Hoffnung

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Posts by Hoffnung

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  21

  If this doesn't scream cult, what does?

  by LostGeneration in

  1. watchtower
  2. beliefs

  from the now infamous 7.15.2011 wt.

  page 28, para 16 and 17-. we can enter into jehovahs rest or join him in his restby obediently working in harmony with his advancing purpose as it is revealed to us through his organization.

  (italics theirs-not mine).

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  Hoffnung

  Did you also note the contradiction in this paragraph 16?

  Paul said: "By this undeserved kindness, indeed, you have been
  saved through faith; and this not owing to you, it is God’s gift. No, it is not owing to works".

  The Faithful & Discrete Slave (same paragraph, italic theirs):

  "We can enter into Jehovah’s rest —or join him in his rest—by obedientlyworking"

  Do more, work more, slave for the slave. Make sure you deserve the "undeserved kindness", or else... Is it not great to be a Jehovah's Witness today? Can you feel the love?
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  58

  I was an Idiot.

  by NomadSoul in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  not too many threads like these but i thought this forum could use one.

  not going to use the inexperience or ignorance excuse.

  nor am i going to excuse that i was a born in.. plain and simple: i was an idiot for believing in the jehovah witness religion.. okay, no cat pictures.. .

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  Hoffnung

  Born-in as an idiot, and life-time member of the idiot-club. We should start a Facebook JW idiot group. Cats can be members as well.
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  70

  "Who else are we to go away to?"

  by simon17 in

  1. watchtower
  2. bible

  to the intellectually honest witness, it seems like it often comes down to this principle.

  "fine, if the witnesses aren't the truth, then show me the better answer and i'll consider it.

  " and how do you deal with that?

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  Hoffnung

  The answer I got so far in my searching is sufficient. There might not be a religion as widely known as the witnesses that fulfills biblical criteria to be the 'True' religion. But unfortunately staying with the Witnesses is one of the worst options available. If you have kids, they will be outsiders at school for their steadfast refusals to participate in Birthdays, christmas, etc. They will not consider to do something with their lives like going to college, because Armaggedon will come soon. Their ideas about friendships with other people will be strange, dividing them into, 'worldlings', 'spiritually weak'. and others. Your own mental health is at risk because of the continuous bombardments of guilt feelings to make you pioneer, etc. Your physical health is at risk due to their no-blood policy. Your time is wasted in Field Service that brings close to no result in helping people. Instead you could better spending your time in helping the needy. (Matt 7). Your worship is directed to a governing body, faithful and discreet slave, etc, a human organization, and not to God or Jesus (maybe hard to believe, but absolutely true).

  So where go to? first you must discover for yourself what the bible says. Read it on your own, without bible study aids from the watchtower, and take another translation if possible. Note down what God expects from christians (found in the New Testament). You will find it very different then what the Watchtower teaches, they have admitted as much in their own magazine in the past. That should define your belief system. (some easy points: Salvations comes by Grace of God and Faith in Jesus Ransom, and not by 'Undeserved Kindness that has to be deserved by participating in the preaching work). Then you can choose any christian denomination you feel comfortable with and that you feel as close enough as what you believe. It is not necessary that you confirm your ideas exactly to theirs, most even don't require that.
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  5

  Blood — What Happened at Watchtower in 1945?

  by Marvin Shilmer in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  blood what happened at watchtower in 1945?

  today i added a new article onto my blog addressing an aspect of watchtowers doctrinal presentation on blood that is more often than not overlooked for its significance, which is tremendous.

  you can read the details in the article blood what happened at watchtower in 1945?

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  Hoffnung

  Hi Marvin,

  Thank you for your continously great work of research. Please go on.

  Best Regards

  Hoffnung
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  40

  My article on Russia's ban of JW's

  by honorsthesis in

  1. social
  2. current

  i am a columinst for cornell university's "the diplomacist".

  i recently wrote an article on the various troubles jehovah's witnesses are facing in russia.

  i try to make the point that, even if you do not support the witnesses (and most don't) you should support freedom of thought, expression and religion.. if you are interested in checking it out, here it is: "snuffing out religious freedom in russia".

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  Hoffnung

  Jehovah's Witnesses are as free as someone with a gun pointed to his head. The person wants to run away, but the criminal says: If you run, I'll shoot you. Technically, he is free to run, but in reality, he is held hostage. The organization does not respect the rights of the individual Witness. It is too bad this has not yet been confirmed in higher courts.
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  80

  What is it with all the men waking up but the wives stay in? Why is it the opposite for me?

  by Cadellin in

  1. jw
  2. experiences

  this is something i've thought about for a while now.

  it seems like the same story on this board over and over--the husband, who also might be an elder, ms, etc.--starts having doubts and researching, aka miseryloveselders and franklin massey and others.

  he starts to smell the coffee and realizes that this organization isn't what it claims to be.

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  Hoffnung

  As a MS, I was in around in the congregation kitchen and saw too many cockroaches doing the cooking, and carcasses lying around. This could not be a healthfull environment to prepare spiritual food.
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  61

  Wow, This is Getting Tougher!

  by Franklin Massey in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  i'm having a really hard time giving my meeting parts.

  i had a service meeting part this week and i could hardly get through it.

  i am no longer convinced of some of the things jws teach and so i try to either eliminate those things from my parts, or reword them so that i'm not speaking about that which i do not personally believe.

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  Hoffnung

  Let love for your fellowman guide your thoughts and actions.

  Every situation is different, and only you can estimate what impact your decision will have on the people around you. Not to forget you cannot violate your conscience for too long either. If you cannot step down, what about telling bros and sisters in private that you do not always fully agree with the society, but that sometimes you have to say these things because it is in the outline/KM/WT article. It might help them to put it in a relative perspective. Can you bring yourself to encourage a youngster to consider a college education as something worthy to pursue? There is much you can do on a personal/private level to balance things out.

  My wife and I decided to stay "in" because her mother is suffering severely from a Multiple Sclerosis type of sickness. My MIL just clings to the big A - big cure hope, and I cannot bring myself to take that last straw away from her. Even when we know it will never come. I love her too much to add this to her sufferings, let alone losing her only daughter and SIL in an "apostasy-disfellowshipment". But that is just for us, in our current situation. If we would get kids, that would become a very different ball game.
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  24

  I've Taken So Much From This Board ...

  by snowbird in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  sometimes, i feel guilty that i haven't given back as much.. i hate feeling like a moocher.. perhaps, one day i will be able to reciprocate all the good y'all have been to and for me.. love.

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  syl.

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  Hoffnung

  We would miss your posts dearly.
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  40

  My article on Russia's ban of JW's

  by honorsthesis in

  1. social
  2. current

  i am a columinst for cornell university's "the diplomacist".

  i recently wrote an article on the various troubles jehovah's witnesses are facing in russia.

  i try to make the point that, even if you do not support the witnesses (and most don't) you should support freedom of thought, expression and religion.. if you are interested in checking it out, here it is: "snuffing out religious freedom in russia".

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  Hoffnung

  Hello honorsthesis,

  I am afraid I have to disagree with your opinion and article. Whereas the russian authorities indeed go too far in violating the personal integrity of individual witnesses, it is the OBLIGATION of the russian state to protect their citizens from harmful influences. The Watchtower Society is not afraid to appeal to Supreme Courts and the EHCR for the Freedom of Speech, but does not feel inclined to grant this same Freedom of Speech to their own members, and even less so to ex-members. They do not have any problem to resort to outright lies to get recognition as a religion in Bulgaria. They do not feel pressed to disclose to their own members the Watchtower Society was a member of the United Nations when their own writings condemned this organization at the SAME TIME (see their Revelation - Climax book 1988, still considered current teaching today). They do not feel responsible for the premature death of members in medical needs, forced to refuse transfusions of blood, plasma, leukocytes, red blood cells and platelets. Individual witnesses know that they WILL get disfellowshipped or considered disassociated if they do not refuse this treatment, thereby being cut off completely from family and friends for life. The Society does not feel responsible for the loss of a country when bright youngsters are told not to get a proper education. Less then 5% of witnesses have college education, the majority of these BEFORE they became witnesses. They have never admitted that their doctrines are based upon a chronology that is neither backed up by science or the bible, every attempt from individual witnesses to bring this to the attention, has led to the ultimate punishment of the individual (Carl Olof Jonsson - the Gentile Times Reconsidered). They have never accepted responsiblity for any wrong teaching they learned, and many there were, some with very bad consequences, e.g. forbidding vaccinations for decades. I can go on and on and on.

  Although civil rights are problematic in Russia, the Watchtower Society does not deserve the preferential status it has enjoyed in western countries during all these decades. As cults are dangerous for people, it is the full right of the Russian state to declare it illegal, and have its activities suspended. Please do some more research before you defend such an enemy of democratic rights. The methods of Russia might be questionable, but their target is not. What could help Russia is educating the general population about the dangers of cults, using the Witnesses as an example. From Europe with love.
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  61

  Wow, This is Getting Tougher!

  by Franklin Massey in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  i'm having a really hard time giving my meeting parts.

  i had a service meeting part this week and i could hardly get through it.

  i am no longer convinced of some of the things jws teach and so i try to either eliminate those things from my parts, or reword them so that i'm not speaking about that which i do not personally believe.

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  Hoffnung

  "I almost slipped and gave what would have been a controversial personal opinion."

  Nice to read how fast things are changing for you. If you don't want this slips happen again, you will have to rehearse more. On the other hand, you are in a unique position, you might as well use this opportunity to the full. You might plan ahead for reversing slips without really disproving them. We have a MS in our congo who is quite an expert in this. In the discussion of the famous WT 15/09/2010 article, after the par 8, he answered: "You could say now that the Governing body members are the leaders of the Jehovah's Witnesses as the pope is for Catholics, but that is not the case." Things like these might help some of your congo to wake up as well. On another occasion he mentioned that there was a 'widespread controversy in the "world" about the year the babylonians destroyed Jerusalem'. This might help others to start doing their own research. If you are a COBOE you can assign yourselves whatever you want, and otherwise you can change with other elders parts you cannot give. In worst case faking depression and 'fear of the platform' might provide a way out.

  I am very happy I was not a MS any more when I woke up. I cannot get myself to preach to strangers "the good news" any more, let alone defend doctrines I have come to despise from the platform. No matter which way you decide, more effort will be required. The least you will have to do is research every assignment as soon as you know of it, and if you cannot do it, swap with another elder, for whatever reason (project at work, holiday,etc..).