TheListener

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Posts by TheListener

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  20

  The Prodigal Unbelieving Mate Returns

  by Check_Your_Premises in

  1. social
  2. relationships

  hey all.. a few of you might remember me.

  i showed up on a similar board a few years back because my wife was getting baptized.. it was a difficult time but i was able to work through it with a lot of prayer and help from a lot of smart folks here.. my wife has since left the organization, and the wt has faded into a tiny speck in our rearview mirror that we rarely talk about.. i have enjoyed being free from the watchtower driven life for awhile, and frankly i really needed it, but i also know that alot of people aren't so lucky.

  insomnia and a sense of duty has compelled me to wander back in here.

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  TheListener

  CYP is that you??? Great to have you back.
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  35

  Bethel Entrants' School Lecture 2-D

  by Marvin Shilmer in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  bethel entrants' school lecture 2-d. .

  the watchtower organization requires that all new full-time workers at its world headquarters or other facilities attend an entrant school.

  attendees are provided worksheets that are outlines for lectures at these events.

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  TheListener

  I have my notes and information as well. It's been awhile since I've looked at them. I saved a lot of paperwork from Bethel. Dish duty notices, etc etc.
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  24

  Losing My Religion is a New Film being made ...

  by sleepingbeauty in

  1. social
  2. entertainment

  theres a new film in production called ' losingmyreligion'.

  its being produced by stephan mcguire who is a proper film producer who happens to have been brought up as a jehovahs witness.

  think leonardo dicaprio got something to do with making it too :).

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  TheListener

  The 1986-2009 WTS Index shows how Pharisaic things have gotten with respect to disfellowshipping. Every little aspect of life must be discussed, decided and obeyed (I'm sure the older indexes would prove just as rule oriented):

  how to treat disfellowshipped: lv 34-35, 207-209; jd 147; km 8/02 3-4; w88 4/15 26-31; it-1 788

  2 John 9-11: w88 4/15 27; it-1 200

  “as a tax collector” (Mt 18:17): w91 4/15 20-21; it-2 1070

  divorced noncustodial parent: g97 12/8 11-12; g91 9/22 30

  family members living at home: lv 208; w07 1/15 20; km 8/02 3-4; w91 4/15 22; w88 4/15 28; w88 11/15 20

  family members living elsewhere: lv 208-209; w07 1/15 20; km 8/02 4; w88 4/15 26, 28, 30-31; g87 8/22 13

  ifdisfellowshipped answers the phone: w95 7/15 27

  relatives: lv 208-209; w92 6/1 18-19; w91 4/15 22; w89 9/15 24; w88 4/15 28, 30-31

  how to treat family of disfellowshipped: jd 149-150; w95 7/15 26-27; w91 4/15 23-25
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  24

  Losing My Religion is a New Film being made ...

  by sleepingbeauty in

  1. social
  2. entertainment

  theres a new film in production called ' losingmyreligion'.

  its being produced by stephan mcguire who is a proper film producer who happens to have been brought up as a jehovahs witness.

  think leonardo dicaprio got something to do with making it too :).

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  TheListener

  I found this article interesting and I'm posting an excerpt:

  April 15, 1988 WT pgs 10-20 - excerpt here only (highlighting not in original text):

  What About Relatives?

  11God certainly realizes that carrying out his righteous laws about cutting off wrongdoers often involves and affects relatives. As mentioned above, when an Israelite wrongdoer was executed, no more family association was possible. In fact, if a son was a drunkard and a glutton, his parents were to bring him before the judges, and if he was unrepentant, the parents were to share in the just executing of him, ‘to clear away what is bad from the midst of Israel.’ (Deuteronomy 21:18-21) You can appreciate that this would not have been easy for them. Imagine, too, how the wrongdoer’s brothers, sisters, or grandparents felt. Yet, their putting loyalty to their righteous God before family affection could be lifesaving for them.

  12Recall the case of Korah, a leader in rebellion against God’s leadership through Moses. In his perfect justice, Jehovah saw that Korah had to die. But all loyal ones were advised: “Turn aside, please, from before the tents of these wicked men and do not touch anything that belongs to them, that you may not be swept away in all their sin.” Relatives who would not accept God’s warning died with the rebels. But some of Korah’s relatives wisely chose to be loyal to Jehovah, which saved their lives and led to future blessings.—Numbers 16:16-33; 26:9-11; 2 Chronicles 20:19.

  13Cutting 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.

  14The situation is different if the disfellowshipped or disassociated one is a relative living outside the immediate family circle and home. It might be possible to have almost no contact at all with the relative. Even if there were some family matters requiring contact, this certainly would be kept to a minimum, in line with the divine principle: “Quit mixing in company with anyone called a brother that is a fornicator or a greedy person [or guilty of another gross sin], . . . not even eating with such a man.”—1 Corinthians 5:11.

  15Understandably, this may be difficult because of emotions and family ties, such as grandparents’ love for their grandchildren. Yet, this is a test of loyalty to God, as stated by the sister quoted on page 26. Anyone who is feeling the sadness and pain that the disfellowshipped relative has thus caused may find comfort and be encouraged by the example set by some of Korah’s relatives.—Psalm 84:10-12.

  The Court Decision

  16You may want to know the outcome of the court case involving a woman who was upset because former acquaintances would not converse with her after she chose to reject the faith, disassociating herself from the congregation.

  17Before the case went to trial, a federal district court summarily granted judgment against her. That judgment was based on the concept that courts do not get involved in church disciplinary matters. She then appealed. The unanimous judgment of the federal court of appeals was based on broader grounds of First Amendment (of the U.S. Constitution) rights: “Because the practice of shunning is a part of the faith of the Jehovah’s Witness, we find that the ‘free exercise’ provision of the United States Constitution . . . precludes [her] from prevailing. The defendants have a constitutionally protected privilege to engage in the practice of shunning. Accordingly, we affirm” the earlier judgment of the district court.

  18The court opinion continued: “Shunning is a practice engaged in by Jehovah’s Witnesses pursuant to their interpretation of canonical text, and we are not free to reinterpret that text . . . The defendants are entitled to the free exercise of their religious beliefs . . . Courts generally do not scrutinize closely the relationship among members (or former members) of a church. Churches are afforded great latitude when they impose discipline on members or former members. We agree with [former U.S. Supreme Court] Justice Jackson’s view that ‘[r]eligious activities which concern only members of the faith are and ought to be free—as nearly absolutely free as anything can be.’ . . . The members of the Church [she] decided to abandon have concluded that they no longer want to associate with her. We hold that they are free to make that choice.”

  19The court of appeals acknowledged that even if the woman felt distress because former acquaintances chose not to converse with her, “permitting her to recover for intangible or emotional injuries would unconstitutionally restrict the Jehovah’s Witnesses free exercise of religion . . . The constitutional guarantee of the free exercise of religion requires that society tolerate the type of harms suffered by [her] as a price well worth paying to safeguard the right of religious difference that all citizens enjoy.” This decision has, in a sense, received even more weight since it was handed down. How so? The woman later petitioned the highest court in the land to hear the case and possibly overturn the decision against her. But in November 1987, the United States Supreme Court refused to do so.

  20Hence, this important case determined that a disfellowshipped or disassociated person cannot recover damages from Jehovah’s Witnesses in a court of law for being shunned. Since the congregation was responding to the perfect directions that all of us can read in God’s Word and applying it, the person is feeling a loss brought on by his or her own actions.
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  31

  A timely 'booster shot' for JWs

  by Gregor in

  1. watchtower
  2. beliefs

  the present turmoil in the middle east is sure to have the jws creaming themselves.

  biblical locales and symbols - egypt, israel, the red sea.

  potential war among nations with nukes.

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  TheListener

  Witnesses have it set up so they win if war seems imminent or if peace is declared.
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  12

  Noticed an odd notation on the 2011 Daily Text...

  by sd-7 in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  i just downloaded the .pdf from jw.org for 'examining the scriptures daily--2011'.

  i figured, why not have the daily text, just like old times?

  anyway, i noticed that after the scriptural text and watchtower comments, the reference to the watchtower article that the comments were taken from is written as: "w09 7/15 1:1-3".. i take that to mean, first study article in the july 15th, 2009 wt, paragraphs 1-3. but the notation looks identical to the chapter and verse notation used when referring to scriptures in the bible.

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  TheListener

  I could see the WTS trying to use "prophetic types" to twist themselves into opening a part or just the introduction of the new scrolls they love to talk about in Revelation.

  Can you imagine the excitement in the congregations if they thought they were hearing some of the new scrolls? They would be beside themselves with joy. But, like everything else it would wear off and the apathy would return.

  The WTS is all about the quick emotional burst followed by apathy. It's cyclical.

  Circuit Assembly

  Apathy

  District Convention

  Apathy

  Circuit Overseer Visit

  Apathy

  Tract Campaign

  Apathy

  Special Assembly Day

  Apathy

  and on and on and on it goes.
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  14

  Shock readjustment of seating arrangements at Bethel Morning Worship

  by MrMonroe in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  it's true!

  according to a december 13 announcement at http://stuffofinteresttojws.blogspot.com/2010/12/good-news-from-hq-new-governing-body.html:.

  the branch committee has decided on a new arrangement during morning worship...wherein the different brothers on the branch committee will transfer to sit at a different table every two months.. this will give opportunity for more of the family to get to know their branch committee members better.. wow!

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  TheListener

  The head, then the foot, then the head's right side corner, then the head's left side corner, then the foot's right side corner, then the foot's left side corner. Then sisters and newbies.

  Yes, oh yes, the beauty of the bethel table arrangement.

  You really made me laugh. thank you.
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  16

  Conversation with JW relative who is learning . . .

  by skeeter1 in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  i talked with a relative today, and he's a devout ms/elder and is now going to elder's school & special meetings .

  jw: (silence).

  jw: (more silence and hem-hawing).

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  TheListener

  Since when are many elders former pastors or trained in seminaries? hahaha that's really funny.

  1. the WTS prides itself on 'the friends' being unlettered and ordinary,

  2. Seriously, previous pastors? Is this one person you may know (which you used on the Special Assembly Day thread as well)?

  We're not onlookers of the WTS, most of us are former or current members. Many of us were MS, elders, bethelites and so forth. We know the organization and aren't fooled by your BS conversation.
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  41

  Got "THE letter" ....how to proceed?

  by 2pink in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  my husband and i faded/mysteriously disappeared from meetings over a year ago.

  we've had a few visits from elders (where we said very little but thanked them for their time), the last one being when we had some nice jack o lanterns sitting on our porch.

  on saturday, we got letters cordially inviting us to our beheading, i mean, our judicial committee meeting.

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  TheListener

  IMHO, I'd ignore it and wouldn't read any of their correspondence. If anyone ever asks if your disfellowshipped I'd say 'no'. If you get disfellowshipped in absentia but don't know about it, big whoop. You could move forward with your life without even knowing it happened.

  Good luck.
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  23

  No Blood Card: Counter document to file for your child

  by alamb in

  1. watchtower
  2. scandals

  please find below a basic form that can be modified for your particular circumstance.

  this should be filed with schools, attorneys, doctors, hospitals, etc.

  as a counter to the no blood card.. .

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  TheListener

  I can scan the latest card if that's acceptable???...