i can list many examples of this : probably the most glaring thing i saw proving this in 1982 was when an 83 year old sister died of a heart attack on the stage at an assembly part where she gave her experience then sat down next to me and died right on my shoulder on the stage.
i motioned to a brother sitting near me on the stage to help me carry her off the stage - which we did - and the brother and i behind the curtain tried administering cpr.
a registered nurse ran behind the curtain from the audience also - but the annoying thing is the elder giving the talk just kept right on talking to the 3,000 in the audience with no reference to what had just happened !
Flipper, your story about the lady having a heart attack at the assembly says much about the Watchtower. What would the leader of almost any other religious group say in that situation?
"Brothers and Sisters, Sister Faithful has just suffered a serious medical emergency. While she is being cared for by the paramedics, let's offer a prayer for her and her family. Oh Heavenly Father..."
question: will husband and wife live together after the resurrection is completed, if both are in harmony with god?.
answer: the scriptures do not reveal what the relationship of men and women will be after the resurrection is completed.
the most that we know is that there will be no children born during the last 100 years of the millennium (isa.
Question: Will husband and wife live together after the resurrection is completed, if both are in harmony with God?
Surely, the wise men of the Watchtower have read Jesus' words in Luke 20?
And Jesus answering said unto them, The children of this world marry, and are given in marriage: but they which shall be accounted worthy to obtain that world, and the resurrection from the dead, neither marry, nor are given in marriage
so...memorial tonight, eh?
yup.
sunday was a fun meeting.
Christopher, I don't know what to say except that it's a Deja Vu for me to read that. You're far from the only person this have ever happened to.
Counseling would be nice--but we've no money for it.
Check with local human services about free or very low-cost "better marriage" seminars. These large group classes aren't the same as time with a one-one-one counselor, but it's better than nothing and may be enough to help you and your wife decide whether or not there's still a chance at healing the relationship. The county offers one (free) where I live. Any help from a trained, impartial professional would be helpful.
well, kinda.
i'll be moving across country in a few weeks and i want to get a different perspective on this religion.
so i'm playing the theocratic warfare card, rather than let them know i was once a witness and now disfellowshipped, i'll just pretend to be interested and maybe accept a bible study..lol.
You're playing with fire, be careful to not get burnt. Remember you'll be outnumbered, and remember they have extensive training and practice in getting people to say "Yes" even though they meant to say "No". If you do go, take care that you don't get caught up in the Watchtower's version of the Stockholm syndrome.
i'm pleased to have found this site...i've browsed a little ...read quite a lot and gasped at some stories, giggled at the one liners and nodded in recognition of others' strong opinions and can relate to a great deal.. i'll try and keep my intro as brief as possible for anyone kind enough to listen.. i got involved with the witnesses in the late 70's in the uk.
i was in my early 20s and had had a love and fascination for the bible since my difficult childhood.
i soon brought my life into 'line' although it took a long time for me to pack up the smoking which didnt go down well in those days when 6 months of study should have been enough and if you hadnt cracked it then it was suggested that you were some kind of loser.... i reared my 4 children in the 'truth' as well as i could but i cant claim that we were a 'strong' family in their terms...just muddled along really..my husband at the time was a very difficult and abusive man and home life wasnt easy for any of us with his anger, jealousy and violence.
Welcome Loz, and thank you for telling us your story.
Isn't it odd how the Witnesses look down on their most devout members? If you're not in the Club of Elders there is no way you're good enough to be "annointed".
I'm glad you're doing well with your new husband and your new life outside the organization. Welcome back to real life!
the men in the coven i was in knew how to use a sewing machine quite well.
it was required for first degree work that everyone make a ritual garment.
some covens in the assembly had to make their own tabards, too.
Yes, I can mend, sew on buttons, cook, do laundry, iron and clean (Mom didn't raise her sons to be helpless dummies).
i am at the point in my custody battle where i need to decide if i'm gonna "go for the gold" and bring religion into the fight.
my lawyer thinks i have a chance based on the parental alienation aspect of the religion.
i'm df'd and my kids are being raised to turn against me.
That's IF my ex decides to show up.
If he doesn't want to go, you go anyway and talk with Parenting Coordinator. Make his absence show up in a paper trail.
There is one thing I've read on this thread that I have misgivings about: "My house, my rules." That could be held against you in the custody hearings. You must be seen as cooperative and living up to the present agreement. You don't want to do anything that could be construed as encouraging the children to disobey your Ex. Even though that's not what you're really doing, in custody hearings appearances do count, especially when twisted into the worst possible light by an opposing lawyer. If you want to get that custody agreement changed into something more reasonable, don't give the other side anything they could possibly hold against you.
Good luck to you!
GLT
it was only this past weekend that i finally stated (both aloud and in print) that i would never attend another meeting again.
like many brothers before me, i have decided to symbolize this new dedication to freedom for myself and my family with a beard..
... until it came in grey:) I think it looks great.
Truthseekeriam, I thank you on behalf of all greying old guys!
it was only this past weekend that i finally stated (both aloud and in print) that i would never attend another meeting again.
like many brothers before me, i have decided to symbolize this new dedication to freedom for myself and my family with a beard..
Don't forget the blood donation. If you're a first-timer, ask if they have a lapel pin.
i am new here because i want to ask a question that my friend couldn't make me understand why.
i hope your members can.
my friend of over 16 yrs lives several states and 1,000 miles away from me.
Welcome to the forum, mlj!
Please take the time to browse the information at freeminds.org. I suggest starting with the articles on shunning. Shunning applies more to congregation members who leave or get expelled ("disfellowshipped") than to non-members, but what you're experiencing basically is a milder version of the same treatment. As for "why", it's because of the intense control the Watchtower organization exerts over its members.
Be aware that the Watchtower teaches new converts to expect "resistance" from the worldly family and friends. If you argue or make a scene, that is playing right along with their script. Instead express your concerns kindly, state your objections without casting blame or disparaging his beliefs. Be sure he knows you're there for him, no matter what he does. In other words, don't unto them as they do unto you!
We understand the hurt. Many here have lost friends and family members this way. Always remember that what your friend is doing and saying comes from the organization's power structure and its influence over him, not from his own heart. All we can do is to remain kind and charitable to them, so that when a day comes that he wants out he will know there is somebody on the outside he can trust.
