Posts by onacruse

16

Elders and Culpability Revisited

by dungbeetle in

jw
friends

elders and culpability revisited.

since the issue keeps coming up no matter what (watchtower ingrained in all jws the position elders had and how no one should question the elders.

on the other hand, we should all turn in errant publishers).. i would like to say first that i have said some harsh words on the subject, to amazing and to marvin shilmer and to jst2laws and hillary_step (i read the book "into thin air" and i know what that means now!!).

onacruse

I appreciate your humble comments. A couple thoughts of my own:

1) "...I will no longer judge anyone in the Watchtower..." Neither will I. Life is for sharing and healing, not for continuing the exclusive and hateful opinions many of us fostered for decades.

2) "...except on a person by person case." How can I judge anyone? A person may agree or disagree with me, defend or betray me, do me great good or serious harm, love or hate me. Still, should I judge them? Does any finite human have that skill? I certainly don't. Even if I did, I deliberately choose not to utilize it against the many hundred JWs I know who are honest and sincere "walking wounded" humans along with me/us.

I choose to let it pass and move on.

PS: I started this post in the we/us mode. Please forgive the I/me/my.

5

How can fear = love ?

by kenpodragon in

jw
friends

so much of my past as a witness revolved around fear.

so many different types .... .

fear of jehovah.

onacruse

"Fear" can mean so many things! Afraid of pain? (natural). Afraid of men? (cowardice). Afraid of change? (uncertainty). Afraid of God? (respect). Trench and Vine distinguish between abject "negative" fear (Gk. deilia), a "middle" kind of fear (Gk. phobos), and a "healthy" fear (Gk. eulabeia). Phobos is by far the most common NT word.

"There is no fear in love. But perfect love drives out fear, because fear has to do with punishment." (1 Jo 4.18 NIV). Phobos is used here, but with kolasis (punishment) clearly takes the negative sense. Love overcomes all "negative" fear (gives us personal and social courage, as our participation in this forum demonstrates). "Family...congregation...world fear" are usually negative fears, especially insofar as they involve fear of man.

Love and fear are both factors in the "equation of life," not ying/yang, but matter/antimatter. The "matter" of love will destroy the "antimatter" of negative fears.

26

No Future

by Perfection Seeker in

i think it is sad how witnesses don't think future.

they don't save for a rainy day, don't plan for retirement, don't get higher education, alot are overweight, thinking why bother, don't worry about their health, etc.

and, have you notice, they almost try to get people to have low self esteem?

onacruse

PS: Good for you! 8 mos ago I was 300#, and though I'm 6'-6" had a marvelous belly bulge. Have lost 40# and feeling much better (physically and emotionally, wonder which came first?). An elder I know recently wrote a letter to WTS about obesity, and the response was (needless to say) ambiguous. What are they gonna do? Eating is about the only social pleasure still approved by WTS. I well remember the mad rush out of assembly to get to the cafeteria tents (I AM that old!), refreshment stands, and local restaurants. Nothing wrong in and of itself, but plays into its own addiction.

MM: Speaking of addictions, add coffee to the list! Nicotine and caffeine are virtually identical as alkaloidal poisons: their chemical structures are very similar and physiological effects are the same--only the potency is different. It takes 1 drop of pure nicotine on tongue to cause cardiac arrest w/i 1 min, takes 60 drops of caffeine to do same. Based on average potencies, a 1-pack-a-day smoker absorbs approx 60 mg of nicotine; a 4-cup-a-day coffee drinker absorbs approx 1000 mg of caffeine. Not to mention typical western civilization over-consumption of sugars and alcohol. Choose the poison!

12

HOT NEWS!! Disfellowshipped?- Top Japanese JW!!

by stevieb1 in

jw
friends

according to a posting by "ros" on www.channelc.org it is rumoured that the former branch committee co-ordinator of the watchtower society's branch in japan has recently been disfellowshipped.

of course this is hot news!!!

his name is toshio honma and is probably one of the highest ranking jw's in that country.

onacruse

Simon: Really appreciate your concern about the welfare of this man. What kind of persons crowd around a car wreck just to see the blood and watch the body put into a bag?

If this report is true: this man, family and friends are (as most of us know all to well) about to embark on a painful (albeit possibly enlightening) journey.

Best hopes for them all!

9

Do ppl really listen?

by WildTurkey in

jw
friends

do you think ppl really listen?

do most ppl really care enough to really hear what another person is saying from the heart?

i dont believe that most ppl really listen to what your saying, i think they are listening for a break in the conversation so they can talk.

onacruse

Well, for most of my life I sure didn't listen, and did my best to prevent the other person from even getting a chance to interrupt (dad called it "verbal diarhhea"). Oh well, that was then, this is now.

41

TED JARACZ

by minimus in

why does everybody in the know speak so negatively of jaracz?

onacruse

Ozzie: Right on! Anyone determined to advance in a bureacracy thereby surrenders their personality, even if (as TJ) they also profess a direct relationship with Christ. "If anyone thinks he is something when he is nothing, he deceives himself."

OTOH, was told yesterday about CO/"Nethinim" w/whom I had several extended conversations about my doubts. He is one of the humblest men I have ever known. Never took or suggested action against me, and expressed sincere concern about my current situation. So, perhaps I should add the following:

Some people have already changed!

41

TED JARACZ

by minimus in

why does everybody in the know speak so negatively of jaracz?

onacruse

A close JW relative knew TJ back in NY in the 50s (they were about the same age). She didn't mention specifics, but made it very clear that she even then virtually despised his cocky attitude. Her NY contacts confirm that he hasn't changed. She thinks he is one of the biggest reasons WTS is having so many problems.

Some people never change!

31

Self esteem question (sorry, no boobs)

by safe4kids in

from what do you draw your self esteem, confidence, feelings of self worth etc.?.

over the years, i've drawn mine from being a good jw .

dana

onacruse

THANKS! I needed someone to make me think about this. My self-esteem has taken several blows recently (df'd for final time 2 yrs ago, laid off 8 mos ago [still unemployed], diagnosed with severe iron-deficiency anemia 6 mos ago [recovering], separated 4 mos ago and divorced 2 mos ago [after 17 yrs married]). Really started feeling like a punching bag.

Like COMF and LyinEyes said, I am learning (sometimes have to force myself) to think good things about myself: "love my neighbor as myself." But I can't do that solo at all well (being the good little socially maladjusted, self-flagellating JW that I have been for 40 yrs). I need folks like you to make me stop and look at my life from a different perspective.

So, right now, I get a lot of personal pride and satisfaction from knowing I have the courage to face my need for change by giving (a little) to and receiving (a lot) from the folks on this board.

I'm about to give myself another shot of this medicine, just as soon as I click the "reply to topic" button! Looking forward to the next dose :-)

Craig

27

Your Little Jehovah will Fail You

by Amazing in

jw
friends

your little jehovah will fail you .

in honor of: dave haack .

when i became associated with the jws in 1968, i was working at a machine manufacturing plant in california.

onacruse

I found my copy of The True Believer 10 yrs ago in a garbage box outside a Salvation Army store in eastern OR (yes, I am a surreptitious dumpster diver). There must be a God (attention all atheists) for me to have found that book that way! That same copy is now on loan to my 50-yr JW mom (she's loving it).

Also: had a HS English teacher (I didn't like her anyway) who said, upon my announcement that I was going to Bethel and had no interest in "worldy education": WHAT A WASTE!

Last: have somewhat repressed memories of disdainful look of householders when I did my presentations as a 6-yr old (so proud of myself), and not-so-repressed memories when I took my own son d/d and saw that same look.

Thanks to you ALL for sharing your experiences; it is really helping me grow!

Craig

31

How many did YOU recruit?

by In_between_days in

jw
friends

just a quick question, and one that seems to take jehovahs witnesses back a little, an extremely good question to ask a pioneer.

"so, with all your hours of service, how many people have you actually brought into the jehovahs witness organisation?".

um.... genuinely, 100% of my old jw freinds have all been raised in the organisation.

onacruse

The highlight of my JW days was meeting (@1973) a very good man in field service on a cold Saturday morning. He took me in, and we commenced a study in the old Truth book. 2+ studies a week, attending meetings within 10 days. Got his mom, dad and sister to join. I was SO proud. He is still an elder.

At about the same time (via family connections), I also studied w/another very good man. He decided (w/no small encouragement from me) to leave the Reserves and sell investment property. Just found out yesterday that he was attending meetings again (after 10+ yrs df'd).

These were both pre-1975 experiences. ABSOLUTELY NOBODY since then.

So, count me in for 1 cold contact convert, and 4 peripheral casualities.

FWIW: As I recall the statistics (there are several sites on net), the average is something like 1000 hrs of d/d to get 1 b.s., and 3 b.s. to get 1 baptism. (approx 3-4K hours/baptism).

At that rate, I didn't do very well, did I?

Craig