I discussed this with two anglican priests some time back. Two things they said stood out regarding baptism - when you were baptised, did you knowingly and sincerely dedicate your life to god? Also, in keeping with scripture, were you baptised in the name of the father the son and the holy spirit. (Note that being baptised in a spirit directed organization is different than being baptised in the holy spirit itself.) One of the priests had concerns because there are fundamental differences between anglican and jw teachings such as the trinity. But as you are attending a non-denominational church that won't be a problem for you. But if you are in any doubt about it then get baptised again! Many were batised already before studying with the witnesses and had to be baptised again to become one. It also might help you to completely break free from the witnesses as you could use a new baptism to draw a line under your experience with the jws and start a fresh your christian experience whilst not having any remnants of the sect remaining on you. Just a thought. And good luck :)
truthwillsetyoufree
JoinedPosts by truthwillsetyoufree
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Question about baptism around 1973- can anyone answer for me?
by Virgochik ini am hoping someone will take a look at this and be able to help me with my question.. i was baptized in 1973, you know, because i was a teenager and old enough to stand on my own when armageddon descended in 1975. .
perhaps elders, or any former elders especially, but anyone who was around then could help me with this question, because i honestly don't recall, and really need to know.. what were the baptismal questions the candidates responded to back then?
were we still asked if we repented of our sins, turned around, and were being baptized in the name of the father, the son and the holy spirit?.
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"Death will be no more" - ONLY earthly blessing?
by TheWonderofYou intodays daily text refers to a new?
explanation for doorkeepers that "death will be no more" would only refer to an earthly blessing, because it would be logically according to the text that in heaven no one ever died or death had never been there.
seems like wishful argument for the earthly paradise.. dont forget the 144000 members of the heavenly class that will receive heavenly blessing after death and used for decades rev.
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truthwillsetyoufree
I've always associated heaven with the spirit world in general. Heaven isn't a physical place like the earth is. But whilst in heaven satan and a whole multitude of angels rebelled. And these ones are now destined for the fiery gehenna - in other words these ones will be destroyed, in other words, they will die. But they are spirit and live in the spirit realm. So there must be death in the spirit realm.
Now, I was always told that Jehovah is currently allowing all sorts of governments to rule over mankind to prove to not only us but also to all the angles that no government but Jehovahs can affectively rule over the earth. When he does away with them at armageddon he will then place his kingdom on the earth. From that time onwards he would never again allow his rule to be questioned as he would now have proved his full right to rule. So should anyone turn away from jehovah in paradise that one would be struck down immediately. So what would happen if an angel in heaven should once again behave like satan and his demons? Would jehovah let him behave rebelliously or will he kill him?
The understanding i was led to believe that after paradise comes anyone who goes against jehovah, e8ther on earth or in heaven, would immediatelt be destroyed, killed, taste death. So to say that there isnt death in heaven, or ever would be, seems to be an illogical conclusions. The scriptures also do not explicitly say that death does or does not occur in heaven so teach dogmatically either way goes beyond scripture.
Personally i believe, when it says no more death, that this was given to mankind. So to me it is referring to the earthly, natural death that everyone ultimately experiences - which we experience because of adamic death if you believe in that. I belive this is the death that would be done away with. But if someone rebels against god again then god wouldnt allow so a thing to continue again so death would have to take place.
Of course everything ive just said could be completely wrong. Its just my own thoughts which continue to change based on my own understanding, experience and ignorance.
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Newbie
by Ryan inhi, only just joined.
going through a rough time at the moment and maybe this could help.
any body around 27 year old age.
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truthwillsetyoufree
Hey ryan. I'm Josh, I'm 27 and live in the Uk. Born and raised as a Jehovah's witness, baptised at 15, pioneered briefly and attended 3 polish language groups whilst attending an english congregation- all at the same time. When i was 22 i read crisis of conscience which destroyed my faith in the witnesses and I became inactive, and was disfellowshipped over 3 years ago. So if you think you can relate, or fancy a chat about anything then feel free to pm me. -
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truthwillsetyoufree
I wasn't going to attend. But my brother messaged me (who was never baptised) and said he is going just to keep mum and dad happy. I'm disfellowshipped and gay. My parents, thankfully, never rejected me or shunned me, despite my dad being a former elder. We have all gone for meals out and even on holiday together including my boyfriend. So u decided that seeing how great they have been with me, out of respect for my parents, who view this meeting as very important, i decided to go to it. My sister (never baptised) also went to it for the same reason. I was apprehensive as i havent been for 4 years. But alot of witness actually came up to me to say hello and ask how i was doing. Not just elders, but even ordinary witness. Even recieved a few hugs and kisses. Which is bizzare as i was expecting to be totally ignored. -
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Gay ex-Bethelite
by Chip Williamson injust now finding this web site and have enjoyed reading the comments.
i've never written down my story and it could be a jerry springer episode but here goes.
i was raised as a jehovah's witness from as early as i can remember.
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truthwillsetyoufree
Welcome chip! Thanks for sharing your experience! There seems to be many people raised as witnesses who turned out gay, myself included. I got myself involved with a brother 10 years older than me when i was 17 and pioneering. It was all quite messy as the age limit of consent hadnt been lowered to 16 at that point and had things really spiralled he would have been reported as a sex offender. But there was another lad who confessed to me he was gay and there were 5 others who were also gay in the same congregation who were trying to playing it straight.
Hope you enjoy the forum and keep on posting!
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The murder of a young lady
by truthwillsetyoufree inpolice have launched a murder investigation after a 20-year-old woman was found dead in her flat with neck wounds.. a friend claims bethany hill, 20, from statford-upon-avon, warwickshire, may have had bleach poured down her throat.. an ambulance was called to the scene on hertford road around 7pm on wednesday, february 3, but the victim was pronounced dead shortly after.. http://www.thesun.co.uk/sol/homepage/news/6915417/20-year-old-found-dead-in-her-flat-may-have-been-force-fed-bleach.htmlthe young lady was raised and baptised as a jehovahs witness.
she spent most years of her faith in the same congregtion as archie stevens who died in a car crash and is mentioned in another thread.
a couple of years ago, the young lady stopped her activity with the witenesses to seek a normal life.
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truthwillsetyoufree
POLICE have launched a murder investigation after a 20-year-old woman was found dead in her flat with neck wounds.
A friend claims Bethany Hill, 20, from Statford-upon-Avon, Warwickshire, may have had bleach poured down her throat.
An ambulance was called to the scene on Hertford Road around 7pm on Wednesday, February 3, but the victim was pronounced dead shortly after.
http://www.thesun.co.uk/sol/homepage/news/6915417/20-year-old-found-dead-in-her-flat-may-have-been-force-fed-bleach.html
The young lady was raised and baptised as a Jehovahs witness. She spent most years of her faith in the same congregtion as archie stevens who died in a car crash and is mentioned in another thread. A couple of years ago, the young lady stopped her activity with the witenesses to seek a normal life. -
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Car crash
by truthwillsetyoufree inboy who was seriously injured in a collision at gamlingay in cambridgeshire last thursday has died.. nine-year-old archie stevens, of western way, sandy, bedfordshire, died in hospital early on saturday afternoon.. the collision at about 10am in drove road, which involved two cars, also resulted in the death of his grandfather, 68-year-old martin harker, of green acres, sandy, who died at the scene.http://www.itv.com/news/anglia/update/2016-02-22/nine-year-old-boy-dies-after-cambridgeshire-crash/.
the boy and his grandfather were jehovahs witnesses and they were on field service when a car drove into them.
the lad, who is the son of an elder who moved to a cambridge congregation to serve where the need is greater, was on life support before the sad decision was made to turn it off.
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truthwillsetyoufree
Boy who was seriously injured in a collision at Gamlingay in Cambridgeshire last Thursday has died.
Nine-year-old Archie Stevens, of Western Way, Sandy, Bedfordshire, died in hospital early on Saturday afternoon.
The collision at about 10am in Drove Road, which involved two cars, also resulted in the death of his grandfather, 68-year-old Martin Harker, of Green Acres, Sandy, who died at the scene.http://www.itv.com/news/anglia/update/2016-02-22/nine-year-old-boy-dies-after-cambridgeshire-crash/
The boy and his grandfather were Jehovahs Witnesses and they were on field service when a car drove into them. The lad, who is the son of an elder who moved to a cambridge congregation to serve where the need is greater, was on life support before the sad decision was made to turn it off.
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Massive Plunge in Number of New JW Congregations from 1990 to 2014
by steve2 inin a separate thread on the very latest figures for the current world wide annual report of jws, discussion turned to how "we'll know decline has really set in.
one of the posters said: .
the figure that interests me most is the number of congregations.
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truthwillsetyoufree
Redditch in the west midlands boasted 4 congregations. They built a double kingdom hall there for them. Now, the congregations decreased massively in size. They disbanded the one congregation and are now trying to keep alive three small congregations - this they are doing by sending other publishers from other congregations (such as from the evesham congregations) to join them. -
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Looking for others that maybe gay or questioning
by dewey79 inso i am the weird case that i still believe in the jehovah's organization.
there are a couple of things that stop me from going.
is there anyone else out there that still believes?
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truthwillsetyoufree
Hello dewey79. I was raised and baptised into the Jehovah's witness religion. However, from the age of 11 I began to realise that I was gay and suppressed it whilst getting baptised and serving as a pioneer. I eventually decided to leave the religion when I was 22 and was disfellowshipped 2 years later for being in a gay relationship. If you would like to chat about anything then feel free to pm me and I will gladly chat. I'm in the UK.
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My 88 Year Old Mom Is Going To Special Meeting Today And Shouldn't!
by minimus inmy mom only goes out for doctor's visits.
they are "encouraging" her to spend three hours to hear the annual meeting at the kh.
she is on oxygen and can barely move.
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truthwillsetyoufree
When is this special meeting happening? I live in the UK - is it happening here too?