i have always struggled to understand what prayers god answers and which ones he avoids.
most religions teach that god answers prayers, so people must feel that their prayers are being answered, yet the type of prayers seem to be very selective.. .
if god answered broad based prayers, then children in third world countries would not be starving, so he does not seem to interfere in global issues.
I posed this question to my wife once. I asked her that if in the future, through prayer and time, I came to the sure conclusion that Jehovah is not using the Witnesses to teach the truth and yet through prayer and time she believed different, who's prayer did God answer? And how could she prove it to me, without a doubt?
I got no answer. Funny, the exact same result I get when I pray to God.
Thanks for the topic jwfacts.
CoC
you are my witnesses, declares the lord,.
and my servant whom i have chosen,.
and understand that i am he.. "before me no god was formed,.
Context............It's all about the context. But if the FDS says it, it doesn't matter what the rest of the verse, chapter, book, or Bible says. Holy spirit at it's best!!
Very interesting find. Thanks Doug!
CoC
i just wrote a message to my youngest daughter - its been over a year since we were in touch.
she moved to live with an older sibling and cut off contact with me.
she's only 17. its been heartbreaking.
I find it sad that despite everything a parent does for a child, it can mean nothing when confronted with a final verdict from the society.
You provide physically, emotionally, financially, perhaps even spiritually, for many years, maybe even into adulthood - self-sacrificingly. But once the elders render that judgement, the child owes you - NOTHING. How absurd!!
And to justify it as God's law? Only a lunatic could accept such nonsense.
LOZ, I wish you the best. I know there is no way I can understand completely the pain you feel as a mother. Especially having carried a living being for 9 months and giving birth to it and seeing it grow and mature.
I don't know you personally, yet I feel emotional for you. This is a prime example of why the society has it so !@#$*# up.
You're in my thoughts.
CoC
i, like otwo in another thread, never really had a bad experience with jws.
i never had any case of molestation come up in the the many congregations i served in.
i never had any major beefs with any elder body.
Jehiccup MiCaCa
I didn't read the whole thing yet but I picked up on this name. Hilarious!! LMBO
I will read it later though as it looks interesting. Thanks.
CoC
here's a video that shows how they subtly implant the idea that some people in archaeology agree with 607 bce even though they don't.. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hd5utd1il_g.
It can only get better for us now. The internet, cameras..........and their continually documented mistakes.
It's just so bothersome that many people can't see it!!
But this site is proof positive that people are waking up. Unfortunately, for the WTS, that means..........
Thanks OTWO!
CoC
i just sent this letter to my dad 3 days ago.
i roughly translated it from spanish, so it has many weird sounding sentences but i just wanted to shared it with the board.
practically i just say good-bye to my family.
All I can say is WOW! This is an excellent letter! Proof positive that not everything "apostates" say and feel is a lie.
So many years we devote our lives to believing that everyone else is wrong and wants to serve Satan. How ridiculous!!
Well I found this letter to be truly honest. In many respects, it's exactly how I feel. And it gives me strength to not doubt my feelings. Thank you for sharing this. I really appreciate it!
I think I am going to start a thread based upon what you wrote below. It's something I have thought about a lot more recently.
What an irony that you can not even talk to me at least to correct me because that would go against what God says, when Jesus himself sit with sinners and showed them his love. People need counsel. They need to be able to talk and express themselves openly. No one should feel attacked or offended only because someone things different than us. Ostracism and isolation ideas that are not even based on what God says but taken out of context.
CoC
what did he/she do?did you cover it up?were the elders ever informed?i know a jw friend who gambled a few times and never told the boe,neither did i..
Do I? Oh, yes I do! Even something from as recent as a month ago.
I remember that in my good boy days I still struggled with the whole snitch thing. I did reveal some small things to the elders about a few people, because I thought I was supposed to. I'm glad nothing serious came out of it.
Now I feel it's not my business. It's between the individual and whomever he feels, or believes in.
Of course I only apply this when it comes to relating anything to the elders. When it comes to certain situations (pedophilia, adultery, and other things) someone other than the elders has to, or deserves to, know.
CoC
i don't have to, fortunately, because i don't share my computer with anyone.. but i've been thinking, with empathy, about those that do.
how far do you go to stop people realizing that you've been here?
do you log in and out every time?
I rarely read and post at home. I regularly read the posts by accessing the site on my phone, anywhere (I've even done it at the hall). But occasionally I will use my home computer, with the browser in private mode, if I want to post and read. I can't post new threads from my phone. But I can respond to PM's.
Other than that, I handle my business elsewhere.
I wish I could be on this site as easily as I get onto Facebook. Oh well.
But I'll say this. If you have the ability to get on private mode on your browser, DO IT! It may suck to have to sign in every time. But at least you don't leave a trail, if you're in that situation.
CoC
alright, i'm curious now cause i've been wanting to know how certain people go their screennames.
now some people have their names involved with makes sense and so forth.
but i guess i'll start out.
The name I originally wanted was already taken.
Then I remembered that many people on this site kept suggesting reading the book Crisis of Conscience by Ray Franz. The title of that book really made me think of how I had been feeling and how I still feel inside. I wanted to pick a name that expressed that and this was it.
Much to my surprise, no one had taken the name already. So I went with it.
CoC
i cannot take credit for any of the gems below but i did want to polish and organize them.
much of the information was borrowed from this thread.
if you can come up with any more, please post them.. the bible does not ban birthdays.
Count me in! I'm ready to cut some heads off for my wife's and my next birthday!
Thanks for the great thread and ideas!
CoC
