respectful_observer

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Posts by respectful_observer

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  18

  Blondie's Comments You Will Not Hear at the 03-10-2013 WT Study (DISTANCE)

  by blondie in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  distance from jehovah (not jesus).

  comments.

  comments.

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  respectful_observer

  16, 17. What grievous situation has afflicted many parents, and how do we know that Jehovah understands their pain?

  16 The bond between parent and child is so strong that Jehovah used that relationship to illustrate his own love for his people. (Isa. 49:15) It is normal, therefore, to be deeply grieved when a beloved family member leaves Jehovah.

  I couldn't help it. I raised my hand to answer this question, and again on paragraph 20. I made a point to say "...when a beloved family member chooses to leave, or is expelled from the Organization because of their words, actions, or beliefs."

  The conductor didn't blink and just moved on to covering the material in paragraph 17. I just didn't want to hear someone else either just parrot back the paragraph on leaving "Jehovah", or "the Truth TM ". I doubt anyone else in the audience even picked up on it, or that it made an impact on anyone. But I felt good saying it and ensuring someone else didn't say something that would just make me irritated.

  R_O
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  28

  Just wondering what is the JWs stance on the existance of dinosaurs ???

  by AMO in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  was pondering today on the jws stance on the existance of the dinosaurs.

  would be interested to know any belieavers stance on this eg.

  your own belief and that of the wts current understanding.. insidentally i tried to search this on jw.org and no search bar, or at least i didn't find one ????.

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  respectful_observer

  Most J-dubs I know wouldn't dispute the dinosaur fossil record, although not everyone. I observed the following conversations between two recent JW high school graduates (although come to think of it, one was "home schooled"):

  "Dinosaurs? Haha...don't be an idiot. Don't you know that they didn't really exist? They're a myth scientists made up to support evolution."

  "No, dinosaurs DID exist. Haven't you seen the fossils? It's CAVEMEN that are the ones that didn't really exist!"

  "Ohhh....right, okay!"

  AWAKE! education at its finest.
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  100

  JW bumper stickers

  by innerpeace in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  so my husband (who was never a jw) saw a christian bumper sticker today and asked me if the witnesses have any.

  i said no (not that i know of anyway) so here are a few he came up with.. 'honk if you're a zombie'.

  'my other car is noah's ark'.

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  respectful_observer

  607 is right!!

  Proud Member of the Overlapping Generation

  God Hates Birthdays (but Anniversaries are OK)

  Praying that God Kills 99.9% of the World...ASAP.

  =========================

  This reminded me that I saw the following vanity license plate in the parking lot of the last assembly:

  JWORG

  I kid you not.
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  81

  Julia's Inquisition - Two elders, the full version! I want you all to see this.

  by Julia Orwell in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  sorry it's gonna be long winded.

  i've done my best to reconstruct from memory.

  my husband was next to me the whole time.

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  respectful_observer

  00DAD: How would I know? They didn't even know for the last 93 years!

  Hahaha!!! PERFECT response!!!
• 
  81

  Julia's Inquisition - Two elders, the full version! I want you all to see this.

  by Julia Orwell in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  sorry it's gonna be long winded.

  i've done my best to reconstruct from memory.

  my husband was next to me the whole time.

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  respectful_observer

  Two questions for the group:

  1. Have the elders been instructed on what to say when it's discovered that the person has read the "Flock" book? The line of questioning Julia got seems very similar to some of the recorded JCs I've seen/heard.

  2. What can/do elders do when the subject of the Judicial Committee refuses to answer certain questions, especially the "loyalty" questions? Anyone have any experience as either a member or the subject of a JC? As long as you haven't incriminated yourself or voiced beliefs that are contrary to WTS teachings, they have no "evidence" against you. (Although come to think about it, refusing to answer may be considered "BRAZEN CONDUCT", I suppose.)
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  81

  Julia's Inquisition - Two elders, the full version! I want you all to see this.

  by Julia Orwell in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  sorry it's gonna be long winded.

  i've done my best to reconstruct from memory.

  my husband was next to me the whole time.

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  respectful_observer

  Thanks for posting.

  A few things jumped out at me.

  Preppy: Then what has changed in 13 years?

  "Ummm...let's see. The meaning of "the generation"...twice. Deciding the Faithful and Discreet Slave is actually just the Governing Body. What forms of life saving blood-based treatments are or aren't acceptable. Shall I go on?"

  GO: Do you believe the Governing Body are Jesus's FDS?

  Me: I choose not to answer that.

  It just dawned on me that they use this question to decide whether to give someone the boot, but it's not asked (at least not this clearly) as part of the written questions, or as an oral question during the Baptism Talk. Can you imagine if they did? "Do you believe the Governing Body of Jehovah's Witnesses is Jesus' 'Faithful and Discreet Slave' and serves as Jehovah God's sole channel of scriptural truth? Your response, please?"
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  63

  2013 DC new releases - rumors ???

  by obarac in

  1. watchtower
  2. beliefs

  there is rumors that in this years dc nwt will be released and also new tracts.

  any other rumors about new releases?.

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  respectful_observer

  I think there is some legitamacy to this theory, I am the literature servant in our hall and we have been back ordered on Reference Bibles and the Black and Red Deluxe Bibles for about 8 months now. All we have are some of the crappy paper bibles and a few hardcovers. Maybe because they aren't printing them and are instead waiting for the release of this NNWT.

  I know they've been piloting some different Bible cover materials to replace the paperback (and possibly the "Deluxe", but my memory is foggy)versions since they fall apart so fast. It was implied that the test population was made up of traveling JWs, such as CO's wives. When I was at Walkill last year the samples that were shown to me were more of a fabric type material, but they seemed to be testing out a number of options.

  R_O
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  63

  What were your favorite assembly foods?

  by NoRegrets in

  1. jw
  2. experiences

  so i'm young enough to not remember having hot prepared meals at assemblies, but heard all about it from my parents and the like.

  but what i do remember were all of the cold sandwiches and institutional snacks and soda.

  remember the food tickets we started to use?

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  respectful_observer

  In no particular order...

  Slushy orange juice with the foil lid

  Apple danish (you can keep the cheese danish, thank you very much)

  Sausage, Egg & Cheese on an english muffin

  Hogies!

  Hot chicken sandwich on that soggy bun

  Lemon-lime Shasta soda
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  24

  Quote Re: Elders Whose Kids Go To College Might Lose Privileges

  by Justitia Themis in

  1. watchtower
  2. beliefs

  i seem to remember some new 'rule' that elders whose children go to college, or perhaps it was out-of-state college, should be carefully examined to see if they still qualify.. does anyone know where that is in the publications?.

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  respectful_observer

  Thereafter, students may choose to attend university or college for four or more years

  So what happens if you take full course loads over the summer and Christmas breaks letting you finish your Bachelors degree in 3 years or less? Is that allowed?

  Or what would happen if you took 4 semesters (2 years) of classes, then took a break for a year, then returned for 4 more semesters?

  Those pesky extra 4 semesters...they get you every time!
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  61

  2013 District Convention Program: ‘God’s Word is Truth!’

  by bats in the belfry in

  1. watchtower
  2. bible

  .

  unlike god's word, that jws believe to be absolute truth, any one of their directives given at the 2013 district convention could be subject to misinterpretation.. .

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  respectful_observer

  A few observations on the program:

  FRIDAY

  Symposium: How Did You Learn the Truth?

  Formal Witnessing (Acts 20:20)

  Pretty, pretty, pretty please ask for a show of hands on this one. After all, shouldn't everyone in attendance be reassured that the door-to-door preaching work is an effective use of our time?

  SATURDAY

  Symposium: Beware of Apostates!

  (Really, this is what they want to talk about just before the baptism talk?! Wow, nothing like one last scare before you get dunked!)

  Walk "Straight According to the Truth [as taught by the Governing Body today - not yesterday]" (Galatians 2:14)

  v 14: "...how is it that you are compelling people of the nations to live according to Jewish practice?"

  So does this mean the GB will stop holding JWs subject to arbitrary Mosaic Law requirements?

  SUNDAY

  Don't neglect "Family Worship Night"

  Set full-time pioneering as their career goal

  Don't send them to a 4-year university.

  Symposium: The Watchtower's Jehovah's Promises Always Come True!

  Public Bible Discourse: "What Is Truth?" (John 18:38)

  (What the Governing Body says it is, as of today. If you believe what they taught yesterday, or what they might teach tomorrow, you're an apostate, and your entire family cannot speak to you for the rest of your life, even if the GB begins teaching what you believe today.)

  Drama: Prepare Your Heart for the Trials Ahead (Esther)

  I will hear, more than once: "'The End' must be about to begin! Otherwise 'the 'Slave' wouldn't be preparing us with a drama this obvious!"