Heaven

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  8

  Welcome, Jotace! (and here are his questions, reposted)

  by BabaYaga in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  welcome, jotace... he posted on a resurrected thread which got re-buried pretty quickly!

  here are his posts with questions:.

  so, two years after, im resurrecting this topic.

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  Heaven

  Welcome, Jotace! You may find Ray Franz's book "Crisis of Conscience" helpful to understand some of the goings on within the WTS and the Governing Body. Randy Watters' book "Thus Saith Jehovah's Witnesses" comes highly recommended as well.

  This forum is open to anyone who wishes to participate. It is primarily for those who have been affected by the Watchtower Bible and Tract Society and their members known as "Jehovah's Witnesses". There are many different people on this board from different parts of the world. We are a varied group, some are 'in', others fading, others 'kicked to the curb', and others 'affected' since friends and/or family are 'in'. I personally am not a JW but my father is. My parents tried to raise us children in 'the truth' but as we got older, we saw the flaws they could not (or were in denial about). Let's see if I can answer your questions... and anyone else, feel free to jump in and add to, or correct me if I am in error:

  1) Whats that story about year 1935 and the 144.000 ones? I dont remember that in my young days!

  I was unaware of the 1935 date until this last couple of years when I started researching the WTS/JWs. Apparently, previous teachings stated that heaven's gates were closed in 1935. In other words, all of the annointed (aka 144,000) had been 'chosen' by that date. The WTS has since 'revised' this since people keep partaking at the Memorial Services and lately, despite their repeated encouragement for all to have 'an earthly hope, the numbers have been increasing. This directly conflicts with one of their reasonings for the coming of Armaggedon. In addition, it is understood that the members of the Governing Body are of the 'annointed'. See... Armageddon didn't come. This has messed up a lot of the chronology.

  2) What's the new theory about the "1914 generation"?

  a) 1985 Generation: Those who saw events of 1914 would be living when Armageddon came . "Thus before the 1914 generation completely dies out, God's judgment must be executed." (The Watchtower May 1, 1985, page 4)
  
  b) 1995 Generation: People who fail to mend their ways . "Therefore, in the final fulfillment of Jesus' prophecy today, "this generation" apparently refers to the peoples of earth who see the sign of Christ's presence but fail to mend their ways."(November 1, 1995 Watchtower)

  c) 2008 Generation: Anointed. "those anointed comprise the present "generation" of contemporaries who won't pass away "until all the things come to pass".(Watchtower February 15 2008 - page 24 paragraph 15)

  3) I think the sheeps/goats/Great Tribulation is still the same.

  4) Regarding blood, it wasn't a sin to begin with before the Fred Franz days. As a child, for me, all blood was a sin so you couldn't even take your own. Now, they allow 'fractions' -- which totally amazed me. To summarize the WTS Blood Policy: Yes/No/Maybe

  5) Is it true that the Watchtower Society deliberately hides child abuse cases among them, not denouncing them to authorities?

  The answer is 'Yes'. Their overall policy is "Do Nothing To Shed a Bad Light on Jehovah". They only do what is required by law and they don't go beyond that. If there is no legal requirement, they don't go to the authorities. And as a victim, unless it is by law, a JW cannot go to the authorities either. My father's previous congregation had a pedophile among them... and they did nothing about him.

  6) And what about the U.N. case? What happened really?

  They were discovered as having a Non-Govermental Organization (NGO) membership with the United Nations spanning a 10 year period from 1991 to 2001. They said they cancelled their membership but there is evidence surfacing recently to show that they are still involved. The WTS goes by many different names including different iterations of the name Watchtower (eg. The Watch Tower, The Watchtower, The Watchtower Society, The Watchtower Bible and Tract Society, etc., etc., etc.) Check this thread out for more on some of the current goings on: http://www.jehovahs-witness.net/jw/friends/176262/1/BREAKING-NEWS-WATCHTOWER-IS-STILL-A-MEMBER-OF-UN-SOURCE-SAYS

  I hope this helps a bit.
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  43

  What's Your Favorite(s) Song That You Never Get Sick Of?

  by minimus in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  i love "let's stay together" by al green.

  tina turner does a great job of that too!.

  some songs just make you feel good.

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  Heaven

  "Be Like That" - 3 Doors Down

  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y1RermtkxPY
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  21

  Help me with question from my hubby..

  by cognac in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  he never asks me spiritual questions... but, he just did, and i don't know what to say.. he asked what the issue of sovereignty has to do with us?

  why do we have to suffer because of what satan did?

  satan has been proven a liar over and over again, so why do we have to keep paying the price?

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  Heaven

  Black Sheep said: All religious writings are nothing more than man's thoughts about God. None of them are God's thoughts about man. If you read the Bible with that thought in mind, it starts to make sense.

  Right on!

  I've often wondered why there were conflicting things in the Bible. The biggest one for me: 1 Thessalonians 5:21 "Prove all things, hold fast to that which is good."

  Ooook.... so let's go to the foundation then. Prove that God exists. Can't do it. Everything crumbles from there.
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  13

  What's Your Version of The Truth About "The Truth"

  by Scott77 in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  undoubtedly, many on jwn joined the watchtower corporation after learning the "'truth".

  others were born into the "truth".

  regardless of reasons for acceptance, the "truth" did became a rallying central theme of our lives over many years.

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  Heaven

  The truth about "The Truth" is that it is a 130+ year old, man-made religious cult, loosely based on the Christian Holy Bible.

  It seeks to grow its membership so they can increasingly distribute their publications and bring more people into their fold using the guise of being God's one true religion. Their goal is to preach the 'Good News' to every living person on the Earth. In over 130 years, they have yet to accomplish this goal.

  Their God is named 'Jehovah' and they use the Bible to frighten, manipulate, and control people, forcing them into becoming door-to-door salespeople and recruiters, handing out Watchtower and Awake! magazines, asking people if they would like to study the Bible, and asking for donations as their definition of God's 'works'. Jesus Christ is a background figure. They have created a belief structure and a set of doctrines that under scrutiny, do not hold up to what is documented in the Bible. Their doctrines are pure fantasy which evolve and change over time. They use portions of the Bible as well as current world events to justify these beliefs.

  In my opinion, Jehovah's Witnesses should really call themselves 'Jehovans' and NOT 'Christians'. I once considered becoming a JW but in doing my research, I have chosen not to.
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  5

  I need a file sharing site that allows over 100mb per file...

  by middleman in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  anyone have names about some good ones, and that are free?

  thank-you....

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  Heaven

  I need a file sharing site as well. I've checked a few out but haven't been impressed since they don't provide a useful space/link area to be able to post pics here.
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  6

  Dissension spooking the Watchtower Leadership?

  by freddo in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  apparently the current round of co visits (in the uk) includes (from an outline in the co meeting with elders and possibly also mss) much talk of tightening up the rules on associating with df/da, apostates and that they are to take the lead in clamping down on this.. they also focus on the view that apostates have nothing else to offer jw's.. sounds like anti-wt tactics are having an effect!

  but it looks like it's going to get tougher before it gets easier .... anyone else confirm?

  my sources are elders/ms's in two seperate nearby congo's..

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  Heaven

  much talk of tightening up the rules on associating with DF/DA, apostates and that they are to take the lead in clamping down on this.

  Welcome to the Forum, freddo! Thank you for sharing with us.

  Does this also include non-JWs or family members who refuse to join?

  This worries me greatly as the C.O. was just recently visiting my father's congregation. I worry that my father will consider me 'an apostate' because I refuse to sign-up to the madness. My father also has non-JW friends and I don't want to see him lose them.
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  10

  Blondie's Comments You Will Not Hear at the 06-14-09 WT Study (YOUR INTEGRITY)

  by blondie in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  http://exjehovahswitnessforum.yuku.com.

  http://www.jwsupportforum.com/index.php.

  http://www.jehovahswitnessrecovery.com/.

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  Heaven

  insearchoftruth said:

  Today, Jehovah does this by means of his Word, his organization, and his holy spirit.

  This statement in paragraph four amazed me, the organization being included between the Word and the spirit, talk about smacking of idolatry.....

  The constant insertion of 'the organization' by the WTS really irritates me! No where is 'the organization' found in the Bible. I find it amazing that JWs just blindly accept this. My reaction to this is .... .... which equates to 'WTF? I don't THINK so! Speak to the hand. Buh Bye Now.'
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  33

  For those that were raised in the Truth, why did YOUR PARENTS become JW's?

  by BonaFide in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  it's weird putting two and two together after 40 years of have the two things separate.. my uncle was killed in a car accident in august of 1969. i was a child, but i remember my mother being very sad and crying and staying in her room.. it was in october of 1969 that the witnesses first visited my mom.

  my mom was in the front yard watching us kids when jw's came door-to-door.

  that sister and my mom are still friends to this day.. anyway, my mom started studying.

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  Heaven

  My Mom's father was disillusioned with the Catholic religion and decided to become a JW. My Mom told me that he had witnessed the priests rowing over to Nun's Island at night (Montreal/Quebec) and then a few years after that, there was a discovery of a bunch of tiny coffins when they started digging to build the Montreal subway. They were the Nuns' aborted babies. This is the story I remember my Mom telling me. My Mom's 2 brothers became JWs.

  My Mom wasn't a JW when us kids were born but she was studying with the Witnesses and used to get the books to study with us kids. My father was not raised a JW -- his parents were Catholic and Protestant and then I think became Baptists or at least attended a Baptist Church for a while. When we were little, my father did not like my Mom going to the Hall so she had to stop going to the meetings.

  My Mom tried to get us as teenagers to study on Sundays with the Witnesses. They used to come to our house. I was the only one that complied. But I saw discrepancies right off ... I didn't agree with their interpretations and, of course, the subjugation of women was something I was incapable of accepting and doing to myself. None of their children joined but after we left home to go to school, my parents decided to become baptized a few years later. I believe my mother decided to get baptized because she thought this was how you receive eternal life and my father did because he was on a path of self-destruction after retiring. Of course, they continuously tried to recruit us kids and began withdrawing from family get togethers.

  My Mom is gone now but my Dad is still a Ministerial Servant.
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  293

  The Natural Beauty of Your Neighborhood

  by compound complex in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  dear friends,.

  one of my greatest enjoyments is a daily walk.

  i see things in far greater detail than when i am driving by.

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  Heaven

  Today is a lovely sunny day in my neck of the woods. The Goldfinches are chasing each other around in the air, the Robins are in the yard, and the little red squirrel zooms past on the tops of the fences. I don't have any flowers out this year as I believe I won't be home much. I just spent part of the day cutting the grass, pulling weeds, and spreading composted sheep manure on the front lawn and around the tree in the boulevard.

  I already miss these flowers -- the Trilliums were quite abundant and very lovely this year. I see them in the forests on my drive into work. They are the provincial flower of Ontario and come out in May:

  
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  155

  I'm Craving Head Cheese

  by snowbird in

  1. social
  2. entertainment

  it's also called souse.. there was a show on radio this morning about farm life, and a caller told how it's done.. my mother used to make a big container for xmas.. i'm really waxing nostalgic here.. sylvia.

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  Heaven

  my Grandmother used to like "elder" which was cooked and sliced cows udder

  hamsterbait.... Oh my! A certain vision in my head is forming on this one. I think a new joke JW poster/picture has just been introduced.