Posts by wasasister

50

Hell

by onacruse in

i was recently asked about my opinion re: hell.. as a born-and-raised jw i obviously never believed in hell-fire torment.

actually, i refuse to believe in such a thing.

for many years my favorite response to the idea was "i would rather burn in hell than worship a god who would create such a place.".

All authority needs some sort of clout to enforce "rules" of conduct. Parents spank (or otherwise punish), governments imprison or behead. Religious leaders - not wanting to be left out - had to come up with something equally threatening.

It becomes especially difficult if the rules you are trying to enforce are ambiguous and infractions easily hidden. (Maybe the King can't see what goes on in your bedroom, but God can!) The resulting punishment is invisible as well, tucked safely away in an afterlife nobody comes back to tell about.

Almost all cultures have some sort of invisible club to hold over the heads of believers, whether it be Armageddon, Hellfire, or coming back in the next life as a sofa cushion in Opra Winfrey's house.

As to the Bible being ambigous, I can't imagine why I thought it was perfectly lucid when I was a devoted Dub. Reading it now is almost like trying to apply Nostradamus to modern times: the words are flexible enough to mean just about anything. This is especially true when Bible thumpers try to make it prove the Trinity, Immortality of the Soul, Hellfire, or that Geriatric Sexist Pig Bullies are the Faithful and Discreet Slave.

I'm with you, Ona. I would flip a middle finger to any deity who would torture people eternally.

Wasa

21

Stopping smoking - any suggestions?

by be wise in

jw
friends

hi, i smoke, not loads, but i would like to stop.

i think i will find it really hard though and was wondering how you stopped if you were a previous smoker.

i also suffer from asthma which obviously doesn't make things any better.

wasasister

I've never smoked, and I owe it all to my mother, a woman who took up smoking at the tender age of 17 and quit when she was 55. At the time she quit, smoking was still allowed by JW's but frowned upon. She decided to go "cold turkey" because she wanted to set a good example for her kids.

My God, did she ever! The sight of the most beloved person in my universe suffering withdrawal was enough to put me off ciggies for good. I was newly arrived at the age when my school friends where giving it a try. I couldn't get the image out of my head of her pacing the floors at night in tears. Powerful stuff for an impressionable youth.

You're young. If you ever hope to be a parent, to be a positive example in some young person's life, quit now.

Live long, and prosper,

Wasa

208

The kind of Man GWBush is.

by Yerusalyim in

at walter reed medical center in washington dc recently the sergeant major of the army, jack tilley, was with a group of people visiting the wounded soldiers.

he saw a special forces soldier who had lost his right hand and suffered severe wounds of his face and side of his body.

the sma wanted to honor him and show him respect without offending, but what can you say or do in such a situation that will encourage and uplift?

wasasister

TH: You couldn't do much worse than the one we currently have. And I mean that as a sincere compliment, in case you wondered.

35

Teejay and the Kosmokrator

by IslandWoman in

jw
friends

the story of teejay and the kosmokrator.

teejay, a man of valor, approached the cave of mithras without fear.

he entered and walked to the front of the temple, stood before the great bull-slaying the tauroctony of mithras, then turned and faced the worshipers.. "men, i teejay stand here with a word of caution for all who worship mithras the kosmokrator.

wasasister

Was that meant to be an insult? Are you saying that I am a dog?

Aww, hell, Teejay...we're all dogs of one sort or another. And I happen to like dogs.

Since the theme of this thread is fables with meaning, I thought I'd play along. If you want it without ice or club soda:

Simon called an earlier discussion on this same subject a "waste of bandwidth" and summarily locked it. Island Woman, a gifted writer even when I disagree with her subject matter, saw fit to bring up the subject of cults within the x-jw community in a somewhat more creative way than you did.

I don't always agree with Simon's thread-locking, but I do recognize when I'm out-clouted. I think the subject, especially as discussed among you, HS, AlanF, and - why be modest - myself, is an interesting one. But it seems as if the forum owner sees it differently.

HS asked you legitimate questions which you so far have sidestepped. I'd be eager to sit back and read the dialogue and inject the occasionally witty (in my own mind) remark while you two volley back and forth. However, my dear Pit Bull, I think Simon may have other scenarios in mind.

Wasa

PS to Hillary: my cult meets on alternate Thursday evenings when Survivor is off-air. We are a shallow lot, following pop-culture as the mindless slaves we are. Bring your own X-Box and arrive on a Seguay, please. An offering of a single-barrel whiskey will put you in the clergy in short order.

35

Teejay and the Kosmokrator

by IslandWoman in

jw
friends

the story of teejay and the kosmokrator.

teejay, a man of valor, approached the cave of mithras without fear.

he entered and walked to the front of the temple, stood before the great bull-slaying the tauroctony of mithras, then turned and faced the worshipers.. "men, i teejay stand here with a word of caution for all who worship mithras the kosmokrator.

wasasister

I don't know why this popped into my head:

There is a breed of dog which - if it locks its jaw onto something - cannot or will not release it. You can beat the dog, shout at it, set fire to it, and it will still hold on in defiance of all reason.

Help me out here, dog lovers. Is it a Pit Bull? Or perhaps a Tazmanian Jackal? Hmmm.....

35

Teejay and the Kosmokrator

by IslandWoman in

jw
friends

the story of teejay and the kosmokrator.

teejay, a man of valor, approached the cave of mithras without fear.

he entered and walked to the front of the temple, stood before the great bull-slaying the tauroctony of mithras, then turned and faced the worshipers.. "men, i teejay stand here with a word of caution for all who worship mithras the kosmokrator.

wasasister

IW,
Teejay, whoever he might be, sounds like the person I want to worship. When can I begin a study of his great ways? If I have to preach his wisdom, how many hours per month am I expected to publish?.....
Best regards - HS

WasaSister,
A very solid post as ever. Can I join your cult? Where do you have your meetings? I hope that the Norwegians and AlanF are there as I would like them to see me baptized in Farkel's blood.
Best regards - HS

Hillary, You darling little whore, you. Going to the highest bidder? Wasa/becoming selective with the worshippers

19

Doubting Thomas - A Real Hero !

by Amazing in

jw
friends

have you longed to at least get some response from god, some small indication from him that he really listens, cares, or is just simply there?

the vast majority on this forum have likely struggled with many issues regarding god,

christ, the bible, history, truth, religion, the foundations of christianity, agnosticism, and atheism.

wasasister

Of this I have no doubt:

It's good to have you back posting again. Hope you are well.

Wasa - Thomas' Little Sister

175

To The Folks

by Farkel in

jw
friends

those of you that know me well know that i'm not going to say anything or much of anything anymore in this forum.. .

however, i will be offering much of my music instead.

i won't be posting it here anymore.

wasasister

Believe it or not TeeJay, I do not always follow your demands to cut/paste to "support" stuff I say. My words to you stand on their own and most readers are intelligent enough to understand why I wrote them. Most of the discussion between you and AlanF had to do with your accusation that certain members of this board are cult followers and by implication, unable to think independently. If that does not suffice for you, I have no interest in trying to illucidate further.

I will respond to what you feel is "the most important question" only since I find it interesting.

Do I "blame the victim" in the case of verbal insults? Only as far as I feel they share some responsibility in how the words of a stranger can affect them. This is their choice, much as it is the insulter's choice to use certain expressions. Words only have the power we give them and I'm a big believer in taking personal responsibility. So, I find a difference between "blame" and "responsibility", much as I object to your use of the word "victim".

I have work to do and will not be checking back on this thread. You should not interpret my absence as being unable to counter your vastly devastating logic and insight.

175

To The Folks

by Farkel in

jw
friends

those of you that know me well know that i'm not going to say anything or much of anything anymore in this forum.. .

however, i will be offering much of my music instead.

i won't be posting it here anymore.

wasasister

TeeJay:

If I right here and now called you a ... and a ... and that your momma was a .... would you be offended? And if so, would that be a sign of YOUR LACK OF CONFIDENCE? Please answer. I'd like to see it.

My answer, since you demanded it is this: no, I would not be offended since your opinion of me matters not. To be devastated due to a comment by someone I don't know on a relatively obscure discussion board would display a lack of confidence. I may, however, take issue with any statement which was inaccurate and inform you of the correct information regarding my mother or myself.

Alan:

He has also grossly insulted Wasasister by twisting her words. She happens to be a good friend to me and my wife, and a strongly independent thinker if there ever was one! Watch her kick his sorry ass.

Thanks, and that illustrates my original point. I happen to hold a few people on this board in high esteem - they have earned my respect by their actions and words, mostly off the board. I have come to know them, and so I understand where they are coming from when they use certain terms. These perceptions are very subjective on my part, based on my knowledge of them. A "cult follower" has no real knowledge of the cult leaders so TeeJay's analogy falls apart.

However, I am not insulted by TeeJay, as I hold him in no particular regard and his opinion of my does not matter at all. I pick my "ass-kickings" more carefully.

Some who are the most righteously indignant over Farkel's name-calling have engaged in rude, insulting, and hurtful behavior themselves. Is it, for example, more harmful to call someone a "moron" in the heat of a debate than to rush in and make hurtful comments about someone's dead husband when they are in pain and grief? In my own view the latter is much worse, but again, that is my judgement. However, if you choose to call down evil upon someone for their insensitive behavior, you'd better make sure you have a clean record in that area. (Prisca and RF are particularly vulnerable and I'm very surprised at their comments.)

I do not "excuse" Farkel's behavior, nor is my excusing required. TeeJay has exhibited a tendency to view himself as an iconoclast on this board. If that is how he finds validation or even entertainment, well....go for it. However he is just plain wrong when he accuses others of being "cult followers" because they respect the works of intelligent posters.

175

To The Folks

by Farkel in

jw
friends

those of you that know me well know that i'm not going to say anything or much of anything anymore in this forum.. .

however, i will be offering much of my music instead.

i won't be posting it here anymore.

wasasister

AlanF wrote:

I invite all posters who are not members of Teejay's imaginary cults to step forward and be counted!

Consider me counted.

The idea that one can learn something from others, to stand - as it were - on the shoulders of those who have gone before, and yet not be a cult member is quite reasonable.

To suggest, as TeeJay has, that we depend on gifted writers and talented thinkers and cannot gain independence without them is absurd.

I left JW's quite on my own. After leaving, I still had doubts about their teachings and whether or not I was going to fry at Armageddon. Reading the works of Ray Franz, AlanF, Farkel, Norm, and Randy Watters, I came to grips with my own beliefs. I am in their debt for helping to free the chains of my former self, but I am certainly NOT a cult member.

This argument about Farkel's perceived insults is equally absurd. If your self-worth is so tied up in another's opinion of you, you need help. If you have confidence in who and what you are, the term "dipfuck" or "bloodsucker" should not matter one bit.

And for the record, MOST of you who are the most vocal complainers, have exhibited reprehensible behavior...if not here, then elsewhere.

Thank you, Alan, for your reasonable response. I ~~worship~~ admire you.