Posts by Bona Dea

31

Attacks on Kingdom Hall

by Kenneson in

jw
friends

in today's paper: "church worries about rash of vandalism.".

http://pasco.tbo.com/pasco/mgab8nacrbd.html.

while i certainly don't agree with jw doctrine, neither do i condone such activity.

Bona Dea

I don't agree with violence either but I am a little surprised to read remarks from the article like:

The elders aren't certain whether they are being targeted and can't offer a possible motive for the attacks.

DUH !!!! I don't think it would take a rocket scientist to figure this one out. It is either 1) a disgruntled ex-jw, 2) a psychotic jw who is sick of their crap, 3) someone (anyone) who abhors child molestors and/or those who harbor and protect them, 4) some bored local punks...

Aside from safety concerns, they are concentrating on how to pay for the costs of repairs.

I bet they are. What with the incomes of the janitors, the housecleaning ladies, the window washers, and those who work as cashiers at the local Walmart and McDonalds, it will probably take over a year to recover the expenses...

I think it is a shame, however, that whoever is doing this is doing this. They are indeed cutting the proverbial nose off to spite the proverbial face. All this will do is fuel their "persecution complex" and prove to them that they must be doing something right to provoke such hatred from the world ( Luke 6:22, "Happy are you whenever men hate you..."). They are no doubt deliriously ecstatic right now!

Bona

41

What exactly ARE the JWs known for?

by detective in

jw
friends

i was reading a thread in which jh said:.

people knew we were jw's just by the way we dressed, but also by the way we talked.. .

now, not to come down on jh by any means, but this raised a question in my mind.

Bona Dea

My experience is like that of kistbyqpid and Yeru. I have never been a witness...never will be!! I am married to one (as of this July when he gets baptized at the Macon GA convention)...

Growing up, we were told not to talk to them. That they were a cult (I was a kid and I had no idea what that meant...still am somewhat clueless). Maybe it's because I live in a little hick GA town, but NO ONE in these parts knows what the heck JWs believe. All I knew, prior to opening that door (which, btw, was the worst day of my life), was that they didn't celebrate Christmas.

No one pays them any attention. And they are hardly a "spectacle"...at least, not the type of spectacle they would like to believe themselves to be. No eyes are on them (except those who have been there; done that...and have been hurt in some way, shape, or form by the org). It was unbelievable (well, it was to me anyhow), when I first started talking to them, how they think that everyone is watching them and waiting for them to "mess up", and how they believed so many people were out to get them. They are totally paranoid.

Another thing that got me was reading the Revelation: It's grand climax at hand! book...How they honestly believe all those bible prophecies point to them. How arrogant. I guess the rest of the world will just have to miss out on that. I mean, really, how couldn't Christendom (or anyone, for that matter) see that 1914 was when Jesus returned (invisibly, of course) and that when those witnesses went to jail way back when that that was a fulfillment of bible prophecy? JWs are the most delusional people I know. This stuff is completely "in their heads". Hell, I wouldn't even know what I know about them (nor would I care to know), nor would I even be on this forum, if they had never stepped into my life and destroyed my (already crumbling) marriage. They really do live in their own little world.

Prior to meeting them, my opinion of the witnesses was:

1.They are a cult

2.They are strange

3.They go door-to-door

4.They sold (past-tense, in these parts) Watchtower mags

5.Those poor children never get to have any fun

Before I actually invited them into my house, I didn't know anything about the blood, I knew they didn't celebrate Christmas (actually, I figured they celebrated it, but just some way different than the traditional way...I had NO IDEA that the only thing they do celebrate is their wedding anniversary) the beards, the YMCA, and all those other things they stay away from for fear of being contaminated with "worldy cooties"...

Bona

41

What exactly ARE the JWs known for?

by detective in

jw
friends

i was reading a thread in which jh said:.

people knew we were jw's just by the way we dressed, but also by the way we talked.. .

now, not to come down on jh by any means, but this raised a question in my mind.

Bona Dea

The only impression I ever got of witnesses...PRIOR to hearing from the JWs themselves what everyone's "supposed" impression of them was...was that they were weirdos. As kids, my parents would have broken our fingers off if we had so much as reached for the doorknob when the witnesses came-a-knocking. As a family, we never really talked about the witnesses much. I went to school with two. They were brother and sister. The only impression we had of them at school was pitiful and sad...everyone felt sorry for them because they couldn't do a thing.

But no...NOT EVER....did I EVER hear anyone say, "Oh, what about those Jehovah's witnesses? They are such fine and upstanding citizens. And they dress so nice! Oh, and aren't they so loving and caring?" ...yeah...we'd get that impression because of??: -a- all the blood drives they attend -b- all the volunteer work they do at the soup kitchen -c- their multitudes of generous contributions to various charities

46

Evolution vs. Creation (on Earth)

by StinkyPantz in

i didn't necessarily start this thread as a debate but moreso as kind of a survey.

i just wanna know what people think and a brief reason why.

i want to know how you think life originated on the earth.

Bona Dea

I don't know what I believe regarding how in the heck we got here. I haven't read enough about evolution to discount or to adhere to it ,so, I can't really make an informed comment about it, as of yet. It does fascinate me, though. I just don't think I am ready to let go of the "creator, big daddy in the sky, my heavenly father" kind of thing. It probably has more to do with the fact that I've always believed in god for like 30 something years now and just recently (within the last year) lost faith in my religion....I'm not too sure if I am prepared to lose faith in something bigger than me being out there...

Anyways, good luck in finding what works for you!!

Bona

33

Who Is Jehovah?

by reporter in

christians should all honestly and thoroughly investigate the contradictions between the old and new testaments in terms of the descriptions of god.. .

the god of the new testament is described as a god of love, mercy and peace.. .

the god of the old testament is described as jealous, vengeful god, a war-monger.

Bona Dea

Let folks believe what they want...or what they need rather!

I think it's hilarious that anyone would get their bowels in an uproar about someone claiming Jehovah/Yahweh is actually a group of extraterrestrials who are riding in to see us about May/June of next year. I haven't seen the actual "evidence" of this Planet X, which many claim is Nibiru (based on Sumerian beliefs...translated by Zecharia Sitchen who claims the Sumerian's saw another planet that is no longer around), but it's not any more far-fetched than any other theories about our creation or our evolution.

Truth is we are ALL clueless. One guess is as good as another.

Peace...

Bona

7

When did the resurrection of the 144k begin?

by Bona Dea in

.

when do the jws teach that the resurrection of the 144,000 began?

just curious.... thanks in advance for any help

Bona Dea

thanks a bunch!!!

7

When did the resurrection of the 144k begin?

by Bona Dea in

.

when do the jws teach that the resurrection of the 144,000 began?

just curious.... thanks in advance for any help

Bona Dea

When do the JWs teach that the resurrection of the 144,000 began?

Just curious...

Thanks in advance for any help

16

144,000 and Rulership

by artful in

while investigating the wts concept of "two classes of christians" - the first being a heavenly ruling class made up of the 144,000, and the second an earthly subject class - i decided to investigate the basic wts premise that all of the 144,000 are to be "rulers with christ".

those who would rule with christ - the "first resurrection".

although it could be theorized that if paul said that the "saints" or "holy ones" are to judge the world, and these are part of the "firstfruits" then the some of the 144,000 may be ruling with christ.

Bona Dea

Great post!!

Quick question: When do the JWs teach that the resurrection of the 144,000 began???

31

My Humble Uneducated Opinion!

by 68storm in

i would like to take this opportunity to thank you for your valued input on this board.

i will never forgive you for making it almost impossible for me to give up coming here.

this turned out to be like a drug for a weak willed person like myself.

Bona Dea

68storm,

Welcome!! Wow, you sound almost like a carbon copy of me:)

I think you write well, and if you hadn't just told us about your lack of education, none of us would've ever guessed. Anyhow, my husband is a non-baptized publisher; I am a never been, never will be JW. I, too, have found myself wasting enormous amounts of time just reading, researching, and digging up all kinds of dirt on this cult (and just cults in general)...to no avail. My husband pays absolutely no attention whatsoever to anything negative that can be said about the WTS. I feel sometimes that I am obsessed with it. I just want so badly for this all to go away and my life be normal again. I guess I feel (wish) that if I read enough bad stuff about the JWs, that it will somehow seep through me and hit my husband .

We have two small children, and he tries his best to drench their little minds with this nonsense. It is maddening. I feel so helpless/hopeless. I profess no belief in any particular religion, yet carry my kids to a church every chance I get, just so they can see that the people there are just ordinary people...not evil, demonic, gonna-be-vulture-fodder that the JWs (most of whom have never even set foot in a church) paint them out to be.

I, too, felt the same way at the only memorial service that I ever attended. I almost cried. I felt like I was slapping Jesus Christ in the face when I passed that plate on by me.

Again, Welcome...

Bona

22

November issues of magazines

by ozziepost in

jw
friends

usually a november issue of the watchtower carries the annual "begging letter" type article, detailing the various ways that donations can be made to the wts e.g.

wills, loans, etc .

has anyone seen this year's article?

Bona Dea

They had a big article about contributing to the worldwide preaching by giving donations, leaving the WTS as your beneficiary, and various other ways that you could contribute financially to them about two months ago. I made a big too-doo about with my husband but I can't seem to locate the mag now (hmmm...strange). I seem to have no problem finding all the other dribble they've published for the past month or so, but can find this mag .

The article was about Nehemiah (I think). It had a great big "gray" box in the middle of the article lising all the ways you could contribute financially and mentioned noting along with the contribution that it was a "gift" or something like that. It listed the address to send all donations to like a bunch of times in that article. I'll look around for it some more....

"No we don't pass around a plate. That shows greed...but if you don't mind...rather than leave all your life savings to your heathen, wicked, and lost relatives or some other worthless charity, which will only be destroyed in just a matter of time...why not leave it us and the world-wide preaching work??...Wouldn't it be better spent? Wouldn't that be the thing that a 'true christian' would do?"

How do you spell hypocrite??? Answer: Watchtower