Posts by Arthur

20

i'm new - help me

by donnalee in

i originally began my communications thorugh freeminds which i found thru google - one of the writers for freeminds suggested this forum.

i hope that i will find some ansers thru you.

below are some of the questions that i have.. .

I was born and raised a Jehovah's Witness, and spent 30 years in the organization. I can certainly attest to the fact that most JWs are indeed good-hearted, kind, and sincere individuals. I personally do not believe that JWs show kindness to "worldly" people only for alterior motives. I am not so sure that they even consciously wish to "convert" you. From what you shared, it sounds like they just happened to meet you at this occasion.

You must begin to understand the psychology and the mindset of the JW organization. Most JWs truly believe that they have the one and only true religion on earth. They truly believe that they are going to live in a paradise earth. When they observe people who they perceive to be kind, decent people, they have a desire to share the "good news" with those individuals. Sometimes, their efforts to share their faith with you is subtle, and sometimes it is more overt.

Your situation seems a little unclear. From what you shared, it sounds as if you met this man after he had already been associated with the JWs. Is this correct?

There is one thing that I do know. This situation is going to create some tension. It is obvious that your boyfriend is devout, and seriously believes that this is the "Truth". Yet, in your writing, you seem very unclear. What are your thoughts on the JW theology? Doctrines and practices?

I can tell you that there is going to be greater pressure on you to go to meetings and conventions with your boyfriend. You have some very serious decisions ahead of you. You need to seriously ask yourself where you stand with the Jehovah's Witnesses beliefs.

7

KNOCKING; A Movie Sure To Please Us All!

by FireNBandits in

they are moral conservatives who stay out of politics, but they won a record number of court cases expanding freedom for everyone.

they refuse blood transfusions on religious grounds, but they embrace the science behind bloodless surgery.

in nazi germany, they could fight for hitler or go to the concentration camps.

Arthur

It seem to me that a film like this is mostly for non-Jdub consumption. Having been born and raised a Witness, I don't see how this film maker is going to inform me on anything.

I knocked on doors for some 25 years. I don't need a documentary film maker showing me what it is like to knock on doors, leave magazines under door mats, or attend intellectually-vacant conventions.

31

If most men decided to wear a beard today, would the JW's follow?

by JH in

jw
friends

the jw's will say that in jesus time, it was ok to have a beard because it was their custom back then, and today jw's should not have a beard because it's not our custom to have one today.. since the world is ever changing, it will continue changing, and beards might come back and be popular once more.. it's only a cheap excuse on their part, because they will never accept beards, even if every man wore one today..

Arthur

It was however, acceptable for sisters to have beards. This is a picture of Judge Rutheford's mistress:

11

judicial meetings...

by Tuesday in

jw
friends

has anyone here listened to any judicial committee meetings and been very disappointed?

.

Arthur

They told him 'no, you have done too much research.

Now that's mature. Immagine an accountant getting fired from his job because he had the audacity to find an error in the books.

I remember in a previous thread, how AuldSoul wrote about how he (before leaving the org) wrote a letter to the Society inquiring about the UN NGO scandal. When they wrote him back, they actually blamed him for discovering this information; suggesting that only those with a fault-finding attitude would be privy to such information. Not long after that, he sent them a DA love letter.

27

Will JWs leave the org because of accelerated doctrine change?

by cultswatter in

looks like the wts is morphing into a totally diferent religion.

they are trying to get new converts any way they can at the same time they are trying to patch previous doctrine in an attempt to give the illusion of true prophecy.. hey wts, no matter what you do it won't work.

the 1914 date is pure fiction, so is 1918/19.

Arthur

We left because of the NGO hypocrisy. 11 months AFTER we quit going, although we left THEM alone, they came after us and disfellowshipped us.

Brant, this is one of the things that I find most disingenuous about the organization. I cannot count the number of times that I have heard talks at meetings and assemblies where the speaker asks why those who oppose the organization do not simply leave quietly and leave everyone else alone. Every time people do try to walk away quietly, they wind up getting disfellowhipped for apostasy anyway. My question is: what was the sense in walking away quietly when the organization is going to brand them an apostate anyway? It's a case of damned if you do; damned if you don't.

9

DOCTRINE SHOPPING: How the Governing Body became the new MAJESTERIUM

by Terry in

the catholic church is founded upon majesterium which is the doctrine that jesus began a long succession of priests who administered his kingdom work and education through peter and his subsequent popes.

moreover, jesus gave this catholic church the right to make policy which heaven would back up with divine authority.. the protestant reformation nullified this idea by presenting a rival doctrine of sola scriptura which is the doctrine that no priesthood is necessary for an individual human being.

sola scriptura says one man and one bible is what god will work through directly as long as jesus is invoked as the mediator.. the governing body of jehovah's witnesses coalesce around the doctrine that the majesterium applies to them as "anointed" and no lone ranger christian can go around them.. when pastor russell produced his studies in the scriptures it was promoted as superior to reading the bible itself.

Arthur

There is no doubt that the concept of a supreme governing council (or ecclesiastical authority) that has final judicial and legislative power; is something that is post-apostolic, and post-biblical.

It's strange how the WTS will reject the Trinity doctrine due to it's post-apostolic / post biblical adoption into the churches. (I am not necessarily supporting these assertions, I am merely restating WT arguments) But, they completely ignore the fact that the modern day Governing Body of Jehovah's Witnesses is almost identical with the centralized ecclesiastical bodies (or councils of bishops) that developed in the churches of Christendom after the deaths of the apostles.

The Jerusalem council of the first century, on the other hand, was merely a large gathering made up of apostles, and many church elders. The body resolved divisive issues, but never operated as a centralized governing council that had legislative power over Christians. Had it been considered a divinely appointed arrangement, there would have been evidence of it's operation after the destruction of Jerusalem in 70 A.D. But, there is none, in fact, the Apostle John in his writings (after 70 A.D.) never even mentioned such a body and never gave any indication to the congregations giving submission to such a body.

23

The Bible Students still exist!!

by cultswatter in

remember the dubs were called the bible students before rutherford gave them the name jehovahs witnesses.

it looks like there was a split and some of the bible students never accepted that name.

look at this site will ya.

Arthur

There are a few of these groups that meet in the Los Angeles area where I live. I have a friend who has attended one of their Memorials. He said that it was eerily similar to the JW Memorial, in that the majority of those in attendance did not partake of the emblems.

From what I understand, there are a lot of ex-JWs that attend these groups in the LA area, especially older ex-JWs. I think that the close similarities in belief with JW theology attracts many ex-Witnesses.

15

Does anyone else see a pattern?

by TD in

it seems to me that a repeating pattern with jw's is unfolding yet again.

i wonder if anybody else can "see" the same thing, or am i just imaginiing things?.

here's the scenario:.

Arthur

Good points TD

I hadn't noticed this trend before. Actually, I hadn't given much thought to the relationships between doctrinal / dogma changes with GB appointments until you brought it up. Interesting. . .

Here's one thing that I have noticed about trends, though. I began to realize that world events seem to influence the WTS / GB to promote a hightened expectation of Armageddon in cycles which come around about every 30 years:

1914 - Outbreak of WWI

1941 - Bombing of Pearl Harbor and WWII

1970s - Run up to 1975; Vietnam War, Watergate

2001 - 9/11 - followed by Afghanistan and Iraq invasions

2034 - This will mark 120 years (Noah given 120 year warning) from the year 1914 (time of the end)

27

Will JWs leave the org because of accelerated doctrine change?

by cultswatter in

looks like the wts is morphing into a totally diferent religion.

they are trying to get new converts any way they can at the same time they are trying to patch previous doctrine in an attempt to give the illusion of true prophecy.. hey wts, no matter what you do it won't work.

the 1914 date is pure fiction, so is 1918/19.

Arthur

If there was such a thing as a "profile" of those most likely to leave, I believe it is those who were not raised in the organization - those who came in as adults, and who have been associated for less than 20 years. When I read and listen to testimonies of former Witnesses, this seems to be the most common demographic of people who leave over doctrinal issues. Sure, there are plenty of born-in JWs who leave, but it seems to me that most of these cases involve being DFd for immorality.

I think that those who were born and raised on the organization have much deeper and powerful indoctrination to break away from. And, those who have been in the organization longer than 20 years are so set in their ways, that they don't know anything else.

78

Report on Todays special talk

by stillajwexelder in

ok - so special talk today - you can feel safe in a troubled world.

15 minutes devoted to to how bad things are.

iraq and usa were headlined and 1914 was mentioned > 20 times.

Arthur

The talking points of the talk are the same as they always have been; regardless of whatever events are taking place. In the early 1970's, the civil unrest of the late 60's and the Vietnam War was touted as "proof" that the end is just around the corner.

The WTS can focus on anything and use it as a "sign of the end". Even in a Utopian world of peace and prosperity, the Society would find something. If an old lady slipped on a banana peel and broker her hip, the WTS would say that this was part of Jesus' composite sign.