Posts by ThomasCovenant

I couldn't agree more than with this point no 9. There are some posters on the site that I regret to say stir up feelings of what can only be described as violent, nay murderous hatred . I cannot see the point of arguing with them; they NEVER acknowledge any middle ground.

I try and follow Lady Lee's advice. 'If I can't say anything nice, don't say anything at all.'

10.Be quick to apologize if you offend.

Try and imagine, as Simon points out, that we are in his house having a little get together. He has invited us around and we should try to just be civil at least. (I think by now the police would have been called in for some major public disorder)

7

Have the Watchtower Society ever printed that Satan had a part in removing God's name from the Bible?

by ThomasCovenant in

as per the title.

.

i've had a quick look but cannot find any quotes specifically blaming sate..

ThomasCovenant

As per the title.

I've had a quick look but cannot find any quotes specifically blaming Sate.

31

June 15 W/T - "Should Youths Get Baptised?"

by sizemik in

the above mentioned article caught my eye for a couple of reasons .

.. it is obvious to most observers that the children of active jw's provide a potential "large army" and in spite of the attrition rate of jw youths (around 2/3's i believe), it's a resource the borg are keen to maximise.

there tactics appear to be encouraging baptism at an ever younger age.

ThomasCovenant

This is the youngest age for baptism I have found so far in the WT literature

Watchtower 15th Jan '88 p28

''Among those getting baptized were an 8-year-old girl who conducts two Bible studies with schoolmates, a 79-year-old man, and a 44-year-old quadriplegic.''

Just spotted Blondie's, who else, 7 year old from '56 WT.

89

Want to quit Bible study

by confusedstudent in

jw
friends

hi i was just looking for some advice.

i have been studying with the jw's for over a year now, and attended 2 memorials and the district/assembly conventions.

at first, and up until very recently i truly believed what i was learning was the truth.

ThomasCovenant

I'm sure you'll be ok. After all, out of the 99.99% of the world's population that are not JW's, many seem to get on quite nicely with their lives. Well done.

89

Want to quit Bible study

by confusedstudent in

jw
friends

hi i was just looking for some advice.

i have been studying with the jw's for over a year now, and attended 2 memorials and the district/assembly conventions.

at first, and up until very recently i truly believed what i was learning was the truth.

ThomasCovenant

I want to quit my Bible study

I want to quit purchasing that second hand car

Car salesman, ''We have the car for you. Trust me when I tell you it has only done 20,000 miles and does 80mpg, and will never let you down.''

JW sister, ''We have the only true religion for you. Trust me when I tell you we are right.''

Car salesman, ''Don't bother to read any negative reviews by third party independent reviewers of this vehicle. They are all lies.''

JW sister, ''Don't bother to read anything negative about our organization. It is all lies by evil people blinded by Satan.''

Car salesman, ''Whatever you do, do not listen to anything the former owner of this lovely little motor may say about it. What does he know?''

JW sister, ''Whatever you do, do not listen to anything former Witnesses may say. What do they know?''

Confused Student, tell them you'd never buy a second hand vehicle without doing some basic research about the make and model and the retailer and likewise after doing similar research about JW's you have come to the conclusion that you no longer wish to 'buy' into it.

It'll be worth it in the long run.

Nine hundred Christians

by ThomasCovenant in

http://www.thedailymash.co.uk/news/society/nine-hundred-christians-make-slight-change-to-their-delusion-201104213745/.

ThomasCovenant

http://www.thedailymash.co.uk/news/society/nine-hundred-christians-make-slight-change-to-their-delusion-201104213745/

63

How Many of Them Do You Know About?

by clarity in

after flipper's thread about the wt child abuse cases, i started to think about how many children i know of personally who have been sexually abused by a jw!.

as someone who is not especially 'in the know', it's amazing that i do know five of them.

one who was a small baby, at the time!.

ThomasCovenant

30 + years in and no knowledge or experience of any child abuse in any congregation I was in.

15

Memorial PT Outline reflecting new songbook ....(pdf available)

by yknot in

ThomasCovenant

Thank you

22

suicide and wts funeral rules

by diamondiiz in

i just found out that a husband of an old friend committed a suicide and i was wondering if there are any letters to elders or any wts rules concerning funerals for those who committed suicide.

i've looked in the elders book and letters to boe index and didn't find anything.

some posts here say they can have the funeral at the kh and some here said they couldn't hold it there because suicide was involved.

ThomasCovenant

WT 15th June 2002

Questions From Readers

If someone commits suicide, would it be advisable for a Christian minister to give the funeral talk?

Each Christian minister would have to decide for himself whether he in good conscience could conduct a funeral for someone who seems to have committed suicide. When making the decision, he should consider the following questions: How does Jehovah view suicide? Was the death really a self-inflicted murder? Did a mental or emotional disorder trigger the suicide? How is suicide viewed in the locality?

As Christians, we are interested in how Jehovah views suicide. To Jehovah human life is precious and sacred. (Genesis 9:5; Psalm 36:9) The intentional killing of oneself is self-murder, and it is therefore displeasing in God's eyes. (Exodus 20:13; 1 John 3:15) Does that fact preclude the giving of a funeral talk for a suicide victim?

Consider the case of King Saul of Israel. When he realized that he would not survive his final battle against the Philistines, rather than letting his enemy treat him abusively, "Saul took the sword and fell upon it." When the Philistines found his corpse, they fastened it on the wall of the city of Beth-shan. Upon finding out what the Philistines had done, the inhabitants of Jabesh-gilead removed the corpse and burned it. Then they took his bones and buried them. They even fasted for seven days, a traditional mourning rite among the Israelites. (1 Samuel 31:4, 8-13; Genesis 50:10)

When David, the anointed of Jehovah, found out what the inhabitants of Jabesh-gilead had done, he said: "Blessed may you be of Jehovah, because you exercised this loving-kindness toward your lord, toward Saul, in that you buried him. And now may Jehovah exercise toward you loving-kindness and trustworthiness." (2 Samuel 2:5, 6) The divine record does not indicate that the inhabitants of Jabesh-gilead were condemned for performing what may be considered a funeral rite for King Saul. Compare that with the case of those who were deprived of burial because of their wrongdoing. (Jeremiah 25:32, 33) A Christian minister may consider the account about Saul in deciding whether he can give a funeral talk for a suicide victim.

The minister may also want to consider the purpose of a funeral service. Unlike people who believe in the immortality of the soul, Jehovah's Witnesses do not perform funerals with the erroneous idea of sending the deceased off to another world. Rather than to benefit the deceased, the main purpose of having a memorial service is to comfort the bereaved and to give a witness concerning the condition of the dead to those who attend. (Ecclesiastes 9:5, 10; 2 Corinthians 1:3-5) Another important reason for having a funeral is to help all in attendance to reflect on the transitoriness of life. (Ecclesiastes 7:2) Will these purposes be served by performing the memorial service for the suicide victim?

Granted, some may feel that the person took his life intentionally, fully aware that he was sinning against Jehovah. But is there always a way to substantiate such a feeling? Could it have been a spur-of-the-moment act? Some who attempt suicide feel regret and do not go through with it. A person cannot after death repent for what he has done.

Another important factor is that of mental and emotional disorders that are involved in many suicides. These can really be called suicide victims. According to some statistics, 90 percent of those who commit suicide have some kind of mental, emotional, or addictive problem. Will Jehovah forgive the self-murder committed by people in such a mental state? We are not in a position to judge whether the deceased committed an unforgivable sin in the eyes of Jehovah. A Christian minister may take into account the circumstances and medical history of the deceased when he considers whether to perform a funeral service for the suicide victim.

There is one more aspect to consider: How do people in the community view suicide and the death of the person? This is especially of concern to the elders, who are interested in the reputation of the local congregation of Jehovah's Witnesses. Depending on the general attitude toward suicide in the locality, and particularly toward the case involved, the elders may prefer not to sponsor such a funeral publicly or to have it in the Kingdom Hall.

Still, if a Christian minister is asked to preside at the funeral, he may feel that on a private basis, he can do so. If he decides to do so, he should be discreet in not making any firm statements about whether a resurrection might be possible. Any future prospect for the dead is in the hands of Jehovah, and no one is in a position to say whether the deceased will be resurrected or not. The minister can concentrate on the Bible truths about death and offer comfort for the bereaved.