My MILs worst nightmare, a nonJW

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Posts by My MILs worst nightmare, a nonJW

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  38

  DA BEARS!!!!

  by earthtone in

  1. social
  2. physical

  i'm sure alot of you already know that i am a huge bears fan.

  went to the game tonight.

  and it was off da hook!.

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  My MILs worst nightmare, a nonJW

  OK Culpepper is out ....Miami is in disaray...they are playing at Soldier Field

  Any predictions ? Da Bears over Miami 35-7
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  6

  The heart of the true believer.

  by Elihu/Elijah in

  1. jw
  2. experiences

  this is my first time posting.

  i read many of the comments provided by forum users and immediately started to experience once more the pain and hurt that i, my wife, and others feel who have been labeled and made to feel unworthy by, the organization.

  the way i cope in my life is to believe in god's own words, not man's.

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  My MILs worst nightmare, a nonJW
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  34

  What is the nature of addiction?

  by katiekitten in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  noname's topic about the 'the walk of shame' got me thinking about the nature of addiction.. does having an addiction mean you cant help what you are doing?

  or that you can help it a little bit?

  or that you can help it completely and just arent trying hard enough (essentially the religious position)?.

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  My MILs worst nightmare, a nonJW

  Just to throw in another random thought into the thread... I'm currently giving up smoking using the drug Zyban. Isn't it interesting that taking a chemical can suddenly change behaviour by altering brain chemistry \ blocking affect of the addictive substance. Kind of makes me feel that what we do is the product of chemicals floating about in us rather than always being the product of rational thought.

  Just helped a friend successfully taper and completely withdraw from an addiction to Xanax. She is blind and had a chronic pain condition and was prescribed Xanax for panic attacks. It worked like magic for a couple of months. But what happens as the body becomes addicted is that as the drug wears off it produces the very effect it is supposed to control. So she was going through withdrawel and having severe panic attacks on a daily basis. To successfully withdrawel you have to do a slow taper to allow the body's natural chemicals to once again take over and moderate the system. Two months later, she is like a new person.
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  34

  What is the nature of addiction?

  by katiekitten in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  noname's topic about the 'the walk of shame' got me thinking about the nature of addiction.. does having an addiction mean you cant help what you are doing?

  or that you can help it a little bit?

  or that you can help it completely and just arent trying hard enough (essentially the religious position)?.

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  My MILs worst nightmare, a nonJW

  Hi Katie,

  It is important to understand how 12 step programs define addiction. The answer may suprise you. If it was strictly a morality or will power issue than most people would kick the addictions and that would be the end of it.

  There are people who when they drink or drug to excess do things (as an example:have sex with anyone) that they under normal circumstances would never in a million years do. So there are a great many people who when the addiction is lifted, resume a fairly normal life that doesn't include that type of behaviour.

  Unfortunately, you have people who come out in public and blame their addiction for their behaviour. In the recent US scandal. a gay congressman was found to have been propositioning teenage pages for sex. His spin doctor came out and said he was molested as a teen and was an alcoholic ergo that is why he wants to mount teenage boys. This was an ongoing problem that occured many, many times. This is a horrible distortion. It is an insult to gays and it is an insult to alcoholics. Most 52 year old gay guys who drink to excess do not go out and try to molest teenage boys.

  A 12 step program approaches addiction from the standpoint that it is a problem of the mind, body and soul. Physical, mental, spiritual. When someone quits cold turkey, they may successfully conquer one area but not all three. (Maybe you know of people who have quit drinking for a month, but walk around like a miserable SOB because while they have removed the physical they are preoccupied and are unprepared to deal with the mental thoughts of not drinking. They throw up there arms and resume drinking again.). Those fortunate people who following a 12 step program and deal with the physical, mental and spiritual aspects have a better chance of long term success and more importantly a better quality of life afterward.

  It's imporatnt to seperate psychological addiction and chemical dependence. Then just to confuse matters even more, there are psychological addictions which produce chemicals in the brain we find addictive such as addiction to heavy exercise and endorphine producing extreme sports. I think the worst possible scenario are chemical addictions which affect brain chemistry to produce widthdrawl symptoms which includes alcohol. The addict returns to drinking to alleviate the "feelings" produced by widthdrawl - that is the nature of addiction.

  For the reasons stated above...it is very difificult for people to quit cold turkey on their own through sheer will power. A good 12 step group provides support and guidance.

  Just my 2 cents
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  17

  Anyone familiar with this Ex-JW?...

  by Merry Magdalene in

  1. watchtower
  2. scandals

  curious about accusations against the iranian president for his views on the holocaust, i was doing a little research into the matter and stumbled across this character: ditlieb felderer

  charged, tried, convicted and jailed in sweden.

  vilified in the press.

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  My MILs worst nightmare, a nonJW

  Been to Auschwitz. The reason the numbers are accurate are because the German kept such meticulous records of everything. They recorded and in many cases photographed people before they killed them. Many of those pictures are on display at Auschwitz. Heads shaved and the look of sheer horror in every one of their eyes. Its something you never forget. This is what is so incredible. The Germans documented everything.
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  9

  Two Editions of Russells Books

  by drew sagan in

  1. watchtower
  2. beliefs

  does anybody have good quality scans of russell's books where he changed the dates?

  i only have the 'after' versions, not the before.

  the two that i'm looking for is the changes in "they kingdom come" about 1914, and there was another change in "the time is at hand".

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  My MILs worst nightmare, a nonJW

  Steam...you are blowing smoke
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  28

  Introduction

  by freyd in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  might as well take the opportunity.

  i was a very active dub for 15 years, but there were things i could not reconcile.

  and when people can't reconcile things, eventually they drop out.

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  My MILs worst nightmare, a nonJW

  I hear you zeroday. When I read excerpts from Russels interpretation of Revelation to my lifelong witness MIL. First she said no way. Then when she read it herself and saw how rdiculous it was, she laughed and said don't pay attention to it, just concentrate on the bible.
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  28

  Introduction

  by freyd in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  might as well take the opportunity.

  i was a very active dub for 15 years, but there were things i could not reconcile.

  and when people can't reconcile things, eventually they drop out.

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  My MILs worst nightmare, a nonJW

  Great quote jgnat! Thanks!

  Freyd welcome!

  In addition to going to the Bible Students Convention, do me a favor and save up your money and take a trip to Israel. Travel to the Dead Sea and look across at the desolate area surrounded by mountains and caves, climb Masada where the small band of 900 zealots held off the Romans for a long time before finally comitting suicide. Visit Jerusalem and lay your hands on the stones from the remaining Western Wall that dates from the Jewish second temple and the time of King Herod. Go to the mount of Megiddo which is the symbolic site of Armeggedon and look far off into the valley in all directions. Immerse yourself in the history of the area. These places exist. The history is real.

  Then reread Russels interpretation of Revelation which according to him was written 2000 years ago to describe events happening in the late 1800's in America and all those new fangled inventions such as the steam engine and locomotive. This is the fantasy world of an eccentric pyramidologist.
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  28

  Introduction

  by freyd in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  might as well take the opportunity.

  i was a very active dub for 15 years, but there were things i could not reconcile.

  and when people can't reconcile things, eventually they drop out.

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  My MILs worst nightmare, a nonJW

  With all due respect, I cannot nor could I ever reconcile other people claiming with absolute certainty to know "the truth" on one hand and then adding the "he is not infallible" clause. I read Russels interpretation line for line about Revelation in his own words. That was enough to convince me that his greatest attribute was a vivid imagination. I think most 12 year olds given the same assignment could do a better job.
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  21

  Raising well rounded and balanced kids...what have you done right?

  by My MILs worst nightmare, a nonJW in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  parenting is one of the most difficult yet rewarding things there is.

  doesn't every parent want their children to have a good moral compass, to have good manners, to be socially adept, to be compassionate, to reach their potential and even overachieve in terms of school and career, to appreciate and understand history, science, the arts and the world as a whole, to play team sports when they are younger so they can benefit from physical activity and the comraderie of a team sport, and above all to be a critical thinkers who are strong and independent so that they will not become easy prey to abusive organizations and/or abusive people?.

  as a parent i have many times felt like a real failure and at other times like i am actually helping them to reach their potential.. what do you feel that you have done right in raising well rounded and balanced kids?

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  My MILs worst nightmare, a nonJW

  Parenting is one of the most difficult yet rewarding things there is. Doesn't every parent want their children to have a good moral compass, to have good manners, to be socially adept, to be compassionate, to reach their potential and even overachieve in terms of school and career, to appreciate and understand history, science, the arts and the world as a whole, to play team sports when they are younger so they can benefit from physical activity and the comraderie of a team sport, and above all to be a critical thinkers who are strong and independent so that they will not become easy prey to abusive organizations and/or abusive people?

  As a parent I have many times felt like a real failure and at other times like I am actually helping them to reach their potential.

  What do you feel that you have done right in raising well rounded and balanced kids?