On becoming a single mom and divorcee in the cult is when it began to dawn on me that "all was not well in Zion." The blinders were being peeled from me layer by layer, as the dysfunction began to become more clear until it became blindingly clear. The church was a crock and a hoax. Once I started to study the actual history then it began to fall into place for me. By then I had wor
Forum: Recovery Board

My parents kept Postum in the house and hot cocoa. I didn't really like Postum because barley is well, barley. Ugh. Not the same. I started drinking coffee in earnest when I was a sophomore in high school. My friends and I would hang out at the local Denny's in Idaho Falls where we could drink all we wanted (unlimited POT refills,) for a quarter per person per table. That was a steal
Forum: Recovery Board

You're so right about that. It was sick. The tobacco companies knew exactly what they were doing. Selling death to unsuspecting tots and their parents.
Forum: Recovery Board

There are various Christian sects and individuals who believe in Replacement Theology. White nationalists are but one such group/clan who believe they and others like them supercede the Jews and the OT teachings. I know from first hand experience dealing with some of these people on some social sites where they propagate their material (Christian sites.) Messianics believe that the Gentiles a
Forum: Recovery Board

F.Y.I. As a matter of fact, not opinion, "Palestine is not recognized as a state by Israel, the United States, Switzerland, Canada, Japan, South Korea, Mexico, Australia, New Zealand, and most of the European Union, among others. International recognition of the State of Palestine - Wikipedia https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/International_recognition_of_the_State_of_Palestine Likewise, &
Forum: Recovery Board

My dad's parents were BIC TBM for all their lives, 4th generation born to pioneer stock Mormons. They grew up drinking coffee, and imbibing. Dad told me WoW wasn't a "thing" before 1940's thereabout when suddenly it became more pronounced to holding a temple recommend and such. My grandparents served a mission (near their home,) in their golden years. My grandmother drank wine m
Forum: Recovery Board

You need some counseling yourself since you need to get healthier to try and be there for your brother more when he's in a position to come home. The home life you describe is very dysfunctional and toxic. You cannot fix your mother, or the situation as it's out of your hands. Your brother is a grown man now. He has to be willing to want to change on his own and seek the help he needs or he isn't
Forum: Recovery Board

I played having imaginary tea parties as a child even without a tea set. With a coffee pot, heck, even Mormon kids can pretend. They're not stupid. My uber Mormon neighbor kids would get ahold of candy cigarettes and suck on them like they were the real thing. I don't know if their parents bought them or they bought them with their own money, but the fact they played with them was enough
Forum: Recovery Board

Rocco, the bear, spent the first part of his life inside a tiny cage in someone's backyard in Albania. Until he was finally set free and released into a bear sanctuary in the north of Germany! Where he is free to be himself at long last living among his own and in his native habitat. People were not meant to be locked inside little cages either, mentally or physically. Being in a cult in
Forum: Recovery Board

British Columbia is one of the most diverse places I've been to. I'm surprised the guy (a complete stranger to you,) would say something so blatantly bigoted to someone he doesn't know at all. Maybe he was hoping to get some positive reinforcement. Well, now he knows he's in an even smaller minority than he was before. ;)
Forum: Recovery Board

"Days of our Lives ..." When some days seem more like a soap opera than not ... then they turn into a blur before your eyes. And bling! We're stardust again. Watch the redial. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z-Zgtm-g4Co
Forum: Recovery Board

The Jewish method of learning is recognized in South Korea as helping to develop young minds to reach their potential. It is introduced early there in Talmudic studies to expound on children's secular education. Hardly "mind control." More like "mind expanding." "How the Talmud Became a Best-Seller in South Korea 'About an hour’s drive north of Seoul, in the Gwan
Forum: Recovery Board

Thanks Desertrat! You are most welcome. And thank you for sharing that. You are absolutely right. Toda rabah. Have a nice night!
Forum: Recovery Board

Absolutely not. It's the freedom of thought and expression that I love about being Jewish. It is the opposite of how I felt as a Mormon. Spiritually and mentally. Nor do I have the missionary leftover mindset that seems to preoccupy you like worrying yourself about my beliefs as opposed to your own. I'm free to be me. How about yourself? Mormonism is a mind bleep. I suppose there
Forum: Recovery Board

I agree with your OP. As long as the church leaders retain control by keeping members in their place by the sheer acceptance of whatever they proffer, without question, the members lose the ability to think for themselves over time. It's a dumbing down process, and mind numbing. It's all a part of the brain washing in order to be in full control at the center, from the top down. It's scary to
Forum: Recovery Board

This made the news this past week regarding a supermassive black hole near the center of our galaxy: "By analyzing the extraordinarily strong gravitational pull of the giant black hole at the center of the Milky Way on a star near it, astronomers have shown that Einstein's ideas about space and time still hold true as the best description yet of how gravity works. According to Einstei
Forum: Recovery Board

Proverbs and Psalms aren't a bad beginning. Johnny Appleseed had the right idea, even if the world was going to end, he still planted his apple seeds bright and early! The torah was handed down as oral tradition from one generation to the next before there was the printing press. My German Jewish ancestors were among the earliest printers for the Talmud and prayer books for the Jewish
Forum: Recovery Board

Thanks bona dea, for sharing your balanced approach and views on the issues involved with the subject at hand. I appreciate your willingness to broach it despite the complexity of the issues. I can tell you're an educator by your balanced and steady approach on the subject without getting into the heated debate some here would try to devolve the discussion into. I agree that religion has
Forum: Recovery Board

Sharing an affinity with someone does not imply sharing an identity with them. So please don't take what I said out of context either. :) Thanks for your clarifying where you stand on the subject. I still don't believe JW has much in common at all with Judaism, or even Christianity for that matter. It is a stand alone religion. It's not that I don't have respect for it as a religion insof
Forum: Recovery Board

Elder Berry Wrote: ------------------------------------------------------- > Amyjo Wrote: > -------------------------------------------------- > ----- > > I may have some catching up to do if I need to > put > > them inside my house as well as outside. > > Why on earth would you need to? Insect repellents > sound like a more logical thing to "need
Forum: Recovery Board

It was in her post EB you must not have read it: Nightingale wrote: "(Sidetrack: JWs identify very strongly with > Judaism. Long story but may be of interest if > anyone cares to look it up. They used an elderly > Jewish man to voice many of the films they showed > at conferences, at least when I was a JW. I can't > remember now why they felt the strong connection -
Forum: Recovery Board

There and Switzerland. A woman where I worship went to Switzerland last month, with a friend - on a budget ... for an 11 day tour they planned themselves (no tour guide.) They bought the Rick Steves book and a rail pass, and traveled the country seeing the sights for themselves. She says they didn't eat at fancy restaurants or spend a lot of money at expensive hotels, so was able to save a lot th
Forum: Recovery Board

dagny Wrote: ------------------------------------------------------- > OK, I'm not using the word "convert" using a > Jewish lens. > > I mean after all your religion hopping, you > started following the Jewish faith in earnest. The > magic drop of maternal Jewish blood is a Jewish > thing not necessarily related to dedication to the > practice of the f
Forum: Recovery Board

Right. If Bona Dea were to hang one on her doorpost of her home for decorative purposes I don't know why that would be a problem. The Shema prayer inside the Mezuzah casing is the actual "mezuzah." The casing is just the housing for the mezuzah itself. A "kosher" mezuzah (is the Shema prayer,) is supposedly handwritten very precisely rather than printed, by expert scr
Forum: Recovery Board

n/t
Forum: Recovery Board

If you're referring to me as a Jewish convert, because aside of Tevai I'm the only other Jewish poster on this board that I know of unless you know of others I don't. I am not a convert, unlike Tevai is. And I don't quote Rabbis for their fanaticism or religious zealotry. That would be Dave the Atheist doing that, as this is his thread. From Judaism is where I find a wellspring of wisdom
Forum: Recovery Board

It was a horrible time for them to endure because of their beliefs. Just terrible. They were met with the same fate as the Jews. I understand there were many more targeted as well. Hitler wanted only a pure Aryan race. Well, glad that he didn't succeed! Or we wouldn't be having this conversation.
Forum: Recovery Board

Nightingale, My parents were "Jack Mormons" following their civil divorce. They didn't go to the bother of getting a temple divorce, when they each remarried to inactive Mormons. Were they considered apostates? I don't believe they were as inactives where they lived as much as referred to as simply "Jack Mormons" in the Morridor (Idaho and Utah.) Mom believed in Mormonism
Forum: Recovery Board

How interesting. I'd probably buy one too if/when I get to visit there. :) It's on my bucket short list of international places to visit.
Forum: Recovery Board

I'm pretty sure that would work, EB. You should go for it. Only thing is my mezuzah wasn't hung on the doorpost to discourage JW. My point was it may be a reason why they kept coming back! If indeed they share an affinity with Judaism.
Forum: Recovery Board