Posts by individuals wife

4

The Strange Things They Say........

by individuals wife in

jw
friends

glancing through an old bound volume doing a bit of research, my eyes happened to alight on an article about evil spirits and what they are up to on the earth today, made for interesting reading..... february 1st 1994 watchtower.

reports from around the world show that satan and the demons are as malicious as ever.

some people they strike with illness.

individuals wife

Glancing through an old bound volume doing a bit of research, my eyes happened to alight on an article about evil spirits and what they are up to on the earth today, made for interesting reading....

February 1st 1994 Watchtower

Reports from around the world show that Satan and the demons are as malicious as ever. Some people they strike with illness. Others they harass by robbing them of sleep or by giving them terrible dreams or by abusing them sexually. Still others they have driven to insanity, murder, or suicide.

So am I right in thinking that the society believes that evil spirits can make people ill?? I had no idea... Or that they can cause insomnia? Or that they are sexually abusive? I remember a later WT article, possibly 1999 or 2000, perhaps it was even an Awake, forgive me for my bad memory, which had the title something along the lines of Can Evil Spirits Make You Sick, I think it went into healing and blaming spirits for illness and how this was not right, can anyone remember the article and the point it was trying to make? Does it differ from the article above mentioned? Basically I would just be interested to know the current societys standing on the question of whether illness can be caused by evil spirits.

Also when I read that passage through it struck me as ironic that the JWs have caused many of the problems that they blame Satan and his demons for.

For example -

Illness - How many JWs end up ill through mental strain and depression?......

Robbing them of sleep - How many JWs toss and turn because of the turmoil they feel, pushed to go out on service, pushed to shun loved ones, worries about not only pleasing Jehovah but also the organisation.......

Causing nightmares - How many JWs, especially the little ones, had bad dreams after looking at the pictures of Armageddon in the publications and hearing from the platform that the flesh of their non JW loved ones would be plucked from their bones or rot off their bodies and their eyes would be pecked out....

Sexually abusing - I don't think anybody can deny that a problem exists in the society on this point....

Insanity, murder and suicide - Sadly we know that these things have certainly occurred due to the effects of being a JW......

I think they ought to put their own house in order before they start laying the blame for all these problems at the door of Satan and his minions......

______________________________________________________________________

Another point I gleaned from the 1994 article mentioned above was the twisted JW view of the world -

The news is bloated with stories of drugs, murder, bombing, psychopathic cannibalism, massacres, famine, and torture.

Bloated?? Psychopathic cannibalism?? I didnt realise I lived in such a bad world, I am not that naive to think that everything is rosy, but I am also not going to accept that the world is as evil as the society makes out. It is as though the society want to frighten people into staying. Since leaving I have come to realise that the majority of people are not like the scripture so often quoted in Timothy 3:1-4 which says - 'But know this, that in the last days critical times hard to deal with will be here. For men will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money...... need I go on? To the contrary, I am finding a lot of good people out there, and especially in here ;)

13

More New Light?

by individuals wife in

jw
friends

interesting comment made in the chat room yesterday.... it was noted that during a talk by a bethelite at a recent dc he made the following point - the reason we are not on the other side of armageddon is that we (jws) do not and have not listened to authority.. now it has to wait like the disobedient israelites had to.. until the next generation.

now, i would presume this is some more of this 'new light' because i'd never heard this thought before... has anyone else heard it?.

can anyone elaborate further.... i wasn't there myself.... interesting implications though, the disobedient israelite generation did not get into the promised land did they?

individuals wife

To PathofThorns

At best this comment that was supposedly heard probably came from someone taking a few liberties in a local talk, or maybe someone just got a little too carried away reading another post by MDS

I can understand your sceptism, I have no doubt in my mind that my source of this information heard correctly at a district convention... but what I want to establish is whether this is an isolated case of pure conjecture on the part of a 'loose-cannon' Bethelite or whether it has some substance behind it.

Doubtlessly there were rumours going around before the publication of the 1995 WT on the generation change, it was a monumental alteration -as this one would be if it were true.

Lindy - Your list of questions highlights the massive implications of this statement, it would really test the motive of those in the organisation today. Would they continue in their service in the knowledge that they would receive no reward? Would they be resurrected or would they never step into the 'promised land'?

Francoise - it would have to be chocolate flavoured manna for me!

13

More New Light?

by individuals wife in

jw
friends

interesting comment made in the chat room yesterday.... it was noted that during a talk by a bethelite at a recent dc he made the following point - the reason we are not on the other side of armageddon is that we (jws) do not and have not listened to authority.. now it has to wait like the disobedient israelites had to.. until the next generation.

now, i would presume this is some more of this 'new light' because i'd never heard this thought before... has anyone else heard it?.

can anyone elaborate further.... i wasn't there myself.... interesting implications though, the disobedient israelite generation did not get into the promised land did they?

individuals wife

zev - this is what I am looking for... confirmation and elaboration... this is such a significant new thought that I thought it had to be investigated further.

13

More New Light?

by individuals wife in

jw
friends

interesting comment made in the chat room yesterday.... it was noted that during a talk by a bethelite at a recent dc he made the following point - the reason we are not on the other side of armageddon is that we (jws) do not and have not listened to authority.. now it has to wait like the disobedient israelites had to.. until the next generation.

now, i would presume this is some more of this 'new light' because i'd never heard this thought before... has anyone else heard it?.

can anyone elaborate further.... i wasn't there myself.... interesting implications though, the disobedient israelite generation did not get into the promised land did they?

individuals wife

Interesting comment made in the chat room yesterday.... it was noted that during a talk by a bethelite at a recent DC he made the following point - the reason we are not on the other side of Armageddon is that we (JWs) do not and have not listened to authority.. now it has to wait like the disobedient Israelites had to.. until the next generation.

Now, I would presume this is some more of this 'new light' because I'd never heard this thought before... has anyone else heard it?
Can anyone elaborate further.... I wasn't there myself...

Interesting implications though, the disobedient Israelite generation did not get into the promised land did they? It was the next generation that got the reward, what does that say about the current JWs?

The delay in Armageddon it appears is being blamed on the shortcomings of the followers, the GB is not accepting any responsibility for getting things wrong...

So, according to the society, it is the JWs themselves who have prevented Armageddon from happening sooner, mmmmmmm......

36

most HATED thing about the meetings ...

by alliwannadoislive in

jw
friends

hey ya'll ... ain't tuesdays, thursdays and sundays even better nowadays ?.

i was wondering what it is that you hated most about the meets ?.

the one thing that used to really rile me was the pressure to control the children - the frowns and the disapproving looks when they were just behaving like normal kids .... the worst of it all for me was seeing any little person being taken outside and hearing the loud slaps even when the door was closed .... what is it that you least miss ?

individuals wife

The things I hated most about the meetings... mmm, how long have you got?

Trying to find a pair of tights/hose that didnt have a run in them...

The cheap toilet paper in the ladies toilet...

The hard seats...

When it was too hot and you sat there drooping...

When it was too cold and no-one came in early to put the heating on...

Realising you had forgotten your song book and having to mime..badly..

Going with a stinking cold because you didnt want to appear weak...

Sitting in a windowless hall when you know it is sunny outside...

Having to listen to children whining they want to go home (so did I)..

Agreeing to pay the COs expenses (?!?!?!)...

Getting told you are on cleaning duty .... again...

Need I go on.... I dont think so. Nuff said.

2

Watchtower July 15,2001 page 21-23

by hippikon in

are you truly tolerant?

have you ever felt incensed because of someones improper conduct?

are you quick to act when corrupting influences are making inroads among your close asso-ciates?.

individuals wife

Is it just me or can anyone else see the difference in tone between the scripture quoted in Revelation and the way the WT puts it....

Revelation 4:11 says 'You are worthy, Jehovah, even our God, to receive the glory and the honor and the power, because you created all things, and because of your will they existed and were created'.

That seems to be quite nice and gentle, an expression of gratitude towards a creator, a feeling that we should be all putting our hands together to show how grateful we are....

Now for the WTs interpretation of the scripture -

Being the Creator, he has the right to demand our exclusive devotion. (Revela-tion 4:11)

What a difference, this is a demand, not an invitation. Talk about twisting the scriptures...

17

U can leave the truth but the truth cant leave U

by skeptical 1 in

jw
friends

forgive my brutal honesty but thats my take on this site so far.

thats not to say that it serves no useful purpose.

but it does seem that many of you are totally consumed with proving to yourself and others that jw's don't have the truth.

individuals wife

But it does seem that many of you are totally consumed with proving to yourself and others that jw's don't have the truth.

I do not come here to prove to myself or others that JWs dont have the truth, I have all the proof I need, this board serves as a reinforcement. It strengthens my resolve never to return to the ranks of hypocrisy and predjudice.

the fact that you deem this issue worthy of so much of your time, perhaps your even a slave to it,

A slave? To this site? No, the amount of time I spend here is minimal compared to the hours and hours and hours I spent in the khall and pioneering. I consider many on this site to be my friends and what is wrong with wanting to spend time discussing things you have in common with your friends. Don't forget that maybe some of the people who post here may have nobody else outside of the organisation that they can talk to about these things. We can empathise with them.

Is that something the truth?

Do I believe the JWs have the truth? No, I do not. For so many reasons that would take me too long to list. If God were to have one sole organisation on the earth to represent him I do not believe for one that it would base its whole belief system around fear, the fear of being destroyed, what sort of motivation is that? Worship me and do as I say or you will go up in a puff of smoke? Is that was the Jesus of the bible taught? I dont think so. I do not think his organisation would encourage the harbouring of child molestors, the shunning of former members (what sort of encouragement is that for them to come back?!), the constant demands for money or the lengths that are gone to in wriggling out of paying tax.

What do you really believe?

I believe this site serves a very useful purpose, it brings together people from all over the world, people who would never otherwise get a chance to meet up. Ideas can be exchanged, experiences can be shared and spirits can be lifted. I see it very much as a therapy, a place to come where you will be understood and be listened to. A place where you can ask questions and be given straight answers. A place where you can start getting your life back in order. I'm glad to be here.

11

Making Strides

by Kristen in

jw
friends

i realized that one year has passed since i initially signed up on this board.

a year ago i was afraid of being part of this place; but knew it was necessary if i wanted to move beyond where i was.

today i am totally comfortable being around here.

individuals wife

Kristen - I have yet to make your aquaintence on this board, our paths are yet to cross! Yet I still wanted to offer my best wishes for your first year here and I hope you will continue to find much support and comfort here, also a little light relief on occasions!

I am total agreement with you when you point out the loneliness and isolation that can be felt before you come to a place like this, my greatest wish is that more people could be made aware of the benefits of coming here and sharing their experiences, I would like to take this opportunity to encourage those that lurk and are reluctant to take the plunge to do so unreservedly. I lurked for a long time before diving in and I am so glad that I did, it has made such a difference to be able to express myself here, I have managed to offload so much emotional baggage.

So Kristen, here's looking forward to the next 12 months......

9

Which Bible to get?

by Kat_ in

ooops!

how did i end up posting this twice?

is there a way to erase one of them?.

individuals wife

Asking the same question twice Kat? Doing it for emphasis?! Your'e not on the theocratic ministry school now dear....

Just select the little icon on the post with the little garbage can on it, that will let you erase (garbage can - you see - I'm appreciating the fact that you are American, normally I would just say bin!!!)

15

HELP! - I'm Torn

by Francois in

jw
friends

there's no doubt that in many religious philosophies, believers are advised not to fight with evil; not to resist.

jesus certainly advised his followers not to "resist evil.".

and that's why i'm torn.. i believe, as do most of you here, that the watchtower bible & tract society is evil; a manifest, clear, present, and palpable evil.

individuals wife

Are we to sit idly by while we know first hand the evil being practiced in the cult of Jehovah's Witnesses?

As only one person up against the mighty empire of the WTBTS it can be very daunting, we know that the organisation is full of faults and hypocrisy and hides a multitude of sins yet what can be done to expose them? They have cleverly shut up the eyes and ears of their members, cutting them off from those who are disfellowshipped and disassociated, making it very difficult for those of us now on the outside to penetrate the barriers and tell those that we left behind of the things that we have learnt. We have been made out to be evil and against everything they stand for, they are not allowed to form their own opinions based on accurate knowledge, yes, accurate knowledge - something the society always are claiming that they have yet are so lacking in.

So, are we to sit idly by? What can we do to change things? Obviously the internet is of paramount importance, here we are free to debate and share experiences and examine motives, all the while knowing that there may be lurkers out there who will take notice of what we say and may be motivated to make their escape.

I have seen ideas here before such as lobbying government, using the courts, posting advertisements, being a demonstrator outside assemblies and conventions, all of these I imagine have their good points but I feel as though it needs something really big to blow the roof off the organisation. It makes me so frustrated that I cannot do more to bring them to their knees.

What else can we do? All suggestions will be gratefully received.....