respectful_observer

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Posts by respectful_observer

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  27

  Has anyone ever used a non-NWT (New World Translation) bible at meetings / study?

  by biometrics in

  1. watchtower
  2. bible

  about 1 year ago (before i faded), i purchased an old king james bible from ebay and started using it in the meetings and when a brother came over to study with me.. a common reaction of fellow jws was to stare at the bible, then say "what type of bible is that?

  ", then they'd sometimes ask to look at it, and flip to john 1:1. when they saw what it said, they'd treat it like it was apostate material, even though a few decades earler it was the same bible jws used.. i strongly encourage any lurkers/faders to use another bible at the meetings and see what type of reactions you get.. .

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  respectful_observer

  On occassion I'll use the old school WTS-published Greek Interlinear Translation.

  

  It's fairly amusing to see how people react to it. It's often met with deep suspicion. "Why wouldn't you want to use your NWT?" "What's your goal in using that translation?"

  When I remind them it was published by the WTS, it's written all over their faces how conflicted they are.

  (It's also fun to lean over to the person next to me at the meeting, point and say: "Hey wait a minute, it says 'Jehovah' in this verse, but in this other verse it's translated 'Lord'...and in this verse too...and this one. I'm confused because, see, it's the same Greek word. I wonder why they did that??")
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  27

  2012 July Kingdom Ministry!

  by Atlantis in

  1. watchtower
  2. bible

  .

  2012 july kingdom ministry*click the link below and when the next page appears scroll down and click the link in the long blue box that says: (click here to start download from sendspace).

  ignore all the other buttons and symbols.

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  respectful_observer

  Providing data in a predictable and consistent way only opens the door to objective and independent analysis.

  The way its presented now makes it that much easier to inveigle and obfuscate.
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  13

  I don't always study my watchtower but when I do it's during the public talk

  by Iamallcool in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  i got a text message from a jw, she just send me a picture of a white bearded man with xx beer on the table.

  the title of the picture is "i don't always study my watchtower but when i do it's during the public talk.

  " i just do not know how to forward the image from the text message.

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  respectful_observer

  Haha...yeah, it's all over Facebook and I got it emailed to me several times yesterday. Made me laugh out loud!
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  26

  Did you experience classdivision while being JW?

  by Cirkeline in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  we all know how jw brag about their strong internal love.

  all are treated equal no matter rank, color, money, status etc.

  is this really true?

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  respectful_observer

  During Service Meeting parts they often mention that we shouldn't discriminate when preaching-- that poor people deserve the message just as much as the well-off. I always found that fascinating, considering that "interested ones" who show up at meetings tend to be on the lower end of the income scale more often than not.

  I'm also always amused to watch how members of the congregation will usually treat new faces at the KH. An old person, or someone with out-of-date clothes or hair walks in, hardly anyone says hello. Someone good looking, with nice clothes (and maybe a few designer labels, e.g., Louis Vuitton or Chanel purse), or who just climbed out of a late model luxury car in the parking lot, is suddenly swarmed by everyone and will no doubt be offered a lunch or dinner invite following that meeting.
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  42

  Post some pictures of foods that you like

  by Iamallcool in

  1. jw
  2. friends

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  respectful_observer

  

  Sorry, I couldn't help it.
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  4

  Any other ABENAKI tribe Native American descendants here on JWN?

  by oppostate in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  it's been my experience that many witnesses i've known are of native american background and eventually they phase out of the wt's grasp, but not without going through some hard times and deep depression.

  several dear brothers i know are out, some faded, one inactive, all going through the same patterns.

  and why does it seem more prevalent among those with a percentage of native american descent?.

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  respectful_observer

  Oppostate, you have a PM.
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  34

  No answer to this one!

  by truthseeker1969 in

  1. watchtower
  2. beliefs

  as many of you know my brother an elder was called on to sit in a "judicial committee" re-instatement.. the brother has in the past done all he can to prove he is repentant but this time the co was here and apparently had a few things to say to the cobe when they were discussing the process.

  the co asked why the poor guy had four re-instatement hearings and why the co had received a letter from him detailing that he "did not think he could do anymore".. anyway, long story short, the co sat in the hearing and hey presto the brother was re-instated.

  my brother and the co spoke with the brother and the co said that he had done well and was sorry that the process has taken so long and shook his hand.. now he mentioned the latest letter about confidentiality and said that the society is being hit left right and center with civil lawsuits and are scared as the have no way of defending them.

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  respectful_observer

  Ha! Good point about "not keeping an account"...well except for the forms and paperwork sent to the branch and that nice sealed envelope that sits in your publisher file forever along with the notes from your JC.

  R_O
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  24

  I love the Governing body - AND SO SHOULD YOU!

  by irondork in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  for it is written:.

  daniel's prophesy, chap.17, p. 304, par.

  27. they were given outstanding insight into gods word, being empowered to rove about in it and, guided by holy spirit, to unlock age-old mysteries.

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  respectful_observer

  I find it fascinating that the GB is able to heap praise on the "faithful and discreet slave" saying that:

  - they "shine spiritually, as brightly as stars",

  - they are "as a 'temple' that Jehovah inhabits 'by spirit.' As such, they are 'holy.'"

  - "the 'other sheep' cherish their privilege of being associated with the 'temple' class.

  I can only imagine if they used those terms to describe the "Governing Body"...yet the GB is the only real, specific, list of names/people that we "know" are tracked as members of the F&DS. But because they're able to frame these statements around the FD&S, it's not like they're really saying these things about themselves...

  I still remember having trouble defining what the FD&S slave was when I was going through my baptism questions (as a "spiritually mature" pre-teen able to make lifelong decisons). After the elder stumbled through a very awkward explanation/trying to get the right answer out of me, I asked him if that meant everyone in all the first century congregations were members of the FD&S. He said he'd never thought about it that way and that he'd get back to me. Now that I think about it, he never did....
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  66

  Absurd WT Control in April 2012 KM

  by LostGeneration in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  yeah in the section on attending the convention, you will find this gem:.

  "therefore, we should give attention to our dress and grooming while in the convention city, including when we check in at the hotel.

  arriving in shorts and a t-shirt would not reflect dignity.".

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  respectful_observer

  I don't have the April KM in front of me, but I snickered the other day when I read that article. I don't think I've ever seen this before, but admonished sisters to wear "modest shoes". What's a "immodest shoe"... one that shows too much toe cleavage???

  
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  39

  Are the JW’s were you are getting worked up over having a to go bag (Armageddon bag) ready?

  by life is to short in

  1. watchtower
  2. beliefs

  ok where i live in the pacific northwest in january of this year this elder from the hall called a special meeting and gave everyone some papers that he had gotten from some government place on what to put in an emergency bag to grab in case you have to flee your home in seconds.

  i thought it was just my husbands hall being all strange and stupid over this.

  one older sister said that the elder told everyone they needed three bottles of water for 14 days that is 42 bottles of water plus whatever other stuff they put in there not sure if she got that right because 42 bottles of water is a lot of weight.

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  respectful_observer

  I was talking with a Bethelite about this subject recently, as I'd seen a reference on this board to them all having "Armageddon Bags". He laughed and assured me it was more practical than that. The fact that many Bethelites had the same one was due to the WTS arranging for group discount.

  It seems that in the wake of Hurricane Katrina and the tsunami in Indonesia, the WTS thought it was just good practice for anyone to be prepared for short-notice evacuation. (The perfect example is the news of the large earthquake just a few hours ago that has sent pretty much anyone living near the Indian Ocean running for the hills. I'm sure anyone who had a "grab-and-go" bag is really glad they had prepared one.)

  I believe several years ago all congregations received the direction to maintain an emergency contact list (including an alternate contact), so that if everyone had to relocate in an emergency, they'd have the means to ensure everyone made it somewhere safely. I seem to remember that was when they also recommended pulling together a prepared collection of emergency supplies.

  biometrics...hope your bag continues to gather dust!

  R_O