Posts by truthwillsetyoufree

11

Karaoke Night with Kingdom Melodies

by RubaDub in

for those of us still in the borg, i thought this might be a good way of enjoying a get-together and enjoy the fellowship.. i don't know if this had been tried by anyone here.. rub a dub.

truthwillsetyoufree

My eccentric grandmother used to do a song night when the new song book came out. Every Friday evening anyone would be welcomed over and she would put on different tracks and we all had a good sing song. She even cooked curry followed by a home-made fruit crumble. When I was in and oh so spiritual I used to thoroughly enjoy it as I do love the songs -even now. It was never well supported though. Average of 5/6 each time and usually by the same ones lol.

But doing it karaoke style? Could be considered as blasphemy by the elders so tread carefully! I had to jump through hoops to do a murder mystery evening once - in helped my cause by inviting an elder to it who loved them and was able to smooth it over for me ;)

27

"Confidentiality" of Elders!

by stuckinarut2 in

something struck me the other day.. elders are told to maintain confidentiality with regard to the details of judicial cases or congregation "discipline" in an attempt to dignify individuals etc.. this is even the case for known child abusers!.

yet, if they suspect someone of being an "apostate", for instance being a member on this forum, they will spread such information far and wide, through the witness "grape vine" to congregations miles away (or even in other countries).

so, does that mean they place more importance on "apostasy" rather than child abuse?.

truthwillsetyoufree

Confidentiality does not exist if you are gay or suspected to be so.

I was 17 and struck up a friendship with a guy who had recently been disfellowshipped and then reinstated because of being gay. soon after an elder approached me to warn me of the dangers of this guy and to be careful because he had recently been disfellowshiped for being gay. it didnt bother me - and noone knew i was gay back then, not even myself. two weeks later a different elder approached me saying the same thing! I told him I already had an elder tell me about this guy. The elder seemed shocked that i had already been told. I didnt think much of it back then but i was told details of why someone was disfellowshipped by elders on 2 seperate occasions about judicial information that i shouldnt have been told.

Anyway, i probably should have listened as there was a bit of scandal between me and this guy.

forward a couple of years and im 21. I have now been privately reproved twice for being gay. But at least noone jnew about it. I was then told by a publisher in confidence that elders had informed most of the young single brothers, especially those in their teens and early twenties, to limit their association with me, not to find themselves alone with me in a car or at home etc etc - this is despite my exemplary service of serving my english congregation and suporting 3 polish groups at the time. I didnt want to belive it. The elders surely wouldnt have indulged my information about my being gay to other youngsters like they has done to me about that guy a few years back? but then i overheard someone talking about how he had been warned away from another young brother who was SUSPECTED of being gay.this poor brother was in his late teens and very camp, but had never done anything wrong and in fact fought tooth and nail to get baptised despite his opposed dad. Yet young guys were being warned away from by the elders just in case. So It was true! The confidentiality in my case had be broken, just like the guy before me.

As a side note i became inactive shortly afterwards. i had an elder visit me every so often, an elderly chap who only ever popped by for an informal how are you doing chat which was nice. but he used to fill me in on all the sandals going on and who had been doing what!

From my own experience in my congregation when it comes to gay men confidentiality goes out of the window.

21

Question about baptism around 1973- can anyone answer for me?

by Virgochik in

i 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?.

truthwillsetyoufree

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 :)

10

"Death will be no more" - ONLY earthly blessing?

by TheWonderofYou in

todays 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.

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.

20

Newbie

by Ryan in

jw
friends

hi, only just joined.

going through a rough time at the moment and maybe this could help.

any body around 27 year old age.

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.

28

So who attended the memorial and why?

by atomant in

this should be interesting.

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.

36

Gay ex-Bethelite

by Chip Williamson in

just 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.

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!

1

The murder of a young lady

by truthwillsetyoufree in

jw
friends

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.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.

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.

15

Car crash

by truthwillsetyoufree in

jw
friends

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.

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.

48

Massive Plunge in Number of New JW Congregations from 1990 to 2014

by steve2 in

in 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.

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.