i have been reading your posts at work.
i have been studing with the witnesses for about a year this last time.
i have almost completed the knowledge book.
Jusastudy,
There were already some very helpful tips here. If you wish, I have researched their birthday anniversary thing pretty well and can send you by e-mail some material from their own publications that shows the contradictions and errors in reasoning. Drop me an e-mail at m[email protected] if you think you can use it.
Oh, and welcome BTW on this forum!
Greven
i've mentioned my oppressive years in a church run house.
i recently came across the agreement you had to sign to continue to live there when the new leadership took over.
i have reproduced it below.
Steph,
I might start a thread about this club, it's interesting enough...
It began really simple: You had to sign up to get a swimming education, usually one starts at the age of 4. After basic skills you can do survival trainings and rescue courses. After that you can learn how to teach others. I went through it all because it was enjoyable, I like to swim.
The routine was (usually on Friday) 17:30-20:00 swimming or teaching in a pool, 20:30-21:30 Theory discussion at the club, 'bookstudy' you had to study some written material en this was discussed at the club. 21:30-22:00 drinking some beer and time to socialize.
It all started out as relaxed and enjoyable. the problems started when certain people began to create a public campaign. To increase public awareness and attact sponsors. People began striving to do more for the association, the club. Activities outside the usual fridaynight were organised. For example: marching in file with shirts with the grouplogo during local festivities. The club assigned positions in organising these activities to volunteers. Soon enough the people with such positions began looking down upon people that didnot volunteer for any extra activities and did nothing more than pay contributions and socialise (this was how it all started!). You had to do more!
We can easely see parallels with JW's. It started as a nice and cozy group that studied the bible and exchanged opinions and views, but soon enough a hierarchy emerged and you had to participate in a public campaign, doing more! And JW's started looking down upon the bible students that simply continued in the basic setup from the start. Hmm, I will rewrite this and post this as a topic soon. It is interesting!
Greven
LOL! those guys up the light tower must have been pretty amused!
Greven
having been a jw for 15yrs i have just recently began to question some of their beliefs.
one of the lines of reasoning i have always used in connection with the earthly hope was that the ancient hebrew prophets had no concept of a heavenly hope and so they had salvation with-out being born again.
that was until i read this:
Chech out this one as well:
Matthew 8
11 I say to you that many will come from the east and the west, and will take their places at the feast with Abraham, Isaac and Jacob in the kingdom of heaven.
It is most clear i would say!
Greven
They thought: If you can't beat them, join them!
Greven
being raised as a witness, i don't think that i ever thought i would speak against the organization of jehovah's witnesses.
what about you??
?
YES!
Strangly enough when I still thought it was the truth, it didn't feel like me. I actually thought I was 'evil' and even found peace with that thought (if that is who I am, then that is who I am, no sense in pretending to be different). Later ofcourse, I found out why it didn't feel right and changed my self image. Yet still at times I feel attracted to that dark side of myself...
Evil is in the eye of the beholder. When being a JW some regard you as evil. When being a worldling, JW's regard you as evil. You are always evil in some people's perspective. Accept it and move on.
Greven
if you could have any one super power, what would it be?
you can make up your own (i.e.
you don't have to steal if from superman or anything).
immortality (no not on a paradise earth!)
think about this: any investment will make you rich eventually, even a simple saving account.
Nobody can kill you. etc etc
how's your week been?
mrs ozzie and i very much enjoyed catching up with bliss and mr bliss and family.
mr bliss's shiraz is something else, i can tell ya!
10. Much ado about nothing. It was announced almost with a drumroll. Everybody would get excited, hoping for new light or some special stuff. But usually it would be the usual stuff by a more experienced speaker, meaning some humour and funny (but false) analogies. Special dissappointment would've been a better name.
Greven
did you ever heard of lilith?
not as an extension of adam, but the creation was dual, man and woman were one, almost a bisexual being.
but then adam *sigh, typically men* tried to dominate her, and she said in modern english "f*ck off, i'm leaving you", bravo lilith!
Interesting question, Viv!
I personally know little about lilith and those other myths, though I find it fascinating. I did once read up to other creation myths from tribes living before and with the israelites. Seeing how they correspond with eachother on various points shows you the futility of attributing much value to them other than historical signifiance (sp?).
Greven
i've mentioned my oppressive years in a church run house.
i recently came across the agreement you had to sign to continue to live there when the new leadership took over.
i have reproduced it below.
All those rules! You would have more freedom living with your parents!
The legalism I hated as a dub, I encountered elsewhere too. I doesn't even need religion, the only equation needed is: a small group (or a larger split in many small ones), a common goal, a rules entity, and physical and/or mental isolation. Soon enough a hierarchy will rise with competition for power and position. A pecking order so to speak. I even encountered this on a swimming club I had joined...
If your whole life revolves a club you try to rise within that small group like you normally would in society. This results in overvaluating a position on the club. 'Normal' people don't give a shit about you position in this club but to you it is the world. Think of the power elders have over their flock: it can be substantial, but their authority means nothing to people outside the 'club'...
Greven (still curious about those other rules)
