I think that the really sad thing here is that this is not GOOD NEWS. It should be. Instead it is rather scandalous. Is it possible that the increase in the number of those partaking is actually due to individuals hearing the Spirit? It is like a miniture apostacy happening right inside the organization. This may be the one and only thing that the GB cannot dictate, since they acknowledge the scriptures that say the Spirit reveals it to the individual directly. (Hmmm......I wonder if "New Light" is going to bring a new "understanding" to that scripture?)
Posts by MMae
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28Situation Developing in Family
by lookingnow25 inmy 25 year old sister just called me with some big news...her husband...30...is of the annointed as of last december.
omg!
i'm having trouble processing this.
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26
Of Pedophelia and False Positives
by inkling inok, something has been bugging me recently, so please forgive meas i play devil's advocate for a moment.
child abuse of any type is horrific, and when it is sexual innature it can cause unimaginably cruel and life-long damage.i think we can all agree on that.
however, in the past irreparable damage to people's lives havealso been caused by accusations of child abuse that turnedout to be baseless... families are torn apart, trust is shredded, reputations ruined, all because a child misunderstood something, or fabricated a story to get attention, or was pressured by paranoid and possibly abused adults into remembering things that never happened.
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MMae
I am always very sad to hear of cases where persons are falsely accused, many times suffering tremendously as a result. I also feel strongly that sorting out accusations is best left to authorities trained to do so.
In the meantime, for every molestation that is reported, there are SO MANY MORE that are not:
Elsewhere on that website the point is made that sexual molestation is if anything under-reported.
In the case mentioned above, 25 victims were eventually discovered in one congregation. How many of those reported the abuse? One? Two? Any?
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63
is a homosexual as bad as a paodophile to a jw ?
by looloo inthe same guy that spoke to my mum on the doors yesterday was talking about them in the same catergory , aswell as saying that there are alot of 13 to 15 year old girls hanging around the local night club looking for a one night stands (she should of asked him how he knew about this , is that because he is there ?
) his point was is a man of 25 that picks up a 15 year old plastered in makeup at a nightclub a paedophile ?
which was totally irrelevant to the point she was making about the local ex min servant that had abused his daughters friends in the cong even though he was good friends with thier parents and had known the girls since birth , so did know they were underage .
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MMae
homosexuality and pedophilia are both wrong according to the Bible.
Billy- you are giving the impression by your careless statement of consenting adults that this behavior(homosexuality) is ok. Just because two people consent to something does not mean its ok to do. This behavior is against nature and not to mention against God's laws! if what you say is the case then people can consent to do drugs together or commit murder or whatever else people can do together,just because they consented dosent make it ok
Pedophilia: 8 words.
Homosexuality: 85 words. Yup! JWs definately consider homosexuality to be the more serious offense. -
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WTBTS?
by R.Crusoe inwilt thou blame thy self .
- at all times and without exception?.
now you may get baptised and be excommunicated if you ever forget it!.
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MMae
Why, feeding us at the proper time, Silly!
(Careful, don't gag.)
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28
What was the "point of no return" for you?
by B_Deserter inwas there a point in leaving the organization where you did something that demonstrated that you had officially made your decision to leave?
for me, i think it's going to be when i vote in the general election this year.
it will be my first action in public against jw doctrine.
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MMae
but, i thought if the governing body became less arrogant, if they apologized for things, if the leaders actually switched up by some miracle and became united and loving like christians are supposed to be, i left the door open that i would go back if there were major changes.
the point of no return, reading COC
Pretty much ditto for me.
Elder on phone to me, 2-3 weeks after rejecting my request for reinstatement on grounds that they did not believe I was repentant: "We noticed you've missed some meetings. I was wondering if you need anything, or if there is anything we can do.?"
Me: (Long silence.) "I haven't been feeling well, so that is why I haven't been there recently. [This was true.] (Sheepishly) But, I'm not sure that I'll be coming back. I just don't think I can keep going to the hall without any hope of ever being reinstated."
Him: "Are you sure there isn't anything we can do?"
Me: "I guess you can call me if the GB changes their views."
My phone never did ring, and somehow a copy of COC made it into my hands!
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Field circus a one way street job
by White Dove inwhen going in fs, i always felt like it was a one way street or conversation because i was there to argue and defend the contents of the wt and a!
but none of us were allowed to consider as a possibility the other person's arguments.
our job was to turn their minds around but the people on the other side made more sense than i did.
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MMae
I also came in during my teens. Since I was shown so many scriptures to back up what I was being taught - and being given explainations for all those things that seemed to contradict the Bible, I was convinced that the JWs must be worshipping in the fashion that God wanted. I was a true believer in the JWs. But I still thought it was stupid that we couldn't look at other's teachings - if for no other reason than to be more prepared to compare their beliefs with the scriptures. I always felt that the truth was the truth - so there should be no reason to fear doing research about other's beliefs.
I do remember one time at the door that the householder and I were discussing Ecclessiasties about soul sleep. She said all I needed to do was read those scriptures in context to understand what the writer was saying, then showed me the scripture that said, "under the sun." I remember that I felt betrayed that I had never been shown the scriptures in context before. I was very troubled. Back in the car, I asked for an explaination. One was offered, but I still felt like I had been deceived. You know, to this day, I don't recall what the explaination was, but I sure remember what the householder said.
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Divorced? Question..........
by Outaservice indivorce is much more common in the jehovah's witness community than they would like to admit.
probably more so than the population in general.
if you have been divorced do you think that the watchtower society contributed to the divorce, or caused it, or is it just possible you married some jerk or abuser and divorce would have occured no matter what religion you were, or even if you had no religion?
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MMae
YES. Per GB directions, elders could not counsel my JW husband re: escalating agressiveness toward our young sons. His multi-generational JW family turned him away from mental health counseling, while they and our elders put blame on his "unsubmissive wife." I finally got a separation to protect my children. In the meantime, I asked my husband to continue to be a part of our family, and to work with me to try to find solutions to the problems that would lead up to his outbursts. However, his family (especially his mother) disapproved of this idea. (Apparently the only solution was for me to see the error of my ways, and with total submission, beg for him to return.) Consequently, my husband refused to even attend a congregation meeting with us. When I spoke with elders about my concern that my husband had abandoned our relationship, they looked at me with blank stares. (Oh yeah - I forgot - they can't counsel the JW husband about marrital issues UNLESS he's the one with the complaint/concern.) After 3 years of that non-sense I got a divorce.
I figure most of my husband's mental health issues stemmed from being born into an elite JW family with a mild developmental disability - therefore doomed to never be able to messure up, and to live every day of his life with SHAME. SO, had we NOT been JWs, and had my husband been able to see himself as the loveable person that he was (and therefore have the ability to see his own sons as loveable) - then we would have had a chance at happiness.
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circuit assembly / what did they say ??
by lancelink inthis afternoon i attended the ca, pioneer / pioneer / pioneer / pioneer, everything else you might need to do in life is not important.
focus on the new system, and making disciples !
and near the end of the session, the district overseer made a quick but noted comment.
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MMae
I agree that it is noteworthy that the overseer suggested that armageddon may be delayed - even beyond our lifetime. (Of course, if he meant the "millions now living" that "will never die" - it went without saying!)
If you read in Matthew 24 about the FDS, and then keep on reading, you'll learn of the evil slave who says to himself that the Master delays in returning. He begins to look upon himself as the master. Consequently, he begins mistreating his fellow servants, whom he has been entrusted the task of keeping well fed. (Let the reader use discernment. )
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Help me get understanding of this ...
by sacolton inwtbts uses the scripture to indicate that only the apostles (or anointed) were .
to partake in the emblems, but .... matthew 28:19-20. therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them inthe name .
apostles should make disciples, but it doesn't say that disciples should.
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MMae
It works for me Sacolton!
I'm not sure why, but this brings to my mind a study article in the mid-90s about the 144,000 being the only ones Jesus meant when he said, "My brothers." I think it was in connection with the scripture about 'how you treat the least of these, my brothers, is how you treat me.' I remember thinking that they sure had the meaning of that scripture turned around backwards. Just another way to elevate themselves, while making others feel low, I guess.
I believe that everyone having faith in Jesus' sacrifice is invited to demonstate that faith by the symbolism of taking the emblems. It is, itself, an act of faith.
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26
How Would YOU Help a JW That Is Questioning The Religion?
by minimus inhow would you help them see it's not "the truth"?
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MMae
First of all, listen to him (her?). What questions is he having? Offer comfort where he has been injured by JWs. Move only as fast as he is able.