JWD ....the opium of the Ex ?

by ScoobySnax 112 Replies latest jw friends

  • Mary
    Mary

    Well I guess I'm gonna be the one to say this:

    "...Can't we all just...get along?"

  • CeriseRose
    CeriseRose

    It's not always what you say but how you say it.

    I've read this entire thread. Scooby spoke in generalizations, sweeping terms that encompassed everyone with his opinion with no apparent allowance for anyone being different. Minimus spoke and wrote into his post allowances for those who may be in different places. Same subject, different angle. As for the rules being like the WTS, well I can shut off my pc and not be held to these rules; as a JW I was bound to them 24x7 and if I chose not to follow them, was under life penalties. Not quite the same.

    Scoob is stuck on a theme, one of this board and the 'necessity' of it. Without delving too deeply, as I don't really know him, I'm guessing that there's a part of Scoob that needs to be here and he's not comfortable with that. When someone isn't comfortable, they can be more vitriolic in their words and mode of 'attack.' Not to be mean, but some of Scoob's posts remind me of a kid on a playgrond who got picked last. I hear a lot of hurt in his posts, and that can't be easy to deal with, if he is actually dealing (again, others think not, I don't know him that well to judge, and I don't like judging anyway...)

    That being said, not everyone is addicted to this board. Some people *may* be, but no one can decide that but themselves. Like any other internet board, there are groups who are on longer, more history etc. I wish I had been in Texas longer than an airport stop the weekend of the Apostafest there...it would have been nice to meet some of the posters. Because I didn't, though, I don't feel like I've been excluded. There are those who see each other more often, and have more time and history together. As far as being 'clique-ish', I believe that was an open invite Apostafest. There's one near Scoob and so he has the opportunity to join in, if he cares to. However, if you decide not to, thumbing your nose at those who do will get you precisely nowhere if you really want to 'integrate,' which you may or may not want to do, or even know if you want to do.

    I still choose when and if I come here, how much time I spend posting, etc. Yes, leaving the JWs left a gap...shunned by family and friends, it's important for me to maintain a social connection somewhere. I have a social anxiety disorder, making it more than difficult to go out and make friends 'cold.' Here I can come, express my frustration, sadness, anger, happiness, joy, etc. to people who understand on some level. I've been accepted and accept those here on the basis that we've all come through a shared experience, no more, no less. When I'm overwhelmed, I can leave.

    On a side note, if the point of the thread was sour grapes over the sanctions imposed against him and Minimus, why not make it the point? Instead of making generalizations and an observation that Scoob had to know giving past history would create a stir? Note I said "if" the point was that. I really don't know; I've pretty much given up seriously trying to figure out other people's motivations.

  • Brummie
    Brummie

    Scoob, how long will it be before you reword this same message and post it again under another title?

  • avengers
    avengers
    too find that JWD is quite similar to the "Christian Congregation of Jehovah's Witnesses". There are sanctions, reproofs---both public and private, cliques, removals, etc. that are just too similar to the "congregation".

    This issue was handled way back. get with it!

  • Englishman
    Englishman
    too find that JWD is quite similar to the "Christian Congregation of Jehovah's Witnesses". There are sanctions, reproofs---both public and private, cliques, removals, etc. that are just too similar to the "congregation".

    Thus spake another newbie ex going through his delayed adolescence.

    Englishman.

  • minimus
    minimus

    Since I really do not belong to other internet groups (other than Slippy's), I can not say how others perform. All I know is that I can only connect with my own experiences. The only other place that I have experienced sanctions, reproofs, restrictions, etc. is in the JW community. If I see similar things in this place, it feels like the JWs. That's all. I might be wrong to everyone else or I might have some that agree based upon where they are. I really don't care if others never see the point that I'm trying to get across. It doesn't change anything in the meantime.

  • Simon
    Simon

    Well then, you want to get out more.

  • Markfromcali
    Markfromcali

    Scoob,

    In response to your original post, (because I'm way too lazy to completely read a thread with this many replies) is it really religion? You even put the word in quotation marks yourself, and while there may be some patterns that endure, is it even limited to religion in general? If not its not a big deal that you might find it on a forum such as this, is it? Its just kind of human behavior. One thing we don't see too is what people are doing when they are not on this forum, so just judging by what you see here is like selecting only the data that supports your view rather than taking in the whole picture, even if that is not your intention. Sure some of the posts (maybe even majority, I don't read enough to know) may reflect such a pattern to some degree, and in principle I do agree a reaction to the other extreme is not being free from it - but still in general there does seem to be atleast a little bit more awareness.

    This reminds me of that quote from the movie Fight Club: "You are not special. You are not a unique snowflake. You are the all-singing, all-dancing crap of the world." So in a certain sense we're all the same 'crap', but atleast you're not stuck in the same little corner of the world. Even if some people get stuck in another corner, atleast you got a variety going on!

  • GentlyFeral
    GentlyFeral

    Scoob, a word in your direction: I read JWD every day. But if it were to shut down, though I would be mentally itchy for a few days and would seek an equally entertaining crowd to hang out with, my life would not go into a tailspin. OK? Physician, heal thyself!

    minimus, my darling red dot!

    The only other place that I have experienced sanctions, reproofs, restrictions, etc. is in the JW community. If I see similar things in this place, it feels like the JWs. That's all.

    Next weekend I look forward (eagerly!) to going to a place where I have to sign a full page of rules, about a dozen of them, just to get in the door. If I violate these rules I can be asked to leave - permanently. The place? my favorite sex party. The reason for those rules? physical and emotional safety. If those rules were not in place for all, I wouldn't go.

    As Simon said,

    Well, then, you want to get out more.

    GentlyFeral

  • link
    link

    Whenever the boards resident "wind-up artist" casts his net he can be sure that all the same posters will swim into it faster than the speed of light.

    Forgive the metaphors but its like watching iron-filings shoot towards a magnet.

    It would be interesting to see which poster has the highest number of response per thread started.

    link

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