Alligator Wisdom

Joined

• started 24 topics
• posted 616 times   see topics posted on
• send a message

Posts by Alligator Wisdom

• 
  66

  My brother died yesterday

  by satinka in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  "albert" was 55 years old, and the fifth-born of seven children.

  i am the second oldest and babysat him often while he was growing up --- and while i was still at home.. yesterday, albert was out taking his usual morning stroll around his small town, when he collapsed on the sidewalk.

  the doctors said it was a heart attack.

  1. 
  2. 
  3. 
• 

  Alligator Wisdom

  May you find strength and comfort during this difficult time.

  Alligator Wisdom (aka Brother NOT Exerting Vigorously)
• 
  3

  Reverse Witnessing Idea...

  by The Song Remains The Same in

  1. watchtower
  2. bible

  reading a couple of threads here about how to handle jw's when they try to witness to you, i was wondering if anyone had tried to give an everyday situation example with a couple of choices to a jw and asked them what the right answer is.

  then when they have picked, show them that the wt would have given the other, more shocking, answer.

  well.... let's say john works someplace, and finds out that there is criminal activity going on.

  1. 
  2. 
  3. 
• 

  Alligator Wisdom

  I asked several in my congregation if turning in the field service (time) report was "voluntary" or "mandatory".

  After what seemed like an eternity of silence, the only two different answers I got for the question were either...

  (1) in between

  (2) it's the arrangement

  Alligator Wisdom (aka Brother NOT Exerting Vigorously)
• 
  13

  Blasting WATCHTOWER's disfellowshipping and shunning policy!

  by Newly Enlightened in

  1. jw
  2. experiences

  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zhc1sqiaqum.

  1. 
  2. 
  3. 
• 

  Alligator Wisdom

  Thanks for sharing your expressions. I really see the harm of shunning and deplore this type of action.

  By the way, I noticed that you have Ray Franz's COC and ISOCF wedged between the NWT reference Bible and the Proclaimers book on your bookshelf behind you. Nice .

  More power to you!

  Alligator Wisdom (aka Brother NOT Exerting Vigorously)
• 
  26

  Marilyn Zweifel of the 800-why-1914 Helpline passed away yesterday

  by coffee_black in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  marilyn manned the helpline for many years, and touched the lives of so many effected by the wt.

  she will be missed.. coffee .

  1. 
  2. 
  3. 
• 

  Alligator Wisdom

  When going to a DC in 1990/91, there were ex-JWs picketing out front and one sign caught my eye, 1-800-WHY-1914. So easy to remember. It was within a few weeks that I managed the nerve to make that call while I was at work. Being very nervous because of the warnings inculcated in my mind during my life's tenure as a JW, I hung up when presumably Marilyn answered the phone.

  But it wasn't in vain. In fact, it was the very start of me exercising my freedom to investigate the WTBS outside of the recommended publications that were encouraged to be the only source of research. I didn't have access to the internet because it was at its infancy, so I was unable to investigate through that avenue. It was shortly thereafter when I was assigned jury duty in a city 20 minutes away. I then went to the local library next door to the court house and checked up and read books written about JWs during every single one of my lunch breaks for the entire two weeks of my duty.

  Needless to say, here I am now. What a journey thus far!

  And yes, it all started with that picket sign 1-800-WHY-1914

  Alligator Wisdom (aka Brother NOT Exerting Vigorously)
• 
  7

  Do you sense and underlying serenity ?

  by Phizzy in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  going forward from my other thread, on the unhappiness of jw's, and thanks for your contributions to that, do you sense the opposite with xjw's ?.

  not simply the happiness that we all exude, external and obvious, but an underlying serenity.. all that i have met face to face, and as far as i can tell those that are on here, have a certain serenity, due i think in the main to having the conviction that our leaving was the very best of decisions.. yes, we still have our daily struggles, perhaps the frustrations of trying to free loved ones, health problems, financial difficulties, personality faults of our own we are working on, any or all of these plus ones i haven't mentioned.. and yet i detect a peace, and contentment, that comes from being the real "you", no longer having to put on the cult personality, no longer having to suffer the noise of cognitive dissonance, no longer feeling we are not "doing enough".. that inner peace is what makes you all such lovely people..

  1. 
  2. 
  3. 
• 

  Alligator Wisdom

  As Phizzy & losingit noted, building new social networks (friends ) is paramount in getting on with our lives.

  I'm at that point where my social circle can be counted on one hand, seriously. Yes, there are those non-JWs that "I know", but can't really be considered friends. However, I'm working on it. I found that once I started my fade, my interactions with strangers and those non-JWs that I'm acquainted with has been more quality with a sincere motive to really know them better. When I was an active JW, I was only cordial to these ones.

  Alligator Wisdom (aka Brother NOT Exerting Vigorously)
• 
  38

  Update on my fade

  by wizzstick in

  1. jw
  2. experiences

  it's been over 3 months since i first posted after years of lurking:.

  http://www.jehovahs-witness.net/jw/friends/253883/1/my-story-a-kinda-newbie-from-the-uk#.ukhopt-yza8.

  and what a 3 months it's been.

  1. 
  2. 
  3. 
• 

  Alligator Wisdom

  Hello wizzstick!

  I'm on a successful fade of four months and my wife is really understanding my situation (a topic for another thread). She goes to the meetings about 60-70% of the time now and tries to see whatever positive she can glean from the meetings. However, I feel that she is seeing a host more about TTATT and will uncoil to her authentic self once she gets home, disrobing the cult personality.

  Slowly, but surely.

  Yes, I'm glad to hear about your family's current progress in your direction in life.

  Alligator Wisdom (aka Brother NOT Exerting Vigorously)
• 
  57

  Attention Lurkers- Consider the effectiveness of your lifesaving work

  by stuckinamovement in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  hypothetical scenario.

  you are a city manager in a major metropolitan city with a population of 3,000,000.. .

  if the governing body was truly convinced themselves of the impending disaster and the fact that the end is imminent would they not focus their efforts in spreading the message through effective means such as telephone, television, internet, social networks etc?

  1. 
  2. 
  3. 
• 

  Alligator Wisdom

  He He!

  About a year and a half ago during the Memorial invitation campaign I was in the same car group with the CO. I brought up this very point and directed it to the CO. There were five of us in the car. I was in the back seat with two sisters, the driver was a former CO substitute (who had a breakdown several years ago and is now a MS) and the CO in the front passenger seat.

  There was a silence of what seemed like hours before the driver chimed in and that he also wondered the same. With the urgency at hand, even with the holy and righteous campaign of inviting everyone to observe the Memorial, could the efforts of the WTBS be heightened?

  The CO said, "we follow the directions of the brothers (GB)"

  Yes, one of several nails that confirmed the closing of the coffin of being a sheeple to the WTBS.

  Alligator Wisdom (aka Brother NOT Exerting Vigorously)
• 
  26

  The privileged Bethel speakers and the rest of us Jamokes.

  by RULES & REGULATIONS in

  1. watchtower
  2. beliefs

  cicero,illinois 1970's.

  our four day assemblies in the 1970's through the 1980's were pure torture.. they were held at a horse race track in cicero,il in the smoking hot and humid month of july.

  they charged around $2 for parking.

  1. 
  2. 
  3. 
• 

  Alligator Wisdom

  William Lloyd Barry, a member of the Governing Body of Jehovah's Witnesses, died at a JAPANESE District Convention in Hawaii. He was fluent in Japanese since he once was a missionary in Japan in the 50's.
• 
  106

  Confidential Materials!

  by Atlantis in

  1. watchtower
  2. bible

  all documents of important nature such as, our kingdom ministry, boe letters, forms, or other materials will now be sent only by email or private message communications.

  they will not be posted out here on the board.

  if someone else wants to post them, be my guest.. .. we have no other choice in this matter, and sending out confidential documents is better when it is done privately.

  1. 
  2. 
  3. 
• 

  Alligator Wisdom

  PM sent! Thanks Atlantis
• 
  42

  A “Born ins” challenge to develop a "post cult" personality.

  by stuckinamovement in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  a born ins challenge to develop a post cult personality.. mentally leaving the organization can be traumatic for a number of reasons.

  one of the biggest challenges for born-ins in finding their pre cult personality is that our entire personalities are based on the religion.

  there is no such thing as a pre cult personality for us.

  1. 
  2. 
  3. 
• 

  Alligator Wisdom

  Excellent opening post.

  I can relate 100%, as I remember first stepping into a Kingdom Hall at 5 years of age.

  I'm in the midst of locating my real identity now in my mid-40's. At first it was tragic. Now I try to view it as a wonderful journey. Being able to try something just a little different keeps my sanity in check.

  Thanks again SIAM for putting in words what many of us feel.

  Alligator Wisdom (aka Brother NOT Exerting Vigorously)