eyeslice

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Posts by eyeslice

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  25

  Opinions on Age of Baptismal Candidates

  by redskymedic in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  i am sure i am not the only one that thinks it's ridiculous that they allow pre-teens and young teens to get baptized.

  i know now that i did not have a full understanding of the implications of baptism.

  i did it primarily because that's what was expected.

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  eyeslice

  I was baptized at age 14. But it must be said though, I do feel that personally I knew what I was doing. All these years later and despite the fact that I am no longer one of Jehovah's Witnesses, I still am respectful of the personal vows that I made to God at the time.

  You should remember that religious belief or unbelief is established early on in life, not later.

  However, I do agree with the general sentiments of this thread. Often youngs ones are presuured into getting baptized at an early age for all the wrong reasons.

  Sometimes it is for family status reasons. I remember as an elder people asking me why my 19 year old wasn't yet baptized (he did get baptized eventually but quit not longer after). Your status as a 'spiritual' family is undermined if you have kids in their late teens or early twenties who are not baptized.

  I am sure that at other times young ones get baptized round about 16 in order to be free to go out with members of the opposite sex. You get a young baptized brother aged 19 or 20 in the congregation and suddenly all the 16 year old sisters are getting spiritual and being baptized. Given the silly restrictions of the WTB&TS I must say I can't really blame them.

  Eyeslice
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  5

  Ninety Years Ago Today

  by Duncan in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  on bbc radio 4?s today programme this morning, they were covering the extraordinary events of ninety years ago, christmas day 1914, in the no-man?s-land between the trenches in world war i. .

  in the first christmas of that terrible war some british and german soldiers, close enough in their trenches to hear each other, began to sing carols and call out to their opponents.

  soldiers ventured over the parapets and met with their enemies, laughing and joking, sharing songs, even exchanging gifts.

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  eyeslice

  My wish for the coming year is that the basic, inbuilt human impulse to good sense, kindness, and a balanced sense of proportion will continue to seep through among the millions of decent Jehovah?s Witnesses, and corrode from within the harsh and dehumanising control structures of the Watchtower Society.

  Amen to that thought and may it also be applied to others who are enslaved to dogmatic belief systems.

  Eyeslice
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  29

  What does the elder manual say the procedure is?

  by mkr32208 in

  1. watchtower
  2. scandals

  what does the elder manual say the procedure is when someone reports child abuse?

  my father in law is telling my wife that is says to go straight to the proper authorities... i have a hard time buying that since thats not what the watchtowers i've seen have said!

  any one have the low down on this?

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  eyeslice

  I know that in the UK, the instructions are to contact the branch office first by telephone. It is important to remember that the society is very touchy about anything in writing. You phone them and they will tell you verbally what to do. They hate any written records - could lead to legal cases, etc., etc.
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  75

  I'm afraid there are only 2 ways of being a true believin' Christian

  by Zep in

  1. watchtower
  2. bible

  the first way is to be completely ignorant.to ignore the fact that the bible is a hopelessly flawed man made document, and all other reasoned argument and evidence that points to the non existence of the christian god.

  this strategy basically involves living inside mental cocoon and closing your eyes to any alternative views.

  the best way to employ this tactic is to perform a whole lot repetitive and ritualistic action; a whole lot of head bowing and praying etc... etc....you know the drill!.

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  eyeslice

  I am in agreement with what funkyderek said

  For some people, to be a Christian is simply to be like Christ - compassionate, contemplative, disdainful of religious hypocrisy

  Over the ages, there appear to have been a few people who have been able to give us a glimpse of the divine. I am sure that if there is a God, then truely following the examples of the few like Christ is as good a way as any to live our lives, whether we chose to call ourselves Christians or not.
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  19

  Depression in the congregation

  by badboy in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  any takers

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  eyeslice

  On the other hand .....

  Levels of depression are very high amoungst the population in general.

  Also, even if levels are higher with the JWs than society in general, is this because they cause it or are people inclined to depression more attracted to religion? Many years ago, I had a JW friend who found himself in a mental hospital following a nervous breakdown. He said it was the best 'witnessing' territory he had every had!

  Eyeslice
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  4

  Freeness of speach - should you be allowed to say anything?

  by eyeslice in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  here in the uk this week there has been controversy over a play that depicts violence and rape in a sikh temple (known as a gurdwara).

  protestors have managed to have the play taken off, which in turn has upset proponents of free speech.

  so, here is the question; should people be allowed to express any point of view, be it considered by some to be racial, blasphemous, anti-religious, anti-semitic or homophobic?

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  eyeslice

  Here in the UK this week there has been controversy over a play that depicts violence and rape in a Sikh temple (known as a Gurdwara). Protestors have managed to have the play taken off, which in turn has upset proponents of free speech.

  So, here is the question; should people be allowed to express any point of view, be it considered by some to be racial, blasphemous, anti-religious, anti-Semitic or homophobic?

  Now, as a liberal who believes that people are in the main decent and good (though that is a different debate so don't go there), I would argue that you should be able to say anything and that in a free society those who propagate extremist and dangerous views will be found out to be exactly that. Knowledge and education should liberate us from dogmatism and intolerance.

  But, having said that, I am not sure that I personally could tolerate people advocating pedophilia or sexual violence to women.

  It is even more complicated in that as ex-JWs, we didn't have freeness to express any individual views and surely that was wrong.

  Eyeslice
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  17

  daniels prophecy, to be studied next year? More self glorification

  by DaCheech in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  are they kidding?.

  we gotta sit through this again?.

  isaiah's prophecy and daniels book has to be the most "blow smoke up their ass book there is"!

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  eyeslice

  At least it is better than the Isaiah book(s). What a chore that was!
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  23

  The Awake magazine: In A Realm Beyond Dumb?

  by metatron in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  i hold in my hand a typical awake magazine (jan. 8, 2005) - entitled "can planet earth be.

  saved?".

  of course, it trots out the usual formula of half truths that has brought the watchtower.

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  eyeslice

  I have always been able to read pretty quickly so may be it is not much but I could always speed read a whole Awake in about 10 minutes. All prepared for magizine work then!

  Eyeslice
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  24

  Any changes in treatment of the disfellowshipped?

  by fifi in

  1. watchtower
  2. beliefs

  i was wondering if anyone could enlighten me as to whether the acceptable way to treat disfellowshipped family members has changed at all over the past 6-8 months or so?

  i'm getting the "brush off" more and more from my family and was wondering if there have been any modifications.

  i suppose i should be grateful that they talk to me at all, when i read some of the posts on this board, but i can't help wondering.. thanks for any info.. fifi.

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  eyeslice

  I agree with BluesBrother regarding the 2002 km being the latest directive on the issue.

  You may be right about a hardening of attitudes at this moment in time. I certainly got the impression from the tone of that particular Kingdom Ministry article that there must have been a relaxation on the strict rules by some and that this article was signalling a crack down again.

  Eyeslice
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  8

  Disfellowshipped vs. Disassociated vs. Inactive Relatives

  by carefully faded in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  hi everyone.. i'm hoping someone can clarify a couple of points for me regarding how jw's are instructed to treat relatives who have left the organization.

  i understand that people who disassociate themselves are treated primarily the same way as disfellowshipped ones.

  however, what is the latest instruction for how to treat inactive relatives - not the same as ones who have purposely disassociated themselves, right?.

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  eyeslice

  Hi CF,

  It is a tricky one. I assume that you are baptized.

  I know from serving as an elder that this sort of situation can leave the body of elders in a quandary. There are a number of angles they can look at. Do they see you as still part of the congregation but spiritually weak? Do outsiders consider you to be one of Jehovah's Witnesses? If the answer is no, then if the body of elders is easy going, you may get away with it.

  There is no guarantee however that they won't poke there noses in. The Pay Attention book chapter unit 5A (the first one of those dealing with judicial matters) states;

  All elders are responsible to shepherd the flock, to teach, reprove, reprimand, and exhort as necessary. (Titus 1:9-14)

  So are you part of the flock? Listing the things that a judicial committee will look into, and hence disfellowship you for, it reads;

  Apostasy.

  Apostasy is a standing away from, a falling away, defection, rebellion, abandonment; it involves teaching false doctrines, supporting or promoting false religion and its holidays or interfaith activities. (Deut. 13:13, 15; Josh.22:22, ftn.; Acts 21:21, ftn.; 2 Cor. 6:14, 15, 17, 18; 2. John 7, 9, 10; Rev. 18:4)

  Those with sincere doubts should be helped, dealt with mercifully. (Jude 22, 23; w82 9/1 pp. 20-1;w80 8/1 pp. 21-2)

  Apostasy includes action taken against true worship of Jehovah or his established order among his dedicated people. (Jer. 17:13; 23:15; 28:15, 16; 2 Thess. 2:9, 10)

  Persons who deliberately spread (stubbornly hold to and speak about) teachings contrary to Bible truth as taught by Jehovah's Witnesses are apostates.

  If it is learned that a person has taken up association with another religious organization, the matter should be investigated, and if verified, a committee should be formed.

  If it is clearly established that the person has joined another religion and intends to remain with it, the elders would make a brief announcement to the congregation that such one has disassociated himself. (w86 10/15 p. 31 )

  Working secularly for a false religious organization could put one in a position similar to that of one preaching false doctrine. (2 Cor. 6:14-16)

  Celebrating a false religious holiday would be similar to performing any other act of false worship. (Jer. 7:16-19)

  I make it a point to attend no meeting and have little or no assocation with the congregation (not that they ever invite us anywhere now). My advice is stay low for a long time eventually they will forget you.

  Eyeslice