Yes, be kind and start a conversation. That is easy with those that you were just going on service with or associating at the Hall. But what of those that were your closest friends or family for the last 15 years or more and overnight they now have to shun you because they are told that this means life for them. You know that in their heart they also hurt. But they are trying to do the right thing at all cost. Just as one who DA's is trying to do the right thing by GOD. And what of the children who lose a friend and do not understand why? How can you make them understand that God did not require this but their parents are dictating this, because someone else is dictating this to them? Confusing for us, imagine those little ones?
How do you handle one that you dearly love meeting you in the supermarket and have to turn away and pretend they did not see you when you both know they did?
Posts by misty
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28My 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.
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misty
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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.
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misty
Curlers: I feel for you. You say it has been 21 years and you are still not certain what to believe? Do your parents or relatives talk to you? Or have they totally given you up? But you know that the scriptures simply say to put your trust in Jesus and you will have eternal life. Never mind what people say about anything else. I was fortunate that when I DA'd, I lost all my friends and those of all my kids etc but my family had never been JW's and did not care what I believed in or what I practiced. It made it easier since I still had some sort of support system.
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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.
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misty
Rhett:
If today the Bible said only: "Give your life to Jesus and do everything he says!" Would you drop everything and do it? -
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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.
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misty
Yes, the rank thing did send me for a spin! I had never this in the Bible either! But something has got to make sense in this since the Master gave a varying amount of talents to the slaves, and each did what they could with the talents (except for the evil slave of course). Does that not imply that we would be rewarded according to what we accomplish with our talents?
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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.
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misty
Happy man:
I am well aware that the JW are not the same as Hitler. I was exagerating to show how far following men can get you. I am very thankful for the many long years that I have been misled while being a JW. This is not sarcastic!! They have brought the Bible to me and made me understand it - gave me a good foundation. They helped me witness to others that now gives me a wide field to go undo what I did to now do it right. They gave me the discipline to teach my children what I knew and to keep them in line. That permitted me to also tell them humbly when I screwed up and that they trusted me when I researched to tell them what distortions the JW's inserted in their NWT of the Scriptures. I indeed am very thankful. Now I found Jesus, but i actually think that they had a part to do in that, and I am now trying to lead the rest of my friends in there to Jesus. Maybe you can help too, happy man?? -
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Traits 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.
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misty
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? -
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.
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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.
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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.
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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?
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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.
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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?
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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.
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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.