Posts by Awakenednow

5

Todays WT theme scripture

by NikL in

so 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 in

this 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 in

i 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 in

hi 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... 🤔

17

Elders Correspondence Guidelines PDF

by pale.emperor in

https://drive.google.com/file/d/0b0d-uj0uvjrasknuagrmd0vixza/view.

interesting reading.

a few things i learned from reading this that i wasn't aware of when i was a jw:.

Awakenednow

Thanks Doc. when I saw that new word "brazen" it made my head explode. At least it helps me shake the dissonance when it tries to creep in. I had friends growing up that were asked to describe in detail to the elders the extent of their conduct to determine how loose or brazen...1 finger or 2 and how far in etc.... yuck ! The questions that were asked by the elders should be considered brazen! Seems to me the shepherd book should be renamed the book of Pharisee and the only instructions in a true shepherd book should be one word - LOVE

17

Elders Correspondence Guidelines PDF

by pale.emperor in

https://drive.google.com/file/d/0b0d-uj0uvjrasknuagrmd0vixza/view.

interesting reading.

a few things i learned from reading this that i wasn't aware of when i was a jw:.

Awakenednow

Is marrying an unbeliever defined as brazen now too? Therefore can be df'd ?

5

How much have things changed?

by dogisgod in

m'y mother indoctrinated me from birth.

1951. from that time to the 90s things preceeded fairly repetitively.

5 meetings/week, personal study, door-to-door, participate in nothing else outside of the society, no dating.

Awakenednow

🙃

yup it's totally different and kinda creepy how opposite it used to be.

32

Baptism at 10 years of age! March 2017 broadcast

by stuckinarut2 in

(i wanted to put this in the child abuse section of the forum!).

we have seen that during the march 2017 broadcast, m stephen lett has openly praised children who get baptised as young as 10!.

so lets summarize why it is wrong to push child baptism (not far off "infant baptism" that jws condemn other churches for).

Awakenednow

To sign a legal contract... what happened to Jesus was baptized at 30 and following him as a model closely?

It's for control (guilt complex incorporated into a naive personality) and numbers game. This way they have boasting rights to annual baptism numbers that to me probably reflect a high percentage of kids; and If unable to count the kids would show a very ineffective ministry in general. What kind of lack of morale in the rank and file would result? They'd have to fall back on the preaching work is over line but the challenge there is the flock is looking for eminent destruction of the world and a 100 more years from now.... and another and another. This doctrine is falling apart fast and unrealistic and unsustainable. At a certain point it will all tip and no longer containable.

Just sayin' 😋

22

Went to the assembly..some.personal thoughts on it.

by integ in

jw
friends

i've been as honest as i can on this forum throughout my time bouncing in and out..and been jumped on for saying anything positive about the "truth" or my experiences at the hall, but it's been a few years now since i have been attending meetings.

i go to the memorial for family reasons and went to the assembly today for the same reason...but one observation i have to make is most of us have all dealt with years of hearing how gawd awful "the world" is and how the only happiness is going to meetings and out in service.

now that is total bs.

Awakenednow

Thanks for sharing your experience Integ. It's nice hearing that you are at peace with it all. I understand the nostalgia and I miss those times too, everything except the bs parts including the nonsense of being shunned. But, the times in the "truth" were some of the happiest times of my life and I always looked forward to assemblies, except the last couple due to waking up to all the doctrinal error and those were like listening to fingernails scratching chalk boards for hours. The world definitely is what you make of it. My life is blessed and I'm happy to have moved on. Maybe one day I'll pop in an assembly to say hi just like you. I'm happy for you that you've found the strength to move forward.

9

For any victims of abuse by Elders/Watchtower

by nicolaou in

if you are still holding on to your story and struggling alone please, please consider speaking up now.

the australian royal commission into child abuse has shown that these enquiries are not toothless and can in fact make a difference, but only if they are empowered by brave individuals like you.. now it's the turn of the uk.

yes, there's been a few false starts but now is the time to tell them what happened.

Awakenednow

Has anyone in USA started a class action like Australia?