i've seen this part of the agm folded in with other topics and poked around, but no really critical discussion of the implications.. .
the hermenuetics of the type/anti-type practice was a big deal to me in realizing the tatt.
i searched high and low for a rational basis for concluding that god was communicating in a type/anti-type format that wasn't special pleading and circular.
In typical JW talk, Splane said "...when warranted". So who decides when it is warranted?
You know who. Nothing has changed. its a warm up for something else, and maybe to give the appearance of "reaching" less.
For all intensive purposes, nothing has changed.
Not even........the paint on the floor!!!! (to be read in Splane voice)
ancient and classical beliefs with similarities found in the bible.
ive been studying religions and beliefs lately and ive been noting all the similarities they have with the bible.
i havent even scratched the surface with my notes and im nowhere even near learning all of them but i think some of you might find what ive found so far interesting.
Someone told me of a Chinese story regarding sticks that turned to snakes and back to sticks to show Gods power (a la Moses), which predates the bible by quite some time. anyone know what this is off the top of their head?
ok so... when i was talking to my mil about why i no longer wanted to be a witness she kept trying to convience me that i needed to speak to the elders.
i said from the word go i didn't feel the need to as my mind was already made up and no one could change it.
i also said if the elders new all my reasons for leaving they would view me as an apostate and i would get disfellowshipped.
I relate to the curiosity. I have expressed myself to a few elders, in a very calculated way, and very matter of fact. Always within the parameters of what they are held to.
So I have been able to get away with most. However......if someone really wanted to come after me I am sure I have put alittle too much out there. Fortunately.....I'm simply too much work. So I have my JW friends, I'm able to talk to them about things to varying degrees. I just had a good buddy of mine under a few beers, tell me he thinks its all hypocritical crap, but his wife couldn't bear shunning.....so they do a couple meetings a month.
Crazy!
this article from 2012 published by the birmingham news showed up on my facebook page.. what i would have liked to see in the statistics is the inclusion of total jws refusing blood transfusion and their survival rate not only the ones taht surviced, taking about only survivors is not like for like comparison in my opinion with patients who take blood transfusion and then dont survive.. .
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What gets me about this.....EVERY freaking time.....is that it is either a scriptural issue OR a medical one.
Don't make the argueemnt that blood is bad medicine to try to bolster your case, if the arguement that it is good medicine doesn't matter because its a scriptural issue.
such a cute dog, looks so happy and a great commercial for them:.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nk-t_t166ty.
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Damn those Dutch......Wow.
this statement startled me out of the pleasant mental absence during this week's "service" meeting.. pushing the org.
explanation: "the listener has time to interrupt, if they want--" .
together with an incredible boring "study" of an hand held device, or it's stored content, i will be a totally new crop of orgies at the halls,.
I have never been out with JW's where a conversation stopper didn't work. People don't know what to do instinctually when someone says no thank you nicely.
Only a few old heads actually try something. i would say 90% of the JW's that hear I'm not interested, are perfectly happy to move on and have already done their "door".
joe, sorry, you'll have to eat some humble pie.. .
thank you so much for the poster on extj.com who sent these pics!!
can't have been better!!.
^^^^wait.....what? I am clearly missing something.
joe, sorry, you'll have to eat some humble pie.. .
thank you so much for the poster on extj.com who sent these pics!!
can't have been better!!.
I am without words. Is Sep 18th the chilean independance day?
So displaying the flag on independence day is up tot he local congregations? There has to be some kind of direction from the branch on this. This is hypocricy at its finest!
I am fuming right now!
harber become a fan.
yogi, contemplative, writer.
producer of radio program radical spirituality and sacred activism.
Alter of idols? Good grief watcher. You continue to baffle.
I doubt very much she prays to those carvings and other things. Probably just reminders for her spiritually speaking.
But it most certainly better than being part of a legalistic, Pharisaical religion, that unscripturally excommunicates for differences of thought regarding ambiguous matters. How you can continue to defend this organization as it continues to try to shroud its history (whats that about a light under a basket?), is clearly responsible for death in the case of an erroneous blood doctrine and changes made throughout, and of course the shunning......the most "Christ-like" of all of their culturally governing principles,
is beyond me.
You never discuss any points of view with anyone, you just throw out a sentence or two, refuse to discuss any particular scriptural point, and leave.
I think that is very unfortunate. I propose we discuss the validity of the blood doctrine. For several reasons with the most important of which being establising bloodguilt. Also see: "communal bloodguilt" in the Insight book. If you study the literature that is.
I'll be waiting.
Take care.
i stumbled upon this website a few weeks ago due to the jw.org ridiculousness, since then i haven't been able to pull myself away.
the thoughts, feelings, and concerns i have had the past few years aren't just mine.
it's global.
Hey AFS,
Wow. It never ceases to amaze me as new people are on here all the time, how many things there are in common. So here are a few of my musings. I too have young children (not 5). :)
So just afew off the cuff thoughts. the more you learn, the more you will want to tell others. Hold off on that. The desire will subside with time.
Focus instead on your husband and children. Even with a thin thread tot he hall, you never know who may just dive in with eyes wide shut, and start shunning you a decade or two from now. the teachings are not harmless. Think of just two, blood, and shunning. How much harm is done there? You are allowing yourself to research, just look here. thousands of people with broken families. Make yours the priority. Everything else should come from that.
Next, right now you are a bit miffed because of primarily social issues. People being jealous, gossiping, etc... But those are local issues. Just move to Orange County, CA or west side of LA, and those issues go away. The REAL issues are the culture and doctrinal structure of a fundamentalist end time religion. It doesn't have to break your belief in God, but for me it certainly has. I no longer can accept things such as the flood myth, and I make no excuses for Gods supposed behavior in the OT that is far worse than any murderer i have ever heard of.
Still......I'm not sure where that takes me.
And that brings me to that last point. Don't feel like you have to do.......anything. You don't have to jump into some other belief system. You don't have to accept some other faith, or ditch the concept of a creator, or even feel like you must still believe in one. Allow yourself access to all information, and research. It sounds like you are doing that already.
Ride the roller coaster, and check in. We understand, and it helps to talk to peopl who understand. Welcome to the board.
