I had a vasectomy towards the end of 2001. I didn't even bother to check to see if it was something a "spiritually mature" Christian would do. Don't you hate the way they throw that term around? Anyway, I didn't do it because my wife was prone to life threatening pregnancies. I did it because I had three children and I did not want four, to borrow from an old Bill Cosby joke.
easyreader1970
JoinedPosts by easyreader1970
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Is the WT banning vasectomies?
by B_Deserter ini talked to a dub friend of mine who said they had a new "it's a personal choice, but jehovah will kill you if you do it" article about vasectomies.
basically, the reasoning is supposedly that since jehovah gave us our reproductive organs, tampering with them is wrong if not medically necessary.
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Did you ever love Jehovah more than anything else?
by nbernat inyou know that the wts teaches you're supposed to love jehovah above all else including your kids/spouses/parents.
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.did any of you get to that point?
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easyreader1970
No. In fact, I later realized that it wasn't the WTBS version of Yahweh that I loved at all. It was my mother. My mother was deeply into the Organization and it was her I wanted to please. If I felt like my mother was proud of me because I was a ministerial servant or taking care of my own book study then that was all I needed. I later married a pioneer. Ironically, neither of my parents really attend meetings anymore. They were not DF'd or disassociated. Every now and then you might see them at a Sunday meeting, but not very often.
And yet I am grinding it out every week because if my wife were to discover my true feelings, there would be problems like you would not believe.
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Cutting of BS following WT plan: No more personal study or research!
by WingCommander insince it seems the cats out of the bag on the book study being eliminated from small groups at homes, i feel it ok to discuss the "why" of the society's actions on this manner.
many seem to be confused as to why the wt would eliminate another evening of busywork.
some see it as a loosening of the riens on the wt's part to let the congregation breathe.....i see it as the complete opposite....i see it as another control tactic, one that has been in the works for a while.
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easyreader1970
This isn't more freedom; it's more control and putting more of a watchful eye over everyone. No more somewhat safe environment to discuss or ask questions.....just come to the KH for your book study now and keep your opinions to yourselves.....only thing you have to do is read what you underlined in the book....no more research outside of the WTBS's publications.....
I tend to think it swings both ways. They want it to be viewed by the rank and file faithful as a reasonable change based the current system of things. People will love the idea. However, I do think you are right. Even at my Revelation book study last week, a pioneer did some of her own personal research. She printed it out and carried it to the meeting with her. It was historical information only and did not violate any theological concepts by the Society, but she did do it and I am willing to bet every dime that I have that she used the internet to do it.
Information is only a click away, information that the WTBS so desperately wants to hide. It's more than just information, though. It is the truth. Not their Truth but the actual, factual truth. The problem is, how do you say "Don't look at it!" without saying "Don't look at it!" You can't. People are going to look at it. Having the meeting at the Kingdom Hall will, as you mentioned, make it easier to spot these potential apostates and weed them out.
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Flood? World's Oldest Living Tree -- 9550 years old -- Discovered In Sweden
by skyking inhttp://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/04/080416104320.htm.
the world's oldest recorded tree is a 9,550 year old spruce in the dalarna province of sweden.
the spruce tree has shown to be a tenacious survivor that has endured by growing between erect trees and smaller bushes in pace with the dramatic climate changes over time.
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easyreader1970
Come on, people. You guys all know that science is only accurate as long as it does not disagree with what the
BibleWatchtower Society says! -
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Dude the bible foretold of Spinners!
by Burger Time incheck it out: ezekiel 1:15-18. .
15 as i looked at the living creatures, i saw a wheel on the ground beside each creature with its four faces.
16 this was the appearance and structure of the wheels: they sparkled like chrysolite (some blinging dubs?
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easyreader1970
Sadly, I'd accept that these scriptures were actually talking about chrome spinners before I would believe alot of the other stuff I hear at the meetings.
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"On Deconstruction" - Leaving Jehovah's Witnesses
by easyreader1970 invideo link: http://youtube.com/watch?v=gezsqscgwzm.
there are two parts to the video so check out the second part as well.. i am pretty much stuck in this organization, at least for the forseeable future because i don't want to destroy my family.
i hate that i ever got into this situation but here i am.
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easyreader1970
Video link: http://youtube.com/watch?v=GeZSQsCGwzM
There are two parts to the video so check out the second part as well.
I am pretty much stuck in this organization, at least for the forseeable future because I don't want to destroy my family. I hate that I ever got into this situation but here I am. I should have left after I became an adult but before I got married.
But I didn't and so here I am. There is some really good information in two part video by a former JW. I will help the fortunate ones who escape any way I can.
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easyreader1970
While speculation about it is fun, I am not even convinced that there is a new meeting arrangement yet. I have heard other reports that say it's just another "special campaign" announcement.
I still go to the meetings, so you can imagine my joy if there actually is one less day I have to put on a suit and tie while they attempt to mind control me for an hour or two. But until I see hard evidence (scanned letter) or hear it from the platform, I am taking all of this with a grain of salt.
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Emotional Reactions to the Loss of the Book Study
by DT ini think the loss of the book study will hit some like a death of a friend.
it will mark the end of an era.
it will forever change the religion of jehovah's witnesses and i believe the change is completely irreversible.. of course, most witnesses will be delighted by this.
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easyreader1970
As long as the reasoning is somehow justified by the Governing Body, I think most Witnesses would welcome it. And no, it doesn't have to make sense. If the logic has the GB stamp of approval, that's all that needs to happen. Perhaps the only group that might miss the book studies are some of the older ones who don't get much time to socialize outside of the book study. That will be just one more night to spend alone. Meetings at the Kingdom Hall are usually painful episodes where they are knocked down by running children and ignored by everyone else.
Anybody 50 and under, I think, would welcome the change with open arms. In the 25-50 crowd you have most of the parents who are already having a tough time getting kids ready after school to go to the book study after already working for nine hours. Do you ever see parents at the Hall these days, especially ones who have more than one child that is school age? They have dead, black eyes, like a doll's eyes.*
Anybody from the 5-20 crowd doesn't want to be there anyway so there will be nothing but jubilation from them. But who cares, the Society has pretty much written them off anyway.
*Sorry for the Jaws reference. I couldn't help myself.
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The generation change- why now?
by JimmyPage ini understand why the change in understanding of a generation was made in '95.
it was because the time was basically up for the generation of 1914. but why do you think the latest change has been made at this particular time?
and how does it tie in to the new light about 1935 that was revealed this past year?
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easyreader1970
The information age is draining membership.........the WTS has to evolve or die-out..
I think this is the primary motivation behind most of the recent changes. In the 1980s people couldn't verify anything. People were not going to spend days in the local library trying to look up information on subjects, many of which were likely not in the library anyway. Besides that, there was a sense of urgency! The world was ending soon! It has never been as bad as it was then (that's always the logic, as somehow things could not get worse). Years and years went by and nothing happened. Worse than that, the 1990s were the most prosperous years in the history of the United States. Armageddon, what?
Now that diligent researchers can go to google or wikipedia in an instant, they can immediately find information in their own research that will fly in the face of the logic that the WTS has been spreading. But the WTS occasionally comes out and says something about only needing the Society's research materials. As a Witness you are only allowed to agree with secular sources if those sources agree with the WTS. But if they are in disagreement, then the secular source is of the Devil. Even if it is the same source.
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If only the PO can read the letter the Society doesn't trust the elders
by truthseeker infrom all the reports here, it seems that only the presiding overseer can read the letter re: book study change - the elders aren't even allowed to know about it until at the earliest, a few minutes before the sunday meeting.. doesn't this demonstrate lack of trust in the boe by the faithful and discreet slave?.
they must know about renegade elders posting here.. the presiding overseer is really just another elder who represents the boe..
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easyreader1970
Only elders were advised of a new Tract Campaign for October 20 - November 16.
The tract is entitled "Do You Want to Know the Truth?". It is not a "Kingdom News" campaign. After the campaign, this tract will join the "regular rotation" of tracts to be used in the field ministry. It is designed to replace the "Do You Want to Know More About the Bible" tract . The goal is to use it to start "Bible" studies (so that the organization will have more people to contribute and those studies will then go on to get new studies that will result in more people contributing and then those studies........ well, you get the picture.)The goal is to cover all of the congregation's territory in 4 weeks, similar to other campaigns in the past. Unlike other campaigns, though, the congregations can order as many as they would like - they are not limited to 50 per publisher. Per the letter to the Body Of Elders, all of this is strictly confidential - so don't tell anybody, OK? Especially, don't tell the regular publishers - this was announced to elders only!
The above was taking from this website: http://governingbodyletters.blogspot.com/2008/04/announcement-to-elders-only-new-tract.html
Does this mean that the book study change is just an urban legend?
Curses! I was looking forward to getting that extra night off.