Posts by jws

8

Favourite jw video?

by haujobbz in

jw
friends

.

mine had to be the young people ask, i really could relate to it.. the acting was great.. i couldnt wait for a sequel

jws

I'm sorry I missed the Watchtower videos, but every time I get back in town to visit my family, my dad seems to have more of them.

I've often been curious, but don't dare ask - he might think I'm interested in coming back. I love watching and laughing at bad acting. Have any of these gems been posted to the web?

Do they publish on DVD too? I hear that's cheaper than making VHS tapes nowadays. And easier to duplicate and put out on the internet too. Heaven forbid their books and videos should reach a mass audience without somebody being there to make sure you're being steered in the proper direction.

-j.w.s.

13

Reading Awake-Equivalent to College ?

by Searchin50 in

jw
friends

could someone tell me where this information is?

i know at one time .

the w t s said that if you are currently keeping up with all your .

jws

Why of course it's equivalent to going to college. Where would my career be without the following Awake! articles?

Class Inheritance - Is it for Christians?
Visual C++ and the Apostle Paul
XML - a blessing from the Faithful and Discreet Slave

-j.w.s.

22

How many would have stayed?

by freedom96 in

jw
friends

my lost new posting topic made me think of this question:.

if the wts was more normal, how many would have stayed?.

was it in fact the teachings that made you leave?

jws

I don't know that this question is even valid. If they were more relaxed, they wouldn't have many of the beliefs they have or wouldn't have dogmatically stuck with so many wrong ones. It's an impossible situation and hard to imagine the religious organization being proposed.

For me, it was discovering how wrong their beliefs were and how they covered it up that drove me away.

I had my problems with the way some people acted. But I've also seen those types of people other places too. And I knew they weren't behaving as they were supposed to (even by JW standards). Should I blame the whole religion? In the whole of Christianity, there are people who don't exhibit Christian qualities (often times myself included), yet it doesn't drive me away from Christianity.

For me, it was wrong beliefs. If the beliefs are right, it doesn't matter what the people act like.

But, like I say, much of this is mutually exclusive. If it was right, you would be surrounded by better people.

10

No sunday school for witnesses

by freedom96 in

jw
friends

i have had the opportunity to visit a few non-denominational churches since i have left the witnesses.

i have talked to people who attend other ones, and obviously find great differences between those and witnesses.. a huge mistake, among many of course, in my opinion, is that there is no programs for kids.. an infant is expected to make all the meetings.

a toddler is expected to go, and sit still.

jws

Never knew about the seperation of the youth back in the early part of the 20th century. Interesting...

Didn't Jesus talk to the young ones? Even in the Society's literature, it makes it sound as if Jesus was among a group of kids with no (or few) parents. So why would seperate teaching be bad? Isn't that Jesus' example?

I've often wondered about this when I was a JW. It was one lesson for all. Whether it was deep (like trying to tie some obscure scripture to some obscure event in JW history) or light concepts like not stealing. And whether we're talking kids vs. adults or adults vs. adults, all people are at different levels.

Why not have seperations? In school, my coursework got harder as I progressed. I learned my ABC's in kindergarten. They didn't need to reteach it to me in high school. Yet I'd go to the Kingdom Hall and we'd cover the elementary crap all over again. I don't know how many times we went through the Live Forever book. It all made it all the more boring.

I don't know why they do what they do. I think a lot of it was dumbed-down and is more palatable for kids now. Just look at the number of pictures nowadays compared to the early days. Even though you have the "deep" articles, you also have the simplistic ones. I didn't realize it at the time, but all of this repetition was brainwashing.

And, whether you think it's good or bad, seperating people would probably create divisions. Somebody would be in the "advanced" class and think so much of himself and be more pompous than JWs already are and others would no-doubt look up to them (like they do now when somebody shows they've done any outside research). Somebody in the beginner class would feel intimidated.

Makes me wonder why the same reasoning that did away with this type of thing still allows status distinctions like "pioneers" and pioneer school, or ministerial servants.

13

What did you REALLY think about the banned things

by SpannerintheWorks in

jw
friends

what prompted this topic was when an ex-jw ( ex-elder ) friend of mine told me that once when he was doing a "car" witness with three others, near to christmas time, they lost one of them!

after a bit of searching along the route, the others eventually found him in a house, eating a mince pie and drinking a glass of brandy!.

my friend reminded him that he shouldn't be participating in these " worldly things.

jws

Though all these things were kept secret from anybody who would have a fit...

I also kept in contact with a disfellowshipped friend - though later "new light" showed that since he was never baptised, that he wasn't really disfellowshipped and it was OK afterall.

I started celebrating birthdays when I was in high school and also began some X-mas gift/card exchanging.

Didn't see a clear "no" in attending college, so went anyway.

Drinking for fun and recreation.

Dating non-JWs - c'mon, you've only got like 6 choices of women at your hall or else somebody you meet at a convention who lives an hour away.

When I got the chance, I got "apostate" literature and read it (and here I am today...)

-j.w.s.

29

Which meeting was the worst?

by freedom96 in

jw
friends

i absolutely detested the watchtower study.

never did an hour go by so slow.

there would the 20 or so paragraphs that had to read and answered, and i would watch the clock.

jws

Hard to say.

Hated the Theocratic Ministry School when I had to give a talk. Absolutely dreaded it. When that time came, no meeting could have been worse. When I wasn't on it, it wasn't bad.

The Service meeting was sometimes enjoyable. At least some of the sketches broke the monotony. Some people would even try to be funny. And there were always the local needs parts where you kind of got an "in" to the gossip and got some feeling to what was going on.

Otherwise, Sunday meetings were the worse. And that was the Public Talk and Watchtower study. It was a weekend. Sitting around in a suit, going through that boring question/answer format was one of the worst things to endure on a weekend when you could have been doing anything else.

Public talks weren't so bad. At least it was about an hour with one person talking and a semi-consistant theme.

I guess no matter what meeting it was, I was usually daydreaming or trying to sneak something else to do (read a book, etc.). So in that sense, the questions meetings were worse because there was pressure from my parents to make a comment so I couldn't totally zone-out.

-j.w.s.

7

Suggestion for Memorial

by reubenfine in

jw
friends

how about if we all show up for memorial next year, go somewhere that nobody knows you, (or even where they do), and partake of the emblems?

it would skew their numbers the looks would be priceless in a hall where 25 people or more would partake?

then get up and leave and don't talk to anyone.

jws

Yeah, think about what it would do to those reported partakers figures.

From what I remember, nobody dares questions such things. If there were a sudden dramatic increase, they would have some doctrinal 'splaining to do.

Does anybody know, because I know this has to happen (any elders out there?). Are partakers recorded along with some "questionable partakers" category?

The typical talk spends a few minutes basically trying to tell people not to partake (unless you're indoctrinated and "know"). I know with all their head-spinning explanations, some people aren't going to understand what they're implying and, like at any church, partake.

Do the elders decide what to report? Do they filter? Or do they just report what they see?

-j.w.s.

51

Did anyone really ever study?

by freedom96 in

jw
friends

i know we were taught to study all the wts stuff.

prepare for each meeting, prepare for service, (gotta know the articles) etc.

i mean with all the personal study to do, how could anyone have time for newspapers, novels etc.

jws

If I did any real studying, I would have left a lot sooner. :)

I varied. At times, I'd be caught up and read all the watchtowers, awakes, book study assignments, and OKMs. It was mind-numbing and it was a lot of work. I'm no speed-reader as it is. But it didn't leave time for other things.

At other times, I had no prep whatsoever. Didn't matter. I could still put on a good game-face. You can still comment even if you just read the material and question right then and there. It wasn't rocket science.

-j.w.s.

11

Are witnesses any better?

by freedom96 in

jw
friends

as a whole, i believe most witnesses to be pretty good people.

misguided, sure, but overall, decent people.. what i want are opinions on how good they actually are.

for example, i went to a non-denonimational church recently.

jws

I was thinking of posting a similar question.

My opinion is that JWs, for the most part, are very descent, honest citizens - at least outwardly and towards others.

Probably more so than other religions, every possible path of conduct is layed out for them. They have been coached on how to deal with all sorts of situations and coached on what not to do over and over, and they are afraid not to obey. Also hanging over them is the threat that word will get out and they will be in trouble. Whereas most people don't live with fear of judgement on many things, JWs are subject to a very strict rules and are judged by a subjective court of elders in closed door hearings.

There are of course, glaring examples (child molestors, adulterers, etc.). But on the whole, I'd say they at least act out the good citizen part. Whether they do it out of fear or from their heart is another matter. And that's a problem. A Christian should have freedom and choose the right course, not be treated like a kid with a list of do's and don'ts. Their view of a "Bible trained conscience" isn't really a conscience at all. It's merely memorizing a list of things to do or not to do. When presented with a new situation, they usually go running to their watchtower CD to look up whether a bunch of old men say it's OK.

But, bottom line, would I, for instance, trust a JW stranger alone with my possessions? I'd say yes because I know what they are programmed to think. I'd probably trust them more than a stranger I knew wasn't JW.

And I'm not saying this as some endorsement of them. They're just the only ones I've had religious experience with. Maybe I'd feel the same way with a Muslim or Hindu if I understood his beliefs and convictions.

But I also agree that many have pent-up a lot and are more subject to certain wrongdoings. Some of the JW kids went wild as soon as they could - more so than "wordly" kids. Further into drugs, satanism, sexuality than non-JWs who lived life and had things in balance.

-j.w.s.

37

What are your thoughts on writing DA letters?

by mamashel in

as most of you know, i have been inactive for about 2 1/2 yrs and completely out for about 7 months.

i am debating on wether or not to write a letter of da to the org or not.

in some ways i just want closure, and on the other hand i dont want to play by their rules.

jws

jurs, I don't know what kind of message is being sent by DA'ing. I remember the first time I heard a DA announcement. The thoughts that went through my mind at the time was simply that the person was weak. That they couldn't follow the rigors of being a faithful follower. At the time, I never got the feeling that there might be something they had a legitimate problem with. All I remember them doing was announcing so-and-so had dissassociated themselves. No whys, no reading the person's letter. Just that they had done it. It was far from being a strong message to others. Although for closure, if that's what somebody needs, then it is a help to them and that's a personal choice.

I've never really understood writing a letter. Once you make it official, you're placed in the same category as a disfellowshipped person. If you haven't got friends or family inside, that's probably not a big deal. I have family inside and I'm glad I never did it. My family is still important to me, though some of them are strong JWs. Though there is sometimes a sense of looking down on me and maybe a little aprehension, there is not outright shunning.

At times, I thought of writing a DA letter after my parents pass away. But now, I'm not going to bother.

As has been said, they are seeking closure too. Why give it to them? As for your closure, that might be remedied by groups such as this. To see that others are out there and are willing to befriend you online in this forum. That you can share your past. That you can see that others have put it behind them and you can too.

Closure is mostly mental. If you can acheive that without the ramifications to family relations, why not? Just fade away and leave it at that. Don't challenge the JWs and let them know what you really think. Just change the subject when it comes up.

-j.w.s.