Posts by esther

2

Relationships

by wanderingjew in

to anyone who can give me an honest answer:.

for the past few months i have been dating a disfellowshipped witness.

the witness is being shunned by other witnesses and has been going through this for around 2 years now.

esther

Wanderingjew, hi. You said

Within one website I read that marrying between a Witness and a non-Witness is strongly discouraged, but it didn't mention if it was, in fact, forbidden?

Witnesses are told that they should only marry in the lord, so they should only marry a JW.

While it is not expressly forbidden, you need to realise that for a JW, if something is strongly discouraged, it might just as well be forbidden. This is especially so in the case of a JW who is disfellowshipped and is trying to get reinstated.

To get reinstated, she needs to be living an exemplary life, and that, unfortunately, means that if you and she are not already married, she will be urged to break off her relationship with you.

It is a pity she doesn't read boards like this

esther

28

Why does the WTBTS survive?

by Skimmer in

back in late 1973 when i got my fatal doubts about the wtbts, i was sure that the society would crumble soon after 1975 when yet another prediction failed.

i was not alone with this thought; a british author by the name of stevenson (an exjw that had written an expose) allocated an entire chapter in his book about the likelihood that there would be a very major falling away in 1976 or soon thereafter.. but it didn't happen.

yes, there were several years of consecutive worldwide declines.

esther

Skimmer, I think that the change in the generation doctrine has given people doubts. I never did believe what they wrote about that, but I thought that that would be put right. I suppose I still believed that Jehovah would clean up his people, starting at the top.

Also, I thought that there had to be a true religion, and believed that the JWs were the closest thing to the truth. I have recently realised that that was because of the resurrection hope. I wanted that to be true, so let myself be partially blinded.

However, I slowed down. I withdrew from the school, started missing meetings regularly, became irregular in FS, then inactive, then finally decided to leave.

I know there are others with doubts still active, mostly for family reasons. So there may well be a constant trickle away from the JWs.

esther

13

I need your help!

by open_mind in

jw
friends

i have not shared my "story" with you yet.....i will give you the just of it right now, and go into further detail later.. i was baptized three months ago.

i started having doubts right away.

i am currently inactive and have no plans to return.

esther

Open_mind, I agree with the answers you have so far received. Especially do not put anything in writing and don't talk to an elder at all. Remember, even if he is your friend, he is an elder first, and as such, he puts the organisation above everything.

If you need to keep up the business with JWs, one way is to follow expatbrit's advice

attempt to stall for time. Claim a busy schedule, ill health, whatever. In the gained time, make altering your business interests your top priority. See a lawyer regarding existing contracts with JW's. Once business is no longer a factor, you have more options

is good.

Or you could follow the advice of Cautious

pretend that you have not doubts anymore and then slowly fade, after a period of "doing the right thing"

.

I hope everything works out for you

esther

25

Hi everyone....

by Jeremy Bravo in

jw
friends

as i sit in front of my computer in a drunken stupor wondering what might have been, i felt i had to post my story to those who might truly understand what i am going through.. i am a newbie here, but have been lurking around for the last few weeks.

i am 25 years old, from ontario, and totally heartbroken.. to give you some background, back in 1998, i studied with the witnesses because some friends of mine, whom i believe to be honest and sincere people, gave me (i thought at the time) some good advice to start a book study.

i did, and i really enjoyed it because i felt they presented everything factually and had a strong interpretation of the scriptures (i'm a facts man, you see).

esther

Hi Jeremy, you asked

If she trusted me with her heart and soul, why did she say that what I had to say was "probably all crap?"

The short answer is mind control. She has had it drummed into her head that she will be persecuted even by her loved ones. She has been taught that she can only trust the Watchtower organisation.

I am glad you are moving on, it is the wisest thing to do.

It is good that you posted here. Welcome. You will find support here, and understanding.

Regards

esther

28

"Have I committed the unforgiveable sin?&q...

by LDH in

jw
friends

*** g94 11/8 20 have i committed the unforgivable sin?

masturbation is an unclean habit.

(2 corinthians 7:1) however, the bible does not class it with serious sins such as fornication.

esther

*** g94 11/8 20 Have I Committed the Unforgivable Sin? ***Masturbation is an unclean habit. (2 Corinthians 7:1) However, the Bible does not class it with serious sins such as fornication. In fact, it does not mention it at all. Therefore, a lapse into masturbation would hardly be unforgivable.

Since it isn't mentioned in the bible, how could the WTS decide it is a sin at all?

After all, it can't be just something that occurs in our century. So, if it was wrong, the bible would have mentioned it.

33

Quotes of Wisdom

by LadyBug in

i love quotes of wisdom, so i thought i'd post some for others who like them too.

.

bew

esther

Nothing much happens without a dream. For something really great to happen, it takes a really great dream -Robert Greenleaf

The difference between the impossible and the possible lies in a man's determination -Tommy Lasorda

Be like a postage stamp. Stick to something until you get there -Josh Billings

Many of life's failures are people who did not realise how close they were to success when they gave up -Thomas Edison

esther

205

HELLO? HELLO? "ALL" SIGN IN???????

by waiting in

simon did away with the sex forum - so i must take the tradional route and post under "make new friends.

" how mundane!.

fyi ---- for all of us, please take the time to write a sentence or two about yourselves, and encourage new ones to do the same.

esther

Welcome Missy. You said

They spoke as though they were trying to convince me. At least that is how it felt

They were, your husband believes that your life depends on it. And yes, the speaking loudly is in the hope of convincing you that it is 'the truth'.

As the others in this thread said, your gut is right. If you read some of the other threads, you might be able to come up with some subtle questions to ask him.

Have you visited the ajwrb (Associated Jehovah's Witnesses for the Reform of Blood site? It was set up by Jehovah's Witnesses, including elders. One link is > http://www.ajwrb.org/about.shtml
There is one place in the site that goes into the history of the blood issue, and how the society has changed the rules

esther

13

JUSTICE #14 - Caring for the Needy - Not!

by Amazing in

jw
friends

caring for the needy not!

when i first became a jw in the late 1960s and all the years thereafter, the watch tower society would frequently boast about the loving care and concern that jws show among themselves, providing for the needy during disasters, even helping the world.

the society would publish in the magazines, or comments at conventions about how the world observed our efficiency and overwhelming spirit of giving.. what about the rest of the year?

esther

Amazing you said

What I cannot understand is how the Elders could so easily justify the Society bending rules to smuggle literature and other forbidden supplies, or how the Elders can fail to report sex offenders as required by many state laws, but then take such a strong righteous stand when it came to a brother providing help to the needy

IMO, the reason for this stand is that brother C's actions did not (a) Get good press for the WTBTS, (b) Sell literature, so that the WTBTS did not have financial gains and (c) Did not follow the guidelines of seeking first the laws of the society. That is, he failed to go out in FS for the required hours, and he missed meetings. Remember that these guidelines are what the society uses as a measure of spirituality

Thank you for your posts

esther

33

Quotes of Wisdom

by LadyBug in

i love quotes of wisdom, so i thought i'd post some for others who like them too.

.

bew

esther

Things do not happen; things are made to happen -John F Kennedy

Good timber does not grow with ease; the stronger the wind, the stronger the trees -J Willard Marriot

Most bold change is the result of a hundred thousand tiny changes that culminate in a bold product or procedure or structure -Thomas Peters

All our dreams can come true, if we have the courage to pursue them -Walt Disney

esther

33

Quotes of Wisdom

by LadyBug in

i love quotes of wisdom, so i thought i'd post some for others who like them too.

.

bew

esther

If a man does his best, what else is there? -General George S Patton

The great composer does not set to work because he is inspired, but becomes inspired because he is working. Beethoven, Bach, Mozart settled down day after day to the job at hand with as much regularity as an accountant settles down each day to his figures. They didn't waste time waiting for inspiration -E Newman

esther