The best thing i have found from jwders is others who are recovering alcoholics like me. It's good to meet people who are going through or who have gone through similar life experiences to myself.
Paul
digderidoo
JoinedPosts by digderidoo
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42
what is the best jwd thing to happen to you?...from another jwder
by oompa inhow good can it get here folks?...........many here care for each other....we need each other...but how much?.......how far??.....oompa.
btw...thanks all...many have made me laugh...and made me cry...and made me sober...(and some made me hor.ey).
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cheating on you Feild service time
by Iwonder17 ini'm curious how many people do this and what is the most that you ever wrote down that you didn't do?.
my highest was 12 when i only went out 1 hour .
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digderidoo
I started off by "borrowing" hours from the following month. In feeling the pressure from pioneering, it culminated in reporting over 70 hours one month when i only did 20 something
I'm sure i will die at Armaggedon for it
Paul
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im an atheist and i like the idea of being an athiest but its kinda hard
by Lotus65 inim an atheist and i like the idea that comes with freedom of though and analytical thinking that follows being atheistic vs having a religion im just kinda in a jam because i need to try and find something to completely lose the thoughts in the back of my head that say what if im wrong and i "suffer" because of it.
i feel that if i can find something to destroy these thoughts i can be alot more comfortable with my views and opinions.
anyone have any thoughts on what i should do.
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digderidoo
i like the idea that comes with freedom of though and analytical thinking that follows being atheistic vs having a religion
It isn't a question of atheism vs religion. Why does God have to come with religion? Being brought up a JW instills this thinking in us.
For me, i have tried to go the Atheist route but i can't. So what i had to do was to seperate God from religion, especially the JW religion, which involved hard work and plenty of research. Now i believe in a god, problem is i don't know which one, or who he is, i just call him the spirit of the universe, which works for me.
Paul
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The Governing Body is stealing Ray Franz's ideas
by JimmyPage inon page 267 of "crisis of conscience" ray franz made the observation that the '95 new light on "generation" came shortly after he described what the governing body needed to make the doctrine continue to work.
my copy of his book came out before this year's "new light" on "the generation".
however, on page 265 of ray's book another possible "out" for the society is given.
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digderidoo
The "new light" on the term generation is not actually new at all. The generation was classed as the annointed many years ago, way before the literal generation idea came to the fore.
Within Ray Franz's book you will see that one member of the governing body, can't remember which one, was actually teaching this in some part of Scandanavia. It's not that the GB stole the idea from Ray Franz, but it's seems as though this interpretation has been branded about within the governing body for years.
Paul
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What would you do?
by Tool Man inok heres the thing.
my english neighbor (arrived here from essex, is there really such a place?
) always makes those comments about our kids, our car, and so on even made fun out of me when i told him we used to be witnesses.
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digderidoo
I'd say it was the British sense of humour. When i am amongst "the lads", it's all about mickey taking. We do not see anything wrong in calling a woman beautiful, in front of their husbands either. In fact it's a common Southern expression to call a woman "beautiful", you may hear him say "alright beautiful?". If he says these things with a smile on his face, you can guarantee it's said in jest.
Especially if he's from Essex, he's more than likely to be like this.
If it's a problem have a word with him, ask him straight out.
Paul
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Are Jehovah's Witnesses a Cult?
by digderidoo ini have found these 14 characteristics of a typical cult and below are some questions regarding the behaviour of a cult.
my personal opinion is that the watchtower society fits into most of these characteristics, with the exception of 1& 14. possibly part of number 10 fits, but not all.
i feel that all of the questions posed should be asked of jw's and all of the further symptoms apply too.
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digderidoo
I have found these 14 characteristics of a typical cult and below are some questions regarding the behaviour of a cult.
My personal opinion is that the Watchtower Society fits into most of these characteristics, with the exception of 1& 14. Possibly part of number 10 fits, but not all. I feel that all of the questions posed should be asked of JW's and all of the further symptoms apply too.
But i wondered what others think? In particular the newbies who i'm sure come across many calling the society a cult. I have come across many writings like this over the years, it's incredible to me how the operation of the Society seems to befit a cult.
Marcia Rudin's 14 Common Characteristics of a Cult
1. Members swear total allegiance to an all-powerful leader who they believe to be the Messiah.
2. Rational thought is discouraged or forbidden.
3. The cult's recruitment techniques are often deceptive.
4. The cult weakens the follower psychologically by making him or her depend upon the group to solve his or her problems.
5. The cults manipulate guilt to their advantage.
6. The cult leader makes all the career and life decision of the members.
7. Cults exist only for their own material survival and make false promises to work to improve society.
8. Cult members often work fulltime for the group for little or no pay.
9. Cult members are isolated from the outside world and any reality testing it could provide.
10. Cults are anti-woman, anti-child, and anti-family.
11. Cults are apocalyptic and believe themselves to be the remnant who will survive the soon-approaching end of the world.
12. Many cults follow an "ends justify the means" philosophy.
13. Cults, particularly in regard to their finances, are shrouded in secrecy.
14. There is frequently an aura of or potential for violence around cults.
Commentary by Nori J. Muster
If you think you might be involved in a cult, ask yourself some serious questions about the group.
Do you have to change who you are to fit in, please others?
Do they set up a duality of "us" and "them" and tell you that people outside the group are bad, less important?
Do they treat "outsiders" badly or talk behind their backs?
Do they treat members badly?
Do they give a false impression to the public?
Do they predict that society is on the brink of destruction?
Further symptoms:
Cult leaders are often psychopathic and power hungry. They teach their followers that the outside world is evil; that the cult offers the only salvation. This creates an atmosphere of isolation, leading to hopelessness.
Cult recruiters target people with low self-esteem, presenting the group as a loving surrogate family. Members are taught to do whatever the family asks. They must repress their individuality and work for the good of the group.
New people may receive red carpet treatment, but once they are established members, they may be exploited and abused. They may alter their personalities to please authority figures and fit into the group.
Cult leaders preach that society is on the brink of destruction, reinforced by isolating their members and controlling the flow of information within the cult. They manipulate members with guilt and fear.
Cults try to portray themselves as benign and may hide undesirable aspects of their operation from the public and from members. Thus the stereotype of "blind" followers. -
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digderidoo
Bob Aldrey....anyone remember him? Great speaker. Heard he was out now, can anyone clarify?
Jim Buckingham.... I saw him in Waterstones in Birmingham about 2 years ago. Tried to avoid him and managed it, i never really liked him.
Paul
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I Received The Holy Spirit!
by Maddie ini want to share with you all a most wonderful experience i have just had.
i have been going to a christian church called the vineyard.
they have a live band and lots of singing goes on there.
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digderidoo
I am pleased for you Maddie, i'm sure it was a very real experience for you and glad you got something from it. I hope it helps you on your journey.
Paul
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Sex with Neandathals
by digderidoo ini was watching an interesting documentary called "sex with neandathals" last night, about the possibility that neandathal man could have been assimilated into the human gene pool by interbreeding.. it showed how modern man came from africa, whereas neandathal man came from europe.
at some points their paths crossed, but rather than modern human driving and forcing neandathal man into non existence they learned to co exist.. this is a developing theory amongst some scientists and anthropologists that seems to be getting a foothold.
it has been shown how similar species of animal have interbred, giving an example of two very different types of baboon.
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digderidoo
Hmmmm okay so are they suggesting that those of us "pigmentally challenged' got that way because of the Neandathals genes?
No yknot, they didn't develop the theory that far although i assume if the theory developed into mainstream that someone would.
I remember reading somewhere once that there was a hypothesis that red hair came from Neanderthals. O_O
Though they did show that Neandathal has a "redhead" gene, showing that some may have been ginger! However, it was not the same gene as modern day humans.
Good links BTS.
Paul
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Sex with Neandathals
by digderidoo ini was watching an interesting documentary called "sex with neandathals" last night, about the possibility that neandathal man could have been assimilated into the human gene pool by interbreeding.. it showed how modern man came from africa, whereas neandathal man came from europe.
at some points their paths crossed, but rather than modern human driving and forcing neandathal man into non existence they learned to co exist.. this is a developing theory amongst some scientists and anthropologists that seems to be getting a foothold.
it has been shown how similar species of animal have interbred, giving an example of two very different types of baboon.
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digderidoo
I was watching an interesting documentary called "Sex with Neandathals" last night, about the possibility that Neandathal man could have been assimilated into the human gene pool by interbreeding.
It showed how modern man came from Africa, whereas Neandathal man came from Europe. At some points their paths crossed, but rather than modern human driving and forcing Neandathal man into non existence they learned to co exist.
This is a developing theory amongst some scientists and anthropologists that seems to be getting a foothold. It has been shown how similar species of animal have interbred, giving an example of two very different types of baboon.
The documentary shown how Neandathal man, far from being ape like was more human, which is now universally accepted. Two burial sites have been found of Neandathal children with objects placed by them. One scientist argues that the skeleton of the child has similarities of both modern man and Neandathal.
Studies are being done with a bone found that contains DNA of Neandathal, it has shown that there are some of the same genetics, such as language, whereas others are different. However the study is not yet complete, so time will tell i guess.
They argue that modern day humans are so varied in terms of colour and genetic make up, that this could be an explanation of the variation. This theory would also explain the "disappearance" of Neandathal man, in that the species hasn't disappeared at all.
Wondered if anyone had any thoughts?
Paul