But I don't wanna meet hime Nyuck nyuck!

Well, either A.) he's comfortable with the change and is trying to help you just as a friend

or B.) He's clinging onto whatever remnants of a relationship that he can.

Either way, if his presence is a little suffocating, try explaining that while you appreciate the help, you really need to do this yourself, for yourself. Be firm, but don't lose your cool. After all, if it is option A, it would be a shame to hurt his feelings just for being a nice guy, and if it is option B, well it's the gentle push that he needs to move on (at this point being harsh might just make the rejection harder for him to accept).

Speak for yourself boss-man, lol

My daddy raised me old-fashioned. Oh sure, I've done things I'm not proud of, but I won't lie if you ask me about them now!

There is a lot to be said for intent, ne?

Don't worry, I know you were just kidding

That's the book! Thanks for the correction, lol, I hate giving inaccurate information

Like I said before, I make no claims to being Christian, but to me faith has nothing to do with reading comprehension and attention to detail and intent.

Spidey, I'm going to disagree with you on this one, at least partially.

The problems you speak of aren't "created by Satan" but are created by us, because we as a society have stopped placing value on ideals like marriage and responsibility.

Nowadays folks treat marriage as part of the dating experience. Claims of taking marriage seriously are undermined when we see courtship periods that typically last less than a year, compounded by divorces practically being done via drive-thru. It is now COMMON to hear people saying, "I don't need a piece of paper to say I love somebody." What people have forgotten is that marriage isn't just a piece of paper, it is the strongest commitment we can make to somebody, to spend the rest of our lives with them no matter how difficult it may become. Only death will sever that bond. To take such an oath so lightly that our divorce rates are at their current level is an indictment against or value system as a society. I'm sorry, for those of you who are divorced, if I offend by saying this, but even my own sister is guilty of this frivolity. Divorce used to be unacceptable, so you made damn sure you got it right the first time...and now people get married in Vegas because they get drunk. That actually turns my stomach.

As for responsibility...I shouldn't even get started on this one. Let's take a glowing example of the babying that we do because of our PC attitude. In England, a mother who kills her child will not be convicted of murder, because they ASSUME that she MUST be insane to kill her child. This same prejudice falls within the US, where women are not equally numbered amongst serial killers...in spite of cases like Eileen Wurnos and others. We have a criminal rehabilitation system that we refuse to change, even though we KNOW FOR A FACT that it only serves to let unrepentant and violent criminals have an early check-out from prison.

I know you must have all kinds of opinions about what I'm saying bl8ant, but keep in mind that most folks aren't able to run a family with three different fathers, you are the exception not the rule. And maybe you aren't even an exception. Apparently in spite of not having a "traditional family", you still created a stable environment filled with positive role-models. I don't think tradition is as important as consistency and affection, and from what you say your children had plenty of both.

But that doesn't meant that your way is better, it just mean that your way worked for you and yours.

Keeping stability in an environment like yours must not have been easy, and not every family has the added benefit of hop-scotching across the globe spreading charity and goodwill. Not too mention, I'm sure your family also has its share of problems, after all, no one is perfect.

You obviously have some sort of animosity towards a patriarchy, for god knows what reasons. Congratulations on forging your own path, but tradition does have some value, as it teaches us things like to be wary of hubris. Undoubtedly, you have given your children rich lives, but the implication that your way is thus the right way is a parody of the very "patriarchal religions" that you decry. The fact is that in those 7 countries that you visit there are people who lead happy and fulfilling lives, lives that contain as much warmth and worth as the lives of you and your loved ones; and they achieved it by the tradition and convention and religion(s) that you speak so vehemently against.

Now, you could argue that your lifestyle has more value; but I don't think you are that arrogant or that ignorant. You believe in equality and humanity, sentiments shared by folks who have likely made your experiences possible. I wonder how many of them are followers of the "patriarchal religion and it's conventions and insidious disease"?

I've been saying it for years! Ever since I dropped out of that Arian-hating art-school...that evil Jew art teacher could never teach me perspective!

Ok, let me start off by saying I'm an Agnostic...and a Grammar Nazi. The Grammar Nazi in me is having an epileptic fit over your arguments about interpretation...showing such concern for the pitfalls of translation while showing a blatant disregard for the rules of the language you are arguing in only serves to undermine your credibility. Arguments about language should at least attempt to be written correctly, if not eloquently.

The Agnostic side is...well, floored. Spider, it is obvious to me that you are a fervent Christian, and that you have spent your time trying to comprehend what you have read, rather than look for "interpretations". McKeachie...I'll just say that there was a book called Silent Night, and that book used quotes too, but context is a fundamental element that Silent Night lacked. As a result, malaria has claimed billions of lives.

There is probably a reason that arguing is considered a sin.

That being said, you made an excellent point Mckeachie, and Spider, I'm surprised you didn't pick up on it. You said, "throughout the old testament"...which is true. The Old Testament talks about a lot of things; animal sacrifice, floods, miracles, Divine punishment, polygamy, and more. However, the New Testament is explicit in saying that these things are no longer a part of our lives. God will not wipe out man-kind, nor will He have more prophets, miracles, Holy writs, etc. The old ways were done with the coming of Jesus, begotten not made, God made flesh, not separate but one with the Father and the Holy-Spirit. The Holy Trinity is a fundamental part of the Christian religion, and it is supported by the New Testament which uses Jesus as the foundation for the way God wants it. If you don't believe in the Trinity...well you aren't a Christian, and you haven't read your Bible. That's just the way it is, you can throw out a million quotes, but the verses that speak of this speak plainly, in every single version of the Bible that you point out.

Probably because translation problems aren't an obstacle for the Creator of existence.

So it doesn't matter that polygamy is OK in the Old Testament, because it is NOT OK according to Jesus, who came to set the foundation for the way it is going to be from now on. Since Jesus said it, and Jesus is God, I don't see how you can argue the credibility of that argument. There are lots of things that can be considered contradictory in the Bible, but I have found that's only when you take them out of context. Leave them in just the way they are, and they are remarkably consistent.

To me it demonstrates the perfection of God's love. As this verse demonstrates, at our lowest, when we were the least deserving, that is when God made the ultimate sacrifice purely for our benefit. It was a selfless act to elevate those that were not worthy.

This is truly what love is, as God showed us through His example. There can be no greater sacrifice than death; yet He did just that for the express purpose of teaching us what love is...

Talk about commitment to a message

Actually, sleeping standing up is very easy to do.

I've done it on a few occasions, quite by accident. I think the idea that "lying is easy" is a farce; not only do you have to remember the lie, but you also have to remember the truth too

Damn right! I've got class!

Anything to dilute the Zionist threat!

Meh. It takes up all kinds to make up the world, hopefully some of them grow-up...if not *shrugs* oh well!

But my song is Misrlou!

Nah, liars don't feel guilty

No offense Frank, but I ain't feelin nothing you offering Frank....unless...

LOL, I understand your pain fuzzy

Something I have learned when wielding honesty...it helps if you apply liberal amounts of diplomacy. Diplomacy is the art of telling somebody to go to hell, and getting them excited about the trip

Ugh...I don't feel like getting into the vagueries of JW ideology, so I'm just going to answer the original question here.

There are a few reasons this wouldn't be appropriate by their standards.

1.) You are not a JW, so your prayers don't count .
2.) There notion of the after-life is slightly different from most Christians as they believe that death is the price of sinning, and only the wicked stay dead forever. (There is a whole resurrection thing for the righteous and non-righteous...just not the wicked). So, to them he is not necessarily dead, but just waiting to be resurrected.
3.) They don't believe in a soul, which is why they have prohibitions against transfusions and the like. So if you are praying for his soul...that's a whole lot of blasphemy to them

Anyhoo, there are probably dozens of other reasons, but you should just ask them, that's what I'd do.

Mmmmm, fish

LOL

hehe I think it's your kung-fu grip on understanding emotional stuff