Posts by ambersun

20

Has anybody given any thought for Calebs freind ?

by smiddy in

jw
friends

after all, this unidentified freind of caleb gives him a toy, which calebs mom finds objectionable , shouldn`t she just have said to caleb ,give it back to your freind ?

and not dump it in the trash can ?

what sort of a message does that send to caleb (or any other children who watch this video ) calebs mom should have acknowledged that his freind gave him a present, and it should be appreciated , not to disrespectfully throw it away in the trash can with no thought to the giver of the present.. smiddy.

ambersun

not to disrespectfully throw it away in the trash can with no thought to the giver of the present.

I think this is the part of the video that disturbs me most. It highlights the JW view of 'worldly' people being of no importance except to be preached at.

Any normal mother would have questioned Caleb being given an expensive gift from another small child. Had his friend actually given it to him, or had Caleb begged his friend to lend it to him, to be returned the next day? Or, had Caleb actually stolen it from his little friend? After all, he seems an intelligent child and may have already learned that stealing or borrowing was the only way he could ever get his hands on a desirable toy such as Sparlock. His parents sure as hell would never buy him one!

It just gives me great pleasure to imagine Caleb's friend's furious parents turning up on the doorstep with their tearful son in tow, and demanding that Caleb's mother pays for a replacement Sparlock!!

33

November KM do not upset the branch with with your relatives or friends trying to get them to become JW's.

by life is to short in

i just thought that the question box of the november km was strange the way it was worded.

i tried to scan it but could not get it to come up so i will type it out.. ("who should fill out coupons and internet requests?.

our publications often contain coupons that can be filled out and sent to the branch office to request literature or a visit from jehovah's witnesses.

ambersun

Publisher who have received a notice to call on someone who did not personally request a visit have found themselves in an awkward position when the individual expressed irritation.

So, let me get this right. They are claiming it is wrong to put publishers in an 'awkward position' by making them call on people who did not request a visit and expressed irritation, yet this is exactly what they expect the rank and file to do on a daily basis. It does not make sense.

Encouraging publishers to go out en masse at Christmas when people are in the middle of opening presents or enjoying their Christmas dinner is also fine apparently, even though the householder most certainly did not request a visit on that day.

Talk about feeling awkward, I wished the ground would open up and swallow me sometimes. I can remember only too clearly the number of times I was yelled and sworn at by furious householders wearing party hats, and feeling embarrassed as I knew I would feel exactly the same if the situation was reversed.

Unbelievable!!

9

And once again... I unknowingly befriended a JW!!

by Free!! in

jw
friends

this is like the third time it happens!!...

so i am a corporate trainer and meet lots of new people every week... i always click w one or two of my students but for the last 2 classes i have clicked with two jws!!!

i did not know they where jws and they have no idea i am da'd... but after i befriended them on fb i realized ohhh ish!!!

ambersun

I suppose it really depends on how close your friendship is going to be with these JWs. At the moment they are just your students and have no right to know anything about your private life. All that concerns them right now is that you are qualified to teach them.

If you start meeting them socially then I suppose you might feel obliged to tell them at some point, but I would be as casual as possible and just say it is part of your past life, that you respect their beliefs but would rather not talk about it if they didn't mind.

I am still on friendly speaking terms with almost every JW I know even though I DA'd over 20 years ago, we just keep off the subject of religion lol. There will always be the odd few fanatical JWs who think you have sprouted invisible horns and there are demons dancing round you

I would deffinately keep it to yourself for the time being until you have got to know them more as individuals so you will get a better idea of how they will react to knowing you are DA'd. Please don't worry too much about it.

32

JW leadership vacuum - explained!

by sir82 in

jw
friends

jw leadership shows an appalling lack of creativty and originality.. -- meeting attendance down across the board?

let's keep the same 1940's format anyway!.

-- missionaries quitting their assignments?

ambersun

Other organizations encourage, nurture, develop, and reward leadership skills. The WTS encourages, nurtures, and rewards mindless obedience to concepts and structures developed 60 or 70 or more years ago, by people long dead.

This is a brilliant post sir82, you are spot on with your analysis. We are living in an ever changing world where innovation and fresh, new ideas are the only way to keep any business or organisation afloat, especially when it involves capturing the enthusiasm of today's young, vibrant, techno savvy generation. Why, for instance, should JWs in 2011 feel inspired to go out knocking on peoples' doors as they did in the 1930s and 40s? We live in an age of instant access, when messages and images can be blasted around the world within seconds via internet or phone!

The elderly men at Brooklyn are already so far out of touch with the youth of today it is laughable, they are having to rely on guilt tripping the parents and grandparents in order to keep the youth in line, but they must realise they are fighting a losing battle by insisting on keeping to these outdated concepts.

110

A truly creepy 2007 public talk by Ciro Aulicino - You Will Be With Me in Paradise

by Tatiana in

i searched for this here and didn't find any posts about it.

i just found this while searching for info as i was debating a jw on another site.

this is the most mind-blowing, spaced-out, insane bunch of mess i've ever heard.

ambersun

You took the words right out of my mouth punkofnice. I can picture him dressed in a Nazi uniform giving that bitter, hate filled speech.

I really feel a need right now to address a question to current JWs who may be reading this thread at the moment.

If any of you are currently shunning relatives who are apostate or gay, I implore you to listen to the talk by Ciro then stop and think it through.

Even if you feel justified in shunning loved ones who have left the Organisation due to not agreeing with their policies, or maybe because they are gay, would you really wish for such a terrible and violent end to the life of your husband, wife, son, daughter or grandchildren and be happy to join Ciro in laughing and praising Jah for causing such suffering and destruction? What harm have these people done other than express a difference of opinion or a desire to share their lives with someone of the same sex? They are still loving, normal people just trying to live their lives and do not deserve to die.

How could you picture looking at their stricken bodies after armageddon and not mourn their loss? You would now be living in a world ruled by a Governing Body who are all thinking along the same lines as Ciro who will order the execution of anyone who fails to fit into their mould, just like in Nazi Germany.

A world without suffering or pain? REALLY????

Please, just think it through.

Thank you

7

New Mentality

by EmptyInside in

jw
friends

no,i am not talking about being "mentally diseased",lol.

it's just wonderful to allow myself to have my own thoughts and opinions.. i'm still around family and some acquaintances who are witnesses.

and i cringe every time i hear a phrase or belief ,that now i realize is totally wacky.. for example: relatives talking about a newly reinstated man's unbelieving wife.

ambersun

I'm still around family and some acquaintances who are Witnesses. And I cringe every time I hear a phrase or belief ,that now I realize is totally wacky.

EmptyInside, I know exactly what you mean. At family gatherings with JW and non JW relatives, it is funny how JWs can often forget they are talking to 'worldly' people when they are relaxed in comfortable surroundings and are totally oblivious to how wacky they sound.

Out come their ridiculous stock JW phrases and, if the TV is on, passing hate filled comments about gay presenters, expressing disapproval of women in 'mens jobs', or making disgusted scoffing noises if a narator of a documentary mentions evolution or carbon dating, or anything at all which contradicts what the WTS has indictrinated them to believe.

Recently we were watching a fascinating and well informed documentary on how the ice age transformed the landscape over thousands of years and one JW relative huffed and puffed and said loudly "why won't they just admit that it was all due to Noah's flood instead of all this nonsense?!!"

They just presume that everyone in the room will automatically agree with their biased views, and I just watch the stunned expressions on the 'worldly' relatives faces as they usually just ignore it to avoid any conflict which they have already learned from experience is utterly pointless.

36

Encouraging sigleness

by Dudu in

do you think is one of the unhealthy teachings among the wt?

i mean humans has been created with emotional and physical needs that relationships provide, right?.

ambersun

This reminds me of a particular talk on staying single which sticks out in my mind as being one of the most irresponsible and shocking talks I have ever heard. I think it was at the 1969 International Assembly at Wembley but can't be certain.

The speaker said that brothers and sisters who found it impossible to remain single were wasting valuable time searching for a suitable marriage partner which was interfering with their worship and pioneering. There was only ONE requirement for a JW and that was to find another JW who was as spiritually minded as yourself. Nothing else mattered. You will automatically be compatable by your mutual love of the 'Truth'. Then just get married and pioneer together, maybe even become missionaries serving where the need was greatest.

He made no mention of love or even being remotely physically attracted to each other, let alone a courtship. No, if you really can't stay single then just marry anyone, as long as they are strong in the 'Truth' It seemed to me that all the Society was concerned about was marrying you off to the nearest single brother or sister to prevent you from committing fornication.

I was appalled and felt quite sick. There was one single brother who made it obvious he fancied me but he gave me the creeps and the thought of being married off to him filled me with horror. He must have been rubbing his hands together with glee listening to that talk! Fortunately, I found someone else who was lovely. We fell in love and are still together today, free from the Borg and its influences thank goodness!!!

How many disastrous marriages took place as a result of that totally irresponsible talk I wonder

63

Did you have any Elders CO's/DO's that were "Hung up" on certain things????

by karter in

jw
friends

we had an elder that was hung up on mens haircuts he had a real thing about how short mens hair should be and even told one bro off for parting his hair down the middle.. even told one bro to shave off his sideburns.. a c.o who was paronoid about sound always telling the bro in charge off.. .

a d.o who orded the attendants to remove crying babys from assemblys on more than a few occations...hans hubler for those that know him..

ambersun

We had a CO back in the '60s who was really creepy and seemed to be obsessed with talking about sex and the importance of avoiding temptation. He couldn't get through a talk without bringing the subject up, going into detail about how a look or a touch can lead to lustful thoughts and arousal and lead us to do sinful things which was soooo embarrassing for us teenagers sitting there in our rows next to our parents and younger siblings. His beady eyes would be on us making sure we were all listening intently to his advice and that all us young sisters were dressed modestly so as not to created lustful desires in the brothers

However, very soon after his final visit to our congregation we found out he had been disfellowshipped for having rumpy pumpy with an attractive young sister in another congregation. Oh how we all laughed

22

Is Disfellowshipping a form of Bullying?

by Quarterback in

again, on anderson cooper's show today, he had a topic of bullying.

i thought that subjec related so closely to the disfellowshipping practice.

ambersun

I totally agree with NewChapter.

It is a most vile and despicable form of bullying and there is absolutely nothing Christian or loving about it what so ever.

44

Special day Last talk "No formula"

by MommieTiger in

this weekend at our special assembly day, let gods will take place the final talk was a head shaker.... the bethel speaker was quite entertaining when he joked @ the shortcomings of the elders.

he also made us laugh with the comment "we were told the end of the system is right around the corner, but we've found its been more than that, we've been around the blocks a few times.

" he told the young ones to make the truth their own by researching in the wtbts publication (only).

ambersun

He also made us laugh with the comment "We were told the end of the system is right around the corner, but we've found its been more than that, we've been around the blocks a few times."

Oh how hilariously witty, I wish I had been there to join in the happifying mirth spewing forth from that jovial Bethel boy's mouth, thinking about how my generation back in the late 1960s were told to leave school and wash windows or do menial cleaning jobs to support us as we pioneered our way through the last days of this wicked system.

We were told as FACT that any college course we started would be a complete waste of time because armageddon would be here before we had a chance to finish it. Those wise words from the GB came in 1969, and oh, isn't it so funny that they got it wrong, tee hee, and my generation are all retiring now with nothing more than a meagre state pension to live off.

I don't know what makes me more mad, the fact he actually made a joke about this or that there would have been dozens if not hundreds of my generation there (who had also had their lives ruined by the GB) joining in the laughter.

Words fail me.