Being a crummy Witness makes you a pretty regular guy. Worldly friends are more than free access to beer, by the way. If I had my wish, you'd join a lunch hour club at school that is doing something interesting. To broaden your experience a little more....
Im new here
by POWER_OF_YOUTH 75 Replies latest jw friends
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sizemik
POWER_OF_YOUTH . . . welcome.
You admit to being inexperienced . . . and at 17 you are . . . but not many your age have this realisation, let alone admit it . . . that is to your credit.
Nobody here will "drag" you anywhere . . . you will simply be encouraged to use your god-given brain and make your own examination . . . and that will be good experience for you . . . even though you are young . . . have the courage to trust your own judgement.
Visiting this site (and others suggested), will give you the answers you need to make an informed decision.
Luvonyall - MS
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Cadellin
Hey POY, welcome! This site is a great resource for informing yourself about "the truth," and guess what--we're not all as scary as they say. (Only some of us are, LOL) Joking aside, you're a young guy and time is on your side. Take your time, keep your grades up at school and plan to further your education doing something you care deeply about.
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POWER_OF_YOUTH
Isnt it? I always hated that I couldn't talk to a girl on a 1 on 1 basis. Thats when I am most comfortable around people. But, I do see its purpose..............sadly
Lol yeah, im baptized. I really do love Jehovah and bible principles. For the most part I think the world would be better off if people lived by them. However, I am not one to turn a blind eye to reality. This organization is full of imperfeect people. I read some horror stories, and everytime I hear/see the words "didn't love me unconditionally" my heart kind of sinks a little lol. I ain't too good with emotions, but I do feel like hugging any/everyone who has experienced that. Of course, there are 2 sides to a story but assuming what I read is at least partially true......well its always a shame when people make things difficult for no reason. Maybe I am turning a blind eye or maybe I am just flat out fortunate, but the congregation I am in is pretty nice. Well, at least on the surface. My sister (fader I believe is the correct term for her) told me horror stories, and I have heard from various sources about the elders wives being pretty jerkish. Still, I try not to judge since these stories are 6-10 years old.
As far as my background. I am a drop out. I did so, so that I could become a full time regular pioneer =D!!! Naw just joking lol, I did drop out(high school bored me) BUT I got my G.E.D and right now I am regular pioneering and going to college. Also, I think I can put myself on the "groomed to be a MS" list (brown nosing? lol) so we shall see how that goes. Its a lot of work, but if I can encourage/help some other person then it will all be worth it.
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jgnat
I have the greatest confidence in your generation. I found an article that sums up my thoughts nicely and if you want, you can read it and let me know if it fits.
http://blog.penelopetrunk.com/2007/10/17/the-real-deal-about-gen-y-theyre-inherently-conservative/
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sizemik
Your regular pioneering . . . and yet you see yourself as a "crummy witness" . . . you will NEVER be good enough!
Guilt has you thinking this way . . . it is a well-worn tool used by WT to get more out of you . . . you need to do better! . . . you need to do more!
See it for what it is P_O_Y
Luvonyall - MS
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FirstLastName
One day I hope you find that 17 is not when life is peaking - but just beginning. You have so much of your life in your future - live it the way you want to - not the way someone tells you too.
I was once 17 and thinking that life was depressing and that I was not good enough. Guys did not like me and lamenting that I hated service ( when it should be joyous?). As a good JW I would have needed more anti depressants.
I hope you enjoy this board - Welcome!
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djeggnog
@POWER_OF_YOUTH:
As far as my story, well I am an active JW right now lol. Drawn here by curiosity and inexperience (Im 17).
When were you baptized as one of Jehovah's Witnesses? Were you only just baptized or were you baptized early on?
Truth is I feel I am a pretty crummy Witness. I love beer, and I never did enjoy the ministry although I can attribute that to my introvert and lax personality.
There is no need on your part to bear witness to the truth, as did Jesus during his earthly ministry, if you do not yet believe what you learned from having been raised in a Christian household by one of Jehovah's Witnesses or from your having studied the Bible with one of Jehovah's Witnesses. In the Bible, you might recall Jesus saying that he is "the truth." (John 14:6) You would not be the first person to doubt whether Jesus is what he claimed to be, and you definitely won't be the last to have doubts as to whether this is so.
In John's gospel, Jesus also indicated that he is "the way" to everlasting life, and yet there are many folks here that were formerly Jehovah's Witnesses that will tell you that they do believe Jesus to be "the way," and yet their actions are not unlike those of Ananias and Sapphira in putting on a pretense of being one of Jehovah's worshippers when the sacrifices they are offering the Most High are as lame, blind or sick as those animals that God's people thought would somehow gain God's approval. (Acts 5:1-11; Malachi 1:8)
In one of his prayers, Jesus indicated that it is by means of the truth that he sanctified his followers, and that his prayerful request wasn't made concerning those who became his followers in the beginning, "but also concerning those putting faith in me through their word. (John 17:19, 20) With this in mind, you would not be expected to engage in the Christian ministry until (a) you are in no doubt that the things that Jesus taught are the truth, meaning all of the things that you have read in the Bible foreshadowing Jesus are the reality, even the passover which occurred once for all time on behalf of all Christians on Nisan 14, 33 AD, belong to the Christ, and (b) you have a desire to share the truth with others. If you are baptized, then what you ought to be celebrating is the antitypical feast of unfermented cakes, which cakes must be free of leaven, "unfermented cakes of sincerity and truth." (Colossians 2;16, 17; 1 Corinthians 5:7, 8)
I recently started talking to a girl but that ended. I met her at a wedding and got her number, but she lives in another state. Of course, not being of marrying age we couldnt talk too often so that put a strain on things. Eventually even that bugged her conscience and we talked even less. Eventually what we had just faded, and we havent had a decent convo in months. She texted me about 2 weeks ago at 1 A.M. but we talked for about 5 minutes through text message and that was it. Ah well, nice while it lasted. Still glad I did it and I feel no regret what so ever which I guess adds to the"crummy Witness" thing. Who knows?
You're 17 years old and it may turn out that you will meet someone that is as much into you and you are into her. Often when young men and young women being pursuing romantic interests when they are younger than 30, they discover that they don't much like the person they married, let alone love, and any children produced from the union suffer the regret felt by their parents' failure to love and cherish each other. I don't mean to suggest that you should wait until you are 30 years old before you start giving serious consideration to marriage, but you can use your youth to not just meet those of the opposite sex, but to get to know them as people, rather than as love interests.
Use the time, @POWER_OF_YOUTH, to see how she interacts with her own parents and relatives, and also with other people in her life, because you can expect her to behave quite differently when she is around her own relatives than she will when she is with you and around your relatives. Letting people that you trust the most -- like your parents and relatives, and maybe one or more of your closest friends -- observe her behavior and the things that she says could lead to your getting feedback from them that you, in your infatuated state of mind, might not necessarily see until such things are brought to your attention. Trust women for their God-given intuition gives to many of them the kind of insight that men just do not have.
Maybe you guys can drag me out of "the Troof" lol.
If you are baptized and have no desire to be in the truth, if you are baptized, but you do not believe Jesus to be "the truth," no one need drag you out of "the Troof," for when your own selfish desires become fertile, they will give birth to sin, for the failure to pay your vow to Jehovah is tantamount to your breaking the oath that you swore to Him when you became a dedicated, baptized follower of Jesus' to henceforth do God's will as revealed through His word, the Bible, which failure "would indeed become a sin on your part." (James 1:15; Deuteronomy 23:21)
You certainly have the opinion to approach one of the local elders in your congregation and/or to write a formal letter to the body of elders and indicate your desire to disassociate yourself from Jehovah's Witnesses. It should not prove to be a burden to anyone that wishes to leave off from actively associating with Jehovah's Witnesses to do so, and it's really quite easy to do. The downside of making such a decision though is that you will no longer be able to socialize with those active Jehovah's Witnesses with whom you may have formerly conversed or associated, but you may freely speak to your own family members if they are willing to do so (some of them may shun you, but they aren't required to do so!), and you are also free to speak to the elders at any time. It is not necessary to provide a reason for your decision to withdraw from associating with us, and keep in mind that later, should you have a change of mind, you can always rescind your letter and indicate your desire to return to active association with us.
It's your choice.
@djeggnog
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jeckle
djeggnogg are you for real. do you actually believe the wbts has anything to do with jesus.barf. if so you are braking your own laws. next he didnt swear to follow jesus he swore to follow an organization.you try to matter of factly state that the bible or jesus or the truth have something to do with the wbts thats only your opinion here the opinion of men not jesus. i have never found a scripture telling me that the wbts would be the modern day spokesman. watchtower bible and tract society is never mentioned neither is jehovah's witnesses mentioned as his early church name.he doesnt need anymore bullying from you people.
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moshe
You certainly have the opinion to approach one of the local elders in your congregation and/or to write a formal letter to the body of elders and indicate your desire to disassociate yourself from Jehovah's Witnesses.
BAD ADVICE!!
Before you turn 18, you need to write a letter to WT legal dept and explain to them you got baptised in order to please your family and you did not understand what your were agreeing to when you answered the questions in order to get baptised- everyone your age was getting baptized and you just wanted to fit in- I believe this to be true as JW children never have the opportunity to do an honest examination of the WT publishing corporation's unique dogmas and study the real history of the WT corporation. Tell the dudes at Bethel you are annulling your baptism and you want to start over with a new study and have new batism as an adult, after you fully understand the reasons for making a dedication to follow the WT organization. If you decide to delay getting a new baptism, due to an inabilty to fully accept the WT teachings and responsibilties of a JW, then so be it- at least you should be treated as any regular person in the world, which will not be the case, if you write a letter of dissassociation to the elders- you will certainly be shunned by everyone- family included, and at age 18 they will kick you and your GED out on the street to fend for yourself. Bethel's WT legal dept. knows that you have every right to cancel your WT membership made as a minor, but if you do nothing , then at age 18 they assume you legally accept your past baptism. The hook is set for real then.