jgnat, what a fine WT commentary. I enjoyed reading your comments with clean, calm language--no dirty language--........thank you.
lalliv01
lalliv01
JoinedPosts by lalliv01
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46
IF IT AIN'T BROKE---WHY would they FIX IT?
by Terry inhere is a bible quiz.
answer each question to the best of your ability.. 1.when god has sent a prophet to speak in his name, what is the standard which must be met?.
2. if a prophecy fails, what does it indicate about the prophet?.
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lalliv01
Terry, great post. Makes one wonder why any people would willingly and knowingly submit to living under the harsh rule of a domineering, totalitarian, fascist government. And they, JW's, are doing it and, in many instances, reporting anyone within their group that strays or attempts to look for truth.
I don't think it was this way in Russell's day. I believe the Bible Students really were trying to obtain bible truth and at the same time tolerated the many differences that existed among them. Was there a time in Russell's day when DFíng, marking, and shunning were even practiced? People from different religious denominations coming together in bible study in sincerety has ended up in terrible oppression for said people.
Was this really what Russell wanted? I may be wrong, but I believe he really was a god fearing man, influenced by his mother, perhaps, that wanted the truth from the scriptures and it all went awry in our time.
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Warning To All Posters Here!!!
by SWALKER ini just found out that a dear friend of mine was outed by a poster on this board!!!
i am soooooo angry and disgusted it's hard to contain at the moment!
so to all those out there that are trying to fade and get other family members out, don't let anyone know who you are!!!
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lalliv01
so do we continue to live in fear of being found out by the hounders? Is that really freedom? So we may not want to be outed, but we accept that risk by being here...
greater the risk (of being outed and/or DF and/or losing JW friends and family) = greater potential reward (ie... making new friends, enjoying freedom to think)
just my opinion
How awful. We read about people like Galileo, Isaac Newton, A. lincoln and many others that hid their thoughts and ideas from an intolerant populace and we feel sad and angry that they had to endure such,but we balme it all on a backward and uneducated world, that would never happen in our enlightened age. Yeah, right!
Afraid to live and let live, that's where many, Jews, Mormons, JW's, Muslims, etc. are at. I say, leave me alone and I will also leave you alone. If my friends, including my family, (extended et. al.), don't wish to associate with me because of my beliefs, beliefs, not a debouched life style, then so be it. I wish no one harm or ill and, I can live with myself. Tranquil.
It's sad that some have to live in fear of the very ones they love and hold dear, hiding and maybe even hurting their own consciences by having to lie in order to get by. I feel for these ones and hope they overcome, somehow
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WELCOME NEWBIES - all of you! Check in here, I'm losing track of you.
by AWAKE&WATCHING ini just saw the eighth post by botheyesopen.
i noticed aliciaj, dogaradodya, chicken little, cognac, hypnotic, mochalatte.. some have been welcomed and some have not.. .
we have so many i can't keep up so.... .
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lalliv01
Hello everyone! I do enjoy this site. On this site are all kinds of people who all share common ground with me and with each other, most of us were JW's and we all know what that is like. I really do find it strange that we all, even though we are spread all over the globe, have such a common and strong relationship.
I was a witness since 1957, left in 1989. I did it all, the good, the bad, the ugly. In my adult life I really made a sincere efffort to be a good Christian as a JW. I worked to be a good husband, father, son, and sheperd to the flock but, I had too many unanswered questions about the faith. I always left the meetings feeling wholly unsatisfied and sad. And no, I do not, and never have suffered from depression, except when my dear little brother passed away, what an awful feeling, but the meetings left me depressed.
As a confession: I would listen to televengelists and they would leave me feeling in a much better mood than would the JW propaganda and I would wonder, how can that be?
After I retired, as a railroader, I started fooling around with the computer and I found this site, what an intersting place this is. I don't need, and have never needed a place like this to make me feel whole, happy, or justified in my life choices, but I am glad I found this place. My wife is in the exact same place I am in and just as happy. She wanted to leave the org. before I did but she obediently kept quiet because she knew how devoted I was and she didn't want to upset me or our lifes. I found this out after I decided to escape from the "gestapo", and she was so happy. We continue to be happy in our freedom.
She confessed to me that she HATED field service. She is a considerate person and she hated bothering people because she, herself, hates being bothered by "sales people."
I don't type well at all, it takes me some time to type so that is one reason I don't post. I dread the idea of posting and then having to contend with answering all the respondents, oh no, no!
But, I do enjoy lurking.
I am having a hard time believing in intelligent creationism or the Genesis account. I also am having a hard time staying away from asking Jehovah for the truth about everything. That's where I'm at. Thank you all.
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Here's the reason for the 3% jump in publishers for the past year
by sir82 init is immigration that explains the vast majority of the increase.. who is it that immigrates?
the poorest of the poor, the desperate ones that would be dead from starvation or execution by gangs/guerillas within 5 years anyway.
these were not the ones being converted in their home countries - when you have to work 14-18 hours a day, 7 days a week just to feed your family, there is no time to "study", attend meetings, go out in field servce, etc.. so, they go to their new country.
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lalliv01
From personal experience, Hispanic immigrants are persons that come from a culture that absolutely believes in the existence of God. They are engulfed completely by such believes as a supreme Creator, the devil, demons, witchcraft, spells,etc.. They learn these things from the entire village almost unconciously, as if by osmosis; no-one even thinks about the possibility that there may not be a god. Kids learn about God and other bible related matters from their mates, on the street corners, or wherever kids mingle. There really aren't many grownups taking time to teach these young ones about the bible.
But, when they come to America hey, here's someone, at their door, ready and willing to teach them some things about which they already believe, yet never studied. God, Satan, witchcraft, spells, everlasting life, right there in the bible. Now they don't have to learn it from fellow workers or schoolmates, they have a real teacher who is willing to provide them with their own copy of the bible.
I don't believe they join up because they have more time on their hands, no, now they can study and learn about that which they have always believed, believed without a doubt. Had they been reared in a society of scientists, perhaps their core beliefs and weaknesses would be different.
My thoughts on this matter, from my personal experience.
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Excerpt from my novel: chapter on DRAFT BOARD review.
by Terry inhere is a chapter from my novel, i wept by the waters of babylon.my book is in the final stages of editing, spellchecking and revisions.. .
august 1966.
"okay, let's get ready to start our session.
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lalliv01
Son, what if everybody believed the same way you did?" "There would be no wars; I can assure you of that. No wars; no Draft Board and we wouldn't be sitting here today." Dante relaxed suddenly, feeling he had finally scored a point. Yet, he was troubled by what had just been said by the attorney. Culpepper wasn't having in one-ups by this smart kid. "What I mean is...what if only Americans believed just as you do and the Communists knew that?" "Then, America would finally be the Christian nation it claims to be That thought made me chuckle. If all of the U.S. were JW's, then they'd be all over the communist, and fascist, world, knocking on their doors and driving those people crazy. If they got sent off to prison, or the gulag(s), so what, just more territory ripe for the preaching. I know Fidel can't stop them, in or out of prison. I felt Mathis came out a winner, at that stage of his life, in this particular episode. Was there no pinch of doubt in any of the board's members minds after that meeting? I suppose there really is no way for Mathis to have known that. You're doing good Terry. lalliv01
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Help? Bible question
by skyking ini was asked today to explain this verse, a man at lunch said i have been told you are knowledgeable of the bible.
he asked me to read ezekiel 20:25 which say's "wherefore i gave them also statutes that were not good, and judgments whereby they should not live".
he asked how could we know if what is in the bible is good.
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lalliv01
At work we had a saying about the company's work rules: "While obeying the rules may be beneficial for you, they are really there to fire you by." Is the same idea being expressed in this scripture, that is, the STATUTES and LAWS given by Jehovah did not give life but rather justification to give us/them death?
lalliv01
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EXCERPT from my novel: I WEPT BY THE WATERS OF BABYLON
by Terry inexcerpt from novel:.
mathis, shaking like a landed fish, stood beside a crooked tree.
danny found him there.. "you hurt?
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lalliv01
Trying to cram all my JW feelings and exposing their theology at the same time as telling a story
A book I read titled For time and all Eternity, I'm sorry I can't recall the author's name at the moment, did just that with the Mormon faith. The author managed to tell an interesting story and at the same time wove in the mormon history, most of it relevant to the story line. I found it very interesting and informative at the same time. The author, I believe, was an ex-Mormon,but he really came across as very objective and neutral on the theology, something I appreciated. Check it out.
lalliv01
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EXCERPT from my novel: I WEPT BY THE WATERS OF BABYLON
by Terry inexcerpt from novel:.
mathis, shaking like a landed fish, stood beside a crooked tree.
danny found him there.. "you hurt?
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lalliv01
It's not boring, that's for sure. I would like to read more about Mathis Dante's journey. Does the story have sub-plots, I hope to find out? Terry, congratulations!
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Did You Stay In Because of the Fear?
by serotonin_wraith ingrowing up amongst jws, i saw the core beliefs as a threat.
be a jw, or die horribly.
but no one i knew ever admitted this, it was all about 'loving jehovah'.
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lalliv01
I have never really been afraid of dying, first because it was too far off in the distance, now because I'm not afraid of a nice,very deep, sleep. I have always believed in a Creator, never,ever even considered or entertained the thought that God did not exist. So, I felt that God was like a good father, full of good counsel and someone to be listened to. I felt JW's had the best way to worship Him, no one, no other religion, had "the truth." I now know the JW's are a people, albeit a good people, that are being herded about like a bunch of,what, sheep? By a bunch of truly deceitful leaders.
I now believe that there is NO religion that teaches "the truth." Now I'm an orphan withot a "father," but I'm still not sure. fear never was what kept me in, I knew I just needed direction, I still do.