zophar

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Posts by zophar

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  15

  Anyone Watch Dr Phil Show today?

  by zophar in

  1. watchtower
  2. beliefs

  are you watching dr phil with the df wife and still in husband?.

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  zophar

  Are you watching Dr Phil with the DF wife and still in husband?
  
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  40

  Introduce myself

  by dantoole87 in

  1. jw
  2. experiences

  i'd like share why i went from being a teenager determined to work in full time service for jehovah my entire life, to now being on here commiserating with you all.

  i use to be an atheist but i now believe in god.

  but i'm not preachy about god.

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  zophar

  We have a marriage full of extreme highs and lows.

  Appreciated your story. Because JW's emphasize "works" more than "Grace" one finds their worth associated with Pioneering etc

  The fact that your life has so many highs and lows could also be the symptom of a disorder like Bi-Polar Manic Depression. If you find these extreme highs and lows happening with you, you might want to seek help. Of course, I can't diagnose that,it could just be a result of being in a messed up belief system among power hungry elders for so long. But take care of yourself and your baby. You have a lot to live for.

  I hope you find happiness.
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  28

  Why do ex-JW's talk so much about being ex-JW's?

  by Sour Grapes in

  1. watchtower
  2. beliefs

  is it because we were in the cult watchtower compound that we talk about being ex-jw's when we stop being active?

  i have never heard anyone say that i was an ex-catholic or an ex-lutheran or an ex-baptist.

  they just stop going to their church and don't talk about it.. years after not stepping inside a kingdom hell, many of us still have to talk about being ex-jw's.

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  zophar

  charonsdog

  I have enjoyed reading your posts. Glad you decided to join the group. It sounds like you have moved on and made a life for yourself.

  You are obviously a thinking person who never lost that ability even when in the Org. Thinking people who serve as elders and have a sense of humor are loved by many in the congregation but are constantly counseled by other elders who don't know how to have an independent thought!

  Welcome aboard the "The Dirty Apostate" Ship of Free-thinkers
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  7

  Oh Happy Day- Cover - by Gerrit Losch feat. Pissed Samuel Herd

  by Ray Frankz in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  thats my question.

  i mean because here in brazil there's a huge ban in any religious content that doesn't come from the gb, and that includes songs, of course.

  thus, it doesn't matter how beautiful or touching a gospel song is, you will never see a brazilian jw singing (not for real, in front of others) or even lesser quoting it.

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  zophar

  Agree, it is his personality. Very dry sense of humor but I think he was just trying to be funny.

  Your point about singing "Oh Happy Day!" is right on. That would have been seriously taboo back when it was popular. According to Wikipedia: "Therecording was made at Hawkin's church, the Ephesian Church of God in Christ in Berkeley, California.["
  
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  30

  Well...It's 2018 and still no ''Armageddon''

  by RULES & REGULATIONS in

  1. watchtower
  2. beliefs

  1972 : we started studying with the jehovah's witnesses when my uncle became an elder and put fear into our family that armageddon was close.

  1974 : my mom, my brother and i were all baptized after all the convention talks and watchtower magazine articles that 1975 would likely end this system of things.

  1999 : being told that the year 2000 was going to mark the 6 thousand years of mans existence and that the 1000 year kingdom in the new paradisewould come in the year 2000.

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  zophar

  Wolfman: Thanks for that comparison from the 1/1//89 WT. It was one of the most eye-opening things for me. To think they would actually re-write their own magazine really amazed me. Stand up and admit your mistake or if you are not going to acknowledge your history at least don't re-write it!

  I had always given them credit as being sincere and honestly mistaken and then I saw this and forgot about crediting them with any honesty. And how sincere does that make one.
  
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  52

  US violent crimes and murders rose in 2016, the FBI says

  by Simon in

  1. social
  2. current

  i can't remember the exact topic but i think a few people predicted the same thing - that the blm movement would cause an increase in violent deaths of young black men, ultimately doing more harm than good.. and so it has: http://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-41391333.

  an 8.6% rise in the homicide rate is pretty appalling by any standard unless it started at very low levels, which we know it didn't.. this is why i object to movements based on false premises and invented media lies / selective coverage.

  the people who suffer the most are not the ones marching in the streets.

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  zophar

  Well, I work for a living and because of a pre-existing health condition had a terrible time trying to start a business independent of Employer Group Insurance. My wife had health insurance, that I had to pay for, it wasn't free because of a provision of ObamaCare or more Properly the Affordable Care Act.

  I don't think he was an effective president. I can't stand Hillary and I don't like Trump as a person. I don't know enough about foreign policy to know if his tweets to other world leaders have a good or bad effect, but it looks bad to me.

  It gets back to a broken system. Republicans and Democrats won't work together for anything other than their own benefit and getting elected again.

  I mainly agree with Simon when it comes to the whole BLM program. I knew some wonderful people among JW's who live in the ghettos and tried to work hard. Some of them had the cleanest homes you could want even in the poorest conditions which just shows that it comes back to whether you are willing to help yourself or not. I too think the welfare mentality went way up the last few years. I also believe that President Trump is a dangerous person.

  Let the stoning commence. After all that is what we like to do to one another!
  
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  16

  Intro

  by jc1985 in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  hello all, many years i have been lurking on this site.

  gradually i’ve learned the real truth, gone from serving as a servant and at bethel to inactive for almost a year, barely ever wasting time going to meetings.

  my family is large and very active and so is my wife’s so leaving altogether is difficult.. though it seems now that everything is about to change.

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  zophar

  Love the John Lennon quote about life! Remember that song fondly, as I age myself.

  My work keeps me in touch with the public and it really helps. I was happily surprised to find an abundance of really wonderful people out there. It is a lot easier once you quit viewing them as worldly or future bird food. There is a large non-denominational church in this area and I have met a number of people that attend there. They all have been very kind even after I mention that I was "raised" as a JW. They are very involved in the community and doing good works and I really admire them for it. That alone has been very eye opening for me, a born in JW baptized in the 60's.

  Another eye opener for me was when I first started to listening to other Bible scholars and ministers. I was under the impression that all non-JW's don't read their Bible or use it in Church. Definitely not the truth.

  The thing is once you see the crack or allow that first doubt to materialize, you suddenly see a whole new world. I like Leonard Cohen's line, "There is a crack in everything, that's how the light gets in."

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

  And the light of free thought does indeed get brighter! In fact, I believe that is the meaning of Proverbs 4:18 "But the path of the righteous is like the bright morning light that grows brighter and brighter until full daylight." -NWT.

  That Proverb is discussing the experience of a person, NOT a spirit directed organization! In that setting it is certainly true. We grow as people, opening our minds and thinking for one's self will lead to a brighter and happier life. May that be your experience JC1985. Wishing you a bright happy future starting today.
  
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  8

  Are You Sure I shouldn't read that Apostate Literature?

  by zophar in

  1. watchtower
  2. beliefs

  from the time i was a young pioneer, i wondered why jw’s could not accept when a householder offered to exchange literature with us /me.

  i just couldn’t picture jesus being afraid of what another might argue.

  obviously, paul was familiar with other religions.

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  zophar

  Sunworshipper805

  Agreed, once the thought is implanted you either have to investigate OR you are not a genuine person are you? Cognitive dissonance is a terrible thing but it is finally in the end no excuse. We each have our own load of responsibility to carry.
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  8

  Are You Sure I shouldn't read that Apostate Literature?

  by zophar in

  1. watchtower
  2. beliefs

  from the time i was a young pioneer, i wondered why jw’s could not accept when a householder offered to exchange literature with us /me.

  i just couldn’t picture jesus being afraid of what another might argue.

  obviously, paul was familiar with other religions.

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  zophar

  From the time I was a young pioneer, I wondered why JW’s could not accept when a householder offered to exchange literature with us /me. I just couldn’t picture Jesus being afraid of what another might argue. Obviously, Paul was familiar with other religions. And I don’t mean just the Jewish faith.

  Acts 17:27, 28 NWT: . . .that they would seek God, if they might grope for him and really find him, although, in fact, he is not far off from each one of us. 28 For by him we have life and move and exist, even as some of your own poets have said, ‘For we are also his children.’

  That same account mentions Epicurean and Stoic philosophers: “Eventually he got into a debate with some Epicurean and Stoic philosophers.” -The Voice Translation or as NWT says “disputing with him” I assume he disputed back to them! He surely knew of their philosophy and at least studied the fundamentals of their reasoning. He is brought to the Areopagus and, “they brought him to the rock outcropping known as the Areopagus, where Athens’ intellectuals regularly gathered for debate, and they invited him to speak.” The Voice So here is Paul, ready for the Philosophical debate. How different from the mentality of the modern JW today. The Reasoning Book had a listing for philosophy, very interesting: rs p. 288 Philosophy – “As used here, philosophy is not built on acceptance of belief in God, but it tries to give people a unified view of the universe and endeavors to make them critical thinkers.” Ah ha! there is the rub, we can’t have any of that critical thinking, now can we? Notice this Service Meeting Part from 1992:

  *** km 5/92 p. 2 Service Meetings for May ***

  15 min: Protect Yourself From Apostasy. Discussion between an elder and a publisher seated at a table. Publisher explains that he met someone in service who has been reading apostate literature. Publisher tells elder he feels householder was sincere in questions he raised. Publisher refused householder’s offer of apostate publication but would like to try to answer householder’s questions. Elder commends publisher for his good attitude and actions. Rather than discuss what apostates have written or said, it is wise to concentrate on Scriptural viewpoint of matters as set forth in Reasoning book.

  How unfair for the “unbelieving mate” who goes to a Church. They are invited to go to the Kingdom Hall and miss their Church meeting, while the JW “believing mate” will not reciprocate for fear of being an Apostate. Does that even have the ring of reasonability?

  I know this is nothing new, just allows me to vent. It came about because I was reading some of the earlier posts, especially On The Way Outs encounter with the JW’s on his sidewalk. He brought up some really excellent points to no avail of course. But I was thinking, what if we could tell them that they don’t need to read anything Apostate. Are they allowed to watch video of their GB members, is that permissible? Then suggest they watch an unedited interview by a Government sanctioned authority with Geoffrey Jackson. (The full transcript is available as well: https://www.childabuseroyalcommission.gov.au/sites/default/files/file-list/Case%20Study%2029%20-%20Transcript%20-%20Jehovahs%20Witnesses%20-%20Day%20155%20-%2014082015.pdf

  Here is just a very small portion:

  Q. And do you see yourselves as Jehovah God's spokespeople on earth? A.That I think would

  seem to be quite presumptuous to say that we are the only spokesperson that God is using.

  I know, many of us have tried to do just that but can’t break through. As was mentioned in the OTWO post, maybe we can plant a seed and they will think.

  And now, to Saint Stephen’s Feast or Boxing Day! As an arrogant Yank, I just learned what that December 26 Holiday was all about in England and Canada.

  
  
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  27

  Encounter with a long time elder. (Jehovah's happy people)

  by freddo in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  so i'm at work and go to my vehicle parked outside the empty property i'm working at and an elderly man comes out of next door and we recognise each other from when we were elders in the same circuit.

  he is early 80's in age, a jw since the 1960's and so the next generation in age up from me.. he's an outwardly jolly sort and asks how i am etc.

  (knows i'm not an elder but thinks i'm pimi) and asks if i want a cup of tea so i go in and sit in his kitchen for my lunchbreak and have a chat.. i have a little fish around and ask about how jw's in his hall are.

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  zophar

  .....by the way Freddo. Excellent job of showing concern to the old man. Maybe your subtle approach caused some Cognitive Dissonance and he will think about things a bit.