Posts by choosing life

20

Nicotine gum?

by Scully in

jw
friends

i just had a thought about nicotine gum.. let me preface this by saying that i have never smoked.

and i don't intend to start.

however i am intrigued with the "medicinal" effects of chewing nicotine gum: it's a stimulant, it decreases appetite, it is reputed to temporarily give you a bit of a jump start like caffeine does.. i'm surprised that there is no rule on this in the wt, because someone can buy the gum without a prescription, but because you aren't "smoking" the nicotine into your system, how would anyone know the difference in appearance between seeing someone using regular chewing gum or the same person chewing nicotine gum, unless you saw the packaging?.

choosing life

Nicotine is not an illegal drug, so they have no right to make such a prohibition.I'm sure if someone wanted to use it and kept it to themselves, there would be no problem. Basically, it is none of their business.

And I wonder if they still feel the same way about Methadone. It is one of the best treatments for severe chronic pain available. It is used by pain clinics throughout the world. The March 8, 2001 Awake even features a sister who uses Methadone for chronic bladder pain -the article starts on page 18. The February 2001 Awake on page 11 has an article that starts out, "I take morphine twice a day, in time release form.This keeps me going, but when pain breaks through, I resort to liquid Morphine."

I realize that these two sisters were on the medication for legitimate pain. But studies have shown that the use of Heroin changes a person's brain and messes up the natural pain control mechanisms present in the central nervous system. Their pain is just as real and very possibly not able to be overcome. The articles that Blondie cited sound as if they want these persons to suffer for their past mistakes,like they deserve it.

The lack of compassion that they have for those with drug addiction problems is sickening. Going through withdrawal is hell and some will never make it without going back to using or comitting suicide. So what if they have to use a medication to keep them clean the rest of their lives. As long as they are using it appropriately under a doctor's supervision, it is once again none of their business. They are so ignorant and totally without compassion or mercy for their fellow humans. It makes me sick.

9

Is the Watchtower Part of the Antichrist?(12/1/06)

by metatron in

jw
friends

the most recent watchtower offers the usual nausea inducing, mind-numbing and jaw dropping sort of brazen hypocrisy they are becoming.

famous for by accusing other religions of being the antichrist.. page 5 of the dec 1 06 watchtower says the antichrist includes those that "falsely claim to represent christ or that improperly.

ascribe to themselves the role of messiah by presumptously promising to achieve that which only christ can do- bring about.

choosing life

The denying of Jesus being the mediator for all mankind, as the bible so clearly states, is very upsetting to me. And you are right that even mentioning Jesus on a regular basis or calling him Lord upsets the dubs.They seem to have set themselves up in his position. That is a scary thought. Salvation they claim comes from them and not from just accepting Jesus' sacrifice.

Are they setting themselves up as part of the antichrist? I don't know. But I certainly would not want to be in their shoes.

36

Coming to terms with.....

by PaulJ in

jw
friends

.....being about to turn 30!

oh.my.god.i.feel.old..... january the 3rd if you're interested.

choosing life

Your thirties are great years. You really come into your own. I loved my thirties. I think you should be celebrating, not having regrets. ENJOY!

15

What was the last song you heard?

by PaulJ in

jw
friends

i'm listening to move on by jet right now...

choosing life

The Riddle by Five For Fighting on CD- two lights.

25

JW start out early making you feel guilty

by MsMcDucket in

jw
friends

i remember when they wouldn't give me the kingdom ministry because i wasn't an approved associate/publisher/baptised.

i started thinking god everybody knows that i am not good enough for jehovah.

if i had of only known then what i know now, i wouldn't have fell for it.

choosing life

I remember being told that I could not read or obtain a copy of the organization book until I was dedicated and slated for baptism. Always guilting you to go a little further into their trap. Bad thing is that it worked at the time.

44

Does God have any one organized religion he supports?

by general in

jw
friends

this is an open ended question meant to iniate a debate.. .

general .

choosing life

General-Note in Galations 1:13-24-Paul did not even go to Jeruselam for years after his conversion. Being an apostle chosen by Jesus directly, would he not have met with the "governing body" of that time if there was such central control of the congregations? Yet he distinctly says in vs. 17 he did not and three years later he went to visit Cephas, but saw no else except James.

The myth of a governing body is contrived to gain control over people today. In all actuality, the early congregations met usually in small groups in homes. Of coarse, the apostles were given special gifts and called pillars, but they were never meant to be the masters of another's faith.

You are a faithful and wise servent if you serve your master wisely. And how you treat all others, determines how Jesus will treat you because they are all his brothers. Remember the parable of the good Samaritan? (Luke chapter 10) Who really is your neighbor?

God always has and still does work through individuals. Romans 14:12 says " each of us will render an account for himself to God." So there never has been and still isn't a "governing body" or one organization that God is using. It reminds me of a line in a song-"In the end there is one dance you'll do alone."

31

The Difference between being a Convert and being raised a Witness

by The wanderer in

jw
friends

the difference between being a convert and being raised a witness having come from a single parent family, i realized the need.

for some sort of structured and organized way of life.

roman.

choosing life

I came in when I was barely an adult. The lure was paradise and never having to die, along with an answer for every question. I was very idealistic and wanted to protect my children from the wicked world. BIG MISTAKE!!!

One difference was having no family in the congregation. So, on holidays, when all the JWs were getting together with their JW family (because they had a day off work) I was expected to stay away from my family. They would cook turkey dinners on Thanksgiving and party on the other holidays and those without family were often left out.

I am glad I wasn't raised in it, because I got to experience the world and normal life. I am ashamed I put my children under the pressure that being different caused them. It's funny, when I decided to leave the Witnesses, I felt very similar to when I had decided to stop using drugs. I felt that it was all just a waste of time and I wanted to see the world through clear eyes.

55

Who else would never accept to go to a Judicial Committee?

by JH in

jw
friends

i was never df'd.

if ever the elders asked me to attend a judicial committee for some reason, i would refuse.

i would never accept to go to their kangaroo court.

choosing life

I have set through judicial committees with my children and was appalled by the personal questions asked and the disgust shown. Only one elder was really kind and he left the organization years ago.

Now that I know the real truth about the organization and how it is directed by the mere whims of men, I would never give them any power over me. I would not even agree to talk with two of them at one time. I wouldn't want them to have "two witnesses" against me.

You can use their own crazy rules against them. If I need to talk to someone, I will confess how I feel to God. He is my judge-not men.

15

Did Adam know the full consequences of his sin?

by truthseeker in

jw
friends

"through one man sin entered the world, and death through sin, and thus death spread to all men because they had all sinned.

" romans 5:12. this verse has been used to prove that adam was responsible for sin and death.. from a christian standpoint, this is true.

did adam really know the full effects of eating the forbidden fruit?.

choosing life

It is very interesting to read one of the apocrypha or books that were not included in the Bible canon. It is called The Books of Adam and Eve. It fills in a lot of details that Genesis leaves out. Whether you believe it all to be a myth or an actual account of the first man and woman, it is an interesting perspective.

You find a repentent, scared and confused couple always trying to win back God's favor and not understanding much of what happens to them.

So, no, Adam could not have known the full consequences of his fall into sin. He was much too innocent and inexperienced.

19

The dark side to their new personality

by JH in

jw
friends

the bible tells us to transform our personality so that we become better people and pleasant.

so, as jw, we were all supposed to do that.. it's funny, but most jw's i know, also transformed their personality into something more hateful.. maybe they stopped doing bad things that were apparent, but they also started doing hateful things that they didn't do before such as shun people or ignore their own brothers and sisters who don't see exactly eye to eye with the org.

as well as divide families, which they didn't do before becoming jw's.. i rather their old personality, before they became jw's.. .

choosing life

What changes in a person when they become a JW is is their tolence . They refuse to tolerate anything or anyone who the JWs say are wrong. It is really a form of predjudice. They show predjudice to every one that is different than them. Yet they say they are the most unpredjudiced religion in the world. Actually, they take it to a whole new level.

They wash the outside of the cup, but the inside is filthy. I started wearing a dress, stopped cursing, stopped other things, but started being a hypocrite by the way I judged all others as "outsiders". Jesus accepted everyone and was criticized for eating and drinking with sinners-drunkards, prostitutes, tax collectors, etc. He said that everyone is our brother, not just someone with the Watchtower's stamp of approval.