I remember I visited one congregation, one young MS came up to me and introduced himself as the senior MS. I thought to myself, what the hell is that?
Anator
JoinedPosts by Anator
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31
The Casual Importance of JW elders
by BonaFide inso here is one thing i have noticed, and i bet i was like this before myself.. so many jw elders have a sort of "casual importance" attitude at the meetings.
they nod a lot, they have those huge bookbags, they read those society letters during the meetings, they walk down the aisles during the meeting and whisper in each others' ear, they always sit in the aisle seats.
they give the appearance that what they are doing is the most important thing in the world.. even the way they stand, and their manner of speaking reflects that they feel important, but that they are "trying" to be humble even though jehovah god himself is using them.. for example, tonight before the meeting i was talking to an elder about the upcoming assembly.
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31
The Casual Importance of JW elders
by BonaFide inso here is one thing i have noticed, and i bet i was like this before myself.. so many jw elders have a sort of "casual importance" attitude at the meetings.
they nod a lot, they have those huge bookbags, they read those society letters during the meetings, they walk down the aisles during the meeting and whisper in each others' ear, they always sit in the aisle seats.
they give the appearance that what they are doing is the most important thing in the world.. even the way they stand, and their manner of speaking reflects that they feel important, but that they are "trying" to be humble even though jehovah god himself is using them.. for example, tonight before the meeting i was talking to an elder about the upcoming assembly.
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Anator
This goes back to a time when an elder mentioned to me "When you go against an elder, it is the same as going against Jehovah". When you believe that you are on the same playing field as God himself, then anything casual that an elder may say will be looked upon as holier than thou. How in the world do you compete with that! You can't disagree no matter what they say, even if they are blatantly wrong! If you disagree then they can claim "you're going against the elder body!". That term "The elder body!" makes me cringe like no other term. They have the power, they can twist what you say, take things out of context, and so on. After they were trying to prime me to reach out for the appoinment, I couldn't do it. I did not want to turn out like that. I was worried about keeping my ego in check, plus that quote the elder mentioned to me just spelled danger! It scared the hell out of me! I had no idea that they thought like that! Really! Just watch the movie "September Dawn" about the true story of the early Mormons in the mid 1800's who massacred a small group of travelers going through their territory. One of the Mormon elders quoted to their congregation that same quote before their congregation assisited in that killing spree.
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5
Will Witnesses Ever Get Angry?
by metatron indepression is anger turned inward -which explains why depression is such an epidemic among witnesses, who are trained to feel guilt.
nevertheless, wiil the cowardly obsequiousness of witnesses ever end?
will they ever boo at assemblies?
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Anator
If I had to give a word that described the average witness it would be anger. I always hear it from them, although they internalize it. I hear it from the platform, out in FS and often wondered why do they always sound angry. If I ever try to talk to someone about it, they instantly agree but then quickly deny it. It was just plain crazy.
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2
Russell's original teaching
by diamondiiz indid russell have any original teachings that he actually came up with all on his own????
?.
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Anator
In writings as early as 1883 (and through to the end of his life) Russell repeatedly expressed the view that the world would see a significant but gradual change in global climate conditions as a prelude to the re-establishment of Eden-like conditions. These changes, he said, would include the gradual melting of the Greenland ice sheet, the Arctic and Antarctic polar ice caps, and the general warming up of the earth's temperatures.
It is interesting to note that the WTS never repeated this in any of their future editions after Russell's death. At least I could not find any.
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Anator
Submit a parody,
Sung to the tune of "Who can it be now?" -Originally sung by Men at Work
Jehovah's Witnesses at my door
Their ideology is such a bore
Don't want to join your dumb-ass cult
Don't trust your crude biblical insult
Why do you tell lies about God
Supporting the U.N. was very odd.
Best off if you leave right now,
Don't come in - I will bite like a sow.
Jehovah's Witness
Jehovah's Witness
Jehovah's Witness
Jehovah's Witness
Jehovah's Witnesses at my door
Misquoting the bible even more
Clad in brown polyester suits
And wearing, black army surplus boots
Don't let them in, I plead to myself;
There's a lot wrong with their spiritual health.
They like to isolate you from friends
Here they come, it feels like the bends
Jehovah's Witness
Jehovah's Witness
Jehovah's Witness
Jehovah's Witness
I need to sic a Rottweiler on then
So they will go away
I do not care if it seems so rude
They just get in the way
Oh... Jehovah's Witness
Oh...Jehovah, Jehovah
Oh oh no -
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Anator
In JW doctrine, and is the result of using 607 B.C as an "anchor date", using the book of Daniel, Chapter 4, as proof.
This is based upon the following, simple reasoning:
7 "times" doesn't mean "7 times". It means "7 years".
But,"7 years" doesn't really mean 7 "years", either. It means "7 years of days".
But, the "days" in "years of days" doesn't really mean "years of days, in which the days actually mean "days", but means "years of days, in which the "days" actually mean "years".
Therefore, it is easy for even a fool to see that "7 times" REALLY means "7 years" but which really means "7 years of days", but which then really means "7 years of days which aren't really days, but years", or simply stated "7 years of days of which days are really years". To put it even so a child can understand it, it means that the "times" aren't "times" at all, but are "years", which aren't "years" at all, but are "years of days", which aren't "days" at all, but are "years" AFTER all, even though they were originally CALLED "times"!
Got all that? There's more.
Strangely, however, for all of this to work, this fulfillment, based upon an ANCIENT text, still requires the use of the ANCIENT calendar for the MODERN fulfillment to work out to 1914. Therefore, ancient text + ancient calendar = modern date in modern calendar.
When doing your calculations, don't forget that there is no "zero year" from B.C to A.D. C.T. Russell forgot that and was quite embarrassed about it. The official WTBS explanation in later, revised, editions of his books was that "the battery was very low in his calculator at that time" and he wasn't aware of it until after the material was printed.
Lastly, the book of Daniel was prophesied to remain "sealed" until the "last days", which, as we know, began in 1914, according to the simple reasoning just presented. So, Russell had to figure out a way to, somehow "unseal" Daniel before it was prophesied that Daniel WOULD be "unsealed" so he could then put forth a prophecy which pointed to exactly when Daniel WAS to be "unsealed", namely at the start of the "last days", in 1914. Russell, therefore, successfully used a "sealed" book to calculate the exact date it was to be "unsealed", which at that time it was officially, "unsealed", but Russell "unsealed" it before that, because he wanted to know beforehand when it WOULD be "unsealed", because only THEN would he know when the "last days" were to start, which was, of course, when Daniel actually WAS to be "unsealed". Got all that?
I apologize to the reader for using so many words, but, this stuff is so, well, "DEEP"!
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Anator
One elder actually asked me this question out in FS "Even if all of this wasn't true, isn't this a much better way to live?" Now at the time, but I held this question back to him, "If that is the way you feel....then why do this?" At the time if I felt all of this wasn't true, I wouldnt of wasted my time preaching stuff I had doubts about!
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Anator
afraid
angry
annoyed
apologetic
arrogant
bored
bossy
careless
childish
clumsy
coarse
confused
cowardly
cross
cruel
dangerous
dark
demanding
depressed
discouraged
dishonest
disrespectful
doubtful
dull
embarrassed
fierce
foolish
foul
frustrated
gloomy
greedy
grouchy
grumpy
harsh
hopeless
ignorant
impatient
impolite
inconsiderate
lazy
lonely
miserable
mysterious
obnoxious
picky
poor
proud
restless
rowdy
rude
sad
scared
secretive
selfish
serious
silly
sly
sneaky
sorry
spoiled
stingy
strange
strict
stubborn
thoughtless
tired
intolerant
touchy
unfriendly
unhappy
upset
weak
worried
wrong
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7
Were you ever let down by one of the bruddahs or sistahs?
by Quirky1 ini know i have been let down many times, either in word or deed.. what about you?
any experiences?
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Anator
After having surgery, a sister phoned my wife saying if there was anything she could do to just let her know. I thought OK, could you drive her to the doctor for a follow-up appointment. She said....well...that's too far out of her way so she said no. However, she added, if there was anything else she could do just ask. Ahhhhhh...the brudda-hood!! You just gotta love it.
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43
As a JW Did you Feel you Could Fully Trust the Elders ?
by flipper ini know for many of the 44 years i was in the jw cult from birth - i felt i could.
or should i say i was conditioned to feel that " i should " trust the elders.
as jehovah's witnesses we were all told the elders were " crags in a waterless country " who would be a " spiritual stronghold " for us.
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Anator
I had some huge eye openers but especially during one meeting (back room scenario) where I was accused of something I did not say and at the same time the elders totally denied something that they did say. So there I was in the back room with three elders and no defense, no arbitrator on my side. It totally freaked me out! There was one elder that was totally lying. I stopped believing in them after that point. Fortunately, nothing bad happened after that meeting but my trust in them was totally shattered. I believe, there is a 'blue code of silence' in that arrangement. They look out for each other it seems and not for the flock that we were once believed. I believed for a long time that they were to 'serve' the congregation. Now it seems that the congregation 'serves' the elders. I have no idea why so many of them need to lie. What do they have to gain? There is no monatary value to this arrangement. I'm guessing a little power which some may have never had before, due to the fact that some have professions of janitors and so on, goes straight to their heads. I found out, you have no defense, they make you second guess yourself, because they have the uncanny talent of always turning it on you. They have it in there heads, they don't answer to you.....you answer to them. So it is always a lose....lose situation.