tonyend

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Posts by tonyend

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  110

  How Many Here Are "Technically" Still JWs???... Who's Not??

  by minimus in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  what i mean is according to the society, there are a number of persons that are "technically" "inactive" yet are viewed as jws still.

  i'm sure that i'm viewed as a witness still because i am not df'd or disassociated.....what about you??

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  tonyend

  I am considered an "inactive" JW. Except for going to the memorial with my JW wife, I haven't been to a meeting in over 1 year. My card is now in a new cong since my wife switched. Funny thing is it's a foreign language cong. ;-)
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  25

  You ever just stop and listen to dubs and the way they talk?

  by doodle-v in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  i went to get my hair done and my beautician happens to be a dub.

  she has known me and my family for a long time and she has an idea that im "inactive" but thankfully she hasnt been really nosy otherwise i would take my business elsewhere.

  anyway, i've long since faded and when i do go to get my hair done i manage to avoid all "jehoober" related conversation and have so far been successful.

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  tonyend

  Doodle, I just loved your experience. One of my daughters in law is a hair stylist and she said there is a lot in their training about talking to the patrons about religion and politics, etc. They can't be controversial, and the shop they work in might have even stricter rules. Report her!!!!!

  Mulan,

  Those rules don't apply to black barber and hair stylist shops which is where Doodle got her hair did. There are no taboo subjects. At the barber shop I go to we talk about politics, religion, UFO's, government conspiracies, etc. You should check out the movie Barber Shop.
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  64

  Does the Watchtower Society stunt personal development and growth

  by truthseeker in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  with so many "responsibilities" given to the witnesses by the "faithful and discreet slave", there is little time for them to do anything these days except sleep - and that is when they're not out preaching at unearthly hours in the morning.. .

  the enormous pressure to perform, and to be under the watch of the elders to make sure you perform, is a draining experience.. .

  a book i have on sociology says this regarding jehovah's witnesses, when discussing sects, that "they require intensive commitments and demonstrations of belief by members.

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  tonyend

  I've not been on this board in months. This is the funniest topic I've read in a long time. Thanks for all the laughs everyone!

  I was discouraged from indulging in certain hobbies and seeking further education too by being made to feel guilty if that time wasn't used in the ministry. Since getting over that, I've found a job that I enjoy going to each day, my salary has more than doubled and I have a lot less stress. I do, however, miss the age where I knew everything like theocrat does and all was black and white. It reminds me of when I was a teenager and knew more than my mom. Then I turned 21 and realized how much I didn't know. What cracks me up is that when I run into my Witness friends, they talk to me as if they expect me to be unhappy (I'm technically inactive, not DF'd). They seem surprised that I'm doing great and enjoying life.
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  3

  What if the Society ran Christmas?

  by tonyend in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  can you imagine what christmas would be like if the wtbts ran it?

  instead of a traditional x-mas tree you'd have a bush or palm tree so as not to have any connection to pagan origins.

  also, you'd have a beardless santa so as not to stumble the brothers and he'd be skinny because fat would be condoning gluttony.

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  tonyend

  Can you imagine what Christmas would be like if the WTBTS ran it? Instead of a traditional x-mas tree you'd have a bush or palm tree so as not to have any connection to pagan origins. Also, you'd have a beardless Santa so as not to stumble the brothers and he'd be skinny because fat would be condoning gluttony. Can you think of anything else?
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  208

  THEY'VE DONE IT!!!! The WBTS set a new date!

  by dmouse in

  1. watchtower
  2. bible

  the latest watchtower, dec 15th 2003, is an out and out attack on the rank and file for dropping into a drowsy state spiritually.

  ok, so armageddon didn't come before the generation of 1914 grew old and died.

  but does that mean that the big a isn't near?

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  tonyend

  You know, I don't believe that the WTBTS has really thought out the implications of how some would view their words. I see them as just trying to survive as an organization. I think the WTBTS is at a point in it's history where survival is the main catalyst for what they do and say. I see so many parallels between the WTBTS and the Catholic church in that once it gets to a certains size it starts to degenerate into this massive bureaucratic monster that's only concerened with it's own survival. The persons at the top, who's only livelyhood is the WTBTS, are merely concerned (at a subconscious level I think) with their jobs. Just think what would happen if they decided to divest themselves of the majority of their $2B in holdings worldwide. What would all those old guys in Brooklyn have with no real-world job skills? Do they have 403B retirement plans or savings to retire on? I think that, except for a few exceptions, many of them haven't really planned for a future where the WTBTS wouldn't be taking care of them. Also, if some at the top have any doubts I'm sure they'd surpress them because they don't want to loose their "jobs" with all the free benefits and power.

  Also, check out this website by breakaway JW's in europe: http://the-true-jw.oltenia.ro/ and their resoultion here: http://the-true-jw.oltenia.ro/rez-en-92.html . It's funny seeing someone using the same words the WTBTS uses regarding other religions against the WTBTS.
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  40

  ebay: what have you bought/sold

  by RAYZORBLADE in

  1. social
  2. entertainment

  yes, i know....there've been topics started discussed about ebay.. i've had an absolute blast with it as of recent.. what have i bought lately?.

  a yellow dial telephone in excellent condition (from manitoba).

  several 45's (vinyl records).. i'm amazed at what you can find on there.

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  tonyend

  3 computers, 1 3.5 hp boat engine, 2 cellphone belt clips, 1 laptop display, 1 projection tv kit, 1 laptop drive adaptor (allows you to hook up a laptop hard drive to a regular pc), sony high-end headphones.
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  4

  What are your favorite cooking shows?

  by doodle-v in

  1. social
  2. entertainment

  what cooking shows do you like to watch?

  or used to like watching?

  here's one of mine .

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  tonyend

  Right now the Restaurant on Bravo and Jamie's Kitchen on Food Network.
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  100

  Would You Vote For Arnold Schwarzenegger, If You Could?

  by minimus in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  with all the publicity in california, if you were able to vote in the governor's race, would arnold be your man??

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  tonyend

  I'm in California and will be voting for Arnold because the state government has gone too far left and needs to be brought slightly right again to get to the center where is should be. We need a fiscal conservative which Davis is not. I think McClintock is better qualified, but he hasn't a chance to win plus I think having Mclintock stay in the senate and Arnold as governor will be a better situation for California.
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  62

  How many have left the WTS and joined another church/group?

  by BLISSISIGNORANCE in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  at this point in my life i don't think i could trust any religious group.

  i don't even feel the need to be a part of anything like that right now, and maybe never will.. but i know of some who have joined other churches/groups since leaving the borg.. why do some join another religion and why won't some ever get involved again?.

  what makes us so different?.

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  tonyend

  My experience is similar to Gordy's. After reading Franz's C of C and ISOCF I figured out that the uneasy feeling I've had attending the hall all those years was because of the Orwellian way in which the society was structured. I began meeting with Bible Students and there's such a contrast to going to the Hall in that there's freedom of thought and expression unlike the hall. There's no pressure to always do more, make all the meetings, answer, go door to door, etc. There's no dogmatic belief that they're right about everything and that you have to believe everything they say. Do I believe everything they say? No. But the fact that things can be discussed openly without fear of loosing some "priveledge" or being labled a troublemaker is wonderful. That's something that's feared in the KH which is why the elders have asked me not to discuss the fact that I attend another church with anyone in the congregation (I'm not DF'd or DA'd but am now "inactive" from their perspective).
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  24

  Anxieties ??? what was yours while you were a JW ???

  by run dont walk in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  was there anything in particular that made your stomach turn upside down in knots while you were a jw ?????.

  armageddon ???.

  giving talks ???.

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  tonyend

  The following were my anxieties -

  Field service:

  1. Getting someone at the door who actually knew something about the Bible.

  2. Going out with the CO and actually having to do that donation presentation "Our work is supported by voluntary donations. There is no charge for our litterature but if you would like to give to the worldwide work I'd be happy to accept" then staying silent to wait for a reply.

  Meetings:

  1. Having to conduct the bookstudy, especially finding out I had to after ariving at the hall and not having read a thing.

  2 The 15 minute school talk after having written it an hour before the meeting.

  3. Going to the meeting.

  4. Not going to the meeting.

  5. Thinking something must be wrong with me while I sat listening to the parts because I didn't feel like I was living in a "spiritual paradise" nor did I find joy in the ministry like all those pioneers claimed.

  Gatherings (Parties for all you worldly types out there):

  1. Always having to sit through experiences. Every single gathering was like going to a meeting. We could never just have a party and party. It always had to have a spiritual angle and you couldn't cut loose.

  2. When meeting a sister and engaging in small talk pretending my goals in life were to pioneer and work where the need is greater, then perhaps become a missionary, and not having kids until the New System, etc.

  3. Rarely any alchohol.

  Friendships:

  1. Not being able to call my worldy friends "friends" but "aquaintences" in front of other Witnesses because we don't have friends in the world. (I still have friends from high school to this day and I'm 37).

  2. Feeling guilty for not recipricting fully worldy friendships.

  3. Feeling guilty because I planned on going to my 20 year high school reunion and having a speaker at one of the Ministierial Training Schools berate anyone who would go to such an event.

  Personal life:

  1. Feeling guilty for reading Crisis of Conscience and In Search of Christian Freedom.

  2. Hiding my true feelings about the organization from my wife and friends.

  3. Sneaking to another church without telling my wife.

  4. Finally telling my wife and having her feak out! (We're cool now though)

  Well, that's all I can think of now but I'm sure more will pop into my head later.