TheListener

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Posts by TheListener

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  17

  JOB's children celebrating birthdays

  by eye 23 in

  1. watchtower
  2. bible

  can anyone give me their view on why the bible says that after job's children celebrated 'their day' he went out and made sacrafices to god in case they had sinned and cursed god in their hearts ?.

  the first part is a great talking part especially regarding job being a rightous man but the latter tends to counter act it some how by impling that job thoughts were that birthdays were wrong, in gods eyes.

  especially as he did this after every birthday, so i can't really debate that it was one off event that might have encured some wrong doing at one particular party........if you understand what i mean.. thanks for any iput.

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  TheListener

  ok I'll give a reply a try. Although there are much better minds and more informed people this is the argument I have used.

  I personally believe that Job's children were celebrating their birthdays. However, there is now foolproof way to prove that to a JW. The WT has a QFR on this and basically discredits the whole idea based on the fact that the word Hulledeth (sp?) doesn't precede the word yowm (sp?). Basically saying that the word "day" without the word "birth" in front of it cannot mean birthday. Looking at the context shuts that arguement down pretty well for me and apparently several other translators and bible commentators.

  First, if the celebration of birthdays had been wrong or looked down upon; Job's children wouldn't have even been celebrating them. They were righteous like their father.

  Second, if celebrating birthdays was wrong in some way then Job wouldn't have sacrificed in their behalf "in case one of them sinned in their heart". He would have sacrificed because they had in fact sinned by celebrating their birthday or doing wrong things at their party.

  Third, the brothers were the ones who feasted on their days and the fact that they invited their daughters shows that it "most likely" (wt phrase) wasn't a drunken gluttonous crazy butt party. I forget which commentator brought this out but in fact since the sisters were invited it showed how nice everyone got along and how it was probably a nice family occcasion.
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  49

  The Money Is Drying Up In The Organization!

  by minimus in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  my mother told me that the congregation has been pretty much begging for money for the local kingdom hall.

  after the presiding overseer expressed the state of debt and severe lack on contributions, he then asked the congregation to approve a resolution to send mor money to the society!!!

  i don't know how they are able to function.

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  TheListener

  Before my fade began I checked with several halls in my circuit and even out of state to review how much they sent to the society each month for the WWW. What I found is that most halls weren't contributing enough to even cover the old cost of the magazines for their congregation, much less the books and brochures and tracts. I've had COs mention and discuss this with the BOE during thier visits. Which is why I investigated other congregations, to see if it was local only or commonplace nationally.

  Does this mean the society doesn't have cash? No. It just means the friends are voting with their pocketbooks like Blondie's husband says. They're giving the society what they feel the literature is worth.
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  7

  I need advice about my studies with JWs

  by jaffacake in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  hit my first real hurdle studying with an elder.

  i couldn't accept acts 15 as a basis for a governing body.

  instead of studying the chapter i was diverted to the fds, the 144,000. i couldn't see any link with the little flock.

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  TheListener

  Sounds like things are going well so far. Just don't let on that you know more than you should. The JW must always feel that they are superior in knowledge or they'll cancel the study. He may begin to along other brothers or sisters (one at a time of course) who he feels will be able to communicate with you more effectively or who he feels are more knowledgeable about specific subjects than he himself is. Remember also that after each lesson (at some point) he is going home and pulling up his CD rom to study each thing over so as to use the most convincing arguments with you next week. We should get you a copy of the CD rom if you don't have it already.

  Before any discussion about the witnesses with my family or friends I try to bone up on the CD so I can be ready for each argument they make. It's kind of funny, because they only make the arguements found in the literature and never come up with new ones themselves.

  Ps. I did the research thing before each shepherding call or judicial meeting as well. I never had an original thought either.
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  25

  So sick and tired of the double standard

  by ValiantBoy in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  for a group that constantly bitches about people needing to accomadate it's beliefs and practices, jw's sure are inflexible and intolerant.

  i realize that we all already know that, but is of special irritation to me right now.

  my oldest sister, who is faded and now regularly attends a worldly church, is getting married.

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  TheListener

  It is funny how as witnesses we expected everyone to cater to our rules and whatnot. The witnesses are offended when we don't cater to them, but indignant and self-righteous when they won't cater to anyone else.

  Typical of dubdom - for all non-dubs it's a lose-lose situation
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  15

  woot im no longer a newbie

  by Es in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  hey all just realised i am now a junior member dont know when it happened but hey im a little excited es

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  TheListener

  Congratulations. Keep up the good work.
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  21

  Did You Get All "Giddy" When You Saw A Fellow JW???

  by minimus in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  i used to embarrassingly get a kick out of going to the conventions and seeing jw families proudly displaying their songbooks and literature strategicially placed in their automobiles for all to see.

  some even woyld display yhwh in their windows.

  meanwhile everyone in the car would watch to see if other witnesses would notice and give them a joyful wave.

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  TheListener

  It's funny because whenever you happen to run into another dub everyone always says "wow, we really are everywhere!". Oh yeah, just imagine how many catholics or protestants are on that same train or bus or airplane just saying the same thing.
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  24

  When do you say to yourself "Oh, that's full of crap!" ?

  by Terry in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  what do you hear or encounter from time to time that urges you to say to yourself:.

  that's full of crap!

  terry

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  TheListener

  When a dub tries to support the blood doctrine.
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  32

  Is yours a PURPOSE DRIVEN life?

  by Terry in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  are you coasting along day by day taking it as it comes?.

  are you planning for emergencies and setting aside for the unexpected?

  sacrificing here and there to have something later?.

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  TheListener

  I've read this thread title for a while and finally decided to post. I'll admit, Terry, sometimes your questions are too deep for me.

  My life never had purpose while I was a JW. Yes, I thought I would live forever on a paradise and whorship God. But, that wasn't a purpose, it was a result of my actions. You know being good enough to deserve the undeserved loving kindness of God.

  As my doubts grew to disagreement I found that I lacked a purpose. Something I didn't even consider before.

  Now that I'm much more mentally free from the Org. I want to have a purpose. Sometimes I think my purpose is to care for my family, both immediate and extended, other times I feel that it's doing a good job, still other times it seems that my purpose is just to live each and every day with some sort of enjoyment for myself and love for others around me.

  I don't know which is correct. I just know that I feel better now that I've responded to a deep question posed by a deep thinker.

  Thanks. Perhaps your purpose is to make some of us think a little more than we're used to.
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  4

  "The Lost Son" -- a shorter short story

  by AlmostAtheist in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  we weren't good enough, i guess.

  ' that's not good enough, i guess.

  "i don't know, joe.

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  TheListener

  That was really neat Dave.

  Thanks.
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  11

  The next stage of the recovery process, farewell friends

  by wanderlustguy in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  i had to stop back in for a little bit (taking a short break at work) to post something with some actual substance more than my occasional welcomes or one-liners.

  not too long ago i posted a pair of angry tirades about how much i hated the organization that i feel was instrumental in taking from us the basic things we all are owed by our families.

  i was so angry at them, hate would be an appropriate term for my emotions.

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  TheListener

  WLG,

  I hope to hear from you in the future. Enjoy your life with you new found sense of identity.