Posts by just2sheep

19

"Privileges"

by Joe Grundy in

jw
friends

19 years ago

yet another question (two actually), i'm afraid (but i am learning from all this, honestly!)..

i've seen the term 'privileges' on here many times, and i think i now understand that it means 'being allowed to carry out tasks in the congregation' - which includes walking round with the microphone, operating the pa system, etc.

in the services.

13 years ago

just2sheep 19 years ago

"i hope i don't offend anyone..."

it really is hard to offend most people on jwd...most of us have been offended by people who didn't care whether we took offence or not. however it is fairly easy to get someone to take offence for the same reason.

"...it all seems a bit pathetic"

pathetic only scratches the surface of the way you are made to feel by petty men who feel that turning the lights off after the meeting and making sure there is toilet paper in the ladies room sunday morning are priveleges to be doled out to men whom they find spiritually mature enough to handle these simple tasks. in our congregation it isn't the people who carry the mike who are considered special, it's the guy who runs the sound system. they all want to be that guy.

j2s

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11

The last cry for help as faith burns out

by Qcmbr in

19 years ago

many here have lost once bedrock faith via various means.

like a sun burning up all its fuel i find some people experience a last explosive attempt to retain faith before finally walking away spent and unfulfilled.

did you have a moment when you gambled all on a last attempt to get god's attention and answer all those inexorable doubts?

19 years ago

just2sheep 19 years ago

narkisso,

you know what they say about assume. and you are right his profile says latter day saints. see what i mean about knowledge? i think at least part of rant holds up though...if you ask god to verify that bringem young was a saint and he doesn't is that a sign that god doesn't exist?

j2s formerly of the i don't care how you bringem, just bringem young class

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21

This is it; I'm done!!

by WingCommander in

19 years ago

yes, you heard me correctly.

i was born in jw land.

i didnt do the fade i didnt have to.

19 years ago

just2sheep 19 years ago

wingcommander,

coming to a decision like this is always difficult, but not nearly as difficult as waiting for god to affirm the watchtower society as his earthly organization...this isn't going to happen because it isn't. the pamplet wasn't a sign but it seems that the video was. what do you think? perhaps your prayers were answered, just not in the way you expected. it is a difficult thing to draw closer to jehovah especially with all of the roadblocks the christian congregation of jehovah's witnesses, along with many other religions and secular orgs, put in your path. the borg teaches that the only way to god is through them. this alone should convince anyone the falseness of their teaching, because god tells us jesus is the path. i know they claim jesus as their organizational head...but i can't find anywhere he claims them...so who you gonna believe?

life really is about free will. i hope yours leads to happiness.

j2s

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11

The last cry for help as faith burns out

by Qcmbr in

19 years ago

many here have lost once bedrock faith via various means.

like a sun burning up all its fuel i find some people experience a last explosive attempt to retain faith before finally walking away spent and unfulfilled.

did you have a moment when you gambled all on a last attempt to get god's attention and answer all those inexorable doubts?

19 years ago

just2sheep 19 years ago

why would jehovah answer a prayer seeking help to stay in the godless wtb&ts? maybe he did answer, he said get away from the unclean thing so that their judgement is not your judgement. i think this shows his concern both for individuals and all people. i mean, do you think god would answer anyones plea for help with... go in service more,turn in your time on time, and whatever you do associate with the pharisees as much as possible. i don't think so. i am suprised sometimes at this equating the society with god and vice versa. first i would be sure who i was praying to. and if you are praying to stay in the borg perhaps you aren't praying to jehovah but to jaracz.

there is no such thing as absolute obedience. humans are not capable of this and prove it all the time. you can't work your way into jehovah's good graces. my efforts to do this are no better than your efforts to do this. this method is doomed from the go.

many people seek spiritual experience/witness and when it comes they ignore it because it isn't what they expected or it isn't what they wanted or they just didn't recognize it. is this god's fault?

what kind of response do you expect from doing something really bad? something really good? jesus did not jump from the precipice. he knew there could be an unhappy ending to such a foolish act and acted accordingly. the problem i see with people who choose this method as a test of god's loyalty is...they jump and then blame jehovah for not stopping them. and if he didn't stop them he must not exist.

as for my own experience...i have always asked for two things---knowledge and discernment. and i have been blessed with both. i'm not talking about academic knowledge. the knowledge some of us have gained about the true workings of the wtb&ts is a blessing without measure. without this knowledge it would be very difficult to discern the truth behind the lies. and without knowledge we might fall into the trap of jaracz says instead of jehovah says.

with what we know about identity theft i think jehovah would have good case against the christian congregation of jehovah's witnesses.

j2s

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21

Voting at meetings

by wozadummy in

19 years ago

years ago when i went to meetings there were announcements made about use of money ,whether to redecorate halls, send money to the society etc.

and i used to vote like everyone else looking around to see if there were any detractors.

well one day i had thought about the procedure and came up with this:.

19 years ago

just2sheep 19 years ago

this was never meant to be a control of the elders kind of thing. for one thing, at least around here, the procedure was for the boe to purchase something or commit some funds( donations, co, etc.) and then take a vote to see if the congregation approved!!! even after we quit voting and even voted no on somethings, the abstentions and negative votes were never reported. i have seen them buy land, carpet, chairs, paint, wallpaper, and signs using this method...i always thought it had something to do with dealing with the government, probably having to do with their beloved tax free status. we were even told at a meeting that "the congregation" had no idea about some of the things the boe did in the name of the congregation, having to do with donating money to individuals in need. the elder seemed proud of this fact. this is the same man who told everyone during a watchtower study, in his usual arrogant manner, that it wouldn't do any good to complain to the gb about him because if you write them a letter the "arrangement" was to handle it by sending that letter to him, we were already aware of this but i think it suprised a few people. he let everyone know he thought this was a wonderful arrangement.

there is no control over these men when it comes to the rank and file. the borg has absolutely no interest in controlling them except for cases that impact the mighty compound at bethel. when i first questioned new york about this(voting) i was told that it wasn't a "vote" it was an "opinion poll" and there was nothing wrong with asking the congregation for their opinion in such matters. this may have been my first encounter with theocratic warfare though at the time i just thought they were lies, damnable lies...i still do.. edited to add...this took place more than ten years ago and nothing has changed.

j2s

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14

Ruling restricts shunning practices

by nelly136 in

jw
friends

19 years ago

maybe the tide is turning.. .

http://www.kentucky.com/mld/heraldleader/news/14403177.htm.

ruling restricts shunning practiceshuman rights commissionruling restricts shunning practicesamish store ordered to serve ex-amishby bruce schreinerassociated press.

19 years ago

just2sheep 19 years ago

i think wednesday is on the right track. we went through this as "freaks"( remember the fabulous furry freak brothers?) in the 60's and 70's. you would go into a buisiness and they would tell you " we don't serve freaks like ya'll" and point to their always prominent we reserve the right sign and if you didn't leave you knew there was going to be a fight and you were more than likely going to jail. it wasn't fair, but it was. i have always felt that if you were "open to the public" that meant me and you and everyone else. we've lived in or traveled through some pretty remote places where not selling you gasoline or not selling you food just cannot be a legal option. and not doing business with you meant that you had to go elsewhere or make other arrangements. which made it a difficult to stay and easier to move kind of situation.

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44

Convention release...192 page book..."Live with Jehovah's day in mind"

by proandcon in

jw
friends

19 years ago

.

can anyone guess what this is a"thrilling" book is about.....the end is "here" (tm)...so be good so you can make it to the other side of armageddon per the wt, maybe...all the bs that fits in 192 pages...a copy and paste job for sure.... proandcon

19 years ago

just2sheep 19 years ago

without reading it...another 192 pages about being a good jew. not one page on being a good christian.

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7

Are regular publishers more genuine in their dealings with others?

by truthseeker in

jw
friends

19 years ago

having been in a few congregations, i have observed that those with nothing to prove are often the most genuine people.

that is, brothers who aren't apointed seem to have more to say and are more interesting to talk to.. those who have position seem to have little to say other than repeat wt mantra.. with regular publishers, particualrly those who didn't reach out, i often found that they were just themselves, with no pretences.. is this something you have noticed?.

my friend asked me last week, do weal publishers attract weak publishers?

19 years ago

just2sheep 19 years ago

greenday,

what an arrogant attitude. what do you feel qualifies you to pass judgement on millions of individuals that you have no personal knowledge of and decide that "they" are getting what "they" deserve"? i'd bet you were a real hardass when you were an elder. i'm sure you enjoyed lording it over people who had been lied to, and tricked, and bullied to the point that they could not defend themselves against you. we are not in that world anymore greenday. i thank jehovah that you don't get to decide what anyone deserves...and believe me you would not want me deciding what you deserve. is this really the best you can do? there is an old saying that says " it is better to remain quiet and be thought a fool, than it is to speak out, and remove all doubt." this is something you should give some consideration. if i lie to you and steal all your money and as a result your life is ruined, do you "deserve it" because it was "you" that believed the lie? if i kidnap your parents, and brainwash them until they shun you, is it your parents fault they were brainwashed? or is the responsibility yours because you refused to go along with the brainwashing? it must be someones fault because after all it can't be liar that gets what they deserve, or the thief, or the bully...but we can certainly see that the victim, the one who was decieved, gets what they deserve. is that what you are saying? and if it is, what qualifies you to decide what you deserve or what "they" deserve?

the answer to the topic question, i believe, is that some are and some aren't and no matter what the question this is always the answer when dealing with large numbers of people.

have a green day

just2sheep

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10

Posting Signs

by nowuask in

jw
friends

20 years ago

you are able to sue the witnesses themselves if you have a no trespassing sign posted.

the watchtower bible & tract society of pennsylvania nor the watchtower bible & tract society of new york, inc. will not protect nor represent them, if you take them to court.

make sure that you notify the courts of the sign being posted.

19 years ago

just2sheep 19 years ago

gwo,

i don't know where you are located(isn't the internet amazing), but around here there is an absolute law that says if there is anything on your sign besides the words NO TRESSPASSING it is not a no tresspassing sign under the law, and you or i can walk right past it as if it wasn't even there. and not be charged with tresspassing. it has been like that in this area for many years and every zealous for the hours pioneer and i only go out on saturday morning elder knows this and will proceed according to the law, not any individual person's wishes. sad but true.

what did your signs say? i like "tresspassers will be violated", "survivors will be prosecuted", "can you make it to the gate in 3.7 seconds? my rotweiler can"

j2s

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23

KISS: For the seventy years

by vitty in

jw
friends

19 years ago

.

my husband and i spent a few hour yesterday getting to grips with 607. i had printed out the kiss method which allyemom posted.. it was simple to follow and understand.

now we need something like that for the seventy years, we tried to get some information but it was very confusing.

19 years ago

just2sheep 19 years ago

vitty,

i understand your frustration. you need to think about a couple of things though. first, this question is a constant on every jw related forum on the internet. and yes many people are bored to death we it. our knowledge of this subject does not benifit us and our lack of such knowledge does no harm as far as i can see.

secondly, there is not one active, true to the org, jw that cares even the smallest amount what you know. or what you think. or what you believe. or what your concerns are for their well being. you cannot change ignorant people with facts, and this is really sad when they are family.

and finally...if it weren't for fluff threads some of us wouldn't have a post history at all.

hope you have a better day

j2s

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