I will start the evening in sober contemplation, then partake of the emblem known as red wine.
I have allocated a bottle of quality red wine to myself, from which I shall partake of enough to guarantee salvation.
If my wife asks me why I am drinking, I will reply, 'I am not drinking, I am partaking. Praise the Lord!'
i'm listening to the "six screens of the watchtower" broadcast from october 25, 2008 [yeah, i know, i'm waaay behind...], discussing pedophilia... that broadcast caused me to look up the current status of 'pedophilia notification' in the u.s.a..... rebel8 posted a link sometime back that gave locations of pedophiles in one's (u.s.a.) neighborhood... that portion of the link is, unfortunately, not working right now.... i decided to check out my [old] site, http://www.nsopw.gov/core/offendersearchcriteria.aspx to see if it still functioned the same way.... again, unfortunately, that site is also no longer giving out maps of one's area.... but, as pointed out in rebel8's posted link, pedophiles tend to move around.
this was also mentioned in the six screens broadcast by a lady named "lilly".... the new versions of both sites simply allow one to input the name of someone suspected to be a pedophile... not as effective, imo, but perhaps the cost of updating the maps due to pedophiles' high mobility became prohibitive.. so, here's my suggestion... using the 'name' search function, check out every name in .
your congregation, starting with the elders!!!.
The term paedophilia erotica was coined in 1886 by the Viennese psychiatrist Richard von Krafft-Ebing in his writing Psychopathia Sexualis.
In the UK we spell this word the correct way - Paedophile.
the jw rollercoaster continues!
if you still have to go to meetings, i sympathize with you.
i know a few that keep up appearances so that they do not lose their loved family members.
Will You Walk a Little Faster?
Once involved in the congregation the initial attention shown to you would begin to wane. You would be expected to attend all the meetings, make regular comments from your seat and share in the door-to-door work. This is in addition to other communal activities.
Articles in the Watchtower along with regular lectures encourage the members to mix only with those who are “strong in the truth” or “close to the organization.” The idea being that if members become weary then they are not showing enough faith. In order to enjoy continued acceptance they must keep running. When the pressure becomes hard to bear they are reminded of the scripture:
“Boys will without fail tire out and grow weary, and young men themselves will without fail stumble, but those who are hoping in Jehovah will regain power. They will mount up with wings like eagles. They will run and not grow weary; they will walk and not tire out.” (Isaiah 40:30,31 - NWT)
So there is no excuse for slowing down, this would be taken as an admission of “spiritual weakness.” Those who show such a tendency will at first be encouraged or “strengthened.” If they do not respond sufficiently other members will slight them, withdrawing their warmth. They find that invitations to tea and other social functions are not forthcoming. If they try to remedy this situation by inviting members to their home, excuses will be made. The danger of accepting an invitation from a member who has been labelled “spiritually weak” is that they themselves will in time be blacklisted.
Clearly with such a rigorous program of indoctrination it is wise to have all the facts about the beliefs of the Witnesses and make certain that you are in full agreement with their methods before allowing yourself to be persuaded onto the treadmill. Being a Witness leaves little time for other pursuits. This is the idea. Once involved, the “New World Society,” as their organization is sometimes termed, becomes your whole world.
(Taken from the book, 'Opening the Door to Jehovah's Witnesses.' by Trevor Willis. Download available on Lulu)
remember how certain you were as a jehovah's witness?.
you just knew what you knew was right 100%.
you staked your life on it, didn't you?.
Another interesting and informative post from Terry. I thought this excerpt from my notes was relevant:
Despite being warned about ‘the empty philosophy of this world,’ I continued to visit the library and read many books on philosophy and psychology to gain an insight into the workings of the mind. I learned that sometimes when we feel emotionally confused by conflict in our lives, we will think we are prepared to change anything in order to find peace and harmony.
Instead we close our minds to the possibility of changing or letting go of the one thing that is the cause of our conflict. Opening our minds involves being prepared to think the unthinkable. To be prepared to lose the thing in our lives that has meant the most to us and realize that our greatest possession is no longer of value to us.
The hole that is left in our world cannot usually be filled immediately. We have to be prepared to stand alone, naked and empty, accepting our condition until such time as we build a life that suits us. If we weaken then we will return to what we have left behind. I had been alone and naked for some time already but failed to recognise my condition.
i am dating an advent christian (very similar to baptist).
i went to church with him for the first time yesterday.
i was pleased that he wanted me there because it's nice to be included in things that are meaningful to him.
There is something downright scary and unholy about you.
It's worse than you think, Sylvia.
i am dating an advent christian (very similar to baptist).
i went to church with him for the first time yesterday.
i was pleased that he wanted me there because it's nice to be included in things that are meaningful to him.
An interesting post. Although not a believer, I have been to a number or Christian churches. I still go with friends to the harvest festival and Christenings, to be sociable. The church still plays a roll socially and a lot is done for children. I know they have an agenda to gather the children unto them, but even so they help to create a community and a social network.
I have been to most parts of Italy and visited many churches. Listening to a choir singing can be moving and uplifting. It is impossible to appreciate the history of a marvelous city like Venice, without exploring the churches. I know they have a gruesome past but I focus on the present and watch as they adapt to a modern world. Naturally I avoid scaring the flock by dressing as a gladiator in church.
remember how certain you were as a jehovah's witness?.
you just knew what you knew was right 100%.
you staked your life on it, didn't you?.
The investment world is a reflection of society in general. There are so many fund managers offering to invest YOUR money for a percentage. No guarantee of success and their predictions are often way off. I look up what the billionaires are investing in. They have a proven record and invest their own money.
This principle can be applied to life. The bible is a smudged second hand investment tip written on the back of a well worn, empty cigarette packet.
i work in a used book store in the religion & philsophy section and daily have interesting interactions with customers.. the layout of the religion section is two separate divisions.
the fluffy side is chri-fi (christian fiction) and christian living books.
the meaty side has bibles, textbooks, theology, hermenutics, reference guides, etc.. i keep a sort of mental scorecard going as to who goes where.. i try and ask subtle questions about why each person is looking for a particular item.. i hardly ever run into anybody of a skeptical nature unless they are trying to prove somebody else wrong.. which reminds me of when i was a good little jw in a bookstore all those years ago.... i'd look up what a book might have to say about the name "jehovah.
Interesting. I suppose the big worry of working in a shop like that is - Book Worms!
i was talking with a friend of mine on the board yesterday and the discussion gave me the idea for this thread !
( thanks friend !
) and it seems as we were talking the thought came up that many of us when exiting the mind control of jehovah's witnesses we really come to appreciate the freedom to think how we want and be able to have access to other views which helps us to have a broader scope , or broader world view than just the tunnel vision of the wt society.
The right to dress as a gladiator and walk down the road shouting 'hail Caesar' without people thinking I am strange.
Jehovah has been AWOL, sulking in the corner of a mountain, ever since Moses broke his entire library.
The elder flowers appoint each other. It's a male member only, back scratching club.
