I was told that we were spiritual shepherds, but I was turned into a policeman. I passed judgment on peoples lives and some were forever changed. Now, I can't have an honest discussion about damn near anything with my brothers and sisters ,including members of my own family, without fear of reprisal should my view reflect negatively on the organization. So much for the promised freedom.
wasastar
JoinedPosts by wasastar
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123
An Open letter to the Governing Body of Jehovah's Witnesses (Elders/ Ex-Elders)
by stuckinamovement inif you are an elder or an ex-elder please add a comment.
i hope that the governing body will see this.
it is too bad it has to be on an anonymous forum.
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Flirting - WT style (Sept 15 WT)
by undercover inin the september 15th wt koolaid edition, the study article "christian unity glorifies god" in paragraph 10 this is stated:.
"the immoral world in which we live threatens our unity.
people joke about fornication, sing about it, watch it for entertainment, and practice it either in secret or openly.
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wasastar
I think you have it all wrong. He is a worldly married man on the prowl. She cannot be a worldly girl because there is no cleavage. She is a poor innocent and naive witness girl about to be taken advantage of by a handsome smooth talking married man. If only she wouldn't respond to his cheesy smile. Poor girl, now a child out of wedlock and probably a life of prostitution.
wasastar
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wasastar
The local elders may not proceed without first contacting the RBC. The RBC will schedule a visit to the Kingdom Hall. A local building and repair committee will be appointed. This will generally be comprised of those without any experience in changing light bulbs, however they do love the spot light. This committee will then make a recommendation to the BOE regarding this change. After multple meetings and hours of useless discussion the BOE will present a resolution to the congregation. Which the congregation WILL PASS. The RBC will appoint someone to assist the BOE in preparing a budget for this project. After nearly a year the budget will finally be approved by the congregation.
Now the project can be scheduled. Likely this will be at least six months in the future. At that time several semi skilled bulb changers will travel 300 miles to complete the task. The completed project will be praised as a modern miracle and of the highest quality, though in reality it is mediocre.
The project will undoubtedly be at least 6% over budget. This will result in years of correspondence with the branch to resolve this issue. By the time this is completed the congregation will have shrunk by 40% and will be absorbed into another hall. The Kingdom Hall will now have to be sold. However before this can be done anothe bulb needs to be replaced.
wasastar
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To help my cousin..maybe if you used to be an elder..
by hereiam! ini have a cousin who has been away from the meetings 5 years.
she was baptized only a year before becoming "inactive" and moved to another state.
then after some time she moved back to the area all the family is from, but wouldn't say a word of anything having to do with the religion.
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wasastar
I think it is a fishing expedition. If they can get her to meet with them they will try to find out what she has been doing while inactive. They no doubt believe that her relationship is immoral with or without proof. I think they will try get her to reveal some detail they suspect or implicate herself in some way. If she feels she must reply, she might ask them what exactly they wan't to meet with her about, what evidence they have of any wrongdoing, and what witnesses there are to it. It is not a judical matter to marry out of truth. However as nugget mentioned she could be marked for failing to follow counsel. Whether this was given directly to her or through the magazines. I say if they wan't to meet with her about her relationship she should simply tell them it is not open for discussion and end the conversation.
wishing her the best, wasastar
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Was You a Bethelite, Elder,CO, DO, GB, Publisher, Missionary,Ministerial Servant or Pioneer class?????
by Scott77 inwhen still in the watchtower, i used to be an assistant ministerial servant.
true, there is no such title but its there unofficially for those one step to being a ministerial servant.
been with it for about three years.
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wasastar
Elder 17 years, RBC 15 years, stepped down 5 years ago after thinking about it for years. DC and CA parts every year. I am doing the slow fade. No reporting FS for 2 years. No actual FS for 9 mos. My wife is an enthusiastic JW and a sincerely genuine christian. I attend about 60% of the meetings. Enjoy the company of some of the Bros. Gave a talk on the school last night. I have three children, one in and two out. I no longer believe in the company. wasastar
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Newbie here, need some input
by FollowerOfSet ini wanted to introduce myself, and need some advice.. i dissassociated myself back in 1995. haven't had much of anything to do with my family since then.
they are all witnesses, and very dedicated to their beliefs.
so after 15 years without a simple howdy from them, now they are coming around again and being very nice, but it reminds me of when people would have parts in the ministry school...it seems rehearsed and fake.
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wasastar
FOS:
There is a lot of pent up emotions on both sides of that issue. If your mom had a meal in a public place with a DA person she could be DF. She probably genuinely cares about you and misses you. However she is still being controlled by a doctine that says you are hurting both yourself and your parents. That the best way to help you is to shun you. The fact that she decided to meet with you indicates that she may no longer fully believe that that is the best way to help you. Try to be patient with her she is probably treading some new ground here for her conscience. I don't know your situation, but I do know how painful it is for a parent to think they have lost their child, possibly forever. Trying to help your child by not following the practice of shunning might just be the first step in releasing the controlling bonds of the borg. It was for me.
Wishing you better times ahead,
wasastar
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113
Should I walk away from my "underwater" home?
by The Berean inmillions are now facing the dilemma of making house payments on a property that is not worth what is being paid.
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after originally promising to repay the bank, is there a "moral" obligation to continue in a dwelling, even at a loss ... or is it best to exercise the "legal" right of foreclosure and pay the consequences ?.
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wasastar
Berean,
I do not believe the question is can you pay but rather should you pay. Just beacause you can does not mean you should. It is a business decision. Banks and other frims have no problem unloading bad dept on others if it is in their best business interests. I say if after considering all factors you think it is your best financial interests to walk away then do it. I do not believe you should feel morally or ethically obligated to complete a contract that is no longer in your best interests. Just be prepared to face all the consequences. IMHO
wasastar
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Before It's Too Late ...
by The Berean inwhile i dont usually submit long-winded posts ... this one might well be worth it for those who do not fully realize the emotional and financial hazard involved in living as though the world, as we know it, is about to end:.
first let me say, bob and mary, i will call them, are a decent and caring couple who have been married forty or so years.
they were both raised as jehovahs witnesses and have consistently lived their faith.
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wasastar
Berean:
A very sad experience. My motto is a David Bromberg song " A man should never gamble more than he can stand to lose."
wasastar
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113
Should I walk away from my "underwater" home?
by The Berean inmillions are now facing the dilemma of making house payments on a property that is not worth what is being paid.
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after originally promising to repay the bank, is there a "moral" obligation to continue in a dwelling, even at a loss ... or is it best to exercise the "legal" right of foreclosure and pay the consequences ?.
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wasastar
Berean,
I lost a home in the economic downturn of the 80's. A mortgage is a business deal not a moral contract with God. If you were a lying cheat that is one thing. However if you decide that the business is failing you may not want to throw good money after bad. You do not IMHO have a moral responsibility to pay back the mortgage. Maybe a legal or it might be in your financial interests but certainly not a moral.
The bank is not your friend or relative. It is in the business of loaning money for a profit and part of that business includes taking on the risk of potential default. I do say DO NOT TRUST THE BANK. They will only give you information that serves their needs.
If you do default the damage to your credit will be severe and will last for several years. Do not listen to anyone that says it will not affect your credit for a long time. Do what is best for your familys future. The bank will be fine.
Wishing you better times in the future,
wasastar
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Separating saucer section...General Order 14. [Borg cubes inbound!--Part II]
by sd-7 incaptain code named sd-7.
self-destruct code 0-0-0-alpha-gamma-1.
this will be my final entry on jehovahs-witness.net.
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wasastar
sd-7: Your post is saturated with incredible pain. both from you and for those that read it. It is especially painful for me to read as I was one of those asshole elders for 17 years. I do not know anything about you, your wife or your marraige so anything I say is just unsolicited generic advice. The first question you need to address is how important is your marriage to you? What will it take to preserve your marriage and make it better? Are you willing to make the sacrifices needed? Try to remember if you want your wife to respect your views then you must also be willing to respect hers? If you do not want to be DF then you need to convince the elders that you appreciate them. Tell them how gratefull you are for their willingness to help you. Try the I am getting medication for my depression angle. Go see an MD. Tell them you destroyed all your research.
Then go to work onyour marraige. Sometimes there are certain subjects in a marriage that are off limits. My wife and I have had our issues. What seems to work best for us is to not discuss this controversial subject. We dance around it a little once in awhile. I have ceased going out in service but I attend most of the meetings and try to be friendly to everyone there. I still give talks on the TMS. My wife is ever faithful to the org. and to her friends. She is a very kind Christian woman that is very active in the congregation. I respect her choices and she does not hound me to be a different person. I do things just make her happy as in maintaining a presence in the congregation. However I do know at this time think it would not be good for our marriage to dwell on the differences in our beliefs. At this time I am managing the cognitive dissonance.
I sincerely hope that you will be able to manage this crisis in a way that will benefit you and your family for the long term. There is certainly lots of advice on this board, some good some not so good. And everyone truly wants what is best for you. However you and your family will have to decide what is the best course. Try not to let your anger at yourself, at the borg, and at your wife control you.
Wishing you better times ahead,
wasastar