i've observed some forum users here that claim to be active witnesses (even claims to be ministerial servants or elders) while duplicitously supporting apostates online.
my contention is this; why attend meetings and/or participate in the preaching activity when the second you divulge your apostate thinking into the congregation, you'll be disfellowshipped?
while this action taken may seem to be harsh, the outworking of events wouldn't be much different in one of christendom's churches.
Spade: You've been here long enough so by asking this obvious question are you trying to create an illusion you're new here? BTW why do you bother creating another user here when you're not smart enough to at least change your IP address?
Sh!t! You mean you can see a poster's IP address when they post on message board?
Why aren't more people "outted"? [Or are they?]
i just remembered something from long ago..... i moved to california in 1974 after i had been in "the truth" for 11 years, having full-time pioneered and also having served time in federal prison over the so-called christian neutrality issue.. i felt completely confident that my bible education was the best on planet earth.
i had honed my skills by door to door preaching, discussion, arguments and attendance at the theocratic ministry school.. i began working as an artist in a huge company that manufactured all kinds of art, sculpture and wall hanging.
the head of the artists was a wonderful young man, skilled artist and devout christian who took me under his wing.
Obviously you hadn't read enough Awake magazines! Didn't you know reading four years' worth of them is equivalent to a university education!
Think that would fly if I list that on my employment application??
Watch Tower University
i only ever drank while i was still attending meetings.
but i seriously considered trying lsd or shrooms.
i came really close to trying shrooms once with my friend but we never got around to calling someone to sell us some.
But I didn't inhale.
i did.
still not finished with a degree yet but i'll get there.. how about you?.
I missed out. Seems too late to do it now (for me). But my kids won't miss out!!
I find it strange that they took custody of the body and buried it at sea.
DITTO.
campaign promise fulfilled.. i just love the way obama pronounces pakistan: (pahk-ee-stohn).. syl.
B.O. Has just single handedly won the presidency for 2012!
I think that's right!
Sh!%! when someone like The Donald is leading the polls for the GOP...............pitifully sad day on that side of the aisle.
President Obama is a wonderful speaker.
He is great at reading someone else's words (great speechwriter) on a teleprompter.
Without the teleprompter.......well.......judge for yourself:
i was recently talking to an ex witness whose elderly parents, and in law parents, are still witnesses.. as shocking and incomprehensible as it may seem to both sets of parents, this ex witness believes that, just like every other human throughout human history, they are going to die.
now this ex witness has expressed to me that he won't ever step foot in a kingdom hall again.. he is in a dillemma as to what to do about their funerals.
he does not want to attend any service held at the kingdom hall as the service will be heavily controlled by the seven members of the governing body that reside in brooklyn and who don't know his parents at all.. he is quite willing to stand outside the hall, or attend the crematorium or gravesite or funeral home and also any wake that takes place afterwards as people are more free to express themselves in a less formal setting.
Personally, I would see no problem in attending the funeral at the Kingdom Hall. I agree with other posters who say it's just another reigious building.
However, as a family member, perhaps you could encourage the rest of the family to hold the funeral at the mortuary if that is customary in your area. It is more common here to still have a funeral at the mortuary or funeral home. I have seldom seen a full funeral (casket and all) from a Kingdom Hall. The only Kingdom Hall funerals we see here are Memorial Services when the deceased was cremated. Usually this is done to save on the cost of a traditional funeral.
do you hate lawlessness?.
can the elders enforce any laws since they cannot read hearts?
love one another.
It must be a BIG problem that renders elders and MS useless. I wonder how bad it has to be before they take any action?
It has to be scandalous! It used to be that any elder or MS would be removed if they admitted or were found to look at porn. No more is that the case. Simple counsel from one or two elders can suffice and the appointed brother can continue to serve as long as it was only "soft-core" porn.
WT 07/15/2006 pg 31 -- "not all viewing of pornography calls for a hearing before a judicial committee. For example, suppose a brother viewed so-called soft-core pornography on several occasions. He is ashamed, confesses to an elder, and is determined not to repeat this sin. The elder might well conclude that the brother’s conduct did not escalate to the point that he engaged in “uncleanness . . . with greediness”; nor did he display a brazen attitude, indicating loose conduct. Although no judicial action would be warranted, this type of uncleanness would call for strong Scriptural counsel and perhaps follow-up help from the elders."
Then it goes on to describe HARD CORE PORN: "However, suppose a Christian has secretly viewed abhorrent, sexually degrading pornography for years and has done everything possible to conceal this sin. Such pornography might feature gang rape, bondage, sadistic torture, the brutalizing of women, or even child pornography. When others become aware of his conduct, he is deeply ashamed. He has not been brazen, but the elders may determine that he has ‘given himself over’ to this filthy habit and has practiced ‘uncleanness with greediness,’ that is, gross uncleanness. A judicial committee would be formed because gross uncleanness is involved. The wrongdoer would be disfellowshipped if he did not display godly repentance and the determination never to view pornography again. If he invited others to his home to view pornography—in effect, promoting it—he would give evidence of a brazen attitude characterizing loose conduct."
Obviously, this leave it totally subjective to the elders who become aware of someone using porn. If they are in "the clique", then you can be sure it did not escalate to "uncleanness....with greediness". However, if you're on the sh!% list already, and the elders are gunning for you.............then you're OUT, you brazen ba$tard!
to the elders and ex-elders on the board:.
does the wt have any instructions to elders about reading or not reading all the contents of the da letters people submit?.
i'm thinking that the society may not want elders looking at the reasons and "apostate literature" a daing person might submit in support of their letter....
Trust me..........those 3 elders don't give a sh!% what you put in your DA letter other than "I no longer want to be considered one of JWs."
