BluesBrother

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Posts by BluesBrother

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  3

  Celebration

  by teejay in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  g and f are both tremendous people, genuine and true to the core and, for jws, exceptionally non-judgmental.

  they were well into adulthood before becoming witnesses and their perspective of people has been tempered as a result, i think.

  ive known them for close to twenty years and consider them dear friends.

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  BluesBrother

  Well said Amazing.

  This touches on the dilemma that I sometimes muse over when driving.
  Do the good things about being a Witness make up for the bad?

  Lets not pretend, there are many many happy witnesses who enjoy a good social and family life, the comfort of a strong faith in God , a study and learning programme and strong human bonds of close association.

  Does that mean that we can ignore the fact that what they believe and teach to others is no more than bullshit? (Sorry, but I know of no other word that aptly describes the contempt that I have for the teachings that dominated my life for so long)

  Failed predictions and doctrines that change to suit the moment are no foundation for a successful life, no matter how much you like the people at the K.Hall!

  Perhaps the young ones "Reaching out" in the Org. and planning a Theocratic Career could be reached and given a shake..to really think it through before they waste their life as we did.... don't I wish I could!!
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  2

  Why don't they practise what they preach?

  by sleepy in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  why don't they practise what they preach?.

  we were always being told to do our return visits quickly, even on the same day.. so how come when you send a letter to bethal it takes weeks to get a reply?.

  last time it took two letters and more than six weeks to get a reply.. i've only waited two weeks for my current letter, so i must have at least another four to go.

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  BluesBrother

  A cynical person might suggest that:-

  1) return visits are done by the rank & file, so cost nothing to the Borg.

  2) replies to letters cost money, we were at one time discouraged from writing and adding to their burden,which distracted from the preaching work.

  3)limited resources are put to this activity, and if you write to Brooklyn it is only referred to the home Bethel - which in our case is London - even if you especially ask for a reply from Brookyn..

  But then , thats what a cynical person might think
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  30

  30+ years of Field Service Observations

  by Tulsi Das in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  some very random thoughts based on 30+ years of field service activity.

  would especially enjoy responses by jt, alanf, amazing, & others.. why they do it.

  1. guilt.

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  BluesBrother

  I guess that the thread just about sums up my own recollections. Also my anger now at all the time i wasted and all the things i could have been doing all those years

  The truth is that it is a very unpleasant thing to do. few people have the natural confidence to knock on a strangers door and enjoy telling him something he does not want to hear, especially when the arguments dont stand up to scrutiny.

  I knew that I had to do it if i wanted to be in the organisation, so i summoned all my courage ,said a prayer and got on with it
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  26

  Am I an "apostate"?

  by 4christ in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  i was wondering if i am considered one by the wt defintion.

  i have never been a jw in my life but i disagree with their doctrine.

  are all the "worldies" considered "apostates" or just the ex jws?

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  BluesBrother

  Liberty is about right, If the J W is not experienced or can't be bothered then they make an excuse an leave, searching for a more gullible sheep.

  Some C O's would tell us not to waste time with people like you. Mind you, some witnesses would rise to the occasion. If my Misses called, you would be in for one hell of a debate!.
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  47

  I called Patterson today.

  by Mulan in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  someone please post a phone number where i can call the wts.

  will explain later.

  i guess i need the service desk.

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  BluesBrother

  *** w88 4/15 28 Discipline That Can Yield Peaceable Fruit ***
  13 Cutting off from the Christian congregation does not involve immediate death, so family ties continue. Thus, a man who is disfellowshipped or who disassociates himself may still live at home with his Christian wife and faithful children. Respect for God’s judgments and the congregation’s action will move the wife and children to recognize that by his course, he altered the spiritual bond that existed between them. Yet, since his being disfellowshipped does not end their blood ties or marriage relationship, normal family affections and dealings can continue."

  Note "Still live at Home" and "Blood ties...normal family affections and dealings can continue"

  The principle always was, If they live with you then its O K , Just restrict "Spiritual association " ie, prayers and worship.

  Lots of elderly d'fd parents are cared for by witness sons and daughters and vice versa. Tell these elders to go look up their own rulebooks , since they cannot reason anything unless it is in print from the hallowed "Society!"
  All the best.
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  23

  Disassociation?

  by Sunflower1982 in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  hi people!

  i was wondering if you all could take a moment to give me some advice.... since leaving my congregation and regaining clarity, i have been contemplating disassociating myself.

  i know it seems like a silly thing to fret about, but i think disassociation might give me the closure ive been looking for.

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  BluesBrother

  J T , If you come back to this thread.

  Thanks for your response.
  I can see that we are both coming from the same viewpoint really and I did not intend my comment to be rude.

  It is true that WT "Training" does not equip a man to deal with sensitive personal issues, and the viewpoint that "We know better than the World" is very dangerous. If a man is endowed with insight and practical wisdom, that is his own charecter , not the WT equipping him to do the job.
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  29

  JW's and Marriage

  by Xena in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  i am wondering how many jw's stay in a marriage because they have to?

  i mean i know there are happy marriages out there (somewhere i am sure), but i have run across several jw wives who are just waiting on their significant other to commet "the act" so they can divorce them and move on with their lives.. divorce has become less of a taboo thing in the org, but it is still frowned upon and people that do divorce, even on the scriptural grounds, are somewhat stigmatized.

  so i guess my question is what do you think the divorce rate would be if jw's could get divorced for any grounds with no repercussions?

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  BluesBrother

  Seems to me that there is more emphasis these days on the phrase "Divorce THAT ALLOWS ONE TO GET RE MARRIED"..eg Awake Feb 8th p10.

  I know that it is not a new teaching ,but the emphasis always used to be on a divorce for scriptural grounds[adultery]only and maybe perhaps separation if he was beating hells bells out of you!
  A scripture from Malachi was used to quote that "God hates a divorce"

  The latest wording seems to suggest that it would be acceptable to separate and divorce for a variety of reasons - as long as you remained single, and hope the other one remarries and frees you "Scripturally" to re marry.
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  7

  80 Questions From The Elders.

  by Englishman in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  just seen this on paul blizzards site at: http://www.geocities.com/heartland/2919/main2.html.

  "before baptism, one must answer over 80 questions in front of a panel of elders.".

  enlightenment would be much appreciated!.

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  BluesBrother

  I dont know anything about a panel of elders.

  In my days,up to 1998, three elders would each take a section with the student, one to one usually in their home , we used to use it to get to the principle ,rather than a detailed "head knowlege"

  Still heavy going though
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  10

  WT and AW Issues You Just Couldn't Place

  by AvailableLight in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  having just read the donut shop thread, i was reminded of the typical way my fellow publishers and i would deal with hard- or impossible-to-place issues of the watchtower and awake!

  magazines.. one in particular that comes to mind is the issue of the wt, released around the late 80s or early 90s, that depicted a close-up facial shot of an old man with tremendously bushy eyebrows.

  my friends and i affectionately dubbed him "pubic brow.

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  BluesBrother

  Did you ever find that the lurid covers gave people the opposite impression of what they were really about?

  An Awake with a big "Mushroom cloud" picture of an A bomb, people thought I was from C N D (Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament in the U K )
  Also a banner headline "Homosexual Priests "got me thrown out of shops etc , I later figured they thought we were advocating it.
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  29

  Circuit Assembly Bklyn NY -Saturday 4/6/02

  by worf in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  my sister went to the circuit assembly this past weekend here in bklyn ny.. they had a young sister on the platform helping to promote pioneering.the interesting point about this is that this young sister is attending college full time and actually said this in front of the audience.she brought out that she is going to college full-time and that since she "has only one more year left, she will wait to pioneer when she is in her last year of college because maybe then it probably won't be so hard.

  " these were her exact words.. i find this to be very interesting.

  those of us who have done parts or experiences or talks for circuit assemblies know that each talk and each part is scrutinized in practice sessions prior to the assembly in front of the circuit overseers.

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  BluesBrother

  I was at a C/Ass where the grand total of 2 were baptised.
  Anybody beat that?