An important message from a PRACTICING Jehovah's witness (page 8)

naazira

This post is freaking long! But thanks I feel so special *blushing * The organisation doesn't know more than anyone else or any other religion. Don't forget to count your time!

Batman89

8.God's people do not smoke,swear,lie,steal,fornicate, drink-eat blood,use violence,gamble,get drunk or follow the world

AHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!

I have witnesses friends right now who

A) cuss like a sailor

B) smoke weed

C) fornicate ALL the time(i did)

D) you eat blood every time u eat steak,burgers, etc

E) lets not even talk about getting drunk thats a GIVEN

i could go on.........

Slidin Fast

Sparks.

I too am an active JW in my 60s. i have probably been baptized as long, probably longer than you have so I feel qualified to come back on many of your points. Here are some randomly chosen.

1975

If you really lived through that period you know that you are being intellectually dishonest. Every card carrying JW believed whole-heartedly that the end was coming in 1975. There was nothing in print or from the platform that discouraged that view in any way, in fact it was actively and enthusiastically put forward as the party line. The vibe was as specific and focused as is the JW.ORG hysteria at present. The word hysteria is an accurate description of the mood of the day. If you can point me to a word in print to discourage this view I would be pleased to read it.

The Blood issue

I was brought up to believe that the taking smallest particle of blood in food or medicine would condemn me to Jehovah's everlasting judgment. Wall's eventually got so fed up with letters asking about the ingredients of ice cream and sausages that an instruction had to be given to cease and desist writing to them. If you were seen eating a Wall's ice cream it was touch and go if you were up before a JC. Fast forward, now you can pick and choose from the medical blood fractions, it's your conscience. Is this the light getting brighter or the light getting muddier? Who is going to give the blood fractions? Have you donated this week?

The Generation Teaching

This is an example of the light not getting brighter but getting irredeemably more complex and murky. The simple message "Your generation will see the end of this system" was absolutely the most basic message of our generation. By "our generation" I think I am making myself clear. I don't mean my parent's generation or that of my children or grand children. The teachings of the society, oh! sorry, organization were altered by "new light" when it was obvious to anyone that they were completely wrong. This after the generation that was promised the end in 1925 had already passed into history. Who knows, in 2025 they may try the same thing when we are either gone or are too old to make waves. Incidentally, I have yet to meet anyone, elder or other who can explain the latest teaching.

You are right in saying that when we are gone that there is nothing. That is nothing to fear, it does not involve pain or heart ache. It does give more meaning to the life we live though. Don’t live for a fictional future, live your life now fully, not selfishly but leave this planet and those around you in a better state than you found it. Don’t leave it to a fictional grand-daddy to make it all better.

I have read your post with interest and am treating it as a serious effort to help me. I would really appreciate your comments either in open discussion or PM. I reaaly am interested how you view these issues. One of my huge life issues is not being able to discuss real, sincere differences honestly and openly so please Sparks answer my points.

hamsterbait

Where oh where is mary's vomiting emoticon.

Finkelstein

Hey Sparks, did you ever think for a second that most people left the JWS because it was a lying (commercial) fraud, a fraud you unfortunately believe in out your own ignorance and stupidity.

I can go through most of your OP but I'll start by letting you know that name Jehovah was created by a 12th century Catholic monk.

It was not used by the first century Christians or in Jesus's time.

Jehovah? On account of this, the Masoretes ensured that the Name of the LORD would not be taken in vain by substituting the vowel marks for Adonai and putting them under the letters in the running text (this is called Qere [what is to be read] as opposed to Ketiv [what is to be written]). The Hebrew text, then, contains the Ketiv but uses the vowels of the Qere and this has led to the obviously incorrect pronunciation of the Name as "Jehovah" (in older English, "J" had a "y" sound).
Yahweh? It was later speculated that perhaps the Masoretes reversed the vowels for Adonai when applied to the letters in the running text, so some attempted to "correct" the pronunciation by pronouncing the Name as "Yahoveh" or "Yahveh." This, too, is incorrect (though the construct form "Yah" probably is part of the original pronunciation (e.g., see Psalm 68:4; Isaiah 26:4)). Note that Yahweh is most likely also an incorrect transliteration, since there is no "w" sound in Hebrew.