i wrote the following in relation to the mother in quebec who died for refusing a blood transfusion.
enjoy.
i personally grew up within the jehovah's witnesses and was a member in good standing until 2013 (aged 35), date at which i became inactive.
well written!
Any group that TELLS its people what choices they should make, is stepping beyond appropriate boundaries. They are in fact acting like the scribes and pharasees who "made the word of god invalid by their traditions"
Any group that tells its members "what they should think" is displaying 'cult-like' tendencies. Pure and simple.
i was at my assembly when this was discussed last week.
of course i hadn't prepared and i heard "no rules about limits", or at least i thought i did.. here's the direct quote from the watchtower study article.. "although the bible does not provide specific rules about the kinds and limits of love play that might be associated with natural sexual intimacy, it mentions displays of affection.
the watchtower (study edition) august 2016 : making christian marriage a success, paragraph 8.. what say you?.
Once again here is example of how the GB oversteps the boundaries of appropriate behaviour, while interfering in the lives of people they don't even know....
Yes!
The caption reads:
"How did we not see things for what they really were earlier?!"
so our congregation is full of hardliner elders, 3 of them, who are not gentle, kind or loving.. people have either moved away or quit trying because one elder inparticular was going to drive them crazy with all his rules and nit picking and being righteous over much.
(and he is pissed that he hasn't been accepted to the school.
hmmm, i wonder why!).
Most bodies of elders have bullies on them that create a dominant spirit or attitude in their congregation.
It sounds like the bullies won....
i just wanted to share a perspective related to my experience with leaving the jw.
at this point, i have been df'd since i was 18. i'm 25, happily married with 2 fantastic children.
after being miserably at odds with my parents and extended family, i've come to some realizations as follows.. i struggled with the conditional nature of my parent's love- talking to me until it bothered their conscience, then cutting me off.
Welcome Derrick!
Beautifully expressed post. Thanks for sharing.
Your observations and comments are Spot On! I couldn't agree more with the things you have expressed.
Just keep your dignity and self worth. Recognise that you and your children do NOT have to play the games or by the rules imposed by witnesses. THEY have the problem-not you.
Much love and support to you and those close to you!
i posted the elders training school video of how to conduct a judicial committee on my youtube channel last night.
it got me thinking of the hypocrisy of the whole thing.
and also how in their own publications they ridiculed the pharisees for the way they dealt with jesus... which is the very same manner they use on the flock.. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9lzmgjjpafk.
Disgusting abuse of power, and flies in the face of Christlike love and grace.
The very premise is wrong. They assume guilt and want to see a "sinner" grovel before three men behind closed doors. The prying questions into ones personal life is appalling and breaches so many appropriate boundaries!
The very fact that the society has a book of secret instructions for elders smacks of cult like behaviour.
bob dylan has been awarded the nobel prize in literature.
i wonder if they'll let him sing at the ceremony.
http://www.msn.com/en-us/music/news/bob-dylan-wins-2016-nobel-prize-in-literature/ar-aaitpmb?li=bbnb7kz?ocid=ansmsnnews11.
Yep, I heard that Kanye West has also been nominated for the "dopest rhymes" category of the Nobel Prize....
i have just returned from visiting friends and family.
when i was disassociated my parents had contact with me a few months before my dad was diagnosed with cancer.
i was reinstated 20 months after his funeral and then they disfellowshipped me 5 months later as they are convinced i had not changed my life enough to be a jw again.
And yet the society has the audacity to say "we are NOT a cult"
'in order to extend mercy, the committee must be convinced that the wrongdoer has a changed heart condition and that he has a zeal to right the wrong and is absolutely determined to avoid it in the future.'.
shepherd the flock page 91. i remember this is one of the first things that concerned me as an elder because it seemed to sound like a person is guilty until proven innocent rather than 'love believes all things', especially given the word 'convinced' appears in bold.. then in a training video one elder said something like 'unless we are convinced of repentance the shepherd the flock book says we must disfellowship'.
that was the begining of the end for me as i thought surely true christians would reason the other way round and show mercy wherever possible.. any thoughts?.
Or what about Lot, who committed incest with his own daughters...yet that was not just forgiven, but he is actually held up as a biblical example and faithful man!
Obviously that conduct is disgusting and repulsive.....so what would happen if a judicial committe was formed back then?
the big day is two days away when she will say "i do".
i knew this day would come someday but as a mom you just want to hold on even though i did everything to train her to be very independent.
she has been making most of her own decisions since middle school.. she moved away 5 years ago but still was totally mine till 2 years ago when mr. wonderful appeared in her life.
Wishing you all a very happy and successful day!❤️
