Posts by Stand for Pure Worship

14

Christmas presents--"We get things all year"??

by WTWizard in

i have heard that line of rubbish more times from the platform, especially around this time of year.

yet, given the number of children with few or no toys, about 90% of the time, they get little or nothing year round.

sometimes it is because of poverty, often induced because the parents are supposed to cut back on their work and pious-sneer or donate excessive amounts to the worldwide pedophile defense fund (or both).

Stand for Pure Worship

I got some presents after I graduated from high school. It's kind of funny in hindsight because one of the presents was the following.......

17 years old, just graduated from high school, and I got one of these as a gift. The couple meant well, and I still love them, but in hindsight it's just laughably strange. 17 years old and I got a briefcase as a high school graduation gift.

Oh and yeah, there's never been a moment in my life where I recieved gifts throughout the year. In fact, I haven't recieved a gift in years. Wouldn't expect any gifts either and I guess that's just something in life that as a born-in you get used to and accept it for what it is. Reflecting back, I've never envied non-JW kids when they recieved attention or gifts for the holidays or the birthday. I've never lacked anything, but it is irritating when JWs and the WT make comments like, "we recieve gifts throughout the year." Makes you want to tell them, "stop it!"

18

Did you feel nervous before/while giving talks?

by likeabird in

jw
friends

the subject of feeling nervous came up in sfpw recent thread http://www.jehovahs-witness.net/jw/friends/268270/2/im-curious-when-you-were-asked-to-do-a-demo-for-a-service-meeting-part-how-did-the-request-make-you-feel#.uqgz_0nd13b.

it reminded me of a sister i knew.

you always knew when you got to the meeting if she had a talk that night.

Stand for Pure Worship

Before giving a talk, always nervous. You'd never know it unless I told you. People are always surprised when I tell them that I'm nervous before going up there. I might be joking with a brother or sister in the back or making faces at/or playing peek-a-boo with a curious toddler sitting in the back row. Something about seeing babies or kids smile and laugh at your antics does wonders for anxiety. That said, what people think is just me being me, is really me doing little things to take my mind off of the thought that I have to go on that platform in a few minutes or seconds. Weird thing is, when I'm up there, I'm fine, almost like I'm at home or something. When you look out at the audience, whether it's at your home congregation, or while doing an away talk, at the halfway point to scan and recognize that they're all waiting for what you'll say next is a little bit empowering. I can see why some people get off on the attention. Have to say though, the anxiety before going up there, or the irritation of seeing your name on the schedule for something, sometimes multiple things every week, overshadows any attention loving leanings one might have. At least for me anyway. I get sick of going up there and travelling to Timbuktu once or twice a month. It gets old after a while.

Wanted to mention, I get nervous before commenting too. When I'm commenting, I'm fine, but before the microphone gets to me, I'm nervous. It takes a little bit of nerve for me to raise my hand, even when it's something that I feel really strong about. Then when the brother conducting notices me and says my name, the anxiety increases. The mic man approaching me, getting closer, makes me all the more nervous and anxious. Once I start speaking though, I'm fine. After I get done speaking, I feel relief.

33

Father of four quits job after attending Annual Meeting

by confusedandalone in

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fvdegzadefa.

this is completely ridiculous.

even as an uber dub i would bnever ever do this!!!

Stand for Pure Worship

I guarantee you, and I hate to say this or even feel this way, but, this family is probably the biggest pain in the butt for the elder body in whatever congregation they attend. Quitting his job while having a non-working wife and four little mouths to feed aside, any JW that goes on YouTube at this magnitude, I mean with that much effort put into a smug self-serving video......says volumes about them. Again, I feel bad saying this, but if ever there where a JW couple with obvious "issues", these two fit the criteria. I can only imagine being an elder on that body once they became aware of this video. Imagine being in the same field service group as this family? Imagine being their field service group overseer? Imagine having to be one of the two elders selected or who volunteer to discuss this video with the couple? Funny thing is the elder body was likely a catalyst for this debacle, and to some degree unknowingly. They probably "encouraged" the husband to be more regular at the meetings, take the spiritual lead in the family as the head of the household, etc.. That kind of counsel can't be given to couples like these two. It's irresponsible. Weirdos. I give it 10 years before multiple things go awry within this family that affects their standing in the congregation. Whether that be husband goes inactive, leaves the wife, they switch in and out between multiple congregations because they felt they were treated poorly, etc.. It's a given at least two of those kids, maybe even three according to the PEW Survey results, leaves the religion.

Cute kids though.

13

Jehovahs Witness elder arrested for sexual abuse

by truthseekeriam in

jehovahs witness elder arrested for sexual abuseposted on december 10, 2013 by wtleave a commenta man serving as a jehovahs witness elder minister in oklahoma was arrested on 19 counts of sexual abuse, according to authorities.

authorities said they had received numerous reports of other children being molested by ronald lawrence, 76 years of age, from more than 30 years ago.. it is believed, according to lawrences arrest warrant, the kingdom hall church where lawrence was an elder, chose not to inform law enforcement of the abuse.

authorities said that if the jehovahs witness church withheld information from authorities that they too could face criminal charges.. .

Stand for Pure Worship

Had a conversation with a relative not too long ago during which he made a comment about pedophilia within the Catholic Church. I had to remind him we can't point the finger at them when we've got the same thing going on in this organization. All he could do was nod his head in agreement.

34

Michelle Obama caption competiton - hubby chatting to Danish PM blonde

by besty in

jw
friends

.

Stand for Pure Worship

Have to say, it's amazing how women have a knack for maturity and recognizing appropriate behavior in social settings. I absolutely cringe when confronted with social settings that involve etiquette. I'm not sophisticated and make no excuses for my behavior. However, when I'm confronted with questions involving what to do in social settings, it all seems to work out when I follow a good woman's lead. Obama is a professional politician, highly educated, articulate, and you have to agree that he has those attributes even if you disagree with his politics. Yet, he's completely out of pocket in these pictures, and grossly unaware of himself. I guess attractive and especially dynamic women can do that to you. His wife though, perfectly defining her role as his better half, has everything in perspective regarding this event. I swear a good woman is like a warden protecting us from ourselves and the public. This thread doesn't show it, but there are photos out there where she sits between him and the Danish PM. Barry's got a good woman.

42

I'm curious, when you were asked to do a demo for a Service Meeting part, how did the request make you feel?

by Stand for Pure Worship in

jw
friends

did you decline out of fear?

decline because you hated doing demos?

accept the request graciously?

Stand for Pure Worship

"In harmony with Julia's point" . . . please SFPW, this ain't the Ministry School are the Watchowel Study, rmemeber, such a pious, smug, lover of Jah like you shouldn't be here to begin with, leave the meeting language at the meetings please.

You're right, Madea. This isn't Best Man Holiday either.

42

I'm curious, when you were asked to do a demo for a Service Meeting part, how did the request make you feel?

by Stand for Pure Worship in

jw
friends

did you decline out of fear?

decline because you hated doing demos?

accept the request graciously?

Stand for Pure Worship

This comments on this thread are fascinating and a bit unsettling because much like XBEHERE, I don't like asking anyone to do a demo. For one thing I know people have things going on, ya know like, real life responsibilities. Plus not everyone is comfortable with being on the platform and in front of an audience. I always tell whomever is going to do it, to not make it complicated for themselves. Also, I call myself trying to help them out by saying if Bro.Overtime goes overtime on his part, they won't have to worry about going up there at all as I'll be looking to cut my time either to end the meeting on time, or to give the next brother time on his part. Now I feel weird even about that because I get the feeling some of you actually liked going up there!!!

In harmony with Julia's point, I'm aware of ones that feel underutilized so I'll ask those ones to do it too so as not to feel left out. I never ask the same folks over and over again, and typically when I do ask it's either going to be that Sunday when I see them, or worse case scenario, Monday night. In the rare case that a part slipped by me and I didn't find out until that night or the night before, I don't ask anyone at all. There just will not be any demos for that part. That makes two less people stressed the way I figured, but then again, some of you liked doing it. Fascinating. Surprised some of you like doing it.

34

Michelle Obama caption competiton - hubby chatting to Danish PM blonde

by besty in

jw
friends

.

Stand for Pure Worship

You're a big boy aren't you? I know! I should have left her at home right!

34

Michelle Obama caption competiton - hubby chatting to Danish PM blonde

by besty in

jw
friends

.

Stand for Pure Worship

I know the word is used far too much, but Obama has a certain swagger about him. Julia Gillard looked like she was down for the get-down even more than this Danish PM. If I didn't know any better I'd say he was potentially more of a serial boinker than Bill although I get the feeling Obama wouldn't hurt his family like that.

edit post: Michelle's face. Yikes!

8

Luke Evans, Actor in the Movie "The Hobbit" is XJW

by Phizzy in

jw
friends

in an interview in the guardian newspaper's "guide" magazine he is asked about his upbringing with the question "terrible but character building?

" luke replies,.

"well, i'm still here and still smiling.

Stand for Pure Worship

http://www.theguardian.com/film/2013/dec/07/luke-evans-swaps-valleys-for-shire-hobbit

Born to a bricklayer and a cleaner in Aberbargoed, a tiny village in the Welsh valleys, Evans partly attributes his tenacity to his upbringing as a Jehovah's Witness. His family didn't celebrate birthdays or Christmas, and his education was miserable. "I was often looked at as a leper by kids at school, because I was a Jehovah's Witness. They didn't like it – you were 'weird'. And on Saturday mornings you'd be knocking at their doors. I remember standing there with my mum and dad, thinking, 'Oh my God, I know whose door this is, and I'll have to see them on Monday.' It was terrible."

Terrible but character building? "Well, I'm still here, and I'm smiling," he says, explaining that being bullied gave him thick skin and that having doors slammed in his face prepared him for rejection. "When I didn't get a job I thought, 'Don't worry, there'll be another one.' I still live by that now. Nothing really fazes me any more."

Evans had always wanted to sing, so at 16 he left school, quit the Jehovah's Witnesses and got a job to finance some singing lessons. He won a scholarship to The London Studio Centre, graduated in 2000 and rose up the theatrical ranks for nine years, starring in the likes of Rent and Miss Saigon. Then, off the back of Small Change at the Donmar Warehouse, he auditioned for the 2009 film adaptation of Dorian Gray. He didn't get the role, but his audition tape did the rounds in LA. "A lot of people said, 'Who's this guy? Where's he been?' That's how it all began."