How is it possible that this is so common? The general populace gets WT mags that says how people should be treated. Is there some kind of secret book that tells the elders to do this? Is it that they just WANT to treat people like this? Why the eagerness to discard people????
Posts by jwcol
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20Another family forced apart.
by Gilberto inhttp://www.greatyarmouthmercury.co.uk/content/yarmouthmercury/news/story.aspx?brand=gymonline&category=news&tbrand=gymonline&tcategory=news&itemid=noed28%20sep%202006%2015%3a26%3a37%3a993.
(edited to get the link to work, if it don't get you straight there go down to "more news" "couple's faith tested").
couple's faith tested miles jermy.
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80
Confess and you won't be DF'd!!! Puke alert!!!!
by Gill inwell, in nearly forty years of being a dub, i've read some bs but some of it really takes the biscuit.. take for example the watchtower of november 15th 2006!.
always accept jehovah's dicipline.
para 3 .
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jwcol
I almost just want to just have a moment of silence over the accuracy of this thread and the sadness, destruction and damage that is involved in disfellowshipping.
The statements about persons NOT BEING DISFELLOWSHIPPED if they are repentant are NOTHING but LIES!!!!!!!!!!! It infuriates me when I see it or hear it!!! Why not just be honest?! Why not just say "Listen, this is about cold, hard, discipline and there IS a SET PERIOD of time BASED on your sins....is this biblical? Not at all, but it makes us feel better....why? Because we aren't comfortable with the blood of Jesus being able to wash away sins...in our narrow minds, you MUST be punished appropriately and that has nothing to do with repentance, or the blood of Christ."
I'll never forget what they told me: "we know you are repentant, but you can't be fully repentant unless you have been disfellowshipped, so that is our decision."
Granted, I made some bad decisions, but my wife admitted deliberately driving me away so she could be scripturally free. What about CAUSING DIVISIONS? what about CONTENTIOUSNESS???????? Couldn't a person at least be REPROVED for those things? Nope, the only things that are enforced are apostasy, smoking, sex and other easily enforcible rules...has nothing to do with helping keep the congregation clean. If it did, then there would not be hardly any divorces because they would actually HELP people instead of CONDEMN them.
Another thing I thought of just today....IF disfellowshipping is only a last resort so to speak, wouldn't you expect to see a LOT more public reproofs than disfellowshippings??????? Shouldn't PR be relatively common and then disfellowshippings be relatively rare? You would think that would be a big indicator.
I think the BIGGEST REASON BEHIND DISFELLOWSHIPPING serves a more sinister purpose....the sole intent to scare people into behaving, and to make everyone feel that they are better than the people that are expelled.
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356
Say You're a Bethelite & Monitoring JWD - How Would You Feel About THESE??
by Seeker4 ini'm talking about the new posters, like kitten whiskers, who started posting today (hope this works: http://www.jehovahs-witness.com/6/120817/1.ashx).
and it seems like we're getting a few like this nearly every day.
people who were raised jws, really worry that they are doing the right thing in leaving, yet who have been made to feel not good enough by the wts, who felt they never measured up, who struggled with it, but came to realize that what they'd been brought up to believe was just not the truth.. the same stories are told over and over again, and they come from sincere, good people - not whiny, fault-finding apostates like the rest of us riffraff around here!
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jwcol
I still believe it's the truth. But due to the lack of love, eager condemnation and deliberate destruction of marriages, I just don't feel like I fit anymore. I came here and realized that not only was I not alone, but based on what I've found from multiple sources and from my own extensive experience, I've found these things are the rule rather than the exception.
Disfellowshipping is used to demoralize and to discourage and to engender fear. I was told point blank "you are repentant...we know that, but we feel that you can't really be fully repentant unless you are disfellowshipped." LOL There is no system to address gross or deliberate errors on the part of those taking the lead, therefore it continues. We are all supposed to be brothers, yet the heirarchy of the Pharisees is alive and well in the organization. I feel it is God's organization still, just as when the leaders of Isreal did what was wrong.
I know I'm wrong to walk away and to be an immoral person, but I guess I don't care anymore. I've struggled so long against impossible odds and have been nothing but condemned. I don't think I can be a good witness. I don't think I have it in me anymore. Yet a girl I used to love is waiting for me to be reinstated so we can live happily ever after and a couple of family members are too. I haven't been to meetings in weeks and I think they are starting to wonder what is going on.
One thing that really bothers me is that the elders in my new hall keep telling me that there is no minimum time, but that it will probably be a year...I'm not at 6 months yet. How can they excuse that lie? They have broken down meaningful guidelines into nothing but oppressive, damaging rules that are meant to condemn instead of help. I have a hard time believing how they can think that this is the way Jesus would have done things.
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7
Big time watchtower brainwashing campaign
by headmath ini just read the july 2006 awake today.
what a bunch of drivel.
there is about 4 pages telling young persons to work in bethel or to go where the need is great or to enter full time pioneer service.
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jwcol
Over the years, I always thought the same thing about professional careers. I really resented that stand over the years because my mom and stepdad used the organization's stand on education to mean that they didn't have to do anything all all for their kids....no college, to trade school, nothing...you're on your own and it didn't matter because you'll never even graduate high school. There's NO WAY you will ever graduate...impossible. That was 18 years ago. That stand has worked out for a few, but at the expense of the many.
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19
How many need to die before it raises a flag?!
by loli ini don't know about the rest of you, but in my geographical area, it seems that when a person is df'd, it raises their risk of suicide.
not only did i lose my baby sister when she was 21 this way, but in the last 5 years there have been seven people in the circuit who have taken their own lives.
some perhaps are considering it, or have attempted it and nobody reveals it.
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jwcol
I've asked the same thing so many times. When I was DFd, what I REALLY needed was some understanding and kindness. I thought about getting a gun, walking in the KH and blowing my brains out, I was soooo discouraged and depressed over it.
I think that is a clinical depression is involved and you get into trouble that they should take that into account, but no, it's just about rule enforcement, not about love unfortunately.
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28
Why no Kingdom Ministries???
by mama1119 inwhen i was disfellowshipped, the elders told me i could have copies of the watchtower and awake and any publications for bookstudy etc, but could not have a kingdom ministry...does anyone know why that rule???
?
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jwcol
They said I could have them. My mom was making copies for me. I got some looks from people like "He's not supposed to have that!!!" lol
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40
Alone With the Opposite Sex
by purplesofa inover the last few months i have been training three different men for backup position of my job.. we are alone in my car all day.. as a jw, i remember one time, needing to go to another congo in a different town to work on a part at an assembly.
i was to ride with the brother doing the part.
he was probably at least 30+ years older than me.
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jwcol
Absolutely, you hit the nail right on the head.
I was brought up around the truth. Was DF back in April. I had been going to meetings but recently stopped. Since I didn't have friends in the Org anymore, I started making friends with people at work including some of the girls.
I went to a party and one girl asked me to drive her to her car. I was really nervous to be alone with her. We went out for some drinks, and talked a lot. No attraction to her even though she's beautiful. Over the last few months, her and I have become very good friends, along with her fiancee. I've also been able to meet quite a few other really good people too.
I came to the conclusion myself that I have made far better, more genuine friends in a few months than I did a lifetime in the truth. It really saddened me to realize how fake and judgemental people are inside the org...in general.
Anyway, I have been so much more comfortable now with people, and women in general because I don't feel that I'm just going to have sex if we're alone, which is what you are constantly taught. I have better friendships with more genuine people now and that's not what I expected at all because that's not what is hammered into your head.
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40
Have You Been Divorced, Or Getting A Divorce?
by Outaservice indivorce is much more common in the jehovah's witness community than they would like to admit.
probably more so than the population in general in my opinion.. if you have been divorced, do you think that the watchtower society contributed to the divorce, or caused it, or is it just possible you married some jerk or abuser and divorce would have occured no matter what religion you were, or even if you had no religion?.
possibly you got married way too young as the end was coming and there is no marriage in the resurrection if you died.
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jwcol
I just had this conversation with someone.
Yes, I've been divorced, unfortunately. I think there are two reasons that divorce is so high in the Org...just as high as in the world.
First, people have the attitude that "you CAN'T leave me, therefore, I can do whatever I want and treat you as badly as I want." Some people treat their spouses worse than they would than if they were in the world.
Secondly, if there are problems, the goal is to blame ONE PERSON for all of the problems. It's identified as either the wife's OR the husband's fault. In many cases, there is a judgement before speaking to both parties (in my case) and then a deliberate effort to have the "innocent" spouse end the marriage without having all of the information.
I wonder how many marriages have failed needlessly. I'm not blaming the Society. I just think the percentages speak for themselves and simply blaming it all on Satan isn't realistic.
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22
Flordia Residents .. What is happening now?
by xjwms inwhere are you in flordia?.
are you boarding up.
or are you packing up?
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jwcol
I don't even think we'll lose power out here, and I live in an area with underground power, so it should be ok.
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22
Flordia Residents .. What is happening now?
by xjwms inwhere are you in flordia?.
are you boarding up.
or are you packing up?
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jwcol
Compared to the storms a couple of years ago, this is nothing. I think everyone is staying put and few are boarding up. South Florida is getting it right now. I'm in DAB and we'll see the brunt tomorrow but it will be a lot weaker by then. We get heavy storms in the afternoon during summer, so it will be like just a long summer storm. The good thing is we are working from home tomorrow, so hopefully I'll still have power so I can watch TV and won't be without A/C. That's the worst part, doing without air conditioning for days at a time!