TheListener

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Posts by TheListener

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  14

  New member

  by ron&teresa in

  1. watchtower
  2. beliefs

  hi, been here before for a long time under "1914" and surfing "anon".

  i'm ron, glad to identify myself and not returning to the "borg".

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  TheListener

  Well hello there ron&teresa. I hope you can enjoy our friendship. I look forward to reading your posts.
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  29

  Do J.W.'s still spank their kids in Kingdom Hall libraries to punish them?

  by hubert in

  1. watchtower
  2. beliefs

  i've heard a lot on this subject, and was wondering if it's a common practice?.

  can you go to a meeting and almost always see some poor kid getting a walloping in the back room for talking or misbehaving at the meeting?

  or is this a thing of the past?.

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  TheListener

  The WTS has had new light on the meaing of the spare the rod spoil the child scripture. Apparently the rod isn't the spanking rod anymore but discipline in general; even verbal, time outs, loss of privileges, etc. This was done some years ago in a WT or Awake. I will check my CD this evening.

  I hate it when I am at the meeting and some poor kid is getting spanked because they can't sit like an adult for 2 hours and have crap shoved into their mind.

  Of course here is what a CO would say: "Friends, children are a precious inheritance from Jehovah! Are we disciplining them with that in view. Do we let our children have coloring books, pens, pencils, drawing paper, stuffed dolls or animals at the meetings?!! Of course not. We're not here for playtime; we're here for spiritual growth. Don't be fooled by the so-called wisdom from Satan's world - kids can sit and listen for a small 2 hour period. Children sit for long periods of time in a car to go on a vacation to somewhere they love; they'll sit for hours watchng tv whether it be movies or a series of 1/2 hour cartoons. Friends, don't be fooled, Satan would love nothing more than for you to have misplaced feelings of guilt and shame and allow your children to play at the meetings, to doodle at the meetings, to daydream! at the meetings! The society doesn't give any ages for such things, but let's be serious for a moment - have you seen a teenager playing a video game at the KH? Of course not! That's because they are developing a spiritual self - for younger children you parents need to do this. If your child is loud or showing disruptive behavior take them to the back and discipline them. Don't let them think the back of the hall is for playing! NO! it's not for playing but for disciplining. Follow the slave's counsel and you will benefit"

  Whew! That was very healing to write. It reminds me of how much I disliked the meetings as a kid.
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  40

  Recently deleted as elder

  by TheListener in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  when we last saw our hero he was..... alright, if you've been keeping up with the saga you know that during the week of april 11 i was deleted from the elder body.

  i stepped aside on my own initiative.

  you can read that thread for the non-specific generalities of my situation.. so far noone has said a word to me about it at the hall.

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  TheListener

  Myelaine,

  I am in fact leaving the org. for something better. The freedom to decide for myself what I'll study and how I'll feel about that information. To free my mind from all the dogma I've been taught over the lifetime of spiritual (yes I'll say it) abuse and examine whatever I want whenever I want and come to any conclusion I want - even if it's a stupid conclusion.

  Unless you've served as an elder or ms you have no idea the release of pressure I've been feeling. I actually sit at the meetings. That's it, I just sit there. I'm not getting up every 2 second to take care of some mundane matter. I'm not looking at those in my bookstudy to see if they've studied, commenting, listening or whatever. I don't have to listen to all those announcements about endless meetings and special arrangements. I just sit there and think about this forum. aaaaaaahhhhhhh!
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  14

  WT 1/1/05 Question From Readers

  by TheListener in

  1. watchtower
  2. bible

  okay i read this qfr but missed an interesting point (i think) until the 4/15/05 wt do you remember section which references the 1/1/5 qfr.. wt 1/1/05 qfr: does stephen's exclamation at acts 7:59 indicate that prayers should be directed to jesus?.

  par.

  5 says this: "but, seeing the resurrected jesus in vision, stephen apparently felt free to appeal to him directly, saying "lord jesus, receive my spirit.

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  TheListener

  Narkissos, Justin,

  Since Stephen was appealing to Jesus to do something, such as keep his spirit or life force, that goes to show how important Jesus is in our salvation. Rather than relegate him to a marginal role as pure a mediator this puts him in the responsible position of acting on God's behalf.

  In another scripture Jesus says ask for anything in my father's name and I will do it (give it?). This again shows that Jesus truly has the power to act as he sees fit. As long as it fits within the overall plan of God.

  It seems then that we could talk to Jesus, ask him to help us, confide in him, etc. based on his place in God's organization. As long as we don't actually pray to him. It seems like this is a fine line.

  I was more interested in the fact that Stephen asked Jesus to receive his spirit [pneuma]. If Stephen understood that his spirit would be extinguished upon death and be in a sleeplike state why would he say that?
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  40

  Recently deleted as elder

  by TheListener in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  when we last saw our hero he was..... alright, if you've been keeping up with the saga you know that during the week of april 11 i was deleted from the elder body.

  i stepped aside on my own initiative.

  you can read that thread for the non-specific generalities of my situation.. so far noone has said a word to me about it at the hall.

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  TheListener

  When we last saw our hero he was....

  Alright, if you've been keeping up with the saga you know that during the week of April 11 I was deleted from the elder body. I stepped aside on my own initiative. You can read that thread for the non-specific generalities of my situation.

  So far noone has said a word to me about it at the hall. It's really odd, like they're afraid to ask me about it. Don't get me wrong, they all say hi, how ya' doin'; they just don't go any deeper. Hehehe. I haven't heard any gossip about me yet, no one in my family has heard anything either - at least not that they're sharing. I've been working my fade for a long long looooong time and it pleases me that so far I've faded quietly into the night. If any of you are or were servants/elders you know that getting yourself off the responsibility radar screen without causing big waves can be one of the most dificult parts of fading.

  I already miss getting my KMs before everyone else and I recently missed an exciting BOE meeting so I hear. Trust me, these things don't even begin to make up for being a spiritual leader in a cult. I'm glad I'm free of the responsibility and pressure of being an elder.

  Anyway that's all for now. I'm sure that in the next 6-12 months I'll be receiving a shepherding call or two from my old buddies on the body. You know, just to make sure that I am maintaining my spirituality even though I'm not on the body.

  There will come a day where I'll look back and wish this all went much faster and that I showed more courage - then I'll look at my family, speak with them, eat with them in peace and realize that the price I paid was small indeed.

  I thank all of you for being here.
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  13

  Witch of Endor

  by TheListener in

  1. watchtower
  2. bible

  recently 1 samuel chapter 28 was covered at the hall.

  wt says one of saul's sons didn't die.

  wt says it didn't happen the next calendar day.

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  TheListener

  A discussion I've had with some Jewish friends is that although the OT bible is clear that God doesn't approve of contacting the dead for information, God doesn't say that it is impossible to do so.

  That would fit with this account, which they pointed out to me. It would also fit in with the idea of the transfiguration, although NT.
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  9

  Welcome, Ellie!

  by cruzanheart in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  just thought i'd give you a formal jwd "welcome"!!!

  i'm glad you found the board and feel better (though probably a little cross-eyed) after reading the board all day.

  it's a wonderful feeling to know that you are not alone.

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  TheListener

  Welcome Ellie. I hope you like it here. I look forward to reading your posts.
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  31

  Should you keep a marriage together for the sake of the kids?

  by Rod P in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  testing this thread.

  tried three times already, but only get error message.. wow, this time it worked.

  here goes.. there are a lot of people who feel very strongly that you should keep a marriage together at all costs for the sake of the kids, since they feel that children need both a mother and a father.

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  TheListener

  Good thread.

  I say what others have already stated. If the issues can be worked out in some reasonable manner then by all means keep the marriage together. If the home just isn't a happy and safe place due to the marriage then by all means divorce. But, never ever let the kids feel responsible or hear negative things about the other mate (unless the other mate is some kind of abuser).

  It sounds like your witness wife was a real super-dub. Technically speaking the mate of someone who isn't a witness, is supposed to allow for some concessions. They're not supposed to jeopardize the marriage by not being flexible.

  For example, if the husband wants to take the kids to the mormon church the wife can't just say no (that would not be submissive -of course, this depends on how super-dub the wife is). What she's supposed to do is to encourage the kids in the truth by studying more, attending meetings more, service more, prayer more, etc etc. (hey this sounds familiar).

  That way the society can claim that they don't encourage the breakup of marriages. Unfortunately I've counseled married sisters who have had this problem and they find it very difficult to allow their husbands to teach evil babylonish doctrines to their children. We always counseled patience and love. Quote:"Your husband works all day right? Well, take advantage of that time to study, prayer, read, service, prepare for meetings, sing kingdom melodies and play bible based games" - see sister DO MORE!! and everything will be ok.

  Excuse me I need to go vomit.
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  9

  Xjwms , you are a junior member !!

  by kls in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  congratulations to you

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  TheListener

  Hey congrats Xjwms. Keep up the good posting.
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  17

  Mary Magdelene...

  by nicholas in

  1. watchtower
  2. scandals

  this, as hear-say, has been my understanding that the catholic church at some point in the early centuries disguised st.mary as being an adulterous woman... only to have her sins' reproved from the salvation of the world by y'shua, meshiach.

  it's been said that the particular scriptures, in regards to her surfacing as almost bein' stoned to death, about mary magdelene were actually put into the scriptures by the catholic church themselves.... mary magdelene... adulterous woman, saved sinner?

  or apostle, misrepresentation of scripture...?

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  TheListener

  First of all I'm glad Merry is ok.

  Second, I lost my very deep and insightful (or inciteful) comment after looking at upside/down's avatar. Great! Now I have to go confess to the elders.