Posts by OnTheWayOut

26

So Are Inactives officially SHUNNED?

by minimus in

jw
friends

i've read here that inactives are the same as disfellowshipped, treatment wise.

is that correct or did i misread it??

thanks......

OnTheWayOut

Okay, I read the great comments so far. I am going to go with Blondie, the first person to answer on page 1.

I don't think it is official but I am sure they are viewed as bad association and that jws should limit their contact with them except for spiritual activities, meetings, field service, conventions/assemblies; but nothing social. But I don't think jws are df'd themselves for associating with inactives unless something more serious is going on.

While I share that answer, I will go a wee bit stronger.
NO, Inactive ones are not shunned. It is not official policy. It is just being strongly hinted at, and will largely be ignored by family members as long as it is only hinted at. I don't think a study article will come out that does any more than the hinting.

If they say "Shun inactive ones," who determines who that is? Will people be in front of a judicial committee for not shunning them? If I go to one meeting every 6 months and turn in 1 hour of recruiting time every 6 months, am I just "irregular" and not "inactive," allowing my mother to ignore the shunning requirement?

The best they will do is to say that inactive ones who are a disruptive influence (or some similar term for "they SHOULD be DF'ed, but we haven't been able to do so) should be avoided.

30

Who is your favorite thinker pt 2.

by The Rebel in

jw
friends

once upon a time i started a thread who is your favorite thinker and got many responses.

however revisiting that thread i noted we were to modest to name ourselves or fellow posters.

i therefore think we are either complete idiots, or modesty aside we should now name names, and restrict our answers to posters on the board.. so who on this board is your favorite thinker and why?.

OnTheWayOut

I love so many thinkers here. But sticking to one, I will go with one that best fits the subject matter. When it comes to understanding all things JW, and getting that the only thing that matters in doctrine is what is written in the Watchtower articles, then the lady who finds those things is Blondie.

Barbara Anderson also understands all things JW very well and has excellent thinking on the subject.

I won't go on and on but there are tons of good debaters here.

47

The 1975 Generation---are they still around?

by minimus in

jw
friends

i was raised as a jw and 1975 expectations were pretty intense.

as i recall, most people did not leave after the failed expectations but many s l o w e d down.

now, i think most of the 1975 witnesses are gone or barely in.. is the older generation still around in the kingdom halls or are they much gone?.

OnTheWayOut

My mother is still an active JW. But she seems to be at a point where, even though she is very familiar with the doctrine, she is discouraged to even attempt to recruit people.

25

Just a really messed up situation

by My Name is of No Consequence in

a quick summary of my situation: i have known ttatt since at least 2010. my wife and teenage son are still in.

i only mention that because it is relevant in this situation.

you can see some of my previous posts for additional details.

OnTheWayOut

Thanks for the update. Hope all goes well with the boy (and with you).

25

Just a really messed up situation

by My Name is of No Consequence in

a quick summary of my situation: i have known ttatt since at least 2010. my wife and teenage son are still in.

i only mention that because it is relevant in this situation.

you can see some of my previous posts for additional details.

OnTheWayOut

Well, if some of the advice is beyond your desires to follow, at least consider- if you can't talk to him in private, talk to him openly in front of her. Say what needs to be said.

What's she going to do? - stop having sex with you?

106

Walking a thin line - Resigning Elder

by Sanchy in

jw
friends

warning of a long boring post ahead.

i feel like i need to vent my story out, as i feel quite helpless at the moment.. i'm 31 year old, married, father of toddler with another one on the way, due later this month.

i've been serving as elder for about 4 years now in a south florida congregation.

OnTheWayOut

Thanks for the update, Sanchy. If you can get to it this year, enjoy your first Christmas.

133

Why Are You Here?

by Believer in

i'm wondering why believers remain members of this forum which is clearly hostile to believers.

as one member said, nonbelievers pounce on any semblance of belief like piranhas on prey.

as former jws we should have had our fill of judgmental know-it-alls, but here we are.

OnTheWayOut

Oh, I could add- Believer, aren't you just the reincarnation of some old poster who was over the top as a believer and got banned from this forum? You know, as if they were waving "it" around too much.

133

Why Are You Here?

by Believer in

i'm wondering why believers remain members of this forum which is clearly hostile to believers.

as one member said, nonbelievers pounce on any semblance of belief like piranhas on prey.

as former jws we should have had our fill of judgmental know-it-alls, but here we are.

OnTheWayOut

I'm wondering why believers remain members of this forum which is clearly hostile to believers.

Once again, I find one of these threads when there's just so many pages. So I will just go right to answering the first post.

If you keep your penis in your pants, nobody is "hostile" to you. If you take it out in public and wave it around, the reaction you receive will seem "hostile" to you. That's what many believers do with their beliefs- take it out in public and wave it around, then act surprised when people react negatively to their beliefs.

Let me answer for Perry, clearly a believer. He posts stuff here about his undying devotion to Christianity and he scoffs at evolution and science. His main reason is not to convert us, but for us to convert him. He knows he went so far in getting out of the Jehovah's Witnesses and their false beliefs, but that he stops short of fully waking up to the facts about the Bible and Christianity. So he provokes arguments in the hopes that someone will finally say something to allow him to shake his faith. (Faith being defined as pretending to know something that you really don't know)

I am confident that this will prove to be true with "Believer" also.

18

What to say? I Don't want to go to meetings anymore?

by Drifting Away in

jw
friends

so it has been a couple of months since me and my family have attended a meeting.

we have received a few calls and visits.

but what do you say when people ask "where have you been"?

OnTheWayOut

To "drift away" you still have to make some kind of statements here and there. You can say "I don't wish to discuss it." You can say "Thanks for your encouragement." You can give the impression that you will be back soon (and then don't be back soon) or give the impression that you will not be back soon.

I pushed back a bit more and said "I have doubts I need to work out." I scared the body of elders enough with that type of talk that they wanted to avoid me. That won't typically work for others. But you never know. Now, you can say how you read about the Australian Royal Commission or that you have to meditate upon overlapping generations or even how the Governing Body asks us to obey directions without questioning them. You can say you have been disturbed ever since "they" took congregation funds away yet ceased the worldwide building.

Many who fade away simply say "We are fine, we know how to reach you if we need to." That's a non-answer that indicates you probably won't be back soon.

35

Born Twice - Die Once .... Born Once - Die Twice

by Perry in

jesus taught that we must die unto ourselves, and allow the holy spirit to take up residence within us.

some people get saved by simply inviting jesus into their hearts, to be the lord of their life.

this serves as a countering force within the born-again christian to counterbalance the will of the flesh, which is still unsaved in this life and destined for destruction in imitation of our lord himself.. attempting to live the christian life without having this spirit within you is a waste of time at the minimum, and dangerous on the downside.

OnTheWayOut

An interpretation of the fictional account of Jesus says that he "taught that we must die unto ourselves, and allow the Holy Spirit to take up residence within us."
People fool themselves into believing that they "get saved by simply inviting Jesus into their hearts, to be the lord of their life." They allow ancient fiction to dictate their morality as they think obedience to ancient fiction is "a countering force within" them "to counterbalance the will of the flesh." You know- normal desires of normal people.

To ensure that Christian churches maintain membership and monetary gain, the churches of various beliefs have this in common- They teach that:

Attempting to live the Christian life without having this spirit within you is a waste of time at the minimum, and dangerous on the downside.

Most folks would agree that the New Testament claims that the resurrection of Jesus is "a well attested fact of history," and that most Christians accept it without a shred of proof.