Funny how they try to compare the CO to the apostle Paul. Paul worked at tent making and supported himself and was not a burden on the congregation. The CO expects to be supported by the congregation by "green handshakes" plus he gives the congregation his expense account for reimbursement.
Athanasius
JoinedPosts by Athanasius
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"You Became So Beloved to Us"
by wifibandit inpixel and wifibandit present, in its original form, gmb_e.mp4 "you became so beloved to us".
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=odfdkl8lwpk.
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Ray Franz and You.
by John Aquila inif ray franz would have kept his mouth shut and not disfellowshipped, and remained part of the governing body how many of us ex-jw would still be trapped in the cult?.
would we have come this far?.
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Athanasius
When I first read Ray's book Crisis of Conscience, I already had serious doubt about the Org. It was the spring of 1984, Watchtower Vatican II was over, and the purges were in full swing. Reading COC was liberating, and That fall I resigned as an elder and quickly faded.
However, If Ray Franz had not been DFd, and kept his mouth shut about the Org, my exit would have been delayed a year or two. I probably would have stayed in a little longer, hoping for reform. But there is no way that I would have stayed in with the doctrinal changes and the oppressive atmosphere that developed after Ray's removal from the GB.
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Crisis of Consience market price (we are in a bull market)
by NewYork44M ini was considering getting another copy of one of ray's books and was shocked about the market value.
is ray's book worth $1,000?
perhaps, but it is a bit shocking.
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Athanasius
Back in the 1980s when COC first came out, our local public library had three copies available. But within 6 months they had all been lost. Rumor had it that the JWs were swiping copies from the library and destroying them. The library purchased two more copies of COC, that also disappeared. Back then you could get a hardcover copy for $10, so whoever was stealing them wasn't doing it for profe.
If the JWs are buying up copies of COC and destroying them, it would help make the book rare and inflate the price for second hand copies.
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To My Generation: Jehovah's Witnesses of the Vietnam War Era
by Hold Me-Thrill Me into 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.
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Athanasius
During the Vietnam war the Watchtower considered Alternate Service to be a compromise. Therefore, JWs had to refuse it and go to prison. In order to avoid the cost of sending JWs to prison, some judges merely sentenced the JW to perform community service rather than prison. I knew several JWs who ended up working in hospitals for two years as part of their sentence.
However, during World War II some JWs did serve in the military as medics. My non-JW dad said there were a couple of JWs in his outfit who were medics. But the Watchtower is noted for constantly changing the rules. So now Alternate Service is acceptable for JWs.
Like many other young JW men of that era, I pioneered and got married.
Also remember the 6 month Bible Study program. However, most JW study conductors in our congregation ignored the rule and continued studying with persons who never converted. After all it was easy time. Better than knocking on doors.
Unlike many JWs, I didn't get excited about 1975, felt it was going to be a bust, which it was.
By 1984 I'd had enough and resigned as an elder and
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Elders want to meet with us, help!
by All for show inmy husband is awake,yay!
we haven't been to meeting since february, although we attended the memorial.
when jws have called us we say we are amazing, everything is awesome much to their shock.
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Athanasius
Actually SimonSays your comments reveal ignorance about college life. My college experience was similar to that of the OP. No doubt other members of this forum can also testify to a positive college or university experience.
Why not take a few classes at your local college, Simon, and see for
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Is door to door activity over?
by badcompany injust curious about others experience.
i've been living just a few miles from a kingdom hall for 9 years.
i've been called on 0 times.
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Athanasius
I've lived at my present address for 16 years and have had the JWs stop by only two times. Once they left a tract as my wife and I weren't home. The second time was last year when a JW couple stopped by looking for deaf persons who wanted to study the Bible. Since I didn't have any hearing problems, they weren't interested in talking with me and left to canvas the neighborhood for those hard of -
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Hold Me, Thrill Me
by Hold Me-Thrill Me ini'm going to be honest and from the heart when i say that for 40 years in the jw religion i was very happy in my ignorance!
man, what a trip it was.
i loved every minute of it but then i was absent the bad in my religion.
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Athanasius
Hi HMTM,
I too left the JWs voluntarily, resigning as an elder, and making a quick fade. But my exodus from the Watchtower didn't cause me to reject Christianity. My reasons for leaving were doctrinal and the scholastic dishonesty of the Watchtower. I went back to college, got my degree, and a good paying.
Like you I had difficulties accepting the Trinity and after leaving the JWs attended Unitarian Church services, which is non-Trinitarian. But after doing research and reading the Church Fathers, I accepted the Nicene Creed and was received into the Anglican Church.
I often refer to my religious journey as "My Spiritual Aeneid." But each person who leaves the JW religion must make their own spiritual journey and do what is best for their circumstances. The important thing to remember is that there is life beyond the Watchtower.
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Crisis of Conscience
by WasOnceBlind inwow, what a great book.
i started reading it today and have not been able stop.
im already 80 pages in!
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Athanasius
Though I never met Ray Franz face to face, I did talk with him on the telephone a couple of times, and found him to be knowledgeable and very humble. Moreover, it was reading Crisis of Conscience that freed me of JWism.
But in answer to Nathan Natas's comments, I served as an elder from 1972-1984, served on many JCs, and none dealt with child abuse. Nor, with one possible exception, was I aware of any such cases in our congregation and circuit. I'm not saying that pedophilia didn't exist back then. Because in 1983 an elder in our congregation mentioned during a BOE meeting that the teenaged step-daughter of a new convert left the new JW family to live with her non-JW father because of abuse. However, the elder said he doubted there was abuse. The elder claimed the girl didn't like living in a restrictive JW home, and wanted the freedom to do what worldly kids did, and alleged abuse in order to leave. Since no JC action was taken, the matter was dropped and not investigated and HQ was not informed.
By the way the family didn't remain JWs for long, and left the congregation a year later. I don't know if the stepdaughter rejoined her mother and stepfather after the family exited the
It would be interesting to poll the elders and former elders on this forum who served on JCs during the time that Ray Franz served on the GB and see how many dealt with pedophile issues in their congregations and whether or not the Branch was informed.
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Do you feel bad throwing away literature?
by stuckinarut2 inso do you feel bad throwing away your old literature?.
what about your old song book or bible from your early days in the org?.
if so, is it because of sentimentality, monetary cost or because it might be 'sacred' ?.
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Athanasius
I left the JWs in 1984 and had lots of Watchtower books, including the bound volumes going back to 1960. Also had Russell and Rutherford's books, which I kept. Since I left voluntarily and was not DFd, I was able to sell my bound volume set to a new elder, plus some extra copies of older books that I had on hand. Couldn't see burning or throwing the books away, when there were people willing to pay for them.
In the 1990s I sold a NWT 5 volume set to a second hand bookstore for twice what I originally paid for
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How Honest is the Official Watchtower PR Department?..Check out this You Tube Video..
by OUTLAW inmost of us know the watchtower "isn`t" known for it`s honesty... what happens when a person calls watchtower headquarters... with questions the the watchtower "doesn`t" want to answer?!...
your about to find out in this youtube video... phone call to bethel ny jehovah's watchtower productions caleb sophia video series underlying themes.
by inform ant .
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Athanasius
I listened to the whole conversation and agree with some of the posters who said she talked too much. However, she used some JW terms that the Watchtower people may have picked up on and quickly identified her as an ex-JW. In her conversation she used the terms "brother" and "elder" instead of Watchtower spokesperson, She used the term "meeting" instead of JW services.
My guess is that because she used JW language, the Watchtower guy k he was talking with an "apostate," and was more closed mouth with her than he would have been with a non-JW.
While a non-JW would have gotten the same answers, the Watchtower spokesman would not have had the satisfaction of thinking he was defending the Borg from "apostates."