Would You Have Taken The "Vow"???

by minimus 21 Replies latest jw friends

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  Euphemism

  I wonder what they do in Africa when a witness brother needs to conduct a study with a woman and he's the only one around? Does he keep the' vow 'mentality and tell her to leave her door open?

  I guess so. I remember one brother telling me about when he would go to a meeting for field service that was held in a single sister's house. If he got there before anyone else, then they would ask the landlady, who lived downstairs, to come up and sit with them until someone else arrived.

  Even at the time, when I was a seriously brainwashed JW (I believed that all rock music was bad), I knew that was stupid.
• 

  gumby

  Joseph was alone with Potiphers wife wasn't he? He had the brains to simply leave at her advancements. Dubs are doubtful of their own integrity. They also are afraid to read about, or talk to anyone formerly of their own, who has contrary feelings about their religion. Is their loyalty and integrity that weak that they need all these protections they expect their members to abide by?

  Gumby
• 

  xjw_b12

  I will at all times, in all places, conduct myself towards those of the opposite sex in private exactly as I would do with them in public---

  Does that include doggin ?
• 

  minimus

  I remember waiting in my car for another elder to meet me at a sister's house for a shepherding call. Even if you're invited in, you can't go in by yourself. You know, the sisters want to seduce the elders (but only 1 at a time).
• 

  NeonMadman

  Even if you're invited in, you can't go in by yourself.

  Boy, even vampires have it easier than elders!
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  minimus

  Some think the elders are vampires.
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  Odrade

  We had a brother working on our house once. He brought another brother with him so he wouldn't be alone in the house with me. I asked him if he does that with his "worldly" jobs. I was sure he would say no he doesn't bother. Turns out he does!!!

  Odrade
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  minimus

  This shows how nutty these people are! Imagine if he had to pay him to be there? .....He must've taken the Vow.
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  minimus

  Didn't one of Russell's associates claim that he was "demonized" or something like that when he took the "Vow"?
• 

  blondie

  Were you thinking of this, min?

  http://www.premier1.net/~raines/woodworth.html

  That he personally had such battles with demons is documented by his own testimony of it at the 1913 Convention of the Bible Students in Asheville, North Carolina. A record of his statements is recorded in the 1913 convention report put out by the Society. His confession came during his talk on the Vow. He began by saying:

  I WISH to speak to you of something that I certainly never intended mentioning at this convention. I presume you have all taken the vow, but perhaps some of you have not.

  He said he didn't accept the Vow at first and thought it was something Russell "brought up himself" and that he wouldn't accept it unless he found it in Scripture. He then says:

  Then began my troubles. I began to pray and to fight it in my own way with the Scriptures. After a few months the Scriptures apparently began to open up... demonstrating its unscripturalness. I thought that... Brother Russell was wrong...

  After corresponding with Russell on the issue he said his nonacceptance of the vow led him to eventual demon possession and even automatic writing:

  There was a time for five consecutive nights when I never slept a wink; then came a time when the strain was too much; my mind became unbalanced, and I came directly under the influence of evil spirits, so much so that for three days I was as completely under demonical control as was Mrs. Eddy when she wrote "Science and Health."

  Previous to this time I had prepared a 36-page book against the Vow, printed in double column, in which all scriptures which seemed to be directly or indirectly against the Vow were arranged. I know now that all these Scriptures were suggested to my mind by the evil spirits. One of the suggestions was... (and this I believe was a truth, for these "lying spirits" do sometimes tell the truth) that in the fifteenth chapter of Numbers where it mentions the "Ribband of blue," it had reference, anti-typacally, to the Vow. But then these lying spirits turned the truth into a lie by claiming that the Vow had been suggested to Brother Russell by the evil spirits. See how clever they were! [4]