Shortly before I stopped going to meetings the Bible highlights part had changed to include comments from the audience of "30 seconds or less." It never ceases to surprise me that with all the meetings I used to go to, I learned very little of the Bible, but more of how we as JWs were supposed to live. When the BH part was changed, it only got worse. After the meeting was done, I couldn't remember any point that stuck out from the BH, other than the fact that the conductor would praise everyone for keeping their comments to 30 seconds or less, as if that was what was important, and not God's Word. It seems people would go off in any direction with their comments, and a lot of times I had no idea what their point actually was, but boy, if they were able to come under time, that was surely commendable. Is this still how it is these days?
startingovernow
JoinedPosts by startingovernow
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30 seconds or less?
by startingovernow inshortly before i stopped going to meetings the bible highlights part had changed to include comments from the audience of "30 seconds or less.
" it never ceases to surprise me that with all the meetings i used to go to, i learned very little of the bible, but more of how we as jws were supposed to live.
when the bh part was changed, it only got worse.
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Do Jehovah's Witnesses even know their own teachings...
by Tuesday ini've had a rash of people commenting on my videos lately that seem to not even understand their own teachings.
it leads me to question if jehovah's witnesses can even explain their own beliefs.
for example if i ask a question about the 1914 doctrine specifically about the biblical backing behind 607 bce being the year for the destruction of jerusalem, 9 times out of 10 i'm going to get some sort of answer that involves the "prophecy" in matthew 24 and how it somehow has been fufilled since 1914.. apart from the fact i honestly don't think i can find a jehovah's witness who will actually understand the question at hand enough to answer the points therein, i'm to the point where i don't know if jehovah's witnesses even understand their own teachings.
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startingovernow
As far as the 1914/607 teaching goes, at one time I would have whipped out the Live Forever or Reasoning book and read it out loud. Never got the chance though, unfortunately. Would have liked to have gotten someone educated ask me about it or question where I got the 607 date from.
I do remember that being my most feared question in service, and do remember being distinctly told that if someone was to ask about it they were most likely looking to start an argument and wouldn't be sincere anyway. Looking back I recognize that it would only be someone who was "apsostate" or had looked into the history of JWs that would ask such a question, and therefore in JWs' minds would not be sincere, but only looking to cause trouble.
Now that the generation teaching has changed, there isn't much reason for JWs to defend/explain the 1914 teaching as much as in the past.
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Most annoying and irritating comments by JWs
by whathehadas insince i'm still suffering in this crackerjacks organization, these are some of statements that just drive me nuts.
1. in service: "we are not here to convert you" funny how jws have the true religion but resort to deception and outright lies in order to get people to listen
2. to other jws: "we won't have to deal with this in the new system" 7 billion evil doers dead and gone, no longer create problems for us
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startingovernow
Throw your burned on Jehovah, because he cares for you (in other words, we don't want to be bothered with your problems, so just pray about it).
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Your thoughtful opinion is requested, please, on a possible proposal to free my wife from JWs
by lifelong humanist insix years 'jw free', my wife is still in, although she's now nowhere neary as zealous as i was when in.
for this i'm grateful.. please take a moment to review my current situation as far as my wife's involvement is concerned with our 4, adult male children:.
my wife regularly contacts my dfd son, invites him and his wife to visit us, along with their 4 year old son, and thinks absolutely nothing of it!
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startingovernow
I'd say trust in a relationship is of utmost importance. If you tell on your wife in the hopes it will get her in trouble and therefore "free," who is to say she would still want to be with you?
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WT Society Makes JW's Feel Bad about Themselves - No Self Worth
by flipper ini have noticed this a lot in attitudes of witness relatives i've talked with over the last few years , as well as other former witness friends i have talked to.
many witnesses feel bad about themselves due to having it drilled into them that we are all " sinners " who allegedly inherited " sin and imperfection " from adam and eve .
that essentially humans are " born dead " or in a " dying " condition due to alleged " inherited sin " .
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startingovernow
Flipper, where were you when I needed to hear this so many years ago?
When I was studying I always got the impression that the JWs studying with me and the ones at the podium were accusing me of doing something I wasn't doing. Instead of heeding the red flag, I instead was determined to prove that I was in fact a good girl, worthy of serving the true God and being with His people. Even when an elder accused me of smoking when I met to become an unbaptized publisher, I still was determined to prove myself (I lived with smokers so must have smelled like smoke). They didn't ask me if I smoked, but instead in their explaining that publishers of the good news need to be living examplary lives blah, blah, blah when I answered no to the question of doing anything that would prevent me from being a good little publisher I said no, one of the elders blurted out, "You can't smoke!" It stunned me, since anyone who knew me knew that I was the last person who would put a cigarette in my mouth. Only after saying that I didn't smoke did the other elder ask if people in my family smoked. Even after saying who in my (non-JW) family smoked (which really was none of their business), it still seemed like the elder who accused me still didn't believe me. I wish I had been smart enough to never return to the KH. But, no, I really wanted to be a JW.
It was after baptism that I saw that except for few a small number of JWs, there are pretty much two camps among JWs - those that feel badly about themselves, and those that work hard to bring anyone else who doesn't down. Somehow I actually had a bit of self-worth, but did have troubles dealing with the fact that I had no friends my age among JWs, which eventually turned to absolutely no friends my age because the only people I associated were JWs. When I got depressed about this and went to the elders, they made the assumption that I did not feel worthy of Jehovah. I said, no, not that's not it at all. You should have seen the looks on their faces. It was like I had given the wrong answer, or that I was wrong to have the audacity to say I actually felt like I was worthy of God's love! Where does it come from? Well, sadly JWs aren't the only ones that are taught unworthiness. I think the difference is that JWs have to hear it more than on Sunday mornings. With all the meetings, all the publications, and the requirement to put so many hours in service in order to be approved by others, JWs are really in an impossible situation. Some may be able to follow the routine at the sacrifice of themselves and their families for a while, but as soon as the reality of such an unbalance way of life catches up to them - whether it be health problems, monetary problems, need for family time or whatever - they will be accused of letting sin and imperfection get the best of them.
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Do you have GOSSIPERS and those with STRONG PERSONALITIES that "control" the congregation?
by BonaFide ini bet a lot of others have, and its strange how so many are powerless to do anything.. one sister i know was married to another jw.
he was unfaithful, she was crushed, he wasn't disfellowshipped, she forgave him, he was cruel, finally she committed adultery to get out of it.
they divorced.
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startingovernow
Yes, there have been gossipers in every congregation I've been to. Never have understood the term "strong personality." Don't think it is a matter of personality, but rather behavior. Ask me if I've seen JWs with obnoxious behavior patterns, and my answer would be yes.
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startingovernow
Oh chickpea,
You just reminded me that I devoted a month of before bedtime reading to the Proclaimer's book. When I finished it I got down on my knees and thanked Jehovah that he brought me into such a wonderful organization. I feel a bit sick at the memory. Crisis of Conscience made much more sense of my years as a JW.
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She Would Have Been Better Off A JW
by DJQuimica inwell i have been wanting to tell this story for some time now.
does anyone believe that a person is better becoming a jw?
i ask this question because i have carried this around with me for some years now.
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startingovernow
When I read this story I couldn't help wondering if your real question was whether or not you were somehow resposible for her death, because you tried to distract her from the meetings/study. Either way, I'd say no, she would not have been better off a JW. There are plenty of other religions and support systems one can gain strength from that if one lives into their 100's they won't look back (after proper research) and realize they wasted their time in a cult.
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startingovernow
Is this a trick question? Of course I have! In no particular order and from what I can remember - the Happiness book, YPA book, Live Forever, Knowlege, Family (both of them), Daniel, Isaiah, Revelation, Greatest Man, Creator, Mankinds Search. Of course most of this reading was prep for the Book study. None of this reading ever helped me be happy, provided answers that worked, explained the Bible or Jesus in a way other than what the Society taught, helped me in my search for God, or gave me useful knowlege.
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Experience at the Calif. Convention Email
by whereami inget ready to gag.. .
*** for those of us who daily pray for our loved ones to turn to jehovah.
quickly, this is a real shot in the arm!!
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startingovernow
Can you spell p-a-t-h-e-t-i-c ?