Shepherd Book

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Posts by Shepherd Book

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  140

  Share one or two interesting things about you we probably didn't know

  by Gopher in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  we have such an interesting group of people from around the world on this board.

  it might be interesting to have a thread where you discuss a hobby, something interesting that happened in the past, somewhere you've been, etc.. not deep, dark confessions - just interesting stuff.. .

  * i have travelled into all 48 american states that are not named alaska or hawaii.. * for the past few years, i have had a slight walking impairment due to a form of arthritis known as ankylosing spondylitis.

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  Shepherd Book

  *I was once interviewed on a nationally broadcasted television show.

  *I was appointed Ministerial Servant at 17 years of age.
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  7

  REQUEST: Letters of reply from the Watchtower?

  by inkling in

  1. watchtower
  2. bible

  i have been pondering wether or not there is any value in gathering some of .

  my more pointed thoughts into a letter to the governing body.

  imagine these to be "questions from readers" style criticism, edited and.

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  Shepherd Book

  I have written to the Watchtower Society many times. Except for my most recent letter, they have always replied (they still may reply to my most recent letter...not sure).

  Yes, if you phrase things tactfully, like you're just trying to find answers, then it is my experience that they reply. A couple of times they answered my questions satisfactorily. A couple of times, they directed me to Watchtower publications where they felt my questions could be anwered (which, of course, was not the cae, as I had already looked up all that info prior to penning the letters). In one letter, I concluded by making a list of my specific questions and they completely ignored 80% of the questions, and provided very poor answers to the remianing 20%. Even so, their letter was amicable; they did not seem to wish me any ill-will, although they did suggest I stop asking questions on the particular topic I was addressing. And, as I said, my most recent letter (sent ~2 months ago) has not been replied to at all.

  It is my plan to post all the letters for public viewing at some point in the near future.
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  9

  feeling for the edges of apostasy

  by inkling in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  no matter where at the end of this journey i actually end up spiritually andphilosophically, one thing i am sure is that family ties are worth fighting for.

  i distinctly want to avoid being disfellowshiped for any reason, if at all possible.

  and, (since i am not about to go on a hedonistic crime spree) my biggest riskof being disfellowshiped is on the grounds of "apostasy", i am assuming.

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  Shepherd Book

  I was recently contacted by an elder who wanted to meet with me on charges of apostasy. I asked him if I could think about it for a few days and promised to contact him either way (whether I wanted to meet with him or not). If you're faced with a similar situation, find out what the nature of the meeting is. If they indicate it's supposed to be a "Sheperding Call", then politely decline. If they indicate it's judicial (or could devolve into judicial), then tell them you want to think about it for a few days. Maybe tell them you want to meditate on it or pray about it, if that gets them off your back.
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  10

  Help needed: your experiences of the internet and JWism

  by ppunk in

  1. jw
  2. experiences

  i am hoping some of you will find a few moments of time to reply to this request for help.

  i am researching the impact of the internet on people's journey out of jwism.

  i invite everyone to write anything from a sentence to a couple of paragraphs (or more, if desired) relating how the internet has affected your exit.

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  Shepherd Book

  The impact of the internet on my journey out of JWism was virtually nil. I purposely prohibited myself from researching the Organization and the bible online, as I suspected that, should I decide to leave the JWs, my family would ask me if I left beause of the internet. They seem to think information on the internet is inherently worse than information found in other mediums.

  My suspicions were correct - I have been accused of losing my faith due to the internet.
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  24

  For those hoping to reform the Watchtower

  by drew sagan in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  there have been a number of posts discussing reform in the watchtower, mostly revolving around a letter on this thread.

  i just wanted to put my two cents in on this issue.

  because i am not attached to any of the main doctrines and teachings of the jws, i feel no personal need to reform them.

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  Shepherd Book

  Drew,

  Thanks for your response. Yes, I think reform from inside would be very difficult, perhaps impossible. I personally kept holding out hope that they would relax their silly rules (e.g., facial hair, neckties, dresses, reporting time) and update some of their 'scientific' and historical teachings (e.g., global Noachian flood, blood transfusions, 607). Alas, they never budged.
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  24

  For those hoping to reform the Watchtower

  by drew sagan in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  there have been a number of posts discussing reform in the watchtower, mostly revolving around a letter on this thread.

  i just wanted to put my two cents in on this issue.

  because i am not attached to any of the main doctrines and teachings of the jws, i feel no personal need to reform them.

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  Shepherd Book

  Interesting read; I enjoyed hearing your thoughts on the matter.

  So, what if there is no desire to "reform"? I mean, what if I just want to put stuff out there (via internet, in all likelihood) for informational purposes? Do you think that would be fruitless?

  The reason why I ask is because I am strongly considering posting some correspondence I've had with WT and some phone conversations I had with an elder. I don't think this will be earth-shattering stuff, but when I was a Wtiness information was tightly controlled and filtered. So my reasoning is just that I now believe in freedom of information - if I have contact with the WT or their representatives, I would like to make it known to the largest audience possible. But if no one thinks it will do any good...I don't know...
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  12

  Any Van Morrison Fans?

  by Guest with Questions in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  i couldn't find some on youtube but here some of my favourites that i could find.. someone like you: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vvpgim37rkw.

  into the mystic: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ycwe1nd6-is&mode=related&search=.

  have i told you lately: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4rq0l8phg70.

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  Shepherd Book

  My favorite Van Morrison song is "Kingdom Hall". No joke. It's available for 99 cents on iTunes. I just bought it yesterday.
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  4

  this video

  by arc123 in

  1. watchtower
  2. beliefs

  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y4mwiqkgy-y

  what do you think if this guy??

  not sure how he gets away with his stuff......

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  Shepherd Book

  I think he's my new hero. I like how he takes each question and turns it around on believers. This is especially fun to do with JWs.
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  23

  Funny comments made at a meeting

  by REBORNAGAIN in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  i once heard an older dub, *godresthissoul* while reading a scripture say, "parents do not be irrigating your children!

  " .

  linda.

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  Shepherd Book

  One brother (an elder) commented how in the new system he hopes to be able to fully understand how it is that people can live in Australia without falling off the Earth. Another elder said that the placebo nourishes the fetus when it is in the womb. Another elder said that humans were created about 6,000 years ago.
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  17

  Active JWs—A Birthday Was Used to Preserve the Lineage of Jesus

  by AuldSoul in

  1. watchtower
  2. bible

  joseph was imprisoned because of false accusations made by potiphar's wife.

  he had at least two cell mates, a cupbearer and a bakerwe do not know the charges against either prisoner.. joseph's cell mates had dreams.

  by god's power, he interpreted the dreams, including which day the dream prophecies would be fulfilled.

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  Shepherd Book

  If they insist that the mention of birthday parties makes them bad (even thought the scrptures don't say that), the what about braiding hair?

  Hair braiding is specifically forbidden in the scriptures, yet JW ladies see no problem braiding their hair.