i keep reading that jehovah's witnesses are in effect monsters.
i keep reading that they kinda leave chaos and distrust in their wake.
so i simply wondered if anyone had anything nice to say about them?.
Good thing you aren't a JW If you were, and you decided to light up a smoke, you would be disfellowshipped, and communally shunned fromeveryone you ever knew and loved under threat of them being shunned themselves.
You know......just like Jesus would have done right?
i've been reading many of the postings on this forum for a couplefew years, finally joined today.
i think reading cappytan, and others like that, compelled me to share, it seems i might have a bit of a different outcome than many i have read, perhaps it will be hopeful/helpful to someone.. i was a born-in, 3rd gen jw, my entire family (parents, grandparents, aunts, uncles, cousins, and most all of my childhood friends) were in.
some dropped by the wayside as the years went on, but many stayed in, and if they didn't, they still acted/talked as if they believed it was "the truth" and it was their weaknesses/failings that made them stop attending.
Let me be the 4th. Welcome!
I think if you have found what makes you happy, nothing else really matters. While I am not much of a believer now a days, I recognize the value of faith on some level, and wouldn't be ready to call myself an athiest.....although I lean that way.
But your mind being set free, and adapting to a new way of life while loosing so much (as we all have), is something to be celebrated and acknowledged.
So welcome. Stay a while. Debate Cofty later. Whatever you feel like. :)
once i was talking to myself: religions are all about sacrifices (and rituals), viewing god as a means to get forgiveness of sins and material benefits, and bible is no exception.
yet the foundation of the universe is on the never-failing principle of cause and consequences, something which god will never violate.
forgiveness of sins is a violation of principle of cause and consequencessomething that bible itself ironically upholds in galatians 6:7 and in many other verses!
The brain in the corpse does not think because is is decaying matter, not a functioning brain anymore.
Learning about the parts of your brain that work on autopilot is fascinating. Whether you want to attribute those functions to an immortal soul, or to a part of your brain that simply functions at the subconscious level......I guess that is on you.
In short, there is no factual evidence for support of an immortal soul. But evidence rarely keeps people from believing in something. Just ask any of us!
you have to watch the movie "the giver"!
it is simply an awesome movie for every thinking witness, or those trying to break free from the org's hold on us.. i wont give away too much, but the concept of the film is mind blowing!
utopia vs reality etc... conformity vs individuality and humanity... etc.
Hmmm. Jeff Bridges. Meryl streep........and it was already out and gone? Weird why I haven't heard of it. Seems like a straight to on demand title.
It always makes me question whether it will be good when that happens. that probably isn't fair.
first i want to say that i really appreciate this forum.
most other places i've seen are nothing but filled with spite and hate.
this site is reasonable and supportive...thank you for that!.
Welcome and thank you for sharing your story. I used to live in Vegas. Around the beggining of the 21st century. Would you have been there then?
I'm glad you've moved on and have found happiness.
i was in the house with her for all of the last week of her life.
she went quietly and peacefully and had people that cared a lot for her around at the end.
she and dad touched a lot of lives in very positive ways.
sorry, i messed up before i could put the right title on this new light from our circuit overseer, his visit show's a great desperation in the organization's mindset, adding more anxiety and guilt to jws who already feel they don't measure up!.
hi, i attended the circuit overseers visit and got really angry because our c.o.
gave information coming from the governing body's chief apologists regarding "meeting attendance" and "the couple who missed one meeting and lost their entire family because they did not get the "411" when armageddon was coming!
CO's have been through the mind press. They get away with saying almost anything because of the way the elder bodys deal with them and vice versa. Now more "power" has been given to them. They can pretty much say anything.
Even if this was scripted.....which is very possible.....it fits into the current narrative.
Letting your kid go to college? Get ready for him to accept evolution, your wife to leave you, and then you leave God and are doomed.
Not serious enough to be an MS at 23? Well the pretty girls can do better, you are essentially a looser, good luck getting a woman to marry you or have sex with you at some point.
Missing the occasional meeting? Well, if you think its cool to slow down your service right at the end, possibly miss life saving information, which then causes you to ipso facto kill your children.....then by all means!
These people are insane.
when i was a jw we had a 60 minute public talk - interval - 60 minute wt study.
60 minutes on a tuesday and 2 hours on a thursday.
apparently every single meeting was essential.. we also had to get to 2 circuit assemblies every year that consisted of friday evening, morning, afternoon and evening on a sat and morning and afternoon on a sunday.
Cofy, I think the spin would be thusly.
Define "gathering". Family bible study is the new loving arrangement made by the governing body as we realize the all out assault on families being made by Satan in his desperation. It is the most important and intimate of "gathering together" is it not? How about the new annual meeting and zone visits that can now be enjoyed by all. Are not they too gatherings? Every day in the ministry is an opportunity to gather together in praise to Jehovah.
Therefore, it is reaosnable to conclude that in these last days, the slave has recognized and responded to the admonition to gather yourselves together, all the moreso...
I think I threw up in my mouth a little while writing this.
i was reading on a european ex jw forum where some feel that watchtower's railing against higher education is primarily for north america issue.
this is due that many in usa and canada leave home to leave on campus.
it was mentioned that many young european jw attend universities and its not frowned on.. i found this odd because i heard what morris and losch said about education in italy.
I was thinking what Billy said. Part of it is the going away....but MOST of it is the teaching to think for themselves. Fostering that ole "independent spirit" if you will.
In listening to Tomo tight pants rant on JW.org, he specifically mentioned countries where education is free. this could also refer to scandinavian countries such as Sweden and Finland. Largely secular societies where university is paid for. Almost asll JW's attend, and numbers in those countries are stagnant.
Ther eis only one JW culture. But it is filtered through the culture of whatever nation its beng practiced in. JW's in Latin America are alot more catholic-ish in their dealing with elders. alot more heavy handed machismo.
JW's in Sweden seem to be fairly progressive, making sure they attend university and are pragmatic for the future.
But the society is rooted in American culture, so it expresses itself in an American way. College......not good.
if the watchtower society received an envelope containing a cheque for 1 million dollars, made out to the society, along with a letter explaining that the money was won from gambling, either casino or lottery, .
1] would they cash it?.
2] if they did not cash it but rather returned to sender, what explanation would they give?.
"unrighteous riches".......someone already nailed it. Yes they would cash it. No worries.
I heard an old story that the society refused to cash a check for 250K that was sent to them by Michael Jackson. even back then I was like.....yeah right.
