Posts by Alive!

39

Doing away with Calculating How Close we are to THE END

by FusionTheism in

the watchtower study edition, august 2015, "keep in expectation!

" article:.

paragraph 3: "after looking forward to the end of this system for what may seem to be a long time, however, some may wonder, do we still have sound reasons to keep in expectation?

Alive!

Fisherman,

It's a beautiful thing to only wish to have served God more, as we look back over life - but to feel peace in that we did our best, in the circumstances that we lived through at different times in our lives.

Serving God means many things, from applying a Servant's heart to relationships, caring for others spiritually, emotionally and materially.

Wholehearted Service to many JWs is about pioneering - that has been my honest observation.

'Reachjng out' for a graded set of service goals....

There are countless self confessed servers of Christ who are not JWs - who have lived a life of service..giving, giving and giving of their lives. Working in areas where there is little if any financial reward, trying to apply wisdom in their lives....making a difference.

My hours of devoted service? I distributed literature filled with overwhelming error, false teachings - and I didn't have the courtesy to distribute them as an optional spiritual offering - as in 'could this be a correct interpretation? What do you think?' I was taught a manipulative script, with no room for the listener to make a choice as to which bits they resonated with - it was all or nothing. Mad revelation climax stuff along with the truer basics of hope.

What a sad example of 'service' to the true God.

88

Damned if they do, Damned if they don't

by FusionTheism in

jw
friends

i see an attitude among some people here which is not very helpful.

i can understand it, but still, it's not constructive or helpful.. if you condemn the society for not changing, but then you also condemn them when they do change in a positive way, what incentive or motive does that provide for the people at the society to ever want to change for the better?.

also, what does that attitude look like to current witnesses who are having doubts?.

Alive!

Pete Zahut - well, well said.

27

To My Generation: Jehovah's Witnesses of the Vietnam War Era

by Hold Me-Thrill Me in

jw
friends

to my generation: jehovah's witnesses of the vietnam war era .

if you were a young brother in the late 60's you then remember the burden of the draft and the prospect of going to jail for refusing on religious grounds to be called up.

in those days we were taught that to do community service was conscientiously the same as joining the military and so we were told to refuse such exemptions.

Alive!

Much respect for you to even be trying to work through such painful doubts and questions - I know witnesses nearly half your age and perhaps twice the energy who 'know it's not the truth' but keep going through fear....at least you are setting yourself a timeframe to test the waters.

This is your journey friend - and what loving Father would ever 'shun' you for seeking and searching according to your own time and process.

28

Can This Be True?

by Hold Me-Thrill Me in

jw
friends

i was very tired today, still am.

age is getting to me.

that video will be shown to millions of parents around the world.

Alive!

Hi Frank,

i wrote a long post earlier on - from my iphone, I then deleted as I thought I had submitted post to wrong topic / thread - darn :-) such are the perils of iPhones and those swiping screens!

Hey, take care dear man.

The gist of my original post was to say "1000 years are as 1 day and 1 day is as 1000 years" - so true. What is time? Really?

It's a journey. Keep on your course, keep true to what "adds up" - if we have been mislead, we won't have been the first.....at some point, we have to be true to God and not to men.

The organisation of "Jehovahs Witnesses" have one particularly major error - they claim exclusivity - and really, on the basis of what?

It's going to be OK - it really is.

You will feel hurt, exhausted and at times, broken perhaps with all this unravelling of what you believed to be true.

Take your time, please. 1000 years is as one day, one day is as 1000 years.

I don't believe "in God" anymore than I believe in my heartbeat.

There is something far greater than my puny belief going on here...

It's beyond believing, it's far more than that - this universe is not dependant on poorly written magazines and silly cartoons, terrible illustrations that do not dwell on what is loveable, chaste and all things that desire good.

When you repair, keep your heart towards being the hands and feet of a servant for the universe. The man Jesus, whether one believes he came from "above" or a different dimension, or was just a man like all of us - he has captured the hearts and attention of the world since his life course began - like no other.

For a reason.

Trust. :-)

28

Can This Be True?

by Hold Me-Thrill Me in

jw
friends

i was very tired today, still am.

age is getting to me.

that video will be shown to millions of parents around the world.

Alive!

Just deleted wording in this post - wrong topic! Sorry - working from iPhone.

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.