humbled

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Posts by humbled

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  9

  Buying a body of elders

  by hoser in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  yes, everyone has a price.

  a number of years ago in a congregation i once was in there was a wealthy businessman in the congregation.

  he made sure that all of the elders had annual vacations overseas or to the tropics paid for by himself.

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  humbled

  Raging Bull,

  The double-standard thing wore a lot of JWs down while I was still in.

  It sometmes seemed to begin when an elder's children grew up to a point that all the theories about "keeping the Congregation clean" suddenly seemed harsh when they looked at their messed up teen (redundancy there!) and realized they would lose their child if they applied the rules to them with the same rigor that was applied to others.

  Good for them and their some-times-sympathy--but it was rarely sound or honestly, fairly applied. They rationalized behavior for some and scapegoated others.

  And the secrecy! I think that it probably hurt more people than it helped. Jeez--these guys weren't even free to use common sense if they even had it.

  I pity any of you good fellows who served as elders whose basic decency had to contend with the WT Rules.

  Maeve
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  13

  CO visit

  by thedog1 in

  1. watchtower
  2. beliefs

  it's the co visit in our hall this week.

  last night he gave a talk about all the changes that have taken place in the last few years, like the change in the book study arrangement and the changes in public forms of witnessing, the rise and importance of jw.org.

  he then emphasised what our reaction to these should be.

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  humbled

  EoM,

  I'm laughing---but surely They would allow that even a perfect JW requires this one thing for HS to work properly: a cup of Starbucks.
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  24

  How Were You Affected by All The Rules & Regulations From The Watchtower Society?

  by minimus in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  there are so many directives for elders, pioneers, ministerial servants and "publishers", it is mind boggling!!!.

  to fulfill all of their expectaions, you would have to be perfect!.

  i must say, that i really don't know how some do it, every day, ever week....i wonder how long some of the elders that frequent this board will still push the flock like the watchtower says they must..

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  humbled

  Man, the rules and regs wore me down.

  I never was a "poster child" of a publisher--I couldn't be. I had seven children and lived without many modern conveniences.

  The rigid requirements wore and tore either my time or my mind. As many have said many times before--you can never do enough. I had been a late in life recruit--so I was doubly conflicted as it became apparent that Jesus never expected the busy work the WT over-seers expected.

  It would take pages to itemize the crippling effect the rules and regs had on my non-witness husband and our children--because I brought this crap into the home.

  The worst thing I ever did for myself and my family was get into this religion--and the best thing was getting out.

  Maeve
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  28

  Profiling of an apostate

  by joe134cd in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  i must admit when i was in, the idea i had of an apostate, was an angry bitter person who would picket out side a convention.

  i was looking on jwservey and found on the respondents to a servey that 54% were either active members or fading members.

  this made me wonder is the organisation underestimating the extent of apostasy.

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  humbled

  I never dreamed I was an apostate when I took a troubling matter to the elders.

  I can't give you a profile of an apostate even now. But I am out now. An apostate.
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  26

  UNITY vs CONFORMITY - discuss.

  by disposable hero of hypocrisy in

  1. watchtower
  2. beliefs

  i've read the walsh trial that indicates the societies stance of ' unity at all costs, even if we're wrong ' but that sounds more like conformity to me.

  so how do other religions or movements justify the range of beliefs within their respective movements?

  for example, the born again movement, a massive range of beliefs, but they don't insist on conformity.

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  humbled

  I t is true that we can belong to a group as long as we freely believe all that is said. But coersion of conscience is compromise to God anyway you look at it. So I left the JW "faith" because it destroys that freedom of conscience.

  Doctrines and theology are terrible.

  Jesus didn't make any demands to conform in that way. "...for he that is not against us is for us" --is not too tight a reign on discipleship, is it?
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  27

  My son has made his decision

  by CaptainSchmideo in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  this is the followup to this thread:.

  http://www.jehovahs-witness.net/jw/friends/276119/1/well-its-march-and-the-college-answers-are-coming-in#.uyjdu_ldv2e.

  the financial aid offer came in.. the first year of attending is actually cheaper than what we were going to pay at the state university after their scholarship offer.. i mean, really cheaper.. we would be fools to turn it down.. they are even flying him in for the preview week.. .

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  humbled

  What a cloud to float on! Enjoy it!

  MIT wants him and they will keep their eye on him financial-aid-wise. He must be a "good one". I am happy for you all.

  Maeve
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  13

  Any one from Ireland? Happy St. Patrick's Day. How do you celebrate?

  by Miss.Fit in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  hello all, i know st.patrick's day is about over.. i was just curious how many of you observed the holiday.

  i live in the usa in the south west.

  where i live we have a large population of native americans and hispanics.. so st.patrick's day is low key.. we wear green and talk about drinking green beer.. i started to wonder what a real celebration would entail.. i dressed as a lepercaun for story time..

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  humbled

  the black stuff?

  You mean, what they're drinking?

  It's Guinness.

  Edit: Now available in a package store near you!
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  16

  Great to see you all!

  by KW13 in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  it's heartwarming to see so many new faces (and some older ones) playing their part in this thriving community.

  so many more free minds!

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  humbled

  Say, how has life been for you?
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  21

  Nephew Giving Once-Big-Shot-Elder Financial Aid

  by snowbird in

  1. jw
  2. experiences

  my nephew is a graduate of an alabama university and harvard.. he didn't listen to the warnings about seeking higher education, and has a good job.. the elder sunk himself trying to keep his son, who did not apply himself in school, out of prison.. it's a sad situation, but it shows how foolish the wt's directives can be.. sylvia.

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  humbled

  I bet that story won't show up in an AWAKE! article, snowbird.

  And that's too bad.

  Maeve
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  13

  Any one from Ireland? Happy St. Patrick's Day. How do you celebrate?

  by Miss.Fit in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  hello all, i know st.patrick's day is about over.. i was just curious how many of you observed the holiday.

  i live in the usa in the south west.

  where i live we have a large population of native americans and hispanics.. so st.patrick's day is low key.. we wear green and talk about drinking green beer.. i started to wonder what a real celebration would entail.. i dressed as a lepercaun for story time..

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  humbled

  Miss.Fit,

  As Barry said, Patrick was English or born in what was then Roman Britannia.

  The only accounts of him that are nearly trust-worthy are his "Confessions" and his letter tho the Soldiers of Coroticus. The RCC has co-opted the story as it does with all note-worthy activities that can be braided into its religion and imbellished it.

  What I like about Patrick's story is how he celebrates the valor of women and of women slaves in particular. Also, he took to task the soldiers of a British tribal chief,Coroticus who was a Christian, for a slave raid in Ireland (Hibernia). It is said this is the first anti-slavery letter written by a Christian.

  I do have lot of Irish in me. Through one way and another, I was stranded in Dublin, Ireland from July 1973-June1974. It was formative and facinating. I was a nominal Catholic at the time-no one the Church would have been proud of, certainly. I celebrated St. Patrick's Day 1974 in a pub and narrowly missed getting into a brawl.

  I do like the kind of man Patrick was. If following Jesus helps us be decent and brave on behalf of our fellow humans--all good. But religion takes over too much.

  Happy Day-After-St. Patty's Day, Miss.Fit!

  "And may you be in heaven a half hour before the devil knows you're dead!"--Irish proverb--not authorized by the Church