Posts by Shakita

128

It Seems That My Children Are Not Trained

by Gary1914 in

jw
friends

i just returned home from the kingdom hall.

i am an elder.. after the meeting all the elders were called to the back room.

i thought this was an impromptu elders' meeting.

Shakita

He then said that the society has found that when men wanted to step down as an elder, and it was not a health reason, it was usually because something unscriptural was going on in their lives, like adultery or alcoholism or… APOSTACY. I assured him that none of these applied to me. The said that most of the letters and phone calls that came into the society nowadays was from brothers and sisters questioning the organization about the things they were teaching and asking them to explain something they had read on the internet. He said that this was a big problem and that was tired of their teachings being questioned. He then asked if I had any questions about the teachings of the Watchtower.

I can't believe how ignorant that elder is. He is making the assumption that the only reason that you want to step down as an elder is because you are up to no good. What gives these elders a right to be judgmental? Can they read your mind and determine what is really going on in your life?

You have a right Gary, to make your own decisions. You have a right to be treated with respect and dignity. Even though it may be hard Gary, stand up for yourself and your family. Stand your ground and insist that you are stepping down. Also insist that your decision to step down is in no way a reflection of some alleged "wrong" going on in your life.

I once had an elder tell me that I didn't have to be an elder or a ministerial servant to make it into God's new world. His outlook was far more reasonable than the elders in your congregation. It seems to me that your elder body is on a power trip.

So, this anal retentive elder gives you a dressing down in front of the other elders because you had the audacity to have fidgety children. Oh, the horror. Oh, the humanity! Oh God! Say it isn't so Gary! You mean your children can't sit still! You can't possibly be spiritual unless you have three robots glued to their chairs hanging on every WT word that your children can't understand.

Instead of listening to you with love and compassion this elder was very dismissive towards you. How does that reflect the love of the Christ Gary? Instead of recognizing that you were under a great amount of stress and that you needed time to rest, this elder would have none of it. The real reason that you want to step down is because you are fraternizing with apostates. How does that judgmental stance show respect for you?

Some other posters suggested that you change congregations. That may be a good idea. You could do that and get under the radar screen. Then if you want, you can do the slow fade. This is your life and the life of your family Gary. Don't let any person that are legends in their own minds dictate to you what you are going to do with your life. You won't regret it.

Mr. Shakita

128

It Seems That My Children Are Not Trained

by Gary1914 in

jw
friends

i just returned home from the kingdom hall.

i am an elder.. after the meeting all the elders were called to the back room.

i thought this was an impromptu elders' meeting.

Shakita

Dear Gary,

I was associated with the Witnesses for about twenty-five years. I can remember bringing my children to the meetings and expecting them to behave. I tried to apply the WT Society's standards to my children. I was too rough on them because I thought that behaving at the meeting was pleasing to Jehovah. I wanted them to learn to be good little Witnesses. About four years ago I found out the truth about the WT. Imagine how devestated I felt raising my children in this religion. I was a staunch JW and I expected my children to behave accordingly.

This stringent upbringing affected my children greatly. My oldest suffered the most as the oldest ones of the family normally do. Even before I found out the truth about the WT I went through years of severe depression, guilt, regret, remorse, etc. What I didn't realize is that my attempts to be perfect and expecting my family to be perfect were killing me. Instead of leaving me feeling fulfilled, I felt overwhelmed, stressed out, empty and depressed. Add to the mix that we had always struggled financially and that just exacerbated all our problems.

I take full resposibility for my actions, but why did I make most of the decisions that I made? Because of the WT and their teaching. What was really killing me Gary and causing me great emotional turmoil was my twenty-five years of trying to please the WT. I was trying to please a group of men that spoke for me and robbed me of my right to make decisions for myself and my family. Everything in my life was micromanaged by the WT police. There was always the pressure to conform to a standard that none of us can ever live up to. Is it any wonder why so many Witnesses are suffering from mental illness?

If Jesus's yoke is to be kindly and his load light, then why do so many Witnesses feel the exact opposite? Because they are carrying a very heavy load that the elders and the Governing Body expect all JW adherents to carry. Here you are with your three young children and your wife coming faithfully to the meetings and trying your best to participate in the ministry on a regular basis. Instead of being praised for your efforts, you are brought before your fellow elders for what seems to be a judicial matter. You are lined up before them like you are on a firing squad or like they are preparing to relive the inquisition through you.

Let me tell you Gary, if I could go back in time to when I was a teenager and choose not to become involved with the Witnesses, that is what I would do. I can't tell you how much remorse, regret and depression I would have saved myself and my family. You have the opportunity to slip quietly away while protecting the mental health and stability of your children. Your kids are young, so they may likely not recall the few years that they attended meetings. Let them live a normal life. Let your wife live a normal life and don't let the anal retentive PO and elder body cause your wife to shed tears. Were the elders imitating Christ in their actions? All they did was add more woe and pressure to your already pressure filled and stressful life.

If we have a God given conscience Gary, then why do we let other persons choose for us what we will decide to do with our lives? We have the right to autonomy. We have the right to make independent decisions about our lives and families without being made to feel guilty by a multi-billion dollar corporation. If you don't want to go through the regret and emotional turmoil that I have gone through, then I would urge you to cut off the WT tentacles that are holding you down and live the life that you deserve to live and that God wants you to have.

Mr. Shakita

33

Matthew 24 Verse By Verse

by Nate Merit in

the 24th chapter of matthew text is taken from

33 so you also, when you see all these signs, may be sure that he is near--at your very door.

this indicates that "the end" will be something these apostles can reasonably hope to "stand firm to" long enough to see, i.e., within their lifetime.

Shakita

Hey Nate,

The preterist viewpoint makes sense. The words that Jesus spoke at Matthew 24 applies to his followers of the first century. The problem has been that persons from succeeding generations and succeeding centuries tried to take Jesus's words and make them fit into their time period. Inevitably, those persons that insisted that Jesus's words applied to their time, ended up with egg on their face. (quite icky)

How could Jesus's prophecy about the destruction of the temple and the need for his followers to flee Jerusalem possibly have any connection to any time period in the future? If modern day Christians are to flee, where are they to go? There are Christians the world over. His prophecy was to be understood in a narrow sense. It was only after centuries of time passed by without the end that Christians expected, is when they began to put a spin on Jesus's words.

Mr. Shakita

37

Ripping Apart The Faithful & Discreet Slave Doctrine Slashes A Foundation

by minimus in

jw
friends

in order to get to the core of the wts belief system, one must get to the foundation of all of its teachings.

that basis is the belief that the fds gives, from jehovah god, all the "spiritual food at the proper time".

if the "slave" gets all it's light" from jehovah god and jesus christ, the head of the congregation, why are their continued "refinements"?

Shakita

Hey Minimus. The GB of the JW's claims that only those that are part of the group known as Jehovah's Witnesses and are baptized have a chance to be saved. Being part of that group also means believing that the GB are part of the Faithful and Discreet Slave as mentioned at Matthew 24:45-47. If their interpretation was to hold true, then their reasonings would have to agree with the reasonings of Jesus Christ. They claim him as their mediator to the exclusion of the vast majority of Jehovah's Witnesses, but they are unable to see that being part of the group is not necessary for salvation.

At Mark 9:38-41 an incident occurred that highlights this point. A person that was not a part of the group was performing demonic expulsions. Jesus's followers objected to this and this is what he said:

38 John said to him: "Teacher, we saw a man who was driving out demons in your name, and we told him to stop, because he doesn't belong to our group."

39 "Do not try to stop him," Jesus told them. "because no one who performs a miracle in my name will be able soon afterward to say evil things about me.

40 For whoever is not against us is for us.

41 I assure you that anyone who gives you a drink of water because you belong to me will certainly receive his reward.

So, we see a man expelling demons and even though his followers object because he is not part of the group, Jesus does not object to this man's actions, but he says that those not against us are for us. The WT's claim to exclusivity is null and void when you look at the response that Jesus gave to his followers. Here was someone not part of the group but finding Christ's approval. There is no evidence that he was even baptized. The text is silent on that issue. Yet, the Governing Body of the JW's claim that we must belong to the group known as Jehovah's Witnesses and be baptized in order to be saved. That is not what their alleged leader says.

Jesus goes even further to say that if this person gives you a drink of water because they know you belong to Christ, they will not lose their reward. There is no talk from Jesus about belonging to a particular group or religion to be saved. There is no mention about listening to a God appointed Faithful and Discreet Slave. There is no mention about believing 100 percent in what this FDS says lest you be expelled and viewed as heretical and apostate.

The GB's interpretation of Matthew 24:45-47 is used to perpetuate the myth that God has selected an elite group of men to dispense spiritual food to the domestics. I feel that this parable by Jesus was just his way of telling ALL CHRISTIANS what their responsibililties are towards their fellow Christians. This was not to be used so that certain individuals could receive exclusive praise from their adherents so that these men could continue to receive power and authority that they were not authorized to receive.

Rather than spiritualizing the text and making it fit the WT theology, Christ's words should be viewed as applying to all Christians. Once those doubting see this for what it is, they can begin to realizes that the FDS's claim to be chosen by God to dispense spiritual food to the domestics is a lie perpetuated by power hungry men that want the attention to go to themselves and not that of Christ.

Mr. Shakita

10

Cell Phone Shockers

by Shakita in

i have to tell all of you here about the shocking thing that i have witnessed at my place of employment.

let me say that i own a cell phone and i don't have a problem using it.

but there has to be some common sense guidelines about where and when a cell phone should not be used.

Shakita

Just today I read in the paper that some teenager was driving and text messaging at the same time. While his attention was diverted he hit and killed a pedestrian. It's a shame that he felt so compelled to use his phone while driving that he killed someone. I have had a few close calls where someone had to make a quick adjustment while coming right towards me on the road. They were too busy chatting away to notice that there was a driver (me) going the other way.

Ya mean youve never had phone sex.....

Well LT it appears that obsessive cell phone users seem to be the ambidextrous ones.

Mr. Shakita

26

Have you ever wanted to punch a Circuit Overseer or his wife?

by Nellie in

jw
friends

i was reading another post about a "dear old circuit overseers wife" and it immediately brought back to mind an experience i had with one that wasn't so dear at all .

.. i "knew" this woman before she went into the circuit work with her husband.

granted, i didn't know her well - but i had moved into her congregation a few weeks before she and her husband left to go into the circuit work.

Shakita

I expected this CIRCUIT OVERSEER'S WIFE to smile and give me a hug . . . to my surprise, what I got was a total look of revulsion on her face as she reared back and said "OHH NO! I'm soo sorry!" I wanted to say "what the fu-- is your problem?" What I did say is "I only have one son, you know." She then said something like, "well if you're happy," and walked away. I stood there stunned - to this day all I can think about is what if she had said that to someone else who was depressed over being pregnant? Can you imagine the damage she could have done? A weaker woman could have walked away and slit her wrists! A few weeks later, I lost the baby - I played with the idea of writing her and telling her she could rejoice now! I didn't - I'm a better person than that! But I've never forgotten her and I've never forgiven her either! I wish I had punched her in the face!

Hi Nellie. I'm sorry about the loss of your baby. The response of that CO's wife to your good news was incredibly rude, cold, insulting and Pharasaic like. The Wt has published several articles over the years that discouraged families from having children. At the very least, their message was that having children in the dying days of this system of things could bring great hardships. Remember the article "Responsible Child Bearing In The Time of The End'? It may be that that anal retentive CO's wife had taken that article to heart and viewed pregnancies with disdain because her beloved "mother" counseled the flock that having children deep in the time of the end was foolish.

I remember when my wife was pregnant with our fourth child a sister in the congregation acted in a cold way to the news about my wife's pregnancy. I believe that she had just read that same article that I mentioned above. She had one child at the time and supposedly wasn't going to have anymore. Guess what? Oops! Not too long after her chilly response to our good news she became pregnant with her second child. She sure did look sheepish after revealing the news to us. What it all comes down to Nellie is this: The Wt indoctrinates their adherents to believe in a certain way until they do the very thing that they condemned others for. And if having children is a blessing from God, why is the geriatric set so quick to condemn something which is a natural part of life?

Mr. Shakita

12

A Letter That Touched Her Heart, from the Branch Office, to the CO's. Wife.

by Blueblades in

jw
friends

from the watchtower january 1, 2006. a letter that touched her heart.. one traveling overseer remembers well one occasion when he and his wife returned to their accommodations after a very chilly winter day in the ministry.

he says: "my wife was cold and discouraged, and she told me that she felt she couldn't continue.

'how much better', she said,'it would be to serve in the full-time ministry with a congregation, stay in one place, and conduct our own bible studies.

Shakita

Hey Blueblades. The last CO that came through in our neck of the woods had to return home because his wife was suffering from severe depression. Unlike some CO's, I liked him and his wife. He was open about her problem, but even medication she was taking didn't seem to make much of a difference for her. Whether or not her problem came about as a result of her pioneer schedule and having to live up to an impossible standard, I don't know. Eventually, the CO decided that he had to return home with his wife because staying in his assignment was proving to be a detriment to his wife. So the WT's portrayal of certain ones staying in the full time work as traveling missionaries does not reflect the true picture. Some have had to step down from this work else they may have been headed for a nervous breakdown.

Mr. Shakita

10

Cell Phone Shockers

by Shakita in

i have to tell all of you here about the shocking thing that i have witnessed at my place of employment.

let me say that i own a cell phone and i don't have a problem using it.

but there has to be some common sense guidelines about where and when a cell phone should not be used.

Shakita

I have to tell all of you here about the shocking thing that I have witnessed at my place of employment. Let me say that I own a cell phone and I don't have a problem using it. But there has to be some common sense guidelines about where and when a cell phone should not be used.

Several times when I went to the bathroom there was someone on the royal throne taking a dump and happily chatting away on the cell phone. I was thinking: ARE YOU KIDDING ME? Is what you have to say so important that you can't drag yourself away from the cell phone while you are on the crapper? Damnnnnnnnnn! I wonder if the person on the other end (no pun intended) is aware that said cell phone chatterer is doing his business while gabbing happily away.

What's next? Talking on the cell phone while having sex with the missus. Shoot! Just might miss making a great business deal, so why not kill two birds with one stone. That's what I call multi-tasking.

How about all of you guys. Have you witnessed other shocking cell phone usages. What is your story. I don't think that Sir Thomas Crapper ever envisioned this about his most necessary invention.

Mr. Shakita

11

The Generation of 1914 fading away - Armisitice Day

by truthseeker in

jw
friends

while the watchtower bible & tract society continues to support it's 1914 doctrine, in the new young people ask video and its magazines, one can't help but wonder if they notice world events that challenge their chronology.... http://www.boston.com/news/nation/washington/articles/2005/11/11/ever_fewer_wwi_veterans_mark_the_armistice_of_1918/?rss_id=boston+globe+--+national+newsever fewer, wwi veterans mark the armistice of 1918only about 50 thought still alive.

by douglass k. daniel, associated press | november 11, 2005. washington -- lloyd brown remembers armistice day in 1918 as few -- ever so few -- veterans can.

''for the servicemen there were lots of hugs and kisses," recalls brown, of charlotte hall, md., a teenage seaman aboard the battleship uss new hampshire, in port stateside when the fighting stopped.

Shakita

I read that article yesterday TS and I was impressed with the miniscule number of veterans that are left from The Great War. The WT claimed that the generation that witnessed the invisible return of Christ in 1914 would not have to die before Christ took action against the wicked. Rutherford claimed that millions then living would never die. Well Mr dear Rutherford, you are really, really dead. And the millions then living that you claimed would never die from the 1914 generation are almost entirely really, really dead. They are not just merely dead, they are most sincerely dead!

No doubt, the WT will soon do what Carl Sagan predicted in one of his books. I loosely paraphrase: "Did we (The WT) say 1914, oh!, we really meant 2014." You can be sure that a bolt of lightning from the blue will strike the geriatric squad at WT headquarters and strike one of those oldsters in the caboose. He will jump up from his wheelchair and peep that Gawd has enlightened me with new light. Hey all you WT kiddies, 2014 is the new death date when God will destroy billions and billions of people. YAY! Ain't that good news all you dupes?

Mr. Shakita

8

For 'Carmel' Genesis 1 and John 1

by Nate Merit in

the beginning

1 in the beginning the flying spaghetti monster created the heavens and the earth.

4 the flying spaghetti monster saw that the light was good, and he separated the light from the darkness.

Shakita

51 He then added, "I tell you the truth, you shall see The Sky open, and the angels of The Flying Spaghetti Monster ascending and descending on the Son of The Flying Spaghetti Monster."

And during the days when Moses burnt thou feet in the desert, The Flying Spaghetti Monster let fly with bread from heaven to feed the perishing multitudes. The aforesaid "bread" looked more like a big juicy meatball. Since the Israelites had never seen a meatball they cried out: "What the hell is that?" The Flying Spaghetti Monster proclaimed that this substance was edible and was typically used to spice up a plate of spaghetti.

Then a clamor went up to the Flying Spaghetti Monster that would make any bloodthirsty deity lose its lunch. The Flying Spaghetti Monster heard these words proclaimed out of the mouths of the Israelites: "Where is the parmesan cheese?" When we were in Egypt we always were able to spread parmesan cheese on our meatballs?" The Flying Spaghetti Monster said: "So, you want parmesan cheese, eh? The Flying Spaghetti Monster caused the Israelites to fairly choke on their parmesan cheese. And while the parmesan cheese was still in their mouths, the Flying Spaghetti Monster slew the wretched complainers. "After all," said the Flying Spaghetti monster, "I like my spaghetti with butter."

Mr. Shakita