Posts by RAYZORBLADE

7

let the battle commence..

by nightwarrior in

well the inevitable has happened... my mother now knows without a shadow of a doubt that i no longer attend the kh, and that the 'close' sister that i had spoken to about the above, is heartbroken (aaahhhh) that i have made such a momentous decision (how dare i) without talking to the family first..... note : i am 42 years old, 4 children, married for 16 years, lived away from my 'home' for 20 years...and the youngest daughter out of four girls, and i am still thought of as being unable to make my own decisions (as homer would say 'doh!)..

i have with held speaking to my mother for the simple reason that she is very ill, and i did not want to add to her burden, and then be blamed for her death.. she is a strong character, and has raised her family in the 'truth', my dad was not interested in the jw's...but i doubt if i will get any support from him, as he will back my mam, as she is the strong one in the relationship, and heaven help him if he were to disagree with her!!!

anyway, what would i have done without mr nightwarrior, he has been great beyond words, but sadly my mother has decided that he is the one to blame, and (wait for it).... he is part of the 'sweet talking evil slave class'................ when my mother put this to my yesterday on the telephone i politely put the phone down on her... how dare she!

RAYZORBLADE

Every once in awhile on here, there are these incredible stories. I am always thrilled to read these very personal and intimately shared happenings, such as the one you shared here.

Nightwarrior, it is interesting to note the progress you make as you grow away from the WTBTS and all its followers. Of course, when it comes to family and close friends, the leaving and result thereof, can be difficult to swallow and emotionally painful.

Somehow there is some resolve, some way of knowing that one must move ahead, regardless.

We hope...oh do we ever...that some will come to their senses, ask questions or at least have questions in their minds/hearts.

Your story is encouraging. I enjoyed reading it.

As for your comment: " ...and also to you lot....YOU ARE ALL TERRIFIC!!!! !!!!!! " - don't forget: you are too!

All the best Nightwarrior (Mr & Mrs).

38

IRIDOLOGY- The Diagnostic Study Of The Iris---What Did You Think?

by minimus in

jw
friends

jw's love to get involved in non-traditional treatments.

in many of the congregations, the study of iridology was practiced.

scores of "sick" people would have "parties" where they would come and get their eyes "read".

RAYZORBLADE

Yes, I have read a little about Iridology.

I remember one vitamin totting sister who was into alternative health. She went on to excess about eye colour and how you can tell much about a persons diet through their eyes.

The thing that bugged me, was when I heard her make a common about eye colour. She said that the only true eye colours were: Brown and Blue.

Mine: Green

I never heard the end of it. Thought I was going to have to get an eye transplant, let me tell you. Anyways, this sister had brown eyes, and she was sick, ill, hurting and in pain 24/7. All those toxins working out of her body....for years on end.

Gotta love that soup made from poison oak, balm made of pine sap, and oil of stinkweed.

Blondie, when I read your post above, I cracked up. That was too funny .

The only false eye colour I can recall, are red. Bloodshot from a night on the town .

25

Name Things That Used To Get You Upset And Now Don't

by minimus in

jw
friends

i remember people getting very upset because they didn't called on to answer by the watchtower conductor like they felt they should.

some people used to get very upset if they had to work out in service with the same person, twice in a row.

of course, now, it's no big deal.

RAYZORBLADE

Being called a Jehovah's Witness. Even though I was one, I felt alot of shame and embarrasment. Even post-JW, I was ashamed to even admit I had been one, but over time that dissapated.

Now, I am not ashamed to admit that I had been one. The responses are mixed, but overall inquisitive. People on the 'outside' (worldly) want to know the scoop. I'm not afraid to tell them either. Warn them, I must and shall continue to do.

14

Cult and Sect

by JH in

jw
friends

i would like to know how you differentiate sect from cult.

where i learned the truth in quebec, we used a french jw bible, and the word sect meant the wrong religion, or false religion, while cult meant the pure and only religion.

so the jw in french say they are a cult, meaning only true religion.

RAYZORBLADE

You know, JH...I never really gave it much thought: cult / sect

Just an fyi (for your information), although it has been touched on quite a bit already, I'll post the definitions from a Canuck dictionary:

CULT (kult) n. 1. a system of religious worship: Buddhism includes many cults. 2. great admiration for a person, thing, idea, etc.; worship: In the Soviet Union, the cult of Stalin was discouraged after his death. 3. a group showing such admiration; worshippers. [< L cultus worship < colere worship]

SECT (sekt) n. 1. a group of people having the same principles, beliefs, or opinions. 2. a group of people forming a part of a larger religious body but rejecting some of the larger body's beliefs or customs: The Protestant church used to have many different sects. [<L secta party, school, probably < sectari keep following, intensive of sequi follow]

Interesting investigation of the meaning of two words that are often used to describe unpopular religious groups.

10

Why the Stagnation?

by Stephanus in

jw
friends

posting seems to have slowed down incredibly in the last few days.

is this some sort of frustration with the newlook board mainifesting itself?

RAYZORBLADE

Well...I don't think this forum or site is stagnant. It may not seem as active, but I would attribute that to the obvious format change, and also Simon is busy with whatever free time he has to fine tune this thing.

Yes, I have noticed that if I post, it may take quite awhile for it to pop-up, but it pops-up nonetheless.

The rules etc., can only lead to a general positive environment. When you go into some forums, the endless attacks and gripes can be exhausting. Some people just do not harbour a positive vibe nor do they want to. It becomes a 'Fight Club'. Sort of a 'same old-same old'. Other sites on the net, have similar rules. (not necessarily jw/xjw sites)

Have I in the past done similarly (above)? Yes, and it sucked bad in retrospect.

When and if I have had any things to 'say'; if and when I can, I write to the poster's e-mail address personally to seek clarification. I would much rather do that than act harshly or prematurely only to realize that I may have jumped the gun and made a complete ass of myself. Trust me, I have.

For those that value a forum different to this, well there are plenty others around. If I had the knowledge with computer software and website design, I suppose I could created my own.....the truth is, I don't. So, given that this site is done as a labour of love, I really dig its general vibe. I prefer it than the shit-slinging I've seen on others. As for 'too polite', I think one can gain plenty from a polite discussion rather than an angry shouting match. Politeness, I prefer it. Honing of ones interpersonal skills, never hurt anyone. It sure helped me and I've helped others as a result.

RR, I hope you'll give this site a bit of time, until the bugs are worked out. With the amount of posts you have contributed on here, I'd say your input has not gone to waste and for a period of time, you must have valued the forum to some extent. I'm sure many would miss your presence if you disappeared.

There's plenty of interesting comments/topics. Some are fluff and some are serious, worthy of discussion. For some, perhaps due to their comfort level or time away from the WTBTS, you'll get a whole range of forum posts/topics. Remember, some of that old JW addage still lingers with some. Takes time for some of that to disappear.

I'm sure in a few weeks, this baby will be fine tuned, and ready to roll.

New members come on here all the time. Some are merely visitors, and I suppose the fact that it exists, is validation for many. When and if they need to ask questions or seek some clarification from us apostates, they can without reprecussions.

Not stagnant, just in transition.

12

all prophecy fulfilled

by jst_me in

jw
friends

.

so, apparently they are saying at assemblies that all bible prophecy except for babylon the great has fallen have been fulfilled.

anyone else heard this?.

RAYZORBLADE

Scare tactics.....once more.

1 week from now; 1 month; 1 year; 1 decade - you are gonna still be here.....yes, even if you are a faithful Dub.

IF you're a believer in Borgism, then you'll be scared all the time, with new light and more fulfilled prophecy .

Stress and anxiety are so much fun.

Waiting for what? who knows...invent something, it's bound to work.

15

bttt - don't be rude!

by Elsewhere in

jw
friends

lmao... something just occured to me.... for the longest time i thought that "bttt" was the spelling for a rude sound made with the mouth.

i kept seeing it in the sex abuse threads and thinking, "that is so rude... why is that person doing that on such an important thread?".

then i saw someone use the phrase "bump to the top" and it all suddenly made sence!

RAYZORBLADE

ROTFLMAO

Rolling on the floor in mayonnaise ? What the...

IMHO

I am hot - OK...um..er go cool off now.

I remember misinterpretting these abbreviations. I forget where it is on the net, but there's a site full of abbreviations. But sometimes, I was not sure and had to guess what the heck was going on...beyond my screen. More often than not I was so far off the mark. Doh!

The misinterpretations can be funnier than the original meaning.

18

IN THE NAVY

by josephus in

jw
friends

this week i did what ive allways wanted to do and joined the navy,,, well nany reserve is the best i can do right now.. im waiting for all the tests now, but i just wanted your thoughts on the "moral rightness" of joining the military.. im still gonna do it though!.

cheers bigears.

josephus

RAYZORBLADE

Hey Josephus, all I can say is: be safe and be well. You've made your decision.

I come from a military family, with a brother who serves (Canadian Armed Forces; UN Peacekeeping) and many other relatives who serve in various capacities up here in Canada (army, navy, air force).

Not always at war, but when our army helps out its citizens in a time of crisis, I'm happy they are there. Building temporary shelters (or permanent too), getting goods and services in areas hit by disaster, and well the list goes on. I don't look at the army as a war machine, I look at it more of a community safety net that is nation wide.

10

Commentary/Survey: The Necessity for God to Destroy Evil Individuals

by Derrick in

jw
friends

it's time to wake up and smell the coffee.

the world trade center and other acts of terrorism highlight the necessity for god to exterminate not only those behind these mass murders such as members of the al quaida network but all evil individuals worldwide engaging in crime.

forget the watchtower society's pet pieves about who is evil and who qualifies for destruction.

RAYZORBLADE

I will not hold my breath for what will not happen.

Supernatural Intervention: more time wasted

Living in the present, dealing with the now, holds out more for the future than a mean and lazy god.

First: you wait n' wait, give yer life to god..and wait..and wait, get scared lots...you grow old..then you die. Not much fun.

Secondly: this god, has a great propensity towards: destroying, testing, manipulating and selfishnessand the list of negativity, grows longer and longer.

My conclusion: No thanks, I gave up being a god-junkie, long time ago.

Enjoying life, to the fullest.

15

OUIJA BOARDS

by Mary in

jw
friends

.

has anyone here ever played with a ouija board?

if so, did anything weird happen?

RAYZORBLADE

Hocus Pocus - hmm..nothing happened..geez ?

If you have a 'belief' in such things mixed without proper knowledge and background information on the origins and usage of the 'OUIJA BOARD', then peoples' interpretations, and some former/present JW addage, could possibly manifest itself in 'predictable ways' ie: 'you know it's bad, it's an operating device of the demons...'

Post-JW, I know I still clung on to some of that stuff. When I actually read a bit more about so-called 'occult' activities, pagan topics, etc., with proper explanations behind them, then the demon factor seemed hilarious.

A friend of mine, a practicing 'pagan' who has spent years studying this topic and investigating it way deeper than I ever have, told me of many incidents when ill-informed fundamentalists (Christain especially) dabble in these things. It's like their psychological 'wishful thinking' comes into play to either credit the power of the Ouija board; or discredit it as demonic and should be avoided at all costs.

He indicated that for some who have this unbased fear in it, tend to have a Catch 22 approach with it. If you try it, obtaining info you requested and it's positive or correct, it worked! If you tried it and received an obscure or negative request, it worked! - BUT...not the way you had hoped it to - thus the DEMONS were behind it.

Like our behaviour, and the study of psychiatry, our actions and way we behave can be analyzed in great depth. If we use an Ouija board to vicariously inquire/predict what we ask or put into it, then we'd have to ask ourselves 'why am I using this, when I could simply ask myself the same questions' ?

If we cannot find the answers to our questions, perhaps it is only a matter of time before we figure it out on our own, or have to have some sort of life experience to enrich our own personal analysis processing. I don't need an Ouija board for that, nor seek 'fortune tellers' to gain the answers to my life's questions.

If you ask the Ouija board something you know, and you are operating it, chances are the results will not be that surprising.

The WTBTS is very effective in frightening its followers. Because we were forbidden to study or delve into such topics, many of us 'stopped learning' or 'questioning'. If the opportunity availed itself to learn more about the topic of: Ouija boards, pagan practices and other related topics, chances are, with informed knowledge and proper investigation, items such as Ouija boards may take on an entirely different banal existance.

Ouija boards may spell out to you as a JW/XJW: G - E - T O - U - T W - T - B - T - S

Anything, any item that could take away any percentage of dedication and devotion to the WTBTS, will be bad no matter what. If you think about it, Ouija boards pale in comparison to a multitude of other 'stay away from' items.

It's 100%+ devotion to the BORG, nothing less.

Myself, I don't use a Ouija Board, I use a Squeegie Board and a Cutting Board.