ever notice how the "happiest people on earth" are also the most class-oriented?
to say that jesus said his followers should all be on equal footing, it's incredible how much the r&f witness is not on equal footing.
the social structure in the congregation is more complex than the blueprints of a nuclear warhead, but just so that you "remember your place", see if you can find where your niche was/is:
well, according to this list I would be 2,
but I guess things are not so bad in our congr., elders really view themselves as servants mostly, its really quite cool...
no its def. not our congr. that makes me come here, its the fallible doctrine of WTS that sucks...
just have a question,.
when you found out about things regarding the wts, maybe on the internet, on this side or another, or you had serious doubts by yourself, did you talk to somebody ?
maybe an elder or a good friend ?.
thanks for the answers, very interesting viewpoints...
yes,regarding my friend, I just wanted to plant a seed, he is very open, not dogmatic at all, we`ve been friends half our lifes. He is really a "cool" elder, but of course, questioning the org is something that is to be done very carefully. I know of myself, you just think the org and Jehovah are the same almost, thats what you hear everytime at the meeting...
however, its not done in a merely "planting the seed" way, I still have some hope to find convincing answers, even though this hope is getting darker and darker.....
i was visiting a friend that is a witness yesterday.
his mother was preparing for the bookstudy with another sister who is very new.
we are on the chapter about blood this week.
thats difficult, for me as well to sit at the CBS this week, and listening to the blood discussion....
but I have to remember, just not too long ago, I also took it for real, beleived everything the WTS said about it, and tried to explain the fraction/component thing not only to myself also to others....so it takes time, opnening eyes can be a long and even painful process...
last week during bible highlights, a sister commented on leviticus 19:28 about not having a tattoo.
i also commented, saying that we are not under the law, but the principle should be taken into consideration.. a sister i don't speak with very often called me.
she is in the same congregation as some of my family.
interesting, I know from personal experience, some are just following blindly whatever the slave dictates, others are thinking, trying to understand, but sometimes fail, however, they ususally give up and move on (waiting on Jehovah), or silently disagree on some matters...
I slowly build up the reputation, if they have doubts, they can always talk to me, I never judge them for that, never did, even before my own doubts became manifest....
on the other hand, being in a such a situation is actually more difficult than being a blind follower, i tell you that...everything could be so easy, if you just close your eyes....
(b) pressing on to maturity requires effort in what two areas?
(read hebrews 5:14.
2:10) moreover, their perceptive powers are trained through use--through application of what they know--helping them to distinguish right from wrong.
follow the slave whatever future direction he gives....
I had to comment that evening, and said something like, that we do it, because we trust everything the slave does is in line with the scripures...
but I think nobody got it really, they always think , the slave has some supernatural secret Information directly from Jehovah...
and then they call it "not inspired" ???
just have a question,.
when you found out about things regarding the wts, maybe on the internet, on this side or another, or you had serious doubts by yourself, did you talk to somebody ?
maybe an elder or a good friend ?.
reniaa
I read some of your posts already, surely I still agree with some, but I found one important misconception in your defense of the WTS: you compare them with servants of God in the past, who made also mistakes. However, they never once made a mistake regarding their inspired prophecy or counsel or whatever. They themselves were imperfect, but not what they wrote under inspiration ! Thats the difference, the brothers at the GB are imperfect and make mistakes, this is no problem for me, but their writings is also flawed, and this is a problem, because they claim to be guided by Gods spirit. So in effect they say, everything we write is from God, except those things, which are changed later, these are of human error. This is the same as I would say, everything I do is perfect, only when I do something wrong, Im not perfect...whats the logic there ??
Additionally the writing of the GB is taken by witnesses as coming from God, so it has a tremdous impact in their life. Granted a lot of advice is given in a rather foggy way, pretending to leave matters up to the conscience of the brothers, but others are even disefellowshipping offences (blood for example).
inbetween
just have a question,.
when you found out about things regarding the wts, maybe on the internet, on this side or another, or you had serious doubts by yourself, did you talk to somebody ?
maybe an elder or a good friend ?.
just have a question,
when you found out about things regarding the WTS, maybe on the internet, on this side or another, or you had serious doubts by yourself, did you talk to somebody ? Maybe an elder or a good friend ?
and how was their reaction ?
I`m asking this, because I seriously think about discussing some points with another elder, some teachings/doctrins really bug me...cant stand to be silent, especially since I ought to be a teacher, how can I teach things, I do not understand (or even not agree) anymore...
please share your experiences, thanks !
i agree with jehovah's witnesses!.
(i bet reniaa will be shocked to see this thread!).
to jehovah's witnesses: i commend your zeal for god, your desire for accurate knowledge and truth of the bible, your goals of drawing close to jehovah, and following and obeying christ's teachings, and your time spent studying the bible.
very good post "undisfellowshipped" !
yes, there are teachings, that just seem still right to me,
will look forward to your list of things you do not agree....
as mentioned in my very first port here, i will now give my story and some thoughts i have so far.. i ve been lurking here for about a month, before i registered.
well, a few months ago something like that would be unthinkable for me.. i was raised as a jw, and serve currently as an elder in a congregation.
i have family, also jws.
hi, thanks for your welcome and nice thoughts.
Yes, I see it at the beginning of a journey, where I dont know it will end...
Certainly one very important point is what "Albert Einstein" mentioned: the blood issue.
many other things you can debate, and have different opinions, but the blood issue can take the life of your and your loved ones, and that needs to change pretty soon, maybe next on the urgent list is the disfellwshipping, if you keep it, then strongly according to the scriptures and with lots of mercy in mind....
inbetween
as mentioned in my very first port here, i will now give my story and some thoughts i have so far.. i ve been lurking here for about a month, before i registered.
well, a few months ago something like that would be unthinkable for me.. i was raised as a jw, and serve currently as an elder in a congregation.
i have family, also jws.
thanks very much for your welcome,
its really a tough time, well we want others always to do the same with their beliefs and social environment, so its an expereince to be on the other side of the argument this time....
yes, i actually look forward to dig into the 1914 thing, because it always interested me, but never understood, why 7 times of a gentile ruler should represent Gods rulership being interrupted, the bible never is specific, just some dubious hints....
and if I find all the contradicting information in the WT literatur regarding chronology, even better, then i have good points to discuss, when the time is ripe...
for now I may have to be undercover, I have a lot of work to do in the "truth" (?), its quit hard, when you do it without your heart in it...
but I let you know, especially the blood issue, i need to discuss with some of my friends (some elders too), its just so off and very dangerous to people.
inbetween
