Do you think they'll discuss the overlapping generations at the memorial this year?
TheListener
JoinedPosts by TheListener
-
-
-
-
41
Wife wants me to read Secret of Family Happiness, any suggestions?
by insearchoftruth inhello, have been on this board for a few years, and now my wife is asking me to read the subject book with her.
.
it seems pretty 'vanilla' in my scan through it, seems to lift up the male headship issue a few times and of course the cure to all ill is to 'attend christian meetings'.. am still working to fully open her eyes, anything in here i can use that may help, any conflicts with current doctrine i could possibly point out??.
-
-
TheListener
Hi Insearchof,
I didn't read all the advice but I'm sure most of it is spot on.
For my 2cents: I'd go to a christian bookstore and find a newer more well written couples book and offer to go over that with her; especially since the Secret to Family Happiness is 15 years old.
Good luck.
-
13
Please forgive... but what is the official word on... Chitty and Greenlees?
by headisspinning inplease bear with me... i am deep into reading 'crisis of conscience' but i came across the name 'greelees' and i was wondering if someone could tell me a quick version of the official story on both chitty and greenlees.
i was trying to research it here but i don't have hours to spend wading through the threads... .
someone?
-
-
TheListener
This is what I have found on the CD:
Greenlees,
The last time Leo Greenlees was mentioned was the December 1, 1984 WT in an article about the Gilead graduates. No resignation is mentioned.
Chitty,
In the Yearbook for 1980 it says this about the governing body:
"In the past year Ewart C. Chitty resigned, so that at present there are 17 members of this body."
-
73
New Believers, Studying.
by cupcakekourtney88 inhey y'all!
my name is kourtney and i am new to this form and jehovah witnesses.
right now i am studying the book "what does the bible really teach".
-
-
TheListener
Hang in there Cupcake. Yes, some people on the board can be rude now and again. Just remember a lot of us have lost close family relationships because of disfellowshipping and shunning.
Seriously, there are some fantastic christian sources of information that do not demand you 'it's our way or the highway'.
If nothing else remember this: Jesus said at Matthew 11 thay 'My yoke is easy and My burden is light'.
Please please please, if you ever feel that you can't do enough to please God remember Matthew 11.
-
73
New Believers, Studying.
by cupcakekourtney88 inhey y'all!
my name is kourtney and i am new to this form and jehovah witnesses.
right now i am studying the book "what does the bible really teach".
-
-
TheListener
Welcome Cupcake
A great online source for biblical information grouped by subject matter or scripture topic is Truthforlife.org . They've got tons of free biblical sermons and all sorts of subjects. Really informational and easy to listen to.
I also very highly recommend two books "In The Grip of Grace" by Max Lucado and "Breaking the Bonds of Legalism" by Neil T. Anderson, Rich Miller, Paul Travis.
It's very unfortunate that even your own sister would make her association with you and your brothers conditional on studying. I'm sorry to hear that. I truly don't believe that it how Jesus would have behaved and would not approve of his followers doing so either.
I wish you the best.
-
-
-
TheListener
I don't think Beck's ratings are in the millions. I believe he currently draws about 1.5M on average. He hasn't even hit the 2M mark in viewership in quite a while. Of course, if millions like his show they better start watching so he doesn't get cancelled.
Maybe he should graduate from the 1950s and at least get dry erase boards.
-
20
The Prodigal Unbelieving Mate Returns
by Check_Your_Premises inhey 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.
-
-
TheListener
CYP is that you??? Great to have you back.
-
35
Bethel Entrants' School Lecture 2-D
by Marvin Shilmer inbethel 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.
-
-
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.
-
24
Losing My Religion is a New Film being made ...
by sleepingbeauty intheres 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 :).
-
-
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
-
24
Losing My Religion is a New Film being made ...
by sleepingbeauty intheres 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 :).
-
-
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.