I guess I'm missing the point of metatron's contrast between reform and mainstreaming. If the JW religion 'mainstreams' to the point that it becomes just another Protestant sect, has it not 'reformed' itself? Considering the ultra-conservative attitude of the WT, wouldn't mainstreaming be a reform unto itself? I don't see the difference - someone help me here....
hybridous
JoinedPosts by hybridous
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23
Why Mainstreaming Will Win and Reform Won't
by metatron insometimes change takes place over many years, in such a subtle.
and quiet way that those involved may not even discern that a. trend is forming.
as with social security and retirement issues,.
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Who are these elders???
by freakshow inhaving only started to study with a jw she has yet to inform me of these elders, the book she gave me says a little, but after reading this board i see there is more i have yet to learn.
who are these elders?
i'm picturing a bunch of old men in velvet purple robes sitting around a circular table.
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hybridous
Wowwww, Franc....I was wondering when you were gonna run out of gas on that last post...'bad breath, B.O., mis-matched socks', was great.
Anyway, Francois is dead on about the children of elders. Typically, they are held up and put on a pedestal for the rest of the congregation's children to be in awe of. They can spit and stammer and trip over their own words in the TMS and door-to-door, but you can be assured that sons of elders will be the first to receive 'privileges' when they're being passed out. Young men who are raised as good JWs, but from a single mom - they don't rate well.
Elders' kids can be dumb like a rock, or smart and sly like a fox, but it doesen't even matter when they're caught being 'bad', because they aren't held to the same standard of conduct that other kids are. If you're an elder's son, you can get caught lying, stealing, fooling around (sexually), and stumbling around in a drunken stupor, and the 'consequences' will be minimal. If you're from less than the ideal JW family, your personal, spotless record of conduct isn't worth piss when it comes down to it. So, don't be expecting much from the elder and elderette parents who are supposed to be raising a household of exemplary children, it simply isn't that way.
edited for grammar
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Beauty..Where is it? What is it?
by ISP inwhat makes someone 'beautiful' to you?
has it changed over the years, so that you consider something else?
what attracts you to someone?
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hybridous
It is such a cliche, maybe 'cause it's so true, but beauty truely is...'in the eye of the beholder'. Beyond that, nothing else matters.
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Position on College Changed?
by Maximus inseveral have made outright statements and others have suggested that the society's negative position on higher education has changed.
'the society does not discourage higher education where i live.
' worse, 'apostates have made it all up--the society has never discouraged education.
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hybridous
Simon - if this could be deleted.....
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Position on College Changed?
by Maximus inseveral have made outright statements and others have suggested that the society's negative position on higher education has changed.
'the society does not discourage higher education where i live.
' worse, 'apostates have made it all up--the society has never discouraged education.
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hybridous
Whoops - wrong thread. My apologies.
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Position on College Changed?
by Maximus inseveral have made outright statements and others have suggested that the society's negative position on higher education has changed.
'the society does not discourage higher education where i live.
' worse, 'apostates have made it all up--the society has never discouraged education.
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hybridous
deleted - off topic
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Position on College Changed?
by Maximus inseveral have made outright statements and others have suggested that the society's negative position on higher education has changed.
'the society does not discourage higher education where i live.
' worse, 'apostates have made it all up--the society has never discouraged education.
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hybridous
I think that the official WT Society position is intentionally vague.
I live in an affluent area, and the local congregation is VERY tolerant of young JWs that aim for college. I would even go so far as to say...it is encouraged. I don't doubt that in other areas, congregations are very intolerant. I guess that the opinions of the local elders do a lot to shape the overall attitude of the congregation. Over here, the elders are either college educated or own very profitable businesses.
In terms of dollars and cents, I think that the WTS thinks it could profit more from educated JWs. More earnings mean that the JWs have more to give the WTS. Of course, this is a sword that cuts both ways: formally educated JWs are exposed to many ideas, and are perhaps likely to research their beliefs and WT dogma, therby spiraling head-over-heels into the realm of the inexplicable.
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Crisis of identity when leaving the WTS?
by Cautious inhi, just a question about something that i have been wondering about for a while.
did anyone else have the feeling that they had to discover who they were when they moved away from the wts?
for the majority of my life i had been identified as one of jw, that was how i saw myself and it impacted on everything and everyone else in my life.
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hybridous
Having been born into the cult, I wonder if there was really a 'myself' to come back to. Every thought, every opinion...sculpted from birth.
I spent my first few years out stumbling around in a haze due to drugs and alcohol. I went from one extreme to another trying to find out who the heck I really was. My sanity was saved when I realized that, when not under outside compulsion, we are free to made up our minds and be the kind of people we want to be. For me, that is the ultimate truth of the matter.
Also, I learned that there is no point on this life where I can sit back and say 'Ahhhh, I made it. I am who I want to be.' I think that it is a continuous evolution of the human spirit. Cautious, you said 'Still working on that one.' Well, don't worry about it. So am I.
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New Congregation
by Deacon inok. we ran a thread recently about starting a new religion.. how about we start an international congregation here on the board.. we need 7 elders.
7 being a sign of perfection..er....yeah.. we need ministerial servants.. appointments will be general concensus..er holy spirit i mean.. p.o.
lets start with him.
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hybridous
I hereby request that I be appointed to the position of....
'The elusive Brother Some'
Simply because whoever holds this office always seems to get away with a lot.
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FOR THE LOVE OF GOD.......
by JW72 ini wonder would christians (jw's included) still serve god if it were god's will for them to die in this world and not live forever?!?!?!!.
if u think like that, it makes u realise just how selfish it all is to believe that!!.
they may say that they would but i doubt it!!!!.
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hybridous
I guess my answer to you depends on what you mean by 'serving God'.
To JWs, 'serving God' is equated with serving the interests of the Watchtower Society.
To many Christians (and other theists), 'serving God' is equated with living a life of love and compassion for other people. If this is what you mean by 'serving God', then yes, I believe that people would continue to do this regardless of any potential reward. Many athiests and agnostics lead lives that mirror the teachings of Jesus more closely than Christians. I believe that, at the end of the day, we have to look at ourselves and feel that we've done some good in the world. Especially if we're gonna die & never come back, it would be a natural desire to want to leave this world knowing that we've done what we could to help someone...in my opinion.