Doubting Bro

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Posts by Doubting Bro

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  43

  Do YOU Hate Jehovah's Witnesses?

  by minimus in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  i don't hate the people.

  i feel bad for many of them.

  i don't like the religion because it is a cult.

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  Doubting Bro

  I hate myself for believing as long as I did.
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  47

  week long elders training class for 08 confirmed

  by isaacaustin in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  announced at my parents service meeting last night

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  Doubting Bro

  Once again, JWD scoops the local congregation elder bodies. Cheers to all those with inside connections that immediately share it with the rest of us!

  Man, I'm glad I don't have to deal with that BS any longer.

  I agee that it is a ploy to "encourage" the remaining elders since they have lost so many in the last decade.
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  43

  Week long Elders school announced

  by JWFreak in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  at the agm it was announced that all elders in the us will attend a weeks 5 days kingdom ministry school next year.

  there will be a different class held at patterson each week until all us elders have attended.

  not sure about other countries.

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  Doubting Bro

  OTWO - I see what you mean and while there are a bunch of elders that would be gung-ho about going to Patterson for a week, there are a bunch more that will be very unhappy. I do agree that the sole purpose would be a move to keep the elders they currently have. I always remember coming away from those schools feeling like I was worthless and wanting to "step aside". Not sure even in my zealot days if this would have worked on me. Of course, this is still speculation but I'm also assuming its true until proven otherwise.

  I'm wondering it there really is other big bad news or if this is just an attempt to make elders feel like they're special? I think if there's really bad stuff that's about to break, they would call a special circuit meeting to discuss it. This sounds like its going to take a year and I think it may be a similar program to the one the DO/CO completed a year or two ago (maybe a little longer than that). And, I still think a new elders manual will be released. No inside info, just a gut feeling.
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  43

  Week long Elders school announced

  by JWFreak in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  at the agm it was announced that all elders in the us will attend a weeks 5 days kingdom ministry school next year.

  there will be a different class held at patterson each week until all us elders have attended.

  not sure about other countries.

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  Doubting Bro

  JW Freak,

  That confirms another post on here about the 5 day KM school. Are you sure its just going to be held in Patterson? Seems like they would have a difficult time pulling that off. Wouldn't it be easier to conduct it like a normal KM school? I attended a few where they flew in big shots from Bethel to conduct much of it. Of course, the WTS would have to pay for the Bethelites to go out vs having the local elders pay their own way to Patterson.

  I agree that a new elders manual is on the horizon. Seems I heard that rumor a year or two ago.

  The last KM school was conducted in late 2005, so its earlier than the normal pattern.

  Sure am glad I don't have to go!!
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  54

  Generation - Prep for bigger change?????

  by The Scotsman in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  this apparent change to the "generation" is pretty major i think.. when we consider all of the changes in understanding (i mean flashes of light!.

  the 1995 change extended this old system by detaching the generation from 1914.. then the may 2007 wt qfr detached the gathering of the anointed from 1935.. now the latest change detaches the generation from all mankind except the small group of anointed.. and because of the 1935 detachment this could run for quite sometime.. most r & f jws will embrace this with both hands.

  for me that is my greatest concern - millions will not even stop to think that we only had a flash of light about.

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  Doubting Bro

  It has been my personal opinion now for a few months that they will find a way to alter the prophetic meaning of 1914. This would suspend into perpetuity the timing for Armageddon. They can continue to play the doomsday game with no actual date to obstruct. I believe that they are particularly concerned that 2014 will be significant in the minds of their adherants.

  I agree but with a slightly different twist. They need 1914 with the 1919 appointment of the "faithful slave" to keep their power structure in place. However, the 1995 generation took the steam out of the average JW because it really moved Armageddon forward several years and thus with no axe over their heads, the work slowed down. The numbers are suffering (especially in the West) as a result. So, they need to ramp up the pressure on the mostly apathetic JWs in their big money countries. They've been burned too many times on date setting, so that's not an option.

  The more I think about this, the more impressed I am with the diabolical genius that is the WTS. If spun correctly, they can use this new teaching the same way they used the pre-1995 teaching. They will point to the small number of annointed as proof the end is "very close". They will keep reporting the number, if it goes up in the next year or so with the dropping of the 1935 teaching that the door to annointing closed, then that's ok. They will hammer on the small number just like they hammered 1914. Soon, they will deemphasize 1914 (unless they occassionally use it to reinforce their appointment in 1919) and focus on world conditions (you can always find bad if you look hard enough).

  Its date setting without a date and no expiration date. Brilliant
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  21

  Could someone please explain the new "light"on the"generation" .

  by yesidid in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  sorry to be so dumb.

  i just don't understand what the new teaching is.. i understood pre and post 1995 but haven't been able to get the gist of the latest.. could someone please explain it so a low intellect like me can understand, please, please.. and thank you,.

  yesidid.

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  Doubting Bro

  AuldSoul,

  Great breakdown of the previous explainations. While the details of the new change in the generation explaination need to be flushed out, I think its probably going to make as much since as the post 1995 explaination.

  The 1995-2007 version was so convoluted and open-ended, I'm not sure why they are changing it. Many people I know who are seeming loyal JWs didn't buy the 1995 change and have told me so. Most actually still believe the previous version yet have no explaination for why that generation is pretty much dead now.

  I'm really curious where they are going with this.
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  30

  Anybody attend their Senior Prom as a JW? Wha' happen?

  by Open mind in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  this will be raising it's ugly head in the next few years with my kids unless we're out by then.

  so, did anyone attend their senior prom while still a jw?

  were they a jw too?

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  Doubting Bro

  OM,

  My prom experience was pretty similar. I'm not sure I would have went if I wasn't a JW because I was pretty socially awkward and spent most of my teenage years in a depressed state (although I never shared that with anyone at the time). Was it being a JW that made me that way? Probably not. I'm thinking it sure didn't help me any!

  I know of a situation that a MS who was dating a senior (he was probably 18-19) went and because his father was PO, nothing happened. But, the BOE had some pretty heated discussions over it. Sadly I was on the "remove him" side being the zealot I was.

  I could easily see a person losing "privileges" or even the old man taking a hit for allowing his son/daughter to go. As you know, depends on how big of a deal the BOE wants to make of it. Get a group of born-in, no kids guys, I think they'd come down with both feet.

  I have much bigger regrets over not being allowed to play sports than I do for not going to the prom!
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  26

  Star Fallen from Heaven ... Christ? Revelation 9:1 Study this Week

  by jgnat in

  1. watchtower
  2. bible

  heck, if hubby asks me to study, you guys get to study along with me, too.

  this week we are studying the first paragraphs of chapter 22, "the first woe - locusts" from the study book, "revelation, it's grand climax at hand".

  i can't pass paragraph six without commenting.. first of all, here's the paragraph in its entirety.

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  Doubting Bro

  I've been questioning/researching all the WTS teachings and had forgotten about this little gem. Just a quick reading of the verse would seem to indicate that the fallen angel is referring to Satan not Jesus. It was kind of funny to watch the mental gymnastics at the CBS trying to explain this one. And, then the blah blah blah about how the "locust class" (how many classes can the same group of people belong to?) torments those who don't have the mark of God to the point they want to kill themselves. I'm sure "Christendom"'s clergy were just jumping off bridges after the "hard hitting" False Religion's End is Near campaign last year. I'm suprised there are any clergy left. Most people don't know anything about these "stinging messages" just that JWs don't take blood, celebrate holidays and annoy them from time to time at their door.

  Also, how are the locust Gods servants when there is specific instruction to not harm Gods servants only the "unrighteous"? Even locust don't go after their own. Wouldn't they be ordered to nail everyone? The WTS explaination is that the unrighteous are only the clergy because they should know better. Yet, the WTS will also tell you that everyone not a "true servant" or baptized JW will likely not survive the big A because they're unrighteous. So, which is it??

  Sorry, but I was really annoyed after the BS last night. The Rev book shows me just how crazy the WTS prophetic i nterpretations really are.

  Jnat, interesting link to the Blue Letter Bible. I'm saving that one.
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  21

  What a difference a year makes.

  by Billzfan23 in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  last year on this date... i was burned out as an elder, school overseer, book study overseer, etc... my monday nights were shepherding calls, phone calls, judicial committe meetings.

  tuesday nights i conducted the theocratic ministry school and usually had a service meeting part.

  wednesday nights i had a bible study with a family from the territory.

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  Doubting Bro

  BF23,

  Congrats on the successful transition. I'm really happy to hear that things worked out with your custody battle. Sounds like you get to spend a ton of time with your kids which is one of the most important things a father can do. Your story is an inspiration and thank you for sharing it.
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  6

  Has anybody been at those 1/2 hour public talk meetings?

  by Cindi_67 in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  i wonder if anybody out there has been to the sunday meeting with the 1/2 hour talk followed by the watchtower study?

  how does it work?

  is the entire meeting still 2 hours but there is a 1/2 hour break in between parts?

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  Doubting Bro

  Right, it doesn't go into effect until 1-1-08 (wish it was immediate)