Are you a spy? Just kidding. I'm glad to keep up on the activities of the DUBS. Such a shame they don't include Jesus more. What's up with that? I don't get invited anymore. Guess they have lumped me in with the dead. According to scripture soooo much has to happen yet before the end. The older ones won't see it in the're lifetime.
I just got back from my circuit assembly !
by 5go 98 Replies latest watchtower beliefs
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sammielee24
Unless you see it in black and white in an official publication,
Beware UB - there are many things that Elders are instructed on that don't appear in black and white official publications. For ease sake - let me point out to you the instructions from the top that told us phone sex was a disfellowshipping offense. One time and you could be df'd. We didn't spell that out to anyone in any of the official publications or read it out at any meetings.
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metatron
Some of you may still be naive about what sort of things the Watchtower Society does. You can't completely rely on the "it must be
in print" idea. Example: Many elders can tell you about how Circuit Overseers handle the "things you must never write on a
disfellowshipping form" in the Elder's school. They carefully read off the instructions while you hand write them in your "Pay Attention"
book. Why? Well, it's simple - they don't want anything in print about this, so they can't get sued. A blank page filled with your own
handwriting slows things down.
In addition to the above, I had a lot of experience with Circuit Overseers expressing all sorts of opinions from the stage - that they
claimed were direct from the Society - and that they Society would disavow, if pressed about it. Brothers watching football is one
example. Ministerial servants not being allowed on shepherding calls was another.
metatron
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dobbie
Well i was only saying to my husband a couple of months ago that it would not surprise me if they wanted to kick inactive ones out, so i can believe this, and i've already warned my husband to be on guard! I've never seen it in any publications but it seems to be an unwritten rule that inactive ones are 'marked' and aren't invited out socially, but ones can get in touch to encourage them back. I've seen this happen to us, when i was in but we were inactive even his own mother stopped inviting us round to their house, and they only ever got in touch to ask why we weren't at the meetings etc. And his step dad is a fanatical elder, so he would always act on the information given to them via whatever means. They would just try to justify it to themselves and say that they're doing more 'separating' work.
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misocup
I have seen many inactive ones despite receiving enocouragement, invites to gatherings, invites to home meals, visits and so-on but still remain spiritually lazy.
Here's what is really happening. Those judged by you as spiritually lazy are just trying to be kind in accepting those invitations. Jehovah gave humans the ability to reason, on their own, and therefore do not need men dictating every thought, every movement, every sentence to them. To say the JW's reason from the scriptures is completely false. The GB rationalize from the scriptures, then write it down, then tell all of the R&F what to believe, how to act, what to think, what to wear, and who to accociate with. The GB rationalize from the scriptures in order to prop up their absurd rules. Those who are in the org, are not thinking for themselves, that would be a sinful act would it not? To think for oneself and perhaps disagree with anything the org says might cause a real problem.
So, the ones trying to get away, fade, escape, will be polite about it. They will accept invites, or not, they know what you are doing, but they do not want to be rude, or cause problems especially if they have family still in. You are misreading the events, they are not 'spiritually weak', (an observation that is in no way your business, or within your scope of authority to decide) they are trying to withdraw from a toxic organization.
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5go
Perhaps 5go could confirm the talk title and the day it was given, and others can compare it if they go?
I will as soon as I can steal some notes from my mom without drawing attention. I personaly have never taken notes and to start now would draw attention. Being as everyone knows I hate it.
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5go
Well i was only saying to my husband a couple of months ago that it would not surprise me if they wanted to kick inactive ones out, so i can believe this, and i've already warned my husband to be on guard! I've never seen it in any publications but it seems to be an unwritten rule that inactive ones are 'marked' and aren't invited out socially, but ones can get in touch to encourage them back. I've seen this happen to us, when i was in but we were inactive even his own mother stopped inviting us round to their house, and they only ever got in touch to ask why we weren't at the meetings etc. And his step dad is a fanatical elder, so he would always act on the information given to them via whatever means. They would just try to justify it to themselves and say that they're doing more 'separating' work.
Let me check the KM's recently I think I do remember going over this one tuesday night.
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blondie
The way to "test" your status is to sincerely invite JW friends and family to your house for dinner; try it several times and see what kind of response you get. Initiate contact with them through phone calls, letters, cards, without bringing up any religious topics or issues. Don't give up...make them say to your face (or verbally) that they are deliberately avoiding associating with you and won't do so until you go to the meetings.
And there you would have it, out in the open, no excuses or phony explanations.
I remember my days of being a regular meeting attender and turning in a monthly time slip and noticing that people were missing meetings. I would even be afraid to ask someone, let alone to be caring enough to call them. I would be relieved when I was told the elders were taking care of it, and in such a way that the elders implied it was "dangerous" to have contact with these people. People would gossip and try to guess why they weren't coming.
It is not a new policy to treat inactive JWs as a "spiritual" danger. They are considered contagious and that only the elders and JWs they designate are strong enough "spiritually" to risk contamination. It is not realistic to think that JW friends and family will not treat us differently. My goodness, they treat active JWs as "spiritual" dangers if they don't measure up to someone's personal judgment.
The best thing you can do is take the initiative to maintain loving, caring contact, show hospitality where appropriate.
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nvrgnbk
Jringe01,
It would be a tragic mistake to assume the GB are a bunch of dottering old idiots out of touch with reality as many of the posters on this board feel.
Who says it's an assumption?
Nvr
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5go
The way to "test" your status is to sincerely invite JW friends and family to your house for dinner; try it several times and see what kind of response you get. Initiate contact with them through phone calls, letters, cards, without bringing up any religious topics or issues. Don't give up...make them say to your face (or verbally) that they are deliberately avoiding associating with you and won't do so until you go to the meetings.
And there you would have it, out in the open, no excuses or phony explanations.
I remember my days of being a regular meeting attender and turning in a monthly time slip and noticing that people were missing meetings. I would even be afraid to ask someone, let alone to be caring enough to call them. I would be relieved when I was told the elders were taking care of it, and in such a way that the elders implied it was "dangerous" to have contact with these people. People would gossip and try to guess why they weren't coming.
It is not a new policy to treat inactive JWs as a "spiritual" danger. They are considered contagious and that only the elders and JWs they designate are strong enough "spiritually" to risk contamination. It is not realistic to think that JW friends and family will not treat us differently. My goodness, they treat active JWs as "spiritual" dangers if they don't measure up to someone's personal judgment.
The best thing you can do is take the initiative to maintain loving, caring contact, show hospitality where appropriate.
I pretty much agree it's nothing new but this has been coming up alot at recently meetings and at this last assemly. I get that was what they wanted people to take home with them. I mean it was the only thing besides the internet thing I remember from it.
In fact the only thing they seem to talk about any more on tuesday is inactives, apostates, and internet porn (really just the internet all together). Oh and learn spainish, chinese or punjabi.
