Posts by Liberated

44

High priced Kingdom Halls

by JWD in

jw
friends

it`s been interesting watching the org.

trying different ways to make money while at the same time keeping up a front of not being interested in money.

especially since they were forced to drop the.

Liberated

We were commended in a KM for our contributions into the building fund which made it possible for poorer congregations in Europe and Africa to have KH's built.

What they left out of the KM is that the Society LOANs the money from the building fund to these poorer congregations which then pay that money back, with interest. So our contributions weren't helping those congregations at all; they were providing the funds for the Society to loan at interest. Our contributions go into the building fund, the loan payment and interest goes back into the fund, and donations from those in the congregations which borrowed the money goes into the fund.

And maybe there's isn't anything wrong with that....

But why commend us for money? I could see it if the money was actually GIVEN to those congregations for the building of the hall and didn't need to be paid back.

It's like, "Thank you for giving me your money; it made it possible for your neighbor to have a house and food for his family. Oh, btw, he's paying it back to me, with interest."

Libby
who is no financial wizard, but is this new math?

14

Hey check out this riddle

by bigboi in

jw
friends

i wasn't sure where to post this so i put on the main board.. there are two guys standing at a fork in the road leading to the .

villages of truth and lies respectively.

in the village of truth ppl .

Liberated

---"Well, if the people of the Village of Truth never lie, simply ask both to point to the path which leads to the Village of Truth...then take the path!----

So the truth teller points to the path that leads to the village of Truth and the liar points to the other path. You don't know which one is the liar or which is the truth teller.

However, if you ask them, "If I ask you if this path leads to the village of Truth, will you say yes?"

If it is the correct path: the truth teller will say yes and the liar will say yes. Then you ask them, "Is this the path that leads to the village of truth?" The truth teller will say yes and the liar will say no. You have discovered the liar.

If it is NOT the correct path: the truth teller will say no and the liar will say no. Then you ask them, "Is this the path that leads to the village of truth?" The truth teller will say no and the liar will say yes. Again, you have discovered the liar.

Actually, I liked the one about the beer the best.

Libby

2

Rice Christians and Paper Publishers

by metatron in

jw
friends

the society used to be critical of christendom for.

producing "rice christians" in china.

go snap, crackle, pop when milk was added!).

Liberated

It was the whip they used to beat us.
I lived the 1998 one million mark, we were "urged" to get out there to reach it, so we did. Then the decline came and tsk-tsk, some are slowing down again.

5

Brooklyn, are you listening?

by OrangeBlossom in

jw
friends

i wonder if the gb ever check this board to get a grasp of how the rank & file (the hanger-oners like me) really feel about things or even curious as to why so many have left the organization.

there are many elders and ministerial servants that post here because they are so frustrated with what is going on.

i think that they would really like to see a change, a reform of some sort.

Liberated

Hi Orange Blossom,

I had my list too. I suppose we all did at one time.

Mine started right at the top with on-their-knees repentence for being misled and for misleading others and went all the way through dispensing with dispensing the magazines, included no counting of time, and ended with voluntary from the heart field service for those who felt called to do it.

Somewhere along the line it included all believers in the new covenant with Jesus as their mediator.

However, I finally realized there would be nothing left of the wts. I agree with Carm el: "reform is the same as annihilation."

I look at my time in the org as volunteer work for a giant publishing company....fits nicely on the resumè.

Libby
of the liberated class

14

Hey check out this riddle

by bigboi in

jw
friends

i wasn't sure where to post this so i put on the main board.. there are two guys standing at a fork in the road leading to the .

villages of truth and lies respectively.

in the village of truth ppl .

Liberated

If I ask you if this is the road to Truth, would you answer yes?

20

Why some stays inside the JW

by beroea in

jw
friends

i was posting a little on the old h2o but have taking a break before going to this new room only watching for a while.

im still an active jw and elder here in europe - a long way from you in the usa and also another culture even inside the jw.

i think we in europe as jws are thinking a little different from the jws in the u.s. we dont put religious authorities as high as i think you do.

Liberated

Hi Beroea,

I could have used support from an elder such as yourself, before I left. But how would we have known one another even in the same congregation? The few elders I spoke with quickly aligned themselves all the way with the organization, so I backed away from any meaningful discussion with them. The one jw who was able to draw me out by pretending she was having problems too, went straight to the elders with what I said.

So who are you able to help where you are? If they come to you with questions about wts teachings that you disagree with, what do you tell them? If they are feeling empty inside and aren't getting any spiritual encouragement from the meetings, what do you advise them to do? If they don't feel close to God and can't pray to him, if they haven't read their daily text in years, if they feel forced to attend meetings, if they are tired of shoving magazines off on people who don't really want them.......how do you shepherd these, how do you encourage or comfort them?

Libby
who chewed off her foot to get out of the trap
and is now of the liberated class

33

The Elders' are Coming, Need Questions..!!!!

by Casper in

jw
friends

the elders are coming this saturday to do their yearly.

shepherding .. .

i desperatly need a couple good "questions" to throw at.

Liberated

I had to comment on Mark's post...."the bright one"
we must have had the same two elders

btw good points made on Jesus' ransom and THE question about the org.

Libby
of the liberated class

29

A Message of Hope

by 7robert7 in

jw
friends

it's been a long time since i've visited this site.

the last time that i was here i was not allowed to participate in this forums discussions for as it was explained to me, "you dont share in our beliefs, therefore your comments, ideas, and expressions would cause conflict, and disunity among those of us who do share in the truth.

" the day i recieved the denial, i broke down in tears and prayed that jesus christ would bring down the walls of hatred and mistrust among those here and that he would allow me the blessed opportunity to some day share the joy that i have found in him.

Liberated

Hi Robert,

Your words echo my own thoughts and the reasons I became inactive in the first place and then disassociated: "Its not about Christ, its about increasing membership, its not about love for man kind, its about love of money, its not about love for you the sheep, its about love for the Society." Sooooooooo true.

Libby
of the liberated class

8

Faith in spite of the WTBTS --- Hillary, et. al.

by LoneWolf in

jw
friends

to all ---about faith.. i posted this some months ago on another board.

the comments then were thoughtful and appreciated.

i'd like to know yours, too.. a brief background first: i first became active in service in december of 1946, and have been disfellowshipped for over 12 years now, not for gross wrongdoing, but because i asked too many questions and wouldn't quit.

Liberated

Hi Lone Wolf,

I enjoyed reading your comments.

When I found that the wts was indeed inserting itself into the stream of salvation and putting itself in the place of Jesus Christ, cutting me off from Him, I could no longer agree with their teachings. I felt betrayed, disappointed, used, and angry. To leave without my children has been intensely painful.

True, I could have stayed.

Ultimately, the deciding factor for me to leave, rather than stay and preserve fellowship with family and friends, was to show my family and friends the way out should any of them ever get to that point.

And I have found a wealth of joy and peace in leaving. I have found, or re-found, a closeness with God my father that is supremely fulfilling. And I am in the process of "collecting" those things that have helped me....your post is one of them.

Here are two others: from Ray Franz--"Because of not being under law, the Christian is put in the position of showing what he or she really is at heart. And that alone counts with God."

And from Pastor Bill Stonebraker about the parable of the Good Samaritan---"The man was looking for a short list of rules, but instead Jesus gave him a principle: Practice love in relationships. It is easier to keep rules than to love."

Libby
of the liberated class.

33

The Elders' are Coming, Need Questions..!!!!

by Casper in

jw
friends

the elders are coming this saturday to do their yearly.

shepherding .. .

i desperatly need a couple good "questions" to throw at.

Liberated

This may be too late for their visit since this is Saturday morning, but I thought I'd add the two questions I asked the presiding overseer and elder when they came to "visit". I disassociated a few weeks later.

1. Who was the faithful slave in 1914 who knew of Jesus' return in that year? (answer: no one, they were actually teaching that he had already returned in 1874)

2. After telling them I didn't agree with everything the wts teaches and them wanting to know what those things were, I asked them: "Is there any teaching I COULD disagree with and still remain a member?"
(You might have to repeat the question--I had to.)

The PO said I would have to answer that question myself and I told him I believed the answer was No, so it wouldn't matter what I disagreed with----therefore there was no reason to go into any of it. No shouting match. Gave them something to research. Something to think about, I hope.

He did add that I could believe anything just as long as I didn't TALK about it to others! In the end I couldn't reconcile that kind of duplicity with being a Christian and sent in my letter before the next Saturday meeting.

Libby
of the liberated class