this is an actual case.
a jw was recently disfellowshipped heres the reason.
he was and elder and regular pioneer at the time baprized 40 years he decides to rent a room from a women who rents rooms out to singles ,he moves in and there's another guy there also renting a room he happens to be disfellowshipped .
Off topic, but renting a room at his age is also a sad part of the story.
I remember an elder who had a nice house and family, he often used to say he wished his circumstances allowed him to rent a room and pioneer. Sadly that is your typical hypercritical elder. So the elder in your story is not typical of a conservative elder, and thus gives credibility to the story. Outsiders are always eaten by the wolves in the J.W organization, and that includes elders.
the city in which i work is flooded with those witnessing carts.
today im going to approach one of them and pretend i dont know what they believe.
gonna try and record it if i can.
Darknight757 ; " Ask them " What is your policy on beards?"
We had an elderly lady in the congregation who had a lot of facial hair. So not sure I would ask that question if I see her on the cart.
the city in which i work is flooded with those witnessing carts.
today im going to approach one of them and pretend i dont know what they believe.
gonna try and record it if i can.
I was in Rickmansworth a village outside London, and I saw two middle aged ladies "womaning " a Witness Cart, I was tempted to approach but they were laughing with a real cockney guy, who was selling fruit and veg near where they had the cart. So I decided to observe, and noticed something I hadn't seen before with a Witness Cart, these woman were great ladies, saying hello with people in this little community as accepted members of the village. This really impressed me. They presented themselves as equal not better than people. Yes maybe I should have gone and said something controversial, but I felt they probably had elder husbands, and so when I went over I simply said, " You seem great people, but I can't say the same about your church, so I won't take any literature, however can you tell me where I can buy a Donnor kebab? Thus putting their witness time to good use.
many people are understandably upset and angry at the notion that jws have the right to shun people.
it seems such an obvious "no brainer" cruel and inhuman thing to do - it must be wrong ... surely?.
of course we look at things from the perspective of those hurt and harmed by shunning.
Rainbow -Troll . Great observation and post thank you.
one day at art class, we were told we were to draw a naked woman.
i knew as a witness this would be wrong, but i awaited the lesson in anticipation, it would be the first time i had seen a naked woman.
i remember sitting at my esal waiting ten or fifteen minutes for her to appear.
One day at Art class, we were told we were to draw a naked woman. I knew as a witness this would be wrong, but I awaited the lesson in anticipation, it would be the first time I had seen a naked woman. I remember sitting at my esal waiting ten or fifteen minutes for her to appear. I remember first the removal of a pair of thick glasses, then the removal of her dressing gown, and she sat down. She was naked, and I was embarrassed, it did not seem right to look at her. How old was I? Sixteen, seventeen? And then something strange happened, once I started to draw I found I could look at her as if she were a statue. There was no excitement just the challenge of being an artist. However during the break when she put on her gown and talked to us about our drawings she became very desirable, on many levels .
Looking back on that history, I realize how stupid I was to feel wrong about any of this, it wasn't as if I wanted to get her in bed, and what should have been an artistic challenge for me instead caused me much anxiety because I felt I was doing something secret and evil. I now prefer to reminisce on the experience and think that was my first " act of rebellion" against the watchtower.
many people are understandably upset and angry at the notion that jws have the right to shun people.
it seems such an obvious "no brainer" cruel and inhuman thing to do - it must be wrong ... surely?.
of course we look at things from the perspective of those hurt and harmed by shunning.
I honestly believe the Governing body do not force anyone to shun. People shun because they are shunners, many a witness in good standing I have known to ignore thiis commandment from the G.B, and I believe it's because it's simply impossible for them to shun, it's against their nature, and they don't do it.
That's not to let the G.B off the hook,trying to inforce the evil policy.( the reason it is done is to control information, and keep the community away from worldly association, hence celebrating birthdays and Christmas is a shunning offense) Its also not a blanket condemnation on shunners, some do it simply because they believe it's the right thing to do. But my observation congregations were like a pack of wolves, made up of people who enjoyed hurting the weak.
To clarify those that have shunned me, must take individual responsibility for shunning me, blaming an organization doesn't give them a free ticket.
as a witness i now realise how little control we really had over our life.
therefore naturally upon leaving everything became less certain.
this is because really leaving only happened when i let go of that past.
I believe as individuals we can contribute to our community, but as members in the Jehovers Witness organization we contributed nothing to our community. If only when we were witnesses we realized as individuals our secular jobs are what really contributed to our community not door knocking.
jws like to think they have found the one true religion.
but like so many other religious people, it's usually the religion they were born into, the only religion they know because it's the first one they found or, at the most, one of two or three (typically the second one after they left their first / born-in faith).. the trouble is, there simply isn't enough time to explore and investigate each and everyone of the many thousands of belief systems, religions and sects around the world.. think of it this way: which is the best neighbourhood to live in where you would be most happy and most successful?
not just in the city or even the country you are in, but the entire world.. how would you ever know?
I honestly think religious people and football supporters are fairly similar. We find our team/ religion as a child, and stick with it, what ever the board do, however expensive the tickets, win or loose it's our team, it is our God.
Do football clubs disfellowship? some of my favourite players have been kicked out the club, but I never leave with them and support their new club. Well I never have yet, no matter the reason I never leave my football club. Watford F.C forever.
p.s Simon, I believe you supported Manchester City, so tonight we are at loggerheads, but my prediction Man City 0 Watford 5. Yes like religious people football supporters are deluded.
in 1967 richard avedon published a poster of his portraits of the beatles.
my jw aunt attacked it for being spiritualistic!
the "third" eye on george's palm was spiritualistic!
I remember an elder asked my wife to turn the the radio down, when born again Christian, Cliff Richard sang " Devil Woman" on the radio. ( I agreed with him but for musical preference) Anyway what I found ironic was the guitarist Hank Marvin is a J.W and at the time played the song live with Cliff all over the world.
maybe there will be a mass exodus from jws when thinking people read feb 2017 watchtower telling them the governing body stuff up, shouldnt expect correct/ perfect information and basically make up guff as they see fit.....ya reckon?.
Stockholm Syndrome the problem is that you are taking 2 lines in an article and adding .... to combine them. As a group the article is read in its entirety, and the study article ends " ....Jesus, soon he will lead US to everlasting life ( Rev 7 :14-17) and no humun can do that"
So in my opinion, not a mass J.W exodus, but a few which is better than none.
