Posts by NanaR

54

How could an ex-Jw become Catholic

by My Struggle in

jw
friends

i don't mean this to be offensive to any catholics in any way and believe that they can have true salvation unlike the jw.

also, i know little about the in's and out's of practicing catholicism, as i have never had any interest in being one.

regardless i am always surprised when an ex-jw says that they have found the real truth in catholicism.

NanaR

I am an XJW who is "becoming" Catholic.

I "found Jesus" in the Catholic Church. I am finally, after many years, experiencing healing from the anger and resentment engendered by the WTS.

Catholic worship is deeply scriptural. Jesus said that once he established his Church, it would always exist (The gates of Hades will not overpower it).

I find it reasonable that the same God who preserved Holy Scripture inerrant for thousands of years would preserve His Church on earth.

I find that the Catholic Church does the things that Jesus foretold his followers would do -- they feed the hungry, care for the sick, and become the face of Jesus to those in need.

The parable of the Wheat and the Weeds foretells that not all Christians would be good. Not all Catholics are good. They are human. But so were the Israelites, and God preserved their priesthood from Aaron until the time of Christ for His purpose.

I have, of course, not come to this decision lightly. It is also not a subject about which I will argue, although I would be happy to discuss the subject in more depth if anyone has a question for me personally.

Peace to all of you,

Ruth

28

Are we suffering from a victim mindset?

by DT in

jw
friends

i don't want to be disrespectful or cause needless disputes, but there are some thoughts that have been bugging me.

i have to wonder why former members aren't doing more to combat the power of the watchtower society.

of course, i realise that some have made great contributions and others have to first make their own healing process a priority.

NanaR

The best answer to the Watchtower is to leave and live a fruitful and happy life.

To be preoccupied with the Watchtower, even in the sense of "combatting" it, is to continue to allow it to control your life.

"Shake the dust from your feet" and don't look back...

Ruth

22

Tula and OBVES - you will like this

by cultswatter in

1+2+3+4+...+36=?

NanaR

OBVES:

The Word of God is Jesus.

The Truth is Jesus.

Jesus has not come again in Glory for the Final Judgment, because when He does, EVERYONE will know it.

When you can disprove the entire contents of the Catechism of the Catholic Church, you can talk to me.

Bye,

Ruth

16

If All Early Christians Were Preachers...... Who Worked & Cooked The Meals?

by minimus in

jw
friends

the watchtower says that all early christians were preachers.

you couldn't be a christian if you weren't a preacher/teacher.

how would you refute that?

NanaR

Dorcas was resurrected after evidence was presented that she had made clothing for the poor (not that she spent every hour of every day talking to people). Peter obviously considered making clothing for poor widows to be Dorcas's ministry.

Acts 9:36 - 42

But in Jop´pa there was a certain disciple named Tab´i·tha, which, when translated, means Dor´cas. She abounded in good deeds and gifts of mercy that she was rendering. 37 But in those days she happened to fall sick and die. So they bathed her and laid her in an upper chamber. 38 Now as Lyd´da was near Jop´pa, when the disciples heard that Peter was in this city they dispatched two men to him to entreat [him]: "Please do not hesitate to come on as far as us." 39 At that Peter rose and went with them. And when he arrived, they led him up into the upper chamber; and all the widows presented themselves to him weeping and exhibiting many inner garments and outer garments that Dor´cas used to make while she was with them. 40 But Peter put everybody outside and, bending his knees, he prayed, and, turning to the body, he said: "Tab´i·tha, rise!" She opened her eyes and, as she caught sight of Peter, she sat up. 41 Giving her his hand, he raised her up, and he called the holy ones and the widows and presented her alive. 42 This became known throughout all Jop´pa, and many became believers on the Lord. 43 For quite a few days he remained in Jop´pa with a certain Simon, a tanner.

Pax,

Ruth

14

WT says Thank God we're here for you!

by ozziepost in

appearing as their feature article today on their official website is this from an awake!

article of last year: .

true christians shining in the darknessbefore the weeds of false christianity are collected and destroyed, however, jesus illustration indicates something else that must happen.

NanaR

Ozzie:

One thing that the Watchtower consistently misrepresents about the Parable of the Wheat and the Weeds is that Jesus is very clear that the WEEDS are collected first (and cast into fire). Only THEN do the "righteous shine like the sun".

So I guess the Witnesses are out gathering the weeds to be burned up, heh?

Ruth

12

Roman Catholic Church and The Nazi Party

by DianaMunn in

the holocaust was a 20th century inquisition done under cover of the nazi party.

hitler was catholic; and when it became known that pope pius xi supported hitler, the roman catholic vote swept hitler into power in 1933.

read what the press of the spanish dictator, franco, published following hitler's death.

NanaR

Scanned copies of the actual Nuremburg documents are found here:

http://www.lawandreligion.com/nuremberg.shtml

Follow the link "installments" to get to the documents.

Hitler planned to do away with Christianity, including Catholicism, in the Third Reich. Catholic priests and nuns were sent to concentration camps.

The following link is a timeline showing that a Papal Encyclical was issued within 3 months of the beginning of the Nazi "extermination" program, and the means by which it was distributed:

http://www.humanitas-international.org/showcase/chronography/timebase/1937tbse.htm

The actual encyclical is found here:

http://www.vatican.va/holy_father/pius_xi/encyclicals/documents/hf_p-xi_enc_14031937_mit-brennender-sorge_en.html

While the Vatican did sign a treaty with Hitler in 1933, it did so based on Hitler's lies and false information Hitler provided. This is not unlike the situation with other major powers that also failed to recognize Hitler's intent until too late.

Pax,

Ruth

60

Would you ever consider Going Back?

by Honesty in

jw
friends

after discovering what you have about the watchtower society would you ever consider going back to the jw's?

NanaR

Hell no!

Pun intended.

Ruth

35

Your Favorite JW Guilt Trips

by Wordly Andre in

jw
friends

what are your favorite jw guilt trips?

mine are: "you hurt my feelings when you say things like that" and "oh i pray to jehovah, that you will come back, what did we do wrong with you"

NanaR

Andre:

Said to my grown daughter: "Your grandmother is so upset that your mother is not coming to meetings. You'd think that she could come just to make her mother happy."

This was around 2000.

A couple of years later the same "sister" said to the same grown daughter: "Why doesn't your mother come to meetings?"

Several points angered me in this -- 1) Thinking that using my mother to guilt me would get me to come back to meetings, when I was taking care of my mother and communicating quite well with her at this point (just not going to meetings with her). 2) Asking my daughter why "I" don't do something.

This particular "sister" lives on the same street I do. But obviously she has never had the nerve to ask me any question directly.

Last time I saw her in Kroger and spoke to her, I got a quick mumble and a deer-in-the-headlights look.

Because I'm such a DANGEROUS person, don't ya know?

Good question, Andre!

Ruth

75

If You Were Wrong About The JWs, Maybe Your Current Beliefs Aren't True

by serotonin_wraith in

if you're here, it's likely you were once fooled by what the jws believe.. back then, i expect you thought you were smart.

you thought you could tell if you were being lied to.

yet, they got past your mental defenses and sucked you in.. knowing this, how can you be sure your current religious beliefs are true?.

NanaR

Some of us were raised as JWs. Like most people, we accepted the belief system of our parents (and usually our extended family and their associates) as true.

We lived through a lot in being "led" by the Watchtower Society. Along the way, we also learned how to think critically and how to reason outside of the JW box (at least we did if we are no longer JWs).

Acceptanace of a different religious faith than the one you were raised with implies conversion. Conversion is a process involving not only the mind but the heart.

I have come to believe that faith is not built one study at a time, as the JWs would have us believe. Faith is a gift (grace) of the Holy Spirit. God doesn't give us our gifts in pieces.

Each of us is free to believe or not believe in God and/or religion. I believe.

My history as a JW is irrelevant to the truth/falsity of my current beliefs.

Ruth

4

Looking for GDA's earlier than 1983

by cultswatter in

the gda is short for grand discouragement article.. you know... the wt articles that try to make the partakers stop partaking or else!...

i have a theory that 1982/83 was the year when the replacements (now called the additions) were toooooo excessive and the wt had to start writing feedback articles to reduce the number or partakers.

i know there was a gda in the 1983 wt but what about years before that.

NanaR

The January 15, 1951 Watchtower has information about why the "other sheep" should not partake. So the "discouraging" has been going on for a long, long time.

Ruth