.
i was baptized in 1986 at the tender age of 11 yoa, but i remember after sitting through that stupid talk (where i almost fell asleep, no kidding) and then prayer, then getting dunked, then they announced a welcome to all newly baptized people and said "welcome to the great crowd" .
it's so weird remembering that specifically.. now i think, welcome to the great dwindling crowd of duped people not going anywhere.
JTP - I don't recall any such announcements in my area -
But I find the timing interesting - 1986 in the post - Ray Franz apostate thinking era. Could it be they were sensitive to the idea that some might be thinking that they could actually have a relationship with God thru Christ, even be headed to heaven....maybe not be of a secondary class that had to gain salvation thru the organizational mediatorship ?
Just thinking out loud.
Jeff
my husband was talking at the table with his young adult daughter last night.
for those of you that don't know, he is a long time witness, and his children are of course witnesses also.
we were married when he was df'd, and i knew all about him being a witness and wanting to return.
WW - just cut him off - and tell him that you are sure he would not want to have sex with a 'worldly' person would he? Maybe he will slow the derog a bit.
Jeff
i have read on here over the past few years many threads pertaining to "the fall of the wt" most recently the "divided branch" one and also if jwish will become more mainstream.
i think that jw's today are vastly different than several to a few decades ago.
for instance, i am an active jw and i go through the motions and i can probably acurately assume that i am not alone... in fact there are many like me i am sure.
They are changing with the times to some extent - and the GB hates it with passion!
I see only two possible ways for this to go;
1- The GB tries to move the organization to a 'moderate' stance, and reduces control. In this case some that left might even return.
Chances of number one happening - about equal with them letting Raymond Franz back on the GB
2- Control, control, control. In this case the halls will keep emptying out.
Number two it will be!
Jeff
having a pulse and not missing meetings?
my grandfather is an ms and i know for a fact that he is not the picture perfect jw.
he doesnt do anything wrong but he is no bastion of spirituality either.
Requirments;
1- Big lips
2- Surgical suture - #6 will work well
3- Two elders - one the PO - the extra elder should be good with a sewing kit
4- 15 minutes free to have your lips sewed squarely to the PO's ass
not sure if this has been posted.
there have been a few threads about the george benson singing kingdom melodies cd that is doing the rounds in dubdom.
seems the wt doesnt like it.
By this statement they are revealing themselves as controllers par excellence. Just think of it, an organisation that instructs the "free' ,members of itsassociation that it must not download an item from the internet!! Incredible.
On point, Oz.
What gall! I find this beyond belief! But we used to all accept without question this sort of thing. Like don't stay at a certain hotel during the convention, same type of thing.
But - what harm to they think could come from downloading music that they invented and use all the time?
Jeff
Not sure I understand what you are looking for, Min.
The weakest link as far as holding the organization together is the insistence that all prophecy and prophetic understanding is vested in the FDS. How will they hold the org together in say another 50 years when all the prophecies have been explained and there is nothing left to happen - they are basically there now.
Jeff
.
john wrote that many put faith in jesus, but because of being afraid of getting expelled from the synagogue, they wouldn't confess him.. john 12: 42. it was a powerful weapon back then, and it's still used today.
even when some want to stop being a witness, they're lumped in with ones who are unrepentant sinners, and expelled from the congregation.. wouldn't the pharisees be proud of many of the things done in the organization today?.
This is the standard deception employed. To the JW (pharasaical/legalistic) mind, it is inconceivable that anyone could lead a life relatively free of the works of the flesh without the WT.
Good point, Perry.
That is precisely why, to those few witnesses that will still allow us to speak to them, I always make sure I include in my comments how well we are doing in terms of our marriage, love of the family, ect. And I always include a scriptural notation [in emails and letters]. That way they know that we are still living life as Christians.
I know they still think we are out of God's favor, but they know too that the Bible and morality still guides us. They prob wonder how that can be under the rule of Satan though.
Jeff
over the last week i have been telling a longtime friend of mine from my hometown about what i found.
we were best friends all growing up and he had some real bad physical abuse probs in his house and so when he graduated he left the truth and has just recently started coming back.
he?s been studying off and on.
Why do they keep on decieving when they must know they are not telling the 'truth'?
Answer: Power is a narcotic!
Jeff
when i make mistakes ( i do, i do!
) or do something really bad, the last thing i think about is confessing to it.. i apologise where appropriate, try to learn from the experience and generally file away the event so's to maybe profit by the experience.
sometimes i even feel remorse!.
The old adage " Confession is good for the soul " has some merit.
Not the JW style of confession that ends in pain all around - nor the admission of guilt in some matters of indescetion that hurts the other party [confessing an ancient affair just to get it off your chest - will only hurt the innocent mate].
But confession to work out the anxiety and guilt when done in the ears of a neutral party can have great impact on allowing us to deal with unresolved internal conflict, no? That is why therapists are so busy - and that is where it should be done. Or just strictly between you and God.
Just my opinion
Jeff
my fellow skittlers, those of the mighty and most feared team "the wanderers", now call me "shark attack".. this harps back to just after i'd come out of hospital and proudly displayed my scars to enyone whom i could get to take a peek.
now, if i happen to score a spare, my team jump up and down and shout "shark attack, shark attack!
" very loudly.
Played inside like bowling? or outside?
Jeff
