Good advice all, I agree it's best to play along too as you are complying to keep peace with the folks, but if you do bring up controversial subjects always ask questions like, ?what do you think of this or that? That way the elder is defending his belief and not challenging yours. If he turns it on you just say huh, I'm not sure ...I was just wondering and drop it. It's best not to try to argue facts, just stay humble it'll feed his ego and you'll demonstrate the right attitude to him. One obvious question that's not so in your face that festered with me was in the revelation book when all those district assemblies supposedly fulfilled the trumpet blasts in revelation. You could say, bro elder, I totally don't get it, what's the deal with the assemblies having anything to do with revelation prophecy? Could you tell me about how that works? if it gets weird you just say, I'll just have to pray about that but I appreciate your point, thank you. But ask for help to understand the stuff and just act willing to be teachable, in that way maybe he'll choke on some of the crazy doctrine himself and you'll still be able to maintain peace in your situation without compromising your own thinking ability.
Awakenednow
JoinedPosts by Awakenednow
-
39
"Forced" study with an Elder - The first question i will pose, help appreciated.
by CitizenofEarth inhello folks.
as some of you might know my dad couldnt keep quiet about my view of the world, so i have been "forced" to study with an elder.
otherwise i would be dragged to questioning, which is to much pressure for a young inexperienced person like me.
-
-
-
23
How deep is the rot?
by JeffT inby now it seems obvious that the gb and other leaders of the wtbs are corrupt.
the pedo scandal and various financial schemes are sustained by either lack of concern or greed at the top.
my question is how far down the food chain does this go?
-
-
Awakenednow
If they've grown up in the org, then they've been molded by the "god appointed" "follow the men in charge blindly no matter the logic, even scriptural logic, GB command". Instead of letting the scriptures mold the doctrine, they now seem to desperately twist and change the scriptures to support old debunked beliefs like the slave parable and 1914. Funny how they undid the evil slave class as literal and now it's figurative, but can't seem to do the same for the faithful slave parable. They now are grasping at straws and will fight until they can't deny the truth that they have become what they preached against. I'm just remembering those old wt cartoons with the pope and clergy being ridiculed for doing and being what the witnesses now do and are. So, to the point, the GB as molded by years of indoctrination and self-doctrination, have crushed their own individual critical thinking skills which the Bible says to protect at all costs and have become the blind leading the blind. Humbly submitted...
-
2
WTS unholy alliance
by Steel insorry this is copy and paste but still i very interesting read imho.
often, civil libertarians, and even occasionally christian conservatives, praise the watchtower society and jehovah's witnesses for what those ignoramuses erroneously characterize as the cult's decades-long fight to expand religious and other civil rights/liberties in american society.
(erroneous because jws could care less about expanding rights/liberties for anyone but themselves.
-
-
Awakenednow
Smh😳 Wow... thanks for that post
-
5
WT Scours Internet
by berrygerry ininteresting thread on another site.
https://www.reddit.com/r/exjw/comments/5zinu6/our_leakers_are_to_be_commended_from_the_recent/.
wt must have devoted a certain amount of resources to this - at least on a daily basis..
-
-
Awakenednow
Thanks for the links and postings!1 much appreciated!
-
5
WT Scours Internet
by berrygerry ininteresting thread on another site.
https://www.reddit.com/r/exjw/comments/5zinu6/our_leakers_are_to_be_commended_from_the_recent/.
wt must have devoted a certain amount of resources to this - at least on a daily basis..
-
-
Awakenednow
Why don't they just have the same policy for every branch? Stupid and it's obviously not a Christian organization if the Law has to force them to give a damn about the children beyond lip service. Don't they understand they need to protect the innocent? Friggin hypocrites only caring about cya (covering Yo Ass). Just from a financial and practical sense they should go with the guidelines of this ARC report for every branch. It's not hostile. And the way they take liberties with the old law covenant that's obsolete to justify archaic positions that are as insane as stoning disobedient kids, surely they can offer "new light" to do the right thing. (Such as the sound scriptural reasoning presented during the hearings) They just look like a bunch of bozos and that is not Jehovahs doing, but their own. Obviously they don't represent him as they claim.... by their fruits you will know my followers. I read that once upon a time.
-
-
-
Awakenednow
Contact in the Dessert - Joshua tree CA. May 19-22. Experts in the field there to discuss.
-
5
Todays WT theme scripture
by NikL inso today's study article uses 1cor 3:17 as it's theme text.. i looked it over and if you read from 14 an interesting thing happens.... 14 but their minds were dulled.+ for to this present day, the same veil remains unlifted when the old covenant is read,+ because it is taken away only by means of christ.+ 15 in fact, to this day whenever moses is read,+ a veil lies upon their hearts.+ 16 but when one turns to jehovah,* the veil is taken away.+ 17 now jehovah* is the spirit,+ and where the spirit of jehovah* is, there is freedom.+ .
so my question is, is it by "means of christ" or by "turning to jehovah" that the veil is taken away?.
in any other translation i've looked at, the use of the word lord is employed leading one to assume that it's turning to the christ that takes the veil away..
-
-
Awakenednow
Hmmmm maybe they need another translation revision
great catch.
well they'd probably say when you turn to jehovah by means of christ...
-
31
I wrote to Mr. Angus Stewart regarding the "inactive" status claims made by the Watchtower at the ARC
by EdenOne inthis is the email i have just sent to mr. stewart angus, who has been conducting the questioning of the jw leaders during the australian royal commission dealing with child abuse cases among the jehovah's witnesses, concerning the claims made that a jehovah witness who wishes to walk away from the organization can simply become inactive and avoid being shunned:.
dear mr. angus stewart,
i have followed with interest the videos of the arc regarding the jehovah's witnesses in australia.
-
-
Awakenednow
Great Letter! This ARC is such a blessing... great comments too! So.... the whole line of reasoning for shunning is like the example of the battered wife syndrome; I'm so sorry I beat the crap out of you and nearly destroyed you , but you should have obeyed me because I love you. I don't like hurting you so don't go against me again. I'm sorry I had to do it but you made me do it, it's your fault. Isn't there an Awake on that ? Early 90's? Thank God for Mr Stewart to point out the deceptive, manipulative and emotional damaging effects of their reasoning. That's why so many who leave thru any means, for years still doubt their own sanity for walking away from such an emotionally abusive "mother". You are taught that if you think for yourself you are following Satan and have a rebellious spirit when in fact your Self is simply standing up for itself saying this is abusive. I'm out of here! And that's actually healthy but called satanic thinking. Great comments and letters you guys...
-
13
What's up with the numbering of the songs and reading them off the screen?
by Spiral ini don't have to go very often, but last time i took my mother they were singing songs off a screen.
the numbers weren't the same as the songs with the same number on my tablet.
seemed like a lot of people were confused, but a couple of more gregarious attendees were singing (and swaying a bit) "church-style".
-
-
Awakenednow
I stopped attending the year before the new logo and everything on tablet thingy. The whole meeting is totally foreign sounding to me now. I can't imagine singing like that at the hall. A church I attended a few times does that with a live band which was kinda fun for church but for the hall? very weird. Service with a tablet sounds goofy too. I remember the good ol' days with a piano player, song book and actually using the Bible in service. What is this ?Jw 2.0? Haha anyone remember the band at the assemblies? My family used to have band practice at our house prior to the assemblies.... so fun and dorky.
-
32
What is having the biggest impact on the watchtower Bible and tract society?
by UnshackleTheChains inhi all.. this is a reasonable question and would love to know what you think is having the biggest impact on watchtower.
there is a plethora of websites talking negatively of watchtower.
there are the never ending court cases regarding child abuse allegations.
-
-
Awakenednow
New light. It gets darker and less convincing with every new explanation... 🤔