the study wt of march 2016 is up on jw.org and is the standard article around this time of year...pressuring young kids to dedicate their lives to the organization again.
this wt will be studied during may, so just in time to pressure them into baptism at the regional conventions this summer.such articles really upset me, as the realization of how many young promising lives will be destroyed.
how many families will be broken up, when the child who got baptized as a minor (ages 6 and up are mentioned in the literature) decides as a young adult that his/her conscience no longer allows him/her to be part of such a destructive cult.
2nd study paragraph 15: as a dedicated and baptized Christian, you will stand before Jehovah on your own. Your service to him should not depend on others—not even your parents. Your holy acts of conduct and deeds of godly devotion give evidence that you have made the truth your own
And that is why I have left the JWs... I have made the truth my own.
this should be fun.
building a wall is unchristian.
i can't understand why the pope is getting involved in american politics.. poor donald..
On a Canadian radio station, I heard that he could win the primaries due to the division between the alternative candidates. This could mean that even if 70% of the people don't want him, he could still be elected.
For instance:
29% Cruz
28% Robio
8% Kasich
3% Carson
30% Donald trump!
I think the election process is flawed.
You know, before I had kids, I could not understand WHY other male adults could even be interested in my kids. I remember, at the assembly hall, I would go to the bathroom and change my kid’s dippers and there would be those 50 something year old men who would walk by, look at my kid and their face would light up, smiling. As a new father, I couldn’t understand that and felt threatened by them.
Well, now that my kids are growing up, I have found myself doing the exact same thing as these man did back in the days: Looking at other’s kids, be kind, find them adorable, etc. I understand what these little ones feel, like, do. It brings me back a few years, when my own kids were their age – the good days.
And now, I feel frustrated. Frustrated that because of a few SOBs, normal guys like me cannot look at a kid without wondering if their mother or father is going to feel threatened by it. So, I tend to be overly cautious. I think this social barrier needs to be broken.
lately, in the february broadcast program, at the 46 minutes mark, the watchtower provides the story of felicity sneesby.
this report focuses on how, despite her serious illness, she, along with her family, has always placed her faith in jehovah and how happy she is for being part of jehovah’s family.. i am shocked by how this jw’s report completely ignores the help that this family has received from this system of things through the years.
for instance, they slept at the ronald mcdonald house on at least 6 separate occasions and for long periods of time.
That is why there are so many religion... The bible contradicts itself all over its pages. One religion will choose one statement and twist the meaning of the other while another religion will choose the other statement and twist the meaning of the first one. No one wins at believing every words in the bible as inspired by God.
The only place where I find that the bible doesn't contradict itself is in the idea that the righteous ones will be rewarded, the righteous ones being those who show love and are obviously good people.
A great number of people from every nations, races, all over the planet are righteous; perhaps even billions! Unfortunately, JWs believe that 99.9% of the planet is deserving of eternal destruction for people don't believe the same thing they do. None sense.
lately, in the february broadcast program, at the 46 minutes mark, the watchtower provides the story of felicity sneesby.
this report focuses on how, despite her serious illness, she, along with her family, has always placed her faith in jehovah and how happy she is for being part of jehovah’s family.. i am shocked by how this jw’s report completely ignores the help that this family has received from this system of things through the years.
for instance, they slept at the ronald mcdonald house on at least 6 separate occasions and for long periods of time.
Smiddy: "parasites with regard to this system of things"
So true. From experience, I can say that anytime JWs get help from the world, they give credit to their own relationship with God rather than simply acknowledging the good in their benefactors. They seem to believe that these people were used as pawns, by God, rather than acting out on free will. When such things happen, I have heard, time and again that Jehovah has used unjust people to help his people, just like he used Cyrus to punish Babylon.
On the other hand, I have also heard those who do acknowledged the good that people do, but than, they minimize it by quoting the following verses:
Mat 7:9-11: Indeed, which one of you, if his son asks for bread, will hand him a stone? (10) Or if he asks for a fish, he will not hand him a serpent, will he? (11) Therefore, if you, although being wicked, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more so will your Father who is in the heavens give good things to those asking him!
There again, basically discrediting the true value of what was just done.
lately, in the february broadcast program, at the 46 minutes mark, the watchtower provides the story of felicity sneesby.
this report focuses on how, despite her serious illness, she, along with her family, has always placed her faith in jehovah and how happy she is for being part of jehovah’s family.. i am shocked by how this jw’s report completely ignores the help that this family has received from this system of things through the years.
for instance, they slept at the ronald mcdonald house on at least 6 separate occasions and for long periods of time.
Lately, in the February Broadcast program, at the 46 minutes mark, the Watchtower provides the story of Felicity Sneesby. This report focuses on how, despite her serious illness, she, along with her family, has always placed her faith in Jehovah and how happy she is for being part of Jehovah’s family.
I am shocked by how this JW’s report completely ignores the help that this family has received from this system of things through the years. For instance, they slept at the Ronald McDonald House on at least 6 separate occasions and for long periods of time. As they are willing to seek such help, I would not be surprised to hear that they benefited from other charities and government programs as well. In 2012, on a discussion forums, someone posted the family’s banking information in order to receive donations. What about the doctors and the nurses that actually cared for this girl through the years? Most of the time, she was handed that help for free in Australia! And lately, they have received close to 250k from total strangers.
I don’t doubt for one minute that this family has received plenty of emotional and physical help from the JWs. Food, hospitality, money, and more; JWs are good people and help when they can. I’ve seen this.
But to ignore the help and support provided by the “worldly” people is devious and manipulative. It leads the viewer to believe that ALL the support and help this kid’s family ever got was through Jehovah’s organization.
this took quite a while this evening.
so worth it though.
hope you enjoy!
from the time i was a small boy - i loved rock n' roll music.
beatles, rolling stones, led zeppelin, hendrix.
i started getting slighted for the music i listened to as i lay in my bedroom listening on headphones to led zeppelin's song " black dog " at age 14 with my elder dad looking suspiciously at me as i'm rocking out .
I remember, back in the 90s, when I was a kid, I used to listen to rap. Than, in field service, an elder started lecturing me in the car about how bad of an influence these artists could have on me. Even if the lyrics had nothing wrong, their lifestyle was inexcusable and so on.
Than, about 5 minutes into that conversation, I noticed that he had a cassette of Elton John. So I stopped him and said:
"Wait a minute. Isn't Elton John a known homosexual? What about all that - buying their music is condoning their life style - speech?".
Than the brother answered: "You know what, forget my speech, lets go do door 105."
while i'm politely sitting during the meeting today, restraining myself from rolling my eyes as the brother drones on about how "having an independent spirit is devilish in nature" and "independence from gods organization only results in pain and strife", i only have one thought going through my mind over and over.
"what would happen if i pulled out a gun and blew my brains out in this kingdom hall?".
would anyone notice or care?
At one meeting, I saw an elder talk with anger to a disfellowshiped one who was there too early (10 minutes ahead of the program). This was so far out of the prodigal son story that I kept this story as one of the reasons for which I have left.
People care.
That being said, most are in denial. So, if you were to kill yourself there, they'd blame Satan and your mental state. Not themselves. Obviously, Jehovah's spirit would have protected you if you only had accepted it.
So, best way to make a difference? Show up politely, sitting at your place, 20 minutes ahead of the program, every time. People around you will be even more embarrassed by their own stupid rule than you could ever be.
ok i'm just thinking out load here so to speak.
but let say in the year 2000 the wt says they have 1 million publishers and at the end of the year they say they had 300,000 people get baptized so in the beginning of the year 2001 they show 1,300,000 publishers.
then in this new year they state another 300,000 get baptized but with 50,000 deaths and 50,000 disfellowshippings they stated at the end of year 2001 a total of 1,500,000 total members.
ttdtt, you are right; without the actual baptized counts, it is impossible to know the real increase of the overall members. It just doesn't make sense.
They pressure unbaptized members telling them they are "not part of Jehovah's family" until they are baptized. You have doubt about this? Well, every time I heard people say yes to the baptism questions, the speaker always congratulated them for becoming part of Jehovah's great family of brothers and sisters. We now can call you brother and sister!
So, why than, count them in as Jehovah's Witnesses? A publisher is not IN the arc, he is at the door, contemplating the idea of walking in. When they say: There is 8 million Jehovah's Witnesses, that is wrong; they are closer to 7 million while the rest are not yet baptized.
