17 Years old. Was completely my decision. No family in the organization.
drew sagan
JoinedPosts by drew sagan
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36
How old were you when you got baptized...was it your own decision?
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Anybody able to look something up for me in a bound volume?
by drew sagan inback in 1997 i began attending meetings.
i am trying to pinpoint the date but in order to do so have to look something up in the bound volume (which i don't have).
the first watchtower magazine i ever got was in the summer of 97, (probably between may and august).
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drew sagan
Awesome! Thanks so much I really appreciate it!
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Anybody able to look something up for me in a bound volume?
by drew sagan inback in 1997 i began attending meetings.
i am trying to pinpoint the date but in order to do so have to look something up in the bound volume (which i don't have).
the first watchtower magazine i ever got was in the summer of 97, (probably between may and august).
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drew sagan
Back in 1997 I began attending meetings. I am trying to pinpoint the date but in order to do so have to look something up in the bound volume (which I don't have). The first Watchtower magazine I ever got was in the summer of 97, (probably between May and August). The cover was somewhat orange in color and had a picture of a little girl and a tank (end times related I believe).
If anybody can find that magazine and see when the study articles were used that would be very helpful!
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4
list of district convention releases over the past decade?
by drew sagan ini'm trying to compile a list of all the major publications released at district conventions over the past decade.
even though i attended most of these conventions, there are some blank spots.
anybody able to help refresh my memory?
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drew sagan
Thanks yknot, I was able to verify my list. Of all the years I attended, 2004 had to have been the most disappointing. All we got was the "Keep on the Watch" brochure, as well as an updated version of "Good News for People of All Nations".
My first three conventions consisted of getting the Daniel book and the Isaiah book set, which was an exciting thing to me. I was always hoping that we would get more books like these, but it never happened.
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list of district convention releases over the past decade?
by drew sagan ini'm trying to compile a list of all the major publications released at district conventions over the past decade.
even though i attended most of these conventions, there are some blank spots.
anybody able to help refresh my memory?
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drew sagan
I'm trying to compile a list of all the major publications released at district conventions over the past decade. Even though I attended most of these conventions, there are some blank spots. Anybody able to help refresh my memory? Please correct me I have made an error.
1999 - God's Prophetic Word (Daniel book)
2000 - Doers of God's Word (Isaiah I)
2001 - Teachers of God's Word (Isaiah II)
2002 - Zealous Kingdom Proclaimers (Draw Close to Jehovah, Worship Book)
2003 - Give God Glory (Learn from the Great Teacher, See the Good Land)
2004 - Walk With God (Keep on The Watch Brochure) Any books this year?
2005 - Godly Obedience - (What Does the Bible Really Teach?)
2006 - Deliverance at Hand! (Live with Jehovah's Day in Mind)
I didn't attend the following:
2007 - Follow the Christ!
2008 - Guided by God’s Spirit
2009 - Keep on the Watch!
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Here is the Letter I am thinking of sending ,give me your input
by troubled mind inattention to the elder body of the *******congregation of jehovahs witnesses .
criminal harassment is defined as "engag(ing) in intentional conduct which the actor [harasser] knows or has reason to know would cause the victim, under the circumstances, to feel frightened, threatened, oppressed, persecuted, or intimidated; and causes this reaction on the part of the victim.
609.749, subd.
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drew sagan
I too believe you have put way to much information and emotion into the letter. Simply mention the repeated unwanted calls and visits as well as your legal request that they stop doing so. Cut out the depression reference. References to the specific dates (or even estimates of the month) as well as a detailed list of each request you have made to them for privacy would be preferable. I think the wordy intro about the definition of harassment is excessive, as well as all the info AllTimeJeff pointed out.
If you are trying to avoid being disfellowshipped, then you need to keep the letter as simple as possible. Probably no more than three paragraphs (intro, body, conclusion).
Also, take out the emotion and ambiguity. For example, in your final paragraph you write:
A copy of this letter has been filed with the ****** Police Department. I really do hope you will abide by my wishes because I really do not wish to pursue this into legal criminal matters , but I will do whatever I have to protect my well being.
Elements such as "really do hope", "really do not wish" and "will do whatever I have to protect my well being" are excessive and reveal too much emotion. Cut these sorts of phrases out of your letter. Instead, I would write something along these lines:
It is my hope that you will respectfully cooperate with my request for privacy. Any further contact from (insert Elders, publishers, or generic info about who you don't want contacting you) will be understood as a violation of this request. Please know that while I do not want to file criminal action, I am prepared to if pushed that way. Per their suggestion, A copy of this letter has been filed with the ***** Police Department.
Another suggestion:
My spirituality is between me and my heavenly Father. I wish to be left alone and allowed to seek that journey on my own .
I would instead write:
At this point in time I no longer wish to be contacted by any representatives from the ****** Kingdom Hall of Jehovah's Witnesses. If at any point in time in the future I feel comfortable will visits and calls from the congregation I will be sure to notify you.
Good luck! Remember, it is always better to write and rewrite. Take your time and bring your revisions back here.
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drew sagan
Ray's book primarily focuses on the validity of the Watchtowers claim as god's exclusive channel of communication. It does not introduce an individual to the movement in a systematic way. Jim Penton's Apocalypse Delayed: The Story of Jehovah's Witnesses may be a better choice.
I have just started reading Andrew Holden's book Jehovah's Witnesses: A Portrait of a Contemporary Religious Movement. In my opinion, this is the best book out there right now that captures the social environment that has developed within the organization over the past two decades or so. He is a sociologist that interviewed both active and former members, attended meetings, and much more. The only problem is that the book is an academic treatise, and is probably not as accessible as some may like.
A fantastic collection of academic articles on millennialism is War in Heaven/Heaven on Earth: Theories of the Apocalyptic, edited by Stephen O'Leary. O'Leary is one of the best scholars out there researching apocalyptic rhetoric (his other books are worth checking out as well. I really like this book because of the variety of apocalyptic movements covered. Jehovah's Witnesses, however, are not mentioned in this book (but are there in spirit i suppose :P). Like Holden's book, this may be a bit tougher reading because it is written for a scholarly audience.
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Apostates Mourn Ray Franz (1922 - 2010)
by Bangalore inapostates mourn ray franz (1922 - 2010}.. http://pastorrussell.blogspot.com/2010/06/apostates-mourn-ray-franz-1922-2010.html.
bangalore.
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drew sagan
The purpose of Ray's books are first are first and foremost to test the validity of the Watchtowers exclusivist claims to truth and God appointed favor. Outside of general recommendations towards personal freedom and decision making, Franz's books provide very little in the way of doctrinal treatise. There is essentially very little that Franz has provided to "follow", a fact which renders the claims of Mr. "Sherlock" rather pointless (except for the fact that they fulfill the Watchtower's official narrative of former members who leave the organization to "follow" satan).
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$1000 for a foreclosed house? Are these for real? Is there a catch?
by WuzLovesDubs inseriously...i know there are a ton of foreclosed on houses in florida.
can you really buy one for $1000???
http://www.trulia.com/for_sale/33467_zip/foreclosure_lt/price;a_sort/.
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drew sagan
Just clicked your link. Be careful, I believe RealtyTrac is a scam. They pose as a intermediary between foreclosures and buyers but it is all fake.
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$1000 for a foreclosed house? Are these for real? Is there a catch?
by WuzLovesDubs inseriously...i know there are a ton of foreclosed on houses in florida.
can you really buy one for $1000???
http://www.trulia.com/for_sale/33467_zip/foreclosure_lt/price;a_sort/.
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drew sagan
$1,000 homes are everywhere in Detroit.
There may be some in Florida, but I doubt it. I would guess that the most likely scenario in Florida would be homes that are currently selling at significantly lowered prices.