for the last 13 years, we haven't attended and didn't even care about it.
but since we became card carrying members of jwn in september, we have an interest in what are friends here on jwn are doing.. for us?
we will be watching 'dancing with the stars'.
Found Sheep, I understand. As you think about "churches" keep it in mind that the vast majority are not quite the control cults that the KHs appear to be (though I admit a few are--but once you've been through it they are fairly easy to recognize).
Blessings and best wishes.
for the last 13 years, we haven't attended and didn't even care about it.
but since we became card carrying members of jwn in september, we have an interest in what are friends here on jwn are doing.. for us?
we will be watching 'dancing with the stars'.
Snowbird and others, I don't mean to belittle your emotions in any way, in fact, it makes me feel terrible that you all are hurting like this. But, would it help you to attend a "Christian" ceremony? Many churches, particularly Baptist churches, have "communion" on Easter Sunday, and a few on Passover evening. At those churches you can even drink the grape juice and eat the cracker, or not, your preference.
For my own family and friends, each year I host a Seder (Jewish-style Passover) celebration followed by a full meal. During the Seder we explain how all the elements that Moses commanded the Jews to include in the celebration are symbols of Jesus as the Messiah. Perhaps attending something like that would also help?
Again, this is not intended as judgmental or snotty. Just posing possible things to help you get over the emotional hump of feeling like you are missing out.
they had better wine glasses at this hall, but otherwise everything was the same.
we had one at our hall last year.
so the people in the side rows get to hold the wine glass twice.
besty, that was really intriguing.
I have never been to one of these ceremonies. What is said in the "talk" that causes even first time "observers" (I did not say participants) to just pass the wine and bread along instead of eating? Are these words posted anywhere?
the tripe factory is in full production.
http://jehovahs-witness-news.blogspot.com/2010/03/manufactures-alert.html.
the maker of all human beings (jehovah god) is recalling all units manufactured, regardless of make or year, due to a serious defect in the primary and central component of the heart.
"Important Recall:The maker of all human beings is recalling all units manufactured due to the serious defect in the primary and central component, or heart. . . . This defect has been technically termed, Subsequential Internal Non-morality, or more commonly known as SIN, and its primary symptom is a lapse of moral judgement. . . . The manufacturer, who is neither liable or at fault for this defect, is providing factory authorized repair and service, free of charge, to correct this SIN defect, at numerous locations throughout the world." quote by Rick Ezell: http://www.amazon.com/Seven-Sins-Highly-Defective-People/dp/082542531X
Yes, it looks like a plagarism to me...
To daringheart: what is the "new" generations teaching? Is there a thread on this?
i'm brand new to the board.
long time, "big shot" elder, ....taught at km school, conventions, etc.
yeah, i know it means nothing....but it gives you an idea of how deep i've been a jw.. i don't even really know what to write at this point.
Greetings!
i'm not sure if it's just denial on a lot of people's part, but the reason the jws doctrine is so wacky and controlling is because they are among the few religions that really try to follow the bible!.
the bible is the culprit here in actuality, but even after someone has "wizened up" to the misguided teachings of jehovah's witnesses they still hold the bible as inspired word of god.. why don't you believe that the governing body was chosen as the faithful and discreet slave in 1918?
because the only real evidence to that fact is that they say so.
Here was the thread from 2 years ago. http://www.jehovahs-witness.net/watchtower/beliefs/183948/1/What-do-most-ex-JWs-believe-after-leaving
i'm not sure if it's just denial on a lot of people's part, but the reason the jws doctrine is so wacky and controlling is because they are among the few religions that really try to follow the bible!.
the bible is the culprit here in actuality, but even after someone has "wizened up" to the misguided teachings of jehovah's witnesses they still hold the bible as inspired word of god.. why don't you believe that the governing body was chosen as the faithful and discreet slave in 1918?
because the only real evidence to that fact is that they say so.
Sab, I think your original assumption was accurate. The majority here are atheists (see my post 172 above: "2 years ago I asked everyone on this forum to post what their religious leanings were after leaving the JW organization. About 90% of those who responded stated they were atheist.")
The only thing I think is wrong with your thread title is that it was never Christianity they gave up, rather it was the Watchtower. These folks were never Christians nor in "the" Christian religion.
i'm not sure if it's just denial on a lot of people's part, but the reason the jws doctrine is so wacky and controlling is because they are among the few religions that really try to follow the bible!.
the bible is the culprit here in actuality, but even after someone has "wizened up" to the misguided teachings of jehovah's witnesses they still hold the bible as inspired word of god.. why don't you believe that the governing body was chosen as the faithful and discreet slave in 1918?
because the only real evidence to that fact is that they say so.
Snowbird wrote, "I turned my back on our Lord to chase after a valueless thing [the Watchtower]."
When I was meeting with a team of JWs (they to convert me to the Watchtower and I to convert them to Christ) it stunned me to hear their sage leader affirm that he had once been "Christian" but had left that all behind to follow the Watchtower and its organization. Anyone who has once genuinely belonged to Christ cannot forever replace Him with a false religion like the Watchtower. A person who has belonged to Christ will return to Him.
The vast majority of those who the Watchtower draw in never did know Christ in a relationship, so they were never Christian. Never having known God it makes sense they would leave as atheists.
The few who were Christian or became Christian while in the Watchtower are simply going to be compelled to leave by the Holy Spirit living in them. Those few individuals will return to their God and He will gladly welcome them home, for they never lost their standing as adopted children. That is Christianity.
i'm not sure if it's just denial on a lot of people's part, but the reason the jws doctrine is so wacky and controlling is because they are among the few religions that really try to follow the bible!.
the bible is the culprit here in actuality, but even after someone has "wizened up" to the misguided teachings of jehovah's witnesses they still hold the bible as inspired word of god.. why don't you believe that the governing body was chosen as the faithful and discreet slave in 1918?
because the only real evidence to that fact is that they say so.
2 years ago I asked everyone on this forum to post what their religious leanings were after leaving the JW organization. About 90% of those who responded stated they were atheist.
I think this atheistic end-state for ex-JWs is because the Jehovah's Witnesses religion is a 100 year young religion (kind of a recent hodgepodge of paganism, Judaism, Christianity, and humanism) and is not Christianity in any genuine sense. Like Mormanism it borrows "some" sacred writings from Christianity and "some" words and "some" concepts about God, but then it makes up new "light" or new revelations that greatly modify the meanings of the Christian writings (and even modifies the writings themsevles) to the point where the final religion is certainly not Christian in any meaningful, traditional, or historical form.
Therefore, it is not proper to say that ex-JWs have "left" Christianity, for they were never a part of the real thing.
Christianity is a living relationship with Jesus Christ, and regardless of which "church" you choose to attend you can pray to Him, He forgives your sins immediately, He sends the Holy Spirit inside you to regenerate you (make you born again), and He gurantees your redemption with no fear of a surprise rejection at the end of your life or at the end of time. Since none of that is true for ex-Jehovah's Witnesses, they should never think that they have ever been "Christian."
It was not Christianity they rejected, but a counterfeit johnny-come-lately hybrid religion where the human leadership seated itself in the role of judge and lord--roles that only belong to Christ. You have not left Chritianity, you have left the Watchtower.
