Posts by SpiderMonkey

16

Definitions

by erasescars in

jw
friends

i am not, nor ever have been, a witness.

i have a very dear friend who is a former (actually still is technically, as i understand it) witness and who is trying to adjust to existence in the "world.

" i am here on this site to better understand the hell she has been subjected to all her life and the hell she is and will still go through on her journey.

SpiderMonkey

erasescars, I'm not a "veteran" but I'll help you where I can:

You're right about "dub"; it's just a derivative of "j DoUBle - u"... The "Borg" were a race of cyborgs in Star Trek the next generation. Their typical line was "You will be assimilated; resistance is futile." They were a sort of hive-mind race, which fits the JWs in a whistling-past-the-graveyard sort of way. It's a very fitting joke, but not too funny when you consider that individual JW human beings are the ones acting like robots, and that this is what gives rise to the expression (that plus the fact that it rhymes with "org," short for The Organization, which is synonymous with The Watchtower Bible & Tract Society).

With disfellowshipping & disassociating, you're right on the money. DF means you're misguided for now but maybe you'll come around. DA is tantamount to the ultimate sin. But there's no difference in how the cong (yes, congregation) is supposed to treat you - as if dead, completely shunned.

Hope this helps.

69

Can 'truth' change?

by wholewheat in

jw
friends

.

in another thread i posted the following thought, but i wanted to post this for everyone to see and give their input.. the argument that 'truth' never changes holds no water.

according to random house webster's dictionary, 'truth' is defined as follows,"conformity with fact or reality".. the word 'conform' is defined as,"to bring into agreement".. if 'truth' never changes, then how can something taught in science that is considered to be 'exact', later be corrected by 'conforming with fact or reality so as to bring into agreement'?

SpiderMonkey

Wheat, a "fun" debate begins with 2 sides. So far we've seen only one, since you provided nothing intelligent to debate against.

The point you overlooked in the first place is that science does NOT claim to provide "the truth" as the WTS does. Science deals with hypothesis, theory, experimentation. Science does not claim "this is the way it is, and if you don't believe it then you can't be a scientist," and then decide 5 years later that that was *never* the way it was, that this *other* is really true, and what a shame about those poor bastards who believed the other, 5 years ago, and were not allowed to be scientists in the meantime while the rest of us were catching up.

Simple enough?

35

Inactive 3yr, baptised & "expecting&qu...

by lofromchicago in

i have been a lurker for quite some time now (3 years maybe), and i vist the site a few times every couple of months.

however, a situation has presented itself and i need to talk to someone.

my "story" from 3 years ago is posted on http://www.jwfiles.com/jws-leaving/paul.html for some background info (i'm 26 now).

SpiderMonkey

Heartless, cold, crude, and wrong. Thanks for posting, Nathan, you ninny.

31

Straw that broke the Camels Back

by Perfection Seeker in

so, whats the straw that broke the camels back in your life?

what was the final last straw that made you say thats it- no more?

i have so many-for 15 years i kept getting that last straw-and trying to ignore it- but i think the last straw was when my dad died- everyone kept (keeps) giving me the line of bs about never seeing him again unless i go to meetings.

SpiderMonkey

(((((((Tinkerbell)))))))

"Oddly" enough, as soon as my dad was DF'd, quit attending meetings, and divorced my mom (who treated him like sh*t for years after his DFing), all his substance abuse problems went away. I'm ashamed to say that I'd shunned him myself for about a year before I got the hell out of there... Then, after *my* DFing, I got the most wonderful letter from him, saying that he was sorry for his mistakes of the past, and that he'd understand if I said no, but would I like to get together & be involved in each others' lives. *That* was a no-brainer; since then we have had a fabulous relationship, and he has since gotten re-married and even has 2 stepchildren (who are both AWESOME for "worldly" children, LOL). Everything came up roses as soon as we pulled out the weeds

31

Straw that broke the Camels Back

by Perfection Seeker in

so, whats the straw that broke the camels back in your life?

what was the final last straw that made you say thats it- no more?

i have so many-for 15 years i kept getting that last straw-and trying to ignore it- but i think the last straw was when my dad died- everyone kept (keeps) giving me the line of bs about never seeing him again unless i go to meetings.

SpiderMonkey

Seeker - so they started a prayer- and when they opened their eyes- after a long 3 hour prayer of preaching (could have been like 3 minutes- but you know how time stops) I was out the door. I went & drove away.

ROFLMAO, now *you* are *my* idol!!! That is hiLARious!

CC & Tinkerbell, I'm so sorry to hear about the crap that broke *your* camel's back... In particular, this rang a bell:

I was in counceling also *which the elders resented*, I could get *worldly* help, but I couldn't recieve help from them.

My father went through alcoholism & some serious drug abuse, to the point where he tried to kill himself once. The elders' advice was to NOT get involved with AA, but to pray more and study more

46

Disco Sucks!

by professor in

jw
friends

does anyone remember how the society joined the "disco sucks" movement of the late 70's?

i remember reading in the mags about how disco was created by homos and that it has an "immoral beat" (whatever that means!

) it was also mentioned not to go see "saturday night fever" because someone gets a blowjob in the movie.. in our congregation, we had a special meeting about disco because people would request disco songs at our once-a-month jw skating party at the local skating rink.

SpiderMonkey

Seeker - ....(My parents had a rule- if you don't answer at the Watchtower study- you had to find your own way home) .......If you raised your hand 100x's, but didnt' get called on- then you were screwed!

WTF?!? I've never heard of anything so horrendous! I'm in absolute shock over that one...

29

Ozzie's Weekend Poll #9

by ozziepost in

jw
friends

yes, it's time to put the sunday papers down and get in some serious polling.

we've gotta be quick, because we don't want to miss any of the world cup final!

so, here's this week's topic (it's a long one!!

SpiderMonkey

Mostly, I just felt sad. Even though I never *wanted* it to be the truth, I did believe it was the truth, cuz I was indoctrinated from a pretty early age. I remember plenty of df'ings, many of which were the same people, over and over and over, and I always just felt sad that someone else had "fallen away."

In retrospect: 20. Where is he/she sitting? Are they here tonight?

Not the the practice of df'ing is funny, but I remember a few announcements that are funny to look back on; the df'd one HAD been there that night, and just a few minutes before the announcement, had gotten up from their seat in the back, walked past the whole cong w/ head held high, and left out the door close to the stage (yes, there was also a door at the rear). Their way of turning *their* back to the cong, I think

31

Straw that broke the Camels Back

by Perfection Seeker in

so, whats the straw that broke the camels back in your life?

what was the final last straw that made you say thats it- no more?

i have so many-for 15 years i kept getting that last straw-and trying to ignore it- but i think the last straw was when my dad died- everyone kept (keeps) giving me the line of bs about never seeing him again unless i go to meetings.

SpiderMonkey

Seeker, I can honestly say that it made me feel warm & fuzzy all over!

31

Straw that broke the Camels Back

by Perfection Seeker in

so, whats the straw that broke the camels back in your life?

what was the final last straw that made you say thats it- no more?

i have so many-for 15 years i kept getting that last straw-and trying to ignore it- but i think the last straw was when my dad died- everyone kept (keeps) giving me the line of bs about never seeing him again unless i go to meetings.

SpiderMonkey

After I got booted from Bethel, I returned to my hometown of New Orleans... Was in my childhood cong again, for about the next year, trying to "become strong in the truth," this time without reaching out for any big responsibilities - I just wanted to be Joe Publisher for awhile, and be happy. Gradually I started to, ahem, NOT feel any better, & to realize that this was the case, & finally got to the point of allowing my mind to voice its doubts in sentence form (you know what I mean? rather than just a sick, depressive feeling, I started looking at my feelings & their logical causes).

One Sunday, on the way home from the WT study, the actual "epiphany" set in: Being a Jehovah's Witness was not good for me! But indoctrination runs deep, so when I got home I prayed to Jehovah, telling him all my doubts, all my bad feelings, telling him I didn't want to do these things Witnesses do, that I didn't even know if it was right, etc. So I prayed that, if all this was really true, and if it mattered to him whether I lived or died, to change my heart (I seem to recall David praying this way in a Psalm) so that I would view things correctly. I also prayed for a sign (I know you're not "supposed" to do this, but who the hell are a few humans to tell me what God will or won't do? I reasoned that my all-powerful, perfectly loving God would grant me this *very* small request, since the stakes would literally be my faith and my life); I prayed that, if it was all true and I was meant to continue in it, would an elder please call me on the phone w/in the next 5 minutes. Needless to say, no dice.

That wasn't the last straw, though; for 2 weeks I was completely inactive. I informed my mother and a couple of elders that I was leaving but didn't DA myself. And then one elder who was always the most ridiculously pompous ass called me (about 2 weeks 2 late, LOL) and said "Michael, this situation is just intolerable! Your being inactive is affecting others in the congregation! ' We ' have got to do something to get you back to the KH!" THIS was the last straw. I replied, "Jerry, let me make this really easy on both of us. Last night I smoked marijuana [this was true! Rolling Stones concert, first time I ever smoked weed

10

cutting to the heart of the matter

by dustrabbit in

jw
friends

i wonder if they'd be willing to do this to a few pedophile witnesses?

(souce: yahoo!

news).

SpiderMonkey

I saw this idea in a book by Anne McCaffrey (sp?) a few years ago, & I wholeheartedly agree.

To prevent unneccessary de-manlinizings, you do it only in the case of incontrovertable DNA proof, IMO.

And to the nay-sayers who protest that rape isn't a crime motivated by sexual desire, but by a desire for control & violence, I say: When the castrated rapist finds some other novel way to rape someone, then we start removing other digits/limbs. You use a part of your body to deprive someone of their rights, and you give up your right to that part of your body.

ZERO tolerance.