Y'all might like this. These are from an Apostafest in Aug 06.
bigwilly
JoinedPosts by bigwilly
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54
What has everyone done with your literature, now that you've left?
by momzcrazy ini have boxes of literature upstairs.
i was waiting for bookshelves to get built in our new house, but now i don't want to put them all up.
i have sentimental things, like ones that were my dad's.
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54
What has everyone done with your literature, now that you've left?
by momzcrazy ini have boxes of literature upstairs.
i was waiting for bookshelves to get built in our new house, but now i don't want to put them all up.
i have sentimental things, like ones that were my dad's.
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bigwilly
99% of my collection found it's final resting place in the trunk of my car in a tow lot (I was moving at the time and had expired tags, no insurance and a suspended license and never went back for the lit). the few publications that avoided this purge or were given to me afterwards have all been donated to Goodwill or recycled.
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why do so many "non witness " jws not bother to find out the "truth"
by sosad inmy siblings who have left (3/7 last count) have no desire to talk about or hear about much less read about what the deal is witht the org our parents decided would bring them everlasting life.
it is head shaking to me - and i try not to bring it up at all- but when they ask, or it comes up and they are all freaked out about me being interested in it all i just shake my head.
even friends i grew up with in the org have no desire to know - they are just not interested.
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bigwilly
Freeme, I see your thought process and can understand where you are coming from. I didn't leave based on doctinal issues which may be part of the difference of approach as well. My issues were based on hypocracy and family issues instead. Since I left, I have taken the time to do some research, but generally don't really care. When asked about my personal religious or spiritual beliefs, my response is generally "I'm an Apathetic". My lack of interest in studying the in's and out's of the JW belief structure is not due to subpar intelligence, it's due to subpar motivation
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bigwilly
I've got two that come to mind.
Early on (under age 10) I remember being in the car when my dad and another man were chased by someone's pissed off German Shepherd. They beat the dog to the car and got in, but the dog literally punctured one of the front tires with it's teeth.
The other was early teens and is somewhat embarassing due to my physical stature, but here it goes. My sis and I went up to a rural home. They had a small dog that appeared to be blind, but was somewhat friendly as we went to the door and knocked. When nobody was home, we turned to head back to the car. This little old dog came unglued and pretty much charged both of us. I ended up using the "bookbag defense" while my sis got to the car. And people wonder why I'm a cat person
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bigwilly
I'm more a fan of skateboarding and snowboarding, but have no problem with water sports. . .
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31
Can you say SATAN?!?!
by Uzzah inwhat is your stance on the devil, satan, demons etc?
personally i find the concept of the devil as presented in scripture to be purely symbolic of humankind's ability to chose to do good or evil.
the development of a moral compass unique to each person.. with many ancient beliefs, people tried to humanize concepts in order to better understand.
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bigwilly
My thoughts on Satan by Big Willy
It's kind of a modified mixture of Uzzah and Eclipse's. Like Uzzah, I believe that God and Satan are related to the human capacity for good and evil. However, I don't believe that either is a real or valid entity. I believe they are a means to explain the good and evil in humans while negating personal responsibility. It's much harder to come to grips with the fact that each individual is capable of evil than it is to point the finger at some supernatural cause. While I'm not 100% athiest and haven't decided my stance on God, I definitely do not believe in the Christian Satan and have no fear of a supernatural evil being.
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why do so many "non witness " jws not bother to find out the "truth"
by sosad inmy siblings who have left (3/7 last count) have no desire to talk about or hear about much less read about what the deal is witht the org our parents decided would bring them everlasting life.
it is head shaking to me - and i try not to bring it up at all- but when they ask, or it comes up and they are all freaked out about me being interested in it all i just shake my head.
even friends i grew up with in the org have no desire to know - they are just not interested.
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bigwilly
Over the years since I faded (11-12) I've noticed that there are two very different ways that exdubs deal with their past.
One group is represented well in this thread, those who's approach is to prove the whole thing wrong. These are the persons that take the time to research, read and educate themselves on the history of jw's and analyze their belief structure. And use what they learn to give themselves the closure they need.
The other approach is to attempt to never give it a thought. I say "attempt" because this approach doesn't always work. Some people manage to move seamlessly into "the world" and find other ways to heal themselves. Others never quite heal and never deal with what bothers them.
Both approaches are valid and both work for different people. Personally, I don't need to know all the things that are wrong with the borg. I don't need to prove them wrong to heal or validate myself. Does this make either approach better than the other? No. Does it make either group smarter or better than the other? No. Personal well being can't be neatly classified as right or wrong, it's all about what the individual needs or wants.
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Is the NWT really the most accurate translation of the Bible?
by godsgurl ini have heard jw claim that the nwt is the most accurate translation of the bible and the persons who translated the bible were inspired by the holy spirit.
but if this is so then why was the nwt revised so many times?
did the holy spirit get it wrong the first time?
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bigwilly
If you are actively drinking the Koolaid, yes. If you are sane and removed from the borg, no.
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How many times have you said goodbye to the forum?
by wanderlustguy ini think i'm at like 5 or something...i think.. just disappearing without saying goodbye counts.. .
so here we go.... .
wlg - 5.
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bigwilly
meh...I've been a drifter since day one.... don't think I've ever done a farewell thread ... just kinda follow many of my favorite people on out the door ... then drift back in from time to time to poke around for a bit.
Pretty much the same here. During my hayday at Thomschat I had to start letting people know when I was on vacation to avoid a pile of "where's bw?" threads. I take the fact that nobody does that anymore as a good thing, means I've removed myself from the interwebs well enuf
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48
Do tattoos hurt?
by coolhandluke inyes they do and i'm looking forward to it.
i tracked down the guy who started some work on my back and i'm going to finish part of it this weekend.
the tat started as a take on ying and yang and the idea that things come full circle.
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bigwilly
I'm definitely going to get it Dom, been thinking about it for the last several years. I'll let you know how it goes