Posts by Awake at last

16

JW.org and recruitment

by Illuminated in

do you believe the marketing of jay w org will convert more people or help inactive ones remain indoctrinated?

I'm no marketing expert and as a person diagnosed with Aspergers, I think differently from others. In my Aspergers mind, the JW.org campaign is a turn off. I know companies use logos to bring their company to people's minds when they see the logo. It is very effective or they wouldn't use it.

However, in my search for God, I am not looking for a company or a logo. I am not buying a car, opening a bank account or deciding where to buy my groceries for the week. I am looking for Bible truth, not a catchy logo or theme song. This means my life and it is not about whether I buy my food at Coles, Woolworths or Aldi or drive a Mazda or a Toyota. It is about the truth of Jehovah and Jesus and needs much research. A fish or a blue square are not going to cut it for me. I think Ray Franz had the right idea. He did his own thinking and then gathered with people in small groups where they could think, reason and discuss together. There were no religious or christian labels, or logos, just Bible study. He had seen enough of organised religion, more than you or I have ever seen.

29

Meaningful Study

by Awake at last in

i never thought i would be commenting, let alone starting a new topic in the category of bible research and study.

anyone reading my comments on this site would have realised that i am the most unspiritual person to have ever stepped foot inside a kh.

yet for the first time in my life, on saturday night, i did some meaningful bible study/research, on my own without a wtbts publication in sight, except the nwt bible.

Awake at last

I

Thank you for your comments. I think what you are all saying is that the WTBTS method is not effective for most people.

A question and supplied answer does not stimulate thinking, therefore if we don't have to think to get our answers, we do not concentrate as much and as a result, we don't remember as much, if anything about what we have just studied. In my case, I became so brain dead that I didn't even put enough thought into it to even notice anomalies such as scriptures that are not relevant. I was bored and just got the underlining done, no wonder I don't know anything and am only learning now.

As I have said in other blogs, I left due to lack of love, lack of concern for the aged, disrespect for death and grieving and all this child abuse stuff, I wasn't aware of but now I am, it confirms my decision. I also was not comfortable with counting time in field service and people committing to pioneering and then stressing about not achieving hours. Is this what serving Jehovah is about, following the guidelines imposed by men? Not for this little black duck!

13

simpleton jw reply

by prologos in

talking to a cherished "in" friend, i mentioned:.

"how can you go door to door and represent these outlandish doctrines that make you different from the householders, .

overlapping generations, abstaining from the eucharist, submission to leaders even in the face of unreasonable demands, failed, false prophecies?

Awake at last

Your cherished In Friend has got a huge future in the WBTS lol

29

Meaningful Study

by Awake at last in

i never thought i would be commenting, let alone starting a new topic in the category of bible research and study.

anyone reading my comments on this site would have realised that i am the most unspiritual person to have ever stepped foot inside a kh.

yet for the first time in my life, on saturday night, i did some meaningful bible study/research, on my own without a wtbts publication in sight, except the nwt bible.

Awake at last

To Magnum

Thank you for your comments on this blog. I was a bit wary of starting this as I am not really spiritual enough to cope with comments.

To answer your question the essay is available on line. The web page is

reasoningwithjws.blogspot.com.au. If you are overseas, you may not need the au as Mark is American and I am Australian.

When you go into the site, go to blog archive 2010 and click on What does the Bible really teach part 1.

He says in the blog that Revelation 20 will be discussed in another article but I cannot find it on his site or anywhere else. If you can find it, please let me know.

Mark has joined the Seventh Day Adventists and there is a video on YouTube. He may or may not still be with them as he seemed to have many doubts and also declined to be baptised into the SDA's. He wanted to use his JW baptism to symbolise his baptism to God. He appears to be a bit unsettled, so do not know what he is currently doing. I have thought about sending him a message, but haven't yet.

Hope this is of some help to you. If you do what I did, maybe you could check with another translation other than the NIV.

29

Meaningful Study

by Awake at last in

i never thought i would be commenting, let alone starting a new topic in the category of bible research and study.

anyone reading my comments on this site would have realised that i am the most unspiritual person to have ever stepped foot inside a kh.

yet for the first time in my life, on saturday night, i did some meaningful bible study/research, on my own without a wtbts publication in sight, except the nwt bible.

Awake at last

I never thought I would be commenting, let alone starting a new topic in the category of Bible Research and Study. Anyone reading my comments on this site would have realised that I am the most Unspiritual person to have ever stepped foot inside a KH. Yet for the first time in my life, on Saturday night, I did some meaningful Bible study/research, on my own without a WTBTS publication in sight, except the NWT Bible. My whole existence has been:

Read the paragraph

Read the corresponding question at the bottom of the page

Look for the answer in the paragraph

Underline the correct answer according to WTBTS

Put an a or b in the margin if there are a and b parts to the question

Move on to the next paragraph and keep going until all paragraphs have been answered

In my 52 years of life, that was it. Bible study done. But Saturday night was different. I read an essay by a former brother called Mark Martin. I then read each scripture quoted very carefully from the NWT and then compared one with the Interlinear and the others were read also from the New International Version for a second opinion. I have never done so much meaningful study in my life where I actually thought about it and didn't just underline.

I actually enjoyed the study for the first time ever. I am not suggesting that I am following Mark Martin, but I was reading and checking up on his comments.

Just out of interest, the subject was The Resurrection of the Righteous and the Unrighteous, the First and Second Resurrections.

So there you go. My first spiritual topic. How did you find the Orgs way of studying? Effective or not effective?

20

What do YOU desperately need, but you've been putting it off?

by TerryWalstrom in

jw
friends

i don't know why, but i put off getting a haircut way longer than i should.. i might go as long as 5 or 6 months between haircuts.. i desperately need a haircut.. what do you desperately need, but you've been putting it off?.

(disclaimer: minimus is going to be jealous.

this sort of question is his tradmark :).

Awake at last

Village Idiot, are you suggesting that you go weeks at a time between showers too?

I have been putting off shortening my hubby's work trousers for months.

8

What do you think of a Movie about New World

by paradisebeauty in

jw
friends

it looks like the movies about end of the days and the fantasy movies are very much in fashion.

do you think a movie about the end of the system and the life in the new system could captivate the audiences?.

after all more than 90 % of americans are christians and say they believe in the bible.

Awake at last

I watched a TV series called Resurrection. It wasn't exactly about a new world but rather what could go wrong if the much awaited resurrection by JWs wasn't supervised properly. Of course Jehovah would do everything correctly, but I do wonder what would happen if a woman came back and saw her husband married to someone else. Just food for thought.

Has anyone else watched this series? What are your thoughts?

I enjoyed it but obviously the resurrections were back into this world and not the paradise.

5

AM3 about glasses

by Gorbatchov in

jw
friends

antony morris iii told the audience of a meeting last week that's the society's stance about wearing glasses has changed.

from now on the gb does not approve wearing glasses because it gives others the wrong idea of being educated.

parents have to ignore their children's wish of learning to read.

Awake at last

Gorbatchov

Are you shitting me?

23

Consequences of staying on the recommended Hotel list

by Samaritan At the Well in

i wanted to share an experience i had and see if anyone else had encountered this same matter.

we always tried to make an extra effort to ensure we stood on the approved hotel lists when going to our special day conventions or district conventions or what they now call regional.

we use to stay many nights a year and i would save up my hotel points to use at a later time.. i remember checking in at popular chain hotel and asked the hotel clerk how many points would i earn for the 3 night stay?

Awake at last

We had a funny incident years ago in Sydney. My dad was sceptical of the hotel/motel arrangement so booked the recommended motel without mentioning the JW arrangement.

When we got there, we were given a special key to use the pool. I went to the pool and the other JW kids were outside the fence, they didn't have keys, so I let them in. It wasn't long before motel management came to the pool area and made them all leave, only I could stay. Apparently the special deal did not include use of the pool, it was December and stinking hot and humid too. Mum was talking to the sisters and apparently they had to pay extra for bath towels as these were also not included as they were for us. We paid the same amount per night as them too.

Some discount!

8

What would happen if both parents of a baptised child were to be disfellowshipped?

by Esse quam videri in

we hear of children as young as eight being baptized.

the governing body have tried making twelve year olds feel guilty about not being baptized.

being as the society has encouraged [pushed] young ones to be baptized, it apparently has taken a 'keen interest' in the spiritual health and eternal welfare of the child.

Awake at last

I am guessing but it may depend on whether the parents are ok with the child still associating or not. Also the child's attitude should be taken into account. Things may have changed since the child has seen and heard conversations between the parents leading up to the disfellowshipping, so may not want any more contact.

I knew of a case where this happened. The baptised boy was about 16. He just disappeared and no action was taken that I am aware of. We later heard that he got married to a non witness girl. His parents new religion that they started failed and now they are seen around occasionally and that is about it. All this happened about 15 years ago.