Ditto!! Simon you are a hero among hero's and I'm not talking about the ones with lots of lettuce and mayo!
In fact, I was wondering if you would have my children...?
...no, really!,
they're a couple of rotters, maybe you could do something with them?!!!!
Flip :) Seriously, Thank you, Thank you, Thank you, (3 x for emphasis only and not for trinitarian reasons of course)
Hey Nic, any idea if that billboard was digitally enhanced, or is the yellow/red, JW/suds one displayed, a verbatim advertisement?
Regardless, it was very ummmm, errr...should I say...ahh...rye humour?
Flip
it's been a long time since i've visited this site.
the last time that i was here i was not allowed to participate in this forums discussions for as it was explained to me, "you dont share in our beliefs, therefore your comments, ideas, and expressions would cause conflict, and disunity among those of us who do share in the truth.
" the day i recieved the denial, i broke down in tears and prayed that jesus christ would bring down the walls of hatred and mistrust among those here and that he would allow me the blessed opportunity to some day share the joy that i have found in him.
Para Graphs, I dont need no steeenkin Para Graphs...LOL:)
To see if there might be useful information enclosed, I only read the first and last sentence of your post robert, because the rest of it appears daunting without paragraphs.
When I read your last statement above, it reminded me of a comment either Cygnus, or Alan F. (AF) once made . Where, either one, gave an example of why it’s important to express yourself “here” in the best possible light, “…because, if you don’t, it’s like showing up at a party with a “booger” hanging from your nose.”
“Yours” is quite large, so I’ll refrain from looking at “you” any longer, until you wipe.
Flip
i dont know if anyone else here has read this weeks (4/16/01) copy of newsweek.
there is a major article on the growth of christianity in south america, asia and in particular africa.
many of the christian sects bear little resemblance to conservative western churches but are very evangelical, charismatic with often a blend of local spiritual beliefs added to traditional christian dogma and centered around a local spiritual leader.
Thirdson:
The article in Newsweek suggests that the religious growth in third world countries can be attributed to some degree to association of western religion with the religion of the world’s greatest power – the United States of America.
By grasping “Christianity”, maybe one has the perception there is the potential of “tapping” into the conduit of western wealth rather than the limited earthly opportunity compared to following fundamentalist Islam?
Possibly the “third world” is beginning to clue into the farcical reality of how lucrative “Christianity” is.
Flip
yup, it's me, your friendly angel of the presence and.
purveyor of mystic speculations, metatron, at your.
service.
When will the gnarled old theocrats ever wake up and
see what a fraud they rule over?
Whom ever it is that actually controls the purse strings of the WTBTS, have clued in on that fact (in the dialog by Harrison Ford) “for a long, long…long…..long…………….long time”.
The Governing Geezers of Brooklyn Heights stumbled upon a “gold mine” that simply became too damned lucrative to give up. Now the “bean counters” have really taken over.
Metatron, “Welcome back, Your dreams were your ticket out. Welcome back, To that same old place that you laughed about.”
Flip
i did something new today.
my college arranged for several different volunteer projects in the area that you could sign up for, from trail clean-up to working at a homeless shelter to visiting elderly people.
through the vagaries of fate, i ended up on one that visited a small clothing and food pantry operated by the area churches' ecumenical council.. so there i was, sorting packages of donated socks by children's sizes, not ten feet from where there were *religious* pamphlets (one of them mentioned god once, i think) in a small, discreet display, on such false religious topics such as how to deal with the violent death of a loved one.
Tergiversater,
Although every point you made was encouraging and succinct, I thought the following struck with the most impact,
“just because God hasn't solved every problem perfectly right now means that we can wash our hands of trying to do anything at all.”
I’ve always wondered why the WTBTS fostered, and still does, the above attitude you mention when I was a Jehovah’s Witnesses.
As you well know, millions of issues of Watchtower and Awakes! And millions of special publications, supposedly used for personal spiritual edification are produced in factories dependant on the advantages the presiding government affords the WTBTS.
Whether these publications that have been spewed out by the WTBTS for over a hundred years are of any value, is not as important as understanding that one way or another, each and every publication is bought and paid for with cold hard cash by six million Jehovah’s Witnesses.
What happens to those books and magazines after they have been unboxed at the literature counter and delivered into the black hole of obscurity is undoubtedly not the concern of the WTBTS but more likely, how to keep Jehovah’s Witness motivated to buy the next batch two weeks from now.
If Jehovah’s Witnesses were gallivanting all over “hell’s acre” volunteering to help religiously or otherwise sponsored human or animal aid organizations, when will Jehovah’s Witnesses have the inclination due to time constraints and a sharper understanding of the world in which they live, to fork over their hard earned cash to buy, or using the "politically correct" term, “donate” to this weeks WTBTS drivel.
Flip
well here it is folks the response to my wife's letter.
i guess i have become more evil between letters.
once again any ideas as to how to answer this type of logic?
SL, just a suggestion, if haven’t already considered one like it:
Maybe you could open with a letter to your MIL using Wasasisters post in it’s entirety or amended to suit.
Follow that with a comment…something like…"…by the way this subject is obviously very important to me and many of my acquaintances also."
"I took the liberty to discuss your last letter and thought you might find their comments helpful, seeing how others who you might meet when going door to door feel about this subject and the comments in your letter.”
Or something along those lines...
Amend any typo’s, copy and print out as many posts you feel necessary to get your point across and informally add them to the letter, email, etc. to your MIL.
“…many hands make light work…”
Flip
my only wish is, that i'm the only reply to the previous post.. flip
My only wish is, that I'm the only reply to the previous post.
Flip
most of the people on this message board i've noticed are either ex-jw's or in the process.
good for you!
it is sad to see all the hurt & pain & confusion that the org has caused, and continues to cause.
Hi Agent2863, I think I know what you’re trying to say, but I look at things from a slightly different angle.
The reason that there is no joy among JW's is because they deny every basic teaching of real christianity that could bring you joy.
I’m a former Jehovah’s Witness, and you can take my word for it, there are plenty of current JW’s who are very happy being JW’s. Every one, from WTBTS corporate lawyers, those in Financial and upper bureaucratic Management, to CO’s and PO’s and their wives, who enjoy the perks.
What many people continue to forget when discussing the WTBTS is that it’s not necessarily about religion…Christianity if you will, but the WTBTS is a business, a financial vehicle with “Christianity” as the fuel and in return the WTBTS supplies to loyal paying customers, a “world” of their own.
As in mainstream religious organizations, the WTBTS and Jehovah’s Witnesses is made up of “Users” and “Usees”. What the organization does better than most is muddy the waters making it difficult to see the difference. In the end, the WTBTS doesn’t really care where “you” think “you” fit in as long as they, the WTBTS, gets their “rent money” next “Friday”.
Many former Jehovah’s Witnesses just became tired of playing the game and living a lie, or hurting themselves, their families and others for the WTBTS’ sake. In most cases the answer to the question, “…to be or not to be…” was the realization the WTBTS and even ideas you earlier professed, have little to do with what is righteous.
Flip
you said, "so would it be wrong to accept the fact that the wts, despite its flaws, has many good scriptural truths to share.".
i think most of us accept that the wts has done some good, but as the years pass, i find that the good i thought they did is getting less and less, and more importantly, the harm caused is getting greater than i could possibly imagine.. you continued, "can we reject what they have pressed to the world: god has a name, his kingdom is to solve mans problems, the earth is to become a paradise as god purposed, man will live endlessly on earth as intended, those who died will return in a resurrection of the dead rather that burn in hell, and this good news is to be preached in all the earth.".
at this point in my life, after 25 years of being a jw and now an ex-jw, i find their message, its very root concepts, pure fantasy that may not necessarily god's will.
:Sometimes I can't believe how brilliant the scam is and how stupid I was not to see it.
Path
Which explains why, the WTBTS will be as financially active for some time to come.
In my case Path, I was born into the "Truth" and wasn't allowed the choice ‘…to see it’, however I did come to my senses eventually, much like yourself.
Flip
