smiddy

Joined

• started 536 topics
• posted 8,695 times   see topics posted on
• send a message

Posts by smiddy

• 
  11

  Caleb and Sophia have some competition

  by usualusername1 in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3nmyoqiidqo&sns=em

  1. 
  2. 
  3. 
• 

  smiddy

  Well you`ve gotta admit it , it`s a bloody good catchy tune , where do I sign up.
• 
  28

  Chinese Communist Party to commence nationwide crackdown on Christianity including Jehovah's Witnesses

  by jwleaks in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  8 october 2016. china's governing communist party is set to launch a nationwide crackdown on the christian church.. by matthew carney - abc.

  the communist party has just enacted much tougher laws that criminalise christians if they do not pledge loyalty to the state.. chinese president xi jinping has warned that all religions now have to become "chinese" and the new laws will attempt to bring churchgoers and their leaders under party control.. the new laws will put the state firmly in charge, giving the communist party the ability to hire and fire church leaders and change religious doctrine to make it more chinese.... that means churchgoers will have to pledge loyalty to the communist party first.. there is good reason to be afraid.

  chinese authorities have already started the crackdown in the christian heartland in the southern province of zhejiang.. it's been extensive and brutal.

  1. 
  2. 
  3. 
• 

  smiddy

  What with our conditioning when we were JW`s ,this news may have had a big impact on our thinking about the time we are living in ,when in reality , its no big deal .

  Its just another little ripple in the pond of life ,we were conditioned to believe that any little thing that happened in the scheme of things in life , political ,religious ,or military wise , was a sign we were living in the last days .

  When you stop and seriously consider it ,how ridiculous. ! When you consider the history of the world of any nation or groups of nations , their has`t been a time when something significant or major was occurring.

  And had we been living then we may have concluded it was fullfillment of Bible prophecy.

  Nothing to see here move on , live your life and enjoy it.
• 
  21

  JWs ----( fill in the blank)

  by minimus in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  what say you?.

  1. 
  2. 
  3. 
• 

  smiddy

  That`s nice Paradise starts off here in Australia , I recognise that tiger from Taronga Park Zoo , and those Koalas from Melbournes Zoological Gardens.
• 
  47

  CO visit... Circuit is not growing at all, he said during midweek meeting

  by StarTrekAngel in

  1. watchtower
  2. beliefs

  so that was a "shocker".

  i was not able to attend the meeting.

  i had a more important one with my other apostate friends in the area.

  1. 
  2. 
  3. 
• 

  smiddy

  Classic examples of JW`s speaking out of both sides of their mouth .

  On the one hand they use the scripture Zech.8:23 in relation to the last days..where people will flock to Jehovahs Witnesses from all nations because they have heard God is with you.

  This was used when JW`s did have growth in numbers worldwide

  On the other hand Matt 24:12 speaks of the decline in numbers of JW`s because the love of the greater number has cooled off .a decrease in numbers.

  On the one hand increase is evidence of Gods blessing on the organization having the truth ,then on the other hand the cooling off (decrease) of Gods people is evidence they have the truth.

  And of course they ignore entirely that Seventh Day Adventists ,Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints ,both of which have far more practising members than the JW`s do ,Roman Catholics , and Islam , both of which have over a Billion members each , not to mention the Protestant religions which total over one billion members ,and this doesnt even include so called Pagan religions.

  Jehovahs Witnesses are irrelevant in the religious world as being nothing more than an insignificant sect.
• 
  5

  Gloria Naylor, 66, dies, former JW missionary, The Color Purple

  by blondie in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  https://www.washingtonpost.com/entertainment/books/gloria-naylor-whose-novels-gave-voice-to-african-american-women-dies-at-66/2016/10/04/73d64318-8a3d-11e6-bff0-d53f592f176e_story.html.

  after graduating from high school, ms. naylor worked as a missionary for the jehovah’s witnesses in north carolina and florida before leaving the church in the mid-1970s, finding herself disillusioned with what she called the limited role that it prescribed for women..

  1. 
  2. 
  3. 
• 

  smiddy

  R.I.P. Gloria Naylor

  She was a success story being a pioneer /missionary , then leaving that all behind to eventually getting her degrees and having a successfull life getting her books published., and teaching.

  So sorry to hear she died a young 66 yrs old .I will look out for that "Women of Brewster"

  My condolences to all her family , from Australia.

  blondie , even though you were wrong with Gloria naylor `s involvement with the Colour Purple , I`m sure she would agree that it was a fantastic movie , that highlighted the plight of Afro Americans in these years especially.

  And really has so much changed today ? And it is not just in America that these issues are rife today , its happening all over the Globe .

  And no its not a sign of Armageddon , its society coming to grips with issues that have always existed since Adam was a boy.

  smiddy
• 
  31

  Welcome to all the Newbies in the last six months

  by smiddy in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  i think all of us on this forum would like to welcome all the newbies that have joined in the last six months or so ,if i`m not mistaken there seems to be an influx lately.. elders , ms ,and sisters.

  speak up and make a comment , are you happy you came here ?.

  we`d love to here from you.. smiddy.

  1. 
  2. 
  3. 
• 

  smiddy

  Thank you guys for all the replys so far ,you dont know what it means for most of us to hear your stories and just for the fact you have made the break from a control group like the WT Society , and the freedom that comes with it.

  I encourage any more who have made the break in the last six months or even a year ago , to say hello at least.
• 
  5

  A birthday card...

  by The Rebel in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  it's time for me to move on.

  i would like my leave with a good reason why we should leave j.w.

  organisation.. from my son a birthday card:-.

  1. 
  2. 
  3. 
• 

  smiddy

  The Rebel

  I hope this is not a final farewell T.R, ,we have all enjoyed your posts You have a lot to live for judging by your sons birthday card to you.

  Take care.
• 
  20

  Brother with a beard on jw.org!

  by neat blue dog in

  1. watchtower
  2. beliefs

  ok, slight exaggeration: specifically, an official recording of the july 25th, 2016 midweek meeting in german sign language downloaded from stream.jw.org, (log-in required), includes a brother with a beard giving one of the talks:.

  .

  1. 
  2. 
  3. 
• 

  smiddy

  Then why is it such a no- no in western lands , such as Australia , the UK ,N.Z ,U.S.A.,Canada , to name a few.

  They are paranoid about brothers having a beard , and come down quite heavily against it .

  I know because I tried at least 3 times in as many states, in my 33 years as a JW to sport one and each time the heavy hand of the society came down on me.

  So why is it /should it be , any different for JW`s in European Countries ?

  Do Jehovahs Witnesses have different standards for their members in different Countries ?

  What is allowed /permissable in one country is not allowed /permissable in another country ?

  And vice versa ?

  Are their double standards practiced around the world in the Kingdom Halls around the world ? by the Elders ?
• 
  17

  I need quotes from watctower demonizing the internet, and gadgets e.g smart phones, tablets etc

  by joe134cd in

  1. watchtower
  2. bible

  i need wt quotes where wt goes fully out and: .

  demonizes the internet, .

  witnesses preaching on the internet.

  1. 
  2. 
  3. 
• 

  smiddy

  I , 2nd that steve2 ,what millie210 said,

  4thgen , isnt it just another example of the G.B.speaking out of both sides of there mouth ?

  Their history of over 100 years is full of backtracking , flip flops , back and forth ,about doctrines ,beliefs ,etc,etc.

  Their rationliisation ,claiming new light is responsible ,simply means the Holy Spirit didnt know what it was talking about in the first place.
• 
  13

  You're fired!...Damage control in October broadcast

  by ab.ortega in

  1. watchtower
  2. scandals

  this new broadcast features interviews with bethelites from south africa that were fired reassigned to the ministry field.

  i almost feel sorry for these people who gave their all thinking they would be taken care of for who-knows how many years.

  however they were let go in the blink of an eye.

  1. 
  2. 
  3. 
• 

  smiddy

  Chook

  Its true the organization itself doesnt have nursing homes for the aged and infirm , however some enterprising brothers have seen a way to cash in on this shortfall ,by providing such services at a cost of course .

  Jah- Jireh , I think they are called , nursing homes operating in some countries exclusively for aged JW`s in good standing ,where they provide meetings and opportunities to do FS depending on your capabilities.

  And as I said at a cost.

  This provision operates solely outside of the WTB&TS ,with no monetary input from the said organization , it is purely a commercial venture operated by a number of brothers., to my knowledge.