i count my blessings.
i picked up a kingdom ministry for february and saw, once again, the mindless horror that the organization has evolved into.
there's the grade school reading level.
Giving these parts could be handled by a seventh grader.
Funny you mentioned this. As a TMS overseer and as an elder I would always fill in at the last minute for parts. People would be amazed. But I always felt like how hard can it be to talk about stuff I've been hearing and repeating for almost forty years?! I could do it in my sleep for goodness sakes.
Isaac
i have been a jw my whole life and am just realizing now that i have no friends.
the 1 or 2 good friends that i had as a child have since moved away and now i am stuck trying to make friends with people in the hall that i am in that don't want anything to do with me cuz i'm not a ms, elder or pioneer.. it's weird, because i look at facebook or other sites where people talk about their day or what they have been doing and it seems like people "in the world" have a lot of friends and have a good/happy life.. i think that the jw's are so busy with all of the wtbs stuff that they don't have the energy to take time to be friends with others.. i am sad...cuz i don't see a way to get any realy friends as too much of my family is in the "truth" and i'm stuck in it .
Volunteering has really worked well for me.
Isaac
i guess after leaving the witnesses 5 years ago - i had always thought the " control" issues had started years down the road in rutherford's time and that initially the motives were good when russell started this organization.
boy was i wrong.
i've been reading the book " kingdom of the cults " by walter martin- revised edition and thought i'd share some eye opening quotes from c.t.
Funny that one could not understand the Bible by reading the Bible! You should always be able to read the raw data and get some insight.
Isaac
so you want to fade quickly, and keep the elders off your back?
here's an easy way to do it:.
1) recruit a sympathetic friend - doesn't have to be an elder, heck, doesn't even have to be a jw - to pose as the secretary for the "xyz" congregation.. 2) tell your congregation secretary you are moving to the "xyz" congregation.
The moving thing would probably have worked for me. But my then spouse pulled the plug on the move. I would have had more friends stick by me if she hadn't.
Isaac
after seeing the danish movie "worlds apart" and being told on this board that it is acceptable in some foreign countries, how common is it and where?.
I have heard of tolerance in this respect in France.
Isaac
10. no more kooky beliefs about blood.
9. stop slamming other religions.
8. make it ok to salute flag and vote.
You got most of it. Of course who would join then? Might as well stay whatever you are.
Isaac
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/01/27/health/27well.html?ex=1390798800&en=b7319a172abe33f9.
the myth of rampant teenage promiscuity.
by tara parker-popepublished: january 26, 2009have american teenagers gone wild?.
As a father and a parent leader who is always around schools, I can attest to the truth of the above. These girls may flirt and make out but it often stays that way.
Isaac
http://www.toilette-humor.com/medical/alzheimers_test.shtml.
Altright, alright, so I should have read the whole thing first. Reminds me of that old one where you're supposed to read all the directions before going through some useless task. No one does, they just start doing the stuff on the page. Then around line three or so you're told NOT to the anything on the page.... Why do I fall for this stuff???
Isaac
study articles have strong counsel against apostates - modern day apostates display characteristics similar to those of the devil.
their mind may be poisoned by a critical attitude towards individuals in the congregations , christian elders or the governing body.
some apostates oppose the use of the divine name , jehovah.
Watchtower study articles seem to be devolving into 4 general themes, repeated incessantly:
1) We are God's mouthpiece, obey us or die
2) You aren't doing enough [blank] - field service, prayer, study, meeting attendance, shepherding, etc.
3) You're doing too much [blank] - drinking, playing, watching movies, furthering your education, etc.
4) Apostates are evil offspring of Satan himself - avoid at all costs
Maybe we're getting to 'em.
Isaac
Some JW's believe that eventually the world will use synthetic blood in all circumstances and the Society will be vindicated.
This probably will happen. But that won't change the fact that they had an ill conceived policy that was stupid, cost lives, and hurt people.
Isaac
