is your bullsh*t meter always cranked up to overdrive these days?
i'm a happy enough guy but i find i get somewhat irritated reading of the faith people have in their belief systems, even outside of the dubs.
i'm not trying to be condecending with this post at all.
I have strong faith in my belief system. I believe that people or organizations will not hesitate to screw me over if I give them the opportunity. I am especially wary when people profess to 'have religion'. If there is such a thing as a "caring god" I have yet to meet his followers. Most of the caring people I've known in my life had no belief in god, but they had personal principles and ethics.
Walter
last week's wt study was on selfishness.
ostensibly, on living as a christian and being self sacrificing.
we know that you're going to college and we don't want you to.
On the other hand, I can call the Watchtower selfish too because they don't donate their money to me.
Who knows, if they paid me enough I might even stop berating them. But they won't pay me.
Because they're too selfish.
Walter
were you associated with regularly?
did you have many friends?
were you the life of the party?
I gave up all my friends in 1983 when I became a JW. Had none at all for the next 20 years.
Walter
everyone has their own idiosyncrises, mine is- .
when i get a new book, i'll open it up to the middle of the book and stick my nose in the binding for about ten seconds, and smell how the glue, ink, and fresh paper smell.
ahhhh i love that smell.
zaphod, that's not weird. That's an indication that you like balance in your life. You appreciate symmetry. You must be almost perfect.
I say this because I eat my peanut butter sandwiches in much the same way.
Walter
its says in one of the ads that jws are asocial,do you think it is true?
I was very sociable before I was a JW. At 25 I got baptized, and over the next 20 years I became progressively less sociable. During my last few years as a JW I preferred to stay home rather than go to any JW functions. I knew damn well they disliked me as much as I disliked them. The only reason I went to any JW functions was because it was the only way to stop my wife's nagging me about it.
Now my social life consists of visiting my mom once every 2 weeks, meeting up with a friend once a month or so, and my activity on this board. Beyond that, all I do is hang out with my bird.
After 20 years as a JW, where no one was interested in being my friend, I adapted and have learned to prefer solitude.
Walter
my congregation along with about thirty others attends circuit assemblies at a facility that is owned by the organization (a converted school).
this building also has a section that serves as a kh for three local congregations.
i have noticed that when the financial reports are read at the assemblies that the expense (which is not detailed) is always around $4,000.
$4,000 per day and the hall is used every weekend of the year. That's over $400,000 per year tax free for a facility that was built and maintained by volunteers.
I'm in the wrong business. I should make up some lies and start a cult.
Walter
my congregation along with about thirty others attends circuit assemblies at a facility that is owned by the organization (a converted school).
this building also has a section that serves as a kh for three local congregations.
i have noticed that when the financial reports are read at the assemblies that the expense (which is not detailed) is always around $4,000.
Up here the "expenses" are just over $4,000 for each day.
Walter
did you ever notice that, when a dub moves, all the other dubs help?
i remember many a time when someone moved, the person would just pass it around to everyone in the kingkong hall, and they'd all show up to help.
those who had trucks were obligated to show up.
The problem is, I almost never see JWs anymore. One billion hours per year? Where do they all go? Certainly not around here, that's for sure!
If you want to talk to JWs, just go to your local Kingdom Hall Tim Hortons on Saturday morning.
And by the way, I did tell the elders it was a worthless cult. They could not scripturally refute any of my statements.
Walter
questions, questions, and more questions.. did jesus (if he existed) have in mind starting a world religion such as has been created around him in his name?
if so, why did he not write the foundations for it, laying out it's laws and structure?
why did he only rebel and lead a rebellion against the old testement priesthood?
I had some questions during my last year as a JW. For one, the society often said that Jesus apostles were constantly bickering over which of them was the "greatest". I eventually decided that much of the new testament beyond the 4 gospels was a continuation of that. That's where you read about "overseers" and "ministerial servants". That's where you find scriptures that the JWs use to support shunning. That's where you read about Paul's attitude toward women.
I think, even back then, it was all about control.
Walter
.
were people shocked by your departure or was it pretty obvious you were on your way out?
I'm sure it was no surprise when I left the cult. I started publicly disagreeing with elders, missing meetings, handing in service reports with all zeros on them, and I threw the book study out of my home.
I'm not very good at hiding my feelings.
Walter
