i was doing some research on another topic and i came across this from the march 1950 watchtower.... absence of prayer at public meetings!november 17, 1949dear brother:answering your query of the 9th instant regarding the absence of prayer in opening and closing our public meetings:it is certain that the public does not come to our public lectures in our kingdom hall or elsewhere to hear us pray, but do come to hear the advertised subject spoken upon by the speaker announced as competent to handle it.
our exemplar jesus held many public lectures, but there is no record that he opened or closed any of them with prayer.
there is no bible record that he opened up the sermon on the mount with prayer, or those open-air lectures after which he fed the multitude, first the 5,000 and then the 4,000. but there is a record that when he thus fed the multitudes he did offer prayer of thanksgiving to god before breaking the bread and fish and distributing the pieces to the hungry crowds.
sir82
Even the depth of writing has changed.
The above quoted articles are clearly intended for intelligent adults who have more than basic reading comprehension.
Today's stuff? Written for 8-year-olds - and then there are the "simplified" editions!
How do you "simplify" crap like "See Jane, See Jane preach. Preach, Jane, Preach! Jane is good."
That is my most basic non doctrinal complaint about the religion.
a resident of a backwater swedish town called trelleborg was shocked to open his mailbox and find a letter addressed to none other than russia’s president, vladimir putin.
the only thing that per's home address has in common with the russian president’s is the number 23, while also noting that the town of trelleborg is roughly 1,532 kilometers (951 miles) from moscow.. .
when asked if he was curious about what's in the letter per replied "yes, of course i am.
Probably a letter from a little old JW, faithfully trying out her letter writing the leaders told her to do!
Although it doesnt appear to have enough stamps for that really does it?
after knowing the ttatt i felt anger of all the lies i was told for years.
then, i did some changes in my life to the better.
i was doubting but felt relieved.
I believe there is no one right way.
Too many variables in our individual circumstances.
You have accomplished a lot in just being able to see the religion for what it is Skepsis. I hope you give yourself a lot of credit for that alone.
More and more of my family are showing signs of being unhappy with the religion. I cant take credit for that (although I am trying to wake them up) the religion is changing and not everyone is happy with those changes.
I guess what I am saying is, hang on and be hopeful because life turns on a dime. Patience and a strong fortitude and knowing you (we) are not alone in this struggle.
mrs phizzy and myself will be eating out, sure in the knowledge we will not have jw's using the same restaurant.. i may have a cigar along with my brandy at the meal's end to celebrate my (our) freedom..
Saethydd
Ugh, I've got to go to their Memorial, AND it didn't even fall on the normal meeting night so I have to go to that two days later.
Perhaps not?
I thought no other meetings were to be held that week?
Or is it just no other meetings are to be held that night?
Trying to help you get off the hook saethydd!
you make a topic with the entire title and post in capitals !!!.
what you think happens: lots of people will read your many important words of much importance.
what actually happens: the forum admin deletes it.. tip: don't post in all caps, it looks spammy and spammy gets deleted..
I am a dork! I thought this was going to be a thread about anticipatory anxiety versus what actually happens.
OR (notice those caps???)
its opposite, where you build things to such a heightened expectation that the reality fails to deliver.
You know, like a sequel to an originally good movie. Or that great restaurant that was hyped and you found it just so-so.
And now me and this thread!
i know this must be coming down from the top because the elders in my hall who didn't really care before are all concerned about it.
must be on the list of things to do before the co comes back around.
in past years i never really thought about the dpa.
They have back pedaled on their hard line as to blood transfusions being a disfellowshipping offense.
Perhaps this is an internal way of enforcing the seriousness of the teaching without putting so much in writing?
florida keys news, saturday 8 april 2017. key west to settle religious discrimination suit by former bus driver.
the city of key west has reached an agreement to settle a federal lawsuit brought by a former city bus driver who claimed religious discrimination fueled his firing after he refused to work during the nudity-filled fantasy fest.. bobby walker jr. sued the city march 3, 2016, nearly three months after the equal employment opportunity commission dismissed his claim over his firing.
he accused his bosses of mocking his religious beliefs and making derogatory comments about his race before firing him from the $13-an-hour job in retaliation when he complained.
Stupid law suit but he probably would have gotten something, so better to settle, is the rule of thumb the city used I guess.
He cried religious discrimination before with another bus company..
His lawyer didnt want that mentioned. (I guess not!)
JWs are an extremely litigious group. He has learned well.
Jehovahs Witnesses and love is an oxymoron.
the trial has begun.
the crowd on the street (see photo) is now inside and the gallery is packed.. yesterday jehovah's witnesses presented a written legal argument - "objections to the administrative claim of the ministry of justice of the russian federation" - to the supreme court of russia which, in paragraph 254, argued that if the ministry for justice liquidates and bans the activities of jehovah's witnesses then this will force individual members to renounce or abandon their religion for fear of persecution.. download legal argument (russian).
.
sparky 1 that was an awesome post. Thanks!
we were all told when we were in the watchtower that we should be grateful to be part of such a loving family.
we were told that just beyond the superficial glamour of the world was a quagmire of despair, emptiness and pain waiting to suck us in.
obviously, we took that part with a mountain of salt or we wouldn't be here today.
punk says
feel like I'm hurtling through time so fast that I'm about to hit something. I think it might be death's door.
I think that is a sign of your active. creative mind punk.
(psst, that would make a good line in a song - just saying)
