Posts by Enlighted UK

42

Notes from 2001 District Conv.---Friday

by LostMyReligion in

jw
friends

here are a few notes i took at the friday session of the 2001 "teachers of god's word" district convention.

i thought i would share these upbuilding theocratic point with my new friends, along with my thoughts as i was listening to the program.

1st instruction of the day: sing loudly and listen to the prayer!

Enlighted UK

Thanks for the copious note-taking.

They are still banging on about people not getting any decent education??

I am still MAD at the society (and myself for being so gullible at the time). My former boss (a nuclear physicist) offered to send me on a degree course. I (foolishly) declined, thinking that i would never get all the studying done with theocratic meetings etc etc. I then left that employment (what an idiot!) as I kept missing theocratic meetings, because I was held up in meetings elsewhere in the country with merchant bankers/ hospital managers etc etc.

I am now back in full-time employment in a field where I can expand my knowledge and qualifications and I am loving every minute of it!!

I feel sorry for all the youngsters who are doing the same as i did, and blowing excellent opportunities.

HAve you noticed though that when the society require brothers and sisters to work on their assembly halls, they always require those that are QUALIFIED to do the job?? Well how do they think people become qualified - peddling magazines??

Just a thought.

Enlighted UK

4

Conventions

by podsy1 in

jw
friends

it has been more than twenty years since i last attended a district assembly.

i have heard that the society no longer has the assemblies at statiums where the crownds would number into the thousands.

instead, they are now held at different assembly halls that the society owns.

Enlighted UK

In the UK (south), there is an assembly held at Twickenham Rugby Stadium that has 15,000 capacity (?), that is used every summer, as well as Crystal Palace (9,000?) and Brighton Convention Centre (3,000), Norwich footbal stadium (9,000 ?) There are also others, but these are the ones I know and have rough ideas of seating capacity.

They never seemed full, and they always cordoned off area behind platform. To allow everyone a good view of the platform, or to prevent cynical brothers and sisters throwing things at the speakers head (I was never sure which!!).

It is blissful not to have to contemplate another assembly, along with the joys of volunteering on car parking/cleaning/keeping baby happy for 2/3 days.

Enlighted UK

17

1961 WT on Blood and today's "light"

by qwerty in

jw
friends

we've all been given the new advanced health "care" directive at our book groups.

talk about feeling pressured into a situation.

we have to take forms home, read them, tick what medical care info our consciense will allow if we are in a life or death situation.

Enlighted UK

Hello Qwerty,

I live on the south east coast of the UK.

Enlighted UK

16

Psychic torture and manipulation

by Norm in

jw
friends

brooklyn has really developed manipulation into a fine art.

you see, i didnt have any feeling of self-worth, so i could not imagine how jehovah could ever accept my service to him.. .

paul and all the other idiots that couldnt have a life because of the lack of time are now dead.

Enlighted UK

Great post Norm.

________________________________________________________________
18 When a runner knows that he is near the end of a long race, he does not give up. His body may be at the limit of its endurance—exhausted, overheated, and dehydrated—but so near to the finish is no time to stop running. Similarly, as Christians we are in a race for the prize of life, and we are very near the finish line. Now is not the time for us to stop running!—
_________________________________________________________________

What the Society don't seem to have realised (or maybe they have) is that when a runner starts a race, he knows he will be running a 100m or 200m or 1500m race. If a 1500m runner, got to the 1400m stage, and the marksman (??) suddenly said across the tanoy "Well folks, this race is actually going to be a 2500m race. If any of you were thinking that it was going to end at 1500m, then you were being a bit eager weren't you??" And then the same thing happens at 3,500m etc etc. What would the runners response be???

If I were a runner my response would be "Stuff you I'm going home".

Well then, I'm a very miffed ex-long distance runner.

Enlighted UK

17

1961 WT on Blood and today's "light"

by qwerty in

jw
friends

we've all been given the new advanced health "care" directive at our book groups.

talk about feeling pressured into a situation.

we have to take forms home, read them, tick what medical care info our consciense will allow if we are in a life or death situation.

Enlighted UK

I suddenly stopped attending meetings in Oct 00.

Two elders came round to see me and asked why. I explained about the blood issue, that I wasn't happy with it, couldn't condone it, preach it, believe it. (My daughter had recently (Sept 00) undergone open heart surgery and my openly declared stand was "the surgeons will do all they can to operate without blood, but if she needs a blood transfusion, then she has a blood transfusion and we (my husband and I) have no objection to that. We just want to take our daughter home". I also explained to the elders that I would exactly the same thing again. (Thanks to the skill and dedication of the surgeon and medical/surgical team, blood wasn't used.)

I also stated that i wasn't happy with the organisation and wouldn't advise anyone to join it. I said that most elders, including the pair sitting in front of me, were hypocritical, saying one thing on the platform, another thing off the platform "unofficially". That i didn't want to end up like most of the sisters in my congregation, depressed and on Prozac (that is fact - and included the wives of both the elders sitting in front of me).

They asked if they could come and see me in a few weeks, which I agreed to, provided that it didn't include an invite to any circuit overseer or wife, should they happen to be visiting at the time. For many years I have openly expressed a dislike of co's and the visits, and butt-kissing that usually went along with it.

However, that was the last I saw of them. After a recent CO visit (April 01) they seemed to get a bit twitchy and asked my husband if they could come round and see me. I said they would have to ask me directly and not via any intermediary. Again, nothing more heard.

They know my views, I refuse to allow my daughter to attend meetings. But they haven't done anything.........yet. I am well prepared with research on the Society's changing views on blood/vaccinations.

It seems to depend what the elders are like in the local congregation, and whether there is anything better on television that night rather than harassing perfectly happy people, as to whether they DA or DF someone straight away.

Enlighted UK

Enjoy your life, it is the only one you'll have.

22

who are the governing body?

by robin33126 in

jw
friends

jehovah witness when mentioning "governing body" they say it like if they knew who these people are.

i asked one jw to mentioned their names and couldn't answer me.

so what is so special if they don't know the names, lives, background, of these people?

Enlighted UK

When I was 10 or 11, after the Memorial all the children would scramble to the kitchen at the back of the Hall to eat the "bread". The symbolic aura had apparently disappeared after the prayer. We tried for the wine, but no luck.

This years memorial was the first one i didn't attend. It felt strange (after years of habitual attendance) but felt a wonderful sense of freedom!!

46

Canada's Numbers Declining-Worries Bethel

by Had Enough in

jw
friends

man it's good to be home, relaxed and de-stressing right now!

how many times today, i just wanted to say aaaaarrrrrrgggggghhhh!!!!

at my circuit's one-day assembly.

Enlighted UK

In the UK I think the field service is dropping off. I never see them in the ministry in our area. I would often see them in the street, although they would never call at my door. And now I am not at meetings on ministry, I am at home, relaxing, even more. And I STILL don't see them.

What is happening? Are they getting bored with it!! (About time)

23

Question for any elder/recent ex-elder

by OrangeBlossom in

jw
friends

the elders keep dropping by every couple of saturday's after bookstudy to check on us and try to encourage us back to meetings.

it has worked out that my husband has been gone when they visit so they keep coming back hoping to catch him sometime.

anyway, i told my hubby that we should at least go to the meetings once a week to keep them off our trail, which i went this past thursday night and wouldn't you know it the one elder approached me and mentioned that they still want to sit down with us and go over an article on meeting attendance.

Enlighted UK

To Patio34

Yes, illness is a brilliant way of missing meetings. My daughter has had heart/lung problems from the very beginning. I was able to use this as a reason for missing many meetings/field service (missed 2 years of assemblies - bliss!!), and decided, to avoid further complications surrounding infection, to go into the Hall at the last minute with my daughter before the meeting started and sit at the back.

Although on one occasion an Elders wife found me sitting in the car and decided to give me some encouragment a short time before my daughter was admitted for open heart surgery (and these are her words) "Well it is better that she die now than later". The really sad thing is that she really believed what she was saying.

I can't believe they can call themselves a loving organisation!!

Enlighted UK

23

Question for any elder/recent ex-elder

by OrangeBlossom in

jw
friends

the elders keep dropping by every couple of saturday's after bookstudy to check on us and try to encourage us back to meetings.

it has worked out that my husband has been gone when they visit so they keep coming back hoping to catch him sometime.

anyway, i told my hubby that we should at least go to the meetings once a week to keep them off our trail, which i went this past thursday night and wouldn't you know it the one elder approached me and mentioned that they still want to sit down with us and go over an article on meeting attendance.

Enlighted UK

I left the org 7 months ago. My husband still attends the occasional meeting, to keep his parents "happy", although not committed as he used to be.

When at the KH a few weeks ago, 2 elders asked my husband if they could come round because "they would like to have a chat with me about what I believe".

1) If they want to talk to me, they should do so directly, and not use my husband as a go-between.

2) My husband was also advised by someone else in the congregation to leave me and our daughter. (Nice and Christian huh??)

I reported this back to my parents (my dad being an ex-elder/ex-JW, mum also ex-JW). As an ex-elder he knows how it works, so advised me to get the elders to put down in writing what they want to talk to me about, what their desired outcome would be, and then send me the letter. Do not enter into a discussion with them as they could be recording the conversation and hold it against you at a later stage. Do not refuse to see them, (that in itself is enough for a Disfellowshipping). Be friendly, but discuss nothing bar the weather, and the fact that they have got to put it in writing to you first. Then you will contact them to make further arrangements. Also remember that you can have anyone you like with you when they visit.

They still haven't been in contact with me, so I haven't had to put any of the above into practice yet. But I'm ready and waiting if they do decide/remember.

And above all DON'T LET THEM WALK ALL OVER YOU!! Keep going, remember why you wanted to leave in the first place.

Enlighted UK

Enjoy your life, it is the only one you'll have.

17

1961 WT on Blood and today's "light"

by qwerty in

jw
friends

we've all been given the new advanced health "care" directive at our book groups.

talk about feeling pressured into a situation.

we have to take forms home, read them, tick what medical care info our consciense will allow if we are in a life or death situation.

Enlighted UK

Qwerty, thank you for putting this reference on:

"19 In view of the emphasis put on the use of blood in the medical world, new treatments involving its use are constantly being recommended.But regardless of whether it is whole blood or a blood fraction, whether it is blood taken from one’s own body or that taken from someone else, whether it is administered as a transfusion or as an injection, the divine law applies. God has not given man blood to use as he might use other substances; he requires respect for the sanctity of blood.[/quote]"

So in light of the above, how can they then write the following:...

How Can Blood Save Your Life? (1990)

*** hb 27 Jehovah's Witnesses-The Surgical/Ethical Challenge ***
While these verses are not stated in medical terms, Witnesses view them as ruling out transfusion of whole blood, packed RBCs, and plasma, as well as WBC and platelet administration. However, Witnesses’ religious understanding does not absolutely prohibit the use of components such as albumin, immune globulins, and hemophiliac preparations; each Witness must decide individually if he can accept these.

So are fractions allowed or not????

My reason for leaving the org was because of the blood issue. When my daughter was born it became a very very real issue to me. I suddenly realised what was involved, and the what the outcome would be if, when required to save her life, it was refused.

If the org was Jehovah's mouthpiece on earth, would he really be changing his mind about what is and isn't acceptable? Would he play with people's lives like this, knowing the consequences? If the answer is no, then what is printed in watchtower pubs is just the society's viewpoint, nothing divine about it. If the answer is yes, then do I really want to jump to the every whim of a God who doesn't care? (Personally I think the answer is no, and that there are just a bunch of power crazy, frustrated window cleaners sitting in Brooklyn getting kicks out of playing god.)

On the same thread of blood, this quote was in a paper discussing the JW stand on blood:

The Golden Age, Jan. 5, 1929; Feb. 4, 1931

“Thinking people would rather have smallpox than vaccination, because the latter sows the seed of syphilis, cancers, eczema, erysipelas, scrofula, consumption, even leprosy and many other loathsome afflictions. Hence the practice of vaccination is a crime, an outrage and a delusion “

I bet that not many JW's now are aware of the fact that JWs who obeyed the Society rules at this time would have died because of refusing vaccinations. Yet now they accept vaccinations without questionning.

Enlighted UK

Enjoy your life, it is the only one you'll have.