steve2

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Posts by steve2

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  21

  Elders stepping out of bounds

  by homme perdu in

  1. watchtower
  2. beliefs

  when i was very young the elders told my mother that my unbaptized teen sister could not go to the public park on days that brothers would socialize at due to her lack of morals.

  three years ago my brother moved in with my grandmother.

  he is baptised but faded from the organization 10+ years ago.

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  steve2

  I think their bullying ways are despicable. On the other hand, demanding that a young person be kicked out of the house could be reframed positively:

  The organization cares so much about that young man and they know how unhappy he would be as a witness. So, they are giving him a wonderful opportunity to break free and make his own way in life.

  Is age eighteen old enough to leave or be booted out of home? Yes. I would argue that age 18 is far too young to make a decision to commit to the Watchtower Society. I hope the young man makes the most of his imposed freedom. What an opportunity to develop the ability to look after oneself. Thank you Watchtower for protecting this young man from your mean-spirited environment!
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  83

  EX JW who are now Born Again Christians?

  by imnottheonlyone! in

  1. jw
  2. friends

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  i am pretty sure this is what i am.

  i would love to chat with anyone else who might want to sort some stuff out with me.. many thanks!.

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  steve2

  It's not limited to Fundamentalist-types, but it sure does take some excesses there.

  Agreed. It's not so much the specific views - which, I agree, people are entitled to - it is the ferocious dogmatism that (some times) accompanies them.
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  14

  WT 15 ,2005,PAGE 13;WHAT DOES THIS MEAN?

  by badboy in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  quote;.

  however,if misdirected,self-examination that prompts to look for our"identity" or to search for answers outside our relationship with jehovah or the christian congregation will prove to be pointless and can be spiritually fatal.

  * never would we want to `experience shipwreck concerning our faith`!-1 timothy 1;19.. .

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  steve2

  The scary part is, Who decides what is a spiritual matter and what a mental health matter? The individual? I'd say it would be more likely the elders who decide. Spirituality and mental health are inextricably interlinked. Another example of the Watchtower actually encouraging the rank and file and, more importantly, the elders to remain out of their depth.
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  13

  12,000-Year-Old Bones Found in Kansas

  by hawkaw in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  i thought the following was an interesting story.

  i note that it seems there are some in the world who use an accuracy error to completely discount the carbon 14 to carbon 12 ratio when dating materials.

  please note that when reading the following story, the carbon 14 dating has a particular "accuracy error".

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  steve2

  I wouldn't be at all surprised if the bones turn out to be those of Charles Taze Russell. Honestly, it feels like 12,000 years ago that he started all of this, what with his emphasis on the pyramids of old.
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  14

  Re-Introducing Myself / Hello All !!!

  by prophecor in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  this is presented as a means of re-introducing myself to the community.

  as time takes its toll and as new ones come in at almost a daily rate, it can be a little difficult for some to know, or get to know you.

  as a hope of allowing one of our new members to be better acquainted with me, i presented this as a pm, however, after giving it an overveiw while looking to see if it was read, and it was not, i decided to put it before the entire community, that maybe this pm should be regarded as not so private.

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  steve2

  Good to hear from you Prophecor. I also enjoyed Scott Peck's The Road Less Travelled - especially the way his book normalised the experience of emotional pain and the human capacity to endure in the face of it. You have been through a lot and there is an encouraging openess in your expressions. I like the way you describe how you thought there was nothing else for you once you left, but now have a different, more positive view. You talk about when you left "the truth". If I may be so bold: I don't think you've so much left it, as you've actually found it on your own road less travelled!
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  16

  It is obvious that jehovahs witnesses are not proud of their religion.

  by Holey_Cheeses*King_of_the juice. in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  one could rightly expect, considering the urgency of the times, and the need 'to preach the good news of the kingdomtm' before the end arrives, that jws would be doing all they could to encourage 'like-heartedtm' ones along to their place of worship/study/meeting (or whatever they wish to call their kingdom hallstm).

  instead, from my observations, they are doing their best to make the halls as uninviting as possible.. the case in point.

  several days ago i drove past the front entrance to the fairly new kingdom hall in ballina where i spent my formative years in 'the truthtm'.

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  steve2

  Just an observation: Vandalism of signs in some areas has been a chronic problem and I notice in my city that churches in general are somewhat more discreet in the amount of space they devote to signs. Thus the relative inaccessibility and small signs etc may be a practical attempt to deflect unwanted attention from vandals.
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  83

  EX JW who are now Born Again Christians?

  by imnottheonlyone! in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  .

  i am pretty sure this is what i am.

  i would love to chat with anyone else who might want to sort some stuff out with me.. many thanks!.

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  steve2

  he told me, very politely, that if I don't become a Christian that I am going to burn in hell. Im just really tired of these kinds of, imo, stupid belief systems.

  While I acknowledge the previous posts that have stated that being a born-again Christian does not imply or necessitate affiliation with any denomination, the above is the often seen public "face" of born-again Chrisitianity. Some of the born again Christians that I know are blunter and more tactless in their Biblical pronouncements than the JWs. They're also notoriously ill-informed and judgemental about non-Christian religions to the point of being quite scary - reminiscent of JWs in this regard, unfortnuately. It is this "type" of born again individual that I react to negatively and I suspect, that others on this post have reacted to.
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  8

  JW is principal of a Pentecostal school?

  by NeonMadman in

  1. watchtower
  2. beliefs

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  what the heck?

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  steve2

  Well, here's the follow-up story - dude lost his job.

  Poor guy - He's no doubt "getting" the heavy line from both sides. It'll be interesting to see the extent to which his bros and the Watchtower support him if he ever appeals the decision.
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  69

  The Young Witness Exodus Continues

  by metatron in

  1. jw
  2. experiences

  i just found out that , on my wife's side of the family, the last witness kid has given up!.

  he was the very last one in that half of our extended witness family.

  ten years ago, i never would have.

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  steve2

  The other "side" of the exodus is an absence: Few, if any, newly interested people coming in to the organization and becoming active JWs. This development is "strange" because the JWs, at least until a few years ago in Western countries, comprised a religion whose growth was predominantly obtained from "new blood". But as it has aged, and the JWs become more "fruitful" with progeny, the sight of new ones embracing the Watchtower's dated message has declined.

  Coupled with the exodus of youth, there is a real change going on. My impression is that, while some of the higher ups in the organization may well be concerned, it's business as usual for the boys in Brooklyn. None so blind...
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  69

  watchtower red flags

  by Ticker in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  when i was studying and in the org i never did put two and two together becuase first off it was peer pressure and a young baptism age.

  i was indoctrinated as a child so i never got a chance to ever use sound reason and judgement toword the validity of the society's claims.

  but anywho i was thinking the other day about certain things that are obvious red flags and far fetched claims that the org makes.

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  steve2

  i keep hearing this. does anybody know how many prophecies they got wrong?

  This is a good question. An even better one is this: How many prophecies have they got right? Specific examples please.