Posts by Ucantnome

27

The two paths of exJWs

by Simon in

it's easy to think of exjws as being a single amorphous group but the more i think about it, the more i believe that there are two distinct sub-groups and wonder if you agree.. there are those who believe and those who don't.

i know that seems obvious but let's break it down a bit more.

there are those who don't and never believed and some who are looking for a religion to match their beliefs.. i used to think this split would be between born-ins and converts but of course it's possible for born-ins to be believers although i suspect that many, like with other faiths, do so simply because they have never experienced anything else or made a conscious choice.

Ucantnome

The converts though bought into the WTS religion most frequently because it was serving the niche market they were looking in

When my parents became JW I don't think they were looking for anything. My father was very involved in politics and he said only met with them when they had called on my mother so he could show them that they were wrong. He failed. Years later at an assembly he met another chap he knew who shared his political views.

In some ways I think it was good for them but it's difficult to know for sure.

I find theology more interesting since I left the JW, I was a good Christian I think but probably not a good JW. I couldn't not believe.

28

I cringe when I think about the talks I gave.

by James Mixon in

you brothers who gave talks do you thinks about the crap you spoke from the platform.. thirty years old, no knowledge what so ever of the world we live in, barely making the grade.

to graduate from high school, a year and half in jc college and now with schooling of jw higher.

education i thought i was a hell of a speaker.

Ucantnome

I only gave a number 4or 5 talk in the school when I was about 12 that was it. Then bible readings

241

Another generation....

by joey jojo in

it has been 21 years since the 1995 article that pretty much buried the idea of the '1914 generation'.. remember those guys?

the ones born in 1914 that would still be alive when the end of the system arrived.. i'm glad i'm old enough to remember going from door to door, preaching this belief.

the reason i say that is because i have a lot of 'still in' jw friends and family.

Ucantnome

I also think that when Pharaoh and his army were coming after those that left Egypt with Moses and the sea parted and they were baptised into Moses it would be difficult to say whether individually they did it as it was the right thing to do.

241

Another generation....

by joey jojo in

it has been 21 years since the 1995 article that pretty much buried the idea of the '1914 generation'.. remember those guys?

the ones born in 1914 that would still be alive when the end of the system arrived.. i'm glad i'm old enough to remember going from door to door, preaching this belief.

the reason i say that is because i have a lot of 'still in' jw friends and family.

Ucantnome

The "reward "is not only e personal relief but it also involves justice and seeing everything that Jesus spoke realize and the vindication of the Christian movement sort of speak.

When my parents were baptised in 1960 they were taught that the tribulation had started in 1914 and been cut short allowing for the work of the anointed so that the sheep like could be saved.

No doubt tied to God's eternal purpose or his plan of the ages, as it says in the last sentence of the book God's Eternal Purpose Now Triumphing For Man's Good (Watchtower 1974)

'Nothing finer could there be than to make God's purpose our purpose'

The first booklet that my parents studied 'Look! I'm making all things new' (1959)

It is the generation of people now living who have the opportunity of learning the Bible and surviving the world's end. Jesus further prophesied concerning this day: "And this good news of the kingdom will be preached in all the inhabited earth for the purpose of a witness to all the nations, and then the accomplished end will come." (Matthew 24:14)...
Do you hear this witness? Do you realize its urgency? Do you want to survive out of this old world of confusion and sorrow into God's new world of peace and joy? Then you must act, and act immediately!...
Your safety and the whole future of yourself and your family depend on now studying the Bible, associating with the New World society of Jehovah's witnesses, dedicating yourself to your Creator, Jehovah God, and witnessing for him...

'He serves God because it is the only right thing to do' - Fisherman

It seems to me that it was the right thing to do because the salvation was tied to the good news as part of God's eternal purpose

In the past two or three years I have spoken to three Witnesses and I have talked about the Good News that they are preaching. One was an elder came to my door.

I understood when I was baptised and I don't think it has changed that in 1920 it was discerned that the good news of God's kingdom as established in the heavens in 1914 (A.D.) was to be preached in fulfilment of Matthew 24:14.

It was done for a witness by Kingdom witnesses as the book Babylon the Great has fallen- Gods Kingdom rules points out and where it also says this on page 465.

The speaker, J. F. Rutherford, then president of the Watch Tower Bible & Tract Society, quoted to the assembled thousands Isaiah 43:8-12 (AV) and then proceeded to say:

Thus we see that those of the temple class are clearly designated as the Lord's witnesses at this time, to bring a message of consolation to the people, that the kingdom of heaven is here, and that millions now living will never die...

When I have had a conversation with the elder about the good news that he brings to my door and we discuss 1914. He tells me that it wouldn't matter if the date were changed. Which sounds to me that he is not convinced of what he is preaching.

When I discuss the good news with another Witness who lives thousands of miles away and is active in the field ministry. They tell me that they do not discuss 1914 as they believe it could be wrong.

The other Witness that I know and came to me was having difficulty with it as well and also believing that God exists.

The preaching of the Good News from what I understand was very important and those that act as witnesses according to Jehovah's Witnesses Proclaimers of God's Kingdom page 12 under the subheading What it means to be a Witness says

So a Witness relates facts from direct personal knowledge, or he proclaims views or truths of which he is convinced.

These three Witnesses were not convinced from what they told me that 1914 was the end of the gentile times although they identify as Jehovah's Witnesses and engaging in the preaching work.

Fisherman you say

But there is evidence of Gods Holy Spirit on the work which trumps.

To me it would not seem as much evidence if those that preach however much they preach are not convinced of what they preach and have been wrong as with the generation and the millions now living will never die and as you say about justice the word witness has is related to a courtroom setting.

When I stopped witnessing as a Jehovah's Witness I did it because I was no longer convinced regarding events surrounding 1914 and how it related to Matthew 24:14

It will be noted he does not say the gospel that has been preached to the meek throughout the entire Gospel age shall be preached. What gospel then could he mean? The gospel means good news. The good news here is concerning the end of the old order of things and the establishment of Messiah's kingdom. (The Watch Tower in English under date of July 1, 1920)

as we had been told. My decision affected my family and children but as a dedication to God was made it included doing things to the best of my ability which included being honest about my witnessing although it meant serving God with the prospects that if the Witnesses were correct then I would die at Armageddon. However can those not convinced who witness claim the same, I don't know?

241

Another generation....

by joey jojo in

it has been 21 years since the 1995 article that pretty much buried the idea of the '1914 generation'.. remember those guys?

the ones born in 1914 that would still be alive when the end of the system arrived.. i'm glad i'm old enough to remember going from door to door, preaching this belief.

the reason i say that is because i have a lot of 'still in' jw friends and family.

Ucantnome

1 Corinthians 15:18,19

In fact, also, those who fell asleep [in death] in union with Christ perished,. If in this life only we have hoped in Christ we are of all men most to be pitied. (NWT)

Commenting on this scripture in the book Man's Salvation Out of World Distress At Hand(1975 Watchtower), I believe we studied this book after 1975 probably 1976, it says on page 28.

So much depended upon Messiah's resurrection, and the apostle Paul had suffered so much persecution for preaching it, that if Paul were a liar, then, as he wrote...

So, too, with our generation in this twentieth century. After all that we have gone through since 1914, our generation would be, of all generations, the "most to be pitied".
Think of it, though! Worthy ones of this generation of mankind will be saved alive out of the rest of this world distress so as to survive the worst of it and enter into God's Messianic new system of things and not need a resurrection from the dead to life on earth! This is a valid hope well founded on what was said by Jesus Christ..."

It seems to link what Paul preached regarding the resurrection of Christ with the generation teaching.

The book's opening chapter and paragraph it asks the question

How much more will the present generation of mankind have to take of this world distress that has plagued us since 1914 C.E.?

and then says regarding the length of the generation

Fewer of us have attained to eighty years of age or more. In times such as these, such an age attainment is very good, according to the age-old saying tht set a reasonable time-length for a generation:
"The days of our years in this life are seventy years; and if by uncommon vigour they be eighty, yet is their greatness trouble and mishap; for it soon hasteneth off, and we fly away," *
During those seven or eight decades of our lives, oh, what we have experienced! For good reason, then, the announcement "Man's salvation out of world distress at hand! is good news indeed.

*written by Moses son of Amram, in Psalm 90:10, Leeser.

The apostle Paul preached good news concerning the resurrection of Christ. This good news about the generation that my mother heard hasn't proved to be good news.

After the disappointment of 1975 then the disappointment of the generation.

241

Another generation....

by joey jojo in

it has been 21 years since the 1995 article that pretty much buried the idea of the '1914 generation'.. remember those guys?

the ones born in 1914 that would still be alive when the end of the system arrived.. i'm glad i'm old enough to remember going from door to door, preaching this belief.

the reason i say that is because i have a lot of 'still in' jw friends and family.

Ucantnome

Fisherman the anointed 'gods mouthpiece' preached as good news that millions would never die they gave people a false hope that they would not die of old age. How unkind.

the couple who studied with my parents would say it is impossible for them to die of old age. They got the 'truth' in the 20's and my mother many times said how happy she was with the hope she had as a witness never growing old in this system. Now her husband is dead of old age and she sits in care home. Why would she trust anything else the witnesses preached?

35

“Even if this wasn’t the Truth, I need the structure.”

by Londo111 in

i remember many years back a fellow ministerial servant saying this to me.

he felt that even if jehovah’s witnesses were not the only true religion, the regimented routine of meetings and field service and the strict rules and enforcement provided a beneficial structure for his life.

at the time i thought if this wasn’t “the truth”, i’d have no need for all that “structure”.

Ucantnome

if Jehovah’s Witnesses were not the only true religion, the regimented routine of meetings and field service and the strict rules and enforcement provided a beneficial structure for his life.

i would feel that if I had this belief I was already an atheist.

64

Were you beaten as a child?

by purrpurr in

i've been confronting my mother with her dubious parenting skills (abuse) of me as a child.

particularly the beatings i would get with the wooden spoon.

not a light smack but hitting me as hard as she could for as long as she could.

Ucantnome

I dont remember being beaten he kicked me out the door once for telling the truth

18

What was your first public bible reading? And when?

by Mandrake in

i perfectly remember that, rehearsing with mom, trying to read with enough emphasis and in a proper tone.

i was 5 years old, back then in 1996 i think, and the portion was james 5:1-13.... i found today that i still know the first verses by heart!!!

it's actually a cherished memory for me, i came to memorize those because mom had me starting the reading all over again until i got to read it properly... and in time!!!

Ucantnome

I think when I joined it wasn't just reading it was a talk. 1966. I vaguely remember. Always hated the school and was part of it intermittently over the following 30 years. For the first 20 years I always got a g then I started getting wig then last few talks w and the last talk I wrote for my wife the elder had to explain afterward that we don't earn our salvation its a gift. Another w.

241

Another generation....

by joey jojo in

it has been 21 years since the 1995 article that pretty much buried the idea of the '1914 generation'.. remember those guys?

the ones born in 1914 that would still be alive when the end of the system arrived.. i'm glad i'm old enough to remember going from door to door, preaching this belief.

the reason i say that is because i have a lot of 'still in' jw friends and family.

Ucantnome

i glanced the article and if it is the right one i dont think it is worth more of my time.

was it the May 2016 article to whom the work is entrusted?