Doubting Bro

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Posts by Doubting Bro

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  10

  Casting call for JW reality show...

  by Newly Enlightened in

  1. social
  2. entertainment

  i don't know if this is legit or not:.

  http://www.realitywanted.com/call/26136-casting-for-former-jehovahs-witnesses-for-new-docu-series#.uhyvdrtna1s.

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  Doubting Bro

  I hope this gets off the ground!! I'm thinking along the lines of the Breaking Amish sort of show.
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  36

  BOE Letter: Re: Safety precautions when attending spiritual programs

  by pixel in

  1. watchtower
  2. beliefs

  i know atlatis will bring this letter to the forum.

  i just wanted to paste it here and bold the most hilarious, weird thing fro the letter.

  the bold part that i added made me lol.. .

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  Doubting Bro

  I've opened doors for a DC and Sir82's comparison to Black Friday is dead on! I literally stood between the doors and against the wall as people RAN by. I felt like I was running with the bulls!!!!

  I'm not sure what they can do to prevent it. If they opened the doors at 7am, the same thing would happen. DCs are just horrible!!!
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  153

  Shocking talk from 2013 District Convention urges parents to shun disfellowshipped children

  by cedars in

  1. watchtower
  2. beliefs

  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7yldwe_6jsu.

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  cedars.

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  Doubting Bro

  It's only shocking for someone who has never been a JW. Otherwise, this is the same crap they've been spewing for years. It must have been a manuscript since it was the same talk I heard. I just shook my head through the whole thing.

  Distrubing? Yes. Hate speech? Yes. Shocking to me? uh, no
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  59

  New Child Abuse lawsuit to be filed tomorrow in Ohio against WT and congregation

  by AndersonsInfo in

  1. watchtower
  2. child-abuse

  media alert: press conference wednesday, july 31, 2013, 11:00 am .

  civil lawsuit filed against ohio jehovahs witnesses congregation and national organizations by sexual abuse victim .

  childhood victim suffered sexual abuse from congregational leader over a four year period .

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  Doubting Bro

  I think they know what sort of press these types of lawsuits have been getting and is likely a marketing move for the law firm. Which is totally fine with me. After all, these religious institutions have been allowing the abuse of kids for years and these types of suits are the only thing that has facilitated changes within those organizations.

  I hope the victims make those responsible pay for their actions.
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  47

  Former Longtime Elder- Met up with a Former CO,DO

  by James Jackson in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  at a convention recently, i met with don wallace, a former co and do.

  he told me he came off the road 6 years ago and is living in scottsboro al.

  him and his wife are in their late 70's.

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  Doubting Bro

  I don't really have an issue with this. Seems like they should take care of their retired COs/DOs and long term Bethelites. I'm actually surprised they appointed him as a special pioneer and are giving him this "pension". Of course, as soon as he doesn't make his hours, BOOM. Hopefully for him he'll be smart enough to do what many JWs do and fudge his numbers!

  I remember my Dad telling me when I was young to live like the system would end tomorrow (ie put the WT first), but plan like it won't happen in my lifetime. That's why I started saving in a retirement plan as soon as I got a full-time job and ended up getting a college degree while serving as an elder (at least I started it while an elder). I always justified it as I was living more simply by diverting a portion of my income to a retirement fund and that I wouldn't be upset if the world ended and I lost it, but I would be a burden if I had nothing and the system was still around.

  I know many JWs with the same mindset. Of course, I also know a ton of crazies that spend every cent they have and don't care about saving. But, I also know non-JWs like that so I'm not sure if its a JW thing or not.
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  25

  Considered for Recommendation as Elder but Declined

  by ProfCNJ in

  1. watchtower
  2. beliefs

  hi folks.

  one of the elders was sent to our house to talk to me the possibility of being recommended as elder.

  he did not know however that one of the elders who is a friend of mine had already divulged this future meeting.

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  Doubting Bro

  You just saved yourself years of stress and conflict. Since you're posting on here, my guess is that you are just starting to investigate the WTS. My advice is not to accept any additional privileges until whatever reason that brought you here has been resolved.
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  106

  Video of admitted child molester in Jehovah’s Witnesses has gone viral!

  by disfellowshipped1 in

  1. watchtower
  2. child-abuse

  notice these two attorneys opining on this case.. http://watchtowerleaks.com/tagged/child-molestation.

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  Doubting Bro

  Another former elder chiming in here:

  I do know that the congregation is the major factor in the appointment or removal of an elder.

  The local congregtion does have input but I've personally witnessed situations where a brother was recommended by the local BOE and local CO only to be shot down by the branch for reasons that were arbitrary. I've also seen situations where someone who had connections with the local branch had been recommended to be deleted but the branch wouldn't do it.

  Elders and MS are appointed by the branch and to say otherwise is to be dishonest. The recommendations are reviewed by a direct agent of the branch, the CO. As has been previously shown with quotes from the Shepherd book, that's not only the written procedure but that's everyone's practical experience from several countries.

  Defend them all you like, it doesn't change the fact that they were morally obligated to do more and as some of these lawsuits are showing, are LEGALLY obligated to do more.

  I'm just glad I never had to deal with a pedophile case as an elder.
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  31

  I can't find any bibles...seems to be a shortage...

  by Legacy in

  1. watchtower
  2. beliefs

  howdy,.

  i have been trying to get 4 bibles for some folks i know who use to be jw's...not sure if they are returning but i'll do my part...can anyone shed some light or let me know where i can call to get bibles....patterson says there is a shortage, i've asked around to different halls in different states.. could it be because of jw.org ?.

  take care,.

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  Doubting Bro

  RubaDub,

  I think all pretty much everyone is invited. Our congregation allotment was more than the publisher count so I guess non-publisher kids are also included. LOL at your suggestion. Don't give them any ideas.

  The speculation seems reasonable to me. Why else would they run out of God's Word of Truth?? Oh well, time will tell.
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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.