Posts by VanillaMocha73

15

The best is yet to come!!!

by Junction-Guy in

jw
friends

this is my motto.

im planning something that will make alot of people think, im gonna lose some friends, im gonna gain some friends.

i will amaze you, i will shock you.

2008 Changes to the Watchtowers

by Inquisitor in

i don't know if someone else has already posted about this.

i tried looking a page or two back in this section, but didn't find any thread on this news.

if someone has, pls add the link in this thread.. no, the watchtowers aren't gonna be monthly like the awake, but apparently the w mags will be designed in this way:.

VanillaMocha73

Hmmm... I vote we get 'em and post 'em (with liberal editorial). Can we count the placements by number of web visitors? LOL....

71

i've had in the past studied a little about the bible with jws but have yet decided to be baptised.. i've just read lavenders' moving letter to her son and her love and well being for him is very obvious.

i do like the bible teachings very much and to this day i'm very interested in the end of the system of things which will very soon come to fruition; i'm a very strong believer, however i must stipulate to all, in retrospect i'm not sinless.

one of the posters says that jw's ask you to do a liitle bible study with them, attend one of their meetings and when you get baptised you have to do exactly what you are instructed or else.

VanillaMocha73

"ll they said to me was that these people (meaning you) are apostates who have turned against God."
You know, when I was in I would have said this too. But I assure you I have a close relationship with God - much closer than I ever had in the WT. I read my Bible (not their NWT, but the NIV - way different) daily on my own without need of outside interpretation (WT says you cannot read the Bible without the WT), I pray several times a day, and I feel that God really loves me for me. He has blessed me so much since I left that I stop in wonder all the time.
The church I first started going to after (and during) the time I was still trying to go to the KH was Allen Creek Community Church (www.ac3.org). Now I attend Church of the Nazarene. All the things I was told about Babylon the Great (any church outside of the WT) were totally not factual. We use Jehovah's name (not as a magic talisman though), we read the Bible, they are not constantly out for money..... They talk about the Kingdom. All that is missing is the condemnation.

71

to join or not

by dontknow in

i've had in the past studied a little about the bible with jws but have yet decided to be baptised.. i've just read lavenders' moving letter to her son and her love and well being for him is very obvious.

i do like the bible teachings very much and to this day i'm very interested in the end of the system of things which will very soon come to fruition; i'm a very strong believer, however i must stipulate to all, in retrospect i'm not sinless.

one of the posters says that jw's ask you to do a liitle bible study with them, attend one of their meetings and when you get baptised you have to do exactly what you are instructed or else.

VanillaMocha73

*** bh p. 217 1914—A Significant Year in Bible Prophecy ***

The 2,520 years began in October 607 B.C.E., when Jerusalem fell to the Babylonians and the Davidic king was taken off his throne. The period ended in October 1914. At that time, “the appointed times of the nations” ended, and Jesus Christ was installed as God’s heavenly King.—Psalm 2:1-6; Daniel 7:13, 14. - Nice succint comment right? When Jerusalem fell. note the lack of references

Pro JW 607 view - http://www.jehovahsjudgment.co.uk/607/default.html

Secular view - http://www.2001translation.com/607.htm

71

to join or not

by dontknow in

i've had in the past studied a little about the bible with jws but have yet decided to be baptised.. i've just read lavenders' moving letter to her son and her love and well being for him is very obvious.

i do like the bible teachings very much and to this day i'm very interested in the end of the system of things which will very soon come to fruition; i'm a very strong believer, however i must stipulate to all, in retrospect i'm not sinless.

one of the posters says that jw's ask you to do a liitle bible study with them, attend one of their meetings and when you get baptised you have to do exactly what you are instructed or else.

VanillaMocha73

607 - ask one of them how they got to 1914 and they will begin with 607. Ask them where they got to 607 and you will get plenty of information but no real facts. Research in any encyclopedia or website or secular site and you will find this date to be completely made-up.

As for the "or else" check out their own publications:

*** w52 3/1 pp. 141-142 pars. 13-18 Propriety of Disfellowshiping ***

What is the congregation going to do now with such an individual? We must keep in mind that this person has been disfellowshiped and is not a member of our company. We want to avoid him, we want nothing to do with him.

14 Now meetings that are open to the public he can attend as long as he behaves himself and acts orderly. If that individual comes into a public meeting, say, a public lecture in a public auditorium, or Kingdom Hall, or city park, or a Watchtower study or a service meeting, it is public, the doors are open, and he may be admitted. If he comes into that meeting and sits down, as long as he is orderly, minds his business, we have nothing to say to him. Those who are acquainted with the situation in the congregation should never say “Hello” or “Good-by” to him. He is not welcome in our midst, we avoid him. If this one should be sitting in the Watchtower study and raise his hand, the chairman should never recognize him or allow him to make a comment. He is not one of us. He is not a recognized member in God’s congregation. Those who are informed and know the individual certainly should avoid him, have nothing to say to him. He has no privileges of service in the congregation whatsoever. He could go over to the book counter and get literature at the regular public rates, but the company should never give him books or magazines at company rates, because he is not one of us. What we would do for the public, for those in the Devil’s organization, we may do for that one.

15 If this one goes out in the field service, maybe getting the books at the counter at the regular rates instead of company rates or pioneer rates, and goes out from door to door, we cannot stop him. He has just as much right to go from house to house as anyone else if he wants to, but this congregation will not give him any territory. They will not accept his reports. When they come in he will not be one of those listed as a publisher in this company. He might put his report in the report box, but we tear it up and we throw it away. He is not one of us. He is a representative of the Devil’s organization trying to corrupt, disturb. He is not clean, and until that individual repents and changes his course of action he can never come back and be one of the Lord’s people.

16 So then the company is careful about him. It removes his card from the file of recognized Kingdom publishers. He is never given any of the monthly printed Informant. He may retain his Counsel booklet if he wishes, because this, if he reads it, might show him the course of action he should take. If he reads The Watchtower, if he reads the books of the Society, they show him the course that he should take; but as long as he does not take that course he is not welcome in the congregation.

17 If this individual becomes noisy or obstreperous he should be kept out of the Kingdom Hall and public meetings. That is the company’s perfect right. Otherwise, it may be that, if he comes into the public meetings and quietly hears the admonition and the counsel given in the studies, he will wake up, become ashamed, and repent.

18 Now how about private home meetings? Under no circumstances should he be welcomed or allowed to enter a private home, because the Scriptures are very definite on that point. So then in our home Bible studies, or what we call “area studies”, the person of the house, being one of God’s congregation, should keep him out. For 2 John 9, 10 (NW) states: “Everyone that pushes ahead and does not remain in the teaching of the Christ does not have God. He that does remain in this teaching is the one that has both the Father and the Son. If anyone comes to you and does not bring this teaching, never receive him into your homes or say farewell to him.” So then in your private homes you would never open the door and allow that one to come in. You would never extend your hand in fellowship to such an individual. Remember, that individual at one time left the Devil’s organization. He was washed clean by the blood of Christ, he dedicated himself to God and God consecrated him for service. He was a minister. Now he has gone corrupt because he chooses to do so. He is sinning against the holy spirit. He is fighting against God. We cannot have anything to do with him. God is the one that is judging him, and he is using his servants in the earth to point that one out for the protection of the rest of the congregation.

95

Starting my story...very long

by Synergy in

[the watchtower, july 15, 1961 issue, page 420: .

[the watchtower, july 1, 1963 issue, page 413: .

[the watchtower, july 15, 1974 issue, page 442: .

VanillaMocha73

Your story is all too familiar.
I was raised a JW, homeschooled, and spent 90 hours a month from age 9. Before that, I was left home alone to tackle my schooling alone, because the JWs told my mom that if the householders caught me not in school, it might be a bad witness. I remember the beatings - my mom said proudly that she never took me out - she just beat me right in the seat and if I hollered it would be that much worse for me. Yes, sitting still for hours on end, during meeting prep, family study, service, meetings is the life course for most of the JW young ones. Beatings - pretty much normal. Only thing to do with life is get married - yep - did that too. Married way to young to an older "brother" because he was a MS and a pioneer. Oh, and an abuser. I mean, what kind of mid-30s guy would marry a teen? Sexual abuse was fairly rampant, altho I escaped the most of that - but you have a bunch of brothers who can only marry "in the truth" and no other sexual activity, etc - doesn't that breed trouble? My condolences to you and life is better out here in God's love.

21

Establishing a household budget....anyone good at it?

by onlycurious in

jw
friends

we are going to be building our first home this fall or next spring.

kind of depends on the finances because all the prep work with the septic, utilities and retaining walls has really put a dent in our savings.. in the meantime, i did a little quick analysis on our spending habits and found that we spend on average about $1000.00 on food a month for a family of 6. one of them is a baby.. so, we need to bite the bullet and draw up a budget because this is ridiculous!.

so, can anyone offer advice on the simplest way to do this?

VanillaMocha73

Cut out the alcohol. I see more alcoholic JWs. Meats cost a lot, as well as eating a separate meal. I just got a book called Miserly Moms with lots of advice on frugality in the grocery budget. Their target price range is $2 per person per day. We spend $600 a month for a family of 7.

19

I had a bad night saturday...

by megsmomma in

jw
friends

i have an 8 yr old living with her jw dad and step mom.

my worst fear is that they won't let us talk.

i call her every couple days and i hadn't talked to her for a couple weeks.

VanillaMocha73

I left my baby behind for about a year. Never imagined that I would be able to get him back, but God made sure I did. (So far, at least - the legal battles are ongoing of course). The worst is that he is still being brainwashed by JW abusive dad on the weekends. Anyway, it is good that you still call her and have contact. If it is good this far, you will probably be able to keep it up and rescue her gently. Just keep praying and showing her real love. (Not the conditional WT love).

108

How Far Up The "Ranks" Did You Go In The Organization?

by minimus in

jw
friends

at age 18, i was a regular pioneer.

at 20, a ministerial servant.

at 24 an elder.

VanillaMocha73

Regular Pioneer from the age of 14 on up to my departure, with a few years off here and there to work - 17 years.

9

Cold shoulder

by Billzfan23 in

this really blows chunks... the wife is giving me the complete cold shoulder because i have not been regular at meetings and because i have not been having the family study.

i am coaching my son's basketball team, and in the wife's eyes i have done a 180 degree turn to being completely "worldly".

she doesn't talk to me, and is completely distant.

VanillaMocha73

Well, just because he was an elder does not make him immediately guilty of "crimes", Perry. I did know a few elders who were actually sincere. But my memory of JWtime is that we were taught to do this to people in order to shame them back - even if we loved them. In fact, those were my mother's words to me. We both thought about those words and did a double take. Does that sound like God to you - shame people to good behavior? However, until we verbalized this it made perfect sense. So, it might just be the way she was brainwashed into thinking. Pray a lot.....