I have many associates via my wife. Soccer, basketball and other sports have cause this great activity. The elders know that I was baptized at 13, so when I say, "I missed the bookstudy for soccer practice". They do not questions me. I was in the org. longer than them all.
Save My Soul
JoinedPosts by Save My Soul
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26
Recent qutters, do you even have a social structure now?
by oompa inat least when i was in high school, i had lots of somewhat secret worldly friends.
i fit in well for guy with short hair.
my liberal elder/dad let me play on the tennis and soccer team....and go to the prom with my catholic girlfriend...talk about scandal.
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I have lost all desire to study the bible... This sucks...
by cognac ini just feel that the bible was put in place so that people can use it for guidelines and so forth.
i don't think that you have to know everything to be accepted by god.... the only problem is, is that i no longer study with my husband either.
now, he's not seeing the truth for what it is and starting to revert back to jw land... but, just the thought of studying anymore makes me sick... it's just, when you study so much after awhile you just can't take it anymore... i would like to actually enjoy my life a little bit.... i'm sick of trying to prove my viewpoint.
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Save My Soul
Remember, the bible never lied or mislead u, the organization did. Read the bible and pray for direction. The book as a whole is subjective. God has never changed.
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2 Special Pioneers 1 Missionary sick with Chronic fatigue- Quit Ministry!
by Witness 007 in2 special pioneers i knew were at the assembly last year i wanted to know how they were since they have special pioneered for 20 years.
both got sick and have chronic fatigue.
they quit pioneering to rest and get better.
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Save My Soul
At 16, the PO came to me and said I looked tired. I had auxillary pioneered since 13. I stopped AP then stared as a regular at 17.
By 19, I was burned out and worked alota OT and got paid.
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JW divorce rate higher than adverage - pew forum
by drew sagan inone statistic that i haven't seen talked about that was contained in the pew forum research poll was divorce rate.
i was kind of shocked to see that when it comes to the percentage of members who are divorce jw's pulled an extra 2% over the national average.
in this research poll only three groups come in higher than jws and two of them go under the categories of other christians & other faiths.
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Save My Soul
I am sure they will start DF any that participate in these surveys.
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32
Are you going to celebrate Easter?
by real one ineaster is coming soon and i am so excited!
i have not celebrated easter in over 17 years.
what a relief to be able to enjoy the worship of jesus and to be so grateful and thankful for his sacrafice.
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Save My Soul
Even though i am not a witness, it is hard for me to celebrate religious holidays.
I do not feel God would like me celebrating some of these events. Personal choice on my part.
I do the 4th, memorial day and the like. It is usually just a nice family outing.
birthday's and anniversaries are done as well.
happy easter 2 u!!!!
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Anybody Watching "A Raisin in the Sun"?
by tall penguin inright now on abc is premiering a movie called "a raisin in the sun".
it has sean "diddy" combs in it.
anyhow, it was filmed here in toronto and if you're watching the movie, the house they just bought is the home of one of my old return visits.
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Save My Soul
There is no way that any current black actor can take the place of Sydney Poiter
Yeah, only a current white actor could do the part justice!!! I think I know what u meant, it is just something else was implied.
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LOCAL NEEDS TALK.------- the good old "party" local needs talk.
by ?me? inyou know you have had it, probably every 2 or 3 years.
but we had it a last month or so.
the good old local needs talk on parties!
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Save My Soul
Back in the early 1980s the circuit overlord told the Highland cong that there would be NO MORE gatherings.....
Is this cong. in Palmdale??
The CO stopped our congregation picnics because he discouraged large gatherings in the late 80's.
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New Light - ?
by ocsrf injanuary 15, 2008 watchtower, page 23 paragraph 16. it seems, however, that not all who have been called to a heavenly hope since the 1930's are replacements for ones who have fallen away.
jehovah has evidently made sure that we will have anointed christians amoung us all through the final days of this system of things until the destruction of "babylon the great.
" (rev.
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Save My Soul
Sorry if this has already been hashed out, this was new to me today, just happened to notice this at the study and it struck me funny that it was just mentioned in passing like it was no big deal.
This is how we all see the truth, new light that caused darkness. I had this same issue in 1995 with the generation change. I no longer attend, but I have been replaced by over a thousand newbies.
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What prompted the whopper of all Flip Flops? (Sodom & G. resurrection)
by Open mind inin pre-studying my watchtower for this sunday, (with mary's assistance on v's thread of course), i was reminded of something i've wondered about re: the whole "will the residents of sodom & gomorrah be resurrected?
" question.. to my knowledge, this one holds the watchtower record for most number of flip-flops.
please correct me if i'm wrong.
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Save My Soul
So my question is, could anyone direct me to a thread that gives any kind of "insider" ideas as to what prompted such a series of stupidity?
I attempted to answer the above by placing the YA quote on the board. I do not believe what was stated and find the reasoning very shallow that was used. The source that posted it, appears to be the organization, not a real person. It seems that the organization supports the flip flops with the faulty logic that I cut and pasted. It kinda like someone saying, "Sir, we must arrest you for cheating on your wife, 13 times". While the reply of the perpatrator is "You are a liar!!! I have not possibly, or maybe almost cheated more than 8 times. You are twisting the truth again you apostate u."
Pretty weak argument the organization is using. I thought I was clear in prefacing my cut-and-paste.
I am working 16 hour days, so I did not read many of the post relating to this subject, I barely perused through yours, and saw my name mentioned. I do NOT agree with the logic of the wtbts relating to Sodom.
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What prompted the whopper of all Flip Flops? (Sodom & G. resurrection)
by Open mind inin pre-studying my watchtower for this sunday, (with mary's assistance on v's thread of course), i was reminded of something i've wondered about re: the whole "will the residents of sodom & gomorrah be resurrected?
" question.. to my knowledge, this one holds the watchtower record for most number of flip-flops.
please correct me if i'm wrong.
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Save My Soul
On Yahoo Answers, there is an individual that appears to be the WTBTS. The answer they gave is as follows:
By the 1870s, Jehovah's Witnesses had recognized that hell is not hot, that the soul is not immortal, that the Almighty has a personal name, that Jesus is not Jehovah, that most resurrected humans will live on earth, and that Jesus' ransom is indispensable to humankind's salvation. Those beliefs remain central to the religion, and remain uniquely identified with the Christian Congregation of Jehovah's Witnesses 130 years later.
Similarly, Jehovah's Witnesses have been unique in globally preaching such "good news" as the earthly resurrection hope. Jehovah's Witnesses have performed an incomparable preaching work for many decades. Of course, it is true that bible research has led to refinements in understanding the bible, but it is also undeniable that the beliefs and practices of early Christians became more accurate even during the decades during which the bible was still being written (eg. hope for Samaritans, circumcision, hope for Gentiles, dietary requirements, Sabbaths, tongues, commemoration of Last Supper). Early Christians were always happy when such matters were resolved, and immediately resumed the preaching work which Jehovah's Witnesses continue.
...(Acts 13:46-49) Paul and Barnabas said: “...Since you [Jews] are thrusting it away from you and do not judge yourselves worthy of everlasting life, look! we turn to the nations. In fact, Jehovah has laid commandment upon us in these words, ‘I have appointed you as a light of nations, for you to be a salvation to the extremity of the earth.’” When those of the nations heard this, they began to rejoice and to glorify the word of Jehovah... Furthermore, the word of Jehovah went on being carried throughout the whole country.
...(Acts 15:23-35;16:4,5) By their hand they wrote: “The apostles and the older men, brothers...we have come to a unanimous accord...For the holy spirit and we ourselves have favored adding no further burden to you, except these necessary things, to keep abstaining from things sacrificed to idols and from blood and from things strangled...” ...they gathered the multitude together and handed them the letter. After reading it, they rejoiced over the encouragement. And...teaching and declaring, with many others also, the good news of the word of Jehovah. ...Now as they traveled on through the cities they would deliver to those there for observance the decrees that had been decided upon by the apostles and older men who were in Jerusalem. Therefore, indeed, the congregations continued to be made firm in the faith and to increase in number from day to day.
http://watchtower.org/e/rq/index.htm?art...
http://watchtower.org/e/jt/index.htm?art...
From door to door, the early Christians and Jehovah's Witnesses preached and preach the "good news of the Kingdom" rather than the minutia of Scripture. Clearly, the issue of salvation for the inhabitants of ancient Sodom is NOT central to the belief system of Jehovah's Witnesses. It is a relatively minor (but interesting) belief which anti-Witnesses balloon and harp on in an attempt to demean Jehovah's Witnesses and to distract from more important bible truths. Sadly, apostate former Witnesses and other anti-Witnesses seem preoccupied with regurgitating every bit of nonsense that may seem to portray Jehovah's Witnesses poorly. Anti-Witnesses neglect the work of sharing truly "good news" as Christ commanded; even more shamefully, they work to spread lies.
http://watchtower.org/e/20020401/article...
http://watchtower.org/e/19981001/article...
The vast majority of the nonsense regurgitated by apostate former Witnesses and other anti-Witnesses is so easily proven false as to merit no response whatsoever. Occasionally, it is interesting to shine some light on one of the anti-Witness "talking points".
http://watchtower.org/e/20010801/article...
For example, regarding the matter of whether the inhabitants of Sodom and Gomorrah will be resurrected, some anti-Witnesses pretend that Jehovah's Witnesses have changed their teaching on this matter eight times; others less outrageously claim there have been five reversals on this matter.
This is nonsense, and factually wrong.
By the most generous (or strict, depending on one's point of view) of criteria, Jehovah's Witnesses have changed their idea on this relatively minor matter perhaps three times, *BUT* always because of vastly different reasons which continued their progression toward the truth. Consider...
** 0 (maybe). July 1879 was literally the first issue of what would become known as "The Watchtower". The magazine was founded in large part to champion the magnanimous nature of the Almighty, particularly since the first writers had been formerly associated with a magazine which embraced colder, sterner ideas about God. That first issue did misapply Ezekiel 16:53-55; the article's writer erroneously felt that this Scripture specifically extended the resurrection hope to the inhabitants of Sodom and Gomorrah. The point was made 129 years ago, and it can hardly be understood as a core doctrine of the Jehovah's Witness faith since the matter of Ezekiel 16:55 and Sodom then goes unmentioned for decades.
...(Ezekiel 16:55) And your own sisters, Sodom and her dependent towns, will return to their former state
** 1. In actuality, Jehovah's Witnesses for many decades understood that Jehovah had promised an earthly resurrection hope to the righteous and the unrighteous. The "unrighteous" were thought to be the dead who had sinned in ignorance; that certainly did not seem to include those who sinned willfully. The Scriptures explicitly describe an attempted gang-rape by a mob of Sodomites; what could be more willful than conspiracy to commit rape, especially considering Lot's attempts to reason with the mob? Since willfully unrighteous were not thought to qualify for resurrection, that would clearly have excluded resurrection for Sodom and Gomorrah.
...(Acts 24:15) There is going to be a resurrection of both the righteous and the unrighteous.
...(Genesis 19:4-5) The men of the city, the men of Sodom, surrounded the house, from boy to old man, all the people in one mob. And they kept calling out to Lot and saying to him: "Where are the men who came in to you tonight? Bring them out to us that we may have intercourse with them."
** 2. Beginning in 1964/65, Jehovah's Witnesses realized that the earthly resurrection was not limited to those who had died only in either ignorance or relative righteousness. The Witnesses realized that the earthly resurrection was actually the hope of nearly EVERY person who has EVER died, and not just the righteous and the ignorant.
...(John 5:28,29) The hour is coming in which ALL those in the memorial tombs will hear his voice and come out [emphasis added]
...(Acts 17:31) [Jehovah] has furnished a guarantee to ALL men in that he has resurrected [Jesus] from the dead. [emphasis added]
Jehovah's Witnesses recognized that there were many examples of those who actually would be resurrected, despite what might have previously seemed to disqualify them; examples included the cities of Chorazin, Bethsaida, and Capernaum which were rebuked by Jesus himself. Matthew 11:21-24 specifically mentions that Capernaum is headed for "Hades", the biblical Greek term for the common grave of mankind from whence resurrection *IS* possible. Interestingly, the dead of Tyre/Sidon are specifically noted by Ezekiel as being in "Sheol", the Hebrew term for the common grave of mankind from whence resurrection is possible.
...(Matthew 11:21-24) Woe to you, Chorazin! Woe to you, Bethsaida! because if the powerful works had taken place in Tyre and Sidon that took place in you, they would long ago have repented in sackcloth and ashes. 22 Consequently I say to you, It will be more endurable for Tyre and Sidon on Judgment Day than for YOU. 23 And you, Capernaum, will you perhaps be exalted to heaven? Down to Hades you will come; because if the powerful works that took place in you had taken place in Sodom, it would have remained until this very day. 24 Consequently I say to YOU people, It will be more endurable for the land of Sodom on Judgment Day than for you.
...(Ezekiel 32:21) The foremost men of the mighty ones will speak out of the midst of Sheol... They will certainly go down; they must lie down as the uncircumcised, slain by the sword.
At that time, a relatively minor point noted that if the inhabitants of those cities would be resurrected, Matthew 11:24 would seem to offer hope to Sodom also.
** 3. By the end of 1988, Jehovah's Witnesses realized that the inhabitants of Sodom and Gomorrah had actually been referred to as an undeniable example of utter wickedness; unfavorable comparisons with Sodom were hyperboles. The inhabitants of Sodom and Gomorrah are NOT mentioned as being in the common grave of mankind from whence they might be resurrected; instead the inspired bible book Jude tells us plainly that Sodom and Gomorrah have been destroyed forever, in the lake of fire, Gehenna, which is the 'second death' from whence there is no resurrection. The point was not a major one, but it did need correcting.
http://watchtower.org/e/20020715/article...
...(Jude 7) Sodom and Gomorrah and the cities about them... are placed before us as a warning example by undergoing the judicial punishment of everlasting fire.
...(Luke 12:4-5) I [Jesus] say to you, my friends, Do not fear those who kill the body and after this are not able to do anything more. 5 But I will indicate to you whom to fear: Fear him who after killing has authority to throw into Gehenna. Yes, I tell you, fear this One.
Thus, at the most, Jehovah's Witnesses have changed their point of view on this relatively minor matter at the most three times and always as part of a much larger doctrinal move forward (excepting the minor correction specific to Sodom in 1988). Those anti-Witnesses who pretend to juxtapose additional supposed 'back-and-forth' references do so dishonestly in a way that ignores the actual publication dates and exposes the accusers' true intentions to embarrass Jehovah's Witnesses rather than to disseminate truth as true Christians must.