Posts by Purple

44

Overseer Visits

by sandy in

what the hell is the big deal about the circuit overseer's visit?

why does everyone have to drag their bible students and in active friends and family members to the meeting during that week?.

it is so lame and hypocritical.

There was one CO who was great and didn't take the BS and called a spade a spade. He was an older little man and I can remember his first name was Bill. When I was a regular pioneer I got to spend a whole morning with him and we had a nice conversation until he asked my how I was finding pioneering without a partner in the troof.

I automatically said things are fine. He looked at me and said "no I want to know how things really are, do you get enough support, how you are treated and so on". I was terribly ill with back problems at the time and was struggling like a marter (Sp?). So I laid it on to him, no holds bard. I explained to him about the daily trouble of just getting out to field service and meetings as at that stage I didnt drive. I explained that I never saw an elder unless it was to reprove me for something that someone had said I did. I related an experience about gossip that got me in deep doggie doo doo and how the elders did not even ask me for my side of the story and how I wasnt even out of fs the day the incident was supposeed to happen. About an hour later he was very quiet and had listened patiently to me.

He had an extra special meeting with them all and I found out why later on. This was what I was told so I cant authenticate the content. Too cut a long story short, the elders got their bums soundly spanked as all the pioneers related similar experiences, lack of support and encouragement and so on. Although none got reproved etc they were told to shape up or ship out. He expecially related my personal experiences to them and all of them admited they never took the time to speak to me and find out what is happening because I always appeared happy and never missed a meeting or field service. They assumed I was happy and content and had no idea that I was going through hell at home and was in constant agony with my back, feeling so sick most of the time I could not eat and went home to bed just so I could walk the next day or get to the meeting.

I stopped regular pioneering not long after and finally got help for my back and ended up in surgery! However I was impresses by the CO. He didnt last very long because he actually made the elders do their jobs, even after he had left. During his talks he would admonish the brothers for token service and was not fooled by the show that was put on every CO visit. He also only accepted invitations from brothers whose records showed they were regular in fs and meetings and so on. However he visisted the spritiually weak. He was probably the best witness the organisation ever had!

Hey why are you surprised about the hyprocacy that exists on every level in the org?

16

How do some of these rumours start?

by joenobody in

blondie's comments in the thread about jim penton's upcoming book got me thinking.

she was talking about the jw rumour mill.

i've been out (dfed) since 1995 and have only set foot in a kh for my brother's wedding.

Purple

Gosh everytime I see a witness I learn something new about myself...been pregnant...moved interstate.....got remarried...had more children.....and all other things. Wish I had! Well one rumour was true that I left my husband, left the truth and am happier than I have ever been.

I am afraid its the consequence of women leading unfulfilled, empty lives being jealous of those who don't! If they had more to do with their daily lives they would not have the time to gossoip! Imagine if they worked full time, brought up their children, looked after their house and gardens, went to meetings and still spent weekends witnessing and associating. They would be too tired to gossip and not be that interested. Instead most of them dont work and dont have a lot to do. Realise that they are getting the short end of the stick and are treated appalingly by their partners and the society in general, are treated as airheads with no thoughts or opinions and so on. Gossiping is their only out so to speak! Some sisters you may as well have said that if they didnt gossip they didn't speak or have anything to talk about!

Very sad, but very true.....

14

Some random thoughts on WT pictures...

by logansrun in

jw
friends

in my experience i find that good literature in any field of thought rarely -- if ever -- uses pictures.

watchtower literature, on the other hand, is littered with illustrations.

makes a jw think twice of the quality of their message, no?

Purple

It is symbolism pure and simple. Witnesses are bright and coulourful, look happy and eating fruit the slave delivers? The wordldy people are still in the darkness? Its nothing new and is used in films etc all the time to portray sublte meanings. A classic example of this in the Wizard of Oz...producers used black and white when on earth and Dorothy was in a confused state...colour when in Oz and enlightenment recieved and then back to black and white when back to ordinary life.

It also emphasises the fact that she was not in Kansas anymore. Talk to a marketing student. I remember a talk an elder gave about the use of illustrations and colour to emphasise the state of the great crowd compared to those still in the world! They slightly blurr the faces of worldly people and have so called witnesses sharp and in focus. Good observation!

13

ARMAGEDON

by moses in

jw
friends

what is everybodys feelings out there about armagedon is it all garbage or is god's judgement day coming one day.i know the witnesses always use this as their pitch to keep you in,but is all that doom that is in revelation for our future or what?

Purple

Hey Moses

I found out some interesting news recently. THe Catholic Church has come out and admited that there is no such place as Heaven or Hell. Rather they are ideas and concepts to describe states of being. Not absolutley sure what this means but it has lead me to question well if that is so then what else is symbolic? After all does not the org teach us that revelation is symbolic and meaning has been ascribed to the symbols used.

SO is it possible then that Armageddon be symbolic of a state of being also such as the loss of something, the end of something? For example the coming out of so called "true religion" and the end of being lied too? It may be an over simplistic view of a major topic but I am not so sure it is.

Keep remembering that the bible was written by men in control of civilisations or churches and so on.. So like men in control of large amounts of people who needed to control those people. Basically the bible tells us how we should live our lives and what will happen if we dont. Isnt the bible full of so called real examples of people who have or have not followed their God?

So by telling people how to live their lives you eliminate the kaos factor that leaders cant control and this scares them silly. So if the masses are fooled into believing that there exists this all powerful being who will exact vengence on the one hand yet on the other is loving and caring to those who follow him, what do you think would happen? The majority would follow the so called right way. THe few who dont may have come to mean ends and the leaders hold them up and say "see, see what happened to a non-believer!"

Or would you like to be a leader that says this is wrong because I a fellow human say its so? I would rather use the power an omnipotent being could bring! I wuld also like to be able to hold a book supposedly full of ancient wisdom to justify myself along with the most powerful organisations to back me up.

So do I believe that Armageddon will happen? I am begining to think that it is symbolic of a state of being and not literal. THe fact that the society changes so much to fit into time frames and grabs at anything that happens to back them up makes me think that the Armegeddon that the society talks about is yet another control mechanism to keep people in the flock, contribuing money and making someone rich somewhere and so on.

Of course that's just my two cents worth and if I am proven wrong well....I never said it!

13

Single in the troof

by Purple in

jw
friends

here's something i am wondering.

i was alone in the troof (married but partner not in troof) female without children.

the ignorance and arrogance of so called sisters was outstounding.

Purple

Here's something I am wondering. I was alone in the troof (married but partner not in troof) female without children. The ignorance and arrogance of so called sisters was outstounding. I was made to feel a nothing, a failure because I could not bring my partner to the troof plus we had no children to add to the numbers.

In another post I made the comment that I never felt as alone as when I was with the congregation. The elders really did not know what to do with me as I kind of had a mind of my own and did not necessarily follow their lead. Well lets face it if I did that meant I would have to not talk to anyone but fellow elders, shun half the congregation and be totally hypocritical!

Other single sisters felt the same way to which I thought was interesting and I was relived to find out I was not alone in the opinion I had. I tried reading accounts of single sisters in the truth and read accounts in the Awake about it...they were few and far between too.

So what I am wondering is does anyone have an opinion about single sisters in the truth and how they were/are treated? Was it my imagination that I was generally shoved aside, not invited to the many social gatherings ever, not invited out in field service and such. I often used to get comments like "Oh I never thought of inviting you" or "I didnt think about you". That was unless someone wanted something. Its amazing but once I got a car I started to get invites to places, mainly so I could pick up people and drop them off again.

In one newly formed congregation I was in, my partner and I had literally half the congregation around for a meal and many friendships were formed because of this. Yet we got back not one invitation and my husband (not a witness) said no more. I got upset because I was doing it to help the congregation to form not to get invitations but I did take his meaning on board and was tying to "obey" him like a good witness wife should do.

So if you were a single sister (no partner in troof or just single) in the troof did you ever feel like this or were you ever made to feel like this? Did you know of single sisters who had similar feelings and so on? Or was this something totally unique to me? Was I being unrealistic to expect that I was a fully baptised member of the congregation and a part of Jehovah's family and should have been treated as such?

Now I understand why this happened as the cong is just imperfect humans hiding behind god's word and using it to justify weaknesses and so on. Many were incapable of loving someone who was an individual, different from the main stream and so on. Not meaning to offend anyone here either.

8

Thanks for the warm welcome!

by Meg in

jw
friends

thanks to everyone for the very warm welcome.

i do beleive that i have come to the right place and am very excited about it!

it is so nice to be surrounded by people who actually understand how i feel and what i am going through.

Purple

I am new here to Meg and know what you mean. I have learnt so much since coming here and am glad I did! I have faded away from the org over the last 5 or 6 years and have no qualms about it. I left confident that it was not the true religion but another cult or such. However what I have learnt hear has helped me understand that I still thought of it as the truth but just wasnt beating myself up about it. I now no longer view it as anything but a cult religion who expends a lot of energy controlling the flock! I consider myself lucky to escape from it without too much fuss and bother but I was not brought up in the troof nor did I have my partner in the truth. I never felt so alone as when I was with other witnesses. A sad reflection of the true nature of the organisation! Welcome my love, look around, pull up your keyboard and join in!

23

Palm Reading

by JH in

jw
friends

does anybody here believe in palm reading?

some say that they can see by the lines of your hands if you will live a long life, or any other aspect of your life.. is there anybody good at this here?

if so, read mine.

Purple

reading it...its scary how similar our hands are! Your life line is broken meaning a short life or many lives...you choose! Your mound of venus looks steep meaning you slap the donkey, wax the dolphine etc.. a lot or you are a chubba!!!!! However the rest of your hand shows no evidence of weight gain........Hehehehe see its all up to interpretation just like your dreams..........You can believe it or not.................

19

I love you - do I?

by donkey in

jw
friends

rather than participate in the thread asking if people really loved jehovah i have a different question to ask but it requires a contextual setting prior to being considered.

many posters here at one time loved jehovah and we know our concept of jehovah was that which was created as a result of wt teachings - only to find out that the teachings had no factual basis.

we can also observe people all over the world who worship idols or nature or other gods such as allah or vishnu etc and we know that these people are in love with a god who is not true - if their beliefs about who god is are untrue then they are logically in love with a concept as opposed to a real person or spirit being.

Purple

Hmm Donkey hun you wouldnt be studying philosophy by any chance and need some research for an assignment???? Read Plato and the Allegory of the Cave...the Matrix movie was based upon it. It questions the nature of reality and what we perceive to be real. Are we distracted by the seemingly real and miss what is actually real??? Plato saw shadows and took that to be real.

Is love itself not a concept and the percieving of love another concept, one which is defined by individuality? Is not god a concept that man strives to prove real according to their individual experience? Is the bible real or does it distract us from the real? Is not all religion man made and is used as a controlling mechanism to create order and harmony where kaos would normally rule? How can one ask about love as a concept if one does not understand what love is? We have manifestations of what we feel love is, and this also differs from individual to individual. For example a phedophile is convinced he/she loves the victim and the victim loves what is happening. Those outside would judge, society says its wrong and so on etc. A husband may try to strangle his wife and justify it with I love her and was trying to help her and so on.

So I believe love is relative to the individual and the situation. What is love anyway?? Is it not a concept that can also control the individual and does not society use it to control??? For instace if you love Jehovah youur God you will.......thus making the individual feel compelled to do something and so on..... Also there are supposedly many different types of love as well all we all know! There are varying degrees of love to....... so to suppose there is just a love and a concept may be a little ummm not sure of the word I am looking for here....its not as straight forward maybe??? I hope this rambling makes a bit of sense and sorry for the spelling!

4

Doing law...

by Max Divergent in

jw
friends

while in a rare posting mood, may i just brag say that i scored the 99th percentile (top 1%) in the australian law school admission test of all candidates since 1996 recently!!!

i start the 3-year graduate course at deakin uni part-time external in next month.. i think there are some other budding lawyers out there too...whom shall we sue?

cheers, max.

Purple

Congrats Max. Wow what an achievment too so the society will be able to use good brains like yours heheheheh Joking!

I have to wait till next Monday to see if I got accepted into some post graduate study. BTW I live in Adelaide so its nice there is another aussie on the board!!!!

4

Also got me bloody well thinking...

by dustyb in

jw
friends

i was just sittin here, readin my girlfriends letter (she's a jw) and she says she is so confused over the truth in a lot of things (including religion).

and it made me think about my elders study.

he was talking with me and brought up two mighty fine points that go strictly against the wt society.

Purple

When you are studying your degree you may get a chance to study sociology - the study of society. You may find it very interesting as it looks at why societies do what they do and possible reasons for it. Its like another way of looking at things but sure as heck opened my eyes to many things.. Especially the sociology of knowledge...why do we beolieve the things we do and how things are portrayed and such. It will enrich your understanding of the world around us and how we relate to it.

If you also read a lot of Marx and other like him you will find surprising similarities in the thinking of communisim and the society...for the good of all but actually strictly controling and such!

Good luck with your study and your searching. I myself have applied to do some post graduate study and will find out next Monday if I have been successful!