Posts by Knowsnothing

21

...Should Jehovah`s Witness`s go from Door to Door?...

by OUTLAW in

good morning we`re jehovah`s witness`s and... .

we would like to apologise... for being jehovah`s witness`s... .

should jehovah`s witness go from door to door,and apologise?...

Are JWs Who Join This Forum Expected to Tow the Accepted Line of

by believingxjw in

jw
friends

can those prominent in the "apostate" world be criticized?

we expect that jws be willing to read and swallow what is written here about their leaders and i agree with this.

but...do we also allow criticism of those taking the lead among us?

Knowsnothing

As with everything, if you must disagree, at least provide some evidence.

'Sides, we all have opinions, and should be allowed to voice them. This is part of the reason we left the WT.

Wanna disagree with Franz? Anderson? Go ahead. But, be kind enough to us to let us know why. Otherwise, it sounds like your just anti-establishment.

21

...Should Jehovah`s Witness`s go from Door to Door?...

by OUTLAW in

good morning we`re jehovah`s witness`s and... .

we would like to apologise... for being jehovah`s witness`s... .

should jehovah`s witness go from door to door,and apologise?...

"Hey, our message consists of 2% gospel, 100% destruction. Would you like to join? If you join now, we'll throw in a Circuit Assembly baptism in 6 months, and in another 6, you'll have forgotten all about it!"

13

Let the Dread of Jehovah Be Upon You.."Encouragement" for new Missionaries

by LostGeneration in

in the new wt, the latest gilead class is featured.

how would you like this kind of "encouragement"?.

anthony morris of the governing body.

Knowsnothing

So, if I tremble, I am missionary worthy? What if I take a dump in my pants? Where would that get me?

99

How Would you Interpret the Sign of the Last Days?

by Mr. Falcon in

harold camping.

2012. wtbs doomsday prophecy.

maze's ramblings.

Knowsnothing

As for me, I've come to look at it from a purely secular viewpoint. Doomsday as per things like Nuclear Holocaust, degradation of the environment leading into skirmishes for resources, extreme and unpresedented population growth, running out of oil, etc.

Even though it is absolutely, unquestionably true that life expectancy and standards of living have improved for many, how long can we sustain this lifestyle without collapse?

To me, that's what points to the Last Days. I see where we are going. I see us going to a point where there is no coming back. Whether you look at it through Bible prophecy, or reality makes no difference. What's coming is coming.

To me, it's whether you decide to live in fear of what will come, or learn to live with your reality, and realise that at some point your going to die anyways. Life is too short to fear regular death, or death from above.

36

"I never thought I would come that close to my retirement in this old system of things"

by Hoffnung in

some time ago i was at a family gathering.

my father and uncles are all long-time elders in their congregations.

when they were discussing they all were 50+ now, one of my uncles said: "i never thought i would come that close to my retirement in this old system of things".

Knowsnothing

Busterrb, welcome to the board, and thanks for sharing! Yes, a sad story indeed. Be glad your daughter directed you to this naughty site

19

So, a bit about myself and where I stand.

by Knowsnothing in

i've lurked on this forum since about the end of '10.

my first "apostate experience" began @ age 14. first a little backround.. i was baptised at 10, and did so mostly out of:.

) pressure from my mom to get baptised so that i would be safe from armaggedon(she was probably pressured from elders),.

Knowsnothing

I've lurked on this forum since about the end of '10. My first "apostate experience" began @ age 14. First a little backround.

I was baptised at 10, and did so mostly out of:

1.) pressure from my mom to get baptised so that I would be safe from Armaggedon(she was probably pressured from elders),

2.) not really having an opinion of my own at that age, my mom heard of the "truth" when I was ~5, so all I knew about the Bible was through the Witnesses,

3.) I liked the idea of being able to live in Paradise Earth, although even then I had some hidden doubts that I would just push away. After all, this was the "truth"!

I'd say that as I developed, it was mostly 1.) fear of disapproval from my mother and 2.) fear of falling away from Jehovah, thereby ending in DF and eventually destruction that kept me in, and allowed me to put up a barrier of any kind of arguement against the "truth" or the Bible. I hated studying the Watchtower, but would simply devour the Awakes, which back then had some pretty cool information to be honest. Nowadays, they still do, but seem to have more plugs for the Bible and religion.

I've grown up in a low income, monoparent family. This means my mom was mom and dad, and had to provide for me. She would work alot @ times, just to sustain us and pay for rent. When times got tough and she seemed down, which of course would've been natural in her(low income monoparent) case, I would step up and become spiritual, for her sake. I would help her study the WT, Bible, things for the TMS, etc. This would bring her joy by being able to spend time with me, and at the same time pleasing Jehovah.

I was a relatively shy kid, still am somewhat, and did well in school. I was kinda lazy at times, and sure enough did get into trouble at times, but nothing major. Never really spoke of my faith @ school. Really, it would only be to defend myself for things like holidays, birthdays, etc.

But then came the first earth-shattering experience.

@ ~14 I came into contact with a Senior from highschool. He was one of the born agains. He was a pretty weird dude(would say racist stuff, make pervert jokes, overall weird vibe), played the guitar and loved Opeth, Dream Theater, Christian black metal bands, etc. Still, he lived in my neighborhood and I saw him on the bus. We eventually started talking about God and religion.

One day, I went to his house. His father had studied with the Witnesses a while back, and was close to baptism. However, before he commited(baptism), a Christian spoke to him and relayed to him the WT's past failed prophecies, etc. This led to him becoming a Christian with

1.) extensive Bible knowledge, from a WT perspective and from a Christian perspective.

2.) knowledge of the WT past, something I had not really ever come into contact with.

3.) Witness doctrine.

He was the dude that sat down with me and basically said it all. It was so direct, so blunt, so surreal, I left there shaking that day. I was practically convinced he had been baptised, and was now trying to convert me to an apostate. Although I don't remember the specifics he told me on that day, I don't think I would ever look at JW's the same.

I began some investigation on my own on the internet, and found out about the WT cover-up about the UN. I printed out a page and showed it to a good JW friend of mine, that was about 7 yrs older than me. He said there was nothing wrong with it, that the WT wasn't part of the UN politically, only as a non-profit organisation, to represent Witnesses.

I received some counsel, wasn't reprimanded or anything, and continued on. I figured, on the more conscious level, that God's people were imperfect, that this still was the truth. Deep down, I never had and especially in my teenage years, didn't want anything to do with religion in general. Deep down, I didn't want to go to meetings, go preaching, talk about my religion, etc. I wasn't concerned with the absolutes they put up, simply neglecting context and demonizing people left and right, speaking of them as the truth.

Regardless, I found myself going through the motions, yet trying desperately to return to a frame of mind where I %100 believed this to be truth. I wanted this to be truth, so that I could motivate myself to be what others saw the potential for me to become: MS, bethelite, C.O., missionary, etc.

I, however, saw myself so far removed from that life. And yet, I had to, wanted to convince myself this was it.

I went through so much tormoil throughout the years, and so much guilt for the occasional porn watching and masturbation, that I decided to confess. I thought, this would free my conscience, and now I can serve God free of mind, and maybe, just maybe, I could finally have that desire in my heart to truly serve God, truly like going into Service, truly like going to meetings.

It didn't work. I abstained for a couple of months, but went back. My conscience bothered me like hell. I thought I was a piece of crap for being such a hypocrite, and thought myself worthy of destruction. I confessed again, but by this time, my faith was in shambles. The elders never really gave me good advice. It was very generic.

This, coupled with the failed JW marriage my mom acquired with a so-called "spiritual brother", which was just as much fake as I was, and maybe even worse, left me depressed for a long time. I had no where else to go. I had failed to continue my academic studies(was studying to be an architect, but shot myself in the foot because the career was too long, and it took away from my service to Jah...), had no real world skills, was working in a supermarket, and in general was just disoriented. I had no aims for anything at all.

My only reliefs would come via hanging out with JW friends in an informal setting, such going over their house and playing guitar, etc.

My other one saving grace was, and still is to an extent, my worldly friend I met since middle school. He has been an awsome hangout buddy, and has always had a level, non-religious biased head on him. He got me through some tough times, in more ways than he can realise.

Sorry for the long experience, I could probably say so much more, but thought it would be nice to introduce myself to the board formally, seeing as how so many of you have had to courage to open up and tell your stories as well.

My real journey out mentally came through jwfacts.org. I thank Paul for sharing all that eye-opening information with the world. Even though deep down, I knew something was funky with the religion, I never could find the way to articulate it, and jwfacts makes it so plain for the world to see the WT's contradictions.

I eventually started posting on Beliefnet, had some interesting discussions, and further came out of the JW mindset.

I eventually found this place(JWN), which I feared as the most apostate, with all you guys mocking the WT, cursing, etc. I eventually found out you are people, just like the me, and that there is nothing to fear.

I hope to have some meaningful interactions with the posters on this board, and hope I can guide some that find themselves still physically in, for sake of family, but mentally out.

Knowsnothing at your service.

44

I'm So Pissed I Can't Go To The Convention!

by Philadelphia Ponos in

seriously!

i've been planning on going to this foreign langauge district convention for over a year and because some genius in new york planned it on july 4th weekend all the hotel prices have been jacked up making it impossible for me to attend.

f**k!!!!!

Knowsnothing

@lamallcool, where there is a will, there is a way!

10

According the the Insight Book's definition of "God", should Jesus be worshipped?

by pirata in

jgnat's thread, http://www.jehovahs-witness.net/watchtower/beliefs/210513/1/how-many-gods-are-there, made me realize something:.

here's the definition of 'god' straight from the insight book:.

*** it-1 p. 968 god ***.

Knowsnothing

If Jesus really was to be worshipped, it should be a clear command throughout the Bible, and not some obscure text as Hebrews 1:6, which can be translated as obeisance.

@ pirata, as some have pointed above, things such as idols can be worshipped, and we know that people or entities can be worshipped. However, just because one can or may worship someone/thing, doesn't mean they should.

(Romans 1:7-8) . . .May YOU have undeserved kindness and peace from God our Father and [the] Lord Jesus Christ. 8 First of all, I give thanks to my God through Jesus Christ concerning all of YOU, because YOUR faith is talked about throughout the whole world.

(Romans 15:6) . . .that with one accord YOU may with one mouth glorify the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ.

If you wish to review texts that speak of the Father being the only God, may I suggest here?

Pirata, while Jesus isn't to be worshipped, IMO, I believe the Society does not give enough emphasis on him. If that's what your getting at, I totally agree.

40

THE FLOOD - What's Jehovah's problem now?

by sizemik in

this question has been bugging me for a while now .

since the last thread on the biblical flood.. it's like this .

.. immediately prior to the flood, jehovah had deemed the earth full of badness, totally wicked and "ruined" .

Knowsnothing

You know sizemike, it's interesting you arrived at this conclusion.

I used to help give study to a young woman with 3 children. Her husband was always extremely sceptical about Bible "truths". The arguement you presented now is exactly what he brought up.

Knowsnothing- "Can't you see the end is near? Just as God brought about destruction in Noah's time, so it shall be today!"

Studies' husband- "Why are there two ends? Didn't God already prove man's inability to govern himself? Why didn't the Messiah come at that time? Why has judgment taken so long?"

Knowsnothing(to myself)- Man, he makes some good points....

@ this point I kinda didn't have anything to back up my arguements with anymore.