Posts by NanaR

38

What Bible do you use?

by OMG! Now What? in

in my new search for truth, i'm back to my old routine of getting my 7+ different bibles out and comparing them all.

which one have you chosen, if at all, and why?

NanaR

Revised Standard Version

I find it to be easy to read and accurate in rendering.

Ruth

60

JW IQ's. Below average? (Includes SM anecdote.)

by Open mind in

are dub bulbs just a little dimmer than the general population?

here's a little highlight from this week's local service meeting that prompts my question.. it's the annual, 20 minute, robotic hand-pumping session conducted by the secretary trying to get everyone all hyped/guilted up for this summer's district convention.

anyway, towards the end of the q&a, there's a paragraph that talks about offering a ride to the elderly/infirm ones in your congo.

NanaR

I was a Witness for over 40 years and I have an IQ of 132.

Not below average.

Of course I'm not a Witness any more...

Ruth

edited to add: I also don't think threads like this one are helpful to JW lurkers who may be here. Why would they listen to someone who is trying to insult their intelligence?

48

If Your Aged Parent Asked U Not To Give Them Blood, Would U Agree?

by minimus in

jw
friends

be honest.

if your jw parent trusted you to comply with their wishes, would you honor their request?

NanaR

I would want their wishes specific and in writing.

Subject to the above, yes I would honor my aged parent's request.

My parents have now both died, but I would not have violated their stated wishes as to medical care. They both had health care powers of attorney and living wills.

I believe that every person who is of legal age has the right to accept or reject medical care, even if I completely disagree with their decision.

Ruth

31

Do you shun Jw's now?

by AK - Jeff in

i have gone thru phases with this.

i sometimes have forced jw's who shun me to speak, or be embarrassed if they don't.

then i let up on that as the hurting lessened over time.

NanaR

Jeff:

Sometimes things get pretty weird. Perhaps because I have never been disfellowshipped or DA'd, many Witnesses are friendly to me. My oldest daughter has a new baby by a man who was raised as a Witness and even baptized. The guy is a total jerk, uses drugs, has been in trouble with the law, etc. but never been "dealt with" by the congregation. His mother is a pioneer, and when our grandson was in the NICU (for 3 months!), she could only go see the baby if my daughter or I would take her.

I took her to see the baby a number of times, and she was very nice to me and didn't Witness to me even. But then I found out that she told my daughter that I told her that I "pray to Jehovah a lot", and that she was quite sure that I am going to "come back" soon. What I actually said to her was that I "pray a lot", and what that really means is that I go to Catholic Mass regularly, pray the Rosary and sometimes the Liturgy of the Hours. Of course I didn't tell her I am becoming Catholic. It is none of her business.

I don't live by their rules anymore so I refuse to shun anybody. But I fully expect that once I am a baptized Catholic (soon!) and that becomes common knowledge, even the lady with whom I share a grandchild will not speak to me.

I think the Golden Rule is correct -- and we do not have to be uncharitable just because these poor brainwashed people believe that that is how they have to act.

Just my 2 cents,

Ruth

14

More Xmas deception by the Watchtower

by ozziepost in

has christmas.

lost christ?if a non-witness were to read this headline, what do you think it would convey?.

wouldn't it imply that the magazine or website was actually bemoaning the growing secularisation of a "christian" festival, much like the slogans we see of late "put christ back into christ-mas"?

NanaR

Ozzie:

Thanks for posting this!

I recently read through this crap while I was preparing a Christmas entry for my blog ( http://nanaruthann.blogspot.com ).

As Witnesses, we were taught to create "straw men" and then shoot them down. We were never taught to directly and objectively answer people's questions, because the Watchtower answers are only palatible when fed after a certain amount of brainwashing.

An example I was thinking of was how the Watchtower makes a big deal out of the fact that the wise men came to a house, and they did not arrive on the night of Jesus' birth. Well guess what, the Catholic Church and other Christian churches have always known that. In fact, we will be celebrating the Feast of the Epiphany this coming Sunday precisely to commemorate that event. Many Catholics (maybe other Christians too, I don't know) teach these truths to their children by having the various Nativity figures arrive at the scene at different times. Some folks have had the wise men figures wandering around the house for a while now ;-)

How did we ever read the Watchtower garbage anyway?

Best wishes,

Ruth

51

Watchtower Comments YOUTUBE PREMIERE!

by V in

NanaR

I joined You Tube just so I could subscribe to Watchtower Comments :-)

Great Job!!!

Ruth

22

Memorial 2008

by wha happened? in

anyone know the date?

NanaR

Here's a bit of irony for you:

March 22, 2008 is the JW Memorial.

March 22, 2008 is the night before Easter, also called the Easter Vigil. On that night, I will be baptized as a Roman Catholic.

So on the night that the JWs meet and pass on communion, I will receive communion for the first time in my 55 years.

I'm beginning to believe that there are no coincidences...

Pax,

Ruth

40

Did you read the whole Bible when you were a JW?

by outofthebox in

jw
friends

after an informal poll in my congregation (and many awkward responses) i found out that almost nobody had read the whole bible ever, not even the elders (surprise!).

brothers and sisters with 20, 30, 40 and 50 years as jws don't know what the bible says.

so, if god decides that a test is coming, will they pass it?

NanaR

Yes, I read the entire Protestant Bible when I was a JW. I am now rereading it and including the deuterocanonical books.

When I was a little girl, my dad got the whole family out of bed at 5:30 every morning to read the Bible together. Yes, we were JWs. My mom was 4th generation.

Since I have been attending the Catholic Church, I am finding so much more meaning in the Bible. All those scriptures that I read over the years actually make sense to me now!

Pax,

Ruth

15

C. T. Russell and the Trinity Doctrine

by NanaR in

i have a question.. i know that russell's hallmark was "putting the hose on hell", so i'm assuming that the belief that humans do not have an immortal soul was also one of his early teachings.. however, i know that russell used the symbol of the cross, celebrated christmas, and that the early bible students also fellowshipped with other christians.

my grandmother, for example, attended a baptist church on sundays but went to bible student group studies with her father through the week.. so i am wondering about the witnesses rejection of the trinity doctrine.

did russell outspokenly reject the trinity doctrine?

NanaR

Thanks JWFacts!

I find very little about the Watchtower organization to inspire me to believe that they know what they are talking about. And with so many grave errors in their teaching, I am certainly not going to conclude that they just happen to be right about the nature of God and the nature of the Son of God...

I hope you had a happy holiday, and that you have a blessed New Year!

Ruth

15

C. T. Russell and the Trinity Doctrine

by NanaR in

i have a question.. i know that russell's hallmark was "putting the hose on hell", so i'm assuming that the belief that humans do not have an immortal soul was also one of his early teachings.. however, i know that russell used the symbol of the cross, celebrated christmas, and that the early bible students also fellowshipped with other christians.

my grandmother, for example, attended a baptist church on sundays but went to bible student group studies with her father through the week.. so i am wondering about the witnesses rejection of the trinity doctrine.

did russell outspokenly reject the trinity doctrine?

NanaR

JWfacts:

I expect that their assertion that there is only one archangel is connected to how they want to apply it to Jesus.

The deuterocanonical book of Tobit identifies another archangel -- Raphael -- but of course JWs do not accept that book as inspired.

I find the idea that Almighty God plucked one of his angels out of heaven and "transferred his life" to earth to be very strange and not at all satisfying. But the idea that God Himself (the eternally begotten Son) came to earth and was born as a man, suffered, and died for ME and all mankind is just beyond awesome. I can love the Suffering God on the Cross. I spent years being angry with the God who sat in heaven and sent an angel to do his "dirty work".

Pax,

Ruth