My first post...Questions from Readers 4-08-03

by IWasDuped 15 Replies latest jw friends

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  IWasDuped

  Hi...this is my first time posting...Been lurking and working up my courage to post... Had a Crisis of Conscience this last year and still trying to sort things out. Still have many family members in so it makes things difficult. Trying to do the slow fade so red flags aren't raised. Have you ever seen the "Seinfeld" where Elaine is on a subway that breaks down??? In the dark, she is silently screaming, "Hellllllpppp!!! Somebody Help Me!!!! Get me out of here!!!". That is how I feel at the few meetings I do go to. Anyways...enough about me. Family members give me the mags still and I ran across this little tidbit in the Awake. Holidays are just one of my issues...

  Awake 4-8-03

  "Luaus- I read with interest your article, "Let's Have a Hawaiian Luau." (June 8, 2002) Several years ago I attended a luau in Hawaii. I felt there were strong religious and spiritistic overtones. Even if luaus today do not involve religious or spiritistic aspects, how are they different from other celebrations that have pagan origins but simply have been adopted by modern cultures to be a family fun gathering? L.F., United States

  "Awake!" responds: As noted there is in our footnote on page 24, while the luau may at one time have had a connection with false religious practices, the word now has simply come to refer to a Hawaiian banquet. A specific gathering to which the word "luau" is applied may or may not be appropriate for a Christian to attend. As in all aspects of life, Christians should make decisions that will leave them with a clear conscience before Jehovah God. 1 Timothy 1:5, 19; see also the January 8, 2000, issue of "Awake!" pages 26-7."

  (highlighting is mine)

  Made me mad because in my 30 yrs in the Borg...NOONE makes their own decisions!

  IWasDuped
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  Francois

  Welcome.

  And how right you are. The WT prattles on about making the right decision in order to maintain a clean conscience, the proceeds to tell you what that right decision should be. I don't belive that anyone gets any benefit from attempting to ride into the kingdom on someone else's ideas about what constitutes "right action" (a Buddhist concept if there ever was one).

  What a giant buncha jerks.

  francois
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  RandomTask

  Even when they say its up to your conscience, collective pressure and the implied intent of the article or passage will always TELL you what to do. SO then, why are Luaus OK, but not a secular Christmas celebration, or a birthday for that matter? They really don't give good answers to those questions. Of course what gives them the right to "go beyond the things written" and start issuing Dogma like they were the council of bishops or something? If you believe in the God of the bible, or Jesus, the witnesses run in direct opposition to their purpose as stated in the bible.
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  RandomTask
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  dmouse

  Welcome IWasDuped

  Yeah, so many conflicting messages come out of Brooklyn it's not surprising that JWs do one thing in one congregation/country and a completely different thing in another.

  What a JW is allowed to do is frequently dependent on the interpretation of the holy Watchtower by the local body of elders.

  But I agree with the others, a 'conscience' matter usually means the consciences of the GB, not yours, and what they think is generally spelled out in the article.
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  greven

  Welcome IWasDuped !

  The arbitrary reasons given for not celebrating certain celebrations was what made me begin to doubt the reasons given for more important issues. They constantly contradict themselves.

  Anyway, I hope to see more of your postings!

  Greven
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  wheelwithinwheel

  Welcome IWD

  I think the reason the Awake takes the "own decisions" stance in the case of luaus is that GB members, visiting Hawaii, have attended them. I distinctly remember seeing slides of GB members and other high ranking WT officials attending one of these pagan celebrations... oops banquets, that the local brothers had graciously organized to welcome them.

  Young girls dressed in traditional costume danced for the visitors and placed leis around their necks.

  Now would it really be realistic to believe that the GB would ever admit to having done something wrong.
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  Joyzabel

  Welcome to the board IwasDuped. (cute name)

  But one day, like many of the rest of us (old timers) you're are going to ask "why did it take me so long!" sheesh! There are plenty here who are willing to share their experiences and what they have read to help them adjust to life.

  Hugs,

  j2bf
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  Shutterbug

  Luaus are apparently very enjoyable, and any kind of pleasure seems to be a no, no as far as the old men in the big commune in New York are concerned. On top of that, people who attend these shindigs can associate with others in attendance who may not be witnesses.
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  JamesThomas