Welcome uninformed! Usually we like to see former elders clean out the secretary's files and post the BOE letters here for us to read:-) Just joking . . . glad yer here.
What's your take on attitude of the Witness people? Content, restless, compliant, or what? How are publishers numbers doing in your area?
Answer from the "Christian Congregation of Jehovah's Witnesses"
by Lilycurly 64 Replies latest jw friends
-
garybuss
-
uninformed
Garybuss,
Thanks for the welcome. I've been lurking for about 5 months, decided to "take my stand" and come out of the shadows.
I think it is safe to say that a lot of witnesses are voting with their bodies. In the congregation that I went to until last June our attendance was about 80 out of about 120, generally. When you try to discuss issues with anyone they seem to always take the WT side of issues.
I have a 30 year old son that is an MS in Texas and although he thinks the WT is actually run by an apostate evil slave class, that we need to wait on Jehovah to fix the problem and not try to fix it ourselves.
An elder friend of mine also in Texas, when I complained about the numerous articles re: UN, told me, don't let it bother me, I don't read any of that shit.
Most others that are aware of our stand just can't see the issue. A couple of elders have spoken with me a few times and I always ask them, "Why can't you see that the WT has sinned grieviously?" and they just think it is no big deal to get a library card. (As if that is true!)
Fortunately, my immediate family, wife, son and his wife, and grown two daughters and one of their mates has come to the same conclusion that I have, in fact they may have led the way somewhat. The WT is not God's representatives and does not have HIS interests at heart. The question that I am struggling with is, did they ever have Jehovah's favor? More and more I think not. Can't really say for sure yet how I feel about that. Working on it though.
I have enjoyed your posts a lot. Several times I wanted to send you a "Way to Go!" message, but was still fighting the ghosts.
Hope to hear more from you and look forward to your pithy comments.
uninformed
-
TMS
Many of Jehovah's Witnesses simply sidestep the pharasaic disfellowshipping rules. Talmudlike rules actually weaken the conscience and looking for loopholes is a JW specialty. (In the United States, for example, on the third Thursday in November, JW's all over the country get together for a meal and day of football watching. They are not celebrating Thanksgiving, however. It's just that turkey is cheap and everyone has a day off.)
With respect to associating with df'd or da'd family members, "necessary business" is the operative phrase. A mother and daughter share a credit card and get together once a week to "go over the records." A father leases an apartment for his son. Periodically, he checks to see that his son is following the rules of lease. Loopholes can be invented as fast as the WT can make up rules.
Deeply sincere JW's like Lilycurly's father cannot allow themselves to circumvent Watchtower rules. They suffer and pray to Jehovah for a way out.
My wife was one of these genuine believers who would not make up an excuse to get around disfellowshipping rules. When our adult son was df'd about 15 years ago, she went straight to the homes and places of business of the three elders on the JC. She told each of them that she would continue to have association with her son. She would not pretend to have "necessary business." She told them: "If you want to disfellowship me for talking to my son, go ahead!" Surprisingly, no action was ever taken. We lost other privileges gradually and quietly, but none of the elders ever talked to us about our relationship with our son.
tms
-
Think
My Dear Sister.... my Heart is with you, I feel you pain exactly same way. Confusion, broken Heart, Fear, Love, The desire to do the right thing in God eyes. Pray to God to help you to do the right thing. Believe in God Jesus Christ, The Bible, the Truth and in Yourself. God loves YOU very much. What IS the Truth? For sure not WT cooked religion. God is the Truth. Jesus Christ is the Truth ( I am the Truth, The Life and, The Way). Bible is the Truth. Anything else added to the Bible in forms of human imagination and LUNACY is a LIE. Simply don't believe, don't listen, don't follow. PRAY TO GOD FOR TRUTH ABOUT EVERYTHING, HE WILL OPEN YOU EYES. WT is BLACK HOLE, full of Hornets and Wasps, and scorpions and%^$#%^ and everything dissapears there, there is no TRUTH there, they think, speak and act double think, double language, double acts, double standards in everythink from A to Z. But you already know that. They tell you to talk the truth, but talk the LIE, to DO, but not to DO, to love, but not to love. Why is that? So they say they never said anything like that, when you show them in their own book, that they advised you to lie, they will point to the part that they printed, that you should tell the truth, and so on...so you are liar, not them... and so on... Read 1984 book? They are smart lawyers, they know how to write tons of magazines and books to confuse everybody, even courts, WITH THE LANGUAGE INVENTED BY THEM, SO NOBODY UNDERSTAND THEM, SO THEY CAN CLAIM HOW SMART THEY ARE, SO YOU HAVE TO LISTEN ONLY TO THEM. That is their life, their job, to CONFUSE, ARGUE CONSTANTLY AND WIN OVER EVERYBODY. and then point to the courts the RIGHTS SOLUTION, cooked by THEM. SO THEY CAN RULE... FOREVER. Pray for God for guidance, don't read any of this crap, because as you already know, You and everybody who read this crap and try to follow, end up in MENTAL institution. Read the Bible, follow it. God bless you.
-
Lilycurly
Thank you everyone for the nice replies...I have much to think about, and plans to elaborate.
-
garybuss
Thanks for the reply uninformed, I'm glad you decided to start posting. I'm glad too that much of your family is together. I hope you can keep rapport with the ones still in the group.
The last time I talked to my dad about Witnessism, I asked him what he thought since every single thing he believed has turned out to be a lie. He said, "I couldn't have had a better life!".
I'm of the opinion that a real Witness will find an excuse for anything. In the last 11 years the central hope for being a Witness was lost, the core reason for preaching is gone, the Governing Body resigned, and the Witness facade was tarnished by scandal. All the while, numbers increased and those of us who wrote about the changes were shunned.
What the Witness people lack in credibility they make up for with loyalty to the organization. They criticize other people because their religions have error and scandal, while the Witness religion is rank with error and scandal and they don't see anything wrong with that:-) -
Saoirse
MY gawd isn't that the STUPIDEST thing when a father HAS to ask another person PERMISSION to speak with his OWN daughter!
AMEN!!!
(((((LilyCurly)))))
I'm sorry you are going through a difficult time right now. I found some articles that show how unscriptual the practice of disfellowshipping is. I thought they might help you when you talk to your Dad. I wish you the best.
http://www.towerwatch.com/Witnesses/Disfellowshipping/disfellowshipping.htm
-
unique1
The fact that they can not associate with members of her christian family, nor her old spiritual brothers and sisters () should bring the sinner to seek that loving, warm camaraderie.
This is where it just BLOWS MY MIND!!! If you come back to a religion it is supposed to be to please Jehovah not man. The only reason most people go back is so their family and friends will speak to them again not because they want to serve God. God doesn't accept false service so WHAT IS THE POINT? These people are crazy and to think I used to be one.
-
uninformed
Garybuss,
You hit the nail on the head when you said that "in the last 11 years the central hope for being a witness was lost!
Damn Right. THEY disconnected the 'generation' from their 'absolute date' of 1914, and they expected no one to notice. The day I read that in 1995 (I was an elder (PO)) I had a sh-- fit. I had promised myself that when they buried 1914 I would leave. They were too sneaky to be upfront about it, they had to disconnect the generation. Guess how? Yep, you know! They quoted a damn theologian to do it. As if they have respect for any theologians. But it served their corrupt little purposes.
RE: your comment about the GB. I read on the net a few days ago that 6 or 7 of the GB now were not even born in 1935, and further, several were brought in as 'given ones' and then later started partaking. Would I have ever enjoyed being a fly on the wall in the room when the brothers asked them, "ahem, ahem, have you ever given any thought to partaking. You seem so, so, mature......."
What a racket.
Lastly, in the 80's and early 90's my wife would occasionally say, "being a witness is such a good way of life, I think I would be one even if they were wrong."
She lied. She is so mad over the UN and the doctrinal changes of the 90's that she blazed the trail for the whole family to leave. She has convince me that it is a cult, was a cult and will continue to be a cult.
How blessed we are by Jehovah and His Loving Son Jesus Christ to have been able to remove the hypocritical organization that presumed themselves into the position of being our mediator for so many years. How nice and refreshing it is to throw off the yoke of captivity to Babylon the Great in the form of the WT.
May the wild beast enjoy his feast!
Again, thanks for the welcome.
uninformed
-
garybuss
Great post uninformed! I'm thinking I'd want your wife to post too:-) You're doing me a BIG favor by posting. You give me a perspective I don't get access to very often. I look forward to reading more of your story and hearing your opinions. Thanks! Best wishes, GaryB