Posts by Alpheta

25

Not enough words to tell you about it.

by Sparkplug in

jw
friends

so at work i am a pretty chicken kind of person as far as the rules.

i usually walk the line and follow all of the code of business conduct things put upon me.

well last month the declared a surplus at my job.

Alpheta

Sparkplug, please forgive yourself for being a human being, and female. For myself (female), I do cry when I'm stressed. It's something I can't control, the tears just come out! Fear, as well as anger and frustration create a TON of stress, and tears, too. So the f'ing corporate world wants us to be robots - or act like men who, unfortunately, we as a society have taught to suppress, suppress, suppress those emotions and natural reactions.

Fear, happiness, love, hate, anger, and the real killer, stress, have effects on our bodies and cause the release of - well, I'm not sure what to call them because I'm sure no physiologist, hormones? chemicals? - into the blood stream that cause the body to prepare for the classic "flight or fight" response. In our 21st century, however, we find ourselves confronting the fight or flight response in "inappropriate" circumstances, such as having to deal with an obnoxious workmate, foul-mouthed, loud teenagers on public transportation, a jerk for a boss, etc. etc. Oh my goodness, how many times I've just wanted to stand up and scream at the top of my lungs, SHUT THE F' UP, JUST SHUT THE F' UP, I'VE HAD A HARD DAY AT THE OFFICE AND ALL I WANT ARE PEACE AND QUITE, YOU STUPID, PATHETIC LITTLE NUMBNUTS or GET OUT OF MY WAY, YOU A-HOLE OR I WILL RIP YOUR HEAD OFF AND STUFF IT UP YOUR ***. And ahhhh, imagine myself as Michael Douglas with a gun, or Rambo with a knife...

Geez, sometimes I scare myself! Do I have a solution? Humor (the internal kind), has helped me. At least, I haven't killed anyone (yet). There seems to be a conglomeration of issues involving hormones, acculturation and socialization, and things learned over a lifetime since coming out of the womb are not so easily overcome. But, at least with this "problem" (I do not see crying when under stress as a problem, but other people do), I believe there some techniques that will help you control the stress levels and perhaps prevent those welling tears from overflowing - at least, until you get home. I find imagining myself as Rambo "getting even" works really well, particulary when I do it while I'm being reamed out or blown off by an inferior being who happens to be my "superior" at the office. And, someday, I just may stand up on the bus and, screaming at the top of my lungs as I charge toward the back seats where the snotty kids sit, stop just short of nose length from the biggest and stuppidest looking one and say, in a fake British accent, "YOU are proof that evolution is NOT fact".

You have an excellent work ethic and are a quick learner. I don't know what the job market is like in your area but I too, urge you to check out other possibilities. You are bound to find a more comfortable fit for your talents and personality at another place of employment. Perhaps your local publically-funded technical college offers a career counselling or job placement service; I would urge you to check into that; if such services are offered, you can be tested to see what your job strengths and predilictions are, and you may find yourself being steered in an entirely different direction career wise.

39

September km- They're coming for you

by sspo in

jw
friends

.

in sept. km under announcements, loving provision from jehovah, elders are being reminded to make the yearly visit to all those that have been df or da.. make sure you have some good coffee or a six pack for them.. treat them kindly and with respect, the gb is very much interested in all those that they kicked out.

Alpheta

Okay, one last post before I go out gardening. Is it certain that this policy (this doesn't sound like a new policy to me, I thought they were supposed to visit "us" at least once a year) applies to those who DA'd too? Since I DA'd in October 2003 I haven't heard a word or had a visit from any elders. I have mixed feelings about it; on the one hand, I think it would be amusing to see the brothers again, invite them in to my beautiful, well-furnished home (much better than they have, brag brag brag), offer them premium coffees and luxury desserts, listen to their "pitch" and then question them about whether the Society has changed its stance regarding the handling of pedophiles. On the other hand, since I know they haven't, and since I know that even if they did, I would never go back, it would be a waste of time. So, it comes down to - am I such a person that I'd want to rub it in the noses of the elders, so to speak? Hmmm....

20

Main reason why Jaracz and company won't budge

by What-A-Coincidence in

jw
friends

get a free haircut?

pay no rent?

travel for free?

Alpheta

Good morning everyone! It's a beautiful day here, not too hot and not too humid (for a change). I'm eager to get out and tackle that yard work, it's what I do to de-stress myself. But before I go out to my enjoyment, I wanted to add my two cents.

Money, as many of you have noted, is the real crux of the problem for the WTBTS. I'm now up to "Page" 76 in my reading from the beginning (LOL) and it's been a recurring theme in posts since they started. I left in October, 2003. One of the things that disturbed me before I DA'd was the increasing references to money, they always needed more, more, more and it came up in more, more and more talks. For a religion that prides itself on not passing the collection plate, the increasing references to the need for money became overt and blatant. Money needed for building kingdom halls in Africa (judging from the pictures in the WT mags, how much could they have possibly cost, for goodness sake!); for car insurance and cars for the people on the road; for building maintenance; to overcome deficits at circuit assemblies and district assemblies. We went from cold lunches being provided at the assemblies to no food being provided but the expenses for the assemblies kept going up and up. I didn't sit and do the math or write down figures that were read out; but during the time the lunches were being provided, it seems looking back we went from having small surpluses at the end of the event to, after food service was stopped, having ever-increasing deficits.

It's been pointed out in many posts; the people who have the money, that is, the people in the "developed" nations, are leaving. And, as Blondie pointed out in other posts, those who are stating are "voting" with their pocketbooks, i.e., they are not happy with what is going on in NY and they are NOT contributing for mags, books and the WWW; they are contributing to maintain their local kingdom halls, and that's it. Growth is primarily coming from Spanish congregations in the US (not the wealthiest segment of the society) and in third-world countries where the average annual earnings are a few hundred bucks a year. So even if the Society can maintain the growth numbers of 300,000 a year for, say, the next 10 years, these brothers and sisters cannot contribute the kind of $$$ that those did who have left or those who are staying but have stopped contributing to NY.

Coupled with what I see as a foregone conclusion of the eventual application of legal precedents that have allowed HUGE judgments because of sexual abuse by pedophiles to be entered against various Roman Catholic diocese (sp?) to suits against the WTBTS currently wending their way through various courts in US and Canada, the potential for workers compensation laws to be applied to the Society (the lady chiropractor case), the potential for local municipalities to impose property taxes on the land holdings of local congregations (like the recent case in Canada), the never-ending threat of imposition of sales taxes, the money crunch is only going to get worse for the Society and the local congregations.

And during all of this, the Society is dumping thousands of ex-Bethelites on the local congregations whom they will be expected to provide support.

I don't think it takes a genius to see the proverbial "handwriting on the wall." Let's see, what were those words? Something like "you have been judged and found wanting; your days are numbered."

I'm off to the gardens!

23

TITHING approaches!

by hamsterbait in

jw
friends

in the sep 1 witchtower, p25.

there is an illustration (i assume of an anonymous israelite) vowing "i shall without fail give the tenth of 'it' to you" , at the point in the study where we are told that ornary folks gathered outside the temple when incense was being offered up.

(he has already given the tenth of something - "it's" running down the end of that phallic looking thingie.

Alpheta

The problem of course is enforcement. Contributions are still anonymous." From Sir82's post.

When I was in I always contributed by check, so it sure wasn't anonymous for me. I did so in order to have proof of my charitable deduction on my income taxes each year for the IRS, just in case I ever got audited. I never made (or make) any contributions to charitable institutions in cash unless I am able to get a receipt.

Speaking in generalities, if the "average" Witness is making minimum wage or less, then it probably wouldn't benefit them to itemize their deductions on U.S. Federal Form 1040 Schedule A - they wouldn't have enough itemizable deductions to exceed the "standard deduction." But in the USA I think there are a lot of witnesses like me (when I was still in) -- owns a home, pays high property taxes and state income taxes-- all of which are deductible on Schedule A, so that my total deductions on Schedule A were much higher than the "standard deduction." I believe the mean wages in the USA today is around $45,000 (may be off by a few thousand). Ten percent of that figure would be a whopping $4,500 and if Average Witness earns the mean wage and was "guilted" into contributing the full 10%, that would reduce his or her net taxable income on Form 1040 by a large amount if that amount, combined with other items deductible on Schedule A, would push them over the amount of the "standard deduction."

That raises all sorts of interesting scenarios. When I was a Catholic the church used the "envelope" method of keeping track of who donated how much cash (with your name and member number pre-printed on it), if a parishoner did not contribute by check. It would be easy enough for the FDS slave to claim new light and have every congregation start handing out a year's supply of pre-printed envelopes to each family. Then the elders and NY would know EXACTLY how much each family/member was contributing.

17

The Jesus Papers

by Alpheta in

readers here may find this of interest, from the bar companion (biblical archaeological review) i received in email today (i'm a subscriber to the magazine).

it is a "preview" of a review of a new book.

http://www.bib-arch.org/bswb_bar/bswbba3205review.html.

Alpheta

Readers here may find this of interest, from the BAR Companion (Biblical Archaeological Review) I received in email today (I'm a subscriber to the magazine). It is a "preview" of a review of a new book. http://www.bib-arch.org/bswb_BAR/bswbba3205review.html

Jesus’ Confession: I Am Not the Physical Son of God

The Jesus Papers
Michael Baigent
(San Francisco: HarperSanFrancisco, 2006)

Reviewed by Hershel Shanks

Finally, after 2,000 years, we have Jesus’ own admission that he is not the physical son of God. He actually recognizes that fact in writing. The revelation comes in a new book by dragon-slayer Michael Baigent, who in 1982 co-authored the best-selling Holy Blood, Holy Grail, which explained how Jesus survived the crucifixion, married Mary Magdalene and ultimately moved to France, where they had a family.

Baigent says he actually saw the papyrus letters in which Jesus admits that he is not the physical son of God: “These were the Jesus papers,” he tells us in his new book, The Jesus Papers, “the letters from Jesus to the Sanhedrin. They existed. I had them in my hands.” Wow!

Baigent refers to the man who owns the letters and allowed him to see them as “my friend,” but he does not tell us his name. Baigent came to him through his “contacts in the [antiquities] trade.” Baigent does tell us, however, where he saw the letters—in a large walk-in safe that was temperature- and humidity-controlled.

The owner of the papyrus letters, a wealthy Israeli, had dug them up in the basement of his house in the Old City of Jerusalem, Baigent says. That is really quite remarkable because not the smallest bit of papyrus has ever been found, in more than 150 years of excavation in Jerusalem. The wet climate would cause papyrus quickly to disintegrate into nothingness. (Likewise ancient textiles, which have never been recovered in Jerusalem.) Yet these papyrus letters—9 by 18 inches!—apparently survived in excellent condition. Because they were so important, they were no doubt preserved in ancient Saran Wrap.

Another piece of good fortune: The letters can be dated to “about A.D. 34.” Archaeological finds cannot usually be dated so precisely.

The language of the letters is Aramaic. Baigent admits that he himself cannot read Aramaic. He does not tell us whether the owner of the letters can read Aramaic. But the owner did show the letters, which he found in 1961, to two famous Israeli archaeologists, Yigael Yadin and Nahman Avigad, both now conveniently dead. According to Baigent, Yadin and Avigad told the owner that the documents are “important.” Whether Yadin or Avigad (both of whom were expert epigraphists) translated the letters or any part of them for the owner, Baigent does not say. All we know is that they were judged “important.”

The owner knew what the letters said, however, and he told Baigent:

[The] two Aramaic letters [were] written to the Jewish court, the Sanhedrin ... This figure, the Messiah of the Children of Israel, was defending himself against a charge made by the Sanhedrin—he had obviously been accused of calling himself “son of God” and had been challenged to defend himself against this charge. In the first letter, the messiah explained that what he meant was not that he was “God” but that the “Spirit of God” was in him—not that he was physically the son of God, but rather that he was spiritually an adopted son of God. And he added that everyone who felt similarly filled with the “spirit” was also a “son of God.”

These, then, are “The Jesus Papers,” exposing what the jacket refers to as “the greatest cover-up in history.” These are the letters that Baigent characterizes as “the smoking gun.” The jig is up: Christianity has been exposed!

I fear that my review of the startling contents of this book will only help rocket The Jesus Papers to the best-seller list—even though what I have done is expose not only the foolishness of its central thesis, but the obvious lack of any conceivably reliable evidence regarding the papyrus letters. Michael Baigent, perhaps more than anyone, however, understands that there is no such thing as bad publicity. The London judge who dismissed his copyright suit (based on an alleged copyright violation of Holy Blood, Holy Grail) against Dan Brown, author of The Da Vinci Code, and his publisher Random House, excoriated Baigent for bringing the suit and socked him with an order to pay approximately $1 million of the defendants’ legal fees. Never mind. That’s just peanuts in the world of bestsellers. Was it just coincidence that at the height of the trial publicity Baigent came out with his new book, The Jesus Papers, or was it smart marketing? USA Today wanted to know. “I don’t think there’s any such thing as a coincidence in publishing anymore,” replied the paperback publisher of The Da Vinci Code. His judgment is backed up by the fact that the original printing of The Jesus Papers was a whopping 150,000. And to top it off, Holy Blood, Holy Grail is back on the bestseller list. Baigent told the newspaper, however, that it was just a coincidence. “I’m not a publicity person,” he added. <end item>

I have to confess, after reading this article I found myself wondering if the WTBTS could figure out a way to make money from this somehow. From what I've been reading at this forum, they seem pretty hard up for cash these days!

Enjoy!

32

Recent Talk by CO

by restrangled in

jw
friends

my uncle just informed me that a talk given 2 months ago "obedience or innovation" by the co sent chills up his spine.

this talk is apparently making the rounds delivered by all co's and is part of what seems to be a get in or be shunned renewed effort.

it is the same talk that apparently sent my mom over the edge with me after 30 years out.

Alpheta

Soooooo hypocritical. Well, I for one will sit back with my arms crossed and laugh my head off as I watch the house of cards that is the WTBTS collapse in smoldering ruins within my lifetime - that is the REAL Armageddon.

People who choose to take care of loved ones and friends in need are doing what GOD really wants, and what Jesus emphasized. One of the scriptures that always stuck with me is this (in paraphrase) - I want mercy, not sacrifice. Oh, the GB is good at throwing out scriptures, but not explaining their true application, which is evident in the plain meaning of their words:

Mat 9:11-13: But on seeing this the Pharisees began to say to his disciples: "Why is it that YOUR teacher eats with tax collectors and sinners?" (12) Hearing [them], he said: "Persons in health do not need a physician, but the ailing do. (13) Go, then, and learn what this means, 'I want mercy, and not sacrifice.' For I came to call, not righteous people, but sinners.

One of the cross-referenced scriptures in the NWT is Hosea 6:6-7: For in loving-kindness I have taken delight, and not in sacrifice; and in the knowledge of God rather than in whole burnt offerings. (7) But they themselves, like earthling man, have overstepped [the] covenant. There is where they have dealt treacherously with me.

The GB, who think they are SOOOOO enlightened, with their bitter, destructive, non-Christian policies, have overstepped the bounds, and have offended God, and all the "burnt offerings" they render up don't mean a thang! They have dealt treacherously with God by dealing treacherously with his children - and each and every one of us are God's children, regardless of what religious (or not) labels we may apply to ourselves.

We show MERCY to our loved ones and friends by taking care of them when they need our care, rather than acting as robots going out in token field service and recording phoney hours. We show MERCY to each other by giving loving support and helping in whatever way we can to help are brothers and sisters (everyone, actually) who are in difficult circumstances - over a long period of time, years, if necessary - rather than dropping off a chicken casserole 12 months ago and thinking our "christian duty" has been discharged! Love - mercy - doesn't just last for a prescribed period of time, but for as long as it needs to last. Days, months, years.

The GB and all who form policies contrary to the true meaning of God's Holy Word, as well as those who implement those, are evil. Stupid, too, but I leave that for another discussion (i.e., should God forgive someone for being evil because he or she is stupid???) We prosecuted Nazi officers and regular soldiers after WWII for "following orders" in carrying out horrors and atrocities, so there is no excuse for Elders or anyone else in congregations who follow the lead of the GB. They are all condemned by their deeds.

Let's see, isn't there something in the scriptures about rotten fruit? That's what Jehovah's Witnesses have, unfortunately, as a group. Rotten fruit. I'm so sorry I was suckered in for 10 years.

27

Tomorrow is the BIG Day!

by Yizuman in

jw
friends

it's the day that i am getting married!

i've waited 42 long years for this day and it's been well worth the wait!

although we cannot afford a big honeymoon, but we've been lucky to get 2 free nights at a local hotel, compliments by her cousin.

Alpheta

Felicitations and the best to the both of you! It is so worth waiting for the right person - yes, sooooo cliche and I sure hope I'm not sounding like the WTBTS, but I waited and finally gave up, thought it wouldn't happen, and was more or less content with that; and then lo and behold, I met Mr. Right in 1999, in a way I never would have dreamed of in a million years. He's my first - and last (I hope), and I love him so very dearly, and even better yet, he loves me too - go figure!

One of my brothers married his long-time sweetheart in 1991, just before he got shipped out to Desert Storm. I didn't even know about it until after he was overseas and they didn't have time for the traditional "honeymoon." They hosted a family and friends reception on their first anniversary, and it was wonderful - I had such a good time, we all did. Perhaps you can do the same, somewhere down the line, when finances permit. Those who love you will wish to celebrate with you and share your joy, no matter when that is.

11

Going to the CUBS game tonight......

by whyamihere in

jw
friends

my brother and i are going to the game tonight, sitting in the outfield to catch all the home runs cub score!!.

game is @7:05pm.

my brother said, he is going to catch a brewer home run ball, and then throw it at one of the sausages as they race...lol.

Alpheta

Er, Virgochik, the game is being played in Milwaukee tonight. Just want to make sure you have (had) the right venue - otherwise, on the ride home tonight keep right on I-94 going south... (at least, I think that's the right direction)

9

is any one going to sue wathtower?

by pallemar in

jw
friends

i have never been in jehovas withness.

but the hatred, they put on your heads, are absolutely not fair, actuly, you only think like the rest of us out side, jehovas witness.

is you know what the wathtower really is.

Alpheta

Hello Pallemar,

I am very sorry about the situation involving your mother. You live far away from her, too, and that makes the situation even more difficult, because you cannot be there every day to try and see her and talk with her.

I left my congregation in October, 2003, so I do not have a copy of the 2004 Watchtower article. If I had the article, I would get it to you somehow. I am new here, so I am not certain how to post things like copies of articles. I hope someone here will be able to post the English language article for you.

I do not know what social agencies are in place in Denmark. If I were confronted with the same situation here where I live (in the state of Wisconsin USA), I would contact the local agency for elderly care, explain the situation to them, and ask if they can recommend assistance. I do not know if it would help, but it is a place to start.

11

Going to the CUBS game tonight......

by whyamihere in

jw
friends

my brother and i are going to the game tonight, sitting in the outfield to catch all the home runs cub score!!.

game is @7:05pm.

my brother said, he is going to catch a brewer home run ball, and then throw it at one of the sausages as they race...lol.

Alpheta

Wow! That means you'll be in my hometown! Go Brewers Go! Da Cubs Still Suck (just like da Bears...) Have you been to Miller Park before? I was there for the first time on June 9th for an after-work tailgate and game - it was an awesome experience seeing the park for the first time. The tailgate was good, too! Yummy food!!! Hope you enjoy(ed) yourself tonight.