here's one thing to start off our list: jws can't stand for the country's national anthem (but they can rise for the flag salute).
They can't give blood even though they can take fractions made from donated blood.
They can't call a Catholic nun "sister", even though they can go to a Catholic hospital.
They can receive charity from Churches but cannot donate to those same charities.
They're all take and no give
Ruth
i wasjust really curious to see what the average of everyone's "history" is here, and also how many "higer ups" we have that have abandoned the ways.
so what were you, an elder?
a pioneer?
Baptized, publisher, vacation pioneer, pioneer, auxiliary pioneer BUT
I am female so my rank was really
bottom of the barrel
Ruth
here is the awake volume for 1948.. it mentions the case adelaide company of jehovah's witnesses inc v the commonwealth of australia.
info on this case can be found here:.
http://www.jehovahs-witness.com/10/160783/1.ashx.
Thank you!!
Ruth
i'm feeling so down lately my psycology has reached to the bottom.
sometimes i wish i never been born.
looking back my life all there is left is pain.
JustHuman:
I am so sorry that your family is so under the control of the Watchtower. Your situation is heartbreaking. My husband and daughters have not joined me in the Catholic Church, but they are no longer active Witnesses either. Stories such as yours make me appreciate where I am, even though I continue to pray that my family find Christ too.
I will keep all of you in my prayers.
The peace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you always,
Ruth
i am supposed to be on the radio today (barring any technical difficulties) at 6:30 pm central time for about an hour.. i believe they take calls so if there is something you want me to talk about feel free to call in.. here is the link where you can listen on-line:.
http://www.radiomaria.us/programs.html.
jeff s.. www.catholicxjw.com.
Hey Jeff:
I'm going to be out and away from the computer unfortunately at that time and we don't get that on radio here.
Will the program be archived?
Pax,
Ruth
hello to everyone here at jwd.
i've been lurking about and tossing out a few .
comments since i joined up a few weeks ago.
Welcome!!
I sent you a pm ;-)
Ruth
so many of us have suffered so much here in our experience with the watchtower cult and at the hands of others.
this afternoon's segment of npr's this i believe reminds us of the liberating power of forgiveness.
i heard it on the drive home and wanted to share it here with you.
NanaR
You quote me saying:
If theoretically, say, god forgives us our sins because we believe in Jesus and then we change religions, the forgiveness is withdrawn.Then ask:
On what basis do you make this statement? Adding: When God forgives us our sins, he does so completely and does not withdraw that forgiveness…and does not rule out the possibility that we can walk away from Him and His forgiveness (grace).Do you not see that if we can walk away from his forgiveness it is conditional.
You say:
God honours our free will.Clearly he does not. Because if we use our free will to walk away he cease to forgive and withdraws his offer of everlasting life. This is not honouring free will.
Trevor:
I'm having difficulty with the formatting, but this is what I was trying to say (sorry if I was unclear).
God forgives us. It is unconditional and He does not take it back. It is a gift.
We can choose to accept His gift or throw it away. The fault is not His, but ours.
Just to state what I said clearly. You have a right to your own opinion.
Fortunately when I entered into the illogical world of Biblical theology I wisely used the word ‘theoretically.’
Actually I would not apply the term "theoretically" to theology. A theory implies a hypothesis which can be verified by experimental means. The world of theology is the world of faith -- by definition not verifiable by natural means, since it has a supernatural origin. Nice talkin' to you ;-) Ruth
so many of us have suffered so much here in our experience with the watchtower cult and at the hands of others.
this afternoon's segment of npr's this i believe reminds us of the liberating power of forgiveness.
i heard it on the drive home and wanted to share it here with you.
If theoretically, say, god forgives us our sins because we believe in Jesus and then we change religions, the forgiveness is withdrawn.
Trevor:
On what basis do you make this statement?
When God forgives us our sins, he does so completely and does not withdraw that forgiveness. Having been forgiven in the past does not preclude the need to seek forgiveness in the future when/if we sin again, and does not rule out the possibility that we can walk away from Him and His forgiveness (grace).
God honors our free will. If we choose to live without him, and die without him, that is our choice.
His choice is always to forgive us. He loves us no matter what our "religion". We are all His children, and He is available to all of us.
Pax,
Ruth
so many of us have suffered so much here in our experience with the watchtower cult and at the hands of others.
this afternoon's segment of npr's this i believe reminds us of the liberating power of forgiveness.
i heard it on the drive home and wanted to share it here with you.
Thanks Burn.
This is why my favorite part of the Our Father prayer is: "forgive us our trespasses, AS WE FORGIVE THOSE WHO TRESPASS against us"
As we forgive, so we are forgiven.
Anger and hatred will destroy a person from the inside out. I know. I was angry with God for many many years. The anger was so deeply buried that I could not even see it was there -- but I could feel the bitterness that it engendered.
I had to learn that the God I was taught to worship was not the God who came to earth to save me. I could not remain angry at the suffering God on the Cross.
I needed to read this this morning too.
Love you, Burn.
having problem pasting this...
I remmember the Ledley sisters.
Carol and Adele Ledley were "needgreater" pioneers in my congregation in Kentucky before they went to Bethel. I spent several summers of my teenage years "vacation pioneering" with them.
Lois Borden lived with the Ledley girls here, and Patsy Ferguson came here with them but moved out to live with an elderly brother and sister. Carol and Adele became special pioneers and left us, then went to Bethel. Lois left when they did. Patsy stayed quite a long time. She was from Ithaca, NY.
I believe they all got married, and I know that Carol, Adele, and Patsy all had at least one child. I don't know if Lois ever had any children or not.
Connections, connections -- they never stop!!
Did any of you ever meet Paula Spatz? She went to Gilead, got engaged, and married her fiance (also a Gilead student) after they got to their assignment in Africa. Paula was a beautiful girl.
Memory lane...
Ruth
