Posts by imfreeimfree

44

Not DA'd, Not DF'd - but pretty much Disowned...

by Ingenuous in

i just came from what will probably be the last conversation i'll ever have with my father.

earlier in the day, i'd talked to my mom and she asked what i was up to - translated "what are you doing with yourself since you aren't going to meetings or out in service?

" i told her i'd been discussing the bible with an informal group of people and reading older wts literature.

imfreeimfree

Hi Ingenuous!

My heart goes out to you. How sad that you are facing such heart wrenching situation. You feel as you say: “…pretty much disowned”, by your relatives, however you are neither forsaken nor abandoned by God, nor by our Lord Jesus; also most, if not all of us here on this forum feel for you and are keen to support you.

To assist on your new journey, keep in mind as “Gill” described: “… in the end the only way to get over it is to feel sorry for them. They're totally lost and afraid and they will NOT be helped.” Pray for them, you just never know one day their eyes may be opened. You can help them by assuring them that you love them and that you have not apostatized from God or the Bible.

Remember the elders have no power over you, if you do not let them. If you DF yourself, to my way of thinking, you are empowering them to take action against you. It does not matter what option they take, ultimately they will have to answer to God, but your responsibility is not to men, but our Creator. After 60 years in the WT system, we decided to keep a low profile when exiting this organization; it is working well for us, though each circumstance is different. If possible, by keeping the lines of communication open with our loved ones, we some day hope to assist them escape the clutches of spiritual captivity.

God bless. Best wishes.

David

16

I Need help!

by cazza in

jw
friends

i need help making one of the most important decisions of my life, i was brought up a witness and fell away nearly 9 years ago.

i firmly believe what i was taught and still believe in the truth.

theres just a few questions i would like asking but never have the opportunity to ask anyone.

imfreeimfree

Hi Cazza.

Warm welcome.

Here you will find many empathetic people. We are here to support each other, offer encouragement, suggestions and help, when possible.

Obviously you believe in God. As Danny suggested: “Why do you not try to find out more about God.” My wife and I have been reading the Bible since our childhood, with no regrets. It has helped us in our marriage, given us much peace of mind and has quelled our fears and concerns about the future.

We were associated with the Witnesses for many decades; I held various positions of responsibility in the organization, however we quit our association recently with the WTBS because it became very obvious that the hierarchy, the governing body of the organization is not following, nor strictly teaching Bible beliefs.

Please permit me to make some suggestions which may help you.

Yours fears and anxieties are understandable. Nevertheless, our God and our Lord Jesus care for us; here is what the Bible says: “throw all your anxiety upon him, because he cares for you.” In MHO is it imperative to maintain strong faith in God and our Lord Jesus, through regular Bible reading, this would contribute to your spiritual well being and eliminate some fear and apprehension. Personally, I find much comfort in the assurance given to us by Jesus: "Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, because I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light." Mat. 11:28.

Some of the concerns you raise, I am sure no one except God can answer. God is not unjust; he will give an opportunity to everyone desiring life to get to know Him; Jesus even assured the evildoer, he will be resurrected. He forgave those who tortured and put him to death. The Bible assures us: “… that there is going to be a resurrection of both the righteous and the unrighteous.” Acts 24:15.

You say: “My 7 month old daughter is obviously not of an age where she can make decisions for herself, if i don’t return to the truth in time will she die?” Be assured, you do not have to “return to the truth” to please God, and you do not need to worry unduly about your daughter. To have God’s approval we need to draw close to Him in our individual, personal relationship with Him and Lord Jesus, and not through an organization. He is a just and loving God.

May I suggest you read two books written by Ray Franz, former member of the Governing Body: “Crisis of Conscience” and “In Search of Christian Freedom.” These publications have opened the eyes of many thousands to the real truth about the “truth”. They are available at: www.commentarypress.com

Best wishes.

David

31

Att'n U.S. & Canada: I need contacts and info for a Canadian Producer

by AndersonsInfo in

jw
friends

i have been contacted by an international award winning producer of documentaries and films for television.. .

do you know of anybody or are you currently involved with disciplinary action taken by the elders, or have you recently been "invited" to a judicial hearing?.

do you know of any young witness who has "reached out" of the organization for social support in defiance of wt training.. .

imfreeimfree

Great job Barbara.

David

57

Help! I am having feelings of doubt.

by cab1000 in

jw
friends

when jesus "selected" the faithful and discreet slave!.

"faithful and discreet slave" and therefore that the society was not.

the witnesses as "the faithful and discreet slave".. .

imfreeimfree

Hi ~Cab.

It was Rutherford, not Jehovah who gave them the “new name”. Rutherford wanted to have a religion that was totally different to “Christendom”. After the failed predictions prior to 1930s, Rutherford needed a new publicity stunt, he invented the idea that “God gave them a new name”, therefore they were his “chosen people”.

Please keep in mind that Jehovah even destroyed people he actually chose. Example: the Israelites. Because of their disobedience, God became disgusted, and only 3 of the millions, who left Egypt, entered the Promised Land.

(1 Corinthians 10:1-5) “…that our forefathers were all under the cloud and all passed through the sea 2 and all got baptized into Moses by means of the cloud and of the sea; 3 and all ate the same spiritual food 4 and all drank the same spiritual drink… 5 Nevertheless, on most of them God did not express his approval, for they were laid low in the wilderness.”

(Hebrews 3:16-19) 16 “For who were they that heard and yet provoked to bitter anger? Did not, in fact, all do so who went out of Egypt under Moses? 17 Moreover, with whom did [God] become disgusted for forty years? Was it not with those who sinned, whose carcasses fell in the wilderness?”

The WBTS organization has reproached God’s name in a big way, therefore consequences will follow.

Sometimes, it is best, for the sake of peace, to back off; you have supplied him with some solid facts, in time those seeds may germinate, then he will see what you are seeing.

Best wishes.

David

5

if anyone is awake I need a quote or quotes about going into a church.

by PaNiCAtTaCk in

jw
friends

we are to have a family reunion soon and i was asking my cousins if they were going.

they said probably not because they heard it would be in a building that was part of the babtist church.

im at work so i cant research it but i need quotes to email him saying that it would be up to his conscience.

imfreeimfree

Questions

From Readers May 15 2002 pg 28

Would

it be advisable for a true Christian to attend a funeral or a wedding in a church?

Our taking part in any form of false religion is displeasing to Jehovah and must be avoided. (2 Corinthians 6:14-17; Revelation 18:4) A church funeral is a religious service that likely involves a sermon advocating such unscriptural ideas as the immortality of the soul and a heavenly reward for all good people. It may also include such practices as making the sign of the cross and joining in prayer with the priest or minister. Prayers and other religious exercises contrary to Bible teaching may also be a part of a religious wedding ceremony held in a church or elsewhere. Being in a group where everyone else is engaging in a false religious act, a Christian may find it difficult to resist the pressure to join in. How unwise to expose oneself to such pressure!

What if a Christian feels obligated to attend a funeral or a wedding held in a church? An unbelieving husband, for example, may urge his Christian wife to be with him on such an occasion. Could she join him as a quiet observer? Out of regard for her husband’s wishes, the wife may decide to go with him, being determined not to share in any religious ceremonies. On the other hand, she may decide not to go, reasoning that the emotional pressure of the circumstances could prove to be too much for her, perhaps causing her to compromise godly principles. The decision would be hers to make. She definitely would want to be settled in her heart, having a clean conscience.—1 Timothy 1:19.

In any case, it would be to her advantage to explain to her husband that she could not conscientiously share in any religious ceremonies or join in the singing of hymns or bow her head when prayer is offered. On the basis of her explanation, he may conclude that his wife’s presence could give rise to a situation that might be unpleasant to him. He may choose to go alone out of love for his wife, respect for her beliefs, or a desire to avoid any embarrassment. But if he insists that she go with him, she might go as a mere observer.

Not to be overlooked is the effect our attending a service in a religious building might have on fellow believers. Could it injure the conscience of some? Might their resistance to avoid engaging in idolatry be weakened? "Make sure of the more important things," admonishes the apostle Paul, "so that you may be flawless and not be stumbling others up to the day of Christ."—Philippians 1:10.

If the occasion involves a close fleshly relative, there may be additional family pressures. In any case, a Christian must carefully weigh all the factors involved. Under certain circumstances he or she may conclude that no difficulties would arise from attending a church funeral or wedding as an observer. However, the circumstances may be such that by attending, the likely injury to one’s own conscience or to that of others would outweigh the possible benefits of being present. Whatever the situation, the Christian should make sure that the decision will not interfere with his preserving a good conscience before God and men.

Hope this helps.

David

17

I placed seven books should I report??????

by imfreeimfree in

jw
friends

bearing in mind i do not attend meetings, and theyve stopped calling to get the "report" i will not be able to give them the good news.

what a shame.

is there somewhere else i can report?.

imfreeimfree

Bearing in mind I do not attend meetings, and they’ve stopped calling to get the "report" I will not be able to give them the good news. What a shame. Is there somewhere else I can report?

Should I send it to the governing body direct, or does Simon collate the reports and send them on?? It’s just that I don’t want to "run ahead".

Actually, the books I placed are not ordinary, run of the mill. When read, they would open the eyes of most JWs, the KHs would empty in no time and be up for sale. The titles of the books: "Crisis of Conscience" & "In Search of Christian Freedom", by Ray Franz, (former member of the governing body).

I donated them to public libraries. Our intention is to make a contribution of these two invaluable publications to all the libraries we can locate; I believe that will be priceless service to the community. It will help enlighten the public about the WBTS system and just how deceptive and misleading the organization is. It will also present an opportunity for some honest JWs examine their faith and change their life for the better.

David

39

New here.....kinda

by lola28 in

jw
friends

hey everyone, this is my first post and i'am terrefied.

i have been lurking for over a year and finally decided that it was time to post.

i feel like i know all of you and feel more at home here than at the kingdom hall.

imfreeimfree

Welcome Lola.

Jesus’ illustration of the 99 sheep identifies clearly who the real shepherds are. In the WBTS system they spend thousands of hours leg roping individuals, and then when some stray, there is little or no effort made to give them loving support. My wife and I also spent many years in full time ministry, but are glad to be out of the clutches of that convoluted system. It is obvious that in the JW society you are only as good as your last service report. When your reports stop, depending on the individual elders, you are likely to be relegated to the scrap heap. That was our experience.

For many years we had doubts and reservations about their claims being "spirit directed", and the modern "ark of salvation". Then after reading "Crisis of Conscience" and "In Search of Christian Freedom", by Ray Franz, (former member of the governing body), it became obvious that they are not spirit directed, nor are they God appointed place for salvation.

Not to lose faith and peace of mind is quite a challenge. We prefer to stay Bible oriented. I believe it is the only reliable, inspired guide; when followed it provides peace of mind and gives purpose to life. It alone points the way to an endless future with no disillusionment.

Once again, welcome. We sincerely wish you peace and God’s blessing on your journey.

Regards

David

15

Curious about beliefs ...Looking for friends

by KeeganAKat in

jw
friends

hi,i'm simon,i'm 23 years old and reside in nc.anyways,i'm very new to all of this.basically what happened was at work one day a jw came in and handed me a copy of watchtower and awake!

magazines.i've just contacted the watchtower for the home bible study..right now my g/f and i are looking for a church and have been checking out many denominations.any information anyone could send me about your organization would be greatly appreciated.i'd also love to converse with anyone online (feel free to im me...my sn is [email protected]) thanx!

imfreeimfree

Hi Simon

Welcome.

Obviously you wish to know more about the Bible and where to turn for some assistance. I have been associated with the Jehovah’s Witnesses for many decades, and have only recently abandoned their form of worship. No, I have not turned against God or the Bible, on the contrary.

I have come to realize that The Watchtower Bible & tract Society, though on the surface act as if they follow the Bible, in actual fact they are controlled by the governing body, and they alone decide what the R&F are to believe; to question or disagree with them invites chastisement, disfellowshipping and separation from your friends and relatives. Please, be well informed before making any commitment.

What helped me and my wife, are books published by a former governing body member Ray Franz, who was thrown out of the headquarters of Jehovah’s Witnesses because he had disagreement with them on some major scriptural beliefs. His exposé is factual, accurate; an eye opener.

Once you become a JW, and are baptised, you will be obligated to follow the theologies presented by the GB; disagreement or questioning is not allowed. There is no way to depart from the JW religion honourably.

The books written by Ray Franz are: "Crisis of Conscience" & "In Search of Christian Freedom". You may order them from: [email protected]

Regards

David

75

First Post

by 5thGeneration in

jw
friends

some things confuse me here.

i am in the same position as many where i don't agree with so much the society says and feel stuck dragging myself to the meetings and then feel incredible guilt because the study for the day says it is wrong to have any doubts "even in private".

impossible for me!.

imfreeimfree

Welcome 5 th Generation,

Your disappointment and pain is familiar to my wife and me. We were involved with the WBTS for 6 decades; I served in various positions of responsibility. As the years went by we became more and more convinced that they have never been appointed by God as the "slave"; they just wanted to advocate their own propaganda, and became slaves of their own concept. It is very disappointing that after spending extended periods of time in that system, one discovers that it is badly flawed, spiritually dysfunctional.

Why didn’t I pay attention years ago to what they had to say in the brochure "Who Are They?": "Jehovah’s Witnesses believe that all religious teachings should be subjected to this test of agreement with the inspired Scriptures, whether the teaching is offered by them or by someone else. They invite you—urge you—to do this in your discussions with them." "Jehovah's witnesses in the Twentieth Century" pg. 4.

They admit, there are mistakes in their literature : "It does not mean that the writings in this magazine The Watchtower are inspired and infallible and without mistakes." Awake March 22, 1993 pg 4.

The WBTS insist that the R& F are to accept everything that is presented by the GB as coming direct from God; mistakes and all blunders. Here is what was stated in the Watchtower 6/15/57 pg 370. "Jehovah has established a very definite channel of communication through which he deals with his people ... It is vital that we appreciate this fact and respond to the directions of the ‘slave’ as we would to the voice of God ..."

The deceptive dates for Armageddon 1914, 1918, 1925 and 1975, did they originate with God? The endless record of flip flops, where did all these come from? From the men who are prisoners of their own theology; the GB, and not from God.

In the following article the WBTS acknowledge that there is a good reason why they cannot be trusted. "It is a serious matter to represent God and Christ in one way, then find that our understanding of the major teachings and fundamental doctrines of the Scriptures was in error, and then after that, to go back to the very doctrines that, by years of study, we had thoroughly determined to be in error. Christians cannot be vacillating - 'wishy washy' - about such fundamental teachings. What confidence can one put in the sincerity or judgment of such persons?" the Watchtower, May 15 1976, pg. 298.

You comment: "The guilt is overwhelming for me! Just want to live my life with my family. Maybe I can't anymore." Please, remember that we are not accountable to any man. Do no let the men who have not been appointed by God disturb your conscience; we are not accountable to them. Why permit imperfect men decide what is sinful. Not for a moment do I think you have anything to feel guilty about. Remember the account in 2 Chron.33:1-3, all that Jehovah forgave the wicked king Manasseh. There is nothing our God does not forgive. However, the case in point you refer to, I do not see any Scriptural infraction.

It’s encouraging to note that you have not lost your faith in Jehovah God and Christ Jesus. My wife and I have not lost our spirituality or our belief in God and the Bible. To lose ones faith IMHO is like mislaying the compass, losing direction and spiritual focus. I find much peace of mind and heart by staying with the Scriptures, and hope and pray that I will never again abdicate to any human, or an organization.

It takes time to make the required adjustments. You may wish to read the two books published by Ray Franz, "Crisis of Conscience" and "In Search of Christian Freedom" by former member of the governing body. Ray is a fine, spiritual Christian and very much Bible oriented. You may purchase them from:

[email protected]

Wish you all the best on your journey.

David

30

More District Convention ApostaKits

by ezekiel3 in

let your voice be heard!.

the primary goal is to wake the wts up to the fact that both active and ex-jws know the truth about the truth.

internet links and brief statements are printed on each check in the chance that someone may take interest as well.. .

imfreeimfree

I have a question: Do you actually know what a Zone overseer is? There wont even be Zone Overseers at 90% of the conventions.These will not be getting to a zone overseer. District overseer perhaps, CO yes. Not Zone.

Otherwise it's a great idea.

David