Posts by Confession

20

Alan Feuerbacher, Bob Wallen and "Apostasy"

by Dogpatch in

jw
friends

hmmm.... let's see... dogz has a few nice things to share today!.

first on the agenda:.

from a km school in nov 2001 in fremont, calif., in the far right corner, is robert "bob" wallen, high level mucky muck at bethel, rated #2 in power and authoritae by barb herself!.

Confession

Enjoyed your comments, Avishai and Mary. Here's an excerpt from the letter to my mother that I've posted before.

In examining one of the above Watchtower quotes, we find them actually discouraging readers from the policy that they themselves clearly taught in the Truth book. They even use the same words in perfect contradiction of themselves. Consider…
“We need to examine…what is taught by any religious organization with which we may be associated… If we are lovers of the truth, there is nothing to fear from such an examination.”
“You may even reason: …' if we have the truth, we have nothing to fear...' In thinking this way, some have fed their minds upon apostate reasoning and have fallen prey to serious questioning and doubt.”
So which is it? Should there be “nothing to fear” in examining all of the information about our religion, or shouldn’t there? And what exactly is wrong with “serious questioning” anyway? Isn’t that what we should always be willing to do? Don’t Jehovah’s Witnesses ask those with whom they come into contact to engage in “serious questioning?” And what’s wrong with doubt? Shouldn’t we doubt things that, after considering all the available information, we conclude are without sufficient foundation? Isn’t there something false about the way the Watchtower Society wholeheartedly endorses questioning in the first above quote, but spins it as ‘falling prey’ in the second?
Don’t you expect someone you’re studying with to “doubt” the Trinity doctrine when you show him scriptures and other information that contradict it? Would it be right for the Catholic church to warn all Catholics not to listen to Jehovah’s Witnesses on this and other subjects because it might lead to “serious questioning and doubt?” Wouldn’t a group of Jehovah’s Witnesses laugh at such a warning if they heard about it? Wouldn’t they say, “Well of course the Catholic church doesn’t want them listening to us! Of course they don’t want their churchgoers questioning their doctrines! They’re just afraid they’ll find out the truth!” And if Jehovah’s Witnesses would ridicule such a warning from the Catholic church, why would they not also do the same when the Watchtower Society sends out precisely the same sort of admonition?
Under what circumstances is it wise to disallow yourself the hearing of all sides of an important issue? Mother, if you were fully confident that something were true, but someone disagreed with you, would you feel the need to warn everyone you knew not to listen to that person? And would you take the further step of threatening that you might punish and enforce a group shunning against them if they did listen? If someone did that to you, might you not think they had something to hide?

43

What was your first Computer?

by The Lone Ranger in

jw
friends

the last topic got me thinking about this.. my first computer was back in 1981, a sinclair zx81, it has 1k of memory.

then in 1982 i progressed to a clone of an apple 2 with 16k of memory which i incresed to 48k, a floopy drive for that apple cost me $600 !!!

.. in approx 1987 i got an ibm xt 640megs with a 20meg hard drive..it was like a dream .

I too was a TRS-80 (Trash-80) guy. I think it was about 1981 when the head of our little high school's math department brought them in. We had no idea what the hell they were, but it wouldn't take long. In our school, taking computer classes meant learning how to program them in the BASIC language. I graduated in 1984, and I have no memory of anyone ever loading some outside software into our computers. Originally they had only 16K, but we eventually expanded them to 64K. (Who could EVER need more than that?!) We used the cassette drives for storage too. NOT all that reliable.

I did my best to make these things do everything they could do. I created a crude-but-engaging Asteroids game with little characters that would actually close in on you in the graphics mode. A friend created a good facsimile of Frogger. When I was a Senior, I was the only guy who took the Advanced Computers class, so all I did was create programs for the teachers. One of them was a program that would let our football coach enter the previous week's plays of whatever team we'd be playing the next week. It then generated a one-page grid that would tell him exactly what that competing team could be expected to do in any given situation.

Not long after high school, I'd get my own TRS-80 color computer. Many years later (maybe '94) I'd get my first IBM PC 486.

11

Were here any sham marriages in your KH?

by badboy in

jw
friends

recenly there have reports of sham marriages in church,have there been cases in khs?

Confession

One couple lived, for a time, just two houses away from my former wife and me. He'd been an elder and pioneer before I was appointed, and they were good friends. Some years later he approached another elder and me to confess that he'd been "struggling with homosexuality." As we talked, certain comments some friends used to make returned to my memory. They used to mention how this couple, although both great examples in the congregation, did not seem warm or "connected" to one another.

It seemed to me he became a shell of a man over time. I'd see him a couple of times over the years, and hear things. It appeared he began living as a gay person--but still believed it was wrong. I feel so sorry for him now, but hope, like me, he eventually figured it out.

5

How Will Men Die in 2008?

by edward612 in

jw
friends

only 4 from spider bites though eh?

Confession

I see "diving into shallow water." But I don't see "drowning." Isn't that a glaring omission?

24

Post your percentage opinion: How many JWs REALLY . . .?

by AuldSoul in

our kingdom ministry, april 1992, p. 4, par.

7. keep spiritually strong, stay clean for jehovahs service.

7 the benefits of these meetings are multiplied when they are combined with good habits of personal and family study.

Confession

Damn you, Confession!
Frequently this would be whilst on the crapper in the mensroom, during the public talk.
You're giving away all the elder secrets!

Sorry. Guess I keep forgetting that "skull and bones" oath we took.

What I hated was when lots of people kept coming into the bathroom while I was, ahem, preparing. I was so self-conscious they'd see me through the cracks--or hear me underlining. I considered shouting, "Hey! Would you brothers clear outta here? I'm trying to prepare the Watchtower lesson in here!"...but thought better of it.

76

Re: My 9/11 threads ... a study in NLP ... enjoy!

by What-A-Coincidence in

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nohk8qk-ajw.

.

Confession

While I'm not interested in getting involved in this discussion, I'd like to point out that it is not only "Republicans and Neo-Cons" who engage in what our host calls "posting what is pure propaganda."

28

"Only active "jw's will survive armageddon"....a list please.......

by oompa in

i find it interesting that jw's so often think they are in full harmony with all wt teachings, but in reality, they have softend a tough jw position in there own mind.

for instance, a close jw friend of mine....my age....actually told me he did not think wt ever said that only jw's will survive armageddon!!!!

of course this is because he does not want to think of billions of good decent people that are not dubs dying....i believed that way....and my elder dad does too.

Confession

Verrrrryy early in my awakening, I began to write down all of the things I was experiencing. Here's an excerpt from something I wrote (October of 2004) only about two weeks after I realized The Truth wasn't...

When non JWs would ask me, “So do you believe that only Jehovah’s Witnesses will get into God’s Kingdom?” I would answer in a typically diplomatic fashion.
“Only God knows who he will and will not allow into His kingdom; that decision certainly isn’t up to us. We do recognize though that He does not accept just any form of worship. We also know that the Bible teaches the road to life is ‘narrow and cramped and few would be finding it,’ while the road to destruction would be ‘broad and spacious and many would be finding it.’ So it’s reasonable to believe that most people are not on that road to life, and it’s probably unreasonable to think that a religion is the right one simply because so many people are members.” So, while we craft an answer that we hope will result in less controversy, the truth is—yes, Jehovah’s Witnesses do in fact believe that (among those living today) only those in this organization will enter God’s Kingdom.
If people pressed on this topic further, I would usually paraphrase what I’d heard a District Overseer, Brother Beagler, say. “Are you asking me if I believe I have the truth? Well, yes I DO believe I have the truth. Don’t you believe YOU have the truth?” I would then go on to show them the verses at Matthew 24:43-47. I would then say, “So that’s a question each one of us has to answer for him or herself. Who really is that faithful and discreet slave? I’ve answered that for myself. I believe the faithful and discreet slave is in association with the organization of Jehovah’s Witnesses.” I would then often take them to Ephesians 1:10, which speaks of “an administration at the full limit of the times, namely, to gather all things together again in the Christ…” I’d usually ask if they’d let me show them why I felt this was referring to the Watchtower Society.

Oh, and here's another quote for you...

“…survival of individuals today depends on their faith and their loyal association with the earthly part of Jehovah's universal organization.” [Watchtower, May 15, 2006]

24

Post your percentage opinion: How many JWs REALLY . . .?

by AuldSoul in

our kingdom ministry, april 1992, p. 4, par.

7. keep spiritually strong, stay clean for jehovahs service.

7 the benefits of these meetings are multiplied when they are combined with good habits of personal and family study.

Confession

Growing up, when more of the kids were still at home, we'd often have a family study, but it was hit-and-miss.

Apart from its consideration at the meeting for field service, I probably read the Daily Text 20 or 30 times in the entire 38 years I was a JW. As an adult, I tried to study for the WT and the Book Study, but probably only did this about one third of the time.

This became more frequent when I was the Watchtower Study conductor at my hall. During that time, I would make sure I had the scriptures printed out and skim through it about two thirds of the time. Frequently this would be whilst on the crapper in the mensroom, during the public talk.

And, no, I'm not kidding.

27

What Do You Like Least About The JW Religion?

by minimus in

jw
friends

for me, i think it's that they are 100% intolerant.

even if they are espousing an erroneous view and it is pointed out to them why they are incorrect, you would be "running ahead" if you still did not support the error until they state that a change in viewpoint has been made!

Confession

They insist on their own rights as a religious entity while trampling the individual rights of its members.

That's a big one for me too, FF. I'd say my biggest problem is with the practice of shunning. I have no problem with people believing in whatever they will, but this idea that YOU have to believe what they believe too or there will be sanctions should be recognized as obvious authoritarian manipulation. 1) They encourage you to get baptized young...13 or 14 is best. 2) When you come of age, begin to use your mind and find yourself in disagreement with them, you have no choices--unless you want to be ripped from your family and entire community of friends. 3) If you decide it's not "The Truth" and admit it, you are branded an "apostate." You are "wicked," not to be prayed for, and it's actually okay, according to the WTS to "hate" you. Bottom Line? They are willing to ruin your family relationships in order to maintain the authority they crave.

83

Who Pays The Ferryman....?

by hillary_step in

french philosopher blaise pascal once noted, "men never do evil so completely and cheerfully as when they do it from religious conviction.

" a case study for this statement can clearly be evidenced by the governing body of jehovahs witnesses.. the gb present themselves as lovers of truth and righteousness who are the only persons on this planet who speak for god.

this doctrine is at the very core of the beliefs of jehovahs witnesses and is one of the few that cannot be rationalized away by wts apologists.

Confession

So this is the sort of post HS used to write? Outstanding...