serendipity

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Posts by serendipity

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  23

  Was Drifting Away or Outrightly Leaving Easier Than You Thought?

  by minimus in

  1. jw
  2. friends
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  serendipity

  When I started fading, I was most afraid of the questions I would be asked and consequences for my answers.
  
  The elders came by a few times, and in the brief front-door conversations, just invited me back to meetings. I guess if you don't invite them in, they stay a shorter time and don't get around to asking questions. ;-)
  
  My JW family has also not asked questions but they attend different congs, so didn't know I've stopped attending meetings until just recently. That shows how little we speak of theocratic activities. Oddly, my inactive mother is the one who has encouraged me to go to meetings nearly every time I speak with her.
  
  My daughter asked once why we don't go to meetings anymore. I gave her my 'safe' answer, and that was that. She did say recently that she missed meetings because she likes the reminders to 'be a good person'. I offered to read the Bible (New Testament) with her, and she would get reminders that way. She hasn't brought it up again.
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  33

  Are there any known JW doctors?

  by 4mylove in

  1. watchtower
  2. beliefs

  i think there is one at my hospital because of what a coworker said one time in reference to blood doctrine.

  i can't imagine them going into medicine with all the time it requires, between school, residency, etc.

  just wondering

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  serendipity

  There was one in Houston in the 80's when I lived there. I don't recall his name. I also knew a baptized JW in the early 80's who was pre-med in college. He said he wanted to be a doctor at Bethel and was very smart, so school would be easy for him. He got encouragement from elders to go to college. I don't know if he ever finished school.
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  19

  Sir Nose's "Do All Things for God's Glory" C.A. Notes

  by SirNose586 in

  1. jw
  2. experiences

  let's see what notes i took.

  it was pretty spotty; i fell asleep a few times during the days, so some parts have nothing.

  also, some parts have nothing that caught my attention.

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  serendipity

  I feel my stomach turning and the rising tension in my neck & shoulders just reading that. Glad I don't have to attend.
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  5

  TEN English district conventions in México!

  by What-A-Coincidence in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  http://www.mediafire.com/?44n9kmyzgml.

  the pdf is located on the link above ... .

  10th english district convention in mexico-2007 .

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  serendipity

  Thanks for posting, phantom WAC. ;-)
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  7

  ARTICLE: Making friends isnt so hard-its getting rid of them that's tough

  by SnakesInTheTower in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  i have been searching high and low in my office looking for this wall street article from 4.5 years ago (3/6/02).

  i found the paper copy in a stack of stuff today as i was cleaning, then was able to keyword search to find the article online....its below..... i was wondering what you thought....especially as related to our collective jw past..... i'll chime in later after you with my thoughts.... snakesinthetower (of the "hope none of you will use this on me .

  ps...the small box was not in the online version of the article but was in the print version:.

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  serendipity

  Funny you should post this, snakes. I'm probably going to be leaving my job shortly, and I have two friends there. I was just wondering today IF I was going to maintain the friendships. I find it harder to make friends than get rid of them. As far as getting rid of the problematic ones....
  
  I chose the direct approach with one friend, who was a former bf, just telling him that we didn't have anything in common any longer and that I was too busy. I felt it was necessary to be direct because he held hope that he and I would get back together-which was NEVER going to happen. It was a tough conversation to have.
  
  I usually use the fading approach for people who demand a lot of my time and energy over long periods of time, without offering support in return. I know people go through tough times and can make a mistake, but when the relationship becomes very one-sided, then I have to take a second look at it. One friend was an energy vampire and negative. The other was self-centered- 90% of the conversation was about her. I haven't had any treacherous, backstabbing friends as an adult, but would have no qualms about dropping one like that either.
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  18

  Are more men or women pulling up their tent pins?

  by TooBad TooSad in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  is is just me or am i wrong?

  it appears that there are more men than women who are.

  realizing the truth about "the truth" and are leaving the organization either by "the fade".

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  serendipity

  I think there are a multitude of reasons. Some have been mentioned.
  
  If a JW woman fades and her husband doesn't, what are the consequences? Will he abuse, badger, neglect her? Will he leave her and take the kids - which is a horrible thought for most women? Will he leave her with the kids- and she has to fend for herself and support them with a high school education?
  
  I think the women look at the consequences and come to the conclusion they can't risk it. At least that's what I wonder when I hear some of my female relatives say "Even if it's not the truth, it's a good way to live life."
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  10

  Eat, Pray, Love

  by changeling in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  anybody read this book?.

  my sister in law recommended it to me after reading some of my essays.. i was hesitant because of the "pray" part.

  i'm currently very anti-religion.. well, i heard oprah (my hero) was featuring the book and the author on today's show.

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  serendipity

  I read the book last year and enjoyed it. Her interests mirror my own somewhat - food, pursuit of spirituality and pursuit of balance (with love thrown in for good measure.) Except do I have to leave the country to find what I'm looking for?
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  25

  Did the DFing policy make you emotionally distant?

  by Open mind in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  for those who spent many years in the jw religion, what effect did the knowledge that your friends or family could instantly be "poofed" out of existence by a judicial committee have on you?

  did it cause you to withdraw emotionally?

  looking back over the decades, ( i'm a 3rd gen jw in my forties, mentally out but physically in ) i can remember consciously thinking about whether a new friend was going to be around "for the long haul".

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  serendipity

  Being df'd made me emotionally distant from JWs, including most of my family. Prior to that I was emotionally distant from 'worldly' people who would *probably* die at Armageddon. What a screwy way to approach relationships.
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  36

  bookworm?

  by John Doe in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  i was just counting, and i've read 16 books over the last three months, not counting text books.

  average length is 550 to 600 pages, which means i've read 8800 to 9600 pages this summer, plus another 1000 or so of textbooks, plus all the online bs i read.

  think i'm going to wear my eyes out?

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  serendipity

  On my summer vacation I read The Caliph's House, Tender to the Bone and Confederacy of Dunces - which was HILARIOUS!!!
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  54

  i wrecked

  by IP_SEC in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  wow,.

  ima lucky sob.

  friday i passed out on the freeway.

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  serendipity

  It's worth repeating: Holy Crap!!! I'm glad you're *relatively* ok and wish you a speedy recovery, IP SEC!!