someone else. If you ask 10 witches what it means to be a witch you will get 11 answers [at least].

The best thing you can do is read a lot about it, the internet is a good beginning source and ask your boyfriend if he has books on the subject [likely he's got a budding library] or check out the New Age and Spirituality section of the book store.

Also: 'warlock' is word that means oathbreaker, male witches are witches not warlocks.

Best wishes, and if you have any more questions, just ask!

Silverleaf

13

Hi All. Let Me Introduce Myself.

by imissthedub in

jw
friends

some of you have met me in the chat room, since i have been in there several times and also have been reading alot on here.

i am new to chatroom so did not realize that people posted to introduce themself.. i am not and have never been jw.

i did have someone who meant alot to me hurt my badly.

Silverleaf

Hello and welcome,

You wrote:
" am not and have never been JW. I did have someone who meant alot to me hurt my badly. He was a JW."

Same applies to me. Looks like we come from the same boat.

Silverleaf

27

NEW EXJW ON THE BLOCK

by buffy in

jw
friends

you can read my bio to find out a little about me.

basically, i need support.

even after two years, i still think.

Silverleaf

Hi Buffy,

Welcome! I was never a JW but considered it many years ago because of my former fiance. Since I was not brought up religiously for a long time I thought there was something wrong with me because I could not accept the JW teachings when they were presented to me. I found out after years of soul searching that I wasn't the one who was missing something. Something you wrote struck me:

Regarding your son:
"What if because I rejected Jehovah and die, he does too."

First of all please ask yourself if someone who would kill your child because of something YOU did is really worthy of your love and devotion. Do you want to live your life as a hostage of God, as a prisoner conforming to rules you don't agree with to protect your son from the wrath of a vengeful creator?

There are lots of other paths out there. Now that you are free you can explore them without fear and you may find there are many more beautiful ways to see the universe. I wish you all the best. You have not condemned your son - you've given him a tremendous freedom that he will thank you for when he's older.

Bright blessings,

Silverleaf

10

Haunting Images

by joelbear in

1. the pictures from watchtower publications showing wicked mankind being destroyed while jehovah's witnesses are delivered to paradise.

i don't think the general public completely understands that jw's think they are an exclusive group.. 2. the video of two of the molesters going from door to door.

it was a tremendously powerful image.. 3. the words of the watchtower legal department saying that jehovah will fix the problem.. 4. the view of a witness assembly.

Silverleaf

Hi everybody,

While I agree that "pedophile paradise" was a sound bite and one that surprised me when I heard it, in all honesty it will be a phrase that will catch the attention of 'wordly' people and it will be one they don't forget easily. One of a parent's greatest fears is that someone will molest their children. If that fear can make people look objectively at the Watchtower and ask hard questions when publishers come to the door, a lot of families will be saved from the tragedies that have happened to so many people on this list.

Just my 2 cents,

Silverleaf

27

YEEEEAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!

by COMF in

jw
friends

sock it to 'em, bill!

praise the lord, the truth's coming out!

Silverleaf

I have chills. To actually hear these things on a national news program is just astounding. I feel sorry for the next publishers who come to my door. They're going to get a blow by blow account of Dateline May 28, 2002.

Silverleaf

6

FRONT PAGE NEWS!

by Silverleaf in

i'd just like to say congratulations to all those who've worked so hard and suffered so much at the hands of the wtbs to bring the pedophile scandal to the forefront.

i was thrilled to see the front page headline in my newpaper this morning [the record] .

"a battle rises within jehovah's witnesses".

Silverleaf

I'd just like to say congratulations to all those who've worked so hard and suffered so much at the hands of the WTBS to bring the pedophile scandal to the forefront. I was thrilled to see the FRONT PAGE headline in my newpaper this morning [The Record]

"A battle rises within Jehovah's Witnesses"
4 ousted after complaining about abuse cases

The article quotes Carl and Barbara Pandelo and Bill Bowen and mentions the Dateline show [tomorrow at 10:00 PM here on the East Coast and you can bet I will be watching]

I've cut the article out and will be more than happy to show it to anyone who comes to my door wanting to discuss God's will!

Here's an exceptional quote: "...the church believes in forgiving sinners if they show repentance and members are expected to welcome them back into the fold." Yeahsheryoubetcha!

Kudos all, I'm glad the Truth about the Truth will finally reach the public.

Bright blessings,

Silverleaf