Alive!

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Posts by Alive!

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  39

  Reasons for doubting.

  by New day in

  1. watchtower
  2. beliefs

  somebody mentioned in a recent topic that they had a conversation with a former elder whose breaking point was when the overlapping generation was highlighted in recent times and how he would never serve again until somebody gave him a scriptural reason to believe it.

  i am in a similar position.

  i have gone in the last 18 months from taking the wt study, leading fs groups, and doing talks on the mtngs to doing almost nothing, as i resigned a little over a year ago as an elder due to a combination of family responsibilities and huge doubts.

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  Alive!

  "So performance based"

  How true.
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  21

  Remember that WT masturbation video? Who is the sign language person?

  by FatFreek 2005 in

  1. watchtower
  2. scandals

  below are a few screen captures from the video to serve as a reminder of what he looks like.

  below those will be a few captures from a weather forecaster now at our kark tv (arkansas).

  his name is matt peterson.

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  Alive!

  No, the video should never have been published in the first place - it was disturbing in that it appeared on the globally viewed website, with just a handful of other ASL vids...and really, there are so many more topics or scriptural thoughts that could have been covered.

  Why choose masturbation? A deaf person can read about that kind of counsel - we didn't need to see those kind of gestures.

  I remember when I first saw it on the website - why choose such a subject?
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  66

  Why My Wife and I Have No Kids

  by JT in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  *** g74 11/8 ***9 is this the time to have children?there has always been a positive attitude about childbearing.

  *** g74 11/8 10 is this the time to have children?

  what does imminent mean?

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  Alive!

  We're nearly 60.

  No kids.

  The watchtower shaped our thinking.

  It bites now - every single day.

  No family memories..... Just memories built with other people's JW kids who will never be part of our lives now, because we don't belong to the same programme.
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  21

  Remember that WT masturbation video? Who is the sign language person?

  by FatFreek 2005 in

  1. watchtower
  2. scandals

  below are a few screen captures from the video to serve as a reminder of what he looks like.

  below those will be a few captures from a weather forecaster now at our kark tv (arkansas).

  his name is matt peterson.

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  Alive!

  Thanks - you just reminded me of a NO moment when I realised that given the opportunity to encourage deaf people - with all their challenges, the best the loving org could come up with was a couple of guys mimicking masturbating.

  Insulting beyond belief - and then I thought, are they taking the piss out of us??
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  113

  I just found out that my youngest brother committed suicide

  by SnakesInTheTower in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  my middle brother called me a couple of hours ago.

  our youngest brother, josh, who was 38, was found by his friends in his apartment.

  he hung himself.

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  Alive!

  Hard to find the right words, may I send gentle hugs to you.

  So very sorry to read this Snakes.
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  19

  Personal thoughts and evaluations upon the Jehovah's Witnesses Organization

  by Finkelstein in

  1. watchtower
  2. beliefs

  from my own personal feelings about the jws when i was involved and i was brought up in the is religious practice from birth, was one of feeling of being lied to, exploited and manipulated to a certain extent.

  reflectively though i could see some wholesome social behavior direction being propagated not surprising nevertheless since this faith is based from christianity at its core.. where and how the wts/jws got bit corrupted i believe is that this organization has always had a publishing house and its core operation and supporting finances were mostly from that endeavoring operation.

  this also included creating doctrines which were to support and enhance the proliferation of those published works.

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  Alive!

  I can't quite believe that a young intelligent 'me' accepted the terms of this 'vow'.

  Along with the 607 to 1914 'prophetic' magic and so, so much more -I remember the big build up to the study where we'd work through the equation - I was told with a twinkle in their eyes that I'd be blown away.

  I was absolutely convinced this was the truth.

  Around that time, several other converts came through from respectable backgrounds, with degrees and well positioned lives in careers, life etc.

  I was prepared to take the good with the bad, not expecting the people to be perfect - but, given the non- negotiable teaching programme, the fact that nothing was presented as an offer for us to 'consider' but as an absolute truth at that time, only to be proven wrong - well, I don't believe a true Godly Father would teach that way to his 'special people'.

  There was no room to explore and think at our own pace - keep up with Jehovah's Chariot!

  WTBTS abused and scorned the religious leaders of Christendom for misleading their flocks.

  They should apologise for that, as they have misled their own. We were given no choice. Latest light? Gulp it down.
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  19

  Personal thoughts and evaluations upon the Jehovah's Witnesses Organization

  by Finkelstein in

  1. watchtower
  2. beliefs

  from my own personal feelings about the jws when i was involved and i was brought up in the is religious practice from birth, was one of feeling of being lied to, exploited and manipulated to a certain extent.

  reflectively though i could see some wholesome social behavior direction being propagated not surprising nevertheless since this faith is based from christianity at its core.. where and how the wts/jws got bit corrupted i believe is that this organization has always had a publishing house and its core operation and supporting finances were mostly from that endeavoring operation.

  this also included creating doctrines which were to support and enhance the proliferation of those published works.

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  Alive!

  And as you said Finkel...surely, one of the most profoundly disturbing issues is the vow to the org.

  It's absolutely not biblical and is one big red flag.
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  19

  Personal thoughts and evaluations upon the Jehovah's Witnesses Organization

  by Finkelstein in

  1. watchtower
  2. beliefs

  from my own personal feelings about the jws when i was involved and i was brought up in the is religious practice from birth, was one of feeling of being lied to, exploited and manipulated to a certain extent.

  reflectively though i could see some wholesome social behavior direction being propagated not surprising nevertheless since this faith is based from christianity at its core.. where and how the wts/jws got bit corrupted i believe is that this organization has always had a publishing house and its core operation and supporting finances were mostly from that endeavoring operation.

  this also included creating doctrines which were to support and enhance the proliferation of those published works.

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  Alive!

  Finkelstein,

  That was very well expressed - so true.

  Below is exactly how I felt.

  Preaching the Gospel in the descriptive version of JWS was perceived by myself as doing so with a sort of tainted commercialization, which eventually brought my own lets say spirituality (belief) down to such a low level I couldn't stand it anymore, so I left a bit bewildered and a bit confused.
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  58

  Now you don't even have to go to the Kingdom Hall - ALL meetings to be recorded & available on jw.org (if you have a password)

  by sir82 in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  latest boe letter:.

  october 22, 2015. to all bodies of eldersre: use of jw stream.

  dear brothers:we are writing to inform you that arrangements are being made for video recordings ofcongregation meetings, circuit assemblies, and conventions to be uploaded to jw stream (accessibleat http://stream.jw.org) in various languages.

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  Alive!

  Check out mainstream church websites - sermon videos/ notes are downloaded every week.

  No 'secret' password required.

  I visit a local baptist church on and off - always a good 100 - 150 attending I guess - yesterday they sang a hymn about the resurrection for mankind. Oh, and everything will be on their website- re the Sermon and Pastors notes - with the invitation to email the pastor re questions and comments re his delivery and words.

  Not saying they have the 'truth' per se: just saying it's good to have open discussion offered. No force fed wacky stuff. So different to what the WT told me.

  Main issue for them is to sing praises, take time for reflection and be part of a community.

  Probably not my only 'choice' as in a spiritual home - but I appreciate the diversity within the church.

  No big deal for them having local sermons live streamed.....
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  144

  JW message becoming more and more relevant

  by lsw1961 in

  1. watchtower
  2. beliefs

  mans requirements are limited which can be satisfied with a little and tension-free endeavor..

  however man attempts not only to collect but also to grab and amass everything to the excess.

  somehow he feels that he can be happy only when he has in abundance whereas others have nothingwhich seems to be the thread that runs throughout the history.

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  Alive!

  ISW1961

  As someone else said here, one can't help but respect an individual's courage in speaking out when they feel deeply motivated.

  I was a deeply dedicated JW who converted. Many times I'd take that lonely stance for Jehovah's sake - speaking amongst family, at work - street witnessing in shopping areas, in parks to get 'my time in'. I know how it feels to want to make a stand for my perception of God.

  My close internal relationship with my Heavenly Father caused me to question 'men'.

  Men.... Their motives, their honesty and their way of 'love'.

  Be careful. God can make the very stones cry out. It is one thing to teach that there is a wonderful hope for ALL creation. It's another thing to force ERROR down people's throats, giving them no choice - as in 'you either believe this and have Gods approval or you dont have his approval' - it wrecks havoc with the conscience and integrity of people who have prayed in gratitude for this organised Watchtower org programme of teaching re a prophecy, 'supplementary teachings' etc - only to find its not true. Proved wrong.

  Apparently false teachers would be prevalent in this age - I'm reading this from the word of God and taking it seriously.

  I noted you said the 'the JW' message - not Jesus's message. Are JWs a division? A sect? They have rudely denounced the sincere faith of other Christians who do not subscribe to their wacky 'supplementary' rules and non scriptural teachings/ regulations.

  The JW track record of wacky prophetic announcements are not attractive. Many christians would read the word of God and think, NO - God is not among this people - he wouldnt allow such disturbing misleadings.

  Personally, I hold Our Father in higher esteem than that.