Posts by OnTheWayOut

27

Why the BIG 4.5 day elder "school"?

by eyeuse2badub in

just wonderin' if anyone has heard of anything about something big going down in the borg?

good friend of mine just told me today that he will be attending a 4.5 day elder "training school" all nest week!

the "special" elder "schools" are usually only 2-3 days.. lots of dumbing down coming?.

OnTheWayOut

I can guess- legal stuff about reporting to Watchtower about child sexual abuse allegations.
Money stuff about better supporting the cult. Elders lead the way and proclaim "We need more money to send to Mother."
How to deal with closing Kingdom Halls.
Maybe- stop giving out literature except to the "worthy" ones. We really want to get out of the literature business.

16

Just wondering. . .for those that are Ex-Elders . . .

by HappyBlessedFree in

did your conscience ever bother you when you were counseling/reproving/disfellowshipping ones in the congregation?

did it feel extreme or justified based on your biblical understanding at the time.

also are there any ex-elders here that dealt with child abuse accusations?

OnTheWayOut

Did your conscience ever bother you when you were counseling/reproving/disfellowshipping ones in the congregation? Did it feel extreme or justified based on your biblical understanding at the time.

This young lady came to me and confessed that she was involved in heavy petting with the young man.

It wasn't even sex that the two were involved in, they were both still virgins. Unfortunately,

prolonged heavy petting is considered the sin of "loose conduct" among Jehovah's Witnesses and can

require a judicial committee to address the violation of the rules. I wanted to tell her to forget

about it and just be careful in the future, but it was clear that she felt that she had committed

some awful sin against Jehovah and must face the proper discipline in order to be forgiven.

So the judicial committee was formed and I was the chairman. It was a simple case. She confessed

when we met with her and the way these things are handled, she would have to step down from her

pioneering work since no glorified titles can be retained by sinners (except the elders). She was

very embarrassed by the whole situation and was going to be glad it was over. What a shame it

wasn't over. Despite her insistence on bringing her terrible sin to Jehovah through the elders,

the young lady was already changed by this matter. She was so fragile and didn't want anyone else

to know what had happened.

One of the other two elders on the committee felt that we needed to make

an example of her to the congregation. He said that there are many young ones just like her that

need to know that it is easy to fall victim to our own treacherous hearts when getting involved

with the opposite sex. He wanted to announce to the congregation that she was "reproved." I told

the other elder that no such announcement needed to be made. We could announce that she was no

longer a pioneer, but to let the congregation draw their own conclusions as to why that was so.

An "announcement of reproof" is only necessary when the matter is widely known. The other elder

said that the matter could become widely known. I disagreed and told him that if I were wrong, the

procedure was to make an announcement later if and when the matter became widely known. Further, I

told him that we shouldn't put people through a bunch of embarrassment and use them as warning

examples to the congregation.

He knew I was right, but didn't want to let it go. As the chairman,

I told him we would not make such an announcement unless all three elders on the committee agreed

to it, and I would not agree to it. This elder decided to go around me. If congregation elders are

ever unsure on how to handle a matter, they can call Watch Tower's "Service Desk" (the people who

direct these matters) for procedural clarifications. This elder called Watch Tower on his own

(instead of insisting that all 3 of us contact them) and he related the situation in some manner

until they insisted that an announcement must be made that this woman had met with a judicial

committee and was reproved.

The "service desk" at Watch Tower called our coordinator of the elders and told him that the

chairman (me) must make that announcement. I was told all this during a congregation meeting just

minutes before the announcements were to be made and had to go out in front of the audience (and

this young lady) on a moment's notice to do this. The further embarrassment the young lady received

from my announcement and people gossiping about her nearly destroyed her. She actually never spoke

to me again because she initially came to me for help and I made that announcement. I think one

good thing came out of that- she learned never to confide in the elders again.

16

Do you know the reason why certain peoples in the USA are pro-illegal immigration?

by I believe in overlapping in

katie hopkins was a columnist for british national newspapers.

she is warning the united states to stop the illegal migrations before it turns into her home in london.

she is having to flee her home country london because of the culture and social change immigrants have made in her county.

OnTheWayOut

Do you know the reason why certain peoples in the USA are pro-illegal immigration?

It is not so much that so many people are "pro" on illegal immigration as it is more that they understand that people look for a better life. And if the situation were reversed, we recognize that we might seek a better life by illegally entering Canada or Mexico.

I have thought about parents maybe preferring to leave their child in the hands of U.S. authorities when the adults are caught by Border Patrol or others, rather than have them go back with them. But I had never thought about the Church being involved. It makes sense.

But could it also make sense that people who are trying to be "like Jesus" (at least the way they were taught about Jesus) are just trying to help people and the Church might not be concerned with borders? Kinda like Santuary Cities- which just means that they can report crimes without their immigration status explored, or send children to schools the same way.

49

VIDEO - Memorial toast stuns Jehovahs Witnesses congregation!

by John_Carter_1912 in

i applaud this great and holy man!

do you?.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7fstqepi9iu.

OnTheWayOut

I think starting with "victims of child sexual abuse" could have been enough. Or victims of shunning. But one point would have been good.

Take one point, toast to it, take a drink, hand it back. Going on and on with more to say until they feel compelled to take the wine away just made him look like another typical apostate feeding their persecution complex.

He did well with that, but short and sweet, and they would not be sure what to do with the guy.

21

His Rose colored glasses are back on

by HappyBlessedFree in

so my husband who was not attending meetings for the last four months, went to the special talk, the memorial and the meeting today.

he said he feels jehovah’s spirit is back and that they are all being so kind.. i am just sick to my stomach.

he just refuses to see anything as a problem.

OnTheWayOut

So sorry to read your woes. Start planning something enjoyable for meeting time, even if it's just a good meal and binge watching some show, but mix in some outings. Maybe he will tire of Jehovah's spirit being back on him and he will want to join you.

18

I love it That JW`s Worship A God Named by The Catholics ,And Follow The Bible Of the protestants .

by smiddy3 in

the tetagrammaton 4 hebrew letters representing gods name in the hebrew scriptures as jhvh or more likely yhwh .. the name jehovah was unheard of before the 13th century simply because no one beforehand had added vowels to those four hebrew consonants representing gods name .. and then comes along a spanish catholic monk of the 13th century that adds vowels to those 4 hebrew consonants and he comes up with the name jehovah.. a name that the catholic church has used in and on churches since the 13th century throughout europe and elsewhere in the world.. and lo and behold the g.b.of jehovah`s witnesses in their wisdom stated in the first edition of the "aid to bible understanding" that they chose the name jehovah as the correct pronunciation of gods name because it was the most popular name in use in the world ?

logically by christendom `s religions ,who else ?.

then their is the bible cannon that all of the major christian religions have different books that they feel should make up the bible.. protestant religions .

OnTheWayOut

I love it That JW`s Worship A God Named by The Catholics ,And Follow The Bible Of the protestants .

And, if you are a worshiper of the God of the Bible and not accepting the Trinity, you are technically a Unitarian.
So, they are Unitarians who worship a Catholic God with their Protestant Bibles.

26

Any ideas about what the ‘special’ talk is on Memorial Day?

by Bubbles001 in

the family are very excited because there’s a special interruption happening this friday which has supposedly only happened once before when rutherford announced jesus’ ruling in heaven.

requires tuning into jw.org.

meant to be this coming friday before the memorial.

OnTheWayOut

there’s a special interruption happening this Friday which has supposedly only happened once before when Rutherford announced Jesus’ ruling in heaven. Requires tuning into jw.org. Meant to be this coming Friday before the memorial.

So what was it?????

62

Enjoyed the Memorial

by ScottyRex in

probably not a popular opinion on here....and haven't been actively attending meetings since 1988....(i know i know a submarine attender) however thoroughly enjoyed attending this evening...was good to see lots of people i remember whilst growing up in this faith, they were genuine and the whole atmosphere was one of love.

sure if i suddenly wanted to become active again and didn't change my lifestyle they would drop me like a bomb.....however i haven't and won't and they didn't and don't.

this works for me.. i cannot demonize the witnesses on what i have seen tonight.

OnTheWayOut

That old apostate 'love bombing'......please.

Oh, I said it is genuine in a way. It can be from the heart. They genuinely miss you and genuinely want you to abandon all else and come back, but might think it's too pushy to say all that so they hope just the "We miss you" part is sufficient.

Love bombing is an attempt to influence a person by demonstrations of attention and affection. With already close people, it can further be defined as an intense atmosphere of affection and adoration designed to disarm an individual's natural guardedness. You can't be mad at them if they are going out of their way to show love. There's no reason it cannot be from people who really care about you. But see if they, now that they saw you, call to invite you to that lunch.

62

Enjoyed the Memorial

by ScottyRex in

probably not a popular opinion on here....and haven't been actively attending meetings since 1988....(i know i know a submarine attender) however thoroughly enjoyed attending this evening...was good to see lots of people i remember whilst growing up in this faith, they were genuine and the whole atmosphere was one of love.

sure if i suddenly wanted to become active again and didn't change my lifestyle they would drop me like a bomb.....however i haven't and won't and they didn't and don't.

this works for me.. i cannot demonize the witnesses on what i have seen tonight.

OnTheWayOut

I am glad you enjoyed your love-bombing. It is genuine in a way. They really do wish you would abandon all else and come back to their self-imposed prison. I am confident I would get the same treatment if I went.

I also don't hold anything against them when they cannot attempt to "love" me by inviting me out to coffee or lunch if they miss me so much. They are in a cult. It's in their reprogramming.

Glad you enjoyed seeing some old friends.

11

If the meetings are so enjoyable and serving the big J is such a privilege...

by HiddenPimo in

why is it that all of the friends show happiness and excitement when a meeting is cancelled?.

no meetings week of memorial "what a blessing from jah!".

bad weather - oh it's so nice to have a night off.

OnTheWayOut

It's a cult.
The Governing Body arranges so much for you- "What a blessing from Jah!"
The local elders cancel the meeting for a snowy evening- "What a blessing from Jah!"
Lower the recruiting hours requirement so more can pioneer- "What a blessing from Jah!"
Building new KH's, selling KH's, combining congregations- "What a blessing from Jah!"

Bad news about the Watchtower- "Its persecution from Satan's World."
I could go on and on with either one. The blessings and the persecution.

Bottom line- It's a cult.