Dawn

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Posts by Dawn

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  22

  Hi I'm new

  by bonovox in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  ok, so i kinda stumbled onto this site.

  i have many questions, but first a bit about myself:.

  i was born and raised in the truth.

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  Dawn

  Hi Bonovox:
  

  what is all this talk about revised stances on DF people? Id love some current info,

  I hope this helps you out:

  1981 Watchtower Sept 15th issue "If a Relative is Disfellowshipped"
  

  DISFELLOWSHIPED RELATIVES NOT LIVING AT HOME

  18 The second situation that we need to consider is that involving a disfellowshiped or disassociated relative who is not in the immediate family circle or living at one's home. Such a person is still related by blood or marriage, and so there may be some limited need to care for necessary family matters. Nonetheless, it is not as if he were living in the same home where contact and conversation could not be avoided. We should keep clearly in mind the Bible's inspired direction: "Quit mixing in company with anyone called a brother that is a fornicator or a greedy person . . . , not even eating with such a man."-1 Cor. 5:11.

  19 Consequently, Christians related to such a disfellowshiped person living outside the home should strive to avoid needless association, even keeping business dealings to a minimum.

  The truth is - it really depends on the congregation your parents are in - how it's viewed there. I hear a lot of stories from some people on the board here whose parents have completely shunned them - yet my parents continued to treat me as family - they just didn't talk about "spiritual" matters.
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  78

  Respect Your Elders!

  by comforter in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  ex-jws in this place often berate the gerontological state of the governing body.

  the speak abusively about the oold men in brooklyn.

  why the antipathos against the men in brooklyn?

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  Dawn

  Jesus said that the Pharisees taught what was proper but did not act in harmony with what they told others to do.

  I do not believe the GB teaches what is proper - there are many instances where their doctrines contradict the bible.

  So I am not sure sure that Jesus would have picked on some old Pharisee about his gastric disorder. He would have at least shown respect for the Pharisee's age.

  Mat 3:7 But when he saw many of the Pharisees and Sad'ducees coming for baptism, he said to them, "You brood of vipers! Who warned you to flee from the wrath to come?
  Mat 15:7 You hypocrites!

  Yep - he didn't make fun of their age. But he did call them hypocrites and snakes. So I suppose you would not be offended if I refer to them as crawling vermin???
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  30

  Another day in Israel

  by Yerusalyim in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  another day in israel, another terrorist bombing kills 16 innocent civilians on their way to work.

  another day where the critics of israel are silent in the face of the violence and hatred of the arabs.

  another day when amnesty international and all the other left wingers ignore the fact that innocent israelis are dying.

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  Dawn

  point well taken JanH - I always appreciate your perspective on things.
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  78

  Respect Your Elders!

  by comforter in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  ex-jws in this place often berate the gerontological state of the governing body.

  the speak abusively about the oold men in brooklyn.

  why the antipathos against the men in brooklyn?

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  Dawn

  I do not believe I owe them ANY amount of respect - they have not earned it, and they have not shown it to their "flock"
  

  Matthew 23:11-13 He who is greatest among you shall be your servant; whoever exalts himself will be humbled, and whoever humbles himself will be exalted. "But woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! because you shut the kingdom of heaven against men; for you neither enter yourselves, nor allow those who would enter to go in.

  They have EXALTED themselves

  They have indeed shut the kingdom of heaven against men by claiming that only a certain number could "get in"

  Jesus did NOT respect the scribes and Pharisees - I DO NOT respect the governing body.

  However - if it makes you feel better comforter, I'll choose a different adjective that is not related to age when referring to the members of the GB:

  WOB Squad (Watchtower over Bible Squad)
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  30

  Another day in Israel

  by Yerusalyim in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  another day in israel, another terrorist bombing kills 16 innocent civilians on their way to work.

  another day where the critics of israel are silent in the face of the violence and hatred of the arabs.

  another day when amnesty international and all the other left wingers ignore the fact that innocent israelis are dying.

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  Dawn

  I'm really stunned Yerusalyim - about the whole thing!!

  When the US suffered the 9/11 attacks, noone really questiond us retaliating to protect ourselves.

  Why does the US now not respond to support Israel? They're under attack!! It's beyond me. It makes me sad - such loss.
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  12

  Am i missing Something in Revelation 21

  by Legendary U.2.K. in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  i notice members on this board keeps telling me to re-read revelation chapter 21 verse 1 & 2?

  let's get something str now, nobody on the earth can know everything & understand everything from the bible 100%, i have a hard time understand revelation, examples: the four horsemen, gog & ma'-gog?

  <------i'm sorry, but i dont get it... anyway what's the deal with revelation chapter 21 verse 2?

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  Dawn

  Hi Legendary:

  There are two schools of thought about how to apply the scriptures in Peter & Revelation:

  1) symbolically - that the same heavens & earth would be here just cleaned up after Armageddon (this is also the JW doctrine)

  2) literally - this one is a little harder for the JW to understand at first - we're thinking WAY outside the box here. Since God does not live in our time/space dimension, when Jesus returns and his followers are "raptured" (stay with me here - it's actually in the bible) and taken to be with God they would be removed from our time/space dimension. Now - with everyone that was to be saved outside of this time/space dimension - God completely destroyes it and makes all new stuff. Then EVERYONE (including GOD) returns to live in the new heavens & earth (Rev 21:3)

  Now - which doctrine is correct? That I don't know. But I would caution you to ALWAYS apply the same rules in reading a book as to whether it is literal or symbolic. If you read it as literal - then it's ALL literal - if you read it as symbolic - then it's ALL symbolic.

  As for understanding Revelation - the best way to approach it is by studying Revelation, Daniel, & Isaiah at the same time. These three books were written to complement each other - you'll find many of the same creatures from Revelation in the book of Daniel.

  There are two books that I found very helpful in understanding the bible - don't laugh at the title, I'm completely serious!!
  The Complete Idiot's Guide to the Bible AND The Complete Idiot's Guide to the Book of Revelation. The titles are hillarious!! But they're actually very helpful - espeically for JW's who were taught the JW slant of the bible.

  These books are non-denominational in that they don't push any particular doctrine or church - just basic information & explanation of the books. It's a good place to start. I never could understand Revelation before - now, although I'm still learning, it's making a lot more sense to me. Guess that means I was a complete idiot hu?!
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  11

  Silentlambs and everyone, do you believe this???

  by stocwach in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  this is unbelievable.

  here is an excerpt from an email i got from a jw friend regarding the pedophilia issue.

  take particular note this persons's rationale regarding the wt legal dept.

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  Dawn

  "I have never heard a lawyer speak like a hick in all my life"

  I speak to many attys from all over the Country in my job - let me tell you - plenty of those very knowledgable people from Louisiana, Texas, Missouri, etc definately talk like 'hicks.

  They tell me that we here in the Pacific Northwest are the ones with the funny accent!!
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  38

  What was your crisis

  by JG in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  what was your crisis of conscience, moment of clarity, epiphany or realization?

  i am so interested in what got you thinking.

  blessing to you,.

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  Dawn

  ((((((((((saltiest))))))))))))
  You were a victim and should NEVER have been treated as a defendant. You should have been counseled, supported, encouraged, and loved. I am so sorry for the way you were treated - I wish I could hunt those d&** elders down for you and wring their necks!!

  As for my moment of crisis - it really came on gradually but there are two that stand out in my mind:

  1) There was too much emphasis on "appearances", ie: what type of clothes to wear, how long your skirts could be, whether men should wear flares or not, beards, etc. etc. etc - and everyone seemed to be focusing on how things "appeared" to outsiders instead of what was going on inside their own heart and with their brothers/sisters. Like when a "weak" one wasn't invited to get-togethers because others didn't want to be seen with them and marked - arent' we suppose to encourage the weak ones?

  2) Being told that I could not understand the bible without the help of the society..
  

  "We all need help to understand the Bible, and we cannot find the Scriptural guidance we need outside the ‘faithful and discreet slave' organization." (The Watchtower, Feb. 15, 1981.)

  So God can work through 40+ authors over thousands of years to create a manuscript of how to live your life - but can't make it so we can understand it until the late 1800's with the help of a few men in New York?? Come on - get real!!!
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  39

  Do your parents still talk to you?

  by scootergirl in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  just curious if your parents still have contact with you after you have been df'd/da'd.

  mine have stood by w/strong convictions not to have contact w/me.

  they have to have some being that i have kids that they want to see (but that is very minimal).

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  Dawn

  Fortunately, my parents never shunned me after I was DF'd. In fact, hubby, the kids & I would even go out to dinner with them periodically - in a public restaurant - for all to see!! (and my dad was an elder before he passed away last year). Noone said anything to him - at least not that I know of.

  If she ever found out I was attending a new church I'm sure that would all change - she would feel obligated to shun me as an apostate.

  My brothers did shun me - still do for the most part. But they'll visit with me when they come in town to see mom because mom wants it.

  I see my mom a couple times a week - talk to her on the phone almost every day. And yep - we still go out to eat a lot.

  Since hubby and I are the only family she has here we spend a lot of time at her house taking care of things, and I give her rides to the evening meetings because she can't see well. I figure she's an adult and has the right to go if she wants to - so I help her. I guess they've (JW's) have gotten so use to me being around they don't really think about it. In fact - some of THEM even talk to me now.

  I have been DF'd for a long time - maybe they just gave up on trying to win me back??

  My heart really goes out to you all - I can't imagine ever turning my back on my children!!
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  45

  What's Your Pet Peeve?

  by DB in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  of course, the wts is pretty much a pet peeve of almost everyone here.

  but besides that, what's your pet peeve?

  i'm in a playful mood today, so here's mine, with some tongue-in-cheekiness, of course: .

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  Dawn

  People who complain about other people smoking.......

  Personally.......I miss it, so when I find someone smoking I like to stand real close!!