GrreatTeacher

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Posts by GrreatTeacher

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  44

  Was looking at my childhood book "From Paradise Lost to Paradise Regained" I found something interesting.

  by Still Totally ADD in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  i was showing a friend of mine what kind of books my parents allowed me to read when i was very young.

  no children books that was age related but the so called orange paradise book was my only children book i had.

  she was taken back on how violent it was and showing little kids being killed by god was just unspeakable.

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  GrreatTeacher

  I think My Book of Bible Stories came out when I was in first grade. So, yeah, that was the "family study" book when I was 5 years old.

  I remember those pictures.
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  10

  Witnesses desperate for news to feel good about themselves

  by joker in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  i have a relative who is a "dyed in the wool true blue jw" and yesterday he sent me this link with the jw method of evaluating the news " more to come !.

  sounds like they're grasping at straws now to put meat on their failed prophecy bones.. http://www.freep.com/story/money/business/michigan/2017/02/23/family-christian-stores-close/98310234/.

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  GrreatTeacher

  Can't make a living selling Bibles anymore?

  Well, ain't that just the pot calling the kettle black!
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  182

  The Danger of Settlements

  by Tech49 in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  i was pondering the recent influx of lawsuits against wt, specifically in regards to the child abuse cases (ie.

  conti, fessler, lopez, etc).. in each of these, wt has settled for an "undisclosed" amount, assumed to be in the millions of dollars each.

  i know there are many many more cases, subject for a different thread i'm sure.. i was reading something completely unrelated a while back that mentioned the dangers of settlement agreements for a large corporation or business (not just wt).

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  GrreatTeacher

  Rule of thumb, I think, is one-third for the lawyers, two-thirds to keep.
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  21

  Becoming the average JW (and what I found out about the average 'Joe Witness')

  by Skepsis in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  until a couple of months ago i was an uber-spiritual pioneer, only having association with other pioneers, elders and others who would fill in the category i classified as "spiritually acceptable" friends.. but since stopping pioneering and having more time to think about my doubts and what i really believe (or better said, what i no longer believe), i have started getting to know other less spiritual brothers and sisters of the area.

  in fact, my old friends are starting to forget me quite quickly, i must say.

  so, i guess my next move in fading is becoming what i call the average witness.. and what did i discover?

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  GrreatTeacher

  James Jack, your comment about sisters wearing bikinis at a pool party made me chuckle. That seems so very appropriate!

  Maybe I've been out too long and have forgotten, but do JWs really have issues with wearing bikinis to the pool?
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  22

  The Timing of Telling My Parents My College Plans.

  by WeatherLover in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  i know that at some point i have to tell my parents that i'm planning to go to college.

  i basically have two options:.

  1. tell them early.

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  GrreatTeacher

  Just another caution: my father refused to fill out the financial aid forms for my sister. Until you're 24 (I believe) colleges assume your parents to be responsible for some of your college expenses. Even if your family makes very little money, they require the FAFSA form to prove that to be true before you get any financial aid.

  My sister had to go through a long and complicated process to be declared an "independent student" before she could get any financial aid, including loans. They do not grant this status lightly.

  Unless you have the cash in hand, you will not be able to enroll. Do you have $5000 to write a check to the local community college? (I'm not being snarky. If needed, you could work for a year first to make the money.)

  Also, the FAFSA forms need to be filled out by May 1st for the following Fall Enrollment.

  So, there is no Later for you. You either have to get your family's cooperation now, or get yourself to the local community college's Financial Aid office to plead your case as an independent student. And that's tough.

  Also, I'm not sure about 4 year college application deadlines, but it seems VERY late to not have even applied for the 2017/ 2018 school year! So, time to do some research!

  Community colleges have open enrollment, so you would be guaranteed entrance, and, if your ACT scores are good enough, you can avoid placement tests. (If you score poorly on the placement tests, you will have to take remedial classes first, for no credit and at full price.) You can plan your transfer to a 4 year school and coordinate classes so you don't lose any credit. This will lower the cost of your education.

  Plan on coming up with $60,000 if you are footing the entire bill yourself. I don't say this to scare you, but to emphasize the amount of planning and research that you must do! And you are running behind! You either need your parents cooperation in filling out the forms or you need to start talking to Financial Aid departments to figure out the appeals process to declare you an Independent Student. You'll need to be able to explain and prove why your parents should not or will not be responsible for their part of your education expenses.

  Just a note, if your parents DO fill out the FAFSA, but decide NOT to pay their Expected Family Contribution, then that amount will fall on you as well. So, go make friends with people at Financial Aid and make this happen! Just so you know, you will probably get Financial Aid, but it will probably be in the form of loans. I'm middle-aged and will be paying Student Loans for a long time yet.

  But, you're young, and doing this now is the right thing to do. You have plenty of time to pay off loans before middle age! And, it's definitely worth it in the long run with the increased earning power. But, it's a complicated and long process, so start now!
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  16

  I Have A Question About A Dog

  by minimus in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  i would like to have your opinion on something if you don't mind.

  my girlfriends dog, a scottish terrier, is a wonderful lovable dog about fiveyears old.

  my girlfriend owns a hair salon and takes her dog with her and the dog greets clients very lovingly.

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  GrreatTeacher

  Aww, Lois, that's the sweetest story.

  I'm a cat lady myself. I have a 20 lb. orange tabby who is a snuggler, but even flapping pajama legs earn an attack. He is always on the hunt.

  As to dogs, I've known dogs who only bark at men in baseball caps. I agree that it's likely a bad experience that they've generalized to all people who look similar.
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  10

  US news article about low JW education causing problems in life - interesting

  by Gorbatchov in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  good article, a must read, from my perception.. i did a bachelor and master since 2001, having the same opinion, for a better present and future and for my and family sake: being an educated person, gaining respect and being proud of what i could realize in life.

  a win - win situation.. http://www.npr.org/tags/510831679/jehovahs-witnesses.

  for present jw and non present jw's, take your change and take the path to higher education.. g.. g..

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  GrreatTeacher

  I'm afraid we're going to see more and more young adults never leaving home, but getting married and living with their spouse, or even kids, in tiny basement apartments in Mom and Dad's house.

  The parents will need the children's help, too, if they haven't worked enough to collect much Social Security.

  Then you have the beginnings of a compound which can be the first step of removing themselves from the world and then going rogue.

  I'm calling it; the compound. If not Warwick, somewhere where multi-families are living together due to their poor individual finance prospects.
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  18

  Love for the Hate

  by IronSharpensIron in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  i just wanted to share a perspective related to my experience with leaving the jw.

  at this point, i have been df'd since i was 18. i'm 25, happily married with 2 fantastic children.

  after being miserably at odds with my parents and extended family, i've come to some realizations as follows.. i struggled with the conditional nature of my parent's love- talking to me until it bothered their conscience, then cutting me off.

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  GrreatTeacher

  Think twice about this, Iron.

  As super-spiritual as your parents sound, just fading could trigger their shunning again.

  There are many here who have had that exact thing happen, and it appears the organization gives tacit approval for this.
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  66

  Was There ANYTHING Positive That You Experienced Because of Being a JW?

  by minimus in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  was there anything positive about your jehovah's witness experience?.

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  GrreatTeacher

  The ability to tolerate 5 hours of boredom weekly.
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  10

  US news article about low JW education causing problems in life - interesting

  by Gorbatchov in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  good article, a must read, from my perception.. i did a bachelor and master since 2001, having the same opinion, for a better present and future and for my and family sake: being an educated person, gaining respect and being proud of what i could realize in life.

  a win - win situation.. http://www.npr.org/tags/510831679/jehovahs-witnesses.

  for present jw and non present jw's, take your change and take the path to higher education.. g.. g..

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  GrreatTeacher

  The lack of manners is appalling.

  Could you imagine in any other church having something think that, "Do you have enough money to live on?" is appropriate casual conversation?