I have been corresponding with a certain family member of mine on the problems I have with the Society and the Witnesses. We've been mostly outlining the parameters such a discussion would take (a sort of meta-discussion) rather than having the discussion itself. I received this lovely gem from this family member today:
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You have to understand that serving Jehovah and being one of his witnesses is really the most important thing in my life. For that to be attacked would be like someone attacking your best friend and all he stands for. If you sincerely have concerns and your intent is to have those concerns cleared up; well and good. If it is to try to tear down what really makes me who I am (and I thought you loved me for who I am) then that is different.
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I'm starting to wonder if it's even a good idea to engage in this. I love this person very much and would love to get them out of the organization, but maybe it would just do more harm than good.
under_believer
JoinedPosts by under_believer
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Letter from a family member: is there even a point?
by under_believer ini have been corresponding with a certain family member of mine on the problems i have with the society and the witnesses.
we've been mostly outlining the parameters such a discussion would take (a sort of meta-discussion) rather than having the discussion itself.
i received this lovely gem from this family member today: .
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under_believer
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Worst scriptures taken out of context?
by slimboyfat inour new circuit overseer was telling us yesterday that we should be careful that we use scriptures in context, and should always be ready to explain the verse in context if the householder queries our interpretation.
because some people have claimed that jehovah's witnesses take verses out of context!
well it strikes me that the society does not set a very good example for the publishers in this regard.
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under_believer
Yeah Borgia it cracks me up any time the Society uses David as a good example at all. You always have those "Yeah but he banged Bathsheba" thoughts going around in the back of your mind.
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under_believer
Yes I was very happy to see the ear protection. He's better at that at 4 than I will ever be at anything.
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Witnesses at the Fair
by Oroborus21 injust went to the la county fair yesterday.
just before the gate, there were two large and prominent display stands.
one said "ask about our free bible study" and other stuff and the other had colorful tracts pasted all over.
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under_believer
At the Clark County Fair in Clark County, WA they rent a whole exhibition space in a tent every year, set up a table with displays and a donation box, and put pioneers in there for some easy time counting. Last year there were right in between the amazing Swiffle floor mop people and the World's Largest Crocodile.
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under_believer
Some good stuff in here. I love the happifying comments especially.
Mary mentioned one of my all time un-favorites: the "five meetings a week" thing. There are three meetings a week, not five--why do they insist on this number? I understand why they SAY 5 meetings a week, but it's bizzare to anyone from the outside. Does it sound more impressive, or something?
Some of these I've never heard in over 30 years of being a Witness: "Mother" referring to the organization is an example. -
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FALSE BIBLICAL APOLOGETICS
by badboy inincreasely, there seems to be lies being told to support creationism and other biblical thingys.. what do you think?.
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under_believer
I don't understand why anybody who believes in the Bible needs the creation account to be literally true, why that affects their faith at all.
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The Curse of the Living Death
by Gill inchrist said, when faced with the woman about to be stoned over alleged adultery, 'let he who is without sin, throw the first stone!'.
of course there wasn't anyone with out sin and the woman left with her life.. shunning is 'the living death' for jws.. therefore, if they catch a woman, or a woman/man confesses to adultery, why do they then shun them and give them the 'living death'.. my mother was telling me about a young woman who had committed adultery in her cong.
and had just married the man she'd had the affair with.
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under_believer
Anybody want to comment on whether that passage is apocryphal, as the Society indicates in the NWT?
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Is There Anything Positive About Being A Jehovah's Witness?
by minimus ini recently went to a wedding and the father of the bride that (re)married a (worldly) man said to me, "the only thing that i can say about raising our kids as witnesses was at least they got a good foundation.
look at our kids.
they're good kids".
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under_believer
Ah, a perennial favorite topic.
Yes, of course there are positive things about being a Witness. I attribute my lack of racial prejudice to my Witness upbringing. The Ministry School did equip me to be an excellent public speaker (though not exactly in the way it purports to.) Many people have become Witnesses and thereby turned their lives around from being criminals, drug addicts, and so on. As a Witness, you also enjoy a large social network with activities, (superficial) friends, and in many parts of the world friends who would give you a place to sleep with few questions asked. There is also a general air of helping others (at least, other members of the faith).
None of this is universal throughout the faith; none of it is unique to Witnesses. Nevertheless those are the positives I took away from it. -
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Muslims demonstrate that they are not violent by firebombing churches
by Elsewhere inas i said in another post: actions speak louder than words.
muslims were angered by the pope's quoting a 14th century writer who said that muslims are violent in nature.. in order to disprove this statement many muslims took too the streets shouting violent slogans and burned an effigy of the pope.
still more muslims demonstrated that they are not violent by firebombing random churches.. yup... actions speak louder than words.
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under_believer
This Wikipedia article has more information about the dhimmi head tax.