NE, Sure. There are lots of examples. Anybody that's been an elder for more than a few years will have encountered something with the circuit or CO, if not their own congregation, that makes them say, "What...?"
Billy the Ex-Bethelite
JoinedPosts by Billy the Ex-Bethelite
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74
Billy's Comments You Won't Hear at the 01-19-2014 WT Study (7 Shepherds, 8 Dukes)
by Billy the Ex-Bethelite in16-20. we shall also have to raise up against him seven shepherds, yes, eight dukes of mankind.mic.
what is the most important thing that you can do now to prepare for any future attack on gods people?.
all of us must be ready to obey any instructions we may receive, whether these appear sound from a strategic or human standpoint or not.. .
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exJW Psychology 105--"Are You Ready for The Big A?"
by Billy the Ex-Bethelite ini don't know how many others have gotten this question that i got recently.
i wonder if it was the co that thought this would be a great question to try to reactivate someone like me:.
at the time, i was kinda blindsided by the question and gave just an okay response.
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Billy the Ex-Bethelite
I don't know how many others have gotten this question that I got recently. I wonder if it was the CO that thought this would be a great question to try to reactivate someone like me:
"If armageddon came this year, would you be ready?"
At the time, I was kinda blindsided by the question and gave just an okay response. After having more time to think about the question, I have many more things I wish that I would have said and probably would use in the future. When I talked about this to a fellow fader friend, this proposed response brought her nearly to tears:
"Yes, I would be very ready if it came this year. And I was very ready if it had come last year. But I am not at all ready if it comes in 15, 20, or 30 years. All my life I was led to believe that it was coming very soon and I would never have to worry about graduating, getting a career, saving for retirement, or ever retiring and having these health problems that come with age.
"If it comes this year, I am more than ready to state my case before God, Christ, and any man. But if this system continues for 15 years, I'd be retirement age with no savings. I don't want to end up like Br. ____ who never saved a cent and is now trying to live on his limited social security benefits."
This hit a very painful chord with my friend. She had bought into the Society's "end is near" promises and has only recently started saving money and has no spouse and kids. As she chimed in her comments and tears of sadness and frustration came up in her eyes, I cheered her up... by pointing out that I had bought into WT lies more deeply than she had and I was in way worse shape financially than she was .
Of course, I have some other ideas for possible responses, but I wanted to bounce this idea around the forum first for this:
Them: "If armageddon came this year, would you be ready?"
Me: "Oh yes. I've been ready for armageddon to come any year since I was a child. I was fully expecting it to come in the late 80s - early 90s and 100% took to heart what WT said in DC talks and articles like "Responsible Child-Bearing in This Time of the End." I'll never forget that series of articles in the 3/1/88 WT that directly said the end was so close that it would be foolish and irresponsible to marry and have children. I've tried to search it on the new online library, but it's not there. That's been 25 years ago and they only list WTs from 2000. And I have just one word to describe myself for following that advice in the late 1980s... STUPID! I was an idiot to believe them and choose to stay single and childless. I should have been like you (in the case of that conversation) and Br. ___ who happily married, had kids, pursued a career. I listen, obeyed, and am now nearly 50, alone, penniless."
Them: "But it could come this year."
Me: "Sure. But the youngest member of the GB is my age, and with the current teaching of "generation", this system could easily last another 25 years. The prophecies have a long way to go before fulfillment. Islam isn't going to go down without a long, hard battle. The King of the North is entirely unknown as of now, but according to Daniel has a long way to go before completing the required prophecies."
Them: "But the Bible also says it would come instantly, with great surprise."
Me: "Let's be honest. If you really thought it was coming this year, you would quit your job and use all your savings to spend the final days pioneering."
Them: "Well, er..."
Me: "It's important to be prepared if the end DOESN'T come this year, right?"
Them: "Well yeah."
Me: "Congrats to you. If the end doesn't come for another 15, 20, 25 years, you're ready. Me? Not so much. So when you say your prayers tonight with your family in your comfortable home, remember to thank God for not taking the terrible advice from WT that many of the rest of us did. And when you're studying WT information with your children about how close the end is, remind them that the end really might not be that close, and they need to plan accordingly."
Them: "So, who do you think will win the Super Bowl this year?"
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a few thoughts
by Defianttruth inthe true power of lies.
masturbation.
i remember my father being suspect of my long showers as a 13 year old.
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Billy the Ex-Bethelite
DT, I would suspect quite the opposite. I think not masturbating would cause the penis to fall off.
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Topics not often discussed now
by jdubsnub inwhen i was a kid in the early 90's there always seemed to be a mention of how demons posessing people or how if you saw a demon or something supernatural occuring mearly calling jehovah's name would rid you of the situation.
rarely now a days do you hear anything of the sort.
that got me to thinking, what are some other topics the society has backed off of?
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Billy the Ex-Bethelite
It's been way too long since the Revelation book was revised and studied.
It's nearly a century since the Bible Students fulfilled prophecies by attending boring religious talkings at an Ohio, USA amusement park.
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The "Assyrian", the "seven shepherds", the "eight dukes"
by bats in the belfry in.. .. .. .
will become whatever the wtbts needs them to become.. .. once upon a time they said this:.
1943 the watchtower, april 15, page 124.
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Billy the Ex-Bethelite
They really do just make it all up as they go along.
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Billy's Comments You Won't Hear at the 01-19-2014 WT Study (7 Shepherds, 8 Dukes)
by Billy the Ex-Bethelite in16-20. we shall also have to raise up against him seven shepherds, yes, eight dukes of mankind.mic.
what is the most important thing that you can do now to prepare for any future attack on gods people?.
all of us must be ready to obey any instructions we may receive, whether these appear sound from a strategic or human standpoint or not.. .
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Billy the Ex-Bethelite
Magwitch & OM: "The number eight (one more than seven) sometimes represents an abundance."
Well, at least the first part of that footnote counts as one accurate statement to be found in this article. New Light: "Research Reveals that Eight is One More than Seven!"
But 8 represents an abundance only "sometimes". Wait, what? When does 8 ever represent an abundance? 8 beans or 8 grains of rice is not an abundance. 8 wives might seem like a lot, but if they intended to represent an abundance, why didn't they go the Solomon route and exaggerate it to 700 dukes and 300 shepherds?
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Billy's Comments You Won't Hear at the 01-19-2014 WT Study (7 Shepherds, 8 Dukes)
by Billy the Ex-Bethelite in16-20. we shall also have to raise up against him seven shepherds, yes, eight dukes of mankind.mic.
what is the most important thing that you can do now to prepare for any future attack on gods people?.
all of us must be ready to obey any instructions we may receive, whether these appear sound from a strategic or human standpoint or not.. .
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Billy the Ex-Bethelite
Newly Enlightened, The "grill incident" was one where it was so blatant in demonstrating the attitude of some of the COs. They can easily become greedy, abusive dictators.
There were a lot of times in Bethel where I would sense that something wasn't quite right, but you can't go poking around and asking questions. I know for certain that there was a lot of careless waste. Was there fraud? Maybe yes, maybe no, but with their policy of keeping the books hidden away from public review, it creates an environment that invites corruption.
"Oh, but that could never happen in "God's Organization", right? Pfft. Ever hear about the guy called Judas Iscariot that was stealing money right under the nose of Jesus?
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Thank you Jehovah for JW Library App! - Food at the proper time ... actual comments from users
by wannabefree inwarning!
awesome!
so thankful for all the amazing provisions jehovah has given us.
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Billy the Ex-Bethelite
"Such a loving provision to be able to study my WT lesson and surf for porn on the same electronic device. Thank you, Jehovah!"
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Ok... so Mom did the robotic JW thing and people in my home country know about me...
by ILoveTTATT inso.... i went out all day today... just wanted to get away from the sh!tstorm that was created yesterday.
anyways... i come home like an hour ago, and my dad told me that mom called my aunties in central america and told them stuff about me, and also she told the elders of her hall... the elders want to meet with me, but i think that it will be at my house.
i am curious about your ideas about:.
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Billy the Ex-Bethelite
You've chosen a path that isn't easy. You've chosen to question, challenge, and learn.
Rather than blindly accept something that was handed to you with a label "truth", you've tested it. And it failed.
When you dare to point out that WT might have even a tiny flaw, the faithful are trained not to examine the facts. They are trained to attack YOU for bringing attention to the facts.
Is this a surprise? Anybody whose really read the Bible realizes that someone that tells the truth and does the right thing is very likely to get killed for it. When you are given a hard time for loving TTATT, that is the persecution to be expected. The fact that WT theology is terribly flawed and their false teachings have ruined lives is irrelevant to "true believers". They have been trained that the only way to avoid death and have a pet panda is by attending meetings, preaching the WT message, and never question the GB. They would rather have the illusion of their fake truth than have to deal with facts and reality.
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Billy's Comments You Won't Hear at the 01-19-2014 WT Study (7 Shepherds, 8 Dukes)
by Billy the Ex-Bethelite in16-20. we shall also have to raise up against him seven shepherds, yes, eight dukes of mankind.mic.
what is the most important thing that you can do now to prepare for any future attack on gods people?.
all of us must be ready to obey any instructions we may receive, whether these appear sound from a strategic or human standpoint or not.. .
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Billy the Ex-Bethelite
Bobcat, Interesting comments. After reading the things you brought out, I only did a little research and it's easy to see that WT has simplified and misrepresented the events recorded in the Bible and secular records. Hezekiah was involved with foreign allies and paid the Assyrians with temple treasures to go away. So much for his "trust in Jehovah." Of course, WT has to doctor the dates to support their erroneous chronology and numerology.
When you take off the Watchtower goggles, just a few extra minutes to look at the context of the verses this WT uses and even just using Wikipedia, it's easy to realize that this WT article just doesn't make sense. The statements they make about any historical events aren't correct. Similarly, the explanations that the prophecies have modern application require stretches of logic that are pure fiction. The supposed "lessons for today" do not follow. The modern elders are said to be the "seven shepherds, yes, eight dukes of mankind. And they will actually shepherd the land of Assyria with the sword, and the land of Nimrod in its entrances"? Good grief. The elders as some sort of battle heroes that will rule the world? I've served on enough BoEs to realize that the elders can't agree on which brand of toilet tissue to purchase after a 5 hour elder meeting to discuss every option from steel wool to just telling everyone to bring their own.