TheListener

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Posts by TheListener

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  41

  Fair minded person with a fair point of view

  by keo15929 in

  1. jw
  2. experiences

  i have been one of jehovah's witnesses for about 9 years before i became inactive.

  i just had some comments i'd like to make.. i think the reason why i'm inactive now is because i've come to a point in my life where i feel obligated to admit that i just don't know.

  at one time i was as fiery and zealous of a witness as anyone could be but i had this nagging feeling that i really didn't know what i was talking about when i was witnessing to people.

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  TheListener

  Welcome Keo. I liked and appreciate your post. Although I do disagree with your opinion:

  I still have the opinion that the Witnesses are closer to what it says than any other religion, in beliefs and in conduct and practices.

  Welcome to the board.
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  125

  FRESH OFF THE PRESS.... 9/1/06 WT "When a Loved One Leaves Jeh."

  by schne_belly in

  1. watchtower
  2. bible

  .

  this just in for your reading displeasure......enjoy

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  TheListener

  I wonder about some of us who have faded away but maintain a high spritual aspect to our lives. I wonder if our spouses will read that article and have to give some thought about whether we left Jehovah or just the organization.

  NAAAH!! Forget it.

  As a brother once told me as I faded away: "who do you pray to anyway? Certainly not Jehovah, you're not at the meetings anymore."

  Nice. Reeeeeal nice.
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  27

  Intro and ? that has probably been asked a zillion times...

  by Swamboozled in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  i don't want to bore with the tedious details...but long story short: my husband was raised a jw.

  he da and married me 6 years ago.

  i was so appalled at the fact that his family shunned him that i insisted on a sit down with his mom to explain.

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  TheListener

  Hi and welcome swamboozled.

  Atypical, I love your question. I'm going to use that in the future. Please don't be offended if I forget to mention that it came from an avid apostate :)

  Honesty, that is good too. However, the MIL can counter with the canned WT response:

  ***

  w51 12/1 p. 734 Questions From Readers ***

  Not all believers in Jesus followed him along with the twelve apostles. Some who wanted to follow Jesus were told to go back home and bear witness to him there. (Mark 5:18-20) Hence it was not necessary for this man to bodily follow Jesus to be on his side. There were only two sides in this controversy, either for or against Jesus, and since he was not against him he was for Jesus. From Pentecost and the outpouring of the spirit on the faithful it would be necessary for this man to associate himself with the congregation of Christians in order to receive the spirit and be approved of God for not being against Jesus. It is different with the religious systems that now preach in Jesus’ name. It cannot be said that all these are not against him for that reason, for they are against Jehovah’s faithful witnesses who do preach Jesus and his kingdom. So as they are against the least of these his brothers, they are against him and their mere use of Jesus’ name does not gain favorable recognition of them as true followers.

  Perhaps someone has a good rebuttal for the WT argument. I notice they make the statement "that from Pentecost and the ourpouring of the spirit on the faithful it would be necessary for this man to associate himself with the congregation of Christians in order to receive the spirit and be approved by God" - I don't actually see any warrant for this statement In the complete QFR article they use Matthew 7: 20-23 "

  "Really, then, by their fruits you will recognize those men. Not everyone saying to me, ‘Master, Master,’ will enter into the kingdom of the heavens, but the one doing the will of my Father who is in the heavens will. Many will say to me in that day: ‘Master, Master, did we not prophesy in your name, and expel demons in your name, and perform many powerful works in your name?’ And yet then I will confess to them: I never knew you at all. Get away from me, you workers of lawlessness." - I don't believe that is evidence that can be used to warrant the statement that the WTS makes in the article. I thought Matthew was talking about individuals who had works but had not shown faith and weren't concerned with the sheep just their outward appearance - like the pharisees of Jesus' day. Just mho.
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  37

  Not quite sure where else to go, I'll give this place a try.

  by AnonyMouse in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  i'll introduce myself:

  i'm a person who'd like to remain anonymous.

  i'm 16, and recently confessed to my mother my disbelief in her religion (jehovah's witnesses, obviously so).

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  TheListener

  Welcome AnonyMouse. I want to repeat what some other posters already mentioned. When those of us chose to leave our families treated us very similarly to how you're being treated. Some of us have lost children, parents and even spouses to this religion. You are not alone. Please come here and vent your feelings, frustrations and learn as much as possible about your faith and how you feel about things.

  Good luck. We're here for you.
• 

  Does anyone have the August KM for the US?

  by TheListener in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  i am looking for a scan of the august 2006 for the usa.

  i especially need the monthly report numbers it contains.

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  TheListener

  I am looking for a scan of the August 2006 for the USA. I especially need the monthly report numbers it contains.
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  6

  How many x-jw's have lost custody of their children?

  by xJ-HO in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  i am new to this site, and have spent the past few hours reading many posts with great interest.

  i live in australia, and left the "truth" and my husband for good at the end of 2004. we have two young children together.

  3 years prior, i began studying at university and gained full-time employment.

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  TheListener

  Your posts frighten me, yet they give me hope as well. I'm not going through a divorce, but living in a religiously divided household has its perils.

  I'm glad to see that both of you are overcoming the WTS guilt ridden ride of life.
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  19

  heated argument with "brainwashed" in-law

  by DaCheech in

  1. watchtower
  2. beliefs

  the other day i spent more time than normal with my inlaw.. ( in which is in so much credit card debt).

  after 1 hour of spending time and talking about her nonsense (s)he says "the signs out there show that we are sooooooooo close to end".. i asked, what makes you think so?.

  (s)he says the convention showed us how close we are, and the other day i saw the arsenal of north korea".

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  TheListener

  Ask the dub what time period in history they'd like to live in. Garden of Eden not allowed as honest answer.

  Do research, if you need to, on the time period they selected and provide them information.

  They quickly see that they are lucky to be alive in this day and age.
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  23

  New fundraising methods for the WTBTS!

  by Gill in

  1. watchtower
  2. beliefs

  young people ask ' how can i help those in need?

  awake aug 2006

  now i remember when we were jws and raising funds for a new kh, the money had to come from publishers pockets.

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  TheListener

  What's always bugged me about this is the hypocrisy. The witnesses would never ever ever go to a yard sale at a church or someone's home if the homeowner stated that the money was for their church.

  But, the witnesses will have their own yardsales specifically for the kingdom hall or worldwide work and not tell anyone who comes what the purpose of the sale is.

  It's more of the "we're better than the rest" attitude. It's ok to screw the worldly ones and have them secretly support us, but they better not trick us with their yard sales.
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  26

  Terrible "Local Needs" part--TRUST THE "SLAVE CLASS!"

  by under_believer in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  just curious--do all gb members profess to be "anointed?

  " are they all claim to be members of the "faithful and discreet slave class?

  last night at my kh we had a "local needs" part.

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  TheListener

  Sorry you have to go through this Under_Believer. Hang in there. My wife will probably never leave either. Tension in the house goes up and down. Do your best to be a good husband and if you have kids a good father.

  Vent here, we're listening and we understand.

  Good luck.
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  22

  Who are the Great Crowd and Other Sheep. Long article for proof reading

  by jwfacts in

  1. watchtower
  2. beliefs

  i have just posted the following article at http://jwfacts.com/index_files/greatcrowd.htm about the great crowd and the other sheep.

  i would appreciate any comments in regards to the accuracy of statements and also checking grammar.

  i have reposted it again further down because this insert is too annoying with the scrolling.

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  TheListener

  Oh and I forgot JWFacts, I liked your write up. The other sheep and anointed thing still hangs over my head.

  I seem to be having trouble with the God's purpose thing. Did he create Adam & Eve to live forever on a paradise earth? If so, did he ever intend for them to go to heaven? Does he want us to live forever on paradise earth? AAAHHHHH!!!!!

  OK I'm better now. twitch twitch