Posts by Cicatrix

26

New and confused

by afrothunder88 in

jw
friends

hello peoples.

my mommy let me join this forum.

her name on this is bittersweet.

Cicatrix

Welcome Afrothunder,

I asked that very same question about a year ago. I was shown a couple of scriptures that I found very interesting.

The first was Job 1:4, which says (in the King James Version) "And his sons went and feasted in their houses, every one his day; and sent and called for their three sisters to eat and drink with them."

The word "day" here in Hebrew is yowm. It is the same word that is used when Job curses the day of his birth, which of course would be Job's birthday. So it is more than likely that his sons were having a feast, or a party, on their birthdays!

Another scripture that I was shown was Romans 14:5-6, which says One man esteemeth one day above another: another esteemeth every day a like. Let every man be fully persuaded IN HIS OWN MIND [I added the capitals for emphasis]. He that regardeth the day, regardeth it unto the Lord; and he that regardeth not the day, to the Lord he doth not regard it. He that eateth eat to the Lord, for he giveth God thanks; and he that eateth not, and giveth God thanks.

Keep learning as much as you can, and looking at issues from different perspectives.As you can see from the verses above, the Bible can be used to support views different from what Jehovah's Witnesses teach.

Sincerely,

Cicatrix

83

District Assembly talks about apostates............

by integ in

jw
friends

district assembly 5/24/03 3:40 pm "beware of the voice of strangers".. 1) counterfeit words: beware of those using "counterfeit words".

2) flirting: young ones need to avoid being lured into relationships with un-believers.. 3) you trust your christian parents...listen to them.

you also trust those taking the lead among you..such as elders.

Cicatrix

Big Tex-I'm so sorry for what you went through as a child! The heart felt posts of yourself and others who have shared their horrific experiences here helped me to be able to discern that the organization is a cult that is responsible for the deaths and injuries of countless individuals.Your candidness resulted in the exit of my entire family and few other individuals. It's funny, I couldn't see the truth about "The Truth"tm when I was being abused myself, and being examined by the elders to see what I had done to "deserve it", but I couldn't imagine in my worst nightmares how they could just stand by and watch little children be victimized!!!!!

You all saved the lives of myself and my family. Thank you!!

Wow-sounds like the same schtick from the last District Assembly I attended a few years ago. The wording hasn't changed much.

"Beware of 'organization'. It is wholly un-necessary. The Bible will be the only rules you need. Do not seek to bind others consciences and do not permit others to bind yours. Believe and obey as far as you can understand God's Word today and so continue to grow in grace and knowledge day by day."

Watchtower 1895 page 216

So whose the apostate????

19

I am thinking of doing it....

by shamus in

jw
friends

that is, daing myself.

i have been reading coc, and am just disgusted right now.

how can my name be attached to this man-made cult?

Cicatrix

Hi Shamus,

Yes, I understand very well what you mean! When I learned about Silentlambs and the myriads of others who have been vicitmized by a rigid organization who refuses to humanly restructure their policies to prevent innocent ones from suffering, and who indeed often add to their suffering, I was livid and no longer wanted to support the organisation with my membership.

But, I have no baptised family members and no family members who want anything to do with Jehovah's Witnesses. Plus, there was a witch hunt being conducted, and certain members of the congregation were looking for evidence to disfellowship me (based on rumors), so I bailed before giving them the satisfaction of ousting me on some trumped up charge.

I lost a few close friends, and I grieve the loss of their companionship.In fact, I still have horrific nightmares regarding the loss, and that is why I am in here at 3:30 in the am instead of sleeping.

But honestly, I am adjusting pretty well for the most part. I am making new friends who know what I've been through, and experiencing lots of new things.I'm much happier, and so is my family.Nothing would prompt me to return.

Just take your time in deciding if it is worth it in your situation to DA. If you have family members in, or close friends you can't bear the thought of living without, you may want to consider a fade.

And this place was made for "I" posts:)

Regards,

Cicatrix

4

Received a Letter from a JW Friend Who Doesn't Know I DA'd

by Cicatrix in

so here i am, getting used to life on the outside and lo and behold i finally hear from a long lost friend.

the problem is, i'm not really sure how to answer her letter.

we were out of touch for a year, and in that time i da'd myself.

Cicatrix

So here I am, getting used to life on the outside and lo and behold I finally hear from a long lost friend.

The problem is, I'm not really sure how to answer her letter. We were out of touch for a year, and in that time I DA'd myself. I'm not sure how to go about telling her. I can't decide if I want to try and explain to her my reasoning or just say "I'm wearing the big scarlet A and enjoying my life immensely, so have a good life and don't write back."Well, maybe not quite that:)

She is a pioneer. Her sons have all left the JWs for various reasons. She had very little to do with them when they left, so I doubt she'll listen to a word I have to say.Her sons tried to explain to her why they left, and she didn't want to hear it. I know that others in my life have been more curious because I've chosen to remain silent.

Has anyone had any experience with this?

Thanks,

Cicatrix

21

Did God make the ancient israelites also worship a goddess?

by avishai in

ever heard about the "goddess" the ancient hebrews worshipped?

asherah?

funny, how the jews were'nt supposed to have other gods or graven images, but there it is, right there in exedous , i believe, the israelites were wandering around in the desert & started to get bit by snakes.

Cicatrix

I found the site I was thinking of.

Take a look at www.amaranthine.freeserve.co.uk/pages/goddess_writings/goddess_in_judaism.htm

It's very interesting.

If you can't get to that site, try Kuntillet Ajrud excavations 1975 and 1976 or Ze'ev Meshel in search

The site above is easier to navigate and understand than the first one I gave you.

Regards,

Cicatrix

21

Did God make the ancient israelites also worship a goddess?

by avishai in

ever heard about the "goddess" the ancient hebrews worshipped?

asherah?

funny, how the jews were'nt supposed to have other gods or graven images, but there it is, right there in exedous , i believe, the israelites were wandering around in the desert & started to get bit by snakes.

Cicatrix

And I forgot to add that the account is found at Numbers 21:4-8

Cicatrix

21

Did God make the ancient israelites also worship a goddess?

by avishai in

ever heard about the "goddess" the ancient hebrews worshipped?

asherah?

funny, how the jews were'nt supposed to have other gods or graven images, but there it is, right there in exedous , i believe, the israelites were wandering around in the desert & started to get bit by snakes.

Cicatrix

Yes. I read about it while doing some research for my mythology class.

I found this at www.angelfire.com/la2/bahumuth/Sumerians.doc I had to click on the archived copy to get in with my puter.

It's very extensive, but says in part "It is written in Sumerian texts that Inanna's name is derived from Nin-anna (Lady of Heaven), but it also seems that the name is at least partially derived from her father. She is the first in a long line of love goddess incarnations that spread throughout the Near East and Western world. Her Semitic (Akkadian) name was Ishtar, the whore of Babylon. She was Aphrodite to the Greeks and Venus to the Romans. In the Old Testament she's referred to as Ashtoreth (Lady of Shame), which was a derivation of her Canaanite name Asherah. Inscriptions from archeological finds have shown that Asherah was popularly worshipped as the consort of Yahweh in both Israel and Judah..."

It goes on to describe the pole, etc. The source cited for the archeological information was "The Bible Undearthed" by Israel Finkelstein and Neil Asher Silverman, The Free Press, New York, 2001.

According to this site, Asherah was also known as Hathor, Eostre, Ostara, Artemis, and Diana.

I've read this in another source, but I can't remember how I accessed it. If I recall right, the text I read said the the name Asherah or Ashtoreth (can't remember which) was included on a doorpost with the name Yahweh.

I'll keep searching to see if I can find that source.

Hope this helps.

Cicatrix

19

How's your geography?

by heathen in

jw
friends

i got this in the mail the other day and thought it was interesting .there are countries i didn't even know existed and half of canada was pretty much unknown as far as i was conscerned .http://www.lizardpoint.com/fun/geoquiz/ .let's see it the link works.

any way hope you enjoy as much as i did .

Cicatrix

Really bad. That's why I've signed up for geography next semester.

It would be easier if countries would stop changing their borders and names, though:)

12

Flashbacks of JW frustration...

by logansrun in

jw
friends

this post is going to be somewhat disconnected, my apologies.... for the first time in a long while, i'm really mad at this organzition.

you know, i had lost a lot of my "bitterness" a few months ago when i started to absorb myself in other activities.

lately, i feel like i've had a "delayed reaction" of sorts when it comes to my association with the jws.

Cicatrix

Hi Bradley,

Sorry about the first incomplete post. My son bumped the keyboard.

Sorry you're having a hard time dealing this week. As you can see, lots of us here have experienced the same thing. I won't repeat the same advice, but I was wondering, is it nearing finals week for you by any chance?

Being a thirty-something overacheiving undergraduate:), I'm well-aware that stress levels skyrocket at the end of a semester. I'm finding myself real short tempered, and have begun having those feelings of being different from the crowd but longing to join in again. This is the third semester I've attended since leaving the JWs, and the feeling does tend to get worse when I'm under exam and incompetant instructor stress.

The good news is, it gets better after exams:)

Give yourself some time. Leaving the only life style you've ever known is like immigrating to a whole new culture. It takes awhile for one to adjust to a new country. For some it happens quickly, for others it takes a longer time.

12

Flashbacks of JW frustration...

by logansrun in

jw
friends

this post is going to be somewhat disconnected, my apologies.... for the first time in a long while, i'm really mad at this organzition.

you know, i had lost a lot of my "bitterness" a few months ago when i started to absorb myself in other activities.

lately, i feel like i've had a "delayed reaction" of sorts when it comes to my association with the jws.

Cicatrix

Hi Bradley,