Posts by Alive!

34

No More Money!

by Hold Me-Thrill Me in

jw
friends

as of this june (i've already given my may contributions which are substantial) i am no longer giving money to support useless building projects that serve no good purpose.

i am no longer giving money at conventions or assemblies.

i am no longer giving money toward the circuit overseers upkeep.

Alive!

@Faye

Just thinking aloud - yes, the WAY they spend our funds in itself is in direct conflict with early Christian practice.

Lurkers, I'd ask you - would Paul have allowed himself to sit in safe offices, enjoy manicures, have his every physical need met ABOVE the needs of the poor and needy in the congregations.

This isn't some petty resentment here on my part - I have a very good lifestyle - but, watch these men. Watch them and those they gather around them. It's not good.

Think of Paul, Peter and John.

Did they live in a protected environment? Did Phoebe, Timothy etc?

And - if after thinking about this - if you feel that one should be delighted that Christ's brothers present this way - well, ask yourself how does it look to outsiders? Urgent end times? Look at them building, building, building - with no expense spared....

34

No More Money!

by Hold Me-Thrill Me in

jw
friends

as of this june (i've already given my may contributions which are substantial) i am no longer giving money to support useless building projects that serve no good purpose.

i am no longer giving money at conventions or assemblies.

i am no longer giving money toward the circuit overseers upkeep.

Alive!

Isn't it sad how the contributions work in a way that would be unrecognisable to the first century christians, to Paul and the apostles.

71

A big hello and thank you

by iwasblind in

i just wanted to introduce myself and say a big hello to all of my mentally diseased friends.. i say friends because i have been lurking for some time so it feels like home (us lurkers are a bit scared and cautious so it takes a while).

i won't bore you with too many details, but i am a born in, currently serving as the cobe of a congregation.

my wife and i have pioneered for the last 10 years and were shaken awake by that ridiculous 15th july 2013 wt about the generation and 1914.. my wife who is much smarter than me has questioned for years.

Alive!

Hi,

I faded somewhat clumsily out of the organisation - am "waiting on The Lord", trusting in good for all of those made in Gods image - rather than letting greedy men push their spin on me and mine.

18

Photo from Bible Teach book was one of the top posts on /r/WTF today

by Richard_I in

jw
friends

a pic from the bible teach book was posted on reddit's popular /r/wtf subreddit where people post things that make you say "what the fuck" out loud.

this was the photo and you can read the thread's comments here.

it was one of the most-upvoted pictures today on the subreddit.. i visit that subreddit once in awhile and laughed out loud when i saw the thread..

Alive!

Jhine

It always, always bothered me re illustrations.

I thought I was being too proud :-(

75

Rumor about the Imitate Jesus Convention

by FusionTheism in

i saw a rumor a few weeks ago on reddit that the new imitate jesus convention is supposed to present new light and clarified understandings on the disfellowshipping/disassociation practices.. supposedly, if this rumor has any truth to it, there will be a talk given at the convention about how we should not be strict like the pharisees in how we shun people, loosening up some of the jw rules about this practice.. has anyone here heard anything about this or have more info on it?.

Alive!

I can imagine the GB will wish to distance themselves from being seen as Pharisees - they are well aware of the feedback, they KNOW what is being said about them.

I suspect a "talk" that somehow places the responsibility on the shoulders of the individual R and F member; whilst somehow distancing the GB from the actions of the loyal R and F....

Just a thought.

24

New Light! People CAN now be saved AFTER the Tribulation begins!

by FusionTheism in

for decades, i remember the society, publications, and elders saying that once the great tribulation begins, it is too late to repent or be saved.

they said the "door of the ark will have been closed.".

now, however, look at the brand-new clarified understanding / new light on this from jw.org, below.. they are still saying that the majority of worldly people will not be saved, but they are now saying it is possible.. the simplified july study watchtower says this:.

Alive!

Backwards and forwards, backwards and forwards.

The doors of the Ark will be closed, but maybe not, who can say, not our place to say it.....all in Babylon the Great will be destroyed, or....maybe not?

Why don't you just mess with the R and F's heads a little bit more, WBTS ?

146

Why I remain one of Jehovah's Witnesses

by Brother Jeramy in

allow me to begin with a clarification: when i say i am one of jehovah's witnesses, i don't mean that i am an advocate of the watchtower society or a devotee of some of its more controversial false teachings.

i mean that i am a christian, a disciple of jesus christ dedicated to jehovah god, and who remains in union with my brothers and sisters who make up the family of faith that globally refers to itself as jehovah's witnesses.

some totally understand the distinction between the family of brothers and sisters and the corporate organization known as the watchtower society (wts).

Alive!

"Just like others pointed out here. You will not be able to live like that forever. Sooner or later someone will find out. My personal stand is that people like you and, before I changed, me, do not understand the bible, God or religion for that matter. They have been separated from the path. They are now so far off that they can utter things like the ones you do. My mother in law is the same. She can rant against Babylon the great all day. When you tell her that as long as she is part of an organization as hypocritical as this one, then she is in the same position, then she will respond that she does not care what the org does wrong. She only cares about being ok with God.

Go figure."

Wow. How clear is this?

25

John Denver hates JW's

by problemaddict 2 in

jw
friends

i remember this making the rounds and people swearing by it.

knew someone at the concern and whatnot.

how does this crap come up?.

Alive!

LOL I remember the John Denver story being told with big wide eyes over drinkies with our new born in friends. And the smurf story. And the story about the witness who called on a mass murderer who thought the witness had two burly men standing with him/ her and so decided not to axe 'em to death.

Both my husband and I took it with a pinch of salt, we should have been truly concerned that grown people were telling accounts of smurf dolls doing odd stuff in KHs.

One particular elder and his wife LOVED it - he was a good story teller, and loved to drink up large - we used to roar with laughter and have him on about it.

But, he kind of believed it all.

146

Why I remain one of Jehovah's Witnesses

by Brother Jeramy in

allow me to begin with a clarification: when i say i am one of jehovah's witnesses, i don't mean that i am an advocate of the watchtower society or a devotee of some of its more controversial false teachings.

i mean that i am a christian, a disciple of jesus christ dedicated to jehovah god, and who remains in union with my brothers and sisters who make up the family of faith that globally refers to itself as jehovah's witnesses.

some totally understand the distinction between the family of brothers and sisters and the corporate organization known as the watchtower society (wts).

Alive!

I was converted - my former stance was one where I'd always hoped there was a universal hope/ purpose.

I'd not really been to a church of Christendom since I was a child, and my disgust for the churches and the results of their religious teachings was quite intense. I loved good moral code, but hated the hypocrisy and centuries of bloodshed, caused by religion. The Catholic religion in particular held a terrible history in this regard.

So, there was I, 30 something and starting to really ponder the big questions. Along comes a JW into my life - I guess I was in the perfect place at the perfect time to embrace the teachings.

Here was a Christian faith that hated all other churches!!!!! Brilliant!

I gobbled it up.

I thought I was asking all the right questions, I researched ......under the direction of my study conductor.

I have found that my "church" lies, it's "voice" throughout its literature is...... Troubling? Disconcerting?

There is something terribly wrong going on - how could I begin to direct people to a culture that does NOT RESPECT the individual human coinscience? A "church" where once that person is baptised, they are under the law of Stephen Lett or another Rutherford type could come into play - who knows? There is no wiggle room once that person is baptised - and WE know it. We thus encourage them to live a deceptive Christian life in conflict with the command to obey the FDS in all things - if we remain in the active ministry and continue to stake our place in the worldwide "family".

I was pronounced as being extraordinarily humble and hungry for truth, by my new Jehovahs Witness friends.

Now, I'm something else, quite ugly in their eyes.

I've asked questions that scream for truth in their crafting, simple but to the point. The avoidance reaction is disturbing to say the least.

Finally, Bro J and others who are "working from within" - next time you go on service, and maybe meet a young family, a mother with children perhaps - as you begin your "presentation" take a look into the children's eyes. Check your heart and conscience - you are taking them one step closer into to your world. A world where that child will not simply know Jesus, but first will be under the law of another Franz, another Rutherford...

Think about it.

Please :-)

59

On the subject of Child Baptism - Video

by cappytan in

so, the latest "kids" kingdom melody video is out.. here are some screenshots:.

.

yep, that's right, they showed a kid with a teddy bear getting baptized.. here's the video in full for documentation, if you can stomach it.. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ellrtyj_maq.

Alive!

In over two decades I observed practically zero success in recruiting converts from the door to door, or external preaching of any kind. I watched many, many witnesses leave.

In my "time" we had the undercurrent grooming of "no children in this system" - in our congregation there were many childless couples, who today remain childless, long past childbearing years.

Having said that - the "young ones" who moved into our city from other areas in the past decade, to find work, a marriage partner etc ( and there have been many) - have settled and had children. Our congregations have changed dramatically - suddenly they are full of young/ youngish couples ( all born in) and children.

This video is incredible.

The boast of the witnesses when I studied was that none of their children are ALLOWED to get baptised until they are adults - unlike " deceptive " Christendom.

How easy it is to see where this is going, the cartoons, Caleb and Sophia - the children are being groomed.

I observe an extended non witness family member who is raising her children to love Christ - no gimmicks, no cartoons.

Meanwhile witness children are being groomed to trust the GB as some sort of collective Santa Claus figure. Cuddly, kind.

They are visually becoming stronger. Providing all the feel good stuff.

I don't like it.