spider

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Posts by spider

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  11

  Alanis and why we love her...

  by SYN in

  1. social
  2. entertainment

  alanis morisette.

  i'm sure many of you have listened to her music.

  she happens to be one of my favourite female recording artists, for a number of reasons.

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  spider

  cheers for that - i've had the cd for years and never noticed that track.
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  124

  Booted! On the ship! Kicked off! Df'd!

  by teejay in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  over at kent's cozy discussion forum, at http://kent.steinhaug.com/forum/showthread.php3?s=576c225fa464b8a850eaf84a8f511cad&threadid=62, redhorsewoman started a thread wherein she wanted comments about an old highschool classmate (also a jw) that she recently met again.. responding to her post, i said.

  too late for your situation, but i'd treat her as i've come to treat my jw family: leave religion, the truth, jehovah (and the rest of that jw baggage) out of all conversations... unless they bring it up.

  and even then, don't expect much.

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  spider

  This seems to explain things :
  http://kent.steinhaug.com/forum/announcement.php3?s=c245dd686ea0b0a009a73f8942dc7697&forumid=7

  It seems we have got the braindead morons visiting. Just an advice. Anyone who want to keep posting on this board, should respect the simple guidlines. We do NOT want the wars we have seen where we all came from.

  The ones trying to stirr up trouble will simply be booted - without any warning - and without any notice.

  The ones who don't like it - can go wherever they want - or make their own board!

  There is simply a lot of people I and the others on this board know during a long time - and we don't want them here.

  Simple as that.

  Kent
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  51

  LOGICAL - Why are you always so sad, fed up &

  by Celtic in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  lonely?

  ever since i've come to this board, you take every opportunity possible to imform everyone else how sad you are, do you ever give encouragement back to others, or have you always been like this, doing your best to stay as miserable as can be?.

  you know theres lots of people here who would like to help you, given the chance, in fact i can't even be bothered to give you any encouragement this time, cos all you do every time you see someone in chat is tell them how lonely and sad you are.

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  spider

  Logical asked why everyone was ignoring him. If this thread demonstrates anything it is that Logical is DEFINATELY not being ignored.
  I don't know anything about Logical or his situation. I do however believe that he adds character to this board and possesses a wit that can cut to the bone.He adds a distinctive flavour to this place and if he ever left, you'd miss him for sure. Think about it - you know its true.
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  18

  Find Ex-JWs list updated

  by Dogpatch in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  i have just updated the "find ex-jws worldwide" database which is up at:.

  http://www.watchtowernews.org/findexjws.htm.

  there are over 2000 listed now.

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  spider

  Just curious
  How many people here are actually registered on this list?
  I'm not but I found by brother there
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  7

  Anyone watch Magnolia?

  by mindfield in

  1. social
  2. entertainment

  i just saw magnolia recently, and boy, did i enjoy it.

  the coincidences, the way things interconnected, the credible acting really got me.

  wow.. i admit, some parts were kind of slow and rambling, like when earl partridge rambles off in his bed about his mistakes.

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  spider

  Yes I was pretty moved by this film. I think it probably impacted on me because I was feeling pretty lonely when I saw it. I was in Bangkok on my own and feeling low and it had an emotional quality that registered with me - kind of like American Beauty - that had a similar effect although I do not think Magnolia is as good. All the same it was very thoughtful and had points to make that go beyond the superficial bullshit we get so used to seeing.
  I wrote an e-mail to my friend directly after I saw the film that I still have.It sums up what watching this movie made me think about.
  In part this is what I said :

  Most of the time we walk around thinking we are talking to people but the words are not coming from inside of us.We say what we think they want us to say.We shield ourselves so well but in doing so we lose the ability to touch or be touched. A lot of the time I do not really know how I feel.Have you ever said you were enjoying yourself because it seemed like you should be. I believe we all have little children inside of us.Only very often we forget them.We go out to work and earn money and put on fine clothes and get grand educations.I think this is where we can lose our way.We think we are grown up.We lose track of the child inside that needs to be rocked to sleep sometimes.Comforted and tenderly kissed.Like in Citizen Cane - he had lost his way and then on his deathbed he remembered - rosebud - his chilhood slay. Some people think there are rules to life.They follow maps printed out by other people.As eagerly as some try to follow them there is no real ultimate design.Life has no roads.We just have to figure out the best we can,what works for us and what does not.What feels good and what feels bad.We often find there are certain things that usually give us happiness and others misery.Their are certainly patterns to follow but even so we all have to figure it out ourselves.I went to the cinema tonight and saw a film called 'Magnolia'.It was an odd film in some ways which certainly had weaknesses.I didn't think I liked it for a while.There is one mad scene where there is a shower storm of toads.It had some messages which had real merit though. About stuff I've just said - how we are all just stumbling around in the darkness.Sometimes we grab on to someone's hand that seems to have a direction but they do not have 'the answer' any more than we do.We are all just looking to touch souls and we go through the pain because we have either forgotten this or we have not found a person to connect to.

  There is also an interesting question raised about forgiveness.When is it right to forgive - are there some things that simply can't be forgiven. Tom Cruise forgave his dad but the father that had molested his daughter could not be forgiven.
  
  The lyrics of the song by Aimie Mann are "its not what you thought when you first began it - you got what you want now you can hardly stand it though but now you know that its not going to stop till you wise up"
  That song still has the power to make me cry because I relate it to being a witness.
  After saying all that, my brother really didn't like the movie so each to his own
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  2

  true lies

  by spider in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  the old line the organisation uses regarding looking at apostate literature is that it has clever and twisted reasoning that will poison minds.

  no matter how you argue that the truth should withstand critism they won't see it.

  the evidence is people read the stuff and leave.

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  spider

  The old line the organisation uses regarding looking at apostate literature is that it has clever and twisted reasoning that will poison minds. No matter how you argue that the truth should withstand critism they won't see it. The evidence is people read the stuff and leave. They don't get that this is because apostate literature is true - rather it confirms how damn clever these apostate lies are and so they must under no circumstances looked at.

  This is such a twisted way of thinking. Where else do they apply this logic? They'd probably agree that a court of law needs both defense and prosecution. So where is the precident outside the JW's that lies are more convincing than the truth. Is their one?
  Most witnesses would agree that any truth can withstand a barage of arguments and lies - its the way we know things are true. But in this one case - in regard to "The Truth" they have this cockeyed notion that apostates have superhuman abilites to make the truth appear like a lie. It just makes no sense whatsoever but until they look for themselves - which most won't - they will continue with this most inconsistant viewpoint.
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  255

  Going out with a bang

  by LittleToe in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  after much deliberation, i decided to go "out" at the end of a public talk.

  it didn't go down too well, but at least i was able to give some of my reasons for leaving.. i've put some of the details on my homepage.

  i'll update it more when i get the time and the strength.

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  spider

  That is the most amazing thing. I am quite blown away. What you did took incredible courage. I cannot help but feel there is something heroic in it. Whether some people see it now,later or never at all, you are a man of integrity. I am sure your actions will help many people in ways you will never fully realise.
  You have my profound respect and admiration
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  66

  Interfaith Relationship

  by Christina77 in

  1. social
  2. relationships

  i am currently involved in a relationship for the last year and a half with a man that i found out about 2 months ago is a jehovahs witness (and i am catholic).

  the only reason why i found this out, was that i was pushing the issue as to why his parents do not know that i exist.

  this really irritated me since he has a very close relationship with his parents.

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  spider

  Sorry Christina - you are right of course
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  66

  Interfaith Relationship

  by Christina77 in

  1. social
  2. relationships

  i am currently involved in a relationship for the last year and a half with a man that i found out about 2 months ago is a jehovahs witness (and i am catholic).

  the only reason why i found this out, was that i was pushing the issue as to why his parents do not know that i exist.

  this really irritated me since he has a very close relationship with his parents.

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  spider

  Dear Wasistdas

  You said you thought I might not like Hollywood films because they control us. I guess so but there are so many controlling forces in this world and I don't want to live as a hermit. If you are aware of them then you can know how to deal with them. The witness videos are so incredibly manipulative however that they go beyond anything Robin Williams has on offer.

  More about movies in a moment.I'd like to pick up on a point you made.
  "What I have been taught all my life as a Witness is to NEVER believe something just because someone says it"

  I'd like to comment on this. You're sentiment fits with my experience to a point. I too was taught to be suspicious of what others said regarding my faith. This suspicion however was always turned outward. The system is controlled by Satan, so of course the facts are being manipulated - and there goes the knee jerk.A negetive JW article is always biased,inaccurate or unfair.
  One incredibly manipulative movie I once saw was called "A Perfect World" with Kevin Cosner. It had this poor little witness child that wasn't allowed to celebrate Haloween. Sniffle.
  I came out of the cinema feeling rather violated. It showed only one side and that was that a murderer is a more fit parent than a witness.
  Whenever a medical drama portrays an adult JW refusing blood for her child, they never explore the reasons why they make this decision. They don't know about the faith we have for a resurection.
  This is how it always is - witnesses are shown as bad, uncaring, out of touch or figures of fun. It is unfair, biased and controlling but of course it has to be this way because Satan is manipulating things to attack Jehovah's people.
  Have you ever seen the movie where someone is trying to kill the hero and there are loads of suspects. Who does it always end up being? The one you least expect, of course - the most trusted friend.
  Its a cliche, but usually works because there is psychological shock. The one person he trusted; his rock and anchor, was lying to him - it was unthinkable.
  It demonstrates the importance of turning our suspicion inward to examine what we take most for granted.
  We accept this can happen in movies, what about real life?
  What do you believe more than anything? So much so that you couldn't even conceive of its falsity?
  You know where I'm going with this, right? Could "the truth" be a lie.
  I do not refer to Christianity, but to the man made organization of Jehovah's Witnesses that claims to be God's only mouthpiece.
  Could it be lying to you? Give the idea room to breathe rather than immediately shutting it out.
  There are of course too many reasons why "the truth" is true - you don't need to spend time examining the critical.
  Do you feel that? - this immediate denial. Most here have. Many have gone beyond it.
  I am being unfair. You are learning Hebrew and Greek so you are obviously committed to finding answers. You want to examine Christianity through learning the biblical languages. Many here that left the witnesses continue to be committed christians. It is the organization itself that so many are angry with because of the way they were lied to,treated and controlled.
  Once you recognize the control you can do something about it.Ask yourself - do you examine the teachings and religious history of Jehovah's Witnesses with the same level of suspicion that you do to those that attack it.
  If you are here then you must have glanced at the "watchtower-observer" and "Freeminds" sites.
  Are these all biased, unfair and inaccurate. Are they out to manipulate and control you. You've already rejected the Nazi link out of hand, I noticed. Have you dismissed the rest too. If so then touch you're knee to feel if its moving.
  The witness videos controls as does other media. This is not true of every piece of material you examine. Use you're intellect to determine which is which but give them due consideration all the same. Somewhere along the way there might be a perspective you haven't considered.
  Read "Crisis of Conciounce" by Raymond Franz, if you haven't already. It is written evenhandedly and offers a unique view on JWdom. People harp on about it as though it were the second coming but it really is insightful and helped and educated me enourmously
  Remember,apostate literature is only the other point of view and you must know this is important.
  One last film referance. "The Truman Show". I related to this film big time. I thought my life was one thing only to find it was another. Truman could have lived in his artificial world for the rest of his life. It really was pretty nice in there, wasn't it? Was he a fool to leave when he didn't know what was beyond his little bubble?
  Is the blue pill better or the red? Only you can decide.
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  118

  Are "you all" morons OR am I the moron?

  by Victoria Cruz in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  from what i understand the wtbts is not affiliated with the un but the dpi (department of public information).

  if i am right... you all are the morons.

  if i am wrong the i am the moron.

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  spider

  Didn't want to bring this thread up again but as its up anyway, I just wanted to say
  welcome Kenny2 - its great to have you around