Posts by not

Ok, I'll bite. I'm a current JW in "good" standing, and I'm here because I have doubts. Lots of them. I had always been able to rationlize them but the question I coudn't get rid of was, "What are they (the Society) so afraid of? What information is out there that is so powerful that they have to try so hard to supress it?"

I came to realize that an organization that has such interest in supressing information and silencing dissent can't really be trusted to tell the truth about its self. I would have to go elsewhere to get a more complete picture of what this organization was really all about. So, I ended up here.

I've gotten a much different outlook on the outfit over the last few months. Not too many answers, but at least some validation that I'm not the only one with these questions. Still not sure what I'm going to do with the questions though . . .

Oh, I also ran into someone on this board that I knew in the org before they "went off the deep end", as I thought of it at the time. I had never been able to understand what happened to them before, and I gained some real insight from finally being able to hear their side of the story. Why they left, what they went through, etc. . . . It was a real eye-opener.

59

If you knew there was no reward for serving God would you still serve him?

by Happythoughts in

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do you think most people would serve him?

not_tellin

"But wait this just in from Brooklyn, there is no everlasting life, I repeat there is no everlasting life" Assembly hall empties quicker than a bag of cookies around a fat boy.

Holy crap, that's funny. That's going in the act . . .

59

If you knew there was no reward for serving God would you still serve him?

by Happythoughts in

.

do you think most people would serve him?

not_tellin

Good question. I think it depends a lot on what you mean by "serving God" though. If you mean just being a kind, generous, and loving person then I'd like to think that yes, people in general would continue to be kind, generous, and loving even if God was not bankrolling the operation.

On the other hand, if you define "serving God" as going out in service for at least the national average, and to all the meetings, and giving talks, and not having unauthorized facial hair, and not celebrating holidays, etc, etc then no. If you take the reward element out of that equation, it becomes very difficult to continue to "serve God".

6

Things You Could Go To Hell For.( if it exists )

by Blueblades in

jw
friends

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committing a mortal sin,vs.committing a venial sin.if you died in venial sin you go to purgatory.. eating meat on friday.missing mass on sunday.. not making an act of contrition,confession,before you die,if you are guilty of mortal sins.. any you know of ?.

blueblades

not_tellin

Wearing white before Memorial Day, or brown shoes with a black bag. Wait, are fashion faux pas' venial or mortal?

26

If you could have written any piece of music what would it be?

by azaria in

jw
friends

maybe teejays thread inspired me.

(in the family section) maybe because the church service this morning was especially inspiring.

there are so many beautiful songs.

not_tellin

Damn. I really hate to be a copycat, but I would have written Pachelbel's Canon too.

That or Louie Louie.

5

The Nine Resurrections???

by Blueblades in

jw
friends

1.elijah resurrected a widow's son.. 2.elisha resurrected a child.. 3.a man who touched elisha's bones came to life.. persons resurrected by jesus:.

1.widow of nain's son.. 2.jairus' daughter.

jesus himself was resurrected.. others who were resurrected.

not_tellin

Wouldn't their testimony about what happens at death be strong evidence that when your dead ,you are actually dead and not somewhere else?

Yes, it would have been strong testimony . . . unless the condition of the dead wasn't in any dispute.

Maybe nothing is recorded because they didn't have a whole lot to say? If I went to sleep, and didn't remember any dreams, then there wouldn't be much to tell when I woke up.

On the other hand, can you really consider any account that hasn't been independently verified as being "certain proof" of anything?

35

What is your all time favorite album?

by William Penwell in

jw
friends

don't know if this has been done but it it has my apologies.

.i was just listening to the beatles, abbey road.

i consider this as one of the great musical albums of all time.

not_tellin

Just a few of my personal fave's . . .

Rush - Moving Pictures, Signals, Power Windows

Joni Mitchell - Blue

Morrissey - Bona Drag

Sting - Nothing Like the Sun

39

Did you really believe?

by barbar in

i am interested to know whether jw's or ex jw's on this board really did believe 100%.

did you have doubts all of the time, did you have some confusion or did you never doubt at all?

i recognise that most on this board will have had doubts at the end but was this always the case when you were a good dub?

not_tellin

Yep. Believed every word of it until about three months ago. I managed to silence any doubts I had by telling myself that I just didn't understand it, or that Jehovah would make it all clearer in time. There was always an explanation, always an excuse . . . Now I'm questioning everything.

30

Question: What keeps the Watchtower Society going?

by Vitameatavegamin in

jw
friends

hello folks, it's been awhile since i have posted, hope everyone is doing well!

i have a question, though, if the society is not paying the governing body, or other "big wigs" in ny large salaries, what would be the motivating factor for the society to continue to exist?

i am not saying that money is everything, but if none of the money is going into pockets, then the society must really feel that they are god's chosen channel, or something to that effect.

not_tellin

I've often wondered that same thing myself. I don't know whether or not they really believe what they want everyone else to believe about their beliefs (we need a thesaurus in here! Stat!), but I do think they have a vested interest in not questioning it too much.

I think the motivating factor really, is fear. The GeeBee's have spent the vast majority of their (very long) lives at Bethel. They have to maintain the status quo at all costs because if they don't have the organization, they don't have anything. I think the concept that what they have been working for their whole lives is a lie, is a prospect to frightening to consider. Even more frightening is the idea that they could loose it.

Maybe they don't think it's the truth either, but their place in this world is riding on the fact that they can get lots of other people to believe that it is. Too many people have too much too loose to start rocking the boat now.

not_tellin

Posts by not_tellin