drewcoul

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Posts by drewcoul

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  42

  Are all JWs united in their beliefs?

  by enigma1863 in

  1. watchtower
  2. scandals

  so i used to think that all witnesses believed the same exact thing but i have heard some claims that they believe things i'm not familiar with.

  do you know if it's true?

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  drewcoul

  Bemused said:

  Interesting. I (a never-in) was told by an elder that non-believers might be resurrected (if they'd been good). Is this not a universal JW belief?

  This is actually something is taught, but not explcitly. This creates a paradox to which there are no real good answers. Basically, you could get a witness to say that it's no better to be a Witness than a non-witness so long as you die before Armageddon.

  So, it ends up like this: Don't be a witness and hope armageddon doesn't come in your lifetime, or be a Witness and hope it does. Armageddon is basically the only time you're better off being a witness. They would have a hard time admitting it, but it is found in their doctrine.
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  42

  Are all JWs united in their beliefs?

  by enigma1863 in

  1. watchtower
  2. scandals

  so i used to think that all witnesses believed the same exact thing but i have heard some claims that they believe things i'm not familiar with.

  do you know if it's true?

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  2. 
  3. 
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  drewcoul

  If you can get them to open up, most witnesses will admit to either not believing everything, or at least not understanding. I spoke to a couple of elders who stopped by to see my mom several weeks ago. Since I had known these guys for my entire life, I was comfortable talking to them although I am disfellowshipped. I told them some of the things I had trouble with and one said "We don't understand everything." I asked how they could believe in something they don't understand. They didn't have a coherent response.

  Before his death, I was having a similar discussion with my dad. He said he didn't believe everything but that it was the best religion out there.

  The problem is, most witnesses won't open up about their real beliefs. There are a set of answers to questions for outsiders, and there's the real answers that Witnesses can give to each other. Like: Do you have to be a Witness to survive Armageddon? Most witnesses will answer to a non-witness that it's up to Jehovah. Between themselves, they claim that you have to be a witness to survive.
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  97

  I did it !!!!

  by snare&racket in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  7 years ago i started on a path i had long ago given up on as impossible.

  i met with my elders and told them i could not justify carrying on as a jw.

  i went and got my high school qualifications and my higher education diploma (a levels with distinction) in just 12 months.

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  drewcoul

  Congratulations Doctor!!!!!
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  93

  Appointed by holy spirit

  by Ben57 in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  i have been reading the posts on who is and or had been an elder.

  it amazes me at what many have said.

  perhaps i have misunderstood what they were saying.

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  drewcoul

  Ben, you are seeing classic WTS double speak and you are defending them! They never say anything about "outward appearance." Those are your words, not the WTS's. Either the elders are appointed by Holy Spirit or they are not. The Watchtower says they are. I believe they are not.

  As you can see, you can quote the WT and someone with an opposing view can quote a WT, but the WT says two different things. THey want everyone in to pay attention to elders and to view their appointment as being from Holy Spirit, but because this is so obviously not the case with so many elders engaging in wrongdoing at the time of their appointment, they must also say that they "give evidence" of producing the fruitage of the spirit. However, Paul laid out the qualifications of being an elder, and he NEVER mentions: Field Service time; Bible studies conducted; comments at the meetings; activity at quick builds; circuit assembly or district assembly parts; pioneering or a list of other things that JW's think are necessary to be an elder. They go far beyond things written.
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  20

  How I miss the 'Truth' of my youth....

  by gingerbread in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  my family moved from the city to the country.. part of the reason for the relocation was to move 'to where the need was greater'.

  i loved our new home - i was free to roam the woods and fields, enjoy the wildlife, work in our garden and feed the chickens.

  i had new friends in our new congregation.

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  drewcoul

  Ginger- I know EXACTLY what you are talking about in your OP. I was talking to my girlfriend the other day about this same thing. I understand where you are coming from. Naive. That's a good way to describe it.
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  30

  A small observation from the AGM...

  by sir82 in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  ...but it struck me as significant anyway.. i attended at a jw assembly hall, and was sitting behind a pretty typical jw family.

  2 kids about ages 8 & 5, frazzled hen-pecked husband, and....the mom.

  the lady of the house.

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  drewcoul

  Sir82: Absolutely outstanding observation and you are dead-nuts right on: That is something that, literally, money cannot buy. It is a hell of a drug, and those addicted to it are utterly hooked and unwilling to break the habit.
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  369

  So are Republicans now openly terrorists?

  by Simon in

  1. social
  2. current

  they seem determined to undermine the us democracy and shut the government down hurting employees and veterans.. what a despicable bunch, hope they get their asses kicked for what they are doing..

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  drewcoul

  As a gun-loving, small government, Tea partier, I have to say, the government shut down is stupid. I am against Obamacare as much as anyone, but defunding it like this is not the proper way to do it. It is not discretionary spending. Its law and it has to be funded (at least 90% of it that is not discretionary). The way the Republicans are trying to go about it is not lawful, at least from what I can gather. Although, I don't think the Republicans are 100% to blame because Obama needs to come to the table too. The GOP is going to cut off their nose to spite their face I'm afraid.

  And, as much as I hate to admit it, BOTR is right. Republics and Democracies are not mutually exclusive. We are a Republic with Democratically elected representatives. But we are not a pure Democracy. Ben Franklin (I think) said that a democracy is nothing more than two wolves and a sheep voting on what to have for dinner. That's why pure Democracies don't work any more than a dictatorship works.

  By the way, I haven't been on here in a while and hope you are all doing well. Especially Beks, BOTR, Farkel, and Sammie!

  Edited to add: Bizzy too!!
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  293

  AGM 5 OCTOBER 2013 (UNOFFICIAL RUMORS)

  by WatchTower87 in

  1. watchtower
  2. beliefs

  - 23 day to go .. annual meeting unofficial rumors.

  - new bible.

  - new nwt (revision).

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  drewcoul

  Wow! The AGM is only a day away!! It seems to sneak up on me every year. I haven't been on here in a while, but thought I would check in. I'm thinking the new bible makes sense, and probably new understandings of Revelation. 144k being figurative and not literal would fix the predicament they created with the overlapping generation nonsense, but it will create a whold bunch of other problems as well.

  Thanks to anyone and everyone who gets us the information from the annual meeting!
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  8

  Heart bypass surgery & blood

  by Twitch in

  1. watchtower
  2. beliefs

  my father had an angioplasty this morning and was admitted immediately for coronary artery bypass surgery due to major blockages found.. how likely or necessary is a blood transfusion for this?.

  what's the latest policy on blood?.

  i realize there's likely a thread or two dedicated to the subject but i'm looking for the short answer from those in the know, at least on the latter.. i only found out this morning and am heading to the hospital now.

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  drewcoul

  Blood transfusions are seldom used anymore in bypass surgery. Doctors like to have it available, but if he's an active JW, they won't press the issue too far. I've had several family members have multiple bypasses done, and none have had doctors balk at the idea of not using blood.
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  65

  Kermit Gosnell, MD.

  by Glander in

  1. social
  2. current

  he is accused of performing "abortions" after the birth of live babies.

  where does planned parenthood stand on this case?.

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  drewcoul

  The more the anti-abortion zealots push the states to enact legislation that make safe, accessible abortion services unable to operate,

  the more of these kinds of horror stories we will see.

  This is complete and utter B.S. To blame pro-lifers for this is like blaming the Allied forces for the holocaust. This is the fault of one man and his staff.