czarofmischief

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Posts by czarofmischief

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  11

  Idea to help Utopian Reformist..... Benefit album!

  by Nosferatu in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  many of us here have been touched by mario's (utopian reformist) situation.

  his life has taken an incredible spin and has thrown him into some pretty tough situations.. if you haven't read the situation, here's the thread:.

  http://www.jehovahs-witness.com/8/80403/1.ashx.

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  czarofmischief

  If you need help with package design or anything graphics / writing ability, let me know.

  Musically, however, I am unable to help. Will buy, though.

  CZAR
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  23

  The Awake magazine: In A Realm Beyond Dumb?

  by metatron in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  i hold in my hand a typical awake magazine (jan. 8, 2005) - entitled "can planet earth be.

  saved?".

  of course, it trots out the usual formula of half truths that has brought the watchtower.

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  czarofmischief

  I know - they firstly claim that mankind is ruining the earth; and then they also absolve the complacent dubs of doing anything to stop it by shucking all responsibility onto God.

  I mean, I believe in God, but I also believe in people. I don't buy into the doom and gloom claims of extremist eco-groups; but I at least can respect the desire for action. They believe, and act in accordance with those beliefs. But the dubs just wave theri hands, say its hopeless, and promptly go back to reading their mass-produced four color magazines on glossy paper pulled from the finest American trees.

  Morons. If they really believe that things are as terrible as they say, then why don't they do something about it? Why do they look evil in the face and say, oh goody, it means god is coming.

  CZAR
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  120

  Uh oh, we got caught

  by Mulan in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  we are so busted.

  i learned tonight, from my source, that someon saw our christmas tree and reported it to the elders.. rats, our days of anonymity are likely almost over.

  starting tuesday, the local congregation has the circuit and the district overseer, before their ca next weekend.

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  czarofmischief

  good luck...

  CZAR
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  5

  I missed out on my grandfather

  by czarofmischief in

  1. jw
  2. experiences

  thanks to that damnable cult i missed the last few years of my grandfather's life.. he died last year.

  he was a kind man.

  not a jw.

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  czarofmischief

  Thanks to that damnable cult I missed the last few years of my grandfather's life.

  He died last year. He was a kind man. Not a jw. But his wife, my grandmother, was. So after I got diffed about five years ago, I stopped going down to NC to visit them. I only went once. It was so awkward I never went back.

  Now he is dead, and I will never talk to him again: this side of death at least, although I'm sure he's in Caledonia afore me - being from Glasgow, he was...

  Anyway, to all lurkers, this is what your religion is: broken families and lies. GET OUT OF HER MY PEOPLE!!!!

  CZAR
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  21

  I haven't had a drop of alcohol in a week...

  by logansrun in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  bet you never knew i was a problem drinker, huh?

  well, it's true.

  no, i'm not an alcoholic but i have been drinking too much and too frequently.

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  czarofmischief

  Good luck with that.

  When you dry out, and are ready to put tequila-sporin on those heart wounds, gimme a call...

  Us drinkers need an occasional spell in the desert of the heart. On a horse with no name. And no beer.

  There are spiders on my wall - are they real? Are they crawling out of my Sam Adams bottle? YARGH!

  I luvs ya - hang in there! You can do it! And when you've done it, stop not drinking again!

  CZAR
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  55

  "Brainwashing" does not exist

  by logansrun in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  the term "brainwashing" is sometimes thrown around this forum and i thought i'd briefly comment on it.

  the idea that a group or person can actually make you think, act and feel in a certain way is highly dubious.

  i'm not saying it's impossible, but i highly doubt that any ex-jws have ever experienced "brainwashing.

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  czarofmischief

  The process of brainwashing is indeed a difficult one. I am given to understand that it can be done, but drugs make it easier; without them, the human mind and instinct for self-preservation is well nigh incontrovertible.

  From what I recall, most people placed under certain conditions can be forced into repeating or believing anything. Usually control over their diet, their sleep patterns, and activity is required. Witness the willing confessions of Stalin's purge victims. Very weird stuff. It was the rare individual indeed able to withstand that level of manipulation.

  That being said, The Watchtower wishes it could brainwash people. What it does is flood them with repeated information and mindless activity. These are aspects of cult activity: but the participation is voluntary. Once the spell is broken, the human mind can recover.

  But it is more of an abuser / abusee relationship than a brainwashing relationship.

  I think many people use "brainwashing" as a way to describe the flood of false information; rather than using it in its strictest "Manchurian" sense.

  CZAR
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  160

  Why ? Why? WHY???

  by rune in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  this topic has been rolling around in my head for some time.

  i don't expect that i'll write it perfectly as it needs to be articulated in different ways for different people...but i will do my best.

  and worst of all, i am not expecting any kind of response that will satisfy me.

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  czarofmischief

  I guess I take a human-centric standard of proof for god, in that I demand that god be relevant to all humans equally. Any way you slice it spin it or dice it, Calvanism IS arrogance. Then again, maybe there is a god and it is a straightup asshole; but I doubt it.

  Never confuse good with "nice". Not the same.

  So ??? ... something new or different, more elaborate on a/further specific matter(s) eventually on the matter to you ?

  Sorry, my show ran this weekend - I've been really busy; working as well. But you know how that is!

  I think you are actually closer to being on the same wave as me than you may think. You emphasize the need to dream, the need to overcome fear, the need to work hard and sweat to build something - these are indeed common bases for us.

  I'm an actor in my spare time. Actually, it takes up more time than almost anything else. It takes a lot of work to do it. I have to study my lines. I have to overcome stage fright. I have to reason out subtexts. I have to arrive early and stretch out. I have to do my job. I have to help other actors do theirs. I have to be on my toes and cover when mistakes are made on stage.

  I can say with modesty that I'm pretty good - not great, but solid, reliable, and maybe a junior journeyman in terms of the craft itself - a reliable community theater type of fellow.

  When the day of the show arrives, I, having done all the work that I could have done to make the show a success, say a prayer. Not for success, but for courage. For the things that I can't do. And to have a good time. And in a spiritual, very real way, I just feel the presence of my God, watching what I'm doing. The energy flows through me. The Catholics have a doctrine about being "called" to a profession; God wants his people to do everything and anything - and I feel that I am called to the theater. When I am up there, I am fulfilling my purpose for being here on the earth.

  Do things go wrong? Yes. Do I drop a line, miss an entrance, am I guarded from hecklers? Yes, yes, and no. But I can deal with all of them; and then still feel that sense of spiritual completion when I'm done. Inner peace, if you will.

  Does this help you to see that I also realize that there are logical, practical solutions to problems on earth? Building a set or rigging a light takes a practical mindset; if an actor can't make it, somebody needs to take his role. But the overarching reason for all of this practical activity is a spiritual one, at least for me.

  I'm not waiting for God's solution, nor do I find "God" to be an excuse for laziness; I'm sorry if that's what I somehow conveyed. I have strong political ideas, ambitions regarding business, and a family to take care of. All these things require strong action on my part - initiative, creativity, and optimism. But the spiritual aspects give me initiative, give me the confidence that the future will be better than the past.

  One of my strongest reasons for opposing the Watchtower, and its bastard child E-Watchman, is that the apocalyptic mindset demands inactivity in all the areas of life that matter most. It is my belief that we are judged at least partially on how we answered God's call in our lives; and I doubt many of us are called to bang on empty houses 90 hours a month, or to sit in dark houses highlighting insipid sentences in crudely illustrated magazines.

  So our common base, I think, is that whatever our perspective is, it should motivate us to action, to create, to struggle against the tides in our lives. I just think that the spiritual aspects can be a powerful catalyst in somebody's life for the better.

  CZAR
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  18

  Do Skeptics Draw Conclusions?

  by Blueblades in

  1. watchtower
  2. bible

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  i say, they do.what do you think?.

  blueblades

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  czarofmischief

  Truly scientifically minded people only draw tentative conclusions.

  So evolution is just a hypothesis then?

  CZAR
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  11

  Help me find Hell picture, please.

  by sleepy in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  hi , i'm looking for a picture that was in the societies books in the 70's or early eighties of a hell scene.

  wasn't a witness picture , i believe it was from some eastern religion.

  it featured people being tourtured in various ways in hell.

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  czarofmischief

  I remember an old brochure that had a bad drawing of people in a pit of fire - one of the people was black and the other was a guy in a suit, and there was a woman in there too. It was wierd. But I think the buddhist picture in the Mankind book is what you are looking for.

  CZAR
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  14

  Paying for healing

  by Sirona in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  searching the net for information regarding different spiritual healing methods, i was shocked at the prices some people are charging for healing!

  one website wanted 60 for one distance healing session.

  assuming they actually do send you healing energy (how would you know if they didn't?

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  czarofmischief

  I dunno - Jesus was SO good at his healing thing and he never charged anybody - although apparently he did accept contributions. I would avoid paying for it until after it worked.

  It seems that a good healer, understanding that his efforts are not instant, perfect, and that those who approach are in difficult circumstances, would at most have a recommended contribution - kind of like the Met Museum or some of the better hospitals.

  If you receive free, give free.

  CZAR