i've been meaning to ask this for a while.. just what, exactly, do the jw's mean by "shepherding"?.
being a naive ex-/ or rather lapsed catholic i assumed that "shepherding" calls were the same thing as pastoral visits by a priest, which involve basically a friendly cup of tea/coffee and a chat, or a visit in hospital to the sick.. it's gradually dawning on me that there's not a lot that's pastoral about "shepherding" visits by the jw's.
reading through stfog, i have a feeling that their brand of shepherds are a mixture of policeman and agents provocateurs.. similarly with "counsel", and "counselling".
Whenever I think of shepherding calls, counsel or encouragement from the elderberries all I can hear is a whip cracking, beating us back in line.
That's the impression I've got. Only recently, though. before that, it all seemed like something in a rosy idealistic glow.
It's a con, pure and simple.
its been a long story and it did not start by intention.. i am not from an english speaking country and 10 years ago i was between two jobs and trying to improve my english.
went to chatroom and met him.
he was funny, careless, clever.
Yes, JW-g/f, you have to move on and walk away from him.
Even though it felt like love, I think in your heart you know it wasn't, because where two people really love each other there is no holding back and each one loves the other as they are and without condition.
That can never be so for a JW. he is a JW, active or not.
Just move on and walk away, and don't ever look back. it's over, because it never truly existed.
my name is augusto and i'm a 24 gay male, who practices buddhism since i was born.
where i work i was lucky enough to meet a wonderful guy who has been sort of my friend for quite some time.
when i say sort of, it is because since january we are not able to have any communication out of work.
Fergal, Augustus, I really feel for you, but the very best thing you can do for yourself is to walk away from this JW guy, physically, mentally, emotionally, any way you can.
Jehovah's Witnesses believe that homosexulaity is totally wrong and belongs to the devil.
They believe that their religion is the only religion and anything else belongs to the devil.
As a Jehovah's Witness, the only way your friend can carry on talking to you is as a potential convert. In other words, he cannot accept you as a Buddhist. He cannot accept you as a gay lover.
But he may talk to you to gain a semblance of friendship and gradually try to convert you to becoming a Jehovah's Witness. In fact, in my experience, and I know a number of men who were actively gay and did become converted by JW men, your friend is actually really fairly likely to try to do this. It might feel to you as though he reciprocates your feelings for him.
He can't. As a JW, he simpolay isn't able to do so.
If you value your Buddhism, and personally I see so much that is good and attractive in Buddhism, the whole approach of loving kindness and more. you cannot gain happiness by pusuing any kind of relationship with this guy. Take him at his word. He's told you that the only possible relationship is as co-workers. That is right.
I am really sorry to give such discouraging information, Augustus, and sorry if it makes you sad. But it is better to walk a way now that to bring heartache on yourself in the future.
I feel sorry for the JW guy too. The Watchtower is no place to be for anyone with gay tendencies.
in the old days of carnivals, state fairs and such there was usually a person assigned to a booth who would "guess your weight".
if they guessed wrong, then, you won a plush prize.
if they got it right they kept the dollar they had charged you.. of course, either way they made a profit because those plush stuffed animal prizes were purchased from china for mere pennies.. but, more to the point..... .
Next time you actually get the chance to talk to a bona fide JW say to them:
"Tell me the farthest date from today you think Armageddon will come and promise to call me (hand them your phone number) the day after that
and admit you are completely WRONG!"
Love it!
what is the procedure for requesting to be on the do not call list.
what happens when someone requests to be on the do not call list?.
does a letter need to be sent each year?.
One needs to be VERY specific with them otherwise they will be back.
Oh good grief, a new take on Arnie's Terminator?
in the old days of carnivals, state fairs and such there was usually a person assigned to a booth who would "guess your weight".
if they guessed wrong, then, you won a plush prize.
if they got it right they kept the dollar they had charged you.. of course, either way they made a profit because those plush stuffed animal prizes were purchased from china for mere pennies.. but, more to the point..... .
Terry, I thought you were about to open a book and start taking wagers for the date of Armageddon!
It's a thought. Anyone?
hi guys,.
some of you may remember me, i've been on here before in the past and been about on the exjws forums on and off for about 7 years now.
you've probably also seen me advertising the xjw meet ups in london as well..... :-).
Done
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*typically the "constituion" is cited as evidence to support their "rightness".
The American constitution is dealing with all citizens, isn't it? We're talking about Jehovah's Witnesses.
My point is that Jehovah's Witnesses are not supposed to be violent, are supposed to endure violence rather than pay it back in kind, even, I understood, to the point of death, though not of course seeking it.
The American constitution therefore isn't relevant here, nor whether citizens should carry firearms. That's for the uS to decide. They do it one way and we do it another. (Who has the more gun crime...well, to us over here the answer seems obvious, but it's not our country, nor is it the point at issue here.)
My point is that if Jehovah's Witnesses teach that they shouldn't defend themselves then they shouldn't defend themselves. Period, the Americans would say, or for us, full stop. If you shouldn't do it you shouldn't do it, with a gun or knife or laser zapper, ray gun or anything. I am not saying that for everyone, I'm not saying I think it is desirable in the abstract, you understand. Just that this is what Witnesses preach, and so they should surely practise it. Shouldn't they?
What am I missing here? I cannot understand any way in which it could possibly be OK within JW rules.
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There is no prohibition against owning or carrying firearms by Jehovah's Witnesses. However, if you do, you will not be given extra privileges in the congregation. You would probably be DFed for killing someone as the WTB&TS has no clue as to the difference between killing and murder.
How can there not be a prohibition against owning or carrying firearms by JW's?
I thought JW's were in a pacifist religion, no violence, don't give back in kind etc. The DVD giving their history has moving testimony from an elderly JW who was a boy in the '30's or '40's telling how he had endured persections and beatings without retaliating.
I just do not understand how carrying firearms, let alone using them, could not be the rankest and most blatant hypocrisy.
Please can someone explain for my simple mind?
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My goodness, nothing demonstrates the gulf between Britain and the United States more than this thread....that's what I was going to say.
You probably all know that in the UK carrying any kind of weapon...even a kitchen knife, let alone a firearm, is absolutely illegal. Just carrying will put you away inside.
And yet...and yet...then I thought, how can I say anything, living as I do in a relatively quiet part of Britain far away from the cities. Only last night I watched a TV drama, Casualty, for those who don't know a hospital drama based on what I think you call an ER department, and it was all about gang crime and a gun.
Still, reading all this is very odd to British eyes.
