Posts by Prisca

52

The reality of obesity

by Lady Lee in

jw
friends

when i was a jw there were a few sisters i knew who had serious weight problems.

i now have a couple of friends who are obese.

i have a weight problem also (about 40 pounds over my best weight).. i was out with my girlfriend today.

Prisca

Lady Lee, thank you for starting this discussion. Many people don't understand what it is to be overweight, particularly if you have been overweight since childhood.

If you think having been a JW has given you issues, imagine what is like to be overweight on top of that!!!! Abuse of overweight people is silently santioned, yet society has become overly concerned with political correctness in other areas.

Mulan - YOU ARE NOT OVERWEIGHT - especially in the sense of the article Lady Lee posted. Being 15 pounds "overweight" is NOTHING - NOTHING - compared to being 50 or 100 pounds overweight.

22

How Did You View JEHOVAH As a JW? (Part 1)

by Prisca in

when you were a jw, how did you view jehovah?was he some almighty god who was to be feared yet respected ?did you fear him, terrified that if you didn't obey every commandment and society rule, you would be doomed at armageddon?did he seem a benevolent god, one who looked after and cherished you?did you feel as though he was close, listening to every prayer, watching over you with concern and love ?or was he watching you so as to judge every wrong thought and action, condemning you when you were anything less than spiritually strong or pure?.

and how do you view him now ?

has leaving the jws affected that?

Prisca

Rocketman:

There was no closeness, no affection, no warmth, emanating from this God.

Good point. The WTS very rarely makes any effort to portray Jehovah as a loving God personally interested in us. Generally it portrays him as someone to be feared, with the always-present Armageddon dangled in front of us to keep us in line.

they promote practically no concept of feeling close to Jesus. That concept is virtually totally absent from their teachings. It's all Jehovah, all the time.

The same goes for Jesus too. The Greatest Man book is the only publication that makes Jesus look anything close to loving or concerned.

Big Tex:

When I was in therapy, I heard someone put it this way, and it really shook me down to my core: we often give to God the personalty traits, and flaws of our father (or father figure, i.e. uncle, older brother, etc.). I realized that Jehovah and my father were identical.

BINGO!!!!! We have a Winner!!! This was the theory I was going to elaborate on, and I have started Part Two to discuss what feelings we may have had towards our physical father, and how they can relate to our relationship (if any) with God.

Minimus:

I viewed him as my God. I believed in whatever he said. I was not afraid of him. I tended to view him as a loving Father.

That's pretty much how I viewed him too, despite the warnings of Armageddon. I think as I got older I felt closer to him, and Armageddon wasn't so much of a worry to me.

Gumby:

Wow....I didn't realise some of my feelings on this until I had to think about it.

Glad this discussion has got the old grey matter going.

One can never be "good enough" as a witness......hence Jehovah is usually pissed at ya.

Yep, the old guilt trip via manipulation.

Gopher:

They sure know how to botch a relationship with God!

How true! I think many people leave the WTS hating God (if they still believe in him) due to the way the WTS portrays God to us. Or they cause many to question his existence, simply because they have made him some impersonal entity who doesn't have feelings.

FlyingHighNow:

First off - welcome to the board!

I agree with your whole post. John Lennon's "Imagine" means so much more to me now than it did as a JW. I tend to be a dreamer too but I know I'm not the only one

Part Two of this thread is continued here: http://www.jehovahs-witness.com/12/59852/1.ashx

10

How Did You View JEHOVAH As a JW? (Part TWO)

by Prisca in

this is part two following from how did you view jehovah as a jw?

(part one).

how did you view your (earthly) father?.

Prisca

This is Part Two following from How Did You View JEHOVAH as a JW? (Part One)

How Did You View Your (earthly) Father?

What kind of a relationship did you have with your father? Whether he was your biological, step or adoptive father, how did you view him as your father?

Was he kind, loving and supportive, someone who was there when you needed him?
Was he someone you found easy to approach?
Was he abusive and cruel?
Did you fear or loathe him?
Was he someone you admired? Or someone you hated, and vowed you would never be like him?

Now, whatever your answers to the above questions are, compare them to your answers in Part One, where I asked you about your views and relationship with Jehovah as a JW.

Is there a similarity between how you viewed your Heavenly Father, and your physical father?

Did you transfer your feelings for your real Dad onto your relationship(if any) with Jehovah?
Or was Jehovah the Father You Never Had, and idealised Him as what you wished your physical father had been?
If you had a good relationship with your Dad, did that make it easier to relate to Jehovah as a Heavenly Father?

Curious minds would like to know.

30

Moon Landing Conspiracy?

by Shakita in

don't get me wrong, i do believe that the americans did walk on the moon.

what does concern me is this:.

my son is in high school.

Prisca

Well Ozzie, just because you showed these kids a film of men walking on the moon means they have to believe you? How do you know these people really were on the moon? Were you there on the moon at the same time? If you weren't, then why do you expect the kids to believe what they see on tv?

Everything and anything can be faked and these kids know it. I'm not saying that the moon walk was faked, but it's good to see a bit of healthy skepticism in kids.

It's because of people believing everything that is presented to them, is the reason why so many people became, or remained, JWs. Including us. After all, perhaps if we were as skeptical as these kids, we wouldn't have remained JWs for so long, eh?

18

What JW's are saying about the Vikki Boer Decision

by CoonDawg in

jw
friends

so, you wanna know what the jw's are saying about the decision?

i wonder if any of them will be willing to help her pay the legal costs?

originally posted by manoftruegod: forgive my ignorance with law, but what is the principle behind the society asking her to pay for the legal cost?

Prisca

I firmly believe that the vast majority of Witnesses would offer to hold the Governing Body's coats while they gang-raped an eleven year old, and then join in denigrating the victim afterwards.

Oh purleeese....

Statements like that only convince JWs how bitter and twisted apostates are.

I was a born-and-bred JW, and I don't know any sick individual who would willingly stand alongside someone gang-raping anyone, let alone a child. Sheesh!

15

HELP ME! TEENAGER INVASION

by Yerusalyim in

jw
friends

my 15 year old son is having a party this evening...i have 24 teens here...hormones and all...save me!...actually, they're pretty good kids...just skating and listening to music.

the real problem are the parents.

a few weeks ago there was a party at a house with no chaperones...and the house got trashed...bad.

Prisca

You're a cool dude, Yeru.

And the fact that the kids didn't hide the actions of the idiots smoking pot shows that you have their respect.

Great thing about posts like this, is that it shows to JW lurkers that "worldly" kids aren't all as bad as what the WTS likes to make them think. Nor are their "worldly" parents, for that matter.

The teenagers that wouldnt Leave" BWAAAA......coming to a theater near you!

LOL!!!

22

How Did You View JEHOVAH As a JW? (Part 1)

by Prisca in

when you were a jw, how did you view jehovah?was he some almighty god who was to be feared yet respected ?did you fear him, terrified that if you didn't obey every commandment and society rule, you would be doomed at armageddon?did he seem a benevolent god, one who looked after and cherished you?did you feel as though he was close, listening to every prayer, watching over you with concern and love ?or was he watching you so as to judge every wrong thought and action, condemning you when you were anything less than spiritually strong or pure?.

and how do you view him now ?

has leaving the jws affected that?

Prisca

Big Tex,

You've just confirmed a theory I have been thinking about, which was going to be the subject for another thread (Part Two).

But I'll let this thread get a few more replies, before I start Part Two.

21

Dating sucks

by Stacy Smith in

jw
friends

ok i'm having a pity party.

i don't usually date much.

i prefer going out with a group rather than just a single person.

Prisca

Does this guy have a huge L on his forehead? If he doesn't, he should.

Sorry to hear about this guy, but the bike ride sounds like fun, and I hope you find someone soon that really appreciates you.

Good luck!

22

How Did You View JEHOVAH As a JW? (Part 1)

by Prisca in

when you were a jw, how did you view jehovah?was he some almighty god who was to be feared yet respected ?did you fear him, terrified that if you didn't obey every commandment and society rule, you would be doomed at armageddon?did he seem a benevolent god, one who looked after and cherished you?did you feel as though he was close, listening to every prayer, watching over you with concern and love ?or was he watching you so as to judge every wrong thought and action, condemning you when you were anything less than spiritually strong or pure?.

and how do you view him now ?

has leaving the jws affected that?

Prisca

WOW, where is that pic taken from? I've never seen that one before.

I was brought up on the "Paradise Lost/Restored" book (the orange book) so I had similar images of Armageddon to influence me.

22

How Did You View JEHOVAH As a JW? (Part 1)

by Prisca in

when you were a jw, how did you view jehovah?was he some almighty god who was to be feared yet respected ?did you fear him, terrified that if you didn't obey every commandment and society rule, you would be doomed at armageddon?did he seem a benevolent god, one who looked after and cherished you?did you feel as though he was close, listening to every prayer, watching over you with concern and love ?or was he watching you so as to judge every wrong thought and action, condemning you when you were anything less than spiritually strong or pure?.

and how do you view him now ?

has leaving the jws affected that?

Prisca

When you were a JW, how did you view Jehovah?

Was he some Almighty God who was to be feared yet respected ?
Did you fear him, terrified that if you didn't obey every commandment and Society rule, you would be doomed at Armageddon?
Did he seem a benevolent God, one who looked after and cherished you?
Did you feel as though he was close, listening to every prayer, watching over you with concern and love ?
Or was he watching you so as to judge every wrong thought and action, condemning you when you were anything less than spiritually strong or pure?

And how do you view him now ?

Has leaving the JWs affected that?

Any outside factors as well?