i mentally left the org in march 2010. i stepped down as an elder after my lad got into trouble.
i researched the publications to make myself 'spiritually strong' but it backfired.. i was in mental and emotional turmoil, still on fs, the platform and meetings etc.
i had to force myself to conform to ever failing jw doctrine.. i announced to my family that i was not going back to meetings in august 2010 after the 'overlapping' joke of 'new light'.. i told the elders not to call.
@punkofnice: I am a better student of the Bible now than I've ever been. Hence, my doubts about "The Truth."
@unshackled: Read some of Miz's and my posts. This site is therapeutic. If I wasn't posting here, I would be walking the streets talking to myself like some sort of crackhead. In all seriousness though, I'm not sure how much longer I can pull it off. I'm getting tired.
we don't have this expression in the us.
"i always 'answer up' at every meeting.
" i love it!
"On the doors?" Never heard of it.
Our "answer up" is always just called "commenting."
when i was first appointed i did, not me myself, but the body as a whole.
good group of spiritual men.
at first a pleasure to serve with them.
I've never believed it. Even from a very young age, I saw some real troubles within the elder body. I remember being sad that my Dad was gone off to elders meetings that sometimes lasted until after midnight. He would come home depressed and tired. He later told me that there was infighting and that on a couple of occasions, he had to walk out of meetings that got too heated and were stuck in a dead end. Then I had friends whose dads were elders and the stuff that went on in their homes (broken marriages, physical and emotional abuse) convinced me that no divine force was hand picking these guys.
I'm in no way saying that all elders are bad. I'm just saying that they are not spirit appointed.
3. why has god allowed suffering?.
for a time, jehovah has tolerated rebellion.
to show that no.
I can't believe this silly 6,000 years thing is still around. I hoped that after the last two Creationist/Intelligent Design brochures came out that JWs would at least abandon these inaccurate dates for human existence. The ID folks mostly have. Heck, they have mostly dismissed the chance of the Genesis account being literal. Every time I think the WT is moving even just the tiniest bit forward, they stumble right back.
just wanted to hear any stories connected to that new term from the elder's handbook..
No problems of that type yet in our congregation. Haven't had to use it. I don't think the term "brazen" is catching on either.
i mentally left the org in march 2010. i stepped down as an elder after my lad got into trouble.
i researched the publications to make myself 'spiritually strong' but it backfired.. i was in mental and emotional turmoil, still on fs, the platform and meetings etc.
i had to force myself to conform to ever failing jw doctrine.. i announced to my family that i was not going back to meetings in august 2010 after the 'overlapping' joke of 'new light'.. i told the elders not to call.
Mentally: Waaaaay out. The more I pay attention at meetings, study, go out in field service, etc., the further out I go.
Physically: Waaaaay in. If you could see me in action you would think I would never leave.
this is from the come be my follower publication.
pages 187-189. i highlighted what i found to be ironic.. 14. on the other hand, jesus must be very happy to look down from heaven and see that millions of people are fulfilling the disciple-making commission that he gave his followers before leaving the earth.
(matthew 28:19, 20) what a privilege it is to contribute to the joy of the messianic king!
Here's what I find interesting...
As Miz pointed out, JWs don't use Mark 9:38-41 very often. However, they do pick up with vs. 42: “If anyone causes one of these little ones—those who believe in me—to stumble, it would be better for them if a large millstone were hung around their neck and they were thrown into the sea." This is often used to keep people from going ahead with conscience matters like dress and grooming, entertainment, recreation, etc. These are matters where the choice is not outlawed by The Society but could "stumble someone." So, OK. It could be used that way. But when read in context, it really applies to the circumstance mentioned in the previous verses.
To ignore the primary message of the scripture (don't stop anyone who is trying to promote Jesus in a Christian manner because if you do, you are both hurting the chances of more people becoming Christians and stumbling someone who is trying to be Christian) by acting directly against it ("all other so-called Christian churches are horrible and will be destroyed by the very being they profess to worship") is ridiculous.
malawi savage betrayal by watchtower?
today i uploaded a new article presenting information about why jehovahs witnesses in malawi suffered brutal persecution compared to what watchtowers top leadership was doing at the exact same time.
the article is titled malawi savage betrayal by watchtower?
Right. But the double standard and hypocrisy was never admitted. To know that some were being tortured and killed in one part of the world, while in another part, some were buying their way out of trouble - and the Society approved of the whole thing - makes me ill. I think any decent JW would be equally as sick about it. How can you rationalize your way of this issue? It's not like "new light." It was a bloodguilt offense by the WT Society. I don't usually speak so strongly against the Org but this thread brought up all those unresolved feelings that I felt (and I guessed repressed) when I read the account the first time two years ago.
Nugget said, Perhaps deep down all that studying may have alerted my subconcious to the lies lurking beneath the surface.
That's what happened to me. I had some questions so I did deep personal study in the WT publications. That study led to more questions and some doubts so I started researching both WT and secular sources. That led to more questions, more doubts, and now a sinking feeling that as a JW, my precious "Truth" was slipping away. The pattern continues as I am still doing tons of reading and research.
Highdose, what do your old JW friends think happened to you?
malawi savage betrayal by watchtower?
today i uploaded a new article presenting information about why jehovahs witnesses in malawi suffered brutal persecution compared to what watchtowers top leadership was doing at the exact same time.
the article is titled malawi savage betrayal by watchtower?
snowbird
If the opportunity presents itself, I would tell the real story.
If active JW's decide to disbelieve it, so be it.
You can only lead a horse to water ...
Syl
Let's say I tell the story. I'm asked "where did you hear that?!" The story is so disgusting that it would be easy to dismiss it as sensationalized nonsense. Where could I say I read it? If I say "I saw it on the internet," I'll get everything from "It's probably Satanic apostates!" or "Yeah, well I saw on the internet that Bigfoot was seen gambling in Las Vegas, so..." I'm going to look around and see if there was any objective coverage of it in the media. If anyone knows of any non-"apostate" sources, let me know.
