Outnfree,
>>I hope that your remarks to Englishman were tongue-in-cheek?
>>Nobody told ME during my YEARS of Bible study and my
>>Questions for Baptism review that if I ever had a thought in my
>>head that what the Governing Body taught might not be correct,
>>just, or Scriptural that I could be disfellowshipped for apostate
>>THINKING, even if I had not shared my thoughts with any other
>>member of the rank & file!!! And thus would be booted out and
>>SHUNNED! … NODBODY talked about the harsh consequences
>>that would ensue if I dared to question…
Actually I was quite serious in my note to Englishman. You make a very
good point, however, for which I have no rebuttal.
My main thought, however, is that even knowing what you knew and not
knowing what you didn't, you still had to know that your future
"understandings" would hinge totally on what the GB said and printed. I
was mainly speaking to Englishman's remark that they don't have the
freedom (carte blanche power) to disfellowship those that disagree
with their own arcane theology. If they didn't have (and stand ready to
exercise) this method to protect group "unity," the org. would have fallen
apart a long time ago. It's like any other club (golf, social, secret, or
otherwise) -- the founders set the rules, those seeking membership are duly
bound to follow or risk expulsion.
You make a good point though. A bit more truthfulness up front would save
countless people much agony.
------------------------------------------------------------
bajarama
>>Teejay are you and still in the truth sleeping together?
>>I don't have a problem with it if you don't.
You funny. I mean, you must be out of your freaking mind.
Imagine the very tippy tip of my little finger. Even that littlest part of me
prefers the feminine form. Those that know me need no further explanation,
believe me. I like the way women walk, smile, laugh, the way they enter a
room… don't get me started or this could go on for days. By far the
majority of my friends are female. If I hadn't been brought up so well to
respect women, I'd be a playa BIGTIME.
Homosexuality has LONNNGG been one of those things about human
nature that has mystified me completely ("Not that there's anything wrong
with it." Seinfeld). I can understand most of the frailties of humans:
fornication, alcoholism, adultery, speeding, bank robbery. Hell… even
murder in some cases. But boys diggin' on boys? … when I can have a nice,
curvy, sweet, vivacious …. er, uh… were was I….
You said:
>>I wonder how you can defend the watchtower postion on d'fing people.
I wasn't. I was merely making the point that the governing body had the
right to disfellowship. I didn't say disfellowshipping was right or that their
position was either. [I have experienced being df'd, btw, and had one of the
elders on my committee to tell me later that my case had been mishandled.
Still, I think it's something that every JW should experience.] Personally, I
think that the practice, as it's done now, is evil and has no basis in
Scripture. Period.
>>I was baptized when I was 13 years old.
I was 16. In 1974 -- just in time for 1975! Whew, I barely made it!!
>>My family pressured me to do so.
Same here.
>>It was not of my own free choice.
Me neither.
>>I was told by my father if you don't get baptized and the end comes you will die.
My mom didn't say it like that in so many words, but she might as well had.
It was one of those unbending "truths" that I understood growing up. Like I
understood if I jumped off a high building I'd probably hurt myself or if I
put my hand in a fire I probably wouldn't like the result… in the same vein:
"The end comes and you're not baptized? Well, you shoulda been baptized.
Sorry. See ya."
Peace,
Toddski
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"Women who seek to be equal with men lack ambition."
-- Timothy Leary
