I heard that more times than I can count when I was a Witness.
Quendi
i've been officially accused of "thinking too much".. i've tried to quit thinking, but i'm hoplessly addicted to it.i just can't seem to turn my brain off.. at times duing my school years i was accused of not thinking enough.
now i'm guilty of thinking too much!.
the brother even went on to say "could you imagine what the witness organisation if everyone was thinking independently like you do"?
I heard that more times than I can count when I was a Witness.
Quendi
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Today I took the first step to rekindling my spiritual life. As I have related elsewhere, I discovered the Metropolitan Community Church of the Rockies in September 2011. Its mission statement declares that it “is a church of the lesbian and gay community, our families and friends. We are not a traditional church; we are a vibrant faith community based on a passionate belief in God’s grace….Whoever you are, wherever you come from, come as you are…YOU are welcome here!”
MCCR serves Denver’s LGBT community through various outreach programs and community activities as well. So unlike WTS congregations, people are encouraged to get involved with other church members as well as their neighbors. I am very happy to be part of this again.
Since returning to Colorado in January, I had attended only one service at MCCR. I finally got back there today (30 June). My partner wasn’t feeling well and stayed home, but he is planning to start coming with me. Today’s service was so refreshing, especially the message which focused on what to do with the fruits of the spirit mentioned at Galatians 5:22, 23. The speaker also talked about the “works of the flesh” which Paul lists in the prior verses. But instead of fulminating against the congregation and telling them to get their act together or else, he encouraged us to ask God’s help in cultivating the kind of traits that would please him.
Since leaving the Witnesses, I have felt a spiritual void in my life. I seldom thought about spiritual matters and had stopped praying or meditating. But I knew that I didn’t want to return to the Witness way of thinking about these matters. My return to MCCR gave me the reminder that I personally needed a community to associate with; a community where I could find love and encouragement; a community where following Christ was emphasized; a community where fear and hatred were left outside and love and acceptance were not just preached and encouraged, but carefully cultivated.
This does not mean that I believe a person has to join a community to be a Christian or worshiper of God. I certainly think a person can go his own way and walk a spiritual path alone. It’s just that I also believe that we humans are a family, and that being part of a genuine community can enhance and enrich one’s life. Finding that again with MCCR is very good for me because the church has set up small working groups and workshops that deal with various aspects of living. For me, that means looking forward to cultivating the spiritual awareness that will enrich my life.
Quendi
they live in a make believe world.
they live in la-la land, in story land.. it is embarrassing to realize how uneducated and dumb they sound.. they pride themselves in being ignorant while living their life in this "world".. it's too bad so many witnesses drink the koolaid and prefer to stop exercising their brains..
I don’t know how many times I heard, “The problem with you, Quendi, is that you think too much! If you’re not careful, this will feed your pride and lead you right out of the truth.” How right those people are and how happy I am about that. The WTS definitely does not want thinking people among its ranks, and this new set of Governing Body popes is definitely hostile to those of us who prefer to exercise our God-given conscience and power of reason.
Quendi
many of us were members of the theocratic ministry school for many years.
some say it helped them with public speaking, and maybe it did for some.. but, when you look back at the quality of student it turned out, was it really any good ?.
most elders are crap public speakers, most r&f bros are crap at reading aloud, most jw's are crap at selling their religion at the door, most jw's have scant real knowledge of the bible.. there are reasons for this, quite often the tms overeer hasn't a clue how to teach a person to progress.
I started a thread on this a short while ago that got some replies. You can read them here: http://www.jehovahs-witness.net/watchtower/bible/255265/1/What-Good-Has-the-TMS-Done
I had a good experience with the TMS and can honestly say I got many benefits by participating. However, on balance I must say the school is an overall failure. As has been noted, most Witness public speakers range from mediocre to downright bad. This is not to say there are not good public speakers among Witnesses, but I believe that is because such speakers had the raw natural ability in the first place. I often counseled School overseers on the finer aspects of public speaking. Many school overseers couldn’t teach a rock to stay hard let alone how to become effective speakers and teachers.
The school was instituted 70 years ago back in 1943 by Nathan Knorr. When I first started in the TMS back in 1975, there were six student talks given. Now there are only three and I don’t see how such an abbreviated course can benefit the majority of people. And the new guidebook is definitely inferior to the old one. The new one has been dumbed down considerably from its predecessor. But mainly I believe the TMS is a waste of time. Not everyone can be an accomplished speaker no matter how much time they devote to studying the various methods and techniques. But I don’t expect the WTS to ever admit that.
Quendi
i am not sure if anyone ever posted this but i thought it was worth sharing: (can anyone relate?).
the following is not fantasy, this is what we were taught to expect when we were jehovah's witnesses.. michael pendley .
day 1. well, the big a is over and i survived.
This diary perfectly describes what life is like now in JW-dom.
Quendi
i am not sure if anyone cares, but the drama with my mother and me leaving the org continues.. apparently after todays craptower she goes on a spastic rant that because of my decision i am slowly killing her and my father.
the funny thing is i do not feel bad over this... i can't.. i have children and a wife of my own that i need to be happy for.
i love them - but as they get older and closer to death i realize that a new season is coming and imust care for my family the best way i can... the same way they thought they were doing.
I completely agree with what Quandry counseled you. My immediate family are not Witnesses. However, I knew some women who considered themselves to be my spiritual mothers. When I told them I would no longer seek reinstatement, their reactions were similar to your mother’s. I thanked them for their concern and moved on with my life. Living your life, and living it well, will say more to your mother and anyone else seeking to draw you back into the cult than any amount of arguing and reasoning will. Hang in there! It will get better. By the way, I also completely agree with your determination not to raise your children in this cult. Next to loving their mother, that is the greatest gift you can give to them.
Quendi
i like everything about the apple but the worm in it.. .
i like everything about the mushroom except the poison in it.. .
i like the look of the waxed fruit except for the nutritional value.. .
Quendi
our dependence on getting the answers from others is what got us in trouble in the first place.
my view is this: nobody has a secret pipeline to absolute knowledge about anything.
they are all pretending and then convincing themselves they are certain.. _________________***________________________ .
Another great post, Terry. Thoreau put it this way in Walden:
“I went to the woods because I wished to live deliberately, to front only the essential facts of life, and see if I could not learn what it had to teach, and not, when I came to die, discover that I had not lived. I did not wish to live what was not life, living is so dear; nor did I wish to practice resignation, unless it was quite necessary. I wanted to live deep and suck out all the marrow of life, to live so sturdily and Spartan-like as to put to rout all that was not life.”
Quendi
i was wondering if there were any other ex-bethelites on here.
i personally regularly went for temporary work at brooklyn then was assigned to the farm for a year and a half.
it was... one of the most bizaare experiences of my life.. so i wrote it all down (finally, after some 15 years) so i won't bore anyone on here with the details of the story - because bethel doesn't show up until chapter 15... and for you straight folks, it gets a bit gay in two places... but nothing gross.
I have sent you a PM, backseatdevil.
Quendi