TheListener

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Posts by TheListener

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  37

  Arguments against Disfellowshipping

  by TheListener in

  1. watchtower
  2. beliefs

  i would like a simple step by step explanation that refutes the disfellowshipping policy as practiced by jehovah's witnesses.. obviously, i don't agree with the policy but i have had trouble making my explanations clear and straightforward.. any help would be appreciated..

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  TheListener

  Thanks everybody. All of your comments proved helpful.

  LiveLife - It's good to see you back; I've missed your viewpoint
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  37

  Arguments against Disfellowshipping

  by TheListener in

  1. watchtower
  2. beliefs

  i would like a simple step by step explanation that refutes the disfellowshipping policy as practiced by jehovah's witnesses.. obviously, i don't agree with the policy but i have had trouble making my explanations clear and straightforward.. any help would be appreciated..

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  TheListener

  I would like a simple step by step explanation that refutes the Disfellowshipping policy as practiced by Jehovah's Witnesses.

  Obviously, I don't agree with the policy but I have had trouble making my explanations clear and straightforward.

  Any help would be appreciated.
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  16

  Wedding Anniversaries vs. Birthdays

  by PopeOfEruke in

  1. watchtower
  2. beliefs

  jw's often have big parties or "gatherings" to celebrate wedding anniversaries, esp.

  for the big milestones (20th, 50th anniversary etc).. the process of these parties almost exactly mimic a typical birthday celebration: the couple of honour sit up the front, various people give speeches, show "honour" to the happy couple, there is a meal and drinks, usually an anniversary cake.. exactly the same as a birthday party.. so why is it ok to celebrate an anniversary of a wedding but not the annoversary of a birth??

  when it's usually the "wedding" which sooner or later results in a birth??

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  TheListener

  Pope,

  King Saul was in a cave using the....ummmmm....privy while David was hiding behind him and had the opportunity to kill Saul - of course, being a good boy he didn't. Saul never even knew.

  As far as anniversaries and birthdays; I agree with all of you. It's an irritating and ridiculous distinction. The argument I've heard was:

  marriage is a god given sanctified arrangement so it is ok to honor the arrangement and not the people.

  My comeback is the same: Who gets the gifts? God or the the couple? 'nuff said

  Same with baby showers. The witnesses say, as did I at one point in my life, that it's a celebration of the miracle of life - I say: Who gets the gifts? God or the baby's parents?
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  41

  Will The New Watchtower Kill Off The Awake?

  by metatron in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  i don't know if any of you have considered this but is the new watchtower arrangement partly intended.

  to permit the end of the awake magazine?.

  it is a financially difficult thing for a religion the size of the "truth" to publish one - much less two .

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  TheListener

  I mentioned on another thread a while back that I thought the KM would be folded into the Dub-WT.

  There is a KM printed for each branch. Although the WT is identical around the world, it is printed at various branch offices.

  It would not be difficult to add a few pages of branch specific KM articles and announcements on a monthly basis (since that is the same frequency the KM already comes out).

  For all we know the dub-version of the WT will be handed out by bookstudy conductors like the KM is now. In that case it will be as private as the existing KMs.

  Conclusion:

  KM and private dub-WT merge

  Awake and public WT merge

  Result:

  Cheaper pritning costs; less non-donated for materia (the KM); continued control and keeping of some info (supposedly) from non-dub hands.
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  101

  I've been studying with JW's for a few months..

  by MichaelM in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  i've been studying with the jw's for a few months and i've attended a few meetings but things are feeling somewhat strange...i don't quite get the jist of things but i feel that i'm learning more of what the watchtower teachers and less of what the bible actually says.. i never open my bible.. i'm always reading the watchtower pamphlets.

  i really like the people i've met in the congregation and the guy thats been doing the studies with me has been an awesome friend.. .

  but i'm just having some issues.. i mean.. they translated their own bible to suit their own doctrines it seems.

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  TheListener

  Have you ever bought a used car? Had a vacuum salesperson in your home? Or perhaps some other form of sales pressure applied?

  Your witness friend, who I am sure is a good good person, is applying the same kind of pressure.

  We could give you specific questions, but they wouldn't change a witness' mind. If they would my wife would have left by now.

  Anything that requires this much pressure and persistence must surely beg the question: Why?

  There is another poster on the board that I will pm and hopefully you and he can talk. His argumentation skills are excellent and his reasoning sound.
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  297

  BETHELITES - Whatever Became of?

  by Black Man in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  i often times wonder what happened to certain bethelites that i ran around with during my 1990s tenure there.

  while there are still a few left there, the greater majority of them aren't there for various reasons (marriage, disillusionment, left the borg, etc).

  a couple of cats i wonder about - there was one brother who i believe was from kansas, who got his fingers cut off in a printing press.

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  TheListener

  Wow, what a list of names.

  Brings back old memories.

  I wish I could add info and share the names of those I remember or would like to find.

  Perhaps when I am completely free.
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  56

  Update: So I've been going to some meetings (and other things)

  by WingCommander in

  1. jw
  2. experiences

  i've been absent from this board from some time, as i've been through alot the past few months.

  firstly, my mother passed away after complications from her surgery.

  so i've lost my entire family since 1999. i'm an only child.

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  TheListener

  I wish you the best wing commander. We all must live our lives in our own way. I'm very sorry for your losses. I can't even imagine the pain you must be enduring. I will keep you in my prayers.

  You have your eyes open and it seems that you do see both sides of the picture.

  All I ask is that you please please please don't allow anyone, the congregation, elders, etc to cloud your view of God's grace. We don't have to earn God's grace and we don't have to earn God's love - he gives it freely and willingly. I understand that once we accept God and Jesus into our lives we will be motivated to act and that is good and acceptable. Being motivated to act, whether it be informal witnessing or living your life with Godly principles in mind, is completely different from having to obey the FD&S, attend all meetings, have the pioneer spirit and maintain a regular monthly ministry, etc etc in order to maintain a relationship with God.

  Good luck, and I look forward to all your updates.
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  5

  Star Wars Robot Chicken

  by FadingAway in

  1. social
  2. humour

  did anyone see this on cartoon network's adult swim last sunday?

  i thought it was hilarious:.

  http://youtube.com/watch?v=fzho7cb9wsy.

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  TheListener

  I loved the part where the emperor said "uh, I love you too" to Darth Vader on the phone

  That was the funniest thing I've seen in years.
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  10

  Fear tactics of the of the Governing Body, the elders, and what John 9 says

  by R.F. in

  1. watchtower
  2. beliefs

  i was reading this earlier and it reminded me so much of what jws go through with the tactics that the gb have in place for the congregation elders to enforce.. .

  (john 9:18-41) .

  .however, the jews did not believe concerning him that he had been blind and had gained sight, until they called the parents of the man that gained sight.

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  TheListener

  side point: I've known several longtime dubs who have trouble explaining and understanding why obeisance to Jesus isn't worship; even after reviewing the Reasoning book.
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  23

  for any of you that have read my threads(im a struggling one)

  by MUNKAFATS in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  they way im seeing it is that jw seem to teach only honesty which i dont see as being a bad thing at all so why are some of you on here using **** this and **** that or im going to do some fornication now blah blah blah , i dont mean to be offensive at all but some of you say you are christian????

  or is it that you have been repressed for to long ?

  help me as i feel stuck in the middle , dont know what to do

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  TheListener

  Hi Munkafats. What an unusual name.

  Asking your witness friend questions is a good idea. I caution, though, don't just believe everything they say. Yes, they will use some bible scriptures to back up what they say, but the real question is, what scriptures do they leave out? Do they consider the context of the scriptures? Things like that.

  Discussing things with a witness can be tricky. They absolutely do not mind questions, but, they expect their answers to be accepted. After pressing for more information or trying to get a witness to understand a point you're making they will get frustrated and eventually label you as unwilling to learn.

  Go easy with your friend. Do you intend to tell your friend that you got your list of questions from the internet? It would be interesting to hear the reaction.

  You may want to stick with one or two main points. Points that you can easily get a second opinion on, here or elsewhere.

  Good luck.

  I've been confused before too. I wish the best for you.