by truthseeker 3 Replies latest jw friends
This is a link to a recent post made on the grand-daddy of all JW forums, H20 - HourGlass2Outpost.
It is defintiely worth a read and I believe it is the only site that came to the attention of the Society in the mid-90s.
http://h2o.aimoo.com/International-Open-Forum-for-J/Revival-of-H2O-1-1035639.html
Here's an older post I found re: H20 origins...
Hourglass2Outpost
You may have been visited at your door by Jehovah's Witnesses (JWs) in the past.
Ever wondered "who are these people?" or like many people, ever hesitated to answer the door or slam the door in their faces?
In some Internet forums a growing number of people who were formerly JWs are bitterly speaking out against "the Society" and why they left. A growing number of others who are faithful Jehovah's Witnesses are defending their a form of Christianity unique in the 21st century.
In the summer of 1996 a group of Australian Jehovah's Witnesses decided to open a web site to answer those questions. They are part of a growing reformation movement in a religion approaching 10 million baptized Jehovah's Witnesses throughout the world.These "reformists" are walking the narrow path of early reformation movements within evolving and spiritually growing Christian churches throughout history, from the time of Jesus Christ's resurrection and ascension until today.Modern Renegade Jehovah's Witnesses
These so-called "renegade Jehovah's Witnesses" from The Land Down Under began an anonymous discussion forum at the first ISP to promote the right to anonymity on the world wide web, Cyberpass.com.
And since 1996, the global congregational "grapevine" strongly suggests H2O has been quietly monitored by high level "insiders" at the Watchtower Bible & Tract Society in New York, the worldwide headquarters of JWs. Anonymity is extremely vital to the lifeblood of the JW reformation movement because at this point in the history of this Christian religion, like in many earlier churches, disagreeing with the often considered apostolic Governing Body of Jehovah's Witnesses often results in the formation of ecclesiastical tribunals or "Judicial Committees" (JCs).
Elders on these JCs, in Kingdom Hall libraries behind closed doors, will often decide to excommunicate or disfellowship dissidents and reformists on charges of "apostasy" from this religion considered the one true Church.
Those charged with "apostasy" must be shunned. Elders will disfellowship any baptized JW caught socializing or even saying a simple greeting to such ones. The only recourse for those expelled from the congregation is to approach the elders, plead for mercy and convince their Judicial Committee to reinstate them as JWs in good standing with the Society.
A Forum For Presently "Forbidden" Speech
The Australian JW founders of H2O believe active JWs involved in the JW reformation movement need a free speech forum to discuss their concerns about anything having to do with their religion or lives. They also believe those who left JWs, many very angry and disenfranchised, need a place to discuss their feelings and experiences that lead to their voluntary departures or expulsions.
H2O is not whole without YOU to whom JWs share their Christian beliefs door to door!
This doesn't mean you will be welcomed with open-arms by everyone participating on H2O! You know the drill. Some may not embrace even the best intentioned words on your part! But your voice collectively with others is what counts! That is why we invite you to join us.
The Watchtower Society, JWs and ex-JWs need to converse with others outside our faith if we are to spiritually grow and prosper!
The reformed Watchtower Bible & Tract Society will likely improve their approach to evangelizing the Christian faith from a "hard sell" door to door method especially popular in the 1950's and 1960's to modern mass media technologies, possibly including cable and satellite channels, and gentler, friendlier and truly pioneering approaches to evangelism.
Hopes and Dreams For the Future of "Jehovah's People"
Some JW reformists envision the Watchtower Bible & Tract Society to eventually rival and overtake the Catholic Church; and JWs worldwide headquarters in New York to rival the Vatican in size by the year 2500. Perhaps sooner.
Regardless of the real numbers, with God's blessing, the JW reformation movement could lead to reaching areas and cultures throughout the world inpenetrable until now. The billions in donations yearly could also allow the Watchtower Society to take the lead in world hunger relief, feeding starving bodies before nourishing spiritually staving souls.
This optimism extends to projections by some JWs that numbers of baptized Christians in the JW faith could exceed a billion people or more in just the next 100 years, to emphasize if the JW reformation and ongoing spiritual growth of the Watchtower Society's leadership bears fruit.
These are some of the hopes and dreams of H2O's Australian founders.
An Invitation to Visit H2O
Since 1996 H2O has taken twists, turns, expansion and contraction as occurs on any religion forum. We can only provide the anonymous venue; it is up to JWs, ex-JWs and other interested ones, perhaps including you, to help shape the future of this growing religion with a form of Christianity unique in the 21st century.
We invite you to visit H2O at http://h2o.aimoo.com/ and register with our community anonymously (providing added participation in the H2O Chat Room) or simply post as a Guest participant! Either way you are anonymous.
Sincerely yours,
H2O Administrators
in Australia and Americahttp://h2o.aimoo.com/
H2O's strategy to reform the Society as a religion and bring it into the prosperous, healthy and beneficial mainstream of the great religions like the Latter-Day Saints and Catholics.
Yikes! Hardly the most noble of goals.
Yes the whole passage sounds ever so slightly tinged with insanity if you ask me. If there really are such "reformers" working their way up the ranks of the Witnesses then I worry for their mental well-being to be honest:
Anonymity is the hallmark of H2O's strategy to reform the Society as a religion and bring it into the prosperous, healthy and beneficial mainstream of the great religions like the Latter-Day Saints and Catholics. The caveat is that H2O founders are of the mind that if Jehovah's Witnesses become a great world religion, post-reformation with true Christian freedom for its members, they may become the channel for God reforming human civilization at some point in the future. Kristin once said we are a young civilization, and she having studied the Egyptian empire, she likens America to a young child at the tender age of just over 200 with a very long life ahead, just as Egypt continues in its ripe old age today after enjoying many millenniums of existence. I not only agree but think that technology is on the verge of solving global warming, eliminating the one major obstacle for civilization continuing for millenniums into the future. Maybe she's right. Just maybe Jehovah's Witnesses, once reformed, can for once in human history actually "do religion the right way" as Kristin puts it. Could that be our destiny?
