MerryMagdalene

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Posts by MerryMagdalene

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  40

  What is your earliest memory?

  by doodle-v in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  i can remember drinking out of a bottle.

  and i remember when i was 2 1/2 my mom carrying me around on her hip at the assembly hall in puyallup wa.

  how far back in your life can you remember?

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  MerryMagdalene

  I'm not sure how old I was...somewhere in between baby and toddler...but my stongest memory is the wonderful feel of being cradled in my Grandad's arms and the smell of his sweat-stained hat which he would put on me when he got home from work. It would cover my head and face completely and I could see light through the grommet holes. I felt totally safe and loved and all was right with the world.

  Like someone mentioned in an earlier post, I remember how I thought pre-verbally. Whenever I am able to summon up that state of mind now I absolutely love it, but it has become increasingly harder to do through the years. I suppose it might be much like the state people who meditate seek to reach. I'm not sure. I'm glad to know someone else has a memory of such a thing.
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  16

  Didn't Your Disfellowshipping Make you Feel SO Loved?

  by Englishman in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  well, according to the sept '96 awake, this pretending that you don't exist routine is a very loving arrangement!.

  the bible?s viewpoint.

  " (1 peter 1:15, 16) so disfellowshipping unrepentant sinners upholds god?s holy name; it shows love for that name.

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  MerryMagdalene

  Heather's post reminded me of this: our closest next door neighbors are JWs and their 4 year old boy likes to come to the fence between our yards to talk to my 3 year old girl. One day earlier this summer he asked if I "know Jehovah" then informed me in a hushed voice (looking over his shoulder several times) that his dad told him he's not supposed to talk to us because we are traitors and don't love Jehovah. He still does talk to us, as often as we are out there, but is kind of sneaky about it. It's just too weird. I think he is going to grow up with a strange idea of what traitors are because he quite likes us and obviously sees no reason why he shouldn't talk to us.
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  18

  MOVIE MUSIC: No, not songs; knowing the Score!

  by Terry in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  ever since my mother took me to that sci-fi movie when i was 4, i've been aware of what movie music does to persuade us that what is onscreen is something we can identify with emotionally.

  filmmusic has had many incarnations from the guy with the piano in front of the silent film making it up as it happens on screen to the symphonic scores of the golden age of film to the proliferation of pop tunes that are "dialed in" and "dialed out" by contemporary directors.

  the truly long-lasting classic films have stand-alone music that lives after them.

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  MerryMagdalene

  I saw Star Wars when I was 12 and the music still effects me the same way it did then (words fail)

  A Clockwork Orange a bit of the old ultraviolence courtesy of Ludwig van

  Manhunter

  Bladerunner

  Once Upon a Time in the West
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  16

  Didn't Your Disfellowshipping Make you Feel SO Loved?

  by Englishman in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  well, according to the sept '96 awake, this pretending that you don't exist routine is a very loving arrangement!.

  the bible?s viewpoint.

  " (1 peter 1:15, 16) so disfellowshipping unrepentant sinners upholds god?s holy name; it shows love for that name.

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  MerryMagdalene

  Yes, actually, my JW family does make sure I knew how much they love me in their own sad, twisted way... "We love you, but you don't love us and you don't love God. We love you even though you are selfish and stubborn and deceived by the devil. We love you even though you are breaking our hearts. Come back to us and you can once again be the shunner rather than the shunned."

  Love you to death, they do.

  I spent way too many years in continual inner conflict because of that kind of love. Thanks but no thanks. They can call it what they like, it's still cruel and unusual.

  My kindest regards to you, Englishman. It is good to be reminded how they twist minds and manipulate hearts so that doing what is naturally good seems frightfully bad and doing what is painfully bad seems righteously good.
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  60

  Convention Drama creeps out JWs?

  by ezekiel3 in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  i am getting news from jws who have attended the district convention that the drama (which is pre-recorded and played to lip-syncing actors) has a demon-possessed woman with a ?demonic voice?.

  can anyone confirm this?

  it is said to be pretty creepy sound effect and many jws are uncomfortable when they hear it.

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  MerryMagdalene

  LAME... so very lame. Thanks for sharing, everyone. Now I'm having weird flashbacks. Yes, I too was once in a drama and now suffer Post-Dramatic Stress Syndrome.
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  8

  Chapter Two: JWs are Ruled by a Clone

  by ezekiel3 in

  1. watchtower
  2. bible

  please read "chapter one" of this topic as well: http://www.jehovahs-witness.com/10/78201/1.ashx.

  now we understand that jws believe that you will be resurrected with a new body, but what about your soul?

  *** w90 9/1 p. 5 does the soul survive death?

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  MerryMagdalene

  Thanks for bringing this topic up 'zeke. I am so awed by the intellectual depth and clarity (and humor-- good one Leolaia) of those who have posted here and on earlier threads re: death and resurrection (another nod to Leolaia). It has given me a lot to think about that I had never been able to reason through before on my own.

  All I knew was, growing up, the resurrection hope did not comfort me in the least and the idea of being non-existent until then totally freaked me out. How could God's memory of me actually BE me??? I remember telling my mom that I would rather burn in hell than just stop existing completely. And when my Grandad died and I was reassured that he was just sleeping until God woke him up in the New System, I developed a very serious death phobia that included severe insomnia (never treated, of course, because that would have meant getting help from a Worldly professional). Death = Sleep. Sleep? Me? No, thanks. Maybe in the New System.
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  11

  Welcome Brigido

  by seeitallclearlynow in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  brigido posted this introduction for us:.

  hey everyone, i have been reading this forum for about a month and decided to join in...great forum.

  i'm a licensed pilot, was an air traffic controller - got laid off, currently work in ground transportation...all of which by the way was frowned upon, mind you...and now i am working towards my certification in it systems technologies.

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  MerryMagdalene

  DITTO!!!

  You are very welcome indeed, Brigido!

  --Merry
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  23

  friend getting DFed tonight and my upcoming meeting....

  by red so deep in

  1. jw
  2. experiences

  well it looks like my friend's dfing is getting announced tonight.

  she decided not to try an appeal because she really doesn't want the stress of telling the story all over again, and she's heard horror stories from one of her friends that was dfed about 12 elder appeal committies and whatnot.

  i've really been trying to help her out and let her know that it's going to be incredibly difficult but that i'll be there for her even though i'm baptized (when i was 11 years old..great decision...) pretty much all of her friends will be cut off from her, except for the few "worldly" friends she has, but it doesn't sound like her mom will really allow any association with them either.... so we'll see how the weeks ahead turn out... i also have a meeting thursday night with two elders in my hall.

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  MerryMagdalene

  More power to you, Red!!! You're a fantastic friend and an intelligent, compassionate person. Stay strong. Stay focused. I hope that this forum is a source of encouragement to you. Keep us posted. We care about you and what you are going through.

  --Merry
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  26

  Pastor Russell ..... murdered?

  by RR in

  1. watchtower
  2. scandals

  here is a document i received many years ago, probably 10 or 15 years ago.

  this was originally a two page documented, and i accidentally shredded page 2 as i was clearing out some boxes.

  but i think this page says it all.

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  MerryMagdalene

  I don't know about that, Farkel... A highly unreliable source quotes Russell's wife as saying that he told her this:

  "I am like a jellyfish. I float around here and there. I touch this one and that one, and if she responds I take her to me, and if not, I float on to others"...

  But I must say no more. The very thought gets me hot... j e l l y f i s h...
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  25

  SHAKESPEARE: if Will was alive today and wrote for the Watchtower....

  by Terry in

  1. watchtower
  2. beliefs

  what sort of things wouldst he write?

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  MerryMagdalene

  If we offend, it is with our good will.

  That you should think, we come not to offend,

  But with good will. To show our simple skill,

  That is the true beginning of our end.

  Consider, then, we come but in despite.

  We do not come, as minding to content you,

  Our true intent is. All for your delight,

  We are not here. That you should here repent you,

  The actors are at hand; and, by their show,

  You shall know all, that you are like to know.

  [note: the intentional mispunctuation reverses the intended meaning-- perfect technique for the WT!]