Posts by Vanderhoven7

8

A Rare Response to being Disfellowshipped

by Vanderhoven7 in

to most, being disfellowshiped is a terrible loss of friends family and god's perceived approval.

but not to mark jones.

in his words..... the best way i can describe it, is like when you leave highschool for the last time.

Vanderhoven7

Thanks Blondie

An example of the Watchtower twisting scripture to justify it's actions.

8

A Rare Response to being Disfellowshipped

by Vanderhoven7 in

to most, being disfellowshiped is a terrible loss of friends family and god's perceived approval.

but not to mark jones.

in his words..... the best way i can describe it, is like when you leave highschool for the last time.

Vanderhoven7

To most, being disfellowshiped is a terrible loss of friends family and God's perceived approval.

But not to Mark Jones. In his words....

The best way I can describe it, is like when you leave highschool for the last time. The bell rings, you’re done with school, a whole future ahead of you to decide and shape as you wish. You run out of the school doors and throw your textbooks into air and you feel so free. It’s amazing. To this day no other feeling has matched it.

Think about it, for 31 years I’d been:

Told what to think
Told who my friends could be
Told to distrust the internet
Told to be wary of “information” (seriously!)
Told that the world is going to end any moment now
Told to avoid pretty girls who arn’t Jehovah's Witnesses
Told if I have a wank I’ll turn into a homosexual
Told that I’m not to go to University
Told that I’m not to have a career
Told to turn up to two hour meetings twice a week
Told to knock on doors for 10 hours a month (minimum)
Constantly being watched by family and so-call friends in case I disagree with anything printed in the Watchtower magazine

As you can imagine, finally being free of such an environment was pure elation. I’ve never done drugs but I imagine the high one would feel when one snorts a line of coke. I felt finally free, finally in control of my life and 100% optimistic about the future.

Actually being free to have my own opinions, the freedom to vote, the freedom to study both sides of an issue before forming an opinion (as opposed to asking the elders what im supposed to think) - the joy!

I encourage every Jehovah’s Witness to be disfellowshipped. Seriously, birthdays are awesome. People actually bring you presents, you get a cake and have a big party. Christmas is tremendous fun and happiness flows for the whole week leading upto it finally culminating on 25th Dec when the entire day is pure joy and song. Actually having sex with someone you’re attracted to without asking the elders or signing a piece of paper first is wonderful.

Seriously, it’s like being in prison and then one day the prison warden kicking you out of prison for upsetting him. Then you walk out into the big “bad” world and people are really nice and want to be your friend. Why would you want to go back to prison???

17

questions to ask your BIBLE STUDY CONDUCTOR

by jwfacts in

i have just written the following (long) article.

i would appreciate comments and suggestions on things i can add or subtract.. .

baptism as one of jehovahs witnesses is a significant step as it is a life time commitment to the watchtower society.

Vanderhoven7

Reanimating this thread. Some good questions to ask Witnesses here.

85

Physically in mentally agnostic ie sitting on the fence

by ExBethelitenowPIMA in

hi everyone i’m not pimi or pimo i’m pima.. i don’t think the gb have everything right but i’m sitting on the fence that maybe they do some things.. if the great trib starts i will jump that side of the fence.. this is a definite little sneaky advantage dodging but even by their own doctrine last min some could come in.. i suspect many are like me.. i spent years in bethel and am very disappointed and disillusioned by it all.. but at the end of the day i love the bible and think it is the word of god and i don’t see any other religion that comes as close to what jesus describes his true followers or who are fulfilling mat 24:14..

Vanderhoven7

Hi Elmer,

That could very well be. Thanks.

85

Physically in mentally agnostic ie sitting on the fence

by ExBethelitenowPIMA in

hi everyone i’m not pimi or pimo i’m pima.. i don’t think the gb have everything right but i’m sitting on the fence that maybe they do some things.. if the great trib starts i will jump that side of the fence.. this is a definite little sneaky advantage dodging but even by their own doctrine last min some could come in.. i suspect many are like me.. i spent years in bethel and am very disappointed and disillusioned by it all.. but at the end of the day i love the bible and think it is the word of god and i don’t see any other religion that comes as close to what jesus describes his true followers or who are fulfilling mat 24:14..

Vanderhoven7

Yes, there is no such thing as the true religious organization. Come to the Faithful Slave organization for salvation is blasphemy at best.

Jesus says, "come unto me and I will give you rest" (salvation, deliverance and redemption).

No one needs a man made, man run religion or organization to be saved and sanctified by the blood of Christ and indwelt by the Holy Spirit of God.

15

JW Publishers Please Let Your Articles Be Based on Facts not Opinion

by Daniel tells the Naked Truth in

whoever published this article should strive to get his or her facts straight.

the gospel should not be preached based on people's opinion rather it should be preached as a message, just as it is.

this article implies that astrology, fortune telling, divination and fortune telling as being all wrong and all.

Vanderhoven7

The heavens declare the glory of God.

Story in the Stars: https://youtu.be/O68gs8ueSAw

85

Physically in mentally agnostic ie sitting on the fence

by ExBethelitenowPIMA in

hi everyone i’m not pimi or pimo i’m pima.. i don’t think the gb have everything right but i’m sitting on the fence that maybe they do some things.. if the great trib starts i will jump that side of the fence.. this is a definite little sneaky advantage dodging but even by their own doctrine last min some could come in.. i suspect many are like me.. i spent years in bethel and am very disappointed and disillusioned by it all.. but at the end of the day i love the bible and think it is the word of god and i don’t see any other religion that comes as close to what jesus describes his true followers or who are fulfilling mat 24:14..

Vanderhoven7

Hi EXBP

Not only is the Watchtower gospel and the Watchtower Jesus unbiblical, but so is every doctrine which is unique to Jehovah's Witnesses. So the religion of Jehovah's Witnesses is speculation based, including its eschatology and soteriology.

In other words, it's made up. So what they have some truth, such as the fact that the human soul is mortal and death, rather than eternal torment is the punishment for sin. Other church's have these truths as well.

85

Physically in mentally agnostic ie sitting on the fence

by ExBethelitenowPIMA in

hi everyone i’m not pimi or pimo i’m pima.. i don’t think the gb have everything right but i’m sitting on the fence that maybe they do some things.. if the great trib starts i will jump that side of the fence.. this is a definite little sneaky advantage dodging but even by their own doctrine last min some could come in.. i suspect many are like me.. i spent years in bethel and am very disappointed and disillusioned by it all.. but at the end of the day i love the bible and think it is the word of god and i don’t see any other religion that comes as close to what jesus describes his true followers or who are fulfilling mat 24:14..

Vanderhoven7

EXBP, I have just as much of a personal relationship with Gabriel as I do with Michael. How about you?

85

Physically in mentally agnostic ie sitting on the fence

by ExBethelitenowPIMA in

hi everyone i’m not pimi or pimo i’m pima.. i don’t think the gb have everything right but i’m sitting on the fence that maybe they do some things.. if the great trib starts i will jump that side of the fence.. this is a definite little sneaky advantage dodging but even by their own doctrine last min some could come in.. i suspect many are like me.. i spent years in bethel and am very disappointed and disillusioned by it all.. but at the end of the day i love the bible and think it is the word of god and i don’t see any other religion that comes as close to what jesus describes his true followers or who are fulfilling mat 24:14..

Vanderhoven7

Hi EXBP,

I admire your tenacity.

I answered the original question regarding the fulfillment of Matthew 24:14. The first century Christians fulfilled that prediction.

Now who is preaching the gospel around the world today? That would be the twenty-first century Christians.

Unfortunately, Jehovah's Witnesses are preaching a different gospel and a different Jesus than the first century Christians preached. They are in fact preaching a non-salvific gospel and an unrelatable Jesus leaving 8.5 million members unsaved orphans without any kind of a personal relationship with Jesus Christ.

85

Physically in mentally agnostic ie sitting on the fence

by ExBethelitenowPIMA in

hi everyone i’m not pimi or pimo i’m pima.. i don’t think the gb have everything right but i’m sitting on the fence that maybe they do some things.. if the great trib starts i will jump that side of the fence.. this is a definite little sneaky advantage dodging but even by their own doctrine last min some could come in.. i suspect many are like me.. i spent years in bethel and am very disappointed and disillusioned by it all.. but at the end of the day i love the bible and think it is the word of god and i don’t see any other religion that comes as close to what jesus describes his true followers or who are fulfilling mat 24:14..

Vanderhoven7

Hi EXBP

Congratulations for sticking around despite contrary views being expressed.

"Vander who who else do you think is trying to talk about the kingdom to every tribe?"

Good question. The following is an excerpt from The Watchtower of May 1, 1999 (p. 11,12) which contains some elements of sound interpretation and I believe will help answer your question.

"In the years leading up to 66 C.E., Christians would have seen many of the preliminary elements of the composite sign being fulfilled-wars, famines, even an extensive preaching of the good news of the Kingdom. (Acts 11:28; Colossians 1:23) When, though, would the end come? What did Jesus mean when he said: 'This generation [Greek, ge.ne.a'] will not pass away'? Jesus had often called the contemporaneous mass of opposing Jews, including religious leaders, 'a wicked, adulterous generation.' (Matthew 11:16; 12:39, 45; 16:4; 17:17; 23:36) So when, on the Mount of Olives, he again spoke of "this generation," he evidently did not mean the entire race of Jews throughout history; nor did he mean his followers, even though they were "a chosen race." (1 Peter 2:9) Neither was Jesus saying that "this generation" is a period of time.

Rather, Jesus had in mind the opposing Jews back then who would experience the fulfillment of the sign he gave. Regarding the reference to "this generation" at Luke 21:32, Professor Joel B. Green notes: "In the Third Gospel, 'this generation' (and related phrases) has regularly signified a category of people who are resistant to the purpose of God. . . . [It refers] to people who stubbornly turn their backs on the divine purpose." *

The wicked generation of Jewish opposers who could observe the sign being fulfilled would also experience the end. (Matthew 24:6, 13, 14) And that they did! In 70 C.E., the Roman army returned, led by Titus, son of Emperor Vespasian. The suffering of the Jews who were again bottled up in the city is almost beyond belief." Eyewitness Flavius Josephus reports that by the time the Romans demolished the city, about 1,100,000 Jews had died and some 100,000 were taken captive, most of those soon to perish horribly from starvation or in Roman theaters. Truly, the tribulation of 66-70 C.E. was the greatest that Jerusalem and the Jewish system had ever experienced or would ever experience. How different the outcome was for Christians who had heeded Jesus' prophetic warning and had left Jerusalem after the departure of the Roman armies in 66 C.E.!"