i'm planning this summer to go to bethel and read with my owns eyes all those stupid quotes that the wt had published since its creation.
i just wanna do that for fun and i may find some new eye-opening info.
my question is as follows:.
Question:
Why are bethel libraries offlimits?
Are they afraid some people are gonna ''steal'' some books? I thought they WANTED people to take publications? I'm just traying to figure out the logical reason for libraries to be offlimits to non-bethelites.....
Maybe I will call bethel, *67 my number first, and ask if bethel library is offlimits to visitors, and if so, ask for the reasoning behind that.
i would like to pose some questions that may challenge your thoughts, if i may.... .
former elders, while i may commend you all for seeing the real truth on about the so called "truth" and thus leaving the borg for what it really & truly is, a lie.
former elders, have you ever thought about or attempted to contact anyone that have been disfellowshipped by your involvement in the j.c.?
I will comment on this topic with great pleasure. Superb questions. The whole judicial process is one thing that began to convince me that the org. is a sham. From the first J.C. I served on I always sought to preserve the dignity of the individual. This often put me at odds with the other members. Till the very end of my service as an elder I tried, albeit in a quiet way, to look out for the accused. I understood that,even playing by the org's own rules, dfing should almost never take place. I based this on the example of David. David was,by all accounts, a very, very, very bad man. Yet he was shown mercy. I often reminded the other J.C. members of this fact. Ultimately I realized I could no longer sit as judge of anyone. My resignation as an elder soon followed. As for apologizing to some for my role in J.C.s yes I've done so in a couple of cases. For some cases it would be impractical if not impossible to do so.I'm in the process of helping several Witnesses to wake up. I'm sure I'll help more to leave than I ever converted. I'm planning to write a book as well.
P.S.- Please allow one point for your cosideration Yizuman. As Ray Franz reminds us in CoC, elders, GB members, etc. are victims of victims. Yes some are haughty, arrogant, (a bunch of other descriptive words I don't want to use because I don't want to get kicked off of here) human beings. But for the most part they're just doing what they've been taught (programmed) to do, at least by example. We must not hate. Rather let's spend our energies on helping as many as possible to wake up and being there for each other. I shed many tears as an elder. I know I wasn't the only one. Give them time. Many,many more will awaken to reality. Let's be there for them so their path isn't so difficult.
Much love and respect,
Nvrgnbk
(((Never-going-back))),
Your post touched my heart, and confirmed the feeling that there are quite a few loving, and forgiving elders out there....thank you. I really do empathize with the heavy load that elders do have to carry, no wonder so many are quick to judge harshly.....they're over-worked and under appreciated.
Sorry to hijack this thread as I am not a former elder...
i've been re-thinking about what to say when jw's come knockin'.
i've thought about what the scriptures say about jesus' words to the pharisees and think perhaps i might say, "i don't have any interest in the doctrines and writings of the scribes and pharisees of the wts.".
or maybe i could just say, "yall're just wts nazis and you look down on everyone else as if they were jews during wwii, so i'd prefer not to converse with you.".
Well, my God is bringing a paradise that's better than yours, but he is saving everyone. My God rejects being rejected. No one can reject him because his love will not allow it. In the end, his love and grace will draw back all creatures to him. Good will so completely conquer evil that no trace of it will be left and there truly will be no death. No one will be dead. Not human beings, not angels. No dead beings anywhere. All creatures covered by God's love, his goodness and his all encompassing grace. All that and a superior paradise, too.
Now tell me, why would I want to serve your blood thirsty, petty, exclusive God?
flyinghighnow,
Wow! That is a very neat belief....and it makes sense, since God is the Supreme Being, Omnipotent, and All Powerful, He has the ability to take the evil out of everyone, inlcuding Satan and the fallen angels...If you were God, what would you do? Wouldnt you put things right?
ok, now Im gonna stop hijacking frannie's thread, and give her my best shot...
''I've heard you offer free home bible studies, does that mean that if I accept a Bible study from you, I will be guilt-tripped, i mean, encouraged to convert?''
i've had seizures for the last three or for years and they're finally starting to get under control.
the deal is, now what do i do?
i'm not 100%, mind you, but quite a bit better....so...damn, it's just kinda weird..
take each day and make it as fufilling and happy as you can....
I think that's wonderful that your seizures are calming down, my mother suffers from them too from time to time, stress a few years ago really made them come more severly, but with more stable circumstances, they now happen very rarely.
what did you change recently? diet? medication? stress relieving trechniques?
this is going around at work.
see if anyone knows the answer!.
adam god made out of dust,.
Effervescent,
good catch, I think you are right about that!
this is going around at work.
see if anyone knows the answer!.
adam god made out of dust,.
I TRAVEL ON FROM POLE TO POLE.
I LABOR HARD BY DAY, BY NIGHT.
TO FALLEN MAN I GIVE GREAT LIGHT.
THOUSANDS OF PEOPLE, YOUNG AND OLD,
WILL BY MY DEATH GREAT LIGHT BEHOLD.
ok, which whale gives off light?
***km11/06p.7 revelationits grand climax at hand!
*** feb. 26 chap.
***km9/06p.3 adjustments for the book revelationits grand climax at hand!
http://www.exjws.net/museum/jfrtrial1.htm
court transcripts
what things do you enjoy about the forum?.
others make you feel like family here, that is a great thing.
it is fun to hear all the post and wisdom and jokes coming from everyone.
The diversity of opinions and beliefs and the freedom to express those views, I think it is wonderful....
its theraputic...its affirmation that you are not alone, that there are others who know EXACTLY how you feel...
LOL Crumpet
i read this funny article about the god of the old testament, and i thought how amazing it was that some christians seemingly chose to ignore this brutal god of war, yahweh, as though in the nt, he suddenly had a change of heart.
the deity is clearly a maniac with a bloodthirst.
here is the article: .
The Old Testament, shows God above the Law He gave for mankind. The New Testament shows God in submission to that Law
Interesting observation , Deputy Dog....
Just for argument's sake let's say God and Jesus are one and the same person. (not that I am sure whether I believe that or not)
The huge difference between the God of the OT and the NT is Jesus....
maybe when He came down to earth, and lived as a mere mortal man, he then new exactly how it felt to be HUMAN - with all the biological hormonal urges and emotions! (he did not get baptized as a teen, or even in his twenties as a young man, he was baptized at the maturer age of 30.) Maybe after experiencing his own childhood, how difficult puberty is and dealing with the normal hormone issues, Jesus is much more sympathetic(than the god of the OT) to the imperfections of humans, seeing as he had to deal with his own human urges, but as a perfect man, was of course able to use self control perfectly, and not sin.
Just a random thought I had.....
i have been lurking for quite some time now on jwd.
my story is pretty much just like everyone else's, "only the names have been changed".
in reading your posts, i have both laughed and cried till tears ran down my cheeks.
I've re-read your replies and, believe it or not, have taken some of it to heart to think about. But, I'm curious. I don't know if you've ever been in this situation. If you haven't, I don't think you can understand the frustration caused by someone you grew up with and love deeply abandoning you simply because you no longer have the same spiritual beliefs they do. HOW WOULD YOU PERSONALLY HANDLE THAT? Would you just say, "oh, well, whatever they choose to do, I accept." You can't discuss it with them. They refuse to talk to you. So, what would you, James Thomas, do if the sister you grew up with, played with, shared a bed and room with, and loved deeply, did this to you?
JO,
I relate to your words so much, as my sister is also shunning me, she was my playmate, my friend, I miss her deeply
