Swan

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Posts by Swan

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  4

  Oregon Apostafest

  by Low-Key Lysmith in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  i just wanted to say how nice it was to meet everybody and put faces to screen names.

  the party was a hoot.

  thank you brenda c for putting it all together.

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  Swan

  Yes Brenda, please post all of the pictures of us having not too much fun.

  Tammy
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  21

  Thou Shalt Not Consume Peanut Butter Before Thy God!

  by Swan in

  1. watchtower
  2. beliefs

  here's what i don't get about some religions.

  maybe someone could explain it to me.

  okay, hypothetically, let's say you belong to a religion where one of the "rules" is that you shouldn't eat peanut butter.

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  Swan

  Ténébreux, that's a very good point.

  Here's the final part of my essay. Sorry it took so long to post, but I was distracted by the disaster this week:

  Okay, lets take it further. Perhaps some trucker got snowed in somewhere on a remote stretch of highway in the Nevada desert, and survived for two weeks on nothing but his cargo of peanut butter and snow melt. Why is this person, that everyone else thinks is a survivor, thought of by you as a bad person for preserving his life in such a manner? Why is this person especially condemned when you find out he is also a member of your religion, and he chose to survive at the expense of violating the Godly peanut butter rule? Isn't this a matter between him and God?

  Tammy
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  21

  Thou Shalt Not Consume Peanut Butter Before Thy God!

  by Swan in

  1. watchtower
  2. beliefs

  here's what i don't get about some religions.

  maybe someone could explain it to me.

  okay, hypothetically, let's say you belong to a religion where one of the "rules" is that you shouldn't eat peanut butter.

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  Swan

  Bttt.

  Anyone?
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  21

  Thou Shalt Not Consume Peanut Butter Before Thy God!

  by Swan in

  1. watchtower
  2. beliefs

  here's what i don't get about some religions.

  maybe someone could explain it to me.

  okay, hypothetically, let's say you belong to a religion where one of the "rules" is that you shouldn't eat peanut butter.

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  Swan

  jgnat,

  Here's another example. A good friend of mine observes Lent. She and her husband pick something to give up for the duration. (If I am getting this wrong, anybody, correct me). He always picks something he dislikes anyways, like a non-smoker deciding to abstain from cigarettes. My friend, on the other hand, observes the intent of Lent, and picks something she likes. This last time she picked chocolate. Uh oh. I laughed, but I was cruel. Of course we had chocolate around the office all through Lent, and the poor woman could look, not touch.

  Great example. I had thought about Lent myself in writing this essay, but wasn't exactly sure how to address that point. Your real life example is perfect. It also gives me an idea about giving up Lima beans for Lent.

  The Israelite analogy might be the one in Malachi (or was it Micah, I've been out of da troof for so long, I forgot) where you show your devotion to God through your sacrifice. Do you give of your best, your first fruits? Or do you sacrifice a blind or lame animal instead?

  There may be another factor at work here, the natural human tendency to despise what you cannot have. Like the story of the Fox and the Grapes.

  In our house we put down Christmas, and always pointed out every evil about it. A news story like "House Burns When Christmas Tree Ignites" would be pointed to as a reason why we were protected during such an evil holiday.

  Tammy
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  21

  Thou Shalt Not Consume Peanut Butter Before Thy God!

  by Swan in

  1. watchtower
  2. beliefs

  here's what i don't get about some religions.

  maybe someone could explain it to me.

  okay, hypothetically, let's say you belong to a religion where one of the "rules" is that you shouldn't eat peanut butter.

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  Swan

  Elsewhere,

  I love the current storyline on Stargate. I see so many parallels with the Crusades of past and our current fundamentalist crusades between Christians and Muslims going on in Iraq. The episode a few weeks ago where they actually fueled the Prior's force field with their attacks until the whole planet was consumed was particularly enlightening. Is the show trying to make the point that attacking each other head on is counterproductive?

  To all,

  On a lesser scale, could it offer us some lessons about the minor jihad some have noted that goes on here between religious and atheist exJWs?

  Just some other things I have been pondering lately related to Andi's (Billygoat's) recent posts. (Thanks Andi!)

  Tammy
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  21

  Thou Shalt Not Consume Peanut Butter Before Thy God!

  by Swan in

  1. watchtower
  2. beliefs

  here's what i don't get about some religions.

  maybe someone could explain it to me.

  okay, hypothetically, let's say you belong to a religion where one of the "rules" is that you shouldn't eat peanut butter.

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  Swan

  Steve,

  I think you've really nailed the point I was trying to make. Also, it isn't just about JWs and blood, as MrsJones pointed out. It can be applied to lots of religions for various banned items. In fact, it was actually a different religion's stance on a completely different item that prompted this discussion. These are just some of the points I've noted in dealing with several friends who belong to this religion.

  Here's part two of my essay to further the discussion:

  Now you come up to me and tell me how I should try this peanut butter substitute. It is really so much better, so you say. So I give it a taste, and it's okay, but the real thing is so much better, in my opinion. So I continue to eat PB&J sandwiches, while you eat your substitute and rave about how good it is and how much healthier you are for having eaten it.

  My question is, if you are giving up peanut butter for religious reasons, then why are you seeking a substitute? Doesn't it kind of negate the spirit of giving up something for God and your religion? If you believe God commands you not to eat peanut butter, then do you really think He would appreciate you mitigating your sacrifice with a peanut butter substitute?

  I'm not trying to accuse here, I'm just trying to understand. If you are giving up something for religious reasons, then give it up. Don't give it up because it is healthier because of one or two studies, or an anecdotal choking incident. Give it up because it is your religion. So why does your church publish articles about the unhealthiness of peanut butter fiends? Are you doing it because God wants it that way, or because you also have to convince yourself you are benefiting your health? I don't get this. Please explain.

  Tammy
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  21

  Thou Shalt Not Consume Peanut Butter Before Thy God!

  by Swan in

  1. watchtower
  2. beliefs

  here's what i don't get about some religions.

  maybe someone could explain it to me.

  okay, hypothetically, let's say you belong to a religion where one of the "rules" is that you shouldn't eat peanut butter.

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  Swan

  Here's what I don't get about some religions. Maybe someone could explain it to me.

  Okay, hypothetically, let's say you belong to a religion where one of the "rules" is that you shouldn't eat peanut butter. So that part I understand. I may not understand or agree with the reasoning behind this rule, but you do, and can quote scripture and verse to show why you cannot conscientiously partake of this particular item. But I accept that it is just part of your religious belief, and try to remember not to tempt you with my homemade peanut butter cookies, but instead bring out oatmeal chocolate chip, since I respect your beliefs.

  Here's what I don't get. Why do you feel the need to tell me why peanut butter is so bad for my health? Why do you need to substantiate your anti-peanut butter beliefs with studies that prove how toxic it is? Why do you ignore the studies that claim that peanut butter is a good source of protein or some other health benefit. Why do you tell me about the anecdotal evidence of the man who choked on a PB&J and point to that as a reminder of how deadly it can be?

  So this is what I've been thinking about lately. There's more, but that's enough to start a discussion.

  Tammy
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  33

  To All Of The Kids Who Survived the .....

  by BrendaCloutier in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  first, we survived being born to mothers who smoked and/or drank while they carried us.

  they took aspirin, ate blue cheese dressing, tuna from a can, and didn't get tested for diabetes.. .

  then after that trauma, our baby cribs were covered with bright colored lead-based paints.. .

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  Swan

  I remember following the 5-second rule before it was even called that. A little dirt never killed anyone.

  Tammy
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  23

  To say Goodbye..........

  by ScoobySnax in

  1. jw
  2. friends
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  Swan

  Gosh Scooby, I sure will miss you! Take care and come back to visit occasionally.

  Tammy
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  44

  Not DA'd, Not DF'd - but pretty much Disowned...

  by Ingenuous in

  1. jw
  2. experiences

  i just came from what will probably be the last conversation i'll ever have with my father.

  earlier in the day, i'd talked to my mom and she asked what i was up to - translated "what are you doing with yourself since you aren't going to meetings or out in service?

  " i told her i'd been discussing the bible with an informal group of people and reading older wts literature.

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  Swan

  I know this isn't new to any of your here. It's just very, very new to me.

  It sure brings back the memories of when it happened with me, so it's almost like it happened yesterday. It's a very painful time. And your situation sounds a lot like mine. It is a complex dynamic consisting not of the extrication from the JW org, but compounded with issues of independence and leaving the nest. I too was always the good one, and my parents actually lived at my house when they weren't traveling for about 6 months out of the year. They felt like I was forcing them to find another place to live, even though I made it clear that they were still welcome there.

  Hang in there.

  Tammy