blondie
The irony of the Puritans/Pilgrims is that the fled England to avoid the persecutions but ended up as a narrow minded bigots who tolerated no other religious beliefs. Does that remind you of any other organization today?
Posts by Pahpa
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5Happy Thanksgiving from UnDisfellowshipped!
by UnDisfellowshipped inhappy thanksgiving!.
take a moment, reflect on everything in your life that you should give thanks for.
it's time to count your blessings, and if you want, to post here on this thread what you are thankful for this thanksgiving!
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24
baby elders
by SB ini'm curious ~ has anyone noticed how young elders are these days?
in my old congregation, 6 of our 8 elders were under the age of 30, one of them 23, unmarried.
the father being the p.o...ironically.
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Pahpa
I guess it never dawned on the Watchtower leadership that by definition "elders" could not be "youngsters." The Mormons have the same view. The last two young men that came to our house introduced themselves as "elders." It hardly fit their qualifications.
Of course, the real reason that many younger men are picked for positions of responsibility is probably the same as the military. Pick them young and gullible so they will follow rules without questioning. But also like many soldiers, after maturity sets in they reject and rebel against the very authority that controlled them.
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1
Most religious work?
by JWdaughter inhttp://www.christianitytoday.com/ct/2006/november/37.32.html.
mark r. elliot, editor of east-west church and ministry report, estimates that between 1997 and 2003 the revocations of visas of foreign religious workers totaled 84. fifty-four of them were protestants, 15 muslims, 7 catholics, 3 buddhists, 3 mormons, and 2 jehovah's witnesses.
and these are just the known cases; most are not reported.
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Pahpa
It tells us that Protestants, Catholics and even Mormons are more discriminated against than Jehovah's Witnesses. If one uses the standard of persecution that the Watchtower says identifies God's people today Jehovah's Witnesses would be last in this instance.
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Has anyone researched the "Bethel" of the bible?
by megsmomma ini found this extremely appropriate.
the meaning of bethel (which the wtbts will tell everyone) is house of god....yet in 1&2nd kings it talks of bethel turning bad and being full of false gods and being destroyed.
(there is one part that says that they would let anyone in and make them a priest...no qualifications...just like at bethel) has anyone done studies on this?
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Pahpa
It is interesting that "Bethel" became synonymous with unfaithfulness in the Bible. King Jeroboam set us his altar and golden calves as a substitute for Jehovah at Bethel. (1 Kings 12) The prophets denounced Bethel and warned of its offenses to Jehovah. Amos is particularly strong in recording these denuciations: "...go to Bethel and sin (4:4) ...seek me and live, do not seek Bethel ...Bethel will be reduced to nothing.(5:4,5)" Hosea after describing the terrible judgment that was coming upon the land said of Bethel: "Thus will it happen to you, O Bethel, because your wickedness is great." (10:15) Perhaps, the Watchtower's choice of naming its headquarters is very fitting after all.
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16
It's a small world
by Why Georgia injust a quick note.
i started my new real grown up job yesterday at a bank.
i just wanted a break from ebay, i wanted set work hours and a set amount in a paycheck each week.
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Pahpa
Why Georgia
Actually, it is the city, state and federal laws that allow JWs the access to houses in your community. Unless it is a privately owned community such as gated parks and condos, JWs have the legal right to approach any door and talk with the householder. Of course, if you have made it clear that you don't want them it is unreasonable (and rather stupid) for JWs to call and annoy you. The Bible does say that Christians should "obey Ceasar." But until you get an injunction against Jehovah's Witnesses and notify the elders of this legal action they will not be breaking any laws.
No, I don't know your circumstances. But I do sense that your frustration and anger are wasted energies that could be channelled into more constructive ways. Many XJWs are dealing with far more serious problems with the Watchtower organization than an occasional JW coming to the door. They have been painfully separated from loved ones including close family members. They are shunned and ostracized. They live with the daily pain of this experience.
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16
It's a small world
by Why Georgia injust a quick note.
i started my new real grown up job yesterday at a bank.
i just wanted a break from ebay, i wanted set work hours and a set amount in a paycheck each week.
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Pahpa
Why Georgia
I don't think you realize that the one being hurt the most by the stress is yourself. If you continually feed upon the bitterness and hatred you are the one who suffers the most. It is not the Jehovah's Witness who called upon you since he has already probably forgotten the experience...or has remembered it only as a story to share with other JWs to reinforce their belief that they are God's chosen.
On the other hand, kindness and compassion are always good qualities to cultivate. Put yourself in that JW's shoes. Would you have taken time out of your schedule to warn a neighbor of impending danger? Would you sacrifice time and money by sharing what you think important with others by calling on strangers' doors? This is what Jehovah's Witnesses are doing whether you agree with them or not.
If you are still annoyed by their behavior, have you thought of putting a small sign on your door requesting that Jehovah's Witnesses not call? There are ways to handle these matters without the anger and hatred.
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16
It's a small world
by Why Georgia injust a quick note.
i started my new real grown up job yesterday at a bank.
i just wanted a break from ebay, i wanted set work hours and a set amount in a paycheck each week.
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Pahpa
I know that dealing with Jehovah's Witnesses can be a very emotional experience. But I also think that handling these types of situation with kindness and love is better for both parties. Having been on both sides, I know that most Jehovah's Witnesses are sincere. They really do believe that your life is in jeopardy if you reject the message they bring. One can express appreciation for their efforts but make it clear that you are not interested and request that they do not call again. (Some will note this on their territory maps.) The Bible says that a "mild answer turns away wrath." It is still good advice today.
In dealing with holiday matters, it is important to explain that people have different customs and beliefs. One can say that we celebrate Christmas and other holidays because it is just as important to us as your beliefs are to Jehovah's Witnesses. With children, one can arrange other activities for those who don't want to participate. It would be proper to sit down with these (JW)children and ask them not to discuss these things with the other children since it upsets them and you. Most would respect this request.
In many cases, these situations can be defused without stress with a little thought and consideration.
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Calling all elders and former elders (need advice)
by nonamegiven inwow, i'm asking elders for advice, how strange.
anyway if you want to know my history and where i am look at my first 1/2 dozen or so posts, it'll bring you up to speed.
here's where i need advice.
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Pahpa
Just a note of caution:
It is harder to be reinstated these days. The elders are aware that some are just trying to get back to have family association. So, they require regular meeting attendance for a length of time as an indication that one is really "sincere." It is difficult to sit through meetings when one does not believe any longer. Also, one is still treated as a disfellowshipped person by others in the congregation. One has to ask oneself if this is worth the effort.
I know one former member who tried this strategy. When he heard of the restrictions and terms, he decided that it wasn't worth it. He's still with his wife and family. But it is a strained relationship.
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Christmas and Thanksgiving are all about having a great time!
by observador inwe are having friends over for thanksgiving this year, and we're enjoying every bit of it.
as for christimas, we are playing all that game with our little one; santa claus coming with a gift for her; we're helping her decide which present we'll ask santa to bring, and all that crap.
we're enjoying all of that, especially since our parents never did that to us.
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Pahpa
I always enjoyed Thanksgiving. It was a time of good family association and delicious food. I remember how disappointed I was when the Watchtower arbitrarily decided it was forbidden.
On the other hand, I think the Watchtower has correctly evaluated Christmas as a "pagan holiday" that should be carefully considered by Christians. However, I don't think the Watchtower should be the one to make the decision as to whether or not its members should celebrate. (It was celebrated at Bethel in 1925.) That should be left up to each individual. Nor should Christians criticize whatever decision is made. It's between the person and God.
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Worst Jw reasonings of all time
by drew sagan inwell, let's all pick out our favorite 'best of the worst'.
teaching found in the publications that just are on the total brink of absurdity.
my vote is in for this 'striking parallel' between the time peroid of jesus life and the 1914-1918 time peroid.
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Pahpa
Any organization that is so ego-centric to believe that Bible prophecies revolve around its own history has to be suspect. One of the "worst" that I questioned even when I was a JW was the Watchtower's application of opening of seals and the trumpet blasts in Revelation that supposedly represented talks given at a series of assemblies back in the 1920s. Described are earth shaking events. The insignificant "whimper" of these assemblies was heard only by a small number of the attendance.