Posts by CornerStone

14

Are we bitter people or just victims?

by cocolocoii in

jw
friends

i am a jehovah's witness until today, but i don't know if i'll continue to be one of them tomorrow.. i said that because for once my eyes are open to reallity and i can clearly see that there is not organization beyond our creators name.. i see a lot or imperfect man trying to do what is right, but allways those desires are corrupted by their pride or greediness.. i think that in the watch tower organization are really a lot of people who really wants to served god.

but i think too that there are a lot a people who doesn't have love and mercy for their brothers.

a well known saying says that you will catch more fly with honey than with vinager.. this doesn't mean that people are allowed to do whatever they want without any respect for god's word in the bible.

CornerStone

Hello Cocolocoii,

I think it is a little of each. To those who were NOT shown Christ-like love and understanding for the most part are victims of wolves in sheeps clothing. This in turn can and will cause bitterness. On the other hand our own faillings can blind us to the point of percieving ourselves as victims and this can and will cause bitterness. There is no easy way to cope with such intense feelings. All roads to recovery start with us taking the first step however.

There are times when simple forgiveness can relieve a lifetime of bitterness. Recovery from acute bitterness may be as complex as the reasons for the bitterness, but it may also be as simple as three spoken words: “I forgive you.”

31Get rid of all bitterness, rage, anger, harsh words, and slander, as well as all types of malicious behavior. 32Instead, be kind to each other, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, just as God through Christ has forgiven you.
Ephesians 4:31 NLT

As to JW and ex-JW's being victims of the org., I firmly believe that their day is coming. Weather for good or for bad there will be a reckoning, a day of justice.

1But there were also false prophets in Israel, just as there will be false teachers among you. They will cleverly teach their destructive heresies about God and even turn against their Master who bought them. Theirs will be a swift and terrible end. 2Many will follow their evil teaching and shameful immorality. And because of them, Christ and his true way will be slandered. 3In their greed they will make up clever lies to get hold of your money. But God condemned them long ago, and their destruction is on the way.
2 Peter 2: 1-3 NLT

I believe God promises us a bright future. It's not easy licking our wounds, so to speak, but I have more hope for tomorrow than I have regret for the past. Anyway, hope this makes sense.

CornerStone

23

"It's a conscience matter"

by expatbrit in

jw
friends

just had dinner with my wife and a couple of her friends.. one of them was telling me about her sister-in-law, a very nice, kind person who i've met on several occasions.

it seems this sister got a job in an office as a receptionist/secretary.

last christmas (1999) her employer asked her to sign christmas cards for all the clients.

CornerStone

Hello Expatbrit,

What is there that is not a "conscience matter?" From getting out of bed to working to picking your nose is something we think about doing before we do it anyway. It is UNFAIR to people by expecting certain behavior of them on pain of punishment if they disobey and then turn around an say that it was their descision to make. This may sound unpopular but I believe only God himself can get away with doing that!
Just one more example that makes me think that the GB of the WTS think THEY are God by such expectations. Unlike many hatefilled elders who oppress the sheep, Jesus "invited" people to come to right conclusions on many matters. Sometimes he was stern but mostly he was warm and inviting and very compasionate. I feel very sorry for the sister who had to endure that type of Phariseacal torture. I mean, They in Brooklyn made this assanine "Christmass" rule, not God. Then, when this assanine "Christmas" rule affected this sisters conscience, the cowards would not even ease up or relax the rule to make her life just a tadd bit easier! What serpents! What snakes! What cowards! No mercy here! Just rules, rules, rules untill you die! Then, we'll take your children and do the same to them!
Well, hopefully, that sister will not forget how those "kind", "loving" sheappards treated her and will make a way of escape for herself. But I don't believe there will be any escape for those snakes!

CornerStone

23

Did you burn the sacred documents?

by LovesDubs in

jw
friends

...or did you shred the shit out of em so even the garbage man wouldnt become accidentally sucked into this cult like i did?

during the time i read crisis of conscience i went into a two week long rage.

i was angry all the time for being duped and i hated every witness on the planet, mostly for being as stupid as i was, and the upper echelon at the society...i just wanted to castrate them.

CornerStone

Hello LovesDubs,

I'm also with Ozzie and Unanswered in that I kept refference material but through the repetitive stuff away. My excuse to my wife was that we had the WT cd's so we did not NEED to have the clutter of the society's litter-ature. Ofcourse, the more litter-ature you have the more spiritual you are suppossed to be; RIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIGHT! To me and mabey to you, throwing those lying books away was like breaking chains from your wrist and ankles. I would have burned them like they did to those spiritistic books in the Bible but that would have been a little bit suspiceous-looking to my wife. I will be glad when me and her are together free from this insidious, high controll, corporate empire.

CornerStone

6

"Human entrails and the river of blood&quo...

by CornerStone in

jw
friends

went to the sunday meeting today.

the talk was the same old same old about judgement day, field service, and other things i have all ready forgotten.

by the time the talk was over i was trying to stay awake but the wt study sure opened my eyes for me in a way a few "no-doze" could never do.

CornerStone

Hello All,

Went to the Sunday meeting today. The talk was the same old same old about judgement day, field service, and other things I have all ready forgotten. By the time the talk was over I was trying to stay awake but the WT study sure opened my eyes for me in a way a few "no-doze" could never do.

I'm sure many out there know how it feels to sit in a Kingdumb Stall and listen to the kind, merciful words of the WTS's angry god who will, in Jehovah's day of judgement will take the blood of the wicked and pour it out like dust and strew the dead bodies, even the entrails(guts), of the wicked upon the earth. And after filling the people with fear and dread offer a chance at redemption by asking, "Do you HOPE to be spared?" Of course repeating this type of message year after year will develope a sense of fear in the most hearty of souls. But what does this type of message do to children, especially little children?

I'm no psycologist, but to fill a little mind with such pictures of an angry, mad god would not endear the child to trusting said god. In fact, FEAR would be the underlying factor that would ultimately motivate that child to, in the WTS's words, serve Jehovah. Fear of the child dying at the angry god's hands, fear of mommy and daddy dying at the angry god's hands, fear of "fluffy" dying at the angry god,s hands of course serves the WTS publishing corporation very well.
The next new "cropp" of wretchtower pushers are being assimilated today for tomorrows conquest!
What nightmares these images are inducing in young minds. What, also, of the broken and "dysfunctional homes" that these children have to live in. It is no wonder that young people take their lives at the rate they are. The wretched men of the WTS have much to answer for the nightmares they, by their false and missleading teachings, have induced in innocent minds! Much indeed!

Needless to say it sickened and angered me as I looked around the hall from my seat and noticed all the young facess sad looking and burried in their copies of the wretchtower, but then I was starting to loose control so I stood and left for a bit to cool off. What was sad was that my attitude bothers my wife to the point where she said I did not have to go to the meetings with her. "SMILE" But of course, I would be remiss in my husbandly duties not to attend and "hold her hand." I am addament to keeping my family together and letting my baby know that I will not abandon her!

Of course, the WTS is good at holding out the stick and not the kind hand. All through out this "hate meeting of the angry WTS god" I continued to think of Jesus kind, reassuring words found in John's gospel chapter 5, verse 24:

"I assure you, those who listen to my messge and believe in God who sent me have eternal life. They will never be condemned for their sins, but they have already passed from death into life."

NLT

To be sure, Jesus tought of a comming judgement for those who disregarded God's commands, but many in Jesus day, like our own day, needed to know that injustice, poverty, oppression, even death were promissed by God to dissapear. THIS was the Good News that Jesus preached. This Good News had to do with "setting the captives free" from religous persecution and controll and preaching "Jehovah's acceptable year." Of course, the children of the WTS are NOT tought the whole truth about God and Jesus, only just enough things taken out of context and "spinned" just right to make these "teachers of god's law" seem credible. O'well, enough crying and whinning for now.

CornerStone

36

Do You Think That You Might Turn Back To Jehovah?

by Englishman in

jw
friends

i`ve never yet been snubbed by a jw.

the reason is that i refuse point blank to speak to them unless they speak to me first.

so, if i`m visiting my jw mum and jw visitors arrive which they often do i just smile, raise one eyebrow slightly, and look `em straight in the eye!.

CornerStone

Hello Englishman,

I guess my reply would be something that validated my standing and put the asker in the hot seat.

Me: "Why, I have never left Jehovah. I read the Bible every day, pray for the safty of family, friends, and believers everywhere, help the poor and needy, do good to the thankless, and pursue Jesus admonition to love God and my neighbor." " By the way, the organization is not God, is it?"

Asker: "The organization is spirit directedand, the only one God is using today."

Me: "I know what you are saying but is the organization itself the supreme being we know as Jehovah?"

Asker: "Jehovah is the head of it."

Me: " (Sigh!) I know what you are saying but, let me see, do you worship the organization?"

Asker: "No, ofcourse not! You are to worship only God."

Me: "Do you pray to the organization?"

Asker: "Of course not. That would be idolotry."

Me: "If members of the organization tell you to do things that are wrong or to do things that go against your Bible trained conscience, are you abliged to obey them?"

Asker: "Well, anything not done out of faith is sin to God, so I guess you would have to do what you thought was right in Gods' sight."

Me: "My friend, for the reasons just discussed, I do not feel AT ALL that I have left Jehovah."

Asker: "Well now hold on there, the Bible says....., the faithful and discrete slave......, true worship......, only visiable organization......, apostates......, armageddon......, etc, etc, etc.

I would think that by that time I would have at least shown, if to noneother than myself, that I have not left Jehovah.

CornerStone

26

memorial: how do you feel?

by unanswered in

jw
friends

this question is mostly for those of you who still believe in the bible to some extent.

my mother-in-law called the other day to see if rileygurl and i were going to the memorial this year.

we told her that we wouldn't be attending.

CornerStone

Thank you aChristian for your thoughts on the matter, much appreaciated.

Hello Ozziepost,

I reciently found a good reply to the "Where else can you go?" line of reasoning. It's not where are we to go, it's "TO WHOM shall we go to." Jesus Christ. Of the few R&F I have showed this to,(very few), the conditioned response seems to always go back to the "faithful and discrete slave" argument. No matter how much you force the horses nose in the water you just can't make him drink.

CornerStone

26

memorial: how do you feel?

by unanswered in

jw
friends

this question is mostly for those of you who still believe in the bible to some extent.

my mother-in-law called the other day to see if rileygurl and i were going to the memorial this year.

we told her that we wouldn't be attending.

CornerStone

Thankyou Ozziepost for your kind words.

Hello aChristian,

I'm not trying to be antagonistic or anything but 99.9% of JW mortality seems a bit high. I believe in the Christian memorial. I believe ALL conscientious Christians should partake of the bread and wine,(grape juice, whatever), as it's symbolic meaning you explained in your last post. But there are, I believe, a good number of "righteous" JW's whom Jesus would accept just as there are Mormons, Hindus, Buddahest, Agnostics and others,(no aetheist) no, just kidding, just kidding, some aethiest whom Jesus would judge mercifully. This is not to say I KNOW the exact percentage of those God would not condem. It is not for me to say. It is for me to say that only God can judge His creation. I do not believe people can do wrong and not pay a price, I'm just saying we should hope for the best for all men and women alike. I do apologise before hand for any statement I made that caused insult to you or anyone.

CornerStone

26

memorial: how do you feel?

by unanswered in

jw
friends

this question is mostly for those of you who still believe in the bible to some extent.

my mother-in-law called the other day to see if rileygurl and i were going to the memorial this year.

we told her that we wouldn't be attending.

CornerStone

Hello aChristian,

I agree that the WTS's "memorial" dishonors Jesus Christ. However, as a matter of conscience, I do not think my prescence there dishonors him. I am still "in" the org. for family reasons but I might as well be the anti-christ to the local congregation due to my inactivity. I "consider" myself a Christian from years before the Society came into the picture. To qualify my second statement, I reason that untill I am made to part ways with the org. Jehovah will "cover over" my presence at the WTS memorial in the same fashion that Gods mercy and kindness covered over King Davids' transgretion at eating the "bread" ment only for the priest of the temple or Jesus' mercy on his desciples eating the wheat in the field on the sabbath day. I am not trying to make excuses for wrongdoing. I am saying that my conscience is fine with this present circumstance UNTILL Jehovah removes me and my family from the org. I will know the right time but if it matters to you I will take as many prayers to God as I can get. In the end, of course, it all rest in God's merciful hands.

CornerStone

29

So Whats Driving You To Make Posts?

by Englishman in

jw
friends

why do you bother to post on this site?

what good does it do you?

what do you gain from posting?.

CornerStone

Hello All,

It's really sad to read post like Grunt's. The WTS has much to answer for. I post for reasons similar to Expatbrits' reasons. A hunger for knowledge/ information and to see what's on other peoples minds. In the org., opinionated people are seen as a cancer that needs to be cut out or "cut off." This goes directly against our nature. The Bible treats thinking people as a resource that needs direction but the WTS treats them as toxic waste that needs removal and dissposal. Imagine the fustration one feels to go up to a "glorius one" and ask about the trinity or the blood issue and the next day lose your privilages. ???????????????? What happened? Small minded people did not want to have to think beyond their "comfort zone" and they used their autocratic authority to "deal" with you. Fine! I would rather be exercising my thinking proceses and mabey arriving at some answers that to be a lemming about to go over the cliff! So, gripeing and bad spelling aside, I post for knowledge and mabey, just mabey, a little commrodery.

CornerStone

16

Serena Williams

by expatbrit in

jw
friends

from the bbc:.

serena williams showed real maturity to come from behind and win the indian wells title with a 4-6 6-4 6-2 victory over rising star kim clijsters in front of a hostile crowd.

the younger of the williams' sisters incurred the wrath of the crowd because of her route to the final - elder sister venus pulled out of the their semi-final with a knee injury.

CornerStone

Hello All,

I think the WTS is being very cautious or right out scared of the bad press these tennis stars could give them. A little to much "counseling", a little to much "blue room" treatment( our rooms blue) and world wide attention of the negetive type could instantly be dropped right at the Brooklyn front door. As what usually happens with super-stardom, Serena and her sister will be beholden to their work first and I am not talking about the preaching work! The GB will have to think carefully on how they want to grab this particular cobra by the neck. It might turn around and bite them in the kiester.

CornerStone