a friend of mine is the tasting room manager at a local vineyard.
this weekend the vineyard hosted an anniversary party for a my-gosh-they-are-so-young-for-having-been-married-for-so-long couple.
while cleaning up after the party, the employees found numerous pieces of literature hidden in their magazine racks, and the 3-dvd set, "the bible - a book of fact & prophecy" hidden among their cds.
zoiks: "the vineyard hosted an anniversary party for a my-gosh-they-are-so-young-for-having-been-married-for-so-long couple. "
I'm a little confused as to what group the clandestine JWs are likely connected with.
Do you think the anniversary couple were JWs? Some/all of their friends? Employees of the catering company? (If one was used)
Just curious.
And yes, no matter who it was, it sounds bizarre and tacky even by JW standards.
om
startfragment.
so a brother wants to fade, but would rather not explain his reasons.
lets say he grows a nice beard or goatee.
snakeface, what country and general area are you talking about? (Without being too personally revealing of course.)
It's interesting that an elder invited you to work in FS with him because that indicates that he approves of your dress and grooming for Field Service.
om
startfragment.
so a brother wants to fade, but would rather not explain his reasons.
lets say he grows a nice beard or goatee.
If the brother is in the same congregation he's been in for many years, growing a beard will invite plenty of unsolicited reactions from the elders and others.
If he moves to a different congregation where he's hardly known, there won't be quite as much flack, but there will still be some.
If the idea is to maintain a low profile and minimize confrontations, then the beard isn't such a great idea, IMO.
If the idea is to possibly shake things up a bit and get a bit of "counsel" over it, then the beard will definitely do that.
An alternative to the beard could be showing up to give a talk wearing this necktie:
disproving the date 1914 as a significant year in bible prophecy is of great importance to some (e.g.
carl o. jonsson).
along with the meticulous details of bible and secular chronology, broadening one's horizons when assessing exactly what this date represents when compared against the 6000 years of human history likewise has merit.
Thanks to OUTLAW, palmtree, TD and all the others who keep the latest JW apologists at bay.
Who knows how many on-the-fence lurking JWs are helped by your "keeping it real" posts.
I know I was.
om
a little background on me, i have never been a jw.
my spouse was born and raised in the cult, disfellowshipped as a young adult and is now completely shunned by family still trapped inside.
before i met my spouse i knew very little about the jws.
Resistance is Futile said: " I remember it said attempt to talk to the persons pre-cult identity. What if they were born into the cult, how would you approach it then?"
JWs are allowed to pursue outside interests, just not too much. So, find out whatever outside interests/hobbies/sports, etc he has and focus on them as much as you can. Particularly give honest praise where possible. It will establish common ground outside the religion.
That's why 1 Cor 15:33 is such a staple scripture for the JWs: "Bad associations (i.e. you) spoil useful habits."
I think your approach is practical and loving. Just remember that some people are actually better off in the religion.
All the best,
om
startfragment.
charles grassley of iowa has for years been very concerned about abuses in the use of money by charitable and religious organizations.
he recently stated, the constitution does not exempt churches from federal income taxation or from filing tax and information returns.. his goal is complete transparency of how the dollars are used.
Very interesting article Zarco.
Here's hoping the waters of the Euphrates begin to recede.
om
i notice a lot of the discussions seem to be atheist vs christian here.
or is that just my perception?.
but, do the other people who are neither just not care to debate as much or are there just fewer or them, or both?.
RELIGION IS LIKE A PENIS
It's fine to have one.
It's fine to be proud of it.
But please don't whip it out in public and start waving it around.
And PLEASE don't try to shove it down my children's throats.
(Not sure of the source, but I like it.)
om
i detest this type of posting.
it's only my opinion of course and so long as forum rules aren't breached we're all free to express ourselves as we see fit.
doesn't mean i have to like it though.. honestly, can't you make your point without this kind of infantile name calling?
Perhaps Simon could create a section of JWN called Tartarus.
The only way a poster would be allowed in is by first clicking on an "I Agree" button that they have sinned against The Holy Spirit and have no hope of eternal salvation.
It would take a pretty thick-skinned still-in JW to click on that.
om
i need to get rid of it.. when i was a kid, the brothers would always get on stage and talk about what an abudant buffet of spiritual food from jehovah's table we will receive.
when i was a kid i use to take everything so literally, so i would imagine a buffet of ham, chicken, macncheese (the most creamy mac n cheese, candy yams, turkey, corn bread).
i used to wish that the brother would finish with the prayer so we could get to old county buffet, so i could get to the literal food.. .
there is more to .. atheism than simple denial of one claim; it's actually based on a scientific attitude that values evidence and reason, that rejects claims resting solely on authority, and that encourages deeper exploration of the world.
atheism is not solely a negative claim about gods, but is based on a whole set of positive values ... that denial of god thing?
it's a consequence, not a cause.
Marking for later.
Thanks.
om
