Thank you everyone on this thread and thank you Ritchie for the support you brought to us in time of dire stress and need. I decided to join you on this site. It does help.
I also found a lot of comfort reading Ray Franz's books "Crisis of Conscience" and "In Search of Christian Freedom" - yes i finally got them. Got your phone message last nite but were away for some Easter association.Glad you had the guts to keep up and go regardless. And you saw your youngest daughter. Great but it does not sound as if she sat with you?
Posts by misty
-
14Traits of Abusive Churches and Toxic Faith Systems
by Richie inan exhaustive study has been done on the behavior of cult groups - in several books about "cults", they enumerated 21 major points where you can identify the traits of a cult-like organization.
bear in mind that the authors did not target jehovah's witnesses as a specific group at all, which made it all the more frightening!
but this dissertation generalized all cult-groups existing in the world.... 1. control-oriented, arrogantly assertive, power-posturing leadership.. 2. authoritarian and legalistic with dictatorial, dogmatic doctrines that are proclaimed to be "the truth".. 3. claims of being the channel of communication between god and humankind; having unique knowledge that makes them special.
-
-
misty
-
28
My experience at the Memorial...
by Richie inthe memorial was held last night at a community center about 15 km away from the kingdom hall.
as a df'd person, i always feel more uncomfortable if the memorial is held at a location other than the regular kh, as i would otherwise know my way around where to sit in obscurity, as well as arriving just as the meeting is about to start.. well, i decided to come a little bit earlier (although not too early) - then walked inside the community center and suddenly i was standing in front of the wide entrance where practically everyone was gathered in order to get a perfect view of who were entering the hall.
needless to say, i felt like an alien, someone who did not exist at all, yet when i gazed into the eyes of many of the ones i know, i noticed that they were secretly looking at me and then quickly turned their heads away from me.
-
-
misty
It is also much sadder when this shunning affects the younger ones. Our youngest child is finding it very confusing why all of a sudden a life-long friend is no longer allowed to play with him or even talk to him on the phone because his parents DA'd. And to talk about hipocrisy... My husband was inactive and had impartially DA'd a while back. But when I started reading the scriptures and finally understood the grace of God through Jesus, the elders advised everyone that it was ok to talk to him but not me!! So he, officially DA's also and waited for best impact, a week after mine was announced. He was hoping that some of them knowing us well, would start doing some thinking. Nope.
-
60
Who will go to heaven?
by misty ini know that jw's say only 144,000. however, i just read a book called "as time runs out" by robert jeffress and he claims that all christians who have received jesus will be picked up at the rapture.
but, he says, we will not all have the same rank in heaven.
he claims that different responsibilities will be assigned.
-
-
misty
Sixofnine:
Why do you feel that the Bible is not inspired of God? Are the prophecies, and the scientific and medical knowledge in advance not clues to such? Is the fact that it is still around intact, or the fact that it is filled with good counsel for life not evidence of a loving provider?
-
3
No ressurection?
by radar inlet us eat and drink for tomorrow we are to die!.
this is how the apostle paul responded to some who were saying in his day, there is no resurrection.
obviously from this reasoning, there was confusion amongst some as to what actually happens at death.. greek philosophy, which led some people, such as the epicureans, to lead a life of pleasure, was obviously apparent during that christian time period.
-
-
misty
Then why did He bother to leave us the Bible and keep it intact? And why fill it with things that make sense in life? And why fill it with proof of inspiration such as prophecies, and scientific knowledge written in advance? Don't you think he had a purpose for sifting the believers and unbelievers, and that foolishness as seen by men would in the long run, prove who is good harvest material?
-
9
If you were a GB member how would you reply?
by sleepy inif you were a gb member how would you reply to this letter?.
i am writing in reply to your letter of the 22 nov 2001.. i had previously written with concern over some statements found in the aug 1, 2001 watchtower pg 14 which stated, a mature christian does not advocate or insist on personal opinions or harbour private ideas when it comes to bible understanding.
you asked me not to take the statement out of context, but failed to explain clearly how i had done so.. it is my understanding that it is believed that the governing body of jehovahs witnesses has the sole responsibility and is the sole channel that can understand and teach gods message in the bible.
-
-
misty
I am sure that you will never get an answer to this from the GB. As I have never gotten an answer to any of my questions. Even when the elders came to my house, all they could do is say "we think that you should write to the Society". Why? Because our questions make sense, and they contradict their whole system of belief, and show that they are ridiculous in some of their impositions to the 6 million faithful ones who just like in the Nazi era, just followed blindly - trusting that those who led them knew something more than they did.
-
60
Who will go to heaven?
by misty ini know that jw's say only 144,000. however, i just read a book called "as time runs out" by robert jeffress and he claims that all christians who have received jesus will be picked up at the rapture.
but, he says, we will not all have the same rank in heaven.
he claims that different responsibilities will be assigned.
-
-
misty
Well, I don't really care about any man that thinks he has a connection to God - not after being a JW so long and having trusted in Russell and Rutherford and so on. But I have been reading a few lines on end of time prophecies and they seem to jive. They are written by several different guys - different backgrounds seems like, but they seem to think that the prophecies of Daniel, Ezekiel and Jeremiah,coincide with what Rev adds. And I find it interesting that they seem to point to the same understanding.Coincidence?
Maybe I am too recently DA but I cannot seem to shake it. I know that Jesus is the only mediator or the only channel - that is why I DA'd. But it seems that no one else is paying attention. Do we really get this blahhzaaa after a while?
-
60
Who will go to heaven?
by misty ini know that jw's say only 144,000. however, i just read a book called "as time runs out" by robert jeffress and he claims that all christians who have received jesus will be picked up at the rapture.
but, he says, we will not all have the same rank in heaven.
he claims that different responsibilities will be assigned.
-
-
misty
Rhett:
Are you so turned off the scriptures that none of them are valid any more. Or are you turned off anyting anyone writes? Or are you just getting your kicks at anyone who is trying to make sense of all of this? -
60
Who will go to heaven?
by misty ini know that jw's say only 144,000. however, i just read a book called "as time runs out" by robert jeffress and he claims that all christians who have received jesus will be picked up at the rapture.
but, he says, we will not all have the same rank in heaven.
he claims that different responsibilities will be assigned.
-
-
misty
It is not just a question of peace but of everlasting peace. Think of this: if someone was just called by their insurance agent and told that they should up their insurance an extra 50 K. And they want to think on it for a while. Then that night the fire consumes all but the family comes out safe. Sure, they are glad that the family is out ok. But they could have covered the house and all and did not. What if in heaven we find out that we made it safe but we could have had it easier and better - for eternity. Would we not think that the few measly years of effort down here would have been worth an eternity of peace and ease?
-
60
Who will go to heaven?
by misty ini know that jw's say only 144,000. however, i just read a book called "as time runs out" by robert jeffress and he claims that all christians who have received jesus will be picked up at the rapture.
but, he says, we will not all have the same rank in heaven.
he claims that different responsibilities will be assigned.
-
-
misty
I know that Jw's say only 144,000. However, I just read a book called "As Time Runs Out" by Robert Jeffress and he claims that all Christians who have received Jesus will be picked up at the rapture. But, he says, we will not all have the same rank in heaven. He claims that different responsibilities will be assigned. I know what you are saying: ' I had so much responsibility and stuff to do, all I want is to float on a cloud. I don't want to work anymore in heaven.' But it will be fullfilling.
He also adds something interesting. If we share our faith out of concern for others, God considers it gold. If we do it out of duty, He sees it as wood. If we give materially, God sees it as silver if it is out of concern and compassion, but grudgingly, He sees it as straw.
Where will we be? Are we going to be picked up at the rapture? or are we going to be carried into the tribulation. If so, does that mean we arenow an unbeliever?
And if we are an unbeliever, why would we ever have been part of JW to begin with? How can one be a JW and not a believer - only a fool would put themselves through so much effort for no goal of everlasting life? -
110
Memorial No Shows...Please Check in....
by ISP inwell, i was tempted but i decided not to go to the most bizarre religious ritual of modern times....how about you?.
isp
-
-
misty
I , and my family, will not attend for the very first time. It will be difficult as sunset falls to think that all our friends will be there thinking of how sad it is that we are "lost". We are thinking of holding our own - my kids and spouse and I. Am I the only one that is affected by this?