Posts by ezekiel3

14

Comments You Will Not Hear at the 8-15-04 WT Study (Abbreviated)

by blondie in

"go therefore and make disciples?teaching them to observe all the things i have commanded you.

http://www.geocities.com/cfpchurch/evangelismlessons.html.

http://www.drbchurch.contactbox.co.uk/main/otheract.html.

ezekiel3

Blondie, thanks for your work this week. This quote struck me:

We should have deep concern for those who have slowed down or stopped sharing in the ministry.

Isn't this a definition of "fading"? As so many on this board know, fading is the only way out of the Org if you want to keep ties with family and friends (vs DFing). Sure, we have this counsel cloaked in love and concern. But is this a directive to check on the "faders" to verify their attitude or motivation?

Lets analyse this quote:

Presently, Jehovah's Witnesses spend an average of more than 3 million hours each day of the year in Kingdom-preaching and disciple making activity worldwide.

So thats over 1 billion hours (3 mil X 365) total or about 15 hours per month per JW. That's alot of talking, eh?

Not! JWs count time as "preaching" when they:

Stand on a street holding a magazine.
Sit at a college campus booth with literature displayed.
Drive from one interested call to another, even if no one is home.
Drive from house to house in rural areas.
Spend an hour at a "return visit" (RV) and chat about nothing religious, as long as they leave magazines.
Type form letters to gated houses/apartments, typing or writing each one over and over, instead of printing multiple copies of the same.
Driving from laundromat to laundromat to leave magazines (early in the morning when no one is there).
Pioneers can count up to 70 hours per month working on JW construction projects without ever knocking on a door.

I know all the tricks because I learned them from pioneers. In an actual day of service where I counted 8 hours, I usually only "preached" a total of 1 hour. The only quality time a JW has is at an formal Bible study, where you actually sit down and study with an interested one.

But we are forgeting the biggest factor of all. JWs go TWO-BY-TWO, but take turns talking at each successive door. Or when going to RVs, TWO will go, one just tagging along; the same with Bible studies. This means that the "billion hours" above is effectively doubled!

So let's be wildly generous and say that 25% percent of the time counted by JWs is actual preaching and disciple-making. That cuts it to 250 million hours. Next lets take out the "sidekick" factor and half that number. Now we have 125 million hours. Divide that by 6 million JWs and you have an average of...

1.7 hours per month. (This includes pioneers, missionaries, etc) Get honest with your numbers JWs.

14

It WORKED!

by Iforget in

jw
friends

i found this site by accident while looking for something on the computer for my son.

i have been trying to log on but couldn't seem to get a password.

today i thought...hmm wonder if my spam folder caugh it.

ezekiel3

Welcome, your story touches close to mine and I empathize. I wish I could forget.

49

Honest mistakes? The Governing Body's excuses for their actions

by Terry in

jw
friends

the governing body tells us they are not false prophets because they admit their mistakes.. they only err because they are zealous to see the new order commence.. they are on the watch and warning everybody just like they are supposed to.. their doctrines change (new light) because they see and admit their errors.. what more can we expect of them?.

is the governing body honestly doing the best they can?

they are only human; how can we expect them to be perfect?.

ezekiel3

Let's hear from the GB on this one

Has the GB ever made a mistake? YES

*** w81 12/1 pp. 27-28 The Path of the Righteous Does Keep Getting Brighter ***
6
This "faithful and discreet slave," which is associated with Jehovah?s Witnesses, has indeed been used by Jehovah God to guide, strengthen and direct his people. True, since the light shines forth progressively, and because there have been mistakes due to human imperfection and weakness, these Christians have had, on occasion, to reevaluate viewpoints and teachings. But has this not resulted in refinement, to their benefit? Consider some examples.

*** w81 8/15 p. 28 Serving Jehovah "Shoulder to Shoulder" ***
13
In serving Jehovah "shoulder to shoulder," we need, as Zephaniah so often emphasizes, to cultivate the quality of meekness. When we make mistakes, as all imperfect humans do, let us be ready to acknowledge them, even as the "faithful and discreet slave," made up of imperfect fleshly men, has had to make corrections. However, let us never be critical of the grand body of truth that Jehovah has built up among his united people over the past 100 years, and which, by correction and adjustment, has come to shine ever more brightly on "the path of the righteous ones."?Prov. 4:18.

*** w69 7/15 p. 440 Have You Stumbled at What Others Have Done? ***And so it is today. Jehovah God and Jesus Christ make allowances for the imperfections of their human servants and representatives. God is using ?Christ?s brothers,? also termed collectively "the faithful and discreet slave," to do His work in the earth. The ones comprising this group are imperfect, make mistakes, and yet are being used and blessed by God. And Jesus said that whatever was done to them he counted as done to him, and that in spite of their imperfections.?Matt. 24:45-47; 25:31-46.

Has the GB ever apologized for the ramifications of changing its doctrine? NO

But what do they tell us to do?

*** w96 9/15 p. 24 Do You Really Need to Apologize? ***
So, then, do we really need to apologize? Yes, we do. We owe it to ourselves and others to do so. An apology can help to ease the pain caused by imperfection, and it can heal strained relationships. Each apology we make is a lesson in humility and trains us to become more sensitive to the feelings of others. As a result, fellow believers, marriage mates, and others will view us as those who deserve their affection and trust. We will have peace of mind, and Jehovah God will bless us.

32

Is the Watchtower Part of the "Antichrist"?

by metatron in

in the apostle john's day, a variety of religious sects appeared in christian congregations called the gnostics.. many of these gnostics thought that matter and flesh were bad and anything 'spirit' was good, so they believed.

that jesus couldn't have been flesh and blood.

so, john condemned them , in his letters, as the "antichrist" because.

ezekiel3

It's a pleasure to share this string with so many insiders. The definition below from the Reasoning book per JWs:

Antichrist
Definition: Antichrist means against or instead of Christ. The term applies to all who deny what the Bible says about Jesus Christ, all who oppose his Kingdom, and all who mistreat his followers. It also includes individuals, organizations, and nations that falsely claim to represent Christ or that improperly ascribe to themselves the role of Messiah.

Bringing the Gnostics into this as a comparison to JWs might be going to far. JWs believe that man is imperfect, but not originally, so "flesh" does not equal "bad" to a JW.

However JWs do consider Jesus "middle management" and do not worship him like original Christains did. Could this be a "false claim to represent Christ"?

In addition, direct rule for JWs come from the FDS, not Christ. This includes any living anointed that are not FDS. Could this be "instead of Christ"?

15

Have you ever preached in a prison?

by Gerard in

it is evident that some prison immates get asimilated while doing their time.

i wonder if any of you used to preach rutinely in a prison and what was your experience.

were you asked by elders to do that or were you pro-active?

ezekiel3

Yes. Prison activity for JWs is usually handled by elders in that area, sometimes MS help out. The dedication to JW and interested inmates varies by congregation, but some are actually well organized. WT studys are conducted by elders while School and Service meetings are sometimes conducted by baptized inmates.

The culture inside a prison is interesting for JW activity. Often, inmates are those who were once associated with JWs, others are just looking to spend time "in church." The need to "find religion" is common on the inside. In prisons with a lot of JW activity actually forms a "hidden congregation" that most JWs on the outside will never meet. The only way information flows between the two groups is via the elders who support the inmates. It is rare, but annoucements are occasionally made at the KH, "XX was reinstated, (or DFed)." Most in the congregation have no idea who these people are.

Life as a JW prisoner is tough because normal "negative" influence is already strong. Add no smoking or swearing and you are automatically a freak. Then factor all the inmates who "got Jesus" in the mainstream fundamental definition. Thus, your average JW inmate will not act like your average JW. If released, the JW inmate usually gets very active in the local congregation for a brief while (usually not the one serving his/her prison). Transistion to civilian life is difficult for anyone institutionalized. So the "spiritual bubble" easily pops for most freed inmates.

Congregation reaction to a recently released JW ex-con is usually guarded but welcoming. The person oftens comes across "over-zealous" that is never mirrored by the sleepy congregation at hand.

14

Survived The DC!!!

by Doubtfully Yours in

ate more than i've eaten in weeks!

breakfast and dinner buffet daily!!!

got to see people than i hadn't seen in ages!!!.

ezekiel3

Doubtfully: I rarely conflict with other posters, but have you reviewed my post on this? OK maybe the spirit girl has been hyped.

But did you compare the Bible to the drama?

Did you takes notes during the drama like I did?

Did you notice that Luke Paul and other's dialogue (such as the possesed girl) has been complete manufactured?

I make a hobby of following the scriptures during the dramas and have always been impressed at how closely the Bible is followed. Not this one. I was there, I paid attention, and I take issue with your apologies for a spurious drama.

27

WT Sep 1 tribute to JWD and Silent Lambs

by ezekiel3 in

fresh from the sep 1, 2004 watchtower ?beware of the voice of strangers?.

typed as published although highlights are mine.

(the pictures are from the same with comments added.).

ezekiel3

Thanks everyone for your comments. Though I wanted the board to dissect this, I didn''t think Danny would bring his scalpel instead of the chainsaw (very touching Danny).

THE STANDARD JW RESPONSE TO THIS ARTICLE IS: "This just goes to show that the Society is on top of things and protecting us." In essence: "I'll go back to eating my grass now."

By throwing out general hints and major problems WTBTS is embroiled in, the R&F allow themselves to be soothed. The prescription is literally "put your head back in the sand and everything will be ok."

The only way the WT gets away with such a thin veneer of cover in this article is because the JWs who read it are trained to swallow it down. I can predict that the WT study on this article will amplify to a rally in the congregations against the "evil slave" and be held up as a concrete example of Satan's direct attacks.

14

Survived The DC!!!

by Doubtfully Yours in

ate more than i've eaten in weeks!

breakfast and dinner buffet daily!!!

got to see people than i hadn't seen in ages!!!.

ezekiel3

Why was any special voice effect used at all? The scripture this drama scene is based on only says she has a "spirit of prediction." Yet the drama amplifies this into a freak show.

14

Survived The DC!!!

by Doubtfully Yours in

ate more than i've eaten in weeks!

breakfast and dinner buffet daily!!!

got to see people than i hadn't seen in ages!!!.

ezekiel3

Check out my analysis of the drama. By comparing the scriptural backing I found some interesting discrepancies...

http://www.jehovahs-witness.com/12/76071/1.ashx

5

Poughkeepsie Journal puts postive spin on JWs

by ezekiel3 in

source: http://www.poughkeepsiejournal.com/saturday/localnews/stories/lo080704s2.shtml (scan down for highlighted section about jws)

saturday, august 7, 2004. technology conserves bloodby elizabeth lynch.

poughkeepsie journal.

ezekiel3

Coincidence that the Pennsylvania/New York area paper is close to Russel's old stomping grounds? Go to this paper's web page and scan for JWs to find a recent KH quick build article that briefly outlines JW history. Hillarious.