so i noticed this change in the text of the new silver nwt compared to the older nwt at matthew 5:32. old nwt:.
"however, i say to you that everyone divorcing his wife , except on the grounds of fornication makes her a subject for adultery...etc" .
new nwt:.
Maybe some had trouble coming up with proof of fornication (intercourse) before a.judicial.committee. so now they are saying, we will let you get a divorce if you can prove - or if one will admit to - any form of sexual conduct. Could that include kissing someone else? Viewing pornography? Going to a strip club?
Maybe this is designed to make it easier to divorce an unbelieving spouse even if that spouse is not actually cheating.
i found this memorial invitation quite different than the previous ones.
i couldn't find a more recent posting about the invite, so i may be going over old ground.. at first i just looked thru it.
but then on second look, i realized there was more going on than i thought.
When I was in the cult I know that some congregations had their memorial at an outside, rented facility such as a school auditorium or a hotel banquet room. This was in cases where, say, 3 congregations shared the hall. For example the North Congregation, the South congregation, and the Spanish Congregation. Each year one would take a turn having theirs offsite.
Or some halls were very small yet the memorial attendance is always so large they need an outside facility.
Either way it's a waste of time. The old ladies would get their hair done and the men would get haircuts, and everyone would dress up. Just to hear the same talk each year and pass around "the elements" that you were not allowed to partake of. All the inactive ones would come out of the woodwork as if showing up for this event would somehow earn God's favor...a way of saying "yes I am still in". People inviting as many as possible just so this year's numbers can be higher than last year's.
did anyone else have really lazy people in their congregation when it came to the field circus.
people where i live are shamelessly lazy, they drive door to door even when the houses are 3 feet apart!
yes even in town houses they drive door to door.
There were also the garage sales. (Or "yard sales"). Whole car groups would have to stop and look at ALL the merchandise. Then they would wait till all the other customers left. Then one person would hold out a WT and ask the householder something like, "Can I leave this with you to read?".
And there were some people who, at the service meeting, would tell the group, "I will drive myslef and I will meet you in the territory" or they would ask for one or two blocks to be assigned to them, rather than going with the group. from there they would go drop off their dry cleaning and do some other errands before showing up in the territory.
so after years of being out of the orginization, and using a pseudonym i have put my face out there for the world to see.
the repercussions have been real.
but i am also convicted in my stance.
Congratulations! Be YOU!
i have a funeral to attend for a non jw family member and the jdub family member reminded me that i should not wear black.
for the life of me, i can't recall where this belief came from in jw teachings and i'm born in.
is there something in print or is that just a personal opinion belief?
i think the main objective is to wear something that shows respect for the deceased and for the family's feelings, and also not to draw attention to yourself. You want them to remember that you came, rather than remembering what you wore.
so here is a newer post over on that other site that reminds me of wash, rinse, and repeat.. this could be "our last memorial"!!!!
by shannie, wednesday at 08:14 pm in our meetings, ministry, and life as a christian.
well once again the memorial is upon us... tonight at our meeting.. .
They were saying that in the 1980's. "This could be our last Memorial" and "This could be our last Circuit Assembly" and so on. They were saying "We are so close to The End."
hey all,.
so i have recently seen quite a few jws that were former friends in our community.
i am always polite and say hello - although most will not acknowledge me.
steve2, you are right. Since they are no longer part of our lives, and vice versa, they are just like any other strangers we encounter.
hey all,.
so i have recently seen quite a few jws that were former friends in our community.
i am always polite and say hello - although most will not acknowledge me.
I pretty much never see any of the JWs. But here's a funny story. Since leaving the cult about 13 years ago I have gotten baptized into the Baptist faith. Last year our pastor had to retire suddenly and I took over as Interim (temporary) Pastor while the church was searching for a new pastor. One Sunday afternoon after our morning service I went out to eat, and I had to be back at church that evening to preach again. Well as I was almost walking out of the restaurant after having paid for my meal I heard people calling me. It was a JW couple, seated at a table. They had recognized me and were calling me over to their table. I recognized them but didn't remember where I knew them from. After a few friendly sentences of How are you doing, do you still work at XXXXX and so on, they asked what congregation am I going to now. (I was wearing a suit, of course.) You should have seen the look on their faces when I replied that I am now the pastor of a Baptist church! They first said, "What?" and I repeated, "I am a pastor of a Baptist church." And then they said "WHO is?" and i said, "I am." They turned their heads the other way. Ha ha! I am sure that as soon a I left they were on their phones calling everyone.
you know, i'm not such a conspiracy thinker.
but why do they display this sign / symbol at the background?
with some litle imagination it is a freemason sign.
His bow tie matches her shoes.
a post on another thread got me to thinking and writing.. should we even be trying to get our loved ones out of jehovah's witnesses?.
when a person truly believes in their belief system, or even if they don't but have held to that system for a long time, there is nothing we can say that will move them from that system.. why?
perhaps pride.
My personal opinion is, don't worry about anyone who is still in. Just get out. Walk away and do not look back. Be like Lot leaving Sodom - run.The relatives who stay in do not love you. They love the organization more than they love you.
