in today's copy of the scotsman there's an article on people that don't celebrate christmas for a variety of reasons and sure enough a witness family are featured.
they are spending christmas day on the beach in the canary islands and after pointing out the fact that the 25th is christ's birthday go on to say.
"it would be churlish to say that our children are not affected by peer pressure about christmas, but we feel bigger issues are at stake - independant thought and standing up for what you believe in.
It was the claim that they represent a fight for 'independant thought' that bugged the hell out of me.
I was raised a witness and have to say that not celebrating Christmas never ever bothered me, it always looked tacky And to now be wrapped in tinsel etc just doesn't hold any appeal.
from: http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/americas/2587707.stm
in pictures: world trade center plans .
seven new plans for the site of the world trade center, destroyed in the 11 september terror attacks, have been unveiled in new york.
Rebuilding does seem to be 'showing the finger' but this seems to be the premise of much that has occured since the terrorist attack.
Cities are vibrant living places and the concept of the whole site being a memorial I find rather disturbing. It was an atrocious event that wont be forgotten, memorial or not. Hiroshima, Dresden and London were rebuilt after massive devastation and memorials small in scale.
One project that I saw in The Architects Journal was for one vast building that had two hollow voids from top to bottom where the WTC originally stood. I quite liked the idea behind that but the exterior was bit brutal, like the original buildings. On architectural merit I voted for the Libeskind project - the guy's a genius. Or is that furthe evidence of a Zionist plot?!
in today's copy of the scotsman there's an article on people that don't celebrate christmas for a variety of reasons and sure enough a witness family are featured.
they are spending christmas day on the beach in the canary islands and after pointing out the fact that the 25th is christ's birthday go on to say.
"it would be churlish to say that our children are not affected by peer pressure about christmas, but we feel bigger issues are at stake - independant thought and standing up for what you believe in.
In today's copy of The Scotsman there's an article on people that don't celebrate Christmas for a variety of reasons and sure enough a witness family are featured. they are spending Christmas Day on the beach in the Canary Islands and after pointing out the fact that the 25th is Christ's birthday go on to say
"It would be churlish to say that our children are not affected by peer pressure about Christmas, but we feel bigger issues are at stake - independant thought and standing up for what you believe in." and goes on to say:"We do not exchange gifts on 25 December, or choose a different day to do this. To swap one day for another would seem like a sham."
Most Witness families I know have a 'Present Day', often on the parents wedding anniversary. This is a very well off family, he's a property developer and she has inherited wealth and their four children attend a private school. I wonder why they didn't choose your bog standard family where both parents are cleaners and they claim state benefits. Perhaps the fact that he was on the ill fated PR project he made the well-off, articulate appearance the borg likes.
ugh.
i saw this movie over the weekend.
i think he did a very good job addressing the subject of guns in america.
i walked away still not knowing exactly why there are so many more murders in this country than in any other countries.
the loss of revenue K-Mart will suffer as a result of no longer stocking amo will be far outweighed by the free global advertisement they have received courtesy of M Moore. There was no ethical decision made on their part, just a clever corporate decision.
what a performance ... especially the bit where she 'choked the tears back' talking about her son.
remember what her father was?
an actor.
Well at least she can act as her father certainly couldn't/can't.
Your cynicism outsrips mine. I feel kind of sorry for her. Especially if she really does have those weird showers with that Caplin girl as the tabloids assert.
i last went to a meeting in april.
that night there was to be a local needs talk that had recieved much hype - everyone had to be there, it was going to be very important blah de blah.
was it the date of armageddon they were about to reveal?
I felt like shouting "just name me why don't you" rather than let them baffle all the old dears who were oblivious to what was going on. Or saunter down to sit in the front row grinning at the fascist.
But that was then and this is now and I'd rather knock their blocks off.
i last went to a meeting in april.
that night there was to be a local needs talk that had recieved much hype - everyone had to be there, it was going to be very important blah de blah.
was it the date of armageddon they were about to reveal?
I last went to a meeting in April. That night there was to be a local needs talk that had recieved much hype - everyone had to be there, it was going to be very important blah de blah. Was it the date of Armageddon they were about to reveal? No, it was a talk about me. I'd resigned from being an elder a year previously, stopped for 6 months then gone back for 6 months just to make sure I was doing the right thing. I spent that 6 months just listening at the meetings, not answering or going door to door, I didn't talk to anybody about what i thought, I did decline a bible study, and then I went to visit an old friend who had left 10 years ago. This can't have been liked. The local needs talk that was given talked about those who don't participate blah de blah and may have recently started to associate with former witnesses - avoid them. They're bad associates. In fact, it was that scripture 1cor whatever that the elder started with. I knew it was me. My mother knew it was me. Everybody knew it was me and avoided eye contact when the meeting was over. That week I'd told my mother that the next meeting would be my last. And did I choose a great last meeting.
Nobody came to see me afterwards but my mother was livid and got the elders round who played it down and said it was just a general talk. I kept out of it all. She didn't take it but after a month or two of anger she knew she couldn't beat them so has got on with her life as a witness.
I'm gay. I now have a boyfriend. And word seems to have reached the elders ears and the presiding overseer, stupidly, asked his son if he has met my boyfriend. His son is an xjw and immediately told me that i'd better beware.
The adrenalin? It makes me expletive deleted furious that after 8 months they are nosing about my life. And the fact that after 8 months i can so quickly be plunged back in to a mindset that i want to leave behind. I keep imagining those jumped up punks asking to meet with me to sort out some rumours and it makes me quake with fury. I have no qualms about denying it. I don't want to da myself as i have no respect for their organisation and I don't want to be dfed because i love my family and don't want them to be put in that position of having to exclude me. I could walk off to an entirely new life, albeit having cut out a piece of my heart, but they'd be left with that nasty big void. Up to now my family have been pretty decent about my decision, and my sexuality we don't discuss.
Now, I'm waiting for a call that may never come. And the next few years may be spent like this. It makes my blood simmer. But should that call come I'll have to be ice cool.
I've ranted for longer than I meant. oops.
sorry for that bad word, it must be the adrenalin.
Edited by - scotsman on 8 December 2002 19:4:10
Edited by - Englishman on 8 December 2002 19:22:25
i used to get into trouble for making light of the these phrases that some elders have told me are to be used only gods people.
lol that you all may know maybe:.
"well, brother that is very "commendable," just before the meeting ends the po says to those in attendance "brothers the time left is reduced," i once heard a co say to those seated during one of his talks "well now, we don't want to die at armageddon now do we, well of course not.
menfolk and womenfolk
aargh!
i'm sitting here in the serverroom freezing my buns off and the issue of the child abuser and what to do with him or her was being kicked around.
we got the standard shot the bastards in the head etc,.
should they get any treatment at all or should they just be shot?.
Simon listens to Start the Week on Radio 4 too!
I thought the social circle idea was interesting, where the offender meets a member of his support group every day and they all meet for dinner once a week. I like it, even if it does sound a rather middle class solution, but it's better than shooting or tattooing them as some advocate.
Community responsibilty for what seems to be a community problem?
a person years ago made a comment to me, about witnesses.
they said that in their opinion, being a witness brought out the extreme in a person.. for example, if they were untrusting, they would trust less.. if they were vindictive by nature, they would become more hateful and vindictive.. if they were kind and loving, they would even be more so.. basically, whatever type of person they were, being a witness would intensify that persona.. have you found that to be true?
maybe you knew someone before they came a witness.
I have to say that it did give me the confidence to be different. As a child I couldn't give a rat's ass that I didn't celebrate birthdays etc. I didn't blend in as a Witness either.
And leaving made me realise I could conquer anything.
