When we covered this at an elders' meeting a few years ago, the district overseer said that the term "brothers" covers brothers, sisters, children, and people attending.
We took notes and accepted it, no questions asked.
BF
BonaFide
JoinedPosts by BonaFide
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13
Question for current meeting-attenders...
by Kudra ini am wondering if they still say "dear brothers," (as in brothers only, no mention of sisters) when they read letters from the governing body.
also, do they still address the audience at conventions and assemblies as "brothers, aren't we glad ...blah blah something blah blah".
this would bother me ~5 years ago when i was attending the kh and even then, it was a terribly outdated and chauvinistic way to address a large crowd -it just seems like there would be outright rebellion if the crowd at a convention or kingdom hall were to be addressed that way today.
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The average Witness just doesn't talk about doctrine anymore
by BonaFide inif you were "in the truth" for some years, you will remember this.
we used to have bible games at parties.
we used to discuss doctrinal matters in the car group in service, and at get-togethers.
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BonaFide
"Flee the scene" ha ha pretty funny Jeremy. I do that now sometimes.
BF
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The average Witness just doesn't talk about doctrine anymore
by BonaFide inif you were "in the truth" for some years, you will remember this.
we used to have bible games at parties.
we used to discuss doctrinal matters in the car group in service, and at get-togethers.
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BonaFide
A few months ago, I brought up a Bible question in the car group for service. One of the brothers said to me, "Are you stuck in the 90's or something?"
BF
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6
Did you have a collection of talks on tape? Which ones?
by BonaFide ini had a great collection.
i used to listen to the good ones, and make copies for friends.
here are my all-time bests.
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BonaFide
I had a great collection. I used to listen to the good ones, and make copies for friends. Here are my all-time bests. Well, according to the way I used to think:
J.R. Brown - Are you Cultivating Fleshy Desires? Brother Brown was a circuit overseer before he got called to Bethel. A lot of speakers imitated his style. He breaks up syllables and has long pauses. "Are you cul-ti-va-ting flesh-ly de-sires? The Sin is not the Act. The Sin is the De-sire to Do Wrong." I met him in person, to me a very humble person.
Ulysses Glass - Are We in the Time of the End? He talked about being stuck in the desert with no water, and how to get water. He said that he knows when Armageddon will come. Its coming tomorrow. Thats the way he thinks each day, then the next day, he starts over. Keep the sense of urgency.
Kin Suen - Ability or Dependabilty - Which? - Everyone loves his accent. Very kind and sincere brother. So strange to me now, he encouraged me to reach out. I saw him at the last elders school, I didn't know what to say to him. Anyway, his talk was great, what does Jehovah prefer, someone who has ability, or someone who is dependable.
Colin Quackenbush - Are you an Effective Teacher? - He used a lot of illustrations, and he said people come into the truth based on how they feel. So make them FEEL the truth, the hope, the brotherhood, the peace, the comfort.
I have some in a box in the garage now. I don't know anyone who listens to talks on tape anymore. Used to be a big thing.
Well, what about you?
BF
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The average Witness just doesn't talk about doctrine anymore
by BonaFide inif you were "in the truth" for some years, you will remember this.
we used to have bible games at parties.
we used to discuss doctrinal matters in the car group in service, and at get-togethers.
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BonaFide
If you were "in the Truth" for some years, you will remember this. We used to have Bible games at parties. We used to discuss doctrinal matters in the car group in service, and at get-togethers. At the doors we used to have major Bible discussions with people. Two brothers in my Hall used to write to the Society with Bible questions, and the Society would answer. We used to ask each other Bible questions. Some would go to the Kingdom Hall library to do research.
Not anymore. I am still active, and there are no Bible games at parties. No doctrinal discussions in car groups. No Bible discussions at parties.
If you dare bring up a Bible topic at a get-together, like I have, you get blank stares, or a "leave it in Jehovah's hands" comment.
No one talks about doctrine anymore, unless it is during the meeting at the Kingdom Hall.
BF
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Doctrinal ramifications of large increase in 2008 memorial partakers?
by yadda yadda 2 inthe nearly 10% increase in partakers at the memorial in the 2008 annual service report is a huge increase.
there were increases in the previous years too.. this massive increase is no doubt attributeable to the 'new light' this year that the calling of the 'heavenly class' was not closed in 1935, as previously taught.
the new understanding this year is that the calling of the 'anointed' class is 'evidently' still open.
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BonaFide
I agree with the poster named "logic." The average Witness doesnt understand and really doesnt care what the teachings are. A few months ago, I was talking about the generation change with someone in my family. She started to talk about how the anointed will be with us through Armageddon, and she said that shows how much Jehovah cares for us, she said that is so, so wonderful, and she started to cry.
So many Witnesses believe whatever the GB says, it doesnt matter if it doesnt make sense.
BF
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Please read condemnatory email sent to me and help me reply
by AndersonsInfo ini received the following emails, one yesterday and the other today and thought you'll like to see an example of the positive and the negative messages i regularly receive through webmaster at my website, watchtower documents, llc, www.watchtowerdocuments.com.. .
here's the negative message:.
"i must say that after reading your biography, i am shocked.
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BonaFide
Dear Barbara Anderson:
I believe I met you once when I was serving at Bethel, I believe it was in the Towers dining room. Not sure. Anyway, I think that the post by JamieBowers is the best. Being extra kind is the best way to go. Any response by you that in any way can be viewed as "negative" or "harsh" will backfire. Being extra nice will help that young person. I remember when I first read your biography. It was frightening and strong, because remember we all thought that speaking against the Watchtower was speaking against Jehovah God himself. But you were not spiteful or sarcastic. You seemed like the same long-time Bethelites that I had known over the years. That helped me a lot to see that you are a sincere person without a personal ax to grind.
BF
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English C.O. Visit last talk on Sunday - Highlights
by BonaFide inso i went to the english meeting last sunday, friends who don't know what i know wanted me to go with them.. the circuit oversser is brother rucker.
he started off by saying, "now why do you think that jehovah chose you to be in his organization?
what makes you special?
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BonaFide
It could be the same C.O. mentioned in your post. He is African-American, been in the circuit work for about twenty years, and recently came to this circuit.
I like the comment about how if you take on that the organization is "imperfect,", then it doesnt matter what they do, they are always going to be right.
Thats how I used to feel.
Until I came on here.
BF
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English C.O. Visit last talk on Sunday - Highlights
by BonaFide inso i went to the english meeting last sunday, friends who don't know what i know wanted me to go with them.. the circuit oversser is brother rucker.
he started off by saying, "now why do you think that jehovah chose you to be in his organization?
what makes you special?
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BonaFide
So I went to the English meeting last Sunday, friends who don't know what I know wanted me to go with them.
The circuit oversser is brother Rucker. He started off by saying, "Now why do you think that Jehovah chose YOU to be in his organization? What makes you special? You may not think you are special, but Jehovah does, that is why he chose you."
His talk was a lot of encouragement to keep going, no real mention of the time of the end, just more encouragement to stick with it, and that Jehovah is really making things happen around the world as far as the preaching work is concerned.
It was easy to see from the very first sentence of his talk that he really believes it. There is no doubt in anything that he says. He really believes that Jehovah is using the Organization. No question about it.
When I first came on here a few months ago, I really thought that since I had come to my senses, that everyone else would too, and the Organization would dissolve or major changes would take place.
But that is not happening. It's just like wishful thinking on my part. The congregation that I visited was almost all older people, a few younger ones in there, but they loved the talk, the brother, the singing, everything.
My goodness, is anything ever going to change?
BF
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The Watch Tower will implode
by Hiddenwindow ini honestly believe that the watch tower's insistence in silencing disent will eventually destroy it.
no one knows at this point how many doubters and closet apostates are still inside.
and the wt itself is unable to identify most of them.
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BonaFide
Very interesting idea. It does seem to me that this general feeling of "awareness" that JW's are not right, is becoming more pervasive.
Or maybe that's just my hopeful thinking, and almost all Witnesses are faithful to the death.
BF