Sorry I have posted a reply to some; I haven't been able to post in a while. Thank you all for the great responses and links. Blindersoff, you make a great point (I got your PM as well--thanks!).
lynnmelo
JoinedPosts by lynnmelo
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Help --Pre-JW Faithful and Discreet Slave??
by lynnmelo inhi, folks.
for those who may not remember my previous posts, i'm someone who has been studying with the jw's for about two years but didn't commit (i.e., get baptized) because, as i thought then, i was just too selfish and cowardly to join up with the jw's.
that's before i found this site and watched the dateline video on the child molestation problem.
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Senseless death is getting to me
by AlmostAtheist ini'm finding that i'm less and less able to handle hearing about or even thinking about senseless death.
i read about some of the people tortured and killed as heretics during the inquisition and i was nearly in tears.
then i just read a news report about a pakistani man that killed his own daughters while his wife watched, in order to preserve his family's "honor".. theists can at least imagine these people in heaven, or sleeping awaiting a resurrection.
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lynnmelo
Dave, I do believe in God, but I can still understand how you feel about the senselessness of death and violence. I feel that same frustration concerning both humans and animals. I find that as I get older, my tolerance level for senseless violence gets lower; I just can't stomach it--even in a movie, for goodness sakes!
This part of your post especially caught my eye:
I know that I have a near-irrational fear of random violence. I see it as something I can't defend against, since there's little motive that I can predict.
I have a fear of this, too. To be cliche, I call this the "existential angst" that many of us have when we take a realistic look at the world.
I don't have a solution for you, but perhaps the best thing is to take it one day at a time and do what you can as an individual when you can (along the lines of what bikerchic does).
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WTBS--What's the motive?
by lynnmelo inmy sister and i have speculated for quite some time about the possible motives of the gb and all others in charge of the wtbs, i.e., their raison d'etre, so to speak.
after finding out about some of the history of the wtbs and the supposed f&ds, i realized that they weren't god's spokepeople on earth.
but, then, what's their motive for all the work they're doing in the organization?
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lynnmelo
My sister and I have speculated for quite some time about the possible motives of the GB and all others in charge of the WTBS, i.e., their raison d'etre, so to speak. After finding out about some of the history of the WTBS and the supposed F&DS, I realized that they weren't God's spokepeople on earth. But, then, what's their motive for all the work they're doing in the organization? Is it just power? Or, are they like politicians, i.e., some starting out with noble intentions and just becoming corrupt? I've read posts in which people allude to some monetary gain, but nothing really specific has been mentioned (at least in the posts I've read). So, what's their motive? -
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Help --Pre-JW Faithful and Discreet Slave??
by lynnmelo inhi, folks.
for those who may not remember my previous posts, i'm someone who has been studying with the jw's for about two years but didn't commit (i.e., get baptized) because, as i thought then, i was just too selfish and cowardly to join up with the jw's.
that's before i found this site and watched the dateline video on the child molestation problem.
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lynnmelo
Thank you, TD!! That's exactly the information for which I was looking
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Help --Pre-JW Faithful and Discreet Slave??
by lynnmelo inhi, folks.
for those who may not remember my previous posts, i'm someone who has been studying with the jw's for about two years but didn't commit (i.e., get baptized) because, as i thought then, i was just too selfish and cowardly to join up with the jw's.
that's before i found this site and watched the dateline video on the child molestation problem.
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lynnmelo
NiecyMe, you wrote,
This is sad. I mean you are sad. It sounds like you might think that you might have your own ideas about what JW's are doing with you. Don't you have the self confidence in yourself to just say NO?
Evidently you misunderstood me. I am saying no, just not in the manner that you would. Her status as a devout JW nonwithstanding, my book study conductor has spent two years studying with me, and I wanted to give her the opportunity (out of politeness) to make any final points, even though I have no intention of joining. However, as I mentioned in my post, I don't intend to meet with her and the Elder. As I also said, I do believe in some of the things they believe.
Also, you wrote,
take a break and just educate yourself
What do you think I've been doing? How do you think I ended up here?
Jeez, and you didn't even address my question!
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Help --Pre-JW Faithful and Discreet Slave??
by lynnmelo inhi, folks.
for those who may not remember my previous posts, i'm someone who has been studying with the jw's for about two years but didn't commit (i.e., get baptized) because, as i thought then, i was just too selfish and cowardly to join up with the jw's.
that's before i found this site and watched the dateline video on the child molestation problem.
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lynnmelo
Hi, folks. For those who may not remember my previous posts, I'm someone who has been studying with the JW's for about two years but didn't commit (i.e., get baptized) because, as I thought then, I was just too selfish and cowardly to join up with the JW's. That's before I found this site and watched the Dateline video on the child molestation problem. Now, I realize that the JW's probably aren't God's chosen organization and the that Governing Body certainly isn't the Faithful and Discreet slave. However, I'm still intending on going to the Sunday meetings because I just don't know another church to attend (I have major disagreements with most other organized religions as well), and I still believe that the JW's are right about some things (e.g., no Hellfire, paradise earth, etc.).
I thought that I might just be able to blend into the background of the congregation once my book study had ended, which it finally did last week when I finished the last book. Not so, though. My book study conductor asked me to meet with her one more time to "review" my concerns. I won't go into detail here, but it wasn't a great meeting. It's almost as if she took it very personally that I wasn't buying into some of the "proofs" about the existence of the F&DS (I didn't let on that I'd watched the Dateline video & some other stuff I found here because I didn't want to see her get that self-righteous, patronizing look that says, "See what apostate sites can do). A couple of times, she would say something about it being up to me to accept it and then say, "But I fear for you." In retrospect, that really ticks me off.
Anyway, I digress. My original purpose in posting is to ask whether anyone here has any idea of the groups that the JW's sometimes point to as the "faithful and discreet slave" between the time the church turned apostate and the time when the JW's were formed. That's a question that I'd previously asked my book study conductor and that had pretty much stumped her. At this last meeting, though, she came prepared. She told me she'd spoken to an elder, and he'd told her something about a group called the Lallerites(not sure I have that right)??? I can't remember the name she gave me, but even she seemed uncomfortable with it (almost like she really didn't believe it). Does anyone have any idea what she was referring to? If so, does it have any validity?
I could ask her, I suppose, but I really don't want to meet with her again. She asked me if we could meet just once more but this time with an Elder. I agreed at the time, but I've changed my mind now. I get the feeling that the only purpose of this next meeting is for them to come armed and try to get me to admit that they're right on certain points so that they can self-righteously claim to have done "everything they can" for me and shake their head because I just don't get it.
Thanks!
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JW Shunning is it really Biblical?
by greendawn inthe watchtower society has this practice of expelling and then shunning members for a number of reasons, often trivial, causing to the expelled a great deal of problems in the family, socially and psychologically.
but is there any real basis in the bible for this practice?
does it empower them as they claim, to expel people or are they once more twisting the scriptures to suit themselves?
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lynnmelo
Confession, you make a lot of sense. Thanks for your explanation. You wrote,
My conclusion? People claiming to be Christians, who deliberately and rebelliously carried on grossly sinful behavior were not to be associated with. You shouldn't even eat with them, since doing so might indicate a tacit approval of their behavior. But it says nothing about not speaking to them.
Agreed. And were the early Christians saying anything that any mother or father doesn't tell their children? I mean, parents would advise their children to avoid the "bad crowd" at school. Why? Because they're a bad influence.
I think the main thing the JW's are wrong about is not speaking to that person. In other words, they seem to carry the shunning to the extreme.
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Question About Matthew 13:24
by lynnmelo inas some of you may know (from my previous posts), i'm studying with the jw's (& have been for 2 years) but have decided not to be baptized after reading some of the information and links from this site.
however, i am supposed to be having one last book study to finish the worship the one true god book.
when i do this study, i'm considering being upfront with my bible study conductor, telling her some of my reasons for deciding not to become a jw.
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lynnmelo
Okay, I just spent 10 minutes typing a detailed response to everyone here, and when I hit "send," "page not found" appeared, and I lost my post. Arrgh! Anyway, in short, I thank you all for the excellent responses.
Auldsoul, I finally understand your point now (I should have been the one writing it down--LOL!), and it is a good one.
Dave, I've often thought of the fact that it would nearly be impossible not to have fulfilled that 144,000 by now. I definitely think they're wrong on that point.
Jwfacts, some of the things you brought up are what initially convinced me that the WTS isn't the conduit for the one and only "truth." The child molestation was a big eye-opener for me as well. I'm sure if I brought this up to my bible study conductor she would just say what she's said many times before: "They [the GB] aren't perfect men." They always say this when they want to excuse a failed prophecy or a bad decision. Why don't they believe this when it comes to the GB laying down rules to govern every aspect of one's life?
What's so frustrating about the JW's is that they're so sure they're right. If you bring up a legitimate question, particularly after they've already given you the company line about it, they'll just give you this pitying look as if to say, "She just doesn't want to accept the truth." That drives me nuts!
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Question About Matthew 13:24
by lynnmelo inas some of you may know (from my previous posts), i'm studying with the jw's (& have been for 2 years) but have decided not to be baptized after reading some of the information and links from this site.
however, i am supposed to be having one last book study to finish the worship the one true god book.
when i do this study, i'm considering being upfront with my bible study conductor, telling her some of my reasons for deciding not to become a jw.
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lynnmelo
Narkissos , you make an excellent point.
Auldsoul, your point is good as well, but I think my book study conductor will simply do what she always does and compare Paul, Peter, etc. (i.e., the early leaders of the church) to the modern-day GB and say that they taught the early congregations (which witnesses believe were ALL annointed ---btw, I've never asked how they know this).
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2001translation.com Website?
by lynnmelo inhi, again, folks (i've posted 2 times today).
my sister (who is also studying with the jw's) found this website.
it says it isn't affiliated with any specific religion, but she said that many of the explanations are right in line with the jw's take on things.
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lynnmelo
Hi, again, folks (I've posted 2 times today). My sister (who is also studying with the JW's) found this website. It says it isn't affiliated with any specific religion, but she said that many of the explanations are right in line with the JW's take on things. Do you folks know if this site is really objective? Thanks.