DF - Maybe we can smoke a few together! You ever down TO way?
Outlaw - Come on bro! I said Provincial tax. In Ontario it is 7%! Sure there's plenty of other tax in there, but I'll take the 7% and a box of the La Trinidads which are hard to get at most Cigar shops in TO. $48 each or $38 bx/24 Robusto Extra's! 7% is a pile! You do the math!
Frank75
rwagoner:
Great smokes all of them. You know to be honest, the fake Cohiba's were'nt bad at all either. But up here you can get authentic so go for it!
NVR:
I have been on business so I haven't had a cigar in a week or so. I got one I am dieing to review!
I am in Alberta where there is a renouned wholesaler of Cubans. The bonus is I can buy without the provincial tax which they do not have in here. Going tomorrow, so I will see what i can get!!!
Frank75
im compiling a list of things i want to ask (after joining this site) when they get here , anyone got some valid questions that i could ask?
?
my name is ruby parker.
i am 29 years old.
i was disfellowshipped when i was 16, i have completed a double major in anthropology and religion studies.
Just like The Society, I am only interested in discovering the truth.
Ruby:
I applaud the idea of a documentary on shunning JW style. However I hope your method of getting at the truth will be anything OTHER than the way the Society deals with it.
Looking forward to it!
Frank75
just wondering if ex-jws find it hard to trust others since their bad experience or are they still gullble souls?
just wondering because some of the stories i read about past experiences are off the charts!
some of you, your childhoods, your parents are seriously jacked up!
Nazi's - and you condemn them while supporting the Organisation still
Great point for our Borean friend.
The Nazi's only taught hatred of the Jews and others. They were not forced into it.
JW's are not forced into treating "worldly" people badly or in a condescending way, nor are they forced to cut off ties with former members.
However the structure of the JW religion is set up so as to bombard (propaganda) the membership with their brand of hate and reward those who do follow the pattern set.
Just as German citizens found themselves rising the ranks and gaining privileges in their Society, so do Dubs that conform.
Frank75
dear greg: just a note to thank you for the card and for remembering us on our anniversary.
we had a very nice 45th anniversary.
the only thing that would have made it better is if you and ***(my sister) could have celebrated with us .
ExJW: - I can't imagine any JW could read that and not pause because it is a completely reasonable fact and they know it is true, although I don't think any of them are comfortable with it.
That is so true and why it should be kept up as opposed to silence. A verbal or written rejection of what we say does not mean that we have had no impact on them. We should not be concerned with their comfort level because the condition Dubs have is not impenetrable.
It is called Dissonance. Humans are more likely to deal with beliefs in absolutes than learn from and reconcile differences presented. Anything that mom believes of the JW's is absolute. It is the "Truth" therefore there is no falsehood or deception. She is "Free" therefore she is not forced in any way to accept anything. They use the bible therefore all beliefs are bible based.
Wikipedia - Cognitive dissonance is a psychological term which describes the uncomfortable tension that may or may not come from having two conflicting thoughts at the same time, or from engaging in behavior that conflicts with one's beliefs. More precisely, it is the perception of incompatibility between two cognitions, where "cognition" is defined as any element of knowledge, including attitude, emotion, belief, or behavior. The theory of cognitive dissonance states that contradicting cognitions serve as a driving force that compels the mind to acquire or invent new thoughts or beliefs, or to modify existing beliefs, so as to reduce the amount of dissonance (conflict) between cognitions. Experiments have attempted to quantify this hypothetical drive. Some of these examined how beliefs often change to match behavior when beliefs and behavior are in conflict.
Frank75
just wondering if ex-jws find it hard to trust others since their bad experience or are they still gullble souls?
just wondering because some of the stories i read about past experiences are off the charts!
some of you, your childhoods, your parents are seriously jacked up!
than getting dissed so you allow your STUPID relatives the freedom to still associate with you.
That's like saying Jesus could have avoided what happened to him by avoiding controversy and keeping quiet. And it is true that we all could have done that. It just isn't healthy in the long run.
Who wants to associate with stupid relatives anyway? I prefer the smart ones, like my non witnesses relatives who I have reconnected with.
I had little control while growing up a dub over who my parents let me associate with and form bonds with.
Frank75
dear greg: just a note to thank you for the card and for remembering us on our anniversary.
we had a very nice 45th anniversary.
the only thing that would have made it better is if you and ***(my sister) could have celebrated with us .
Theres only one true God(Jehovah) One Lord. One Bible. One faith. One Babtism. Eph.4: 5.
She missed the thing about "One Hope" or "Calling"! Do the JW's believe and teach only one hope to go along with that 1 baptism and 1 God?
4
One body there is, and one spirit, even as YOU were called in the one hope to which YOU were called; 5 one Lord, one faith, one baptism; 6 one God
You might want to throw out the question regarding mediator as well since she brought up the 1 Lord etc.
(1 Timothy 2:5) 5 For there is one God, and one mediator between God and men, a man, Christ Jesus,. . .
Ask her if she has "made sure" that the Watchtower teaches that, and what she believes.
Many dubs are not aware of this subtle teaching and are entirely shocked to learn the WT disagrees with Paul!
Try that!
Blondie is right, no matter what you do, be patient and kind. At least your mom is willing to talk. If you stick to what you can prove to her from the bible that she believes, you have a chance to open her eyes.
Frank75
dear greg: just a note to thank you for the card and for remembering us on our anniversary.
we had a very nice 45th anniversary.
the only thing that would have made it better is if you and ***(my sister) could have celebrated with us .
Dear Greg: It is too bad you didn't do more research before you made the decision to dedicate your life an get babtized. That's what we all do . Make sure of all things.
Greg:
Witnesses with scriptures is like a mental patient with a gun. More research? I do not know how old you are or how old you were when you got baptized, but perhaps this will be an eye opener to yur mom.
Baptism is an outward sign of repentance and dedication to God is that, namely dedication to him, not an organization. Show her what the WT says about Baptism.
*** w55 7/1 p. 411 Christian Baptism for the New World Society ***
15 A Christian, therefore, cannot be baptized in the name of the one actually doing the immersing or in the name of any man, nor in the name of any organization, but in the name of the Father, the Son and the holy spirit. This shows, among other things, that Christianity is not a denominational affair, that sects have nothing to do with it. “Does the Christ exist divided? Paul was not impaled for you, was he? Or were you baptized in the name of Paul? I am thankful I baptized none of you except Crispus and Gaius, so that no one may say that you were baptized in my name.”—1 Cor. 1:13-15, NW.
*** w66 10/1 pp. 603-604 Serving with Everlasting Life in View ***15 This is what we mean when we dedicate our lives to Jehovah. We do not dedicate ourselves to a religion, nor to a man, nor to an organization. No, we dedicate ourselves to the Supreme Sovereign of the Universe, our Creator, Jehovah God himself. This makes dedication a very personal relationship between us and Jehovah.
Additionally, your mom or parents have never gone on a trip, stayed at a hotel, bought a car or other product that they didn't research well enough and that was well sold to them by someone who withheld information without publishing any of the negatives? I'm sure knowing your family's history you could highlight to her just how silly that judgment of you is!
What good would your research have done? Tell her you researched the total blood ban by the Watchtower many years ago very well! Then they went and watered it down now so that you can take almost 99% of it!
Likewise the "make Sure" comment is taken from Thessalonians. Remind your mom that Paul introduced that expression to "Brothers" who were in danger of "s leep(ing) on as the rest do, but let us stay awake and keep our senses". So this was to be a constant process not something done once and never revisited! Finally Paul wrote just preceeding that expression, "do not treat prophesying with contempt". Another translation says it best, "Don't suppress the Spirit, and don't stifle those who have a word from the Master. On the other hand, don't be gullible. Check out everything, and keep only what's good. Throw out anything tainted with evil."
Ask her if she has done that herself in obedience to Paul!
Since you wish to do that you have scrutinized some of the prophetic utterances of the WT and would like to share with her what you found!
Frank75
did you ever feel like these all were like a military chain of command?.
and i think i'm just realizing this, but are females not allowed to give talks, or is that not correct?
if not, i know in scripture (1 timothy) it talks about women not being "teachers" of men, or something similar, but when i think back.....at work, i never hear of the females having ever given talks, i always here about the guys.. if i'm correct, as a female in the wts, did that t you off or were you relieved of not having to deal with it anyway?.
As far as giving talks, I found it to be insulting to a woman's intelligence to put on silly skits for the congregation. I don't see any difference because they were still instructing the congregation.
I'll add; Demeaning and degrading!
Frank75
