GrreatTeacher

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Posts by GrreatTeacher

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  39

  Introducing myself! Come say hi!

  by Sparlocks_Apprentice in

  1. jw
  2. experiences

  hello all you wonderful people on the "evil" interwebs.

  i'm joining this site once again because i forgot my old username and such.

  i like the new layout!.

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  GrreatTeacher

  Welcome! I got out at 19. I have always lived my adult life exactly as I wanted. I found a great "worldly" guy and we've been married for 22 years! Can you imagine dating a Witness? *shudders*
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  24

  would it have been different if we knew why?

  by sowhatnow in

  1. watchtower
  2. beliefs

  i always took issue with the idea of no one knowing why a person got df.. i know im not alone.. i complained to my mother about this when i was younger, explaining that how do we know what it is that gets a person df if no one knows what they did?

  my moms answer was , .

  'if people knew a persons personal faults and what they did , others would not be so forgiving when they were reinstated, because we'd always view them with that view, so in other words, if when so n so, committed fornication, and the whole cong would know it, if they announced from the platform then his/her reputation would be permanently stained' .

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  GrreatTeacher

  But I do remember when they used to give the reason back in the '70s. Does no one else remember that?
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  19

  People calling me... >.<

  by Garrett in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  oh my god!.

  it is currently almost midnight where i live and i have now been spammed 3 times in a row by an unknown number.

  first my home phone and then my cell phone.

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  GrreatTeacher

  My father in law used to answer unwanted calls with, "City Morgue. You stab 'em, we slab 'em!"
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  59

  Asshole Atheism – Not for me, now or ever.

  by donny in

  1. watchtower
  2. beliefs

  to start off with let me clarify that by asshole atheism i am not referring to strong atheism or any other type of upfront atheism.

  what i am referring to is the belligerent, hateful atheism that smacks of trolls and other types who want to derail conversation or comments at any cost..

  i enjoy hearing comments from both sides of the subjects of theism, nationalism or politics, especially from those who have intense opinions.

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  GrreatTeacher

  Maybe like a lot of things, it's not just what you say, but how you say it.
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  19

  People calling me... >.<

  by Garrett in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  oh my god!.

  it is currently almost midnight where i live and i have now been spammed 3 times in a row by an unknown number.

  first my home phone and then my cell phone.

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  GrreatTeacher

  Turn off the ringer! I turn off the ringer every night after 10pm. No use allowing someone to disturb your sleep.
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  25

  My Mission is over!

  by abiather in

  1. watchtower
  2. beliefs

  when i understood, jws are wrong in some vital areas [eg.

  woman being viewed secondary, refusal to greet those differing with them ....], but right in other vital areas [such as their teaching that human rule is doomed, and will be replaced by gods rule], i began a diligent search for the right organization.

  my search ended with brahmakumaris.

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  GrreatTeacher

  Good call, Cofty. From the frying pan into the fire.
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  59

  How to wake up and reverse the trance???

  by J-DUBBED in

  1. watchtower
  2. beliefs

  how do you wake up someone taken from us by these screwed up people?.

  our son was hooked by a jw at the age of 25. within 3 months they were married and we never even new about it.

  he is now 29 and has nothing to do with his family(except his sister the odd time, when he needs something) of any freinds.. we are lost and have been for four years.. .

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  GrreatTeacher

  You'll likely have to order the books online as they are a specialty nook. Try Amazon.

  I think that when folks here talk about asking simple questions they mean to just take your natural WTF response to a particular subject and phrase it innocently and politely.

  For example, when birthdays come up. I know, it's ridiculous. But, you could ask them who they don't celebrate birthdays. You know the response. But, then ask, "So no birthdays or anniversaries or anything?"

  Then he'll explain that anniversaries are okay. ( I know, WTF, right?)

  So innocently ask, "But aren't birthdays just the anniversary of your birth?"

  Then, drop it. He will go on to try to wiggle out of that one, but in his mind will be a little seed of doubt that maybe the birthday ban really doesn't make sense at all.

  But, get this, he won't admit that to you. He will think he has given you a fine witness. But, you will know that you have given him something to think about, and it will likely happen subconsciously over time. You are planting seeds that there are logical inconsistencies in his faith. He will hold these inconcistencies in tension with his professed beliefs of his faith and it will eventually get very uncomfortable for him. This discomfort is called cognitive dissonance. When it gets uncomfortable enough from you subtly pointing out things that don't make sense, he may consider the possibility that his belief system is incorrect.

  That's just a small primer on the basics. I hope it helps. In essence, you show little bits at a time, but the goal is that he will put the pieces together on his own over time.

  The danger is that cognitive dissonance between what you profess to believe and what you know to be logical can also be resolved by digging deeper and more entrenched in your beliefs and ignoring facts, which in this case is you, when folks are pushed too hard. So, don't turn on the faucet full blast. Be the drip!
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  8

  IDEAL BATHROOMS

  by TerryWalstrom in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  i use to dream about designing a bathroom that was, well.

  crazy.. today, i saw this photo and almost fell over.

  obviously somebody else had the same dream!.

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  GrreatTeacher

  Well, now we know the kind of luxury that Flipper and Flipper's Wife live in, and he invites us to a campground for the Lake Tahoe Apostafest??
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  3

  Hey you are doing it backwards.

  by donny in

  1. watchtower
  2. beliefs

  "hey guy, aren't you doing things backwards in your spiritual life?".

  this question or similar ones has been posed to me a few times over the years.

  "most people i knew were agnostic when they were teens or young adults and then they become believers later on, but you seemed to have done it in reverse.".

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  GrreatTeacher

  Good read. I've thought many of the same things. Thanks for sharing.
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  50

  Freedom, Free speech, Censorship, Religion and Tight Pants

  by Simon in

  1. watchtower
  2. beliefs

  you would need to be living in a cave to not be aware of the turmoil happening in the world with groups like isis murdering cartoonists over their depiction of their prophet and sides being taken to either attack religion or to defend the right to practise it.. the battle lines appear to be drawn between those who believe in freedom and those who would see it curtailed to be replaced with their own version of what is and isnt acceptable.

  most people want freedom and free speech but when choosing it are perhaps unconsciously judging it to only apply to things that they themselves believe in.. we need to be crystal clear what freedom and free speech were really talking about.

  freedom itself is usually easier to define as there are some fundamental principles: you should be allowed to do what you want as long as you are not harming others.

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  GrreatTeacher

  Well, Simon, who decides? Good point.

  We can recognize a dangerous cult in the form of North Korea. That becomes a matter of national defense.

  We regulate deceptive business practices like multi-level marketing and Ponzi schemes. Even monopolies are recognized as unfair.

  But, it it doesn't involve defense or business, we can't seem to find the political will to do anything about it.