Lets Think

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Posts by Lets Think

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  186

  Just out of curiosity, how many elders (current & ex) do we have here?

  by mrquik in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  me.

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  Lets Think

  ms 10 years then elder for 20 resigned 3 years ago. overlap, did it for me, could not support that sort of insane thinking.
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  56

  Greetings! My first post

  by BU2B in

  1. jw
  2. experiences

  hello all at jwn!

  i have been a lurker here the last few months and have been going through the process of researching both sides of the story of jehovahs witnesses.

  i was raised in the borg, got married and now have a young child.. my wife is very much dedicated to the organization and will justify anything the "slave" does putting it off on the borgs imperfection.

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  Lets Think
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  56

  Greetings! My first post

  by BU2B in

  1. jw
  2. experiences

  hello all at jwn!

  i have been a lurker here the last few months and have been going through the process of researching both sides of the story of jehovahs witnesses.

  i was raised in the borg, got married and now have a young child.. my wife is very much dedicated to the organization and will justify anything the "slave" does putting it off on the borgs imperfection.

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  Lets Think
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  28

  CO Visits... Are elders honest about the TRUE state of the congregation?

  by Alfred in

  1. watchtower
  2. beliefs

  this question is really for elders or ex-elders (or ministerial servants in the know).... did you find that some elders would tend to "white-wash" the true state of the congregation when they had their sit-down with the co every 6 months?.

  did some elders feel pressure to hide certain things from a co for fear of being "removed" from the boe?.

  (judging by the "fakeness" that some elders displayed during co visits, i have to wonder whether they were really worried about being removed for not seeking out inactives or encouraging more participation during the wt study, book study or fs...).

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  Lets Think

  I served as an elder for twenty years, and the answer is No not always open and truthful, often truthyness is involved (a Stephne Cobert moment)

  I personally filled in (the Blanks) in Pub record cards, i have been in meetings were elders have said stuff that seemed like there were serving on an elder body in some kind of nirvana Cong of there own making. CO"s are gulity of hearing what they want to hear and sending in reports telling HQ what they want to hear.
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  50

  Apostasy my ass!

  by Glander in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  let's call it what it is - disagreeing with the watchtower bible and tract society after baptism into the cult.

  in no way is the literal definition of the word "apostasy" applicable to what the cult is using the word for.

  it is a buzz word that scares the crap out of the rank and file and keeps them from communicating with those who have become enlightened about the cults lies.. we here on jwn have accepted the wt label, "apostates", with a sense of humor, such as calling our get togethers apostafests, etc.. but we are actually the "enlightened"..

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  Lets Think

  This is one thing that does really drives me crazy, the idea that any disagreement is being an apostate. I have said to some in my hall that crime and violence are on the decline and just for saying that i was talked to and about for apostate leanings. Forget about truth or facts.

  http://www.scientificamerican.com/article.cfm?id=the-decline-of-violence

  Truth is what the GB says, if it is not true it becomes true when they say it!
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  12

  Pre 1914 Utopia?

  by Flat_Accent in

  1. watchtower
  2. bible

  thinking back to all those talks i heard about the sign of the last days, one thing that many used as proof of christ's presence was the dramatic changes, socially and politically, which all began in 1914. in the reasoning book, a few quotes are listed:.

  "looking back from the vantage point of the present we see clearly today that the outbreak of world war i ushered in a twentieth-century 'time of troubles'-in the expressive term of the british historian arnold toynbee-from which our civilization has by no means yet emerged.

  directly or indirectly all the convulsions of the last half century stem back to 1914.

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  Lets Think

  As New Chapter and others have pointed out here is my take:

  As someone has been very interested in 1914 and it place in history here is my take. In 1914 everything changed (especially for all those the WT quotes) for the 1%, the very rich white folks. The very privileged lived in a pre1914 utopia. For everyone else it was hell. The social upheaval at the turn of century made life tough on those who oppressed; the oppressors were “the rich”. What was life like for the average American black in 1800’s (95% of black women work as domestics with almost no rights. Black men could not vote or hold any jobs in authority) What was life like for women. (no voting rights, no property rights, did not even have the right not to be beat) What was it like for children. (in the 1800’s children as young as 7 worked in coal mine and textile factories legally!) .. Life now for women, children, minorities the average working man is not a little better the pre 1914, It is 10,000 times better. The social upheaval at the turn of the century made for a much, much better world. Soldiers who marched home from WW1 said lets not take crap for titled, rich jerk officers anymore. Women and men started to stand up to the old ways,, a better world resulted. If you don’t think this is true study what life was really like in the 1800’s especially if you were a women or a minority.

  But there are those that say it is worse now look at divorce rates etc.. Women didn’t divorce then because they had nowhere to go, there were no good jobs for women, they had no rights to land or property , no right to even to their own children. Even if they were beaten daily, they could not do anything about it.

  It was legal in England to beat you own wife if she was out of line, as long as the stick was not too big.

  Since 1914 life expectancy has doubled, that sounds like a good thing,, that sort of is a bottom line thing how long do you live. Women do not die at childbirth the same, we do not die of minor infections etc, etc,,

  To sum up I quote PJ O’Rourke “for those who think the good old days are better I have one word “dentistry”
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  8

  This Weeks Watchtower Study

  by Lets Think in

  1. watchtower
  2. beliefs

  so paragraph 5 of todays watchtower says: people with faith see clearly the difference between the baseless claims of men and the sacred promises of jehovah god.

  then i thought of every pre 1995 awake inside cover page in the box where it say why the awake is published; where it says:.

  most important, this magazine builds confidence in the creators promise of a peaceful and secure new world before the generation that saw the events of 1914 passes away.. .

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  Lets Think

  Timothy T,, exactly,, you are right,, that is the whole issue we "Do Not put our trust in earthling man" including those who claim to interpert to us What Gods promises are. The point I was making of course is these "Men of Faith" GB F&DS have failed in the past understanding what gods timing and purpose is. So what conclsuion should thinking people come up with. Conclusion: the bible tells us "Do Not put your trust in earthling man" this would include the GB F&DS, they are earthling man last I checked.
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  8

  This Weeks Watchtower Study

  by Lets Think in

  1. watchtower
  2. beliefs

  so paragraph 5 of todays watchtower says: people with faith see clearly the difference between the baseless claims of men and the sacred promises of jehovah god.

  then i thought of every pre 1995 awake inside cover page in the box where it say why the awake is published; where it says:.

  most important, this magazine builds confidence in the creators promise of a peaceful and secure new world before the generation that saw the events of 1914 passes away.. .

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  Lets Think

  So Paragraph 5 of today’s Watchtower says: “People with faith see clearly the difference between the baseless claims of men and the sacred promises of Jehovah God”

  Then I thought of every pre 1995 Awake inside cover page in the box where it say Why the Awake is Published; Where it says:

  Most important, this magazine build’s confidence in the Creators promise of a peaceful and secure new world before the generation that saw the events of 1914 passes away.

  So this got be thinking are they people of Faith? Do they know what Gods promises are? Then I realized that I need an MRI because clearly to be thinking these things I must be diseased mentally as next weeks article points out.

  Is it just me?
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  33

  The (study) WT November 2011 Makes Me Puke !

  by Hairyhegoat in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  this study edition is an absolute attack on kids going to higher education, and you all are getting too cosy at home with your sky tv and the internet, get out on the doors you idle dogs.. oh and if you have a good job already you could not be putting the kingdum first !.

  here is some of the crap in the mag, and the article temporary residents in a wicked world.. 10. .

  in view of the imminent end of the present system of things, as jehovahs servants.

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  Lets Think

  Vigilant Christians get a university education and as much education as possible.!!!

  Why because they are Tue Christians and follow what the Bible says on education.

  If through education we can help people in a full way we do it. See Prov. 3:27

  The Bible supports being Skilled. See Proverbs 22:29

  It will make us better able to provide for our family. See 1 Tim. 5:8

  God used those that were highly educated, when God and Jesus had a choice to pick someone to work out there purpose they chose the well educated. EG: Luke, Paul, Moses, Daniel etc…..

  True Christians like the Boreans see what the bible has to say on the subject of education

  News Flash GB the Bible condemns your position on education
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  81

  Here i am....

  by makersmark in

  1. jw
  2. experiences

  here i am - born in truth, hard-core spiritual everything all my life, early reg.pioneer, ms, elder, assembly parts, tour at bethel, etc, married now...... i'm trying to examine jw teachings a little closer...... i've spent the last two weeks reading many many posts, info , references on where ex-jw's are coming from.

  i'm kind of concerned about a few things lately..... honestly - some points make sense to me - some don't - here are my general thoughts:.

  -wt getting un membership for access to library - doesnt bother me - some passports and other governement documents have similar forms and requirements..... -blood issue - some counterpoints to the jw 'rules' makes sense (original intent of scripture is unbled animals, white blood cells similar in mothers milk) etc -however a lot of 'apostate' reasonings and proof are inaccurate.

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  Lets Think

  Welcome Makersmark

  I agree with nearly all your post. I am still an active Witness but resigned as an elder six months ago after thirty years of serving.

  Biggest Issue: Same as you, Generation change and overlap, to me it makes us look like nutters. Now a new dead line; those who are overlapers will by no means pass away before the end comes!! (how many dealines do we have to blow through, before we all say enough? 1914 no longer makes senes. If no one is alive that saw the events of 1914 it is not really relevent. Plus the world was worse in the 100 years before 1914 then the 100 after. I would rather live now then anytime in the 1800's.

  I wish we would just drop anything to do with dates and end is nigh talk.

  My seond biggest issue in the JW stand on education. This is just plan wrong on many levels.

  1)Not supported by the bible. (unless you want to do a crazy spin job)

  2) Hypocritical: Please,,, see if you get a call from bethel if you are an engineer, doctor, dentist etc...

  3) Only those trying to oppress limit education. Truth is not afraid of higher learning.

  4) None of there bisiness what the R&F may decide on this. If the bible does not have a clear ruling stay out of it. I have a son in High School he is going on to Higher Education, i saved them the trouble of deleting me. They are just going to lose a lot of elders.

  This leads to my question what do you think of the GBs stand on education?