Posts by humbled

50

Is it a Gun Issue or a Mental Illness Issue or Both?

by minimus in

jw
friends

we have had another shooting.

many are blaming trump and the republicans and the nra.. is it because of guns that there are so many massacres or could it be that these killers are mental?.

do you think guns should be removed from our society so that these atrocities never occur again?

humbled

Started to laugh then started to wonder...

9

Eddie Murphy, my driver . . .

by compound complex in

i really do have to get to work, but i needed to tell you that i had an early-morning appointment, which i was late for.

i woke up past my due time.

without really thinking through my dire straits, i hired eddie murphy to drive me there.

humbled

That about Steinbeck -whether he was blue or just bewildered by his fame-reminds me of an interview with the old frontiersman Daniel Boone near the end of his life.

He lived long and traversed woodland and prairies from Pennsylvania (?) to Missouri. Unmapped territory,he was often alone. So he was asked by an admirer “Did it ever happen that you got lost!” Some thought and he answered “Never got lost. But onced l was bewildered for about two weeks...”

l appreciated that story so much when l read it. That perspective has kept me from being downhearted about life many many times.

15

There Is No Road in the Desert

by compound complex in

jw
friends

there is no road in the desert, yet you chance upon my friendless camp.. was it stars that led you to me or two yearning hearts become conjoined?.

i envision a most lovely you, but you're just a dream of what i once knew.. remote i remain in my desert abode while stars and your spirit sail on by..

humbled

What a surprise!

Your post made me look into Gertrude Bell. l have been lost this past hour picking up scraps of her life.

Well, aren’t we all a mystery!?

And everyone peering into her life and not certain they found all of her yet.

9

Eddie Murphy, my driver . . .

by compound complex in

i really do have to get to work, but i needed to tell you that i had an early-morning appointment, which i was late for.

i woke up past my due time.

without really thinking through my dire straits, i hired eddie murphy to drive me there.

humbled

Yep—l hear you Coco On being read. But that can make you blue😳too!

Fun story

22

A pet peeve

by punkofnice in

a pet peeve of mine is that there are numerous christian denominations (other faiths with their 'holy' books too), all claim that their interpretation of their 'holy' book is the correct interpretation.

my conclusion is that either their god is a very poor communicator or simply doesn't exist.. i used to believe all this stuff when i was a jobo and later a church going christian.

i simply cannot, in all honesty subscribe to it all any more.

humbled

“Big Religion is just an opportunistic businessman that sets himself up as the middleman, a bottled water seller set up next to the stream taking advantage of thirsty people.”

that sums it up, sparrowdown

Punky, nothing l paid for took care of my thirst. I do believe there are waters of life that we find and they are indeed free.

A long time finding that out.. l am getting stronger though. Not so young but life is getting better.

l don’t know you of course. But when l see that though you may be sad, angry or bitter (so you have said) you are not mean. That makes me glad for you.

24

Find Family Happiness ... NOT!

by jp1692 in

the other day my wife and i were in sonoma.

we were just walking around enjoying the pleasant afternoon in the quaint, old downtown area when i saw two jw women standing by their “witnessing cart.” .

normally, i just ignore them whenever i see jws standing by a cart, but i gotta admit it: this time it really bugged me because of the title on the cart: find family happiness.

humbled

I definitely remember to people when I was in field service were so angry they hardly said a word.

One was a woman who is doing some yard work. First she was relaxed and pleasant. When she realize who l was her face contorted with some really dark emotion. She stripped off her garden gloves and walked rapidly toward her house.

Another was likewise in his yard, pleasant, putting up a mailbox by the curb as l walked on an errand. So I began an informal witness after some pleasantries. When he realized who l was his face also clouded. Then he raised his arm, extended his index finger and thundered “GO!GO!!”

I did.

Both experiences stuck with me. I couldn’t shake the feeling that they had a story to tell about my religion that would trouble me.It DID trouble me.

I think that you did the perfect thing, jp1692.

76

In one sentence, can you pinpoint a single event that woke you up?

by Brian J in

my turning point: serving on a child abuse judicial case.

.

humbled

The response of local brothers, the CO, and ultimately Bethel to me stating that two Hebrew words were not interchangeable: the word for “sacrifice” and the word for “burnt offering”.

Local brothers withdrew their warmth, the CO was harsh and gave his closing talk on women who were not content with their place in the Jehovah’s arrangement , the PO and a brother l had greatly respected called me in for special interviews while Bethel considered the matter.

Bethel agreed with every point of my research and faulted me for doing it. Made it clear to the brothers to be certain I wasn’t stirring trouble or reading apostate literature.

Al I had done was read and think.

cult

10

Internet Search Engines And Some Of The First Things I Typed

by Brokeback Watchtower in

it was back in mid nineties 93,94 or 95 before it became what it is today.

anyway they had a bunch of search engines and the first thing i typed in it was jehovah witness, then jesus christ, next came lsd, magic mushrooms, nude pictures.

i think in that relative order.. i remember reading a different story about jws in germany during the nazi era, not anything like the 74 yearbook's depiction.

humbled

Realizing the WBTS was wrong in even one thing was a mighty task. Only the Bible itself was the key that could turn the lock for me.

I was terrified to break any rules during that time. Yet I didn’t go to meetings because there was too much trauma from my experience with the brothers and the circuit overseer when I voiced an objection to a subject in the literature.

I never looked at apostate websites. Yet Ray Franz’s name came to my attention somehow. When I understood that he had written a book- Crisis of Conscience. I would only allow myself to read it’s reviews in Amazon .There were hundreds of them.

Looking back now, I know l was breaking with the Organization without the internet—But the internet was critical for my leaving with my sanity.

I found this site obviously.

14