Posts by Open mind

stoped goin over a year ago now, been bugged ever since,iv just sent em away with im ill to tierd goin out what ever excuse i could think of to get em off my back,.

im a big wimp so is my husband, every time the elder turns up we go yer yer come next week what ever and wel sort sumat out.

which we dont mean its our brain washed mind talking and its very weak,.

Tell them that your family has decided to start attending another congregation. Ask them to send the your publisher record cards and a letter of introduction to the new congregation. Pick one that is at least 10 miles away and that you have no contacts with. If you're up to it, you could actually attend one meeting there and make sure to get the name of the Coordinator of the Body of Elders and the Secretary. That will add credibility to what you say.

Then the next time they show up, tell them that you're being "shepherded" by the new congregation and want to follow Jehovah's arrangement. Thanks for stopping by though.

om

55

New here..

by breakfree in

just wanted to introduce myself.

i've been reading your posts for a couple of months now and i think i finally have the courage to join in.

i have written and deleted this post many times.

Open mind

So much valid pain in your post. I don't discount a word. But you'll turn a very healthy corner when you can focus on these things:

*********************

".still happily married now with 3 kids."

"my mom feels bad and admits she probably wouldnt do it they way now,"

"My husband admitted to me that he never believed it but he lived it to be with me. He is the most amazing man in the world,"

*********************

...and hopefully many others like them in the years ahead.

Wishing you peace and healing. Welcome to JWN.

om

92

If We Were to Take the Flood Account Literally..

by Yan Bibiyan in

then i cant help but come to the conclusion that everyone who died (like 99.999% of humanity at the time) was doomed from the start.. if god directed noah to build a flotation device with very specific parameters, god must have known exactly how many people, animal species, plant etc, would be in it.. what if people actually listened to noah and thousands upon thousands turned up waiting to enter the ark?

god must have known that only so many people will listen and obey instructions.. no to mention that noahs message didnt really reach that many people.

at that time how many people could have heard it?

Open mind

Mark Twain, in Letters From the Earth, had a similar take to Billy's. Only he zeroed in on the housefly. Enjoy!!

Letter VI

On the third day, about noon, it was found that a fly and been left behind. The return voyage turned out to be long and difficult, on account of the lack of chart and compass, and because of the changed aspects of all coasts, the steadily rising water having submerged some of the lower landmarks and given to higher ones an unfamiliar look; but after sixteen days of earnest and faithful seeking, the fly was found at last, and received on board with hymns of praise and gratitude, the Family standing meanwhile uncovered, our of reverence for its divine origin. It was weary and worn, and had suffered somewhat from the weather, but was otherwise in good estate. Men and their families had died of hunger on barren mountain tops, but it had not lacked for food, the multitudinous corpses furnishing it in rank and rotten richness. Thus was the sacred bird providentially preserved.

Providentially. That is the word. For the fly had not been left behind by accident. No, the hand of Providence was in it. There are no accidents. All things that happen, happen for a purpose. They are foreseen from the beginning of time, they are ordained from the beginning of time. From the dawn of Creation the Lord had foreseen that Noah, being alarmed and confused by the invasion of the prodigious brevet fossils, would prematurely fly to sea unprovided with a certain invaluable disease. He would have all the other diseases, and could distribute them among the new races of men as they appeared in the world, but he would lack one of the very best -- typhoid fever; a malady which, when the circumstances are especially favorable, is able to utterly wreck a patient without killing him; for it can restore him to his feet with a long life in him, and yet deaf, dumb, blind, crippled, and idiotic. The housefly is its main disseminator, and is more competent and more calamitously effective than all the other distributors of the dreaded scourge put together. And so, by foreordination from the beginning of time, this fly was left behind to seek out a typhoid corpse and feed upon its corruptions and gaum its legs with germs and transmit them to the re-peopled world for permanent business. From that one housefly, in the ages that have since elapsed, billions of sickbeds have been stocked, billions of wrecked bodies sent tottering about the earth, and billions of cemeteries recruited with the dead.

*******************

Wouldn't it be a hoot if Sam Clemens were alive to post on JWN?

Oh well. Between Farkel, OUTLAW & Billy the Ex I think we're pretty fortunate.

om

75

I'm coming out

by MsDucky in

jw
friends

i just found out that i have breast cancer on thursday (see topic http://www.jehovahs-witness.net/watchtower/medical/190249/1/i-was-in-the-hospital ).

my sister has breast cancer too.

she has had it longer than me.

Open mind

Sending you positive thoughts as well.

om

40

You will no longer be disfellowshipped for associating with a disfellowshipped person.

by shepherd in

"if members of the congregation are known to.

have undue association with disfellowshipped.

or disassociated relatil'es who are not in the.

Open mind

Baba Yaga:

"How can any person of sound mind hear these words and not see that they are a deranged, mind control cult."

The cult messed with all of our heads. Especially born-ins like my wife and I.

The opening line of Star Wars springs to mind:

A long time ago, in a galaxy, far, far away...

It's only been about a year since my wife fully awakened, but looking back at what we did as JWs seems like we're observing bizarre strangers.

So glad we've moved on.

Gayle makes an excellent point. For the most part, nothing has changed with the JW shunning policy. The message the R&F hear is still as ruthless as its ever been.

om

40

You will no longer be disfellowshipped for associating with a disfellowshipped person.

by shepherd in

"if members of the congregation are known to.

have undue association with disfellowshipped.

or disassociated relatil'es who are not in the.

Open mind

My wife would have been willing to hang out with my DFed brother about 6 months earlier in her awakening process if the new Elder Book had been in force back then.

While she was a still-believing JW, she was willing to look the other way on me associating with him since I had shown her what the old Flock Book said. She was quick to pick up on the key word that has since changed: "CLOSE" relative.

She said something along the lines of "Well, he's your brother, but I don't think the elders will consider a Brother-In-Law a "close" relative. They could still DF me for associating with him." And I think she was probably right.

om

92

If We Were to Take the Flood Account Literally..

by Yan Bibiyan in

then i cant help but come to the conclusion that everyone who died (like 99.999% of humanity at the time) was doomed from the start.. if god directed noah to build a flotation device with very specific parameters, god must have known exactly how many people, animal species, plant etc, would be in it.. what if people actually listened to noah and thousands upon thousands turned up waiting to enter the ark?

god must have known that only so many people will listen and obey instructions.. no to mention that noahs message didnt really reach that many people.

at that time how many people could have heard it?

Open mind

God keeps his hands over his "eyes" of foreknowledge most the time. But, if he REALLY needs to, he'll take a peek into the future now and then in order to accomplish his purpose.

"Selective foreknowledge means that God could choose not to foreknow indiscriminately all the future acts of his creatures. This would mean that, rather than all history from creation onward being a mere rerun of what had already been foreseen and foreordained, God could with all sincerity set before the first human pair the prospect of everlasting life in an earth free from wickedness."

Insight on the Scriptures, Volume 1, Page 853.

So, with reference to the Flood, we really don't know for sure if Jehovah "peeked" or not. If he did, he accurately knew how big of a box to make. Well, at least for the humans, that is. He totally messed up when it came to the animals, but that's another thread.

If he didn't "peek", he could have made other provisions just like with Nineveh.

Can't believe I ever swallowed this stuff.

om

111

ks10-e (official release), Letter from Bro. who scanned it! Newer version with BOE LTRs

by yknot in

while an earlier version was made available privately the time has come to 'progress'.. conscious class and ex both strongly adhere to not keeping things 'hidden' in regards to wts publications, talks and documents which are circulated in order to maintain it's position.. another wonderful poster (who has yet to give me permission to name) has 'reduced' and 'bookmarked' the first full copy link i was given by our 'winner'.. in this newest and final 'clean' copy link you find two other additions besides the reduction/bookmarking..... the brother who uploaded the entire book wishes all to have a copy that includes both boe ltrs (pre-ks ltr and spiral binding ltr).

also another development has occurred.... the brother responsible for this book being brought into light and put forth for public consumption and discussion has requested i post this letter explaining to 'us' (jwn posters/global audience) and 'them' (wts of penn & ny).. i ask you give attention to his words/ experiences as he is representative of a newly emerging demographic within the conscious class.

so without further ado i give you his link and the 'stage' if you will to 'brother johnson'....... [link removed - contact ynot for further info - lady lee].

Open mind

JW Gone Bad said:

"I too would like to know who of the GB made the comment comparing our faithful ones who have grown old in the organization to Isrealite murmurers. He especially should answer for that insensitive comment. "

That would be Mr. David Splane who has some 'splainin' to do.

Here's the last paragraph of notes from his talk "Have You Entered Into God's Rest?":

***************************

Many of you say you never expected to get this old in this system. But, you did expect to get this old; just not in this shape! Do we still have Jehovah’s purpose clearly in mind, his purpose for me, personally? We are to keep on the watch. We need to support that in word and deed. By our comments do we show we are we just as convinced we fully believe we’re living in the time of the end, or do our comments show we long for the leeks and onions? Do you say, “If only I had gone to university, taken that promotion, started that business, etc.” Are there areas of our life that need adjustment to bring them in line with Jehovah’s purpose? Jehovah has confidence in us. We need to show our support for his sovereignty. Let us all do our utmost to enter into God’s rest.

***************************

Here's the link if you want to check out the rest of the talk and the whole self-agrandizing Annual Meeting.

http://www.jehovahs-witness.net/members/private/200462/1/Some-light-reading-from-October-2-2010

Oh, and, WELCOME TO THE BOARD!

om