i vaguely remember looking at this board a few years ago, before i ever considered leaving the borg, and being appalled at the evil and hateful attitudes i saw here and scared to death of reading any further.. now i go back through years and years of posts and there is no evil or hate there at all.
it's one of the most kind and welcoming boards i've encountered since the invention of the internet.. that is how well borg indoctrination works.
it is eerily like 1984. black is white.
This website (and Randy Waters website) were extremely valuable to me when I was an active elder. Reading what you evil apostates had to say (late at night and with trembling hands) helped me clear my mind. It took over a year- but when I left- I left for good. I have been free for over 3 years now and I owe a great deal of gratitude to Simon and the posters on this board.
Short answer- yes- I went on this website when I was active.
i was just reading the boe letter dated june 7, 2006 regarding pornography.
here's an excerpt that made me go "hmmmmm".. next, the body of elders should determine whether the brother still qualifies to serve.
he may continue to serve if his involvement consisted of (1) a few brief viewings, (2) he displays a heartfelt desire to desist from looking at pornography in any form, (3) the elders are convinced that he will refrain from viewing pornography, (4) he continues to retain the respect of others who are aware of what he did, and (5) his conscience allows him to do so.
I remember a long and drug out conversation on what constitutes "degrading" pornography. A few unmarried elders were pushing the idea that porn that includes oral sex is "degrading" and requires the elders immediate removal.
Debates over nothing!!!
after reading the thread about what is acceptable to wear and not wear in a factory run by jehovah's witnesses, i wondered whether any here ever got counseled or in trouble because of their fashion sense or attire.
The great fashion issue at Bethel was always jeans and shorts. At the farm we would wear jeans or shorts when "off duty"- but Brooklyn had a strict policy that in their lobbies- dress clothes only!! Us farm boys didn't know any better- so we would walk into one of the Brooklyn lobbies wearing shorts. It totally steamed the lobby duty brothers!! Once we figured out that they had no real power and just had pulled a weekend "duty" to get out of work during the week, it became kind of fun to watch them get all steamed up over our clothes. (Whadda ya gonna do- arrest us?? You dont even know our names and we'll be upstate in the morning!!!) Then someone bumped the issue up to the administration departments and there were morning worship comments about proper attire in Brookllyn lobbies. Game over!
What a waste of energy!!!!
per a "top secret, confidential, burn this after you read it" letter to all boes, dated march 2, 2010, but not read in our congregation until this past week:.
new "kingdom ministry" school for all elders and ministerial servants, to be held (in the us anyway) between november 2010 and january 2011.. 6 hours of jaw dropping tedium instruction for ms, 9 for elders.
ms session to be held on a sunday, elders on friday and saturday.. the "super secret surprise", for elders only: a new textbook will be released to be studied at this "school".
Do you all think I should turn my old book in and see if I can get a new one??
when still in the watchtower, i used to be an assistant ministerial servant.
true, there is no such title but its there unofficially for those one step to being a ministerial servant.
been with it for about three years.
PS- why the hell is this under "dating and relationships"?????
when still in the watchtower, i used to be an assistant ministerial servant.
true, there is no such title but its there unofficially for those one step to being a ministerial servant.
been with it for about three years.
Then: MS, Pioneer, Bethelite, Elder, Local Building Committee chair, lots of talks
Now: Dad, Husband, Citizen (much better now)
eventually i would like to do a deconstruction on the entire book but for now, lets start with the prologue, which claims to be written by the governing body of jehovah's witnesses.
if anyone feels this is useful, please let me know.
] in your life and thus keep yourself in gods love .
This whole book is a soft sell (love and stuff) with a hard message- here's what will get you disfellowshipped, followed by a talmud of rules and regulations.
per a "top secret, confidential, burn this after you read it" letter to all boes, dated march 2, 2010, but not read in our congregation until this past week:.
new "kingdom ministry" school for all elders and ministerial servants, to be held (in the us anyway) between november 2010 and january 2011.. 6 hours of jaw dropping tedium instruction for ms, 9 for elders.
ms session to be held on a sunday, elders on friday and saturday.. the "super secret surprise", for elders only: a new textbook will be released to be studied at this "school".
Well- I would like to put the challenge out there to everyone. Lets see if we can be the first to have copies of the new book!! (This site usually scoops most things JW)
i have a problem.
my hubby and i are tying to fade out completely, but we ran into a snag.
my in-laws showed up with a stack of time slips and said that they will turn them in for us if we fill them out.
Its funny how such a meaningless little gesture like turning in time is such a control point for the JWs. I too turned in "1 hour" for 6 months after I quit going to meetings. I guess I thought that would keep the elders off my back. Then I just didnt bother. And funny thing- no one asked me. I think seeing 6 reports with 1 hour each on them made the point. Obviously I was not going out in "service". By the time the elders came around again- it was clear that I was an inactive witness and no one needed to pretend that I was active and had just "forgotten" to turn in time.
i met this evening with the director of our local big brothers, big sisters chapter.
this organization pairs at risk minors with volunteer adult mentors.
she said that this is possibly the highest risk thing that any organization can do- introducing a stranger into a position of trust with a vulnerable youth.
Religious organizations are given a pass- while non-profits have to live up to an entirely different standard. No one asks the Episcopal church if the Sunday School teacher was background checked. (Never mind Witnesses!! Their standard is even lower!)
