I've been studying......... (page 2)

bchapp

Thank you to everyone who's responded so far. I already feel a weight being lifted. I have been reading quite a bit and discovered this site quite by accident or was it? Anyways the more I read the more I question the societies doctorines. I can't believe what they want you to accept with blind faith. Also does it seem to you that many of the scripture they use in their lessons are taken out of context?

Celia

Oh yes, they're good at taking scriptures out of context, a passage here, a sentence there.
Hey guys, we have another Kitty on the board !
Are you related to FredHall ?

Sargon

Sounds to me like you've already made you mind up Bchap. I think you're just to nervous to act yet.

Imagination is more important than Knowledge. Albert Einstein

LB

Out of context? I'm surprised they even bother to use the bible.

Never Squat With Yer Spurs On

bchapp

Yeah, you're right I think I've pretty much made up my mind, but what's a gal to do? They know where I live, and what's even worse, they know where I work and have no qualms about showing up there.

bchapp

Hey Celia, nope I don't know Fred Hall

Celia

Well I don't know about you, but I would ask them not to visit you uninvited. Particularly not at your place of work !
Tell them that you need some space for a while, as you are trying to figure out some things for yourself.
Don't let them pressure you !
Be firm !

Sargon

These guys aren't terrorists. They're not going to blow up your car if you walk. If you want to go... go. All they will do is try to talk you into returning, and stick a few magazines in your face. I even had one person write me a corny poem when I walked away.
Sounds to me like you're more worried about what to do with your time and who to hang with if you sever your ties. Don't worry, it's a big world out here and there's a lot of interesting people who don't carry book bags.

jack2

bchapp, welcome! I am an active jw, but I have some of the same concerns as you do; for example, you are right - Heb 10:24, 25 in no way sets a number of times to meet, and neither do the Greek Scriptures at all. We have no way of knowing how often Christians met back then. Also, the weekly service meeting is said to be in imitation of Jesus' meeting with his disciples before they went preaching, but there is no evidence that he did this each week and constantly had them preparing and learning new presentations.

Currently, I have cut back on my attendance because I personally feel that once/twice per week is sufficient for me personally. And, though they won't say so openly, many jws do the same thing; there are many who seldom attend all 5 meetings each week.

So by all means, take your time with this decision, and do not let them pressure you; in fact, they claim that thye don't pressure people - and they should live up to that claim, but many jws do not and instead exert pressure on those who show an interest in studying with them.

Take care!

simwitness

My take on the "don't forsake gathering together" has allways been that this was written to believers at a time when gathering would alert the "local authorities" to the group, and folks were being imprisoned/punished/killed for the belief.

Getting together at that point would mean (potentially) the destruction of all "like minded" folks in one swoop.

Such is not the case today.

IMHO, it was never about the quantity of time, but the quality of the gathering.

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I've been studying.........

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