Posts by gsark

2

stats

by nicolaou in

jw
friends

check out the 'stats' page - 'the hottest topics of all time' are now all over 100 posts long!.

chatty bunch aren't we?.

nic'.

gsark

so much to say and so little time to say it...I mean...the end can come any time now...

Haw haw!!!

Life is a roller coaster. Get in, sit down, shut up and hang on!

63

To All Here..... just a question....

by 7robert7 in

jw
friends

i'm just curious as to how many ex-witnesses here still believe in the god of the bible ?

and how many, due to the societies teachings have given up on god all together ?

Not that I want to speak for anyone on this board, but just my personal opinion...a lot of ex-jw's have been hurt so badly, they seem to find it difficult to believe there is a kind and loving God. It breaks my heart sometimes, because I know the pain has to be great for someone to feel that way.

Life is a roller coaster. Get in, sit down, shut up and hang on!

5

Help With Reference?

by Francois in

jw
friends

i'm sure you remember the statement in the wt that goes something like - the organization of jws is the only channel of communication that god is using...words to that effect.. would any of you who have the exact quote and its citation please email it to me when you can?

i would very much appreciate your help.. francois

gsark

For your continued reading/gagging pleasure and perusal:

WT 11-1-99: The only sure way to retain God's Word in our heart is to read and study it both privately and in association with fellow believers. This includes taking full advantage of the spiritual food provided through the channel appointed to care for the spiritual interests of Jesus' true followers

WT 12-1-99 And just as Jesus used "his slave John" to communicate sustaining spiritual food to the first-century congregations, so today he uses "the faithful and discreet slave," made up of his anointed "brothers" on earth, to give his domestics and their companions spiritual "food at the proper time." (Matthew 24:45-47; 25:40) Happy are those who recognize the Source of the 'good gifts' we receive in the way of spiritual food and the channel He is using.-

WT 6-1-97 But how thrilling to know that Jehovah, in his own due time and in his own way, will continue to reveal his secrets as to his purposes! Never should we become impatient with Jehovah's arrangement, indiscreetly trying to rush ahead of the Revealer of secrets. How reassuring it is to know that the channel Jehovah is using today does not do so! It is both faithful and discreet.

WT 12-15-96 This he has done through a visible channel that Jesus termed "the faithful and discreet slave." It provides spiritual food that is considered in the teaching program for congregations of God's people worldwide.

KM 10-95 The congregation is vital to our spiritual survival. It would be impossible to serve Jehovah acceptably apart from it.

KM 4-93 Today, the worldwide Christian congregation is God's "house," "a pillar and support of the truth." (1 Tim. 3:15) All the provisions for salvation are made available through this channel. For that reason, "to it all the nations must stream" if they desire to enjoy the blessings promised under God's Kingdom rule.-Isa. 2:2.
2 This "house" comprises more than 69,000 congregations in 229 lands. The doors of Kingdom Halls around the world are open,....

KM 3-92 How privileged we are to have knowledge of future events revealed in the book of Revelation and explained through God's channel today! Entrusted with such knowledge, unlike the scribes of Jesus' day and the clergy today, let us never fail to make known or unlock the meaning of God's Word to those who will listen.

Granted, some of these are inferred/implied, but try telling a JW elder the this 'channel' is something other than JW...

There are many, mnay more like this, but I am too sick to continue...

Life is a roller coaster. Get in, sit down, shut up and hang on!

5

APOSTATE THIS....APOSTATE THAT........

by JUSTAMOM in

jw
friends

hello to all today:.

sick of that title???.

ever notice how often the term 'apostate' is used now in the wt articles.

gsark

Apostates to the Right of me

Apostates to the Left of me

Here I am--stuck in the middle with Youuuu

Yes I'm stuck in the middle with Youuuuuu...

And proud of it!!!

Life is a roller coaster. Get in, sit down, shut up and hang on!

11

Does Anyone Else Remember

by drahcir yarrum in

jw
friends

it's been a long, long time ago, but i remember as a youngster attending the meetings and there was a huge bulletin board next to the platform and every month they would post the field service statistics on it, i.e.

hours, return visits (back calls), mags, books, etc.. i was wondering if this was common practice in all kingdom halls back in the 50's and 60's and if so, when did the practice end?

given nathan knorr's interest in marketing the jw teachings and putting a guilt trip on those who didn't perform up to snuff this recollection makes sense.

gsark

I don't know about field service stats, but at my KH there are 4 congregations. There is an information board 'holder' on the wall to the left as you walk in, and all four congs have their own 'board'. For each meeting, that particular Cong's 'board' is moved forward for display. On if there are the meeting schedules and locations, letters from the WT (the public ones) the assembly/convention and CO schedules, KH cleaning scedules and assignments, that sort of thing.

Life is a roller coaster. Get in, sit down, shut up and hang on!

4

Advice For Parents Please

by ladonna in

jw
friends

i have been pondering an issue for quite some time.

my parents have known nothing else but the "truth" for all of their lives.. recently they went away on holiday with a host of other jw's and had a really fun time.. at times they show great "spiritual" weakness that i have keenly observed, however, i do plant "dity little apostate seeds" but am questioning what type of life they would have if they were not part of the wtbts.. they would lose all of their children except myself...i have 5 sisters...and they would have no friends.. i feel very sad to think that i really could bring about a great loneliness in what could be their "golden years".. no one hates the wtbts as much as those of us that see it for the evil that it is, but i am really struggling with my conscience over this one.. if they were not emotionally tied to me, maybe i would feel differently; i just can't.. any suggestions???.

ana.

gsark

My friend's mother is 80 years young this year, she's a JW and we know it's not 'da trufe' and we think she knows it's not 'da trufe'. But where can she go at that age?

So, her son just supports her efforts in field service and meetings and thinks it could be a lot worse.

God can read hearts and minds. Ladonna, He knows who is brainwashed, who is weak, who doesn't know any better. And he will take care of those ones.

Peace, my dear...you deserve it.

Life is a roller coaster. Get in, sit down, shut up and hang on!

16

Kent, Common Objectives & William Barclay

by hillary_step in

jw
friends

i was always impressed with the way that william barclay could encapsulate large and very complex issues into, not just a simple form ( are you listening duns!

) but with a sincere purity attached.

i was honored to meet him when i was very young man in my university years and though a convinced atheist at the time who actually shoved socialist newspapers at people in my local high street, i could not ignore the genuine tranquillity that accompanied this wonderful personality.

gsark

Well, all I can say is that there are many of us here who are in recovery, and some of us still in great pain from our WT experiences.

Yes it would be better to 'reach out' rather than 'lash out' but I think for some people they are too much in pain right now. I've helped rescue dogs from the road after being run over, they will bite you if you are not careful, because they are in so much pain and so frightened. Some of what I see on this board reminds me of those wounded animals.

I've been thinking, maybe the ones here with a calm, quiet, intellectual approach are further along in the healing process than those who seem to be 'lashing' all the time. Who is anyone to say 'hurry up and heal faster'? Apparently some of these ones have found other injured souls just like themselves, and if they think they are helping each other when they 'rant and rave' together, so be it.

But 'path of healing' or no, it doesn't take much to see who is there to lend a helping 'hand' (or post) and who is not. I can say this, healing comes faster when helping others and in this I speak from personal experience. Enemies can become a friend this way -warning!!!

Life is a roller coaster. Get in, sit down, shut up and hang on!

11

Ritzville Bound

by silentlambs in

i leave tonight to head for ritzville.

there have been so many kind thoughts and notes sent which i am going to pass on to erica when i get there.

we even had a person from germany send $80 for flowers.

gsark

No indeedy... not this time.

Best of wishes to you SL and Erica. And everyone who is going to be there.

This in my opinion is an example of the True Christianity that Jesus Christ spoke of; people helping people from the heart...and no turning in time!!!

Agape all...

Life is a roller coaster. Get in, sit down, shut up and hang on!

27

Change in WTS doctrine under way!

by biblexaminer in

a "significant re-adjustment" in watchtower dicta is in the works.

is it important?

if you do want to know, then take the time to read the following information, for doctrine is the motivation behind everything that is "watchtower", and recent happenings within watchtower-world shed light on the future course of the great ship watchtower.. [hr].

gsark

It just amazes me that the WT didn't jump on the chance,when they had it...to call the 'disgusting thing standing in the place of desolation'...the Apostates!!! Run JW's run...

Perhaps we, while we have the chance, could say that the'disgusting thing standing in the place of desolation' is the GB! Run JW's run...

Go figure.

Life is a roller coaster. Get in, sit down, shut up and hang on!

9

Which Bible to get?

by Kat_ in

ooops!

how did i end up posting this twice?

is there a way to erase one of them?.

gsark

My first non-WT bible was the Jay P. Green Interlinear bible. It contains the name Jehovah, which I liked, plus the Greek and Hebrew and a literal translation which I found very interesting to read. It's a very pretty Bible as well. I don't know anything about its 'scholarly correctness' however.

A word of caution, tho...if you're looking to READ a bible such as this, try not to get the all-in-one edition like I did. It's Huuuuge. Were I to do it again, I would get a Bible like this in several parts. (Some bibles come in several different sections, as the NWT did once as well.)

There is a 'new' King James Version which I have heard good things about, and some other 'old' bibles with newer modern editions.

And, as mentioned above, some very good online versions, including an interlinear version(which, tho I don't know if you were supposed to do this, I was able to 'cut and paste' into a word file and so now I have the whole thing on my hard drive.) and also some very good audio bibles online too...WWW.Audio-bible.com which I've been using for a couple of years. Alexander Scourby has a yummy voice as well.

If you find any Bibles you like, please let us know? I would like to add to my collection.

Life is a roller coaster. Get in, sit down, shut up and hang on!