hey all, i'm new to posting, but i've lurked for a while.
quick intro: i'm a 25 yr old guy, brought up a jw, strayed for a while, then got baptized convinced it was the best thing for me, the rest of the world is satanic, etc.
i overcame that ridiculous belief and i know the truth about "the truth" but my friends and family are all deep into the cult so leaving is a huge risk that i'm not willing or ready to take.
So I guess my question is, how would someone justify this is as stumbling?
Welcome Penn. I've never understood the concept of 'stumbling', it all seems very childish. I think 'stumbling' is just a mechanism to try and stop members developing normal relationships and interests. It also reeks of envy. Someone sees you doing something they'd love to so they cry 'stumble'.
i just remembered something from long ago..... i moved to california in 1974 after i had been in "the truth" for 11 years, having full-time pioneered and also having served time in federal prison over the so-called christian neutrality issue.. i felt completely confident that my bible education was the best on planet earth.
i had honed my skills by door to door preaching, discussion, arguments and attendance at the theocratic ministry school.. i began working as an artist in a huge company that manufactured all kinds of art, sculpture and wall hanging.
the head of the artists was a wonderful young man, skilled artist and devout christian who took me under his wing.
Even as a teenager, I never saw the point of the TMS. I saw it as puerile entertainment. The sister giving the talk would only prepare the answer to the question SHE herself had written for the 'householder' to ask..??? (Now I've written that down, it's just the same as the WT writing its own questions to its own answers in the magazine, lol)
in today's watchtower study, towards the end, you had one of those typical comments by a former df'ed witness expressing appreciation for being shunned.
these comments always remind me of a stalinist show trial in which the accused enthusiastically accepts being executed for the greater good (probably to save his family).. after this kind of nonsense is expressed, you will get a flurry of self righteous comments emphasizing how important it is to shun your disfellowshipped relatives, so that they can come back in the "truth".. oh, really?
do any of these people raising their hand realize that, if the "success" of disfellowshipping depends on your shunning, then the "repentant" person is "coming back in the truth" for the sake of their relatives -and not because of fearing jehovah !!!???.
sizemik - We soon broke off the conversation as I realised it was more detrimental for him than for me.
I've experienced the same thing. After one Memorial I attended (some 8 years ago-ish), I recognised someone I knew to be disfellowshipped sitting behind the back row. She was clearly trying to leave quickly after the meeting had finished, but as I sat near the back I approached her just to say 'hello' etc. She looked at floor and said, 'please go away, you'll get me in trouble'. (two elders were watching us)
By the way, who is that handsome lad in your avatar?
I'd love to be able to say my lad - but that would be a fib, lol. He's ''David'' from the Midwich Cuckoos (actor Thomas Dekker)
The WBT$ used to Teach..
Black Folks would turn White in the New System..
I recall (as a child) being told that in the New System we'd have the choice of being black or white - I think some peeps just got carried away with fantastic notions. Anyone else heard this..?
Now... is this a real WT cover or a parody?
IF it is a real cover - Then the WT using evolution imagery (which most people would recognise) I'd thought would only be in a poor light - so I'd guess at these people are 'Worldly' and showing they are accomplishing nothing between cradle to grave. Thus the subliminal (by their standards) message of false beliefs=meaningless life.
Is that a real WT cover...? As all I could see is this...
in 1958, when i was age 4, our mother was hospitalized in selma, alabama, 40 miles away from the backwoods of wilcox county.. our maternal grandmother took me and two of my sisters to live with her during mother's hospitalization.. the older girls were in school, so i had the long, lonely days to myself - no tv, no radio, no telephone, and worst of all, no books!.
my father taught me how to read at age 2, so i had to content myself with reading from the old newspapers and magazines with which g'ma plastered her walls.
since wallpaper was unaffordable, that was the way it was done in those days.
She said, "You are to answer 'Yes, sir' or 'No, sir' to him. That's a WHITE man!"
Your Grandmother was brought up (same as my grandparents) at a time when they were taught to address their 'superiors' (don't read anything untoward in that) in a certain manner. My grandfather would always address anyone in a superior position as 'sir' and tip his hat.
On a positive note, think about how much joy you gave to this (probably lonely) man.
in 1958, when i was age 4, our mother was hospitalized in selma, alabama, 40 miles away from the backwoods of wilcox county.. our maternal grandmother took me and two of my sisters to live with her during mother's hospitalization.. the older girls were in school, so i had the long, lonely days to myself - no tv, no radio, no telephone, and worst of all, no books!.
my father taught me how to read at age 2, so i had to content myself with reading from the old newspapers and magazines with which g'ma plastered her walls.
since wallpaper was unaffordable, that was the way it was done in those days.
Don't be too hard on your Grandmother Snowbird. As you said, you learned to read at a VERY young age. Your grandmother was probably very proud of you (nope, I'm not condoning her 'using' you to obtain money for her son if that's what she did - or indeed using this man's generiosity) - a pretty, well turned out grandchild with skilful reading skills would probably have been someone she'd want to 'show off'?
thru out history, has there ever been a time when throwing up that middle finger ever meant anything positive?
me thinks its been universally a bad sign from day one.
have you ever wondered?.
Actually, I always believed we (English) stick both fingers up (much more classy, don't you think? lol) at the French to show we can still use a longbow.
