@theoldhippie I haven't finished reading the thread yet so perhaps someone posted their experience in reply to this statement, " A MS would not know that a person is "marked" any more than the person himself would know it, so the starting point is wrong." I was not an MS or elder. But I had close friendships with 2 members of our service committee and other elders. One in particular is the circuit assembly overseer, substitute CO and pioneering over 30 years. He's actually a very good man and cool dude in SOME ways. Anyway because of that relationship, beers and horseshoes I was previed to ALOT of confidential info. He would treat me as an advisor. We would talk about who was setting a good example and who should be considered for appointment next CO visit. (I couldn't be appointed for another year because of a previous disfellowshipping.) I knew about a 2 brothers porn addictions and a MS that had fits of anger they were considering removing. Point is, her MS friend could easily have known. Don't be so confident in their confidentiality. Many tell their friends and especially wives ALOT.
CRAZINESS!!! I'M BEING 'MARKED' FOR GOING TO COLLEGE!!!
by MsGrowingGirl20 100 Replies latest watchtower beliefs
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Lurker555
The bible doesn't say anything against going to college.
If you live at home or not on campus then going to college is no differnent than High School.
I hear schools teach evolution as fact these days in High school so what if you have a few
classes about such things. no biggy.
You're not seeking great things for yourself just by getting an education. (Jer ch 45) Judging.
It's getting harder and harder to be even considered for a job w/o a degree.
If anything, differnent bible principles can be presented with each individual able to make up his/her
own mind.
My dad used to tell me that I wouldn't graduate high school. I'm 35 now with plans to go to nursing school.
Yes, I am a man going to nursing school. Thank Greg Focker.
Most importantly the bible doesn't say you can't go to college.
They can apply different scriptures to fit their reasons for their no college but those usually imply being judged
somehow or another.
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MsGrowingGirl20
lol lurker...i know right...PHARISEES!! So i must carry a load that they aren't carrying or their children?!!
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Pistoff
MSGrowingGirl:
After you have read all the posts, now you know:
Marking is DOUBLE SECRET PROBATION.
Marking is just one more piece of evidence that the WT misunderstands and distorts everything they read in the New Testament.
The word marking is mentioned in the NT; we don't know what the writer meant, but the WT has adopted the word to maliciously spread ill will against you without you even knowing it.
And with the additional threat to your friend if the elders find out he told you.
Think about the snake pit nature of that process.
You have either done something wrong or you haven't . You haven't. College and pioneering are not mutually exclusive, or you would be off the rolls NOW.
They just don't like it that you are doing this. The WT gets bitchy when we do things that aren't wrong, but are things they don't like.
Like college. So they set up all sorts of false arguments against it, and now they have started this whispering campaign against you. Don't let it distract you; keep up with school, I am proud of you.
(They don't like it that I see my df'd son. They told me so. I told them they were welcome to their opinion, but no action was taken.
I refused to fire my nephew when he was df'd; they told me I should. I told them it wasn't going to happen, as it was illegal and he was my flesh and blood, and was working to come back.
They breathe fire and brimstone about associating with df'd relatives, but the bottom line is the Flock book says associating with df'd immediate family is not a judicial matter.)
What you are doing wrong in their eyes is not listening to what they feel is direct counsel to not go to college, except they won't come out and just say, you can't go to college, too culty.
So instead this is what you get.
'Marking'.
What you do depends on what you want.
If you are a risk taker, you could confront them and demand they stop talking about you behind your back, and if they have something to say, say it to your face.
If you want the status quo, keep your head down.
If you want to be free and still be able to talk to some witness friends, fade away slowly. Delete from the pioneer rolls, slowly stop going to meetings and in service, then cut it down to just memorial and then just stop.
It's what I did.
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flipper
mSGROWING GIRL- Don't let the WT powermongers get you down. You keep going to college and get a good education. The WT society doesn't want you going to college to get an education- because they don't WANT you using your mind. THEY want your mind and they want you to ONLY think what they think because they want to control your life. Keep on in school ! It will help you immensely ! Hang in, Peace out, Mr. Flipper
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Quarterback
I remember being a MS in 1975. and making this decision to go to college because I was now a family man. I received negative comments from Elders, and MS's. I never lost my MS position, because I kept my meeting attendance, and FS steady. Most will respond that way towards you because of the way they have been told to think about higher education. Imagine how the cong felt back in 1975. They were selling homes, and pioneering.
Even though it was uncomfortable for me back then, I am sure glad of the decision I made. I gave my family, and me a good life, and served many years as an Elder. Marking people for going to College/University is a new strategy in the Society's agenda to wrestle this anti education thing.
The Society is fighting an unfair, ugly fight, and are bullying you into backing away. Don't let them have this power over you. You are not doing anything wrong
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garyneal
Mr EggNog:
I have to admit, your post was actually somewhat fair and balanced given the aspect that this girl appears to be wanting to continue to be a witness and go to college at the same time. Frankly, if I were in her shoes I would want to know whether or not any of the elders had a college degree. If not, then do any of the highly respected brothers have a degree? If so, then I would not worry about the marking and if I should ever get called into the back room, I would be most prepared to point out who had the degrees and the hypocrisy of them denying me the right to get mine.
Frankly, this reminds me too much of what happened to me at an IFB church when my girlfriend and I were attending. One of her friends told her after the sermon that my girlfriend and I were being 'too lovey dovey' and were a distraction in the church. I could not believe it, all we did was hold hands and I may have put my arm around her. Nothing that I did not see other couples doing. I was PO'd to say the least and I called that pastor and gave him a piece of my mind. He swore up and down that he never made those remarks to her friends and apologized profusely. I wasn't buying it and I never set foot in that church again and I heard later on that her friends were nearly kicked out for saying that. If it had been a year or so earlier, I probably would not have said anything. I may have even tried to appease the pastor. However, by then I had had enough of their beating up on me for never being good enough and I was fighting back.
I would imagine that if this kind of tripe continues in MGG's life, she will get equally disgusted and start calling them out.
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djeggnog
@djeggnog wrote:
I'm sorry to hear this considering the fact that you might have been able to point out to them -- if this was true at the time competing in nationals was relevant to you as a teenager -- that Venus and Serena Williams were both Jehovah's Witnesses and professional athletes in tennis (I believe Serena Williams has been rated #1 in her sport more than once). They were both Jehovah's Witnesses in good standing as well as professional athletes.
@Black Sheep wrote:
What evidence have you got that either Venus or Serena were ever baptized, eggnog?
I don't need evidence to believe that these two athletes, along with their mother, are Jehovah's Witnesses. I don't require evidence to know who my parents are or where I live either. I'm sure that there are more than enough stalkers of these women that somehow came to learn things from someone that neither have authorized anyone to communicate about them. Why on earth would you think that I would divulge information about either of these women to you?
Not to be harsh with you, @Black Sheep, here's what I will say: When one has symbolized their dedication to Jehovah God by submitting to water baptism, that individual is and becomes officially one of Jehovah's Witnesses. In the cases of Venus Williams and her sister, Serena, such an event occurred, and so this alone should evince the fact that they are both baptized Witnesses.
@garyneal:
I have to admit, your post was actually somewhat fair and balanced given the aspect that this girl appears to be wanting to continue to be a witness and go to college at the same time....
Of course, I don't know the woman's business or her state of mind, and often when we exchange messages with others on here, there are things that we really don't know about the other person, so we cannot really be sure if something we said to them was too little or not enough. I often have this feeling, but I want to believe that if anyone doesn't understand something I've said to them, they will ask me a follow-up question.
Frankly, if I were in her shoes I would want to know whether or not any of the elders had a college degree. If not, then do any of the highly respected brothers have a degree? If so, then I would not worry about the marking and if I should ever get called into the back room, I would be most prepared to point out who had the degrees and the hypocrisy of them denying me the right to get mine.
Ok, but my approach is a bit different since I realize the answer to questions as to what might be motivating someone to go to college are often telling, such as there may be something going on at home that has led to his or her decision to go to college. Or, the family of the person may be experiencing financial problems because Mom or Dad has lost his or her job and a sudden illness has led to one, then two and (oh, no!) three mortgage payments being missed so that the family home is now in foreclosure.
An elder may have a college degree -- he may be a doctor, an accountant, a lawyer, a teacher -- and he may offer non-spiritual advice to those that want such if they are qualified to do so, but elders have no right to insinuate themselves in someone else's personal affairs since they were appointed to serve as spiritual shepherds only, not as busybodies into other people's affairs.
You see an elder that has a college degree as being a hypocrite if he should make inquiry as to the decision to go to college, but I do not. The elder that makes such an inquiry should be doing this out of concern for the person's spiritual welfare, especially if the person will be leaving the congregation to attend college, and the can certainly be of help to the person in finding and getting situated with a congregation near the college that they will be attending since it is a fact that meeting attendance can and does suffer a little when one is enrolled as a full time student in college.
Frankly, this reminds me too much of what happened to me at an IFB church....
What does the IFB church teach that differs from what Jehovah's Witnesses teach, @garyneal?
@djeggnog
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Black Sheep
In the cases of Venus Williams and her sister, Serena, such an event occurred, and so this alone should evince the fact that they are both baptized Witnesses.
You were the one claiming they were baptised. It's up to you to provide some evidence. Have you got dates? places? witnesses?
The inaction by your illustrious leaders is poor evidence for tolerance or leniency and a pretty good indication that these girls are about as baptised as I am.
http://www.jehovahs-witness.net/jw/friends/161644/1/Serena-Williams-and-her-god-jehovah
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Black Sheep
http://www.s2smagazine.com/stories/2012/03/serena-williams-wants-man-her-faith
Like most women, Serena Williams wants a man who’ll adore her, respect her and be faithful, but she also has another requirement for any future love interest. He must be a Jehovah’s Witness.“I think it’s important when you marry to be evenly yoked,” said Serena, who is currently working toward becoming a member of that faith.
“I’ve been studying to be a Jehovah’s Witness, so I go to Kingdom Hall,” she told S2S Publisher Jamie Foster Brown. “I grew up a Witness and it’s what I know and we teach things that come from the Bible.”
