how does that affect you?.
it ticks me off if i'm waiting for a call and i stop myself from doing something only to not have the person keep the commitment..
I don't like it at all. If someone says that they are going to do something then I expect them to do it. I hold myself to the same standard too. As the saying goes, "a man (or woman) is only as good as his (or her) word)." If their word means nothing then I don't have time for them.
Of course, things happen and people are sometimes unable to fulfil their word and that is fine; but constant, unapologetic flakiness is something I have no time for.
being raised in the jehovah's witnesses for 44 years ( exited 7 years ago ) - i observed many different variables that made each witness tick or operate.
but one of the most common variables was witnesses wanting to excel in progressing to positions becoming elders, ministerial servants, or pioneers because then and only then would they be looked at as allegedly " spiritual " or closer to jehovah.
but i learned as years went by that having a " position " in the congregation didn't make a person anymore " spiritual " or closer to god than witnesses who were not in appointed positions.. myself- having been appointed a ministerial servant at the tender baby age of 20 yrs.
LongHairGals point struck a chord with me. I was one of those brothers who was not ambitious and just wanted to be left alone. I was constantly badgered to "reach out" and told that I should not hide my "talent" by just giving talks in the second school. I even resented that though. What really gave me pleasure was helping others: those with children and the elderly. I would do gardening, cooking and various other things for those who were less able (both Witnesses and non-Witnesses) and it really filled my heart with warmth as I did those things. I always thought that that was part of my Christian duty and that God would be pleased with what I did. However, the "spiritually strong" one's would constantly tell me that I should do more for Jehovah because I had a lot to offer.
As far as I was concerned though, doing kind things for my fellow human beings in need was more Christian than giving a cut and paste talk from a Watchtower article. In the Watch Tower, spirituality is merely measured by how much you do in Watch Tower activities: you could walk past someone in need, like the priest and Levite in the story of the Good Samaritan, but, as long as you get to the meeting, you have "done the right thing."
many of them in ignorance practice things that god's word shows to be wicked.
if they persist in this course, they will be among those who perish during the great tribulation.----------------------------------------------------------------------------"only jehovah's witnesses, those of the anointed remnant and the "great crowd," as a united organization under the protection of the supreme organizer, have any scriptural hope of surviving the impending end of this doomed system dominated by satan the devil.
" watchtower 1989 sep. 1 p.19 .
Hello SixofNine. I believe that this is it:
October 1 st 1993 Watchtower (page 19, paragraph 14)
I had it on hand on my computer.
there have already been several threads started about this particular issue.
quite a bit of stuff to reflect on, especially the articles elevating the elders and gb.... but here's another gem..not as significant, but still interesting.
i grew up as a jw and it was verboten to say "bless you" or "gesundheit" after someone sneezes.
I always used to say "bless you" when someone sneezed and was never counselled for it. I wonder what all my Witness relatives will do now when I say that. It's absurd.
If the Watchtower carried an article next year, saying that such things were just local customs and a matter of personal conscience, millions of Witnesses will just immediately change their minds back and comment on "how much sense the article makes." Perfect mind control.
But oh, so infuriating!
updating,.
it is confirmed that cynthia will be signing the papers this morning to remove ray from life support.
if anyone has posted their address on the internet, it is requested that you remove it for the safety of cynthia and those who are with her.
Oh, such sad news. Somehow I thought this day would never come.
Thank you Ray for your work and for waking me up. My prayers are with Cynthia and your family.
Rest in peace.
for those of us lucky enough to have shed our rose-colored glasses, but still want to maintain relationwhipes with family and friends still entangled in the borg's web, a pragmatic approach, akin to, but less radical than "fading": just slip out to the periphery, treat the kh as one would a church, i. e. show up once in a while, make the occasional comment (ideally without compromising your real convictions and, better yet, worded as to provoke a bit of thought without raising eyebrows); being politely but non-commital, and, after a few "so longs," go home after the closing prayer.
.
I tried this for a few weeks after learning the truth about "the truth." It just churned my stomach. Eventually just being in the Kingdom Hall itself caused me to feel nauseous and lightheaded. Listening to the cult-speak was like trying to find my way around some freakish hall of mirrors. I ended up quitting more or less cold-turkey despite efforts at a fade.
Being an outspoken person, I realised that continuing to attend could lead to more dire consequences. I wanted my family relationships to remain intact and so I just walked away and hoped that nobody would try to corner me with any loyalty questions.
Anybody who manages to implement the above tactic has to have a high tolerance for allowing garbage to just wash over them. I do not and would have ended up arguing with someone over one of the Watch Tower's ridiculous, patched up doctrines. And using sound Biblical or scientific reasonings would only have made me more dangerous in their eyes.
The "periphery approach" would require a cast iron stomach in my view and anyone who could pull it off would have my astounded admiration.
where is the media?.
http://www.shtfplan.com/headline-news/video-immigration-protest-violence-racial-outrage-cursing-officers-assaulted-wheres-the-media_04282010.
judge dread .
Looking the other way of course.
in the june 15th wt it says on page 9 i will just write it out as it is to hard and unbelievable to preface this.
so here it is.. "many who today are members of the christian congregation can tell you that before learning of and adopting jehovah's righteous standards, they lived without moral restrain.
yet, they were unsatisfied and unhappy.
Fear, fear and more fear--with the usual generous helping of Watch Tower aspersions against non-JWs.
It makes me ill.
dubs - paradoxes from hell.
jesus said his yoke was kindly and light.. dubs brag their religion is the "hardest religion in the world.".
the bible tells children to honor their parents.. the wts tells children to betray their parents.. if dubs really live in a "spiritual paradise," why do their lives have to be threatened to stay in it?.
Wonderful!
jehovah's witnesses news, library, history, videos, talks, illustrationshey lorraine, could you explain your comment from this anti-jw group?.
lorraine catherine barrie yes......me too.
they wont come to my door though cos im a big bad apostate but would love to have copies of this leaflet to distribute to local jws the week they study the article.. .
I am very surprised too. This must be causing a lot of discomfort. I'll bet that the admins are desperate to remove all of this but are also aware that doing so will make them look cowardly and weak. It would also be a case of trying to close the stable door once the horse has bolted.
You seem to be getting a lot of mileage out of this. Even one of the admins is helping out: he mentions Randy Watters. Come on! Surely the admins realise that the more inquisitive JWs will look this name up.
No wonder the WT warns against the "evils" of the internet. They can't control it and this stuff makes a mockery of their organisation. I wonder whether any Bethel spies are watching this unfold. I'd wager that they would be in panic mode
