Cygnus

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Posts by Cygnus

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  5

  A view into the Celtic mindset.

  by Hyghlandyr in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  the following is taken from the book 'western spirituality - historical roots, ecumentical routes' edited by matthew fox, chapter five 'the finest music in the world:exploring celtic spiritual legacies', by mary aileen schmiel pages 168-171.. i make no comments on the text.

  it stands entirely on its own, and should give insight into my earlier posts, particularly the one on my geas.

  i will note one final thing, i am not a warrior, or a poet-priest, or a fili or a drui.

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  Cygnus

  I learned what I know about the Celts from the WATCHTOWER MAGAZINE
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  27

  Colorgenics

  by peaceloveharmony in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  click the link :).

  http://colorgenics.com/.

  a good friend is someone who will come and bail you out of jail, but a true friend will be sitting next to you saying "that was f**king awesome.

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  Cygnus

  Holy smokes. I usually don't believe in this type of thing but it worked.
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  28

  Kingdom Melodies

  by Dawn in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  i was just listening to my new nicole c. mullen cd (she rocks!!

  ) and i had this thought...... i really enjoy christian rock music now, but i had never listened to it as a jw because i wasn't allowed.

  so instead i listened to that every uplifting ac/dc, metalica, scorpions (still favorites of mine).. the society did release the "kingdom melodies" on tape though and everyone bought the complete set.....did anyone here ever really enjoy that music?

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  Cygnus

  You can download many of the new kingdom melodies at audiogalaxy.com.

  I did, and a lot of them are really good!
• 
  34

  Ozzie's Weekend Poll

  by ozziepost in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  well, it's sunday and we've done reading the sunday papers, so thought it might be nice to poll the worldwide community on some important issues.

  no, it's not meant to be fluff, i'm serious in inviting opinions from exdubs in many places, so please respond.

  this week i've chosen the question especially for the large worldwide da/df community: what is the main reason for you not wanting to return?.

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  Cygnus

  Well ozzie, your question was not what got us DF'd or forced us out or why we left, but rather what KEEPS US FROM GOING BACK.

  To answer THAT question, it is because I don't care about "the truth" or religious truth at all for that matter. I am pretty sick of arguing my positions on things because there are always intelligent people on the other side of the issue that can argue their position so obstinately that it just becomes an exercise in futility.

  I am not an opposer of Jehovah's Witnesses. In fact I am a proponent of JWs, especially liberal JWs like Greg Stafford. BTW, I finished reading his first dissertation and 15 people who have responded to this thread might not have left the Witnesses if Greg's ideas were implented into the organization's policies and mindset.
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  7

  80 Questions From The Elders.

  by Englishman in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  just seen this on paul blizzards site at: http://www.geocities.com/heartland/2919/main2.html.

  "before baptism, one must answer over 80 questions in front of a panel of elders.".

  enlightenment would be much appreciated!.

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  Cygnus

  I've known people who had to take the oral exam a few times before they qualified for water immersion.

  My three sessions were funny. The first was with my bookstudy conductor, a very grandfatherly, gentle man. I could have said that Ba'al is the name of the true God and he would have smiled and nodded his head.

  The second was with an elder who my father helped bring into the faith. He skipped half of the questions, saying: "You know this stuff, blah blah blah."

  The third was with the PO, definitely the Nazi-type. He made sure I didn't just give rote answers, but that I thoroughly understood the material. After the standard questions were finally over, he added some of his own.

  (this was in 1989)

  "If George Bush walked through that door into this room, would you stand up?"

  Since we didn't stand for the national anthem, and this was a very strict JW elders, I said No.

  "YES, YOU WOULD STAND UP FOR THE PRESDIENT!"

  "Now, if Jack Kemp [HUD secretary at the time I believe] walked into this room, would you stand up?"

  Now I'm figuring I should say yes, so I say Yes.

  "NO, YOU DON'T NEED TO STAND FOR HIM!"

  So now I'm thinking, PLEASE don't ask if I should stand up for Nancy Reagan.

  Well, after that, he reached over, shook my hand, said "Congratulations" and whisked me out of his house.

  What made it more embarrassing was I had locked my car keys inside my car so I had to go back, ring his doorbell and ask for a coat hanger. LOL
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  33

  Molestation accusation.

  by refiners fire in

  1. watchtower
  2. child-abuse

  i got a phone call from an ex dub i used to hang out with 20 years ago when we were young bucks.

  i hardly seen him in the past 15 years.. weve gone different ways and his family was always a bit..you know... tainted.

  a bit nutso.. anyway, the guy calls me on tuesday night all distressed and wanting desperately to see me.

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  Cygnus

  Joel, RF did say that there were two neices involved.

  As DR's experience shows, a person can be accused and investigated quietly, without fanfare or a ruined reputation. So in that respect I can understand the silentlambs' objective. The problem in the JWs is that they are constantly told who is "good association," who is not, who is on restrictions, even that people inside the congregation in good standing may not be good associates outside of the Kingdom Hall. That inherent mindset is what needs to be changed.
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  37

  If you could have one wish come true....

  by butalbee in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  if you could have one wish come true, what would it be?

  just one wish, that you would have to live w/ for the rest of your life, whether if be winning the lottery, finding true love, world peace, etc...what would you choose?.

  i know what my wish would be...i wish i never met him.

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  Cygnus

  I wish that I was Hyghlandyr.

  No wait.

  I wish that I was me, living with Hyghlandyr, in a different house of course. With many maid-servants. And being served beef jerky and Labatt Ice beer. And playing Axis and Allies every night while chatting on yahoo. And then waking up in the afternoon to chill out with Cassidy and Brianna and then doing it all over again.

  :) :) ;)
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  25

  Who's Greg Stafford

  by Room 215 in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  does anyone know greg personally?.

  i'm intrigued by the comments made regarding the recent release of his dissertations, and can't help but adimre him for the nobility of his intent.

  it seems to me he's a victim of the delusion that the beliefs of jws are intellectually defensible and can withstand the test of empiricism and hard, objective scrutiny.. i can't help but wonder how he's regarded by his peers in the local congregation, the local elders ad circuit overseer whether he holds any jw office (elder, ministerial servant, etc), whether he gives lectures, parts on the meeting, etc.

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  Cygnus

  I know people who know Greg. ;) I have exchanged several emails with Greg. This is my opinion:

  Greg is a publisher somewhere on the Left Coast, USA. He might be a ministerial servant. His elders know about his books. He does not consult with Bethel about what he writes in his books or on internet boards. He does not feel that absolute shunning of disfellowshipped persons is warranted. His main objective is 1) to defend the name and person of Jehovah and 2) to alleviate unnecessary pressure on his JW brothers both from opposers and from the JW leadership.

  I think Greg has done a stellar job in deconstructing certain anti-JW arguments. Greg is just about where I was 5 years ago when I considered myself a "reformed JW."
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  20

  How to get someone out?

  by Hyghlandyr in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  i am seeking information on stories of those who have assisted relatives or friends out of the organization.

  particularly i would like books, or websites, or personal experiences, suggestions on step by step methods, to carefully present ideas to those who are staunchly pro jw, without alienating them further.

  i am especially interested in situations in which a df person was able to finally break down the barriers.

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  Cygnus

  Hygh,

  Next time I am sober when in the chat room let's talk about this. You seem to be taking this very seriously, so it is evidently very important to you. You already know it good detail my experience, but maybe I could still help. AND, you should definitely get Stafford's new book. If you can't, I will send you a copy.
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  50

  Greg Stafford's New Book Has Shipped

  by AlanF in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  today i received greg stafford's new book three dissertations on the teachings of jehovah's witnesses.

  for those who don't know, stafford has been a staunch defender of the watchtower society's teachings for at least six years, on the net and in print.

  his previous book, jehovah's witnesses defended (1998, 2000), is a milestone in pro-jw literature.. the new book is a radical departure from stafford's previous book in that he strongly questions the society's doctrines about blood transfusions, the basis for the claim of spiritual authority by jw leaders, the necessity for christians to believe the society's 1914 doctrine, and issues of "legalism" including the propriety of requiring "time" in the field ministry to be reported, and even the supposed scriptural basis for the society's ban on celebrating birthdays and christmas.

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  Cygnus

  Thanks Alan.

  Back in October I ordered the book, and in January they shipped me Furuli's instead. :) Hopefully this time they'll get it right!

  I'll email you if I hear anything about Greg.