easyreader1970

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Posts by easyreader1970

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  12

  Jehovah hates soap box derbies. Again.

  by easyreader1970 in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  no soap box derby for you!.

  er.

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  easyreader1970

  No Soap Box Derby for YOU!

  er
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  8

  New book for BS?

  by Uncertain in

  1. watchtower
  2. bible

  i took my old books to my small group at church for show and tell last week.

  the bookmark fell out of climax and i saw that this is the last week for that study.

  what book are they using next?

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  easyreader1970

  After the Jehovah's Day book, they will be doing the book that was released at the convention (I forgot the name of it). Except it will be at the new Congregation Bible Study.
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  11

  Less Focus on Doctrine, More Focus on OBEDIENCE.

  by easyreader1970 in

  1. watchtower
  2. beliefs

  i went to the convention this past weekend.

  it was a bit different than most conventions i have gone to (all 26 of them).

  there was pretty much no doctrine presented at this convention at all.

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  easyreader1970

  I went to the convention this past weekend. It was a bit different than most conventions I have gone to (all 26 of them). There was pretty much no doctrine presented at this convention at all. All of the convention focused on obedience to the spirit. In this case, spirit and Watchtower Organization are always interchangeable.

  The two books that were released had to do with obedience. Volume 2 of the Young People Ask book (which is really Awake! articles crammed into a small book) and the other book (the name of which I have forgotten) all have everything to do with Jehovah's Witness conduct. If someone remembers the name of the other book, post it. My mind is still unbending from the weekend.

  Huge topics are the same as they have been for the past few years with pornography and apostate thinking leading the way.

  They go over (again) politics, holidays, rules of marriage, and disfellowshipping in this new publication (regarding disfellowshipping, it seems like people are trying to hang with their disfellowshipped friends and family and WBTS says "that ain't cool"). Apparently these are things that people are finding serious fault with. Other WBTS beliefes are presented again like their stance on blood.

  One comment from a speaker caused my brain to bleed. He said (paraphrased):

  Don't find fault with Watchtower teaching, just accept it.

  Just accept it.

  That is still burning in my ears.

  er
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  8

  144,000 symbolism.

  by iamthewolf5562 in

  1. watchtower
  2. beliefs

  ok. i have a question that was never answered for me when i was going to meetings.

  humorous answers are appreciated, but if anyone knows the real answer to this, i'd appreciate it, just so my curiousity will shut up.. the witnesses teach that the book of revelation is a book of symbols.

  that's how they determined that hell is symbolic of being dead forever and that hell literal doesn't really exist.

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  easyreader1970

  Yeah, the bull crap I always hear is the same thing. "Well, 144,000 is a specific number!".

  Once again, this is the WBTS picking and choosing parts of the Bible that they want to use to support their craptacular belief system. That's really the only reason that they can offer. It's a bull crap reason but it is their reason.

  er
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  23

  How To Get People Out

  by OneFootIn in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  has anyone had any success in getting anyone else out?

  how do you even go about doing this without getting df'd for apostasy?

  is there any way of using the principles we learned about preaching in reverse to get people out?

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  easyreader1970

  There isn't much you can do because of two basic JW reactions:

  1. The prepared response. The Watchtower has prepared JWs for many things and they have canned responses. It doesn't matter if they believe the canned response or not. They might not even be able to explain it in detail. They have been programmed with the response and that is all that matters.

  2. The shut down. Sometimes the JW doesn't have a response. Then they literally shut down and turn themselves off. They will not respond nor will they think any further on the subject themselves.

  In my experience, the one thing that shakes their faith is that they are witness to something or read something that ignites a spark. But, as many said, the spark has to come from the inside. You can't ignite the spark from the outside due to all of the defense mechanisms that are in place.

  er
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  2

  Anyone have a June and/or July KM they can scan for me?

  by easyreader1970 in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  some time over the past week someone stole my briefcase from my van.

  i am not sure if it was at my home or at work or someplace else.

  they must have thought something valuable was in it (lol).

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  easyreader1970

  Some time over the past week someone stole my briefcase from my van. I am not sure if it was at my home or at work or someplace else. They must have thought something valuable was in it (LOL). Anyway, all they got was a couple of "study edition" Watchtower magazines, a Theocratic Ministry School book, a leather bound NWT and some KMs. Oh, and I had some Benadryl and Anbesol in there as well. I hope they have fun with that.

  Personally, I am not at a tremendous loss but my wife is panicking because our KMs are gone.

  Does anyone who still goes to the hall have a copy of the June and/or July KM that they can scan and email me?

  If you can help me out, please email a copy to [email protected].

  Thanks,

  er

  p.s. This will save me from hours of pain and suffering about how we don't have the proper "materials".
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  15

  Confusion about Bible reading

  by faundy in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  the society seems to make a huge thing about reading the bible daily, and yet they have a problem when people do so without the 'aids' - i.e the publications.

  so is bible reading on its own frowned upon?

  i never did it anyway, it was boring.

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  easyreader1970

  My problem with the so-called legitimacy of the Watchtower is this:

  They say that help is needed to understand the Bible. They have to use the "faithful and discreet slave class" to provide interpretation and understanding of scripture so that ordinary people can understand it.

  My question is this: If God truly "inspired" this book to be for everyone, then why would he write it in such a way that only a select few people could actually make sense of it and then have them tell the rest of the world what it meant. What is the point in claiming ownership of the fact that the Holy Bible is the world's most distributed book when it turns out to be a tremendous waste of paper because nobody is fit to understand it anyway?

  er
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  20

  Education and apostasy are the same, right?

  by easyreader1970 in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  over the past year or so, i have noticed that the watchtower has been jumping all over two "threats" to the organization: higher education and apostasy.

  many times they speak about them in the same article.

  they also have been focusing on them in the assemblies and conventions.

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  easyreader1970

  Over the past year or so, I have noticed that the Watchtower has been jumping all over two "threats" to the Organization: Higher Education and Apostasy. Many times they speak about them in the same article. They also have been focusing on them in the assemblies and conventions. The way they relate them, it is only a matter of time, I think, before they become one and the same.

  The reason I say so is this. Years ago, their reasons for downplaying higher education were as follows: Immoral sex, irresponsible drinking, living away from a Christian home, expense, time wasted, etc. Those were the reasons. (Never mind that all of those things could be done with or without college.) They didn't focus on apostasy much, either, until recently. It was there, it was a threat, but somehow mature Christians just knew better and didn't have to be constantly reminded that Satan is a wolf in sheep's clothing.

  But now the message is different. The danger in higher education is that it exposes you to the wrongful teachings and philosophies of [educated] men. The science does not factually match up with what the Bible or (more specifically) the Witnesses teach. These things lead to apostasy.

  I need to stop there. For most of my life as a Witness, an apostate was someone who rebelled against the organization in such a way that he leaves it but turns his attention to bringing the organization down. It wasn't just Joe Smith who just fell away but it was the Joe Smith who was picketing in front of the convention center and passing out "Jehovah's Witnesses are the Devil" pamphlets across the street from the Kingdom Halls.

  This is mere speculation on my part, but I think they are leaning towards making anyone who leaves the Truth, regardless of the reason, into an apostate. Eventually I think that this might even include "inactive" ones.

  This is a scary thought.

  er
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  12

  JW's and weddings

  by nana1957 in

  1. watchtower
  2. beliefs

  i am sure this has been discussed before, would appreciate anything on this.

  i was always under the assumption that a jw was not allowed to be an attendant in a 'worldly' wedding.

  meaning that you would not be able to be a bridesmaid or groomsman if you were baptized.

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  easyreader1970

  The problem, in my opinion, is the stupidity of their authority ranking system.

  In the world of the Watchtower, the GB makes the rules. They come out with a Watchtower that tells you that doing this particular thing or that particular thing is a "matter of conscience."

  But they already have other Watchtowers that state that you should be "loving" and "yield" to your local congregation elders because that is acting in the best interest of "Jehovah's Organization."

  So they give the appearance of sounding somewhat understanding and realistic but at the same time they are not when their local lackeys threaten to disfellowship you because you are bucking their authority.

  er
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  17

  Nervous break down because of being a JW?

  by easyreader1970 in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  i know it's sometimes hard to pinpoint causes of things when there could be several potential causes.

  i am wondering if anyone here knows anyone (or maybe you yourself) who has had a nervous breakdown directly or indirectly because of being associated with the jehovah's witnesses.

  i am not on the verge yet, i don't feel like, but then again maybe these things just snap in a person.

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  easyreader1970

  I know it's sometimes hard to pinpoint causes of things when there could be several potential causes.

  I am wondering if anyone here knows anyone (or maybe you yourself) who has had a nervous breakdown directly or indirectly because of being associated with the Jehovah's Witnesses.

  I am not on the verge yet, I don't feel like, but then again maybe these things just snap in a person.

  er