Posts by Ucantnome

10

I Felt Proud Telling People That Michael Jackson Was Raised a JW

by Tempest in a Teacup in

jw
friends

i just remembered this thing this morning:.

sharing the same faith with the king of pop made me feel important for belonging to this religion, even if he was never baptised.

we were not in america or anywhere close by.

Ucantnome

He visited our hall once I was indifferent

146

Why I remain one of Jehovah's Witnesses

by Brother Jeramy in

allow me to begin with a clarification: when i say i am one of jehovah's witnesses, i don't mean that i am an advocate of the watchtower society or a devotee of some of its more controversial false teachings.

i mean that i am a christian, a disciple of jesus christ dedicated to jehovah god, and who remains in union with my brothers and sisters who make up the family of faith that globally refers to itself as jehovah's witnesses.

some totally understand the distinction between the family of brothers and sisters and the corporate organization known as the watchtower society (wts).

Ucantnome

Some totally understand the distinction between the Family of brothers and sisters and the corporate organization known as the Watchtower Society (WTS).

Brother Jeramy I don't understand the distinction. I thought that supposedly the two witnesses mentioned in Revelation 11 were Christ's brothers and when the Watchtower Society's President and several other members of the Society were imprisoned in 1918 it was as though the preaching work was dead (the two witnesses). Which seems to me to tie the Society to Christ's brothers who are part of the 'Family of brothers and sisters'?

41

How Do You Feel About All The Time You Wasted Being. A Jehovah's Witness?

by minimus in

jw
friends

all that i can say is....what a shame!

Ucantnome

I don't know that it was wasted time because if I hadn't have been raised as a witness I have no idea how my life would have turned out. Maybe there were things that I needed to do that were small but significant to my life or the lives of others that needed me to be a Witness and the only way I would ever have done them would be because I was raised as a witness. I know decisions that I made were influenced by my faith in the good news that I preached as Witness and decisions may have been better if I'd chosen a different path but I don't know. I have a different view of the preaching work that I engaged in and so I no longer participate that's it. Looking at my cousins who were not raised as Witness they are better educated and have better jobs than I have. The same is true of my father and children. So probably I would have been financially better.

160

"The organisation is imperfect, but it doesn't affect my relationship with Jehovah"

by Alive! in

i've noted active, devoted jw's state the above.. and, it's not a problem for me to remain trusting of god, i just don't trust religions or men.. recently, a member of this forum stated that he remains an active jw, in the family of god's people, wanting to encourage and do good - whilst recognising that the pastoral leaders (the gb) have shipwrecked the faith of many, being unsound scripturally etc, etc.. stop and think about this - the bible says to not follow after those who lie and hurt the faith of "little ones".. the pharisees were accused of traversing over lands and expending much energy to make a single convert - only for that convert to end up worse of than he started off with.. it's one thing to not believe this is the 'truth' and feeling the awful pressure of managing ones life, trying not to lose ones family.. it's quite another thing to declare oneself to be a christian believer of god's jw household, and somehow believe the god of love would use corrupt liars to parade as jesus' brothers in the urgency of last days.

really?

and, to then visibly promote faith in corrupt men, and try to bring converts into a place where the rulership is wrong.. some of us are dying from hurt here.......give me a break..

Ucantnome

I still believe in God and have faith in his provisions but I found I couldn't remain actively preaching as a Jehovah's Witness and not feel a complete hypocrite. A friend commented to me that they can join in preaching but never mention some primary teachings that they are not happy with. I felt identifying myself as Jehovah's Witness would show my support. I have gone back to the hall at times but not to joining in the preaching work and after awhile I found there was little point especially if I was honest to all about how I felt. In the future who knows what changes will be made and maybe I would be able to whole heartedly support the kingdom preaching done by Jehovah's Witnesses but I feel God doesn't want lukewarm activity.

78

Am I the only "witness here besides the admins?

by TheOnlyRealWittnessHere in

jw
friends

with all the negativity here i was wondering if i am the only one here that's a witness.

.

the topic pretty much says everything..

Ucantnome

depends maybe how you define witness

23

12 signs you are a modern day Pharisee

by Zoos in

i was reading through this list and was struck by how accurately it describes the watchtower royalty class.

not exactly a professional doing the writing but i think he captures it pretty well.. http://frankpowell.me/12-signs-you-are-modern-day-pharisee.

for those who cannot access the link:.

Ucantnome

when I was a witness I think I would have reasoned that I had accepted 1914 as the end of the gentile times and the events associated with that date. accepting the anointed witnesses as commissioned to preach the good news of the kingdom. accepting this with the evidence of the world wide preaching activity and fulfilment as I understood it of Matthew 24 I would also have believed they were the faithful and discreet slave class and Ezekiel 24:24 was applying to them only, not any previous Christians, in this time of the end and as such the modern day Ezekiel class they were acting as a watchman, as he was and so some may think there are some comparisons to beeing Pharisee like but there are not, they are only doing their appointed job in a unique time period.

32

Would you call JW HQ???

by DATA-DOG in

i have a friend who is still in.

this friend is a partaker, but has serious doubts about the org.

this friend wants to stand up as a man, and wants to call wtbts hq.

Ucantnome

So....no "real" JW will put faith in anything said by a cowardly "closet" partaker.

My view.

I always felt if I was to partake it would be joining the body, part of the FDS class as they were identified at the time and would therefore be responsible for any things that are taught as I believed the FDS class were responsible for the spiritual food. I felt similar regarding the elder body and the decisions they came to.

I would think the Governing Body give a lot of consideration to their decisions and would not think that there was anything one might add that they hadn't considered and if I believed that they were directed in some way by the holy spirit I think my money may be wasted on the phone call.

64

The poor and deprived life of JW children.

by Esse quam videri in

i find it hard to believe that adults on this forum make such a big deal about not celebrating birthdays, x-mas, easter, halloween, etc, etc, etc.

i grew up as a jw kid and it actually made me feel good, being different from the other kids in school.

we went to meetings.

Ucantnome

Esse quam videri

Maybe your childhood would have been different if your father was an elder in the congregation. Magwitch mentions and I quote 'Watching Hockey would never, ever have been allowed in my JW home growing up.' My father was very similar. When I was young we never watched sports particularly football, American or soccer. I wasn't particularly good at football but my brother was but wasn't allowed to play for the school, bad association and it might impinge on theocratic activities. My parents were strong witnesses we never missed meetings or field service. We were raised with pioneering in mind and we did. We done pioneer days. I witnessed at school and work and some came to the meetings. As a child it was one long round of meetings field service study and assemblies. My parents didn't believe in vacations from theocratic activities either. We studied, Your Will Be Done On Earth on a Monday night as a family and the Babylon the Great has Fallen Gods Kingdom rules, on Tuesday night at the meeting these were deep books and I had little interest in them at the age of 8 but my parents expected me to have an interest in them. There was no young people at our book study meeting. We had no friends of our own age there was very few young people in the congregation.We had a two hour Thursday night meeting Saturday and Sunday field service this was when I was in primary school. I also remember when I was about 7 my brother explaining to me how Armageddon could start at any time which was based on the belief that the tribulation had started in 1914 and soon we would be in a paradise earth which was better than Christmas and Birthdays but it wasn't true.

I think my child hood as a witness was probably quite different from yours.

64

The poor and deprived life of JW children.

by Esse quam videri in

i find it hard to believe that adults on this forum make such a big deal about not celebrating birthdays, x-mas, easter, halloween, etc, etc, etc.

i grew up as a jw kid and it actually made me feel good, being different from the other kids in school.

we went to meetings.

Ucantnome

Sure I liked staying home some Saturdays and watching Spiderman cartoons, BUT, I never, ever, ever, ever, ever, [is that enough to get my point across?] ever missed birthdays, x-mass, etc etc etc.

When I was a child there was no Saturday or Sunday morning cartoons to stay home watch but I still would have rather stayed home rather than go in the field service. On a Sunday my father would generally get stuck on the first or second door for the full hour while i had to be ready with a smile on my face to hand the householder an invitation to the Sunday talk which we knew they were unlikely to attend. Often this was in cold weather and i would have blocks of ice for feet by the time we left and then got a telling off as i didnt look interested in the conversation at the door. I was preschool.

My parents would generally go out on Christmas day and so would take us kids with them. I can remember calling on kids homes that I went to school with. Although I got a long with the kids at school this wasn't something I enjoyed doing, calling at their homes on Christmas morning.

My parents didn't believe in having present days, too much like Christmas. Therefore I didn't get presents at least nothing in wrapping paper. I got a pen when I graduated from junior high from my parents, that was it for gifts. My older sibling can remember when my parents did celebrate Christmas and their excitement the night before on Christmas eve. There was no excitement like that in my childhood. I can remember going to my grandparents house after Christmas day with a lot of my cousins there and dreading the thought that should Christmas be mentioned or gifts or anything to be ready to give some sort of witness and my father didn't like mistakes.

I'm not a kid anymore and it was years ago but truthfully I can say I didn't enjoy my childhood and I certainly didn't enjoy the meetings or field service and loathed the assemblies.

As for joining the theocratic ministry school. I hated giving every talk I ever gave and I gave quite a few over thirty years. When I joined I don't think they had bible readings. I think it was a short talk. I wouldn't have joined had my father not suggested it. It was best to heed his suggestions. As a young teen when I was baptised I remember being at the kingdom hall one Sunday and thinking how much I hated the thought that one day I would have to be an elder. Thankfully I was able to avoid it.

If you are an adult and feel you had a deprived childhood, grow up and get over it.

I didn't subject my children to the same childhood as I had. When I was a witness and we had children I didn't take them to the assemblies, to sit for hours listening to things they wouldn't understand. Field service was brief and meetings were shorter and at one time when they were young we didn't take them in the week as they were tired. They grew up fine.

64

The poor and deprived life of JW children.

by Esse quam videri in

i find it hard to believe that adults on this forum make such a big deal about not celebrating birthdays, x-mas, easter, halloween, etc, etc, etc.

i grew up as a jw kid and it actually made me feel good, being different from the other kids in school.

we went to meetings.

Ucantnome

I wouldn't say I was unhappy or happy but I didn't share your 'Exhilarating, exciting, mind blowing for a 7 year old. What kid at school got to experience that.' This was something I would rather not have experienced, giving some talk at the age of 7/8