Posts by DB

32

Hypocrites.....grrrrrrr

by Tatiana in

jw
friends

well, a couple of nights ago i was kind of ashamed of myself.

let me explain.. i have a new job.

as a model scout.

Tatiana, the elders reproving you privately for pursuing modeling is just one more example of the pharisaic attitude that permiates the entire organization. I can understand why you were so hurt, and why you are upset now.

A (somewhat) related experience - there is a Witness guy I know, good friend of mine, who mentioned that, at work, all the guys would always stop to oggle this one very immodestly dressed employee. The guys would literally stop what they were doing to check her out (she made delivered mail to various departments, and the guys gave her the nickname "The Mail Goddess". Well, guess what? Yep, she's a Witness. And there at her place of work, she is well-known for her immodest attire.

For that guy in your place of work, I'm sure he is all sold on the persecution mentality that the Witnesses have always pushed. He should have just laughed at what was a funny joke by you. And as you intimate, he certainly had no business complaining, seeing how he dresses and carries himself.

13

Spoke with a dub on ever changing doctrine...

by stocwach in

jw
friends

{to anyone that has seen this topic under "beliefs, doctrine, and practices", i apologize for the duplication, but i wanted to make sure it got the most exposure under the "main" thread here}:.

needed to be circumcised like the jewish christians already were.

only about the circumcision issue but also on whether the gentiles were.

DB

Tom, excellent reply...I too read this post while eating lunch, but you expressed things much more effectively than I would have. Maybe you were eating more nutritious food than I was (I was having a sald and fries from a fast-food joint, lol).

11

What is REALLY a Cult? -- Part #1

by ros in

jw
friends

we know the unification church (moonies) are a real cult.

but how can we say jehovahs witnesses are a cult?

consider some of the traits of a real cult revealed by a former moonie about the unification church.. =====================================================.

DB

Well, comparing jws with the criteria quoted from that book, it looks like the WTS is batting 1000.

7

Do shepherding calls help? my experience

by nightwing02 in

jw
friends

first i must start off by saying my wife and i have not attended meetings in awhile,so i knew that was the main point of the visit.when the two elders arrived at my home they were both happy and smiling.i told them how i was deeply depressed over the death of my best friend,and granfather,and the guilt i felt of not visiting and calling them much.i talked to my best friend a day before he died he seemed fine,but the next day he died of a heart attack.i also told them how i had become istant from my wife.they asked if i told hyer i loved her everyday and i replied no.and 1 of the elders said well remember what happened with your best friend,the same can happen with your wife,i felt that was a cold statement.but basically what they told us go to the meetings,and go out in field service 1 brother i felt did have some kind of compassion,the other who came in smiling looked like he was disgusted with me.i dont know i feel just as empty before they came i think i will see a therapist.

DB

Having served as an elder, I can say that often times, shepherding calls do not help in many instances. The person being called on is often made to feel that the problem, whatever it might be, is of his/her own making. Certainly, according to the elders, the toll of trying to keep up with being an active jw could never be the problem.

I have personally found that trying to keep up with all that the 'slave class' and the elders keep telling us to do, field service, meetings, family study, personal study, meeting preparation, bible reading, preparing for field service, and so on just takes the wind out of one's sails very quickly. And yet, when the elders come and call, they almost always tell you that you need more activity, that somehow doing more is going to solve your problems. But they seldom are skilled enough to get at the real heart of the problems.

When I went on such calls, I can honestly say that I had mostly no clue as to how to really help people solve their troubles...so it was always the same mantra...more, more, more - do more, and your problems will be solved.

61

What was the JW breaking point 4 U?

by ashitaka in

jw
friends

we have a thread that asks why we became jw's, so i became curious as to why some of us have left.

what was the last straw for you?.

mine was the treatment of my wife.

DB

I have read this thread with great interest. I am still active (I was just out in service yesterday...yippie for me!). Anyway, while I am still in, my heart and mind are pretty much out.

Almost all of the comments made above hit home. Prisca made an excellent observation about the scribes and pharisees in modern-day form. I have always felt that the application was not really fulfilled in Christendom, but rather in congregations of jws.

Then there was the generation thing in 1995. For years prior, I had checked almost every issue of the Awake, looking at the masthead and waiting for their "before the generation that saw the events of 1914 passes away" change or get deleted, and sure enough, it happened. The article that explained the change did not convince at all, and their blaming "some of Jehovah's people" for speculating about certain dates angered me, since it was the FDS that fostered such speculation. I remember sitting at that WT study, thinking, hey, I never came to such conclusions on my own, this what I was TAUGHT to believe. We were TAUGHT to expect the end within a certain time-frame; we did not make it up on our own, and yet that is what was being implied.

There were many other factors responsible for my heart and mind not really being "in" the organization, there are too many to mention here.

Oh, berten, I like your idea of slipping out to the local arcade, LOL! There is a Dunkin Donuts not far from my KH, and I have been thinking of slipping out to enjoy a snack and some coffee during the meetings. During circuit assemblies, I have been known to leave and snack in the car for awhile. I also used to go driving around during the sessions with another brother when I was a teenager. I guess old habits never die, LOL.

20

The elders visited me yesterday.

by voltaire in

jw
friends

well, it's finally over.

last saturday i talked with an elder about how i feel about the wt.

we talked for about 3 hours.

DB

Voltaire, when the df you, they will still need to contact you to inform you of their decision. Until then (unless their proceedures have changed) they can make no announcement.

Thus, if you want to, simply avoiding contact with the elders will keep them from anouncing the dfing, if you want to go that route. On the other hand, maybe you'd rather just get the whole thing over with. Can't blame you.

16

KM article "How Will They Hear?"

by DB in

jw
friends

perhaps this topic has already been addressed, but at last night's service meeting we discussed an article in the kingdom ministry (jan 2001) called "how will they hear?".

it dealt with the fact that there are perhaps billions worlwide who have not yet been witnessed to.

the articel mentioned that the jws "trust in jehovah" (i guess its always the case when they have no answers) that those people, mostly concentrated in asia (especially china and the sub-continent) will have their hearts read by god and that he will know who are righteous and who are not.

DB

Thanks to all who read and posted!

4

Agonizing Questions

by Defender in

jw
friends

gal 1:8. we have the apostle paul clearly warning the galatians, to the extent of invoking a divine curse, about believing other versions of the good news than what paul had originally published.. the question is which good news should i believe?

the one published by the apostle paul from tarsus, or the one from charles taze russell from allegheny, pennsylvania?.

john 6: 53,54. we have none other than jesus christ himself, our supposed leader, telling us in no uncertain terms that unless we eat his flesh and drink his blood, we will not have everlasting life.. the question is whom should i trust with my everlasting prospects?

DB

Good questions Defender!

28

service meeting event

by nytelecom1 in

jw
friends

it was truly a joy to see br.

and sister "--------".

last night, after 5 years of not attending meetings.. it was the loving sheparding our elder body provided .

DB

Good one expat, and thanks for your post on the thread I started (How Will They Hear?).

nytel, thanks for your post on that thread too.

16

KM article "How Will They Hear?"

by DB in

jw
friends

perhaps this topic has already been addressed, but at last night's service meeting we discussed an article in the kingdom ministry (jan 2001) called "how will they hear?".

it dealt with the fact that there are perhaps billions worlwide who have not yet been witnessed to.

the articel mentioned that the jws "trust in jehovah" (i guess its always the case when they have no answers) that those people, mostly concentrated in asia (especially china and the sub-continent) will have their hearts read by god and that he will know who are righteous and who are not.

DB

Perhaps this topic has already been addressed, but at last night's service meeting we discussed an article in the Kingdom Ministry (Jan 2001) called "How Will They Hear?". It dealt with the fact that there are perhaps billions worlwide who have not yet been witnessed to. The articel mentioned that the jws "trust in Jehovah" (I guess its always the case when they have no answers) that those people, mostly concentrated in Asia (especially China and the sub-continent) will have their hearts read by God and that He will know who are righteous and who are not. Thus, they caution that such large masses of people not yet preached to is no indication that "the end" is far off.

It seems to me that this is another case of the WTBS backing themselves into a corner on time prophecies. They have been preaching the "end" at hand for over 100 years now, and there are still possibly billions that have no clue as to who the jws are. So now, it's all left up to God anyway, which makes me wonder why we in the USA and in most other countries are still calling on the same people over and over again, as if they have to hear our message repeatedly in order to be judged righteous (or not) by God. In some lands, people are being witnessed to once a week or even more. But we will never be allowed here to even cut back a little on our service. We are still expected to average 9-10 hours per month, talking with the same people time and time again.