Posts by adelmaal

30

Baptize 'em young, keep 'em outta Sports - My notes from the last assembly

by jgnat in

jw
friends

i had heard of accounts of young baptisms, but i figured it was the exception rather than the rule.

now i wonder, after viewing the models of youth paraded at the last assembly.

i took note of the ages and age of baptism of the five young men (no girls this time) who were interviewed as models of jw youth at this last week's assembly.

adelmaal

The topic of this post scares me because my daughter is just turning 10 (I think I'll have her post an it's my birthday post Friday night :) and her JW family on my ex's side is constantly pushing these ideas down her throat. I will probably have to push the issue in a court of law if they try to convince her to get baptized before she is 18. They, of course, never cooperate when we want to put her into sports (even though she wants to participate) when something interferes with their time with her (1/2 time) so she is not able to play sports. Hopefully, as she gets older she will find the courage to stand up to them for her rights and she will be able to get more involved.

I was somewhat relieved the other night when my husband (never been a JW) was asking her about the Memorial and what it is all about. She really doesn't understand any of why they celebrate the Memorial or what it is all about. I think she tunes most of what she hears out when she is at the meetings. She said she likes to go to the Memorial because she can get all dressed up and it is the shortest meeting of the year! LOL.

Hopefully, I can over the years show her what their beliefs are and counteract them with the Bible and all the other hosts of opinions in this world about God, life, etc. I'm more and more thinking she will be able to learn to think for herself and she will not be sucked in so long as she has me and the rest of my family to balance her out.

mstweetz: Stick around awhile and you will see what people here really believe. We come from all walks of life and we have had real world experience with Jehovah's Witnesses (lots of us having been one in our past). I personally believe in God, have Jesus as my mediator and saviour and am so happy to look forward to life in heaven. I have read the Bible since I left that religion and have found that it reads quite differently without a WT/Awake! in your hand to explain it to you Welcome to the board and I hope you stay for awhile and get to know the wonderful people here. BTW... The word apostate purely means you have deserted a cause, religion, political party or friend. It has nothing to do with belief or disbelief in God. It has everything to do with disbelief in a manmade system of beliefs or organization. It's not the BIG BAD word that JWs have made it out to be...

Definition of Apostate:
deserter: a disloyal person who betrays or deserts his cause or religion or political party or friend etc.
not faithful to religion or party or cause

Actually the whole reference to deserting one's friend really makes me think JWs are practicing apostate thinking when they desert you for disagreeing with their beliefs. A friend should be a friend regardless of his/her belief system but try leaving that religion and your deepest and truest of friends will desert you in a heartbeat.

30

Baptize 'em young, keep 'em outta Sports - My notes from the last assembly

by jgnat in

jw
friends

i had heard of accounts of young baptisms, but i figured it was the exception rather than the rule.

now i wonder, after viewing the models of youth paraded at the last assembly.

i took note of the ages and age of baptism of the five young men (no girls this time) who were interviewed as models of jw youth at this last week's assembly.

adelmaal

Dear JWD friends. What do JW boys and men do to relieve their aggression, if they don't have sports?

I was a JW woman but my hunch is that they secretly masterbate to relieve aggression and tension

44

Witness Sister Alone At Our Door on Sunday ..No knock ..Just Silence

by adelmaal in

jw
friends

it was pretty odd.

we had a jw sister come to our door on sunday by herself.

she walked up really slowly and quietly.

adelmaal

It's your damn house for God's sake, have some guts, answer the door and tell whoever knocked, whether it's JWs or Mormons or a vacuum cleaner saleman, that you're not interested and ask them to leave.

I hear ya undercover but I think I might have scared her to death had I answered the door when she hadn't even tried to get our attention by knocking or ringing the door bell. I just think the poor sould didn't want to talk or didn't have a presentation ready to go. She was probably praying for it to be a not at home day.

I too do remember having days where I just really didn't feel like talking at the door. Used to fight with my partner all the time with rock, paper, scissors to see who would have to take the first door. Then secretly hoped the first one would be the only one that actually answered.

I never neglected to knock or ring the bell though. I would sometimes knock very lightly if I felt it was just to early on a Sunday morning to be bugging people.

This sister just looked so shy and so sad with her head hung down low, her baggy clothing, her hands folded in front of her and big glasses on. She looked like the homely little librarian (no offense to librarians, of course).

I guess I should have invited her in for a drink and a rest to give her a break - huh. Hindsite.

I did tell my husband that there will come a day where the JWs will pray for me not to answer the door because they will get an ear full. I just haven't quite worked up to witnessing to Witnesses yet though.

44

Witness Sister Alone At Our Door on Sunday ..No knock ..Just Silence

by adelmaal in

jw
friends

it was pretty odd.

we had a jw sister come to our door on sunday by herself.

she walked up really slowly and quietly.

adelmaal

It was pretty odd. We had a JW sister come to our door on Sunday by herself.

She walked up really slowly and quietly. I just caught a glimpse of her walking up. We waited to hear the knock or doorbell ring and nothing... Still nothing... More nothing... A minute or two passed and I didn't see her walk away. Usually, if someone is at our door (i.e. mailman) our dog goes bollistic and starts barking whether they ring the bell or not but even the dog didn't notice her on the porch.

She then turned around and walked away. Not making a sound or leaving a trace of her visit.

Really wierd. I told my husband it was odd she was alone and she was probably just trying to buy time by letting the other JWs working our street think she was having a conversation with us and she probably didn't really want to talk to anyone so she was hoping nobody would answer the door and that's why she wasn't knocking. Hmmm... I didn't see anyone else working our street though.

I know she was a Witness because when she walked away I saw her open her NWT and record us as a not at home.

What do you all think?

47

Analyze this: The newly revised questions for baptism

by ezekiel3 in

the following is quoted in it's entirety (excepting cited scriptures after each question) from the new release organized to do jehovah's will, pages 182-218.. .

questions for those desiring to be baptized.

part 1 elementary bible teachings.

adelmaal

spark:

i'm with you! are they kidding? what does any of what they said in the paragraph you referenced have to even do with the Bible or religion? pisses me off to no end...

18

memorial advice please?

by jaffacake in

jw
friends

i've been invited to a memorial on thursday.

i'm currently unsure of my beliefs (somewhere between agnostic and christian, with an interest in science).

i have been baptised twice - catholic by sprinkling, and seventh day adventist by immersion - and have partaken of the bread & wine in both religions (although come to think of it, the catholic priest always kept the wine for himself).

adelmaal

Why prepare food and drink for no one, or just in case?

Can you say traditions of men? It doesn't really venture to far from the traditions and formalities of the Catholic church does it. You will see if you go how formal and ritualistic it is...

They believe only the anointed go to heaven, only the anointed benefit from Christ's ransom sacrifice in a heavenly sense and almost all of the anointed have already died and been resurrected. They also believe that since only the anointed are going to heaven then only the anointed benefit from the covenant Jesus spoke of when he commanded his followers to continue to "do this in rememberance" of him.

Quite a stretch in my opinion considering Jesus did not say only some of his followers would benefit from that covenant and not others. He also did not say that only some of his followers should continue to partake of the bread and the wine.

Jehovah's Witnesses believe those on there earth today are said to be of the other sheep who will live in paradise on earth forever. They do not believe the other sheep or the great crowd benefit from Christ's sacrifice in a heavenly sense, they do not believe that Christ serves mediator for the other sheep with God and they do not believe that the great crowd are part of the covenant between Christ and those who will serve with him in heaven.

In some warped way they think they are doing what Christ commanded by passing the stuff around and yet not partaking of it.

How can they be doing what Jesus commanded if they are not partaking and sharing in the covenant for the heavenly Kingdom? Who knows... It doesn't make any sense to me now that I am no longer in that religion. I personally want Jesus as my saviour and my mediator so I can have a relationship with God and enter his Kingdom.

Hoe is this respectful to Christ's teaching?

I don't believe so but they think they have taken it all right out of the Bible. They take the mention of 144,000 in Revelation literally and they believe only that literal number (all of them happening to be Jehovah's Witnesses) will be in heaven ruling as kings with Jesus. The rest of Jesus' followers will live on the earth with Jesus and the 144,000 ruling over them.

I would in all seriousness appreciate an answer to my question about why all disciples of Christ should not do as he said. Do JWs not teach other teachings or commands of Jesus apply to the whole congregation?

I'm with you that all of Jesus' followers should do as he said.

The WTBTS' rules and regulations apply to the entire congregation. The heavenly hope is only held out for a few though. Why the majority of them continue to serve regardless of the fact that they are not considered worthy to be of the heavenly class is beyond me...

You will not find a scripture in the Bible that says Jesus promised a "paradise earth" (those two words together) to any of his followers. You will find plenty that speak of him promising a Heavenly kingdom though. You will not find a scripture that says you have to be in a manmade organization, part of a literal number of followers or in a certain religion to enter into the heavenly kingdom promised by Jesus. You will not find a scripture that says you are not allowed to commemorate Jesus' death in the way he commanded if you are not part of a group of 144,000 Jehovah's Witnesses.

They take randomn scriptures throughout the Bible and piece them together to form a belief system that is completely contrary to Jesus' teachings when he was on earth.

Personally, I don't go because I don't believe they are showing respect for what Jesus died for and I don't believe they are showing appreciation for the heavenly hope held out by Jesus for his followers. I would rather not support yet another false religion.

95

WHAT DO YOU THINK OF THE TERRI SCHIAVO CASE?

by Mary in

jw
friends

there is apparently no chance at all of her ever recovering from her present state, but do you think she should live or die?

for myself, i think she's better off dead than living---no, existing---in her present state.

i for one, have instructed my family to let me die if something like this ever happened to me.

adelmaal

What is your viewpoint of her situation? Would YOU want to live like that, or would you rather die?

I believe it should be the spouse's call as to whether or not someone remains on life support if they have no chance of rehabilitation (unless there is proof of foul play on the spouse's part; not sure whether or not that applies in this situation). If there is foul play then the parents should be the natural guardians. I would just hope they are thinking of her and not themselves.

A marriage mate should know best what his/her spouse's wishes would be and it's ludicrous to keep someone alive when he/she is in such a state. I don't get Bush's stand on this issue. Without life support (intervention) her body will naturally die. It's completely different from abortion where without intervention (abortion) the baby will continue to live.

Didn't Bush already approve legislation to make it the spouse's call? Why did he flip flop? Who knows. Can't stand by him on this one.

Personally, the only way I would want to be kept on life support is if there were a chance I would eventually be able to take care of my children and watch them grow up. Otherwise, I would rather not be a burdan and I would prefer to be allowed to die.

82

Ten killed in US school shooting

by Simon in

.

another tradgedy ... .

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/americas/4370617.stm.

adelmaal

Armed with at least two weapons - a handgun and a shotgun thought to have been taken from his grandfather

Yet another reason it's just plain nonsense to have a gun in your house. It seems like guns in the home are more likely to be used on one of your family members or friends than they are on a criminal breaking in... But hey - let's hear it for the right to bear arms!!! Whoopee!!!

Simon you said,

It seems to me Americans are in denial

blah blah blah... IMO you would get so much more respect for your views if you just stuck to the issues rather than resorting to generalizations. I've only been posting on this board for a short time and already your US/America bashing is getting old.

We are not all the same, we do not all agree with the lack of gun control and there is good and bad in every society. It really makes you sound ignorant when you resort to lumping people together into one big negative stereotype.

50

Jessica Lundsford would still be alive....

by avishai in

if john couey had been executed or imprisoned for life the first time he was convicted

adelmaal

CG said:

Most far too often. However, put the shoes on the other foot. Would you like your SON imprisoned for dating a girl who told him she was 18, and really 14, and he was 26, and then find that he is subject to the punishment you subscribe of death or life imprisonment, based on the fact that he was in a "romantic" mood and didn't ask for her ID?
Just another scenario.

I'm talking about a man who molests a young child. I am not talking about consentual sex. There should be a distinction and if there is not then the laws need to be changed so there is. The death penalty or life in prison should be the only option for a man who rapes and/or kills a young child.

I am speaking of the scenario in this posting, not the one you mention. All pedophiles (men who rape and/or murder little non-consentual children) should be killed IMHO. Whoever said consentual sex with a minor, pissing in a public place and forgetting your shades are up when you are walking through the house naked had to be lumped in with rape/murder of children was obviously not in his/her right mind. The punishment should fit the crime. Life for life or a lifetime of being raped in general population for raping a defenseless little child works for me.

64

Am I a bad person?

by Nancy Drake in

jw
friends

today, i bought one of those nifty shower heads that come off the wall and have pulse/massage type settings.

well, i didn't follow directions and i ended up snapping it right off the pipe....oops.

so, i took it back to the store and said..."i don't know what happened.

adelmaal

Reminds me of the time my friend bought a new step thingy for exercising. She set it up and got to stepping to her new exersize video that came with it. She found the video quite frustrating because she could not keep up with all the moves and in her fit of rage/frustration she jumped up in the air and came down full force on the step a few times shattering it into little pieces (picture a woman PMS-in and taking it out on her step). LOL!

She took it back to Target in a bag full of pieces and just said, "I don't know what happened. It fell apart on me."

She got her money back and we all got a good laugh out of it.