Open mind

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Posts by Open mind

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  15

  Former Bethelites, please settle this argument

  by Resistance is Futile in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  i was recently talking to a friend that's a former jw, and she argued that there are just as many women that live at bethel as there are men.

  admittedly, we're both slightly ignorant on the subject, since neither of us have actually lived at or even visited bethel.

  i've made the assumption that there are significantly more men than women at bethel, am i correct?.

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  Open mind

  For years the only way a single woman could expect to become a Bethelite on her own was if she was a Doctor, Lawyer, Nurse, Architect or Engineer. And we all know how Kingdom Halls are just FLOODED with that particular demographic.

  I knew of one young sister who got her RN degree, was called to Bethel and served for a while. In the ensuing Nurse Glut, she was asked to leave so that a Bethel Brother could have his soon-to-be-bride RN brought in to take her place.

  Guys rule. Girls drool.....at Bethel.

  om
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  73

  If you drink coffee . . .

  by compound complex in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  do you prefer regular brew or the fancy offerings?

  can you drink it -- the leaded stuff -- any time, night or day?.

  no survey here, just curious.

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  Open mind

  At home I make my own "Half-Caff". Half "leaded" French Roast and half "unleaded" French Roast.

  During the week I drink one 12 oz cup with 1/2 & 1/2. On the weekends, I'll have 2 or 3 large cups without getting the jitters. All my caffeine intake is done before 3pm or it will affect my sleep.

  When in the mood for a pilgrimage to a caffeine mecca like San Francisco, I was briefly torn between two caffeine sects: Philz & Four Barrel.

  I was converted to Philz Coffee,

  http://www.philzcoffee.com/

  several years ago and still enjoy their place in the Mission District of SF. However, a couple years ago they started expanding and now have several locations throughout the SF Bay Area. Hmmm, possibly they were no longer God's chosen "channel" of caffeinated goodness.

  Subsequently, I was turned onto a start-up coffee cult: Four Barrel Coffee.

  http://fourbarrelcoffee.com/

  375 Valencia St., SF, CA 94103
  (415) 252-0800
  7-8 seven days a week

  They are the sole possessors of caffeinated "Truth". All other vendors are from Satan. Don't even THINK about going anywhere else!

  om
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  160

  NFC & AFC Championship Games - Who Wins & goes to Super Bowl ?

  by flipper in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  great time of year for us football fans !

  so let's have your picks !

  now that we know it will be baltimore ravens vs. new england patriots in the afc championship and atlanta falcons vs. san fransisco 49ers in the nfc championship - what do you think ?

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  Open mind

  Go Niners!!!

  Hey, Flipper, I didn't like that call any more than you. But I thought it was VERY borderline. Glad it went the niner's way.

  But how about that second Personal Foul call of the game? Again, I was VERY glad it gave the niners a first down and 15 yards to their favor, but I didn't think it was all that flagrant. The guy barely brushed Kaepernick's faceguard. Pretty gutsy call by the refs in Atlanta.

  om
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  16

  Lance Armstrong - what does it mean for devoted fans to hear him admit he was a cheat

  by MMXIV in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  anyone interested in sport will be aware of lance armstrong's final admission to taking banned substances to win the tour de france 7 times.

  he was a fraud.

  his many fans, fans of cycling and people who also suffered cancer that looked up to him and his incredible achievements have given lots of different reactions to his confession.

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  Open mind

  fakesmile gave me a real smile: "lance can take a long ride off of a short pier with oprah on the handelbars."

  That's all I got.

  om
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  53

  .....It is painful to watch...

  by OnTheWayOut in

  1. jw
  2. friends
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  Open mind

  I feel for you Jerry.

  Our society really needs to reconsider allowing Dr.-assisted end of life.

  om
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  82

  My 66th birthday is today!!

  by Terry in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  once i was little boy in fort worth, texas living with my maw maw and paw paw and mommy.. then, i was an 18 year old 6'4'' skinny 165lb religious nut being dipped in a baptismal during a local assembly.. suddenly, i was 20 and listening to a jail cell door clang behind me as a conscientious objector.. wow!

  23 years old and put on parole until my 6 years sentence was ended!

  i got married to a nice jw girl and had 3 kids!.

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  Open mind

  Happy Belated Birthday wishes Terry!

  om
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  54

  Planning exit, alternative venues to preach?

  by Goodstein in

  1. jw
  2. experiences

  background:.

  i've come to the conclusion that many doctrines of the wts are unscriptural after many years of privately disagreeing with some of them but feeling that the society was "mostly right" and still being used by jehovah.

  this turning point has happened in the last year or so.

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  Open mind

  cofty: "Lots of us here were good and very experienced at pubic speaking. Its a trap. It strokes your ego and keeps you from being objective about things that you are busy teaching others."

  Very pithily said.

  om
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  67

  How Can I Kindly Kick Weak And Unproductive Publishers Out Of My Kingdom Hall?

  by AuntConnie in

  1. watchtower
  2. beliefs

  unproductive kingdom proclaimers won't leave my kingdom hall, how do i rid our hall of these vultures or turkeys?.

  "you can't fly like the eagles if you hang out with turkeys".

  after visiting your site, i decided to allow one of the spiritual weak individuals into my car group, it was not easy but you have made valid points i find very self condemning.

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  Open mind

  C'mon folks, let's cut Aunt Connie a break here.

  She did at least ask how she could KINDLY kick out the weak and unproductive publishers.

  That's a little bit of progress.

  om
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  51

  Clapping at the meetings and assembly

  by NewYork44M in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  i had a random thought this morning about clapping.

  growing up in the wt culture i learned the proper protocol for clapping.

  before the assembly speaker gave his talk, but not after.

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  Open mind

  *Feeling like a fool today, so I'll just rush in here.*

  BOTR said: "This is interestiing b/c clapping only happens in Episcopal churches when they make announcements"

  My interpretation of BOTR's comment:

  BOTR has been to Episcopal churches. (Probably many times.) Based on her lengthy experience with the Episcopal Church, they only clap for announcements.

  My interpretation of what ShirleyW heard:

  The only church, aside from the JWs, that has clapping is the Episcopal Church.

  *stepping out now*

  om
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  12

  Congo Merger Elder Meeting Flashback: SUPER True-Believer Cong. Secretary

  by Open mind in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  this thead is a little bit long and it's not earth-shaking.

  it just gives a glimpse into the inner-workings of elder meetings.. .

  several years ago i was serving as an elder and the c.o.

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  Open mind

  jookbeard: "The Big Match was always broadcast then and I loved this show as it showed the football highlights of the past Saturday"

  I've only recently started to watch a little bit of the game that the rest of the planet knows as football. As a newcomer, watching "highlights" is absolutely the best. I'm sure I'll appreciate the subtleties of the game as time goes on. Too bad you were denied that.

  flipper: "! Ah- Sweet is the Freedom ! "

  Indeed.

  mamochan: "There was no other cong. in the hall, we could have had the meetings any time, but the elders were stuck to those times."

  Yeah, unless there's some outside pressure, meeting times never change.

  minimus: "I was asked to pray to get the meeting back under control."

  Do you remember the topic that got the crazies so worked up?

  om