Thanks for the cool resource, Oubliette. I still think 5th grade reading level is a little optimistic. Reading for the 5th grade classes I have taught was more advanced than JW literature.
GrreatTeacher
JoinedPosts by GrreatTeacher
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50
The NEW "Bible Teach" book
by Oubliette inthe new "bible teach" book is out!
thetruthbr has posted links for this and several other of the new publications.
as an educator, i am very interested in where the society is heading with their alleged "bible education" program.
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Using the internet can destroy your Faith.
by James Mixon inthat's the conclusion of a study showing that the dramatic drop in religious affiliation.
in the u.s since 1990 is closely mirrored by the increase in internet use.
of the u.s population had no religious preference.
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GrreatTeacher
Excellent video. It's a good use of 15 minutes.
Essentially, if you can create such a widespread cultural belief in Santa Claus by children, that illustrates why children are the most ripe audience for teaching religion to.
The JWs need to drop the teaching that reserving childbearing for the new order is the most spiritual option if they want to survive. They should probably encourage childbearing to attempt to keep membership numbers up, although they lose two-thirds of their youth, too.
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So sick of the abuse...
by iwasblind ini am still serving as an elder but just hanging in there.
i think their quandry is that they don't see me out in the field, but when they need encouragement and decent prayer they come to me.. i just got off the phone to this poor sister who i have only met twice.
she is not even in my congregation (her sister is).
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GrreatTeacher
I guess I just never realized that people really take their problems to elders. I want to ask, 'Who does that?' but I guess they are encouraged to.
Wouldn't most people just take those issues to a friend or a therapist? I would! I would never even think to go to the elders for that kind of support. I've never been an adult JW, though. I left at age 19.
Now, I'm babbling, but I truly don't understand the phenomenon.
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My Mom Is Dying
by minimus ini just wanted to say that my dear 89 year old mom is terminally ill and will soon pass.
she is on morphine and hanging on.
she has been a devout witness for about 60 years and a wonderful mother.
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GrreatTeacher
Great news! I am so glad the antibiotics are working! -
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A call from family - Armageddon this month!
by kaik ini very seldom receive a call from my jw siblings, i mean seldom.
i can count them on my hand in past 10 years.
while we talk about mom a lot and i am in touch with her, i was very surprised when i received this call.
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GrreatTeacher
They harrassed you for 20 minutes on an international phone call? That must've been some mighty expensive witnessing!
Glad to hear your mom is getting her surgery. I know that you were worried that your siblings would talk her out of it.
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Had you thought of feeling sorry for the G.B?
by The Rebel ini only bring this to the board, because a friend of mine once said he felt sorry for the footballers who made so much money.
that comment stayed with me, and over the years,the more i thought about that comment the more i agreed with him.. i admit the g.b destroy people's life's and are the sublimation of all that's good in people's life.
there only excuse is a fantazy asylum they claim to believe in.
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GrreatTeacher
People who live counterfeit lives are to be pitied for their impoverished life experience.
This is not to say that I feel bad for them though. You made your bed and all that...
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I'm a coward.
by cappytan insince the move, it has been so enjoyable to not have jw's breathing down our necks asking why we didn't make the meeting, or having to pretend to be "spiritual" in front of family all the time.. 90% of my week is virtually stress free.
then, my mom calls or texts wanting to talk to her grandkids.
every dang call, she asks about the new congregation, if we went to the meeting, etc.. why can't i tell her to fk off?
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GrreatTeacher
If your mother is truly narcissistic then that is a different beast altogether than just parents that are unhappy that you are no longer in the cult. Narcissists feel extreme entitlement to cross boundaries.
I had to choose my boundaries carefully and then when my mother crossed them tell her clearly that she had no right to do that and immediately hang up the phone.
It's pure behaviorism, not unlike training your dog. She crosses a boundary, she immediately loses access to you. She finally learns that to get what she wants, which is to talk to you, she has to behave. No behaving, immediate loss of contact. Every time.
But, choose your boundaries first. If it's not talking about religion, when she brings it up tell her that you're no longer going to discuss religion with her. If she contines (and narcissists will because they feel entitled) hang up the phone. Ignore the immediate call back.
Then, after a length of time you are willing to accept contact from her (whatever boundary you decide, for example, weekly) answer the phone. Don't talk about the previous phone call. Continue talking as long as you want, but if she brings up religion again, hang up immediately.
Decide your boundary regarding your kids, too. If you don't mind her talking to them, but you don't want her talking religion to them, set up skype sessions where you must always be there so she doesn't have unrestricted access to your kids. If she talks religion to them, end the skype session.
These toxic personalities just don't take the hint. They bully people. So, don't feel bad about abruptly hanging up on them. That's the type of behavior they actually understand. Sometimes it's the only way to salvage any kind of relationship at all.
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If you don't enjoy working with the public choose another career.
by James Mixon ini'am sure you have come across someone with that type of personality, working in sales, clerk, waitress or waiter.
most are nice but once in a while you come across that person that needs to choose a different career.. this morning i met that person, she just screwed up my day.
i'm thinking maybe her day wasn't a good start,a fight with her husband, bills or children but don't screw up my day.
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GrreatTeacher
Sometimes you almost have a 6th sense about who is a witness.
I had one college class with 2 young ex-ish witnesses. They didn't know TTATT, and one was even trying to get reinstated, but I was not surprised at all when I heard they had a JW background. Something about them...
And then they double-teamed me and wanted to discuss my non-belief after class. They talked down to me, though only one of them wanted me to go back. The other wanted me to believe in Jesus.
I finally extracted myself politely and told them it was okay because I still believed in god. Which I did at the time. But, whew, they still had strong feelings.
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i'm changing, but for the worse
by embarrassed inthat is the truth-- that's really how i think now.
so why should i tell the truth?
just look at the person i've become.
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GrreatTeacher
I've never believed that being brutally honest is always the right thing to do.
Because the answer to, "Does this dress make me look fat?" is always an emphatic, "No!"
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My Mom Is Dying
by minimus ini just wanted to say that my dear 89 year old mom is terminally ill and will soon pass.
she is on morphine and hanging on.
she has been a devout witness for about 60 years and a wonderful mother.
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GrreatTeacher
Mommies, no matter how old, always want to hold their babies. And, Minimus, no matter how old you are, you are still her baby. Mommies hold treasured memories of their children's childhoods. One's childhood mostly belong to the parents who have watched you grow and change and finally be indpendent. But, they were the ones orchestrating it, the ones who knew how important it was to get right, the ones who remember your cry as a baby, your toddler temper tantrums and your little boy voice. They remember holding you and loving you and doing their best to create a responsible adult.
Just let your mom hold you and love you like she always has while you make this last transition. She still loves you and still feels responsibility for you. Make sure you tell her that you'll be okay. A mom always needs to know that her kids are okay.