Posts by BonaFide

31

Mind Control Jewels from N.Y. Special Assembly Day - PMed to me by Newbie

by flipper in

jw
friends

i was pmed this excerpt from the final talk by r. clark at the new york special assembly day by a newbie whom i will keep anonymous for confidentiality purposes.

it is full of spin control, and damage control which shows how nervous the watchtower society is getting about " negative talk ", " independent thinking", and " internet use " by the rank and file jehovah's witness members.

title of the talk : .

BonaFide

Yes, I PM'd this first to several people to see if it might work. The idea is to get talks or make up talks, I used the notes from several talks, and after saying a bunch of stuff that supports the organization, then put some other points in there to make people think.

My next "Talk Notes"is on blood fractions. It is going to be special notes from a representative from the Society. (I am not going to say which Society. It will be 95% support the blood doctrine, and 5%, "We don't care what blood fractions are anyway, do we brothers??? We don't care if the Society is still learning about blood do we brothers. If we want to learn about blood, there is nothing wrong with going online, just don't read apostate information. The important thing is stick to the most current information, and if we don't understand it, then we can worry about that in the new system. We were obedient when we were told no organ transplants, right brothers? And some died faithful until the teaching changed. So we should be loyal to the organization no matter what, YAY!!!

The point is:

1. If you give something to a JW, which I still am, that they think might be apostate, they will THROW IT AWAY. That is why I don't get why some send letters out against the Society, it doesnt work.

2. Send something that SEEMS TO BE IN FAVOR OF THE ORGANIZATION, but in reality, TELLS THE TRUTH. Its called subterfuge, or maybe its called something else.

Bonafide

48

Just finished our District Convention

by BonaFide in

jw
friends

i know i am going to get caught being on here...and i don't want to get caught, but i need support or i will lose my mind.

how can i give information about my convention without someone figuring out who i am?

(i am not important i know that, but i know so many people in the organization) .

BonaFide

I was a circuit overseer for 7 years, then came back to U.S., served as an elder. I recently moved congregations and have not been recommended yet as an elder, although I give parts and participate in shepherding.

The Witness thing is just so burned into me that I automatically go in service and study for the meetings and stuff. Its hard to see it as fake when everyone around you is doing the same thing.

Bonafide

16

Read to end and you will see what I am trying to do

by BonaFide in

jw
friends

serving loyally with gods theocratic organization .

r. clark (new york special assembly-day final talk) .

sorry if my notes are not that great, i recorded talk and tried to write down as best as possible.

BonaFide

Serving Loyally with God’s Theocratic Organization
R. Clark (New York Special Assembly-day final talk)

Sorry if my notes are not that great, I recorded talk and tried to write down as best as possible.)

Are you a loyal person? Most of us would say we are. We have friends and family, workmates and neighbors that would all say we are loyal.

But what is loyalty? What is the most important kind of loyalty?

Loyalty is actually kindness. The Hebrew word cha-sidh refers to kindness that lovingly attaches itself to someone until that purpose is realized. (Psalm 18:25)

When parents have their first child, they are loyal to it. They feed it, nurture it, bathe it, make sure it is checked by a doctor. They teach the toddler to walk, to run, then they take the young one to school. They watch over their child until that child is now an adult, ready to serve Jehovah on its own. (Matt 4:4)

When we have a Bible study, we are loyal to that person, we teach them God’s word, the Truth. (John 8:32) We continue in our loyalty until they are baptized.

But just as a parent continues to love and help their child when it has grown up, and a Christian still assists a person who has been baptized, loyalty does not end.

What about our loyalty to the organization? This is where we learned the truth. Many of you may know the book “Faith on the March” which was published by the Society in 1957. Brother Macmillan said: “You ask me why I am still an active part of that movement, why my zeal is keener and my conviction stronger than ever? I’ll tell you. It’s because I’ve lived to realize already much of the hope that so filled my young life. It’s because I’ve lived to see prophecies of the Bible which we held dear and sacred—yet which were mocked and scorned by unbelievers—already come true. It’s because I’ve lived to see this same movement hunted and persecuted by those who claimed to serve God until it lay beaten in death—only to survive and come to rebirth in a new way of life, reorganized for an even more powerful work, yet dedicated to the same standards of righteousness which have characterized its operation from the beginning. I have seen this movement hold fast to those standards, refusing to compromise them for the sake of expediency. I have seen ambitious men rise up within the organization and seek to pervert it, only to meet with complete defeat because the majority of those associated with this movement are unalterably dedicated to serve God, not man. I have found companionship, yes, real brotherhood, with people of all races and nations. These are the things I have desired from my youth.”

Brother Macmillan was loyal to Jehovah’s organization until his death. He was a real person, he made mistakes, such as his famous one where he said he was giving his last public talk because they were all going to heaven the next day. And he saw mistakes and imperfections in others, but he was loyal.

What about us? Are we that loyal?

Remember that Jesus our King is loyal to us. Yes he is our king, but how many kings give their life to their subjects? Jesus did. The WT of May 1st 2006 says, “WHAT ruler could give his life for his subjects yet live again to rule as king? What king could live on earth, building trust and loyalty in his subjects, and then rule from heaven? The only person who could do this—and more—is Jesus Christ

So since we have such a fine record of loyalty in Jehovah’s servants, what about us?

How can we be loyal to the organization as Jehovah is to us? (Rev 15:4)

1. Keep up to date with Bible reading and publications.
Have you read the new books “Come be my Follower” and “Live with Jehovah’s Day in Mind?” They are excellent reading and keep us spiritually strong. What about your daily Bible reading? Many Bethelites read the Bible every morning for 15 minutes while they are fresh. Could we do the same?

2. Be careful of negative talk
Some are still trying to discredit the fact that we are living in the last days. 2nd Peter chapter 3 talks about these ridiculers. (2 Peter 3:3) Sometimes, that negative talk happens even within the congregation. This is not to say we cannot discuss the new light, we should enjoy lively discussions, but be wary of those who do not appreciate the loving spiritual provisions we receive regularly.
True, we have received new information about a generation. But that should strengthen our faith, not weaken it! The year 1914, while no longer used as a marking point for a “generation”, is still the year Christ was enthroned as King. Are we loyal to Christ as our enthroned King?

3. Do not be ‘distracted’ by the world and what it has to offer. (1 John 2:15-17)
There are so many things to buy now, the stores are getting bigger and bigger, have you noticed this? And so are televisions, and so is the number of channels! One calbe company offers over 500 channels! And hand-held devices are getting updated and improved all the time. So don’t let all these distractions start to pull us away from our loyalty to God and his organization.

4. Be judicious when it comes to the Internet.
The Internet is a good tool that enables communication and information to be done quickly and effectively. However, it can also waste our time. Studies indicate that up to 17% of a workday is consumed by reading unnecessary emails. And that is speaking of a place of employment, what about at our homes? Is the Internet taking up all of our time? Time that we could use in the vital work of the ministry? (Matt 24:14, 28:19)
Even more serious is that we need to be careful about our Internet research. Our Kingdom Ministry in August of 2007 encouraged us to be cautious. So-called “Scientific studies” are often no more than someone’s opinion. Many so-called historians discredit 1914 as a pivotal date because they give a different date for the fall of Jerusalem. Who are we going to believe? Those who constantly change opinions and ideas, or God’s organization, that has shown to be a pillar of the truth? The faithful and discreet does extensive research on every article, so we have good reason to trust them, just as Jesus trusts them. (Matt 24:45)
That is not to say we cannot use the Internet. Some have used email witnessing to those in hard-to-reach places, and have even studied with them over the Internet! However, we have received reports that some use www.Jehovahs-Witness.com to find honest-hearted ones who have an interest in Jehovah’s Witnesses and the truth. True, on that website there are strict rules as to being respectful. And we do not make rules as to what websites a Christian can visit, we should use our own conscience. (Romans 2:15) However, wouldn’t it be even more upbuilding to direct a person to Watchtower.org rather than Jehovah’s-Witness.com? There we can find so much useful information and it is accessible in many languages. Trust Jehovah and his organization to lead righteous individuals to the truth.

Yes, loyalty to Jehovah’s organization will bring us life. We want to be as loyal to God as he has been to us. Great changes are happening in the organization, Jehovah is getting things ready for the great Tribulation, which is just on the horizon. (Matt 24:21) Do not give up now, brothers!
So may we be as active as we can, supporting the Truth, and Jehovah will bless us – with eternal life in his beautiful paradise.

Attendance 1,483
Baptized 18!

12

More of my life, thanks for reading and helping me

by BonaFide in

jw
friends

i was a regular pioneer since age 16. ministerial servant at 20. ministerial training school at 23 assigned to south america.

i was told i was the youngest missionary in the world among jw's.

elder at 24, circuit overseer at 26. for those who know the c.o.

BonaFide

I was a regular pioneer since age 16. Ministerial Servant at 20. Ministerial Training School at 23 assigned to South America. I was told I was the youngest missionary in the world among JW's. Elder at 24, Circuit Overseer at 26. For those who know the C.O. schedule, we have Monday all day, and Tuesday mornings off. I went in service on the those days or had special meetings. I taught Circuit Overseer school at the Branch office. I was robbed at gunpoint many times. I lived, breathed, and worshipped the best way I could. I am 43 now, and still a virgin since I was raised in the truth. I never gave in to temptation other than seeing a few pics online on one occasion, which I confessed to, and a girl I liked in my circuit gave me a peek of her chest since I had never seen that in person.No matter what anyone told me, I believed. And now I am learning that its all a cult? Its just so weird that even when I read some posts, I still get offended when someone criticizes the "Truth." THIS IS HARD TO DEAL WITH.

I am amazed at Seeker4, Oracle, Open MInd, Awakened at Gilead, Brother Cabeen, Minimus, I am forgetting others names, but the point is that they have the emotional fortitude. I get so mad at my family I yell when they say, "What is the most important thing? The Organization" But I need my family, I need my friends, I disagree that they are only my friends because of being JW. They care about me, they are just misled, so if I get DF'd, they will want me to come back to the truth. they don't view it as a cult. And if they came to their senses like I did, they would want my friendship. Its that we are trained not to talk with Df'd people for their own good.

Now my family is saying that I might have swelling in the brain, that's why I am acting weird. Every time I talk about the two-witness rule for child molestion proof, they get upset with me and tell me to wait on Jehovah.

But I still don't get how you all can not be suffering that much. I consider myself a normal guy, tough enough I guess, but I can't deal with all these emotions. I find it easier to go to the meeetings and I can even put all the lies out of my mind and comment sometimes and give my parts.

I live in a huge apartment complex with those walkways and nice grass, over 200 Witnesses live here, in fact, I bet more. We all walk around in our suits and service clothes and talk to each other like its Utopia.

So I just want to say again, PLEASE continue writing the good stuff. I mean I like the funny jokes about your avatars or whatever, but some of us NEED JWD bad. How can we come up with a plan to help people to reason? I have one formulated that I will post today.

38

Was my entire life fake?

by BonaFide in

jw
friends

so i start thinking about all my "privileges.

" i went to mts, took 600 pages of notes, went to my assignment, i am still serving under the mts program.

for a few years until my circumstances changed.

BonaFide

My name? The reason I picked Bonafide was because of the movie "Oh Brother Where Art Thou" and George Clooney comes back from prison to find his wife engaged to another man and she says, "He's bonafide." Even his six girls say "He's bonafide."

I thought that was funny, like why is HE not bonafide?

That's why.

38

Was my entire life fake?

by BonaFide in

jw
friends

so i start thinking about all my "privileges.

" i went to mts, took 600 pages of notes, went to my assignment, i am still serving under the mts program.

for a few years until my circumstances changed.

BonaFide

So I start thinking about all my "privileges." I went to MTS, took 600 pages of notes, went to my assignment, I am still serving under the MTS program. I was a C.O. for a few years until my circumstances changed. But I mean all those meetings, and appointments and Pioneer Schools and KM schools, and meetings with the D.O. and Judicial Committees, I mean this has been my WHOLE LIFE.

Sometimes I just go to the meeting, give my parts, deal with whatever issues we have to deal with after the meeting, and I sort of like pretend its all the same as before - that Jehovah is running everything through the Faithful and Discreet Slave. It's so much easier for me since I was raised in the truth.

But other times, like when someone says something like "Hey, when we reach perfection after the 1000 years" or "How can people take blood transfusions and break God's law like that", that really hits me hard. I mean, I believed all that to the death.

So all of it was fake? Wow the Matrix is a similar story. Unbelievable.

But yesterday a sister came to me for counsel, she said, "What should I do since I want to take some college courses? Will I get into trouble because of the recent DC? I told her she had a great idea and she should not worry what others say and go to college and do good. She had like a mini heart attack. She said "I can't believe YOU of all people saying that. I thought you would encourage me to put Jehovah first."

So I was stuck. But I can't in good conscience give her wrong advice, can I? She did go away puzzled but seemed happy.

For some reason I am proud of my "accomplishments" even though I am finding out they are all fake.

Another thing that is weird is that I still view birthdays as "bad" and Christmas too. And going in Service makes me feel good. I read the new book from the DC already, and even though it is full of rules and regulations. I can't bring myself to say it has lies in it. I still felt good when I finished it. Is that weird?

This is curing me though.

48

Just finished our District Convention

by BonaFide in

jw
friends

i know i am going to get caught being on here...and i don't want to get caught, but i need support or i will lose my mind.

how can i give information about my convention without someone figuring out who i am?

(i am not important i know that, but i know so many people in the organization) .

BonaFide

I have thought about that a lot, especially during sleepless nights. But that would mean instant non-greetings and non-conversations.

I want to help my family and friends, and the only way I can see to do that is to ask questions and bring up topics in a friendly way. That is one of the reasons I come on here, to find out good questions to help my family and friends to think.

Every two or three years I meet with the some of the brothers at the Service Department at Patterson, and I talk to a lot of Bethelites. I want to help them all. I can't do that on the outside.

If I were myself six months ago, I would never, ever, say a word to someone who had doubts about the Organization. I would defend it to the death, and I should say, I have done so in front of 30,000 people. (I feel like I am boasting, I should really be ashamed) Anyway, I served a congregation some time ago, and I realized how much power I had just because I didnt like certain elders. I tried not to misuse my power, but wow was that wrong to have that power. I find it hard to control my frustration now, but I feel like the only way to help others is to be on the inside. I have some ideas I think might work, and I know there are brothers here that have even better ideas.

48

Just finished our District Convention

by BonaFide in

jw
friends

i know i am going to get caught being on here...and i don't want to get caught, but i need support or i will lose my mind.

how can i give information about my convention without someone figuring out who i am?

(i am not important i know that, but i know so many people in the organization) .

BonaFide

I know I am going to get caught being on here...and I don't want to get caught, but I need support or I will lose my mind. How can I give information about my convention without someone figuring out who I am? (I am not important I know that, but I know so many people in the organization)

Anyway, DC just finished. The talks blew my mind. There is a mix of Bible history, discussions of Christian qualities, and interesting points. All of it is used however to finish off with - "And that's why we listen to the Faithful and Discreet Slave." Thousand people sitting there and all of them applauding and taking notes. Meanwhile I am looking around like I am from another planet. They gave experiences of people getting money, getting a job, and being blessed by Jehovah. But what about those in the audience with terrible problems?

They interviewed a young sister who I know is in college for a four-year degree about being balanced. She talked about how her parents support her pioneering and she works part-time. She never mentioned college. I am serious.

I am certified in CPR and AED. They don't have an AED (Automatic External Defibrillator) at the Assembly Hall. I asked them why not, and they said we are not a hospital. I took it up with the Assembly Overseer, and he said a decision was made not to get one, rather to call 911. I explained that CPR re-starts the heart 5% of the time, and AED 50% of the time. (Source American Heart Association) No answer to that. The killer is that when I told my family, they said, "Well, we want to be balanced, and if the brothers in Africa don't have one, why should we?" I answered, "Then why do we have air-conditioning? And why do we have a First-Aid Department?" They got upset WITH ME and said I ask weird questions, and to trust in the resurrection, and the best place to die is the assembly. I start to lose control at that point and start to yell.

A sister I know at the convention is a foster mother. She just lost custody of the litttle girl she was taking care of for two years because she spanks her. (She is 2) She told me "I just don't get it. I told the judge I only spank her when she is bad, and the judge said, "Children are not bad." I saw a lot of physical discipline at the convention and threats of it. The sad fact is, I used to feel that corporal punishment was right, even for litttle ones. Wow I was gross and disgusting. And I thought I loved children.

I was able to speak to an elder that I had deleted years ago because of his not-humble attitude. I was happy to apologize to him and told him he had good ideas, and I removed him because I was threatened.

If you just sit there and take the information in and accept it, then it seems nice. Everyone is dressed up, the pretty girls are there (I am still single) the talks sometimes have interesting points. But if you start to pay attention to what they are actually saying, and not make excuses for every misstatement, wow, what a shock.

My whole life is upside down. And no one knows except you guys.

Also, thanks for the great support, I read your 58 posts from my first listing.

10

Thanks for the welcome

by BonaFide in

jw
friends

thanks so much everyone for being so supportive.. i am having an increasingly difficult time giving my parts on the meetings, going in service, and shepherding.

the wt study is so.....controlling?

that i have a hard time studying that too.

BonaFide

Thanks so much everyone for being so supportive.

I am having an increasingly difficult time giving my parts on the meetings, going in service, and shepherding. The WT study is so.....controlling? that I have a hard time studying that too.

When I am with my friends and family it seems like they are very judgmental as well. The absolutely unfathomable thing is...they don't realize it. They talk about how much love there is in the organization and happiness, then they ignore all the depression going on. The same with judging others, even the WT says not to judge, but they do judge on people's clothes, privileges, its just crazy. It's like "we are right because we say we are, therefore everything we say has to be right. And the worldly people are wrong no matter what they say or do."

I am not sure if this goes on a new post or if I should have added these comments to my first post. I can't use my own computer or post every day.

Anyway, thanks again everyone. I read your comments several times. Wow, what stress, no sleep hardly, crazy.

BonaFide

59

My first post

by BonaFide in

jw
friends

i prayed before i came on here.

i know that it weird.

i have been reading here for a long time.

BonaFide

Well, here goes. I prayed before I came on here. I know that it weird.

I have been reading here for a long time. Ever since I was studying the 1989 WT and noticed that it was changed in the bound volume. 'Preaching work will be completed in this century' changed to 'preaching work completed in our time.'

Thanks to GaryBuss, Seeker4, outofthebox and a few others that seemed to be speaking to me over the past year with their comments but who don't condemn individual witnessses who have been taught a certain way for so long and don't seem to be able to think on their own.

I might get caught, I hold some privileges. I am on a public computer for that reason.

Is it any way possible that JW's may still somehow have the truth?

Every last friend and family of mine is a Witness.

I am freaking out big time.

Thanks people, whoever you are at those keyboards.