another story that i'd like to share.
however, since he is a pioneer - maybe he should be the service overseer and br.
superfine is not doing things still ?
How would you have corrected this? I was a newbie elder following the lead of the more "spiritual" men. I feel like a couple of you are upset with me for not doing something
I feel for you, being a party to some acts of injustice myself. All of you who were fortunate enough not to serve as elders need to realize that only if you are in that situation can you really understand. Easier said than done people....especially in a mind controlling cult.
several years ago, approx 1995, i was a newbie elder - age 29 and was just doing the "yes man" duties around the hall.
there was the overbearing po who was the "king" of the congo and whatever he said was gospel... if he didn't like you - you were history... needless to say - i kissed his butt and moved up the ladder quite easily.
we had another newbie elder - in his late 40's - and he was a smart man.
Sounds like my current congregation.... I'd tell stories like this too, I have many of them but I don't want to be found out by anyone since I would have to be pretty specific. Nice to see that the so-called spiritually directed elder arrangement also doesn't work in other congs. I am still an elder now and they are starting to get suspicious... "how are you?" "we haven't seen you in service on sunday lately" "is everything ok..do you need help from any of us (other elders)?" Idiots!
do you still believe that yhwh from the old testament is a god of love?.
what is your opinion about the jesus of the new testament?.
i'm not asking if you believe they exist(ed)... just a character analysis based on what you read in the bible.. regards,.
Based purely on reading the bible while trying to ignore WT influence (which after almost 40 yrs is tough) I came to the conclusion that Jehovah of the OT is in fact a loving god to people he choose's to be namely the israelites. However he encouraged the slaughter of countless innocent "pagans".
As for Jesus... honestly Jesus is god almighty. The tetragrammaton isn't found much in the NT because its there in the meaning of Jesus name "YHVH is salvation". This point though I still go back and forth about though since the WT's argument for Jesus being only the son is logical but only up to the point where you realize that they changed the meaning of some scriptures by adding words such as [other] , a god, etc. when referring to Jesus. Also they aren't consistent with their translation of the greek word for lord to Jehovah in the NT as they leave it out in a few places where it the context refers to Jesus. Its all very confusing but I tend to believe that the WT is trying to cover something up to protect their doctrines. Somethings fishy..
follow up to previous threads..... http://www.northjersey.com/page.php?qstr=exjpcnk3zjczn2y3dnflzuvfexkzntcmzmdizww3zjd2cwvlruv5etcwnjg3mtimexjpcnk3zjcxn2y3dnflzuvfexkz.
paterson -- the masons built their paterson headquarters to last.
in justifying why the former masonic temple should be considered a local historic landmark, gianfranco archimede, executive director of the paterson historic preservation commission, pointed to the building's mass.
I gave a public talk there once... the place had a strange echoish feel to it. And it was VERY cold (it was in the winter) if I recall.
i've been inactive for a while and i can't remember the jws stance on gambling.
i'm kinda big into poker now and i want to know what to expect if i'm televised or spotted in a public tournament.
is it a disfellowshipping offense, public reproof offense, or conscious decision?
of all the things you can df'd for, this is stupid. Greed?!?! please prove greed! while you're at it, show me a scripture that says gambling is wrong! are only gamblers greedy?!? how about the stock market, or day traders! jeeeez!
I couldn't agree with you more... basically anything that hints of us being "normal" is banned. There really is nothing wrong with gambling as long as you don't become an addict. Another stupid WT Pharisaical rule.
i've been inactive for a while and i can't remember the jws stance on gambling.
i'm kinda big into poker now and i want to know what to expect if i'm televised or spotted in a public tournament.
is it a disfellowshipping offense, public reproof offense, or conscious decision?
Gambling isn't the actual offense you will be charged with.
2 Corinthians 7:1; Colossians 3:5; Ephesians 4:19. Covetousness, Greediness, and a defilement of the flesh is what the offender will be counsoled on since "gambling" isn't actually mentioned in the scriptures. Because you covet what is not yours, you are displaying uncleanness with greediness for money, and gambling has known addiction issues and therefore is a defilement.
i was at my jw's friends house a few days ago and she had a jar on her counter that had "trip to bethel" written on it.. there was some chump change inside.
i never asked.
is bethel kind of like mecca?.
Lived, worked, ate, and slept there for 3 yrs.... to be perfectly honest its a nice place for a bunch of 19 yr olds to get energy out, make friends, and get out of the house. If you know the right people you can have a nice cushy job and be do shit and be viewed as "gods" in the local congs and back home. It gets old though and I am glad that I left when I did. Its like any congregation though complete with "hallitics" immorality, stealing, etc. Nothing special.
as a publisher, still buying the wt line that they were god's sole channel and any problems, doubts, etc... i had were all a product of my own lack of.
wisdom and or humility or failure of application, i would be shocked and puzzled at how long-time elders would resign and then fade away.
i would wonder: what could have happened.
My guess is that a LOT of brothers are fed up with how congregations are run. They either leave altogether, or cut way back so that they don't have express belief in ideas that they don't go along with (blood, 1914, generation changes) or be harsh to the poor brothers in committees. It's not so bad to be a JW if you're rank-in-file (for me anywy, everyone's different).
This is absolutely how I feel in my situation, I have determined that I can not leave the WT altogether now or I'd risk my marriage and family so I hang in. Currently still an elder but I went from Service Commitee member/Bookstudy Overseer/WT Conductor/sitting on every single committee case/troubleshooting cong issues for the last CO to basically missing at least 1 meeting a week, barely commenting at bookstudy or WT and now being ignored by 1/2 the elder body (seriously..not even a hello how are you when I walk in).
I was hoping they would delete me the last CO visit but the cowards chickened out probably because they hate confrontation and they know I have accumulated enough dirt on many of them to bury them if I wanted to...which honestly I could give a shit about anymore. I am guessing that there are many "active" elders in a similar place as me out there.
this is the situation with my congregation and i wonder if it is the same with yours.. as many of you know, the watchtower is not known for organising social gatherings of any kind for relaxation or enjoyment.. many of us only come into contact with witnesses while going to meetings and going out on field service.. as soon as you leave the hall, the congregation ceases to exist, in my mind anyway.. when you go back to the hall, the congregation exists, but only for the time you are there.. think about it - you spend 2 hours sitting and perhaps 10 minutes talking during each meeting.
if you have no friends in the hall that you see on a regular basis, then you feel like you're on your own until the next meeting.. .
my point is this: for those who still go but are not invited out anywhere, particularly if they are fading, do you feel that the congregation only exists in the kingdom hall?
Since I have started to remove myself socially from the in crowd I do understand exactly what you are saying. I think for may JWs its always like this. If are not now, nor ever were on the "A" list in the cong. then the cong. was only 3 days a week for you.
i just listened to one of those teaching tapes from that witness now for jesus convention, it was about the divine name.
it was a lot of stuff i've heard before "replacing lord for jehovah in new testament when they shouldnt have" , etc.
but towards the end the speaker gave an illustration that really hit me he said something like this:.
In the Jewish scriptures they called their "Father" YHWH more often than not.
Right, but JWs are supposedly chrtistians now Jews....Even they teach that Jesus appearance nullified the mosaic system of worship so they are supposed to follow his lead. He called YHWH father most of the time.
