Doubting Bro

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Posts by Doubting Bro

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  88

  Former Long Time Elder: Why I am still in

  by James Jackson in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  a customer on my route with whom i have had some lively debates was his number 1 complaint is that "the witnesses have so many rules".

  last month i agreed with on this issue.

  he asked why the change, i told him that i have been doing some soul searching.

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  Doubting Bro

  James,

  I understand what you're dealing with somewhat. I'm not sure the reason why you stay in is to teach your child morals because you could easily do that not being a JW. However, your leaving would have a dramtic impact on your family, right? What would happen to your marriage if you left?

  Maybe I'm transferring my issues on to you but that's the thing that keeps me in. You have one son that is already out right? So you could have a frank conversation with him about why you no longer believe, apologize, etc. Depending on how old and what your relationship is with your other child, you may be able to have that same conversation. Is he/she baptized? If not, then your really can discourage that step.

  How would your wife react? If she also has doubts, that may be an opportunity to leave with the only thing that really matters, your family.
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  40

  Former Long Time Elder - Judicial Committees

  by James Jackson in

  1. watchtower
  2. bible

  when i first was appointed as an elder, i could not wait to be on a judicial committee.

  it semed like most hearings invovled middle age men and women cheating on their mates because either they had married early or felt that were being neglected by their mate.

  most times i felt i need to take a long hot shower after a hearing.. the toughest part was seeing these sweet young children grow up in "the truth", and now you are about to judge their future based on their repentance.

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  Doubting Bro

  JJ - I understand how you feel and can relate. Fortunately I usually avoided JCs like the plague and only got sucked into a few. Even if the person only got reproof, I often had trouble sleeping realizing the pain the person was going through. When I finally woke up, I realized that the whole process was terribly wrong and that knot in my stomach was my conscious telling me that what I was involved with just wasn't right.

  The problem is that most elders as simply as brain washed (even more so) as the rest of the JWs. So, they believe that they are doing God's will. So while some may feel bad afterward, they rationalize it by saying they are only doing what God wants them to do.

  sd-7 - I hear you man. I often beat myself up for getting duped into believing in the WTS. The past is the past. We can only impact what we chose to do with the rest of our lives. Sure, I feel awful for participating in the cult's activities to the degree I did. The meeting parts, studying with others (thankfully I never got a student to baptism), the shepherding visits, the elder's meetings where we judged and dissected members of the congregation like we were sales managers, all that stuff. But, what's done is done. I take responsiblity for what I was involved with and yes it is a cult and yes, I was raised that way so I thought I was doing the right thing. All I know is that now, even though I'm still stuck in for family, I will never again influence one other person to tow the WT line.

  So don't get too down about whatever level you participated in the past. Just make sure that you don't support the cult going forward. That's all you can really do.
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  1

  John Sentamu Archbishop of York, Says Tax Avoidance is Sinful

  by cantleave in

  1. social
  2. current

  http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-22941017.

  is this a case of pot calling kettle black?.

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  Doubting Bro

  Exactly. The religions (ALL OF THEM) gladly take their tax free status yet have the nerve to say things like this?
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  88

  Former Long Time Elder, New Member

  by James Jackson in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  i have served 20 years as an elder, 5 years as an ms. was on the district committee in 2010, held various positions on the district , circuit, and rbc level.

  probably been on more than 100 judicial committees and even an appeals committee.

  was the coordinator in our congregation and deleted because adult child was df ( i kicked him out at the time of his wrongdoing, but that wasn't enough for thr brothers).

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  Doubting Bro

  Welcome JJ. Look forward to reading your comments.
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  78

  They lied to you Jack......

  by Tech49 in

  1. jw
  2. experiences

  my name is jack harper, tech49.

  new here, been lurking for many months now.

  a brief history:.

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  Doubting Bro

  Jack, welcome and look foward to reading your comments. Great opening posts!!
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  53

  Due to Ongoing Concern about Dwindling Meeting Attendances, IS THE BOOK STUDY ARRANGEMENT GOING TO BE RE-INSTATED NEXT YEAR?

  by steve2 in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  i have some family and friends still in the organization.

  i don't actively seek updates - my lovely contacts provide me with them unsolicited.

  so far the updates have been reliable and confirmed sooner or later by subsequent developments.

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  Doubting Bro

  Some folks may miss it but in most congregations (at least in the US) it was by far the most poorly attended meeting. In the hall I was in when it was discontinued, the attendance was around 75% of publishers where as the MS/TS was closer to 90% with the Sunday meetings being a little over 100% (remember the kids too young to be publishers are also in attendance).
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  24

  April 5, 2013 news article about a N. Carolina JW raping a 12-year-old girl at KH

  by AndersonsInfo in

  1. watchtower
  2. child-abuse

  i just received a link to this article today.

  i searched to see if it had been posted before on jwn but couldn't locate anything.

  barbarahttp://www.robesonian.com/view/full_story/22159944/article-man-charged-with-rape-of-12-year-oldman charged with rape of 12-year-oldby adelina shee.

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  Doubting Bro

  My guess he was a JW by the description. I'm sure they'll be more info that comes out. What a terrible thing to have happened to this little girl.
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  24

  Rebuttals:"Wait on Jehovah"

  by Emery in

  1. watchtower
  2. beliefs

  ok i think most of you at some point have come across the apologetic saying "wait on jehovah" from jws whenever an injustice occurs in the organization.

  many have also used this expression to abandon evidence against the "truth".

  this has easily become one of my biggest pet peeves now since speaking to others about ttatt.

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  Doubting Bro

  I will wait for him to fix things then start coming back!
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  28

  Committee Chairman: tell us about yourself

  by crmsicl in

  1. jw
  2. friends
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  Doubting Bro

  Welcome!! Looking foward to your input.
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  535

  AAWA is here!! (The Association of Anti-Watchtower Activists)

  by cedars in

  1. watchtower
  2. scandals

  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fcic4g5tulw.

  http://www.jwactivists.org.

  facebook the association of anti-watchtower activists.

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  Doubting Bro

  Thanks for posting the WT brief on the Conti appeal! Good luck with your efforts. It's an interesting concept.