Posts by yknot

49

Is Today's Jehovah's Witness Religion The Same As It Was When You Were A Member?

by minimus in

jw
friends

in my day, you were proud to be a jw!

you knew you'd get "persecution" and it was all good.

when you abstained from blood, you read the ingredients of a candy bar!

yknot

Well I am still 'in'....

I remember there was 'bickering' in the late 70s. I got told by my stepdad (later it was a harping point for windbag-PO) that I had a 'Korah-like heart' because of speaking boldly (as we were all taught to speak) that the ban on transplants was nonsense (I was 6 when it was MOCd), I remember menfolk chatting away about hopeful changes and past stupidities under the presidency.... I even remember being told by the Elders to have patience and faith in the GB as they were still getting the swing of things....so I sat and watched 'change'....change that was suppose to bolster us in these last remaining days that were not to exceed the end of the 20th century (if that long).

But the changes to come were not of 'greatness'......with the Jan 83 'Independent Thinking' articles a page was turned. Mind you I was only 9yrs old when it was studied....but from that point on 'BOLDNESS' died (cue Don McLean American Pie). Fear set in and all became about blind following..... I remember thinking to myself how 'WEAK' it all was.... even as a child I despised weak leadership (ie bullying, fearmongering, dumbing down).....but being a good dubbie it was all proof the end was nigh, evidently satan was at work, and a little reformist was born.....spent every second of everyday watching the weakness spread.....the baptism change, Mary in 'A Time to Speak' and many other articles that are too numerous to mention......brief respite with Jan 89's 'completed in our 20th century'((http://www.jwfacts.com/images/watchtower-1989-jan-1-p12-mag.gif )) and Barry's pro-education....but Barry dropped dead in 1999 and by 2004 I could hear/feel the familar return of yet another round of intense bullying, fearmongering and dumbing down....it took Jaracz a bit longer to make it full circle but as we all know he did manage to restart the wagon-circling, dumb-downed, loyalty button pushing, distrusting, fearmongering stupidity that can be seen in the very WT we are studying this month!

I miss the boldness.

I miss the magenta songbook too

I miss deeply researched and discussed comments

I miss the independent thinking ..... we used to smirk at the Catholics for their lack of it (w58 8/1 p. 460 Dawns a New Era for the Irish)

I miss the parties

I miss the event atmosphere of the Assemblies

I miss volunteering at the Assemblies

I miss the freedom of thought and speech to openly shrug your shoulders, laugh in the parking lot of a KH and roll your eyes when you disagreed with something non-scriptural.

I miss being able to brag about us as JWs......

We used to discern when the WTS was 'hyping'......

Now all we have is praise for the Emporers and their ever-changing new clothing

Could the WTS be re-made.....sure but franky I don't think the GB has the cojones nor will to do it.....the only goal is to maintain lifestyle until they die.....

K....gotta shut up....lil reformist voice is getting stirred .....Just so mad.....

((( I mean how many 'asleep' JWs even know what our 'Kingdom Message' is anymore? )))

21

When was the last time you had someone appointed in your cong?

by Splash in

for my cong, apart from those moving in, we last had an elder appointed 16 years ago.. we last had some ms's appointed about 3 years ago.. our boe are getting old, 3 in their 80's, 1 in his 70's and three in their 60's.. they all work hard, but when their time comes, they deteriorate quickly.. splash.

yknot

Last year....(prefer not to mention exact numbers but included Elder/MS both)

We are not as a congregation lacking in appointed men.

Our youngest Elder is in his 40s , oldest nearing 90

65

need your advice again, please

by outsmartthesystem in

jw
friends

so here's the latest in my pathetic saga.

i've tried to fly under the radar for the past year, but it isn't working so well.

i've learned not to engage my wife in debates but rather to ask questions.

yknot

Outsmart....

As a Sister.... I start to hear menfolk talk 607 and my eyes roll back in my head.....

Pick a different subject.....one that is 'Sister friendly'

Really we don't care about 607 as a gender (well majority of us)

How about 1914.....when did we start preaching 1914 as enthronment vs parousia? Holy Spirit, when was it removed and returned?

or....

Tell her how much you love her and want family happiness......suggest a trade off studying current WTs for her and you doing a 'couple's study' begining with Russell/Barbour......work your way through Rutherford..... I would be surprised if she made it to 1975 without waking up....

Yes the suggestion is time consuming.....

Encourage her by going back and pulling out the suggestions when we first switched to the Family Worship Night.....talk about creating a JW trivia game......how are the kiddos suppose to re-enact old time dubbies if yall as a couple don't know what they were up too!

40

FYI - "Florida man kills door-to-door salesman: I'll kill anybody who steps on my property"

by AndersonsInfo in

jw
friends

http://www.rawstory.com/rs/2012/07/26/florida-man-kills-door-to-door-salesman-i%e2%80%99ll-kill-anybody-that-steps-on-my-property/.

florida man kills door-to-door salesman: ill kill anybody that steps on my propertya man in cape coral, florida on wednesday was arrested for shooting and killing an unarmed door-to-door salesman on his property.. kenneth bailey roop, 52, has been charged with second-degree murder for killing 30-year-old nicholas rainey.. a co-worker who witnessed the shooting said rainey had knocked on roops door, but received no answer.

while rainey was walking down the drive-way, roop pulled up in his pickup truck and asked why rainey was at his house.

yknot

I am not saying I think he acted rationally.......probably been enough to point the gun, have Rainey lie on the ground until police came and pressed charges for trespassing.....

Based on one news report I watched .....his 'neighbors' comments to the newscaster will lend to his lawyer arguing for mental impairment.

However 3 signs should have been respected....

Until they make 'I AM PARANOID, ARMED AND I SAID NO TRESPASSING' signs I think this gives all of us ample reflection on respecting plain ole 'NO TRESPASSING' signs

Anyone wanna dig up what exactly the trespassing/property rights laws are in Florida...

29

This is harder than I thought...

by SophieG in

jw
friends

ok....i am trying to go inactive to fade.

however all my family is in, except for one relative.

i cannot move away.

yknot

I am still in....

You eventually develop the mindset that each is own their own journey.....

You are just further along then them...

Accepting this and knowing how the WTS operates can allow you some emotional closure....

Remember being JW is like being a citizen in a nation that is worldwide...... and we have our own language.

Just because you are deciding to 'fade' from the nation doesn't mean you lose your 'native tongue'......so speak JW to your JW family. This will soothe them and make them less fearful. Keep up with whats going on (easy to do....just read Blondie WT reviews and browse JWN).

65

need your advice again, please

by outsmartthesystem in

jw
friends

so here's the latest in my pathetic saga.

i've tried to fly under the radar for the past year, but it isn't working so well.

i've learned not to engage my wife in debates but rather to ask questions.

yknot

leavingwt......

She sounds like a typical desperate, defensive, frustrated, fearful and fully indoctrinated Sister scared out of her mind and looking at him as if he is possibly demon possessed....she still loves him or she would have turned him into the Elders, packed and moved out to her father's house.

Her whole world is JW....and majority of us remember how that used to feel. Being a JW meant life over death.

Patience and perserverance could pay off.

14

Seen on the ground at a relatives' house...

by Jim_TX in

a couple of weeks ago, my wife and i visited her aunt on saturday.

when we were leaving, i happened to glance down and spotted some 'trash' that had evidently fallen from the door and was down in and among the potted plants that share the porch space.. i instantly knew what it was from the 'look', and reached down and grabbed it as we were walking to our vehicle.. sure enuf, it was a 4-page small pamphlet... some sort of preaching words... (i didn't read them), and then on the back side was a stamped 'invitation' for the person to go to their district assembly the last week in july.. ummm... belton, tx is about 150 miles away from here.

i'm so sure that someone would drive 150 miles to go to something that they just read about on a pamphlet stuck in their door.

yknot

Jim....

What happens if Armageddon starts tomorrow? And here you threw away their only known 'invitation' into the ark.....(LOL)

Belton sucks ....(granted having everyone drive to Dallas was even worse)....

Should have never moved the DC outta San Antonio!

______

BTW Belton has been confirmed for 2013 DC

65

need your advice again, please

by outsmartthesystem in

jw
friends

so here's the latest in my pathetic saga.

i've tried to fly under the radar for the past year, but it isn't working so well.

i've learned not to engage my wife in debates but rather to ask questions.

yknot

May I suggest giving it a rest some before proceeding....(ie change approach, calm her fears, abate her defenses.....).....live to battle another day.

Do this by validating her emotions ......

I am sure you never intended to work her up into the frenzy she is in....

Apologize..... 'Dearest I apologize for making you feel like I was trying to 'ruin your faith'.

Admit your whole approach has been wrong......that you have been a typical male......self-assured and determined. You should have never embarked on any of this alone because you had no 'voice of reason' helping you to keep balanced ......yall are a team, partners.....perhaps this has been your greatest err.

Tell her you are considering writing the letter to Bethel, however in light of your recent discernment you realize you might have gotten too carried away by your research to the point of being blindly bias and you need her help composing the letter to keep you 'humble and focused'....also add that you know now that it is possible that you may have been led astray and her 'fresh eyes' might bring discernment. .....(this way she gets exposed to your findings via direct research articles etc and yall get to calmly and rationally discuss the merits of such and what should and shouldn't go into the letter.)

Go very slowly .......make sure she knows exactly what we believe and when we started believing it (include previous versions and dates changed- better yet have copies of the WT publications showing the changes) about whatever topic yall are approaching.

Treat her as an equal and include her....... you aren't the enemy then, you are a person asking for her help and wisdom because you value her and her insight.

It is so encouraging to know you have support!

I know you are tired.....but maybe give it one more last try.

~huggles

35

Judah Ben Schroeder - where is he now????

by dreamgolfer in

did he ever get his law degree (old thread) does he practice law?.

or did he take over his in-laws sell cars to the wtbts dealership?.

what happened to the book ?.

yknot

He is 'active'.....

Primary residence is in Brooklyn...

I understood him to be doing 'time' in Patterson recently but that was well ove 6 months ago....

Judah and Amber didn't get to pick who their dads were......I am not in favor of hounding the guy/couple because I think there is some valuable lessons to be learned from the way Malcolm Rutherford was treated by ex-JWs.

35

Judah Ben Schroeder - where is he now????

by dreamgolfer in

did he ever get his law degree (old thread) does he practice law?.

or did he take over his in-laws sell cars to the wtbts dealership?.

what happened to the book ?.

yknot

Tresdecu

I looked through a few bar registries.....nada.

I am thinking he got masters and is focusing on human rights spin.

If anyone has access to Columbia Alumni ......look him up!

_____________________

Leolaia.... I have always heard it is as just 'Ben'.