Frenchy

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Posts by Frenchy

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  47

  What's Sacred, what's not?

  by Frenchy in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  let's put forth a question here that should provoke some interesting responses.

  please feel free to give your thoughts on the matter inasmuch as that is the purpose of these boards.

  we (jehovah's witnesses) do not accept blood transfusions on the principle that 'blood is sacred'.

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  Frenchy

  Is there anyone else out there who is not entirely comfortable with our stand on blood?

  Is there anyone that IS comfortable with it and would like to share their thoughts with us?

  No arguments, no abuse, just honest opinions.
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  105

  I'm a Neutral Jehovah's Witness

  by Martini in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  dear brothers and sisters,.

  i martini, will confide in you that i have become a neutral jehovah's witness.

  i wonder if i'm not coining a new phrase here!.

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  Frenchy

  Having served many years as an elder myself I can truly sympathize with those that are sincerely trying their best to serve those under their care. But as you have mentioned here, these poor brothers are severely limited in what they are allowed to do to serve their brothers. The elders are confined to merely pointing out Watchtower articles in lieu of straightforward replies to urgent and straightforward questions.

  I would like to give you an example of one such instance which occurred not too long ago while I was serving as P.O. of our congregation. One of the elders had a grandson who was an unbaptized publisher and living with him. In time the young man began dating a 'worldly' girl. He brought her to the meetings and introduced her to all the friends. Well, two of the elders jumped on that like the proverbial duck on a junebug and pulled him in the back room and gave him a verbal thrashing for courting an unbeliever (translation of unbeliever: Anyone not a witness). Well the romance progressed to the point where the two of them announced a wedding date. More back room talks with the young man. Shortly thereafter the C.O. visits and it's immediately brought to his attention. Well, he doesn't like it and wants to make sure that a 'marking talk' has been given and he tells the elder that if he attends his grandson's wedding that he will be removed.

  That's when I raise my hand and ask the C.O. 'Excuse me, but I need some clarification on something here. The boy is not baptized so he can't court a sister or else she'll be marked as well. Now you say that he can't court a 'worldly' person. Is he to remain celibate?"

  The C.O. stammered and mumbled and repeated what he had previously said about the dangers of being 'unevenly yoked' but he NEVER did answer my question. There was no canned response for this particular situation so he could not say a thing. NOTHING can be said unless it's been printed in an article or sent in a letter from Brooklyn.

  The elder had to buy a mobile home and set it up on some property he had so that his grandson could move in in order not to be removed as an elder. Now the young man does not ever come to a meeting and his new bride is disgusted with the whole congregation for the way her husband was treated. She was studying for a while but as soon as they were married she stopped. I can't rightly say that I blame her.
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  105

  I'm a Neutral Jehovah's Witness

  by Martini in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  dear brothers and sisters,.

  i martini, will confide in you that i have become a neutral jehovah's witness.

  i wonder if i'm not coining a new phrase here!.

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  Frenchy

  Good advice given here Martini. One of the problems with our faith is that it sells itself as the EXCLUSIVE channel to God and that unless it's entire agenda and program is followed God will turn his back on us. In actuality, Jesus is the way to Jehovah and NEVER, EVER, has Jehovah authorized an organization to speak for him. As a matter of fact, he's had some rather bad experiences with organizations in the past. (Israel, who could not remain faithful and early Christianity which apostated within one generation) It's interesting that you said you did not want to hear that old song and dance routine about going to your meetings and going out in service. This is what being a witness has been reduced to. This is virtually the only advice you ever receive from elders, CO's, publications, and public talks.

  When was the last time you heard a public talk about cultivating a love for God without all the hype about field service, the meetings, and being loyal to the 'faithful slave' (translation: Governing body)? When was the last time you heard ANY talk from the platform that brought tears to your eyes instead of making you yawn and look at your watch? When was the last time you were truly inspired at a meeting, when you felt like standing on your roof top and shouting to the world how good God and Jesus have been to us and how much you love them?

  No more passion in our worship. As a matter of fact we are not called God's children anymore (we are told that if we are of the 'other sheep' we are only his friends by the Society, not his children!) we are referred to as 'PUBLISHERS'. Now how does that grab you? This is how we are thought of at Society headquarters, publishers of their literature.

  Is it any wonder that there is disgruntlement? Many, many are becoming disillusioned each and every day. It saddens me so to know that our faith has become hollow.
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  29

  Precisely when in 1914 did the GT end???

  by JCole in

  1. watchtower
  2. bible

  i have been asking this question since studying the babylon the great book back in the '60s.

  maybe i'm thickskulled, but simply restating that it ended in october or tishri doesn't explain away my reasons for asking the question.

  i'm only looking for answers about the date in 1914, and i'm not looking for the typical apostate replies that the year is wrong.. i question october/tishri being the end of the gentile times, and thus the start of jesus' reign, for the following reasons:.

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  Frenchy

  Good points! Have you formulated and sent a letter to the Society on this matter?

  --When the events fulfilling a prophecy are not congruent with the prophecy, it's not the fulfillment.--TJB
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  26

  Anyone like Poetry?

  by Frenchy in

  1. social
  2. entertainment

  hey, anyone out there like poetry?

  have you a poem that you wrote that you would like to share?

  or just a favorite poem (by anyone) that you would like to post and talk about?

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  Frenchy

  Hey, anyone out there like poetry? Have you a poem that you wrote that you would like to share? Or just a favorite poem (by anyone) that you would like to post and talk about?
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  3

  Elders Book on-line

  by See Also in

  1. social
  2. entertainment

  http://www.cyberpass.net/~h2o/wwwboard/messages/222005.html .

  what not to put on disfellowshipping forms.

  during the kingdom ministry schools that were held during november and december of 1994, elders in the united states were given information that was to be written into their "pay attention to yourselves and to all the flock" book.

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  Frenchy

  BTW, what's this doing in the SF forum? :)
• 
  3

  Elders Book on-line

  by See Also in

  1. social
  2. entertainment

  http://www.cyberpass.net/~h2o/wwwboard/messages/222005.html .

  what not to put on disfellowshipping forms.

  during the kingdom ministry schools that were held during november and december of 1994, elders in the united states were given information that was to be written into their "pay attention to yourselves and to all the flock" book.

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  Frenchy

  I've been concerned about this as well. How much help will we, as elders, get from the Society in case of a lawsuit. With the rising number of people leaving the organization, it's bound to happen one day soon.
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  47

  What's Sacred, what's not?

  by Frenchy in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  let's put forth a question here that should provoke some interesting responses.

  please feel free to give your thoughts on the matter inasmuch as that is the purpose of these boards.

  we (jehovah's witnesses) do not accept blood transfusions on the principle that 'blood is sacred'.

  1. 
  2. 
  3. 
• 

  Frenchy

  I find myself agreeing with Bod. I, too was discouraged by the Society which (then and now) presented itself as the undisputable voice of God from attending higher education. It is too late for me now because I'm too old to go to college. Making a living for my family was very difficult because of my limited education. I can't see how that brought me any closer to Jehovah. Well, that has pretty much (not entirely, though) gone out of the window. Many witnesses were told that vaccinations were wrong and although that was before my time, I'm sure that many suffered as a result of that unreasonable 'divine light'. Fortunately that has gone by the wayside as well the prohibition on transplants (more 'divine light' now dispersed). I expect that one day the transfusion thing will go the same way that the little pyramids the witnesses wore in the thirties went. BUT how many people will die for someone's opinion?

  Jelly, you said that you are content to wait on Jehovah. That is an admirable attitude. But please ask yourself: "Am I waiting on Jehovah or on the Society?" Let us please never confuse the two. 'Jehovah is one Jehovah' and he alone is God. He never errs and his light never gets brighter because it's never dim.

  I await your replies.
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  28

  Keep doing this until I return

  by Caliban in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  if jesus said to keep celebrating the memorial 'until he returned' and he returned in 1914 then why do we still celebrate the memorial?

  isn't he here already!?!.

  can anyone enlighten me?

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  Frenchy

  Hello, Mikey.
  In reply to expressed concerns about being Christian in a tough world, I think all of us can appreciate that. And while it's certainly true that the world today is very difficult to deal with in a Christian manner it helps me to understand that the world has always been difficult to deal with inasmuch as it is ruled by Satan. It's easy enough to be kind and loving and gentle in the Kingdom Hall but that's only because there is trust and love there, a genuine concern for the brothers(well, most of the time!). The true test of what we believe and want comes when we leave the hall and enter Satan's world. That is where our fight is, that is our court case. It's a trial that lasts for your entire life. You will never see the jury but the good news is that if it's an unfavorable decision, you will never know it! :-)
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  47

  What's Sacred, what's not?

  by Frenchy in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  let's put forth a question here that should provoke some interesting responses.

  please feel free to give your thoughts on the matter inasmuch as that is the purpose of these boards.

  we (jehovah's witnesses) do not accept blood transfusions on the principle that 'blood is sacred'.

  1. 
  2. 
  3. 
• 

  Frenchy

  Hello, Jelly. Yes, those are the published reasons for the stand on blood fractions. Now, do they hold water for you?