Over the many years I've been in quite a number of congregations.
The majority of elders with whom I've worked have been indifferent and ineffectual ; a rather significant minority pompous, ruddy swine ; there have been a handful that were sincere, caring individuals : too bad none of the last catagory were in my JC lynching party .
I'm feeling a wee bit bitter tonight, perhaps I ought best take to bed. Good-night, all.
those of you not df'd do you feel like me that i have bulls eye painted on my forhead just waiting for when the borg gets you?
I felt that way up to the moment of my recent DF'ing.
The bullseye then leaves and attaches itself to your friends and relatives; those people 'must be spiritually weak' to have had a friend or relative like you!!!!
were they all dates from hell?
any "immorality"?
did you ever "date" knowing the person was never "marriage material"?
Dated my childhood sweetheart: no immorality and she dumped me (twice! ouch! ) but we remained friends. She married a fast-track Pioneer who slept his way around their cong and spawned several half-siblings ; the Holy Spirit did not approve and he never became a "spirit-appointed" adulterer.
Older and (perhaps) wiser, I came to the USA and met a somewhat younger JW-convert: we dated (still no immorality), fell in love, married, and lived happily-ever-after.
this guy is currently undergoing bible study and before his critical thinking capabilities were utterly destroyed, he seemed to do a bit of research on wtbts on the internet, where he contacted me regarding rand cam shares owned by the wt.
i was happy to answer his questions and gave him some bonus material on the united nation's deal.
some days latter, he wrote back asking me if i considered the jw doctrine to be a cult, so i indulged him and sent him well written documents i found on freeminds.org as well a link to quotes, where he seemed to have spent some time looking at the armageddon picture gallery.
I cut my teeth on the "Paradise Lost" book: it was fascinating!!! When one is very young, terror holds the attention. It may be compared to the interest people show in auto accidents and "action" films...
i never did, although i did tell my former bible student/tennis partner that the bible does not condemn celebrating birthdays or recommend celebrating anniverseries.
he told his jw brother who told his elders who told my po.
when the po asked me about the conversation, i told him he asked me some questions and i truthfully answered., i said, "nothing i said was wrong or incorrect".
Absolutely. But I tried to be discreet and only speak with one person at a time (two-Witness rule for JC lynching probably doesn't apply re: "apostates" [oh, well]) and only with close friends or relatives, who might see their way around a command to "commence shunning!!!!" (still risky, but so far, so good...).
some have indicated that this might be coming.
based mostly on the new book - some think maybe the org is positioning itself to remove all possible 'doubters' and 'inside apostates' this way.. i mean - having spent four decades watching the actions of this organization as a witness, i can see something like that happening perhaps.. service meeting announcement;.
having had six months to renew his association actively with jehovah's witnesses, and having not been to a meeting or out in service for that same time span, we must announce that ____________ has left the organization and shown by his actions that he is no longer one of jehovah's witnesses.. the brothers and sisters need to be reiminded that he should be treated 'as a man of the nations' - full shunning is in effect!.
The WTS is caught between the Devil and the Deep Blue Sea.
The congregations are filled with the weak and inactive. It may be that the GB fears that the level of apathy is reaching critical mass. JW culture is changing and it is becoming socially acceptable to ignore the shrill and strident calls for conformity and obedience. The Org may be willing to do a bit of pruning to preserve the hard-core elements from the erosive effects of the inactive and the faders. Following the debacle of 1975, the WTS lost many adherents, but these were soon replaced by new and significant growth. They may risk such a move (DA-ing faders) with a view to long-term potential for increase.
On the other hand, many less-than-zealous Witnesses remain only to preserve relationships with family and friends, or because they have no support network outside the Organisation. The GB must know this. If the WTS "offs" too many, they will inadvertently create such a support network. Watch the dam burst and the reservoir empty...
If you were in their shoes, how would you deal with the problem? (Don't suggest honesty, it's not their policy)
hope of a resurrection.
sure hope of a better resurrection.
16. who at death went to gehenna, and why did they go there?.
How is this "new light"? Every Bible or Old Testament I've ever read has Numbers 16:33...
Oh, no! Apparently by reading the scriptural account, I've inadvertently been "pushing ahead"(!)
my mom told me that an elder said in his public talk on sunday that we need to stay separate from the "world".
evidently, the buzz is that there was a part being given by an unbelieving husband that has been recently attending meetings with his wife.
the issue was not that this man invited most of the congregation and they went (including the elder and his family) but that one fellow unbelieving husband who is being studied with did not get invited because he was "worldly and still smokes".
They always manage to turn to 1 Cor. 15:33; maybe someday one of them will crack open a Bible and read 1 Cor. 10:27. (Same Apostle, same letter) Perhaps Paul wouldn't have agreed with the Elder (?)
.
perhaps i would.. struggeling with doubts of course, but going to the meetings and turning in 2 or 3 hours on my report every month like i used to.... what about you guys?
Before reading anything 'apostate', I had already left for reasons of conscience: my Bible-trained conscience would not permit me to worship the Golden Calf (WTS).
are there any principles of the faith that you have kept... do you try to maintian a high moral standard?
did your views on abortion change?
would you go to war?
I am a Christian (very unaffiliated, different than the WTS - which was UN-affiliated ) and attempt to apply the Golden Rule as best I can (not always so very sucessfully, but I try). This means killing people is outside the pale, even when said person is still in utero. Loving your neighbor as yourself implies other things as well: not defrauding him, not violating his wife (even with her permission), not treating him with hatred/contempt, &c. I continue to try to maintain the New Testament standards of morality, sexual and otherwise. Just as before (my wife is happy about this).
