The key here is to stall & buy time. Tell them that thought it over & that you would still like to get baptised, but not so soon. Give them a time frame if they insist (eg. before you reach 20). That should buy you enough time to plan your escape!
Divergent
JoinedPosts by Divergent
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150
I'm getting baptized
by BlackWolf ini know i've started similar topics before but this time i'm serious.
my parents have been constantly pressuring me and after yesterday's watchtower study they asked me if i was going to be baptized this summer... and i said yes.
i probably should have thought about it more before making a final decision, but they're pretty much forcing me to do it anyway.
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Today's Text - Be Humble & Don't Judge (The Exact OPPOSITE Of What JW's Do!)
by Divergent inanother nauseating text which proves conclusively that jw's do not practise what they preach!.
monday, may 9. who are you to be judging your neighbor?—jas.
4:12.. humility restrains us from overstepping our authority.
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Divergent
Gefangene:
(Btw what does the abbreviation "COBE" stand for?)
It stands for "Coordinator Of the Body of Elders", a replacement of the term "Presiding Overseer"
ttdtt:
They whole organization is geared to people judging each other on everything.
This is there best tool in keeping the R&F in line.
Agreed. In theory, they claim that JW's do not judge, but in practice, JW's are the most judgemental people ever!
moomanchu:
Don't forget to turn in your field service report.
We need that to be able to judge you on how spiritual you are. HA
Yes, don't forget to make your hours. Even if it means standing / sitting silently for hours near a literature cart. By the way, time spent helping those who are really in need (sick, infirm, elderly, etc) DOESN'T count!
Heartsafire:
Valued and appreciated as a JW? Ha! Never! I never felt that way even when I was going at it 110 percent.
Actually, most Dubs I see are very depressed and barely hanging on. Or, they are flourishing as over-achievers and looking down their noses at the ones who "don't have their priorities straight"
Same observations here. I wasn't happy being a JW & I could see that many others aren't happy also. They just keep at it because they think it's "the truth" & there is nowhere else to go. Fear is keeping them in - they don't want to die at the big A!
prologos:by the way they are only judging themselves anyway.
Yes they are... and yet they fail to see it!
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Today's Text - Be Humble & Don't Judge (The Exact OPPOSITE Of What JW's Do!)
by Divergent inanother nauseating text which proves conclusively that jw's do not practise what they preach!.
monday, may 9. who are you to be judging your neighbor?—jas.
4:12.. humility restrains us from overstepping our authority.
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Divergent
Another nauseating text which proves conclusively that JW's DO NOT practise what they preach!
Monday, May 9
Who are you to be judging your neighbor?—Jas. 4:12.
Humility restrains us from overstepping our authority. If we recognize that we are not authorized to sit in judgment, we will not be quick to criticize others for their faults or question their motives. (Luke 6:37) Humility helps us to avoid being “overly righteous,” looking down on those who may not have the abilities or privileges that we have. (Eccl. 7:16) Humble elders do not view themselves as superior to fellow believers. Rather, such shepherds “consider others superior” and conduct themselves as lesser ones. (Phil. 2:3; Luke 9:48) If we are truly lowly in heart, our words will reflect humility. (Luke 6:45) In conversations with others, we will avoid focusing on our own achievements and privileges. (Prov. 27:2) Instead, we will look for the good in our brothers and sisters and commend them for their positive qualities, abilities, and accomplishments.—Prov. 15:23. w15 2/15 1:8, 10Let us analyse the text verse by verse:
Humility restrains us from overstepping our authority. If we recognize that we are not authorized to sit in judgment, we will not be quick to criticize others for their faults or question their motives.
How many COUNTLESS times have JW organizational leaders overstepped their authority? They are in no position to be giving advice here!!!
Humility helps us to avoid being “overly righteous,” looking down on those who may not have the abilities or privileges that we have.
Ironic that they are talking about this when title boasting is so prevalent! Think about all the shameless titles that JW's look up to & glorify - Ministerial Servant, Elder, Group Overseer, COBE (Presiding Overseer), Auxiliary Pioneer, Regular Auxiliary Pioneer, Regular Pioneer, Special Pioneer, Missionary, Bethelite, MTS Graduate, Elders' School Graduate, Pioneers' School Graduate, Gilead Graduate, Convention Overseer, Circuit Overseer, District Overseer, Zone Overseer, Branch Committee Member, Branch Overseer, Governing Body Helper, Governing Body Member, etc. If you do not have one or more of these titles, then you will inevitably be looked down upon!
By the way, just to recap - who was the one who said that a brother who is not a Ministerial Servant by the age of 23 is a WRONG choice as a marriage mate?
Humble elders do not view themselves as superior to fellow believers. Rather, such shepherds “consider others superior” and conduct themselves as lesser ones.
LOL!!! Most of us here, if not all, have personal experiences that prove the contrary!
If we are truly lowly in heart, our words will reflect humility.
Take a serious look at Anthony Morris or other GB members. What do their words reflect???
In conversations with others, we will avoid focusing on our own achievements and privileges.
Isn't it the very culture in the organization to glorify those with achievements & privileges???
Instead, we will look for the good in our brothers and sisters and commend them for their positive qualities, abilities, and accomplishments.
How often do you / did you see that happening??? Do you / did you feel truly valued as a JW or neglected, unappreciated, & criticized?
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When Disaster Strikes
by NeverAllowestobeMyself injehovah's witnesses repeatedly report that when disaster strikes they are the quickest to respond, the most organized relief agency and they provide superior support to their members and the affected community.. they make it sound like organizations such as the red cross are completely in disarray every disaster until jehovah's witnesses show up and show everyone how it's done!.
in the wake of recent disasters around the globe i would like to encourage everyone to share experiences of people showing genuine love to their neighbors, communities going the extra mile and organizations doing brilliant work..
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Divergent
JW's boast of helping others when disaster strikes. Here's the thing - they ONLY provide physical help to people when there is disaster (limited physical help by the way, not wide-scale physical help). At other times, physical help from them is virtually NON-EXISTENT, whereby other organizations (which they ironically condemn) provide such help on a REGULAR basis & escalate such help when there is disaster!
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Don't Want To Be At The RC This Year...
by JW_Rogue inthe whole time i'll just be thinking about what effect all those crazy loyalty videos will have on my family.
i can venture to guess that they'll be wound up and determined to "stay loyal" because this "is the truth" and "this system can't last much longer".
i have to go because not doing so would raise too much suspicion but i'm really dreading it.
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Divergent
On a few occasions, our convention venue was at the same place as where we stayed. Hotel upstairs, hall downstairs. Guess who often snuck upstairs to sleep & chill? =) -
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When will they start spying on tablets/iPads at meetings?
by purrpurr infollowing on from a similar post, the use of tablets/ipads at the meetings is a life saver to many a bored or mentally out jw.
i'm sure the borg must know the potential for surfing the net or reading other books instead of reading the meeting material during the meeting?.
at what point are they going to start policing this?
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Divergent
They can't & won't. There is NO WAY that they can simultaneously monitor the electronic devices of dozens of people all at once. The most they can do is to control hall WiFi access & settings or have a local needs part about the proper usage of electronic devices. That's it. No need to become unnecessarily paranoid!
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New Spiritually Weak Label: Not Using Tablet/iPhone
by Doubtfully Yours inwith last night's meeting it became official: here in the states is a must to keep up with 'jehovah's org' that one fully jumps on board with this tablet/iphone crap.. so, now, all of us that up to this point have refused to follow the wtbts in their electronic/wireless revolution will deal with the browbeating from the 'spiritual' ones.. already receiving lots of grief from hubby and rest of the family/close friends when seen at the meetings with paper publications.
damn it!!!
am i alone in this resistance???!!!.
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Divergent
When I was fading, I LOVED being able to use my electronic devices at the meetings. I often surfed "apostate" sites such as this one! Also, I didn't like the way people JUDGE you when you use a paper publication WITHOUT underlining / writing in it. I switched to electronic devices & did away with all this nonsense!
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New Spiritually Weak Label: Not Using Tablet/iPhone
by Doubtfully Yours inwith last night's meeting it became official: here in the states is a must to keep up with 'jehovah's org' that one fully jumps on board with this tablet/iphone crap.. so, now, all of us that up to this point have refused to follow the wtbts in their electronic/wireless revolution will deal with the browbeating from the 'spiritual' ones.. already receiving lots of grief from hubby and rest of the family/close friends when seen at the meetings with paper publications.
damn it!!!
am i alone in this resistance???!!!.
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Divergent
Doubtfully Yours:
And, yes... I am a technophobe, and find 'social media' just abhorrent; won't catch me dead on Twitter/Facebook/Youtube/Instagram/whatever else out there.
Well, you ARE here, and this forum is a form of social media =)
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So can you pray for others that are not JW's ? Or only JW's
by tor1500 ini'm a witness, so i need to know...can we pray for someone that isn't a jw.
reason i ask, once a friend of mine was going for an operation.
i asked an elder could he pray with her before she goes into the hospital.
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Divergent
St George of England:
During the Haiti earthquake a few years ago I mentioned the people in a prayer at the conclusion of the meeting.
Nothing was said, to me anywayYou might get away with it once or twice, BUT if you repeatedly pray for the people of an afflicted country instead of saying "the BROTHERS & SISTERS" from that country, the elders WILL talk to you sooner or later!
It's an unwritten rule that we DON'T pray for non-witnesses, UNLESS we are praying for them to find "the truth"!
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Squatters, UK and Canada
by James Mixon ina portland man who recently purchase a home was surprised to learn a family had moved ahead.
of him and changed the locks.
he called the police officer and he said there was nothing he could do.. he offered the occupant money to move out, without success.. squatters have rights here.. do squatters have rights in your country???
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Divergent
Nope. Fortunately common sense does prevail here where I am!
There is a difference though when it comes to people who have occupied land (NOT private dwellings) for a long period of time. They could be able to claim compensation in certain cases when asked to move. Reason being that the land owner should have asked them to vacate within a reasonable period of time & they were negligent in caring for their land which the settlers in turn cared for. However, the squatters would NOT be able to claim the land for themselves contrary to the exanple which Talesin brought out earlier