Posts by garyneal

26

Watchtower Quotes on Mind-control

by OnTheWayOut in

many are not sure or deny that wts is a dangerous mind-control cult.

here is some food for thought on the "dangerous mind-control" part of that.

(cut and pasted from http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=122936768817 jehovah's disfellowshipped witnesses/facebook).

garyneal

angeleyes:

I mean no disrespect but why are you here? Please don't take this personal, because I am genuinly curious as to what you are doing in here. Are you a Jehovah's Witness apologist? Maybe looking to help sheperd some of the former witnesses back into the fold. If so, I would actually have to commend you (provided you are truly doing this out of love).

I would also love to have a dialog with you concerning the Watchtower teachings and how they correlate with the Bible. Respectfully of course as I am not trying to convert you or anything. Perhaps you can teach me something.

Are you a troll? Just looking to get your kicks saying things that you know will set off the former Jehovah's Witnesses on this site. Please, AE, I really just want to know what your purpose for being here.

75

Why Do people think they need A GOD to be good people?

by LucyA in

i decided after much study and soul searching that i dont believe in god.

ive noticed recently (not on the forum but others) some people seem to think that if i dont believe in a god that im obviously morally bankrupt.

i dont feel this way as i give a portion of my income to charity and i have never set out to harm anyone else.

garyneal

Hello All,

I've been refraining from answering this post but I feel I must share my thoughts on this for anyone who cares to read it.

Do we need A God to be a good person? I believe we ultimately need to be accountable to someone in order to do what is right as I feel that in our imperfect world we are tempted to do more wrong than right. PP raised an interesting point about Moral Law. Where did it originate? I agree with Perry in that it originated with God.

I met an agnostic a few years back who was a very nice man and seemed to be nicer than many "religious" people do. While at the same time, many injustices are done by people who claim to do it for God. While I find it disheartening to see so many people here who do not believe in God, I am not at all surprised considering that the Watchtower teaches a callous unloving God.

People who release themselves from the God of the legalistic churches and the cults would indeed find themselves be better people for their God is cold and callous and operates on the letter of the law. Just the same, the people who find themselves finding a loving God as presented by Christ Jesus also find themselves to be better people for the God Jesus presents operates on the spirit of the law. God is a just God and must judge sin but He is also a loving God and sent Jesus to make a way for our forgiveness and our release from sin and all we have to do is accept Him.

13

Blondie's Comments You Will Not Hear at the 09-27-09 WT (BOLDNESS)

by blondie in

jw
friends

http://exjehovahswitnessforum.yuku.com.

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

http://www.jehovahswitnessrecovery.com/.

garyneal

LOL

We had this "Bible" (er Watchtower) study today at my wife's KH. In paragraph two the elder (the same one doing our personal "Bible Study") asked how many people who embrace "Jesus" (er Watchtower) compared to how many who reject "Jesus" (er Watchtower)?

I wanted to answer so bad and say, "Well, let's see, there are over 6 billion people in the world and only 6 million Jehovah's Witnesses. So I say the ratio is 1000 to 1."

29

making my will should I include my child that has shuan me for years

by jam in

the years have pass and so has my age, so lately i have been thinking, should i add my daughter in.

since i have seen or talk to her.have not seen my grand-daughter the youngest.

the oldest i saw her over 10yrs ago..i feel my grand kids should know where they came from.. i do not have a lot to leave for my kids, i have four, the other three i have a good relationship...but.

garyneal

I know how tempting it is to do eye for an eye but I personally believe that if you really want to leave these items for your grandchildren and include your daughter in your will then you should do so. Jesus tells us to turn the other cheek and to love those who hate us. Just make sure you're doing this out of love and not doing it as an attempt to buy their love. Your actions may not have any consequences in melting their hearts.

Unfortunately, the Watchtower teaches that JW's are suppose to hate with Godly hatred those who have become disfellowshipped and to treat them as spiritual enemies and to shun them. The hapless witness isn't aware of how unloving and unbiblical their actions are, they're just simply following the Watchtower so we should always forgive them for 'they know not what they do.' (Luke 23:34)

13

My First Kingdom Hall Wedding

by garyneal in

during our last "bible study" session with the elder and his wife, we were invited to attend a wedding of a dear and close 'brother' and 'sister' of thiers at their hall.

my wife made me where a suit .

the wedding overall was nice.

garyneal

Btw, not all witnesses have long, drawn out wedding talks. Some are so quick you could blink an eye and they'd be over...lol. It depends on who you get to do your talk, and what you'd like to include.

LOL

Well, I will say this for the experience. They only invited a select few to the reception and we were invited to that so we got to leave early. :)

26

Can Someone Please Explain....

by Cold Steel in

i'm not a jehovah's witness, nor have i ever been one.

(neither have i played one on tv.

) but i have relatives who joined back in the late 60s, and we've heard precious little from them since.. i've read many jw publications, talked to their missionaries and am at a loss.

garyneal

When push comes to shove they will bring up Neutrality / non military involvment. This is their ace in the hole.

It is also a bit hypocritical depending on how you look at it. My wife and I had this discussion one Sunday before I left for church. If the Jehovah's Witnesses are neutral in terms of their involvement with government, how come the society gets heavily involved in the judicial system (via it's lawyers, etc.)? Also, what about the individual Jehovah's Witnesses who partake in the benefits provided by the government (disability, welfare, unemployment, etc.)? Somebody had to petition our government officials and elect the right people to make these things happen. Why benefit from 'worldly people?'

It's the same with their blood doctrine. Why accept blood fractions and blood based medications taken from blood donated by worldly people?

78

How Are JW's Sins Forgiven?

by Perry in

matthew 9:6 but that ye may know that the son of man hath power on earth to forgive sins, (then saith he to the sick of the palsy,) arise, take up thy bed, and go unto thine house.. .

john 1:12 but as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of god, even to them that believe on his name:.

why did we beg for jehovah's forgiveness at every prayer when clearly the son has this authority?.

garyneal

I would think that Perry and I are speaking of sins as defined by the Bible. A Google search for 'Biblical Sin' would produce some information for reference.

Now, if you are talking about Watchtower 'sins' all I can say to that is view this extensive list of their rules. You can also check this list of what Jehovah's Witnesses can't do.

78

How Are JW's Sins Forgiven?

by Perry in

matthew 9:6 but that ye may know that the son of man hath power on earth to forgive sins, (then saith he to the sick of the palsy,) arise, take up thy bed, and go unto thine house.. .

john 1:12 but as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of god, even to them that believe on his name:.

why did we beg for jehovah's forgiveness at every prayer when clearly the son has this authority?.

garyneal

I will admit that I personally pray to the father in Jesus's name. Kind of like the model prayer in Matthew 6:9-13. Of course, in order to receive salvation I had to come to Jesus.

Some people pray directly to Christ Jesus for salvation, others pray to God and ask for salvation by His Son Jesus. Is one more correct than the other?

26

Can Someone Please Explain....

by Cold Steel in

i'm not a jehovah's witness, nor have i ever been one.

(neither have i played one on tv.

) but i have relatives who joined back in the late 60s, and we've heard precious little from them since.. i've read many jw publications, talked to their missionaries and am at a loss.

garyneal

According to Witness teachings Jesus Christ returned to Earth invisibly in 1914. At that time He examined all of the religions on Earth and found that the teachings of the Watchtower was the correct teaching. Therefore, Christ appointed the Watchtower organization as God's sole channel on Earth. At least that is the jist of it.

They use the parable of the faithful and wise servant (KJV), or as they translate it Faithful and Discreet Slave, to support this doctrine (Matthew 24:45-47). Christ returned in 1914 and examined all of the religions on Earth and by 1919 selected the Watchtower organization because He found them to be the faithful and discreet slave.

13

My First Kingdom Hall Wedding

by garyneal in

during our last "bible study" session with the elder and his wife, we were invited to attend a wedding of a dear and close 'brother' and 'sister' of thiers at their hall.

my wife made me where a suit .

the wedding overall was nice.

garyneal

Ask her if that's the kind of God she wants to serve. He waits for us to trip up so he can DESTROY US.

I'll ask her the next time the subject comes up. I can see the conflict in her though. She wants to please her mom, the elder, and his wife and at the same time she wants to do what she wants to do. I remember we took our daughter to a birthday party of one of her friends and she again said that she believes she is going to die because of it. I think she really wants to give our daughter things she was denied as a child but feels that she cannot do it with a clear concious. I asked her about an Awake magazine published in 2000 concerning things with pagan origins (like Christmas).

January 8, 2000 Awake and the article in it entitled "A Balanced View of Popular Customs." It says (according to this link), "Customs have been profoundly influenced by religion. Many, in fact, arose from old superstitions and non-Biblical religious ideas.…But what about customs that may once have been linked to questionable practices but that today are primarily viewed as social etiquette?" Later on it says, “…Does this mean that Christians are forbidden to observe such customs? …Although there may be reason to examine the origin of a particular custom, in some cases it is more important to consider what the custom means to people at the time and in the place where one now lives.”

Sounds like good advice to me. I wonder why they can say this and turn around and say no to Christmas because of its origins that are all but forgotten to most people today?