I am PIMO but attended the R.C yesterday for family pressure reasons. A "sister" I've not seen for a while told me her husband is overjoyed because a man he called on recently in the field service suddenly told him he wanted to attend the R.C. The unusual thing is, this man is a millionaire having built a property portfolio. He is about 60 and his life seems sorted, so why the hell would this type of person want to go to a convention named "Don't Give Up!", which in itself sounds really creepy?
Isambard Crater
JoinedPosts by Isambard Crater
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There is always one!
by Isambard Crater ini am pimo but attended the r.c yesterday for family pressure reasons.
a "sister" i've not seen for a while told me her husband is overjoyed because a man he called on recently in the field service suddenly told him he wanted to attend the r.c.
the unusual thing is, this man is a millionaire having built a property portfolio.
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This convention talk offended me
by Isambard Crater inhere are my notes from the r.c yesterday, the talk called "jehovah – the greatest example of endurance".
many of you will understand why i found it offensive.. jehovah has taken the hard option of choosing to endure:.
reproach to his holy name.
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Isambard Crater
Here are my notes from the R.C yesterday, the talk called "Jehovah – The greatest example of endurance". Many of you will understand why I found it offensive.
Jehovah has taken the hard option of choosing to endure:
- reproach to his holy name
- attack on his universal sovereignty
- observing man's morals and this wicked world degrade
- feeling disappointment about the rebellions in heaven and earth
- taunts from Satan
- heartache witnessing his weak, defenceless servants suffer, particularly children, quoting Zachariah chapter 7 verses 9 to 11
- seeing his witnesses suffer like in Russia at the moment
- temporarily feeling grief and pain about his servants who lost their lives faithful such as Abraham
- seeing the paradise earth he made turned into ruin
he has chosen to endure this, taking the hard option, for the benefit of angels and humans, providing a firm answer to Satan. Man can't live without Jehovah. His mercy extends to allow the privilege of preaching by the Great Crowd.
If Jehovah ended this wicked system thirty years ago, would you be here today? His love is apparent.
Illustration of a couple choosing to not abort an unborn disabled child but raise it in love and care, enduring its disabilities to be able to show it love.
What we can learn? Endurance motives us to action, the main one being the witnessing work.
Angels are required to endure persecution from demonic forces.
All we need to do is endure "just a little while longer".
Jehovah is happy and remains optimistic. So should we.
He is, of course, perfect, but we are failures.
Humans can only endure with help from Jehovah at R.C's like this.
Jehovah knows the optimum time when to bring Armageddon.
We must endure as long as necessary but it is comforting to know that Jehovah is enduring at the same time.
We have been granted beautiful aids including the Bible, brotherhood, congregation meetings, privilege of prayer and, above all, the privilege of preaching, along with our hope of paradise.
Don’t give up - your reward will be rich and full.
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Before I left I said this in a WT answer
by Chook inthis when i believed, i said no one really believes armageddon is imminent because we would sell our possessions and preach the remaining short time , i said we all like a each way bet.
i was always a loose canon with the microphone.
i once said if bible was in movie form jws would be forbidden to watch..
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Isambard Crater
Well said; good for you!
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Sunday's W.T angered me + I found an ironic scripture
by Isambard Crater induring the "do you love me more than these" watchtower study on sunday, i got so angry on many occasions, hearing people make comments like "if you enjoy your job, you're an enemy of jehovah" and "the only reason we're here is to preach.
work and relaxation only exist to help us to preach".. the paragraph talking about the "do more!
" attitude in the world getting people down really got me down just reading it, as it applies so much to the borg.. i also found the ecclesiastes scripture quoted to be ironic, as the rest of the article tells is that nothing is better or more of a priority than to preach;.
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Isambard Crater
During the "Do you love me more than these" Watchtower study on Sunday, I got so angry on many occasions, hearing people make comments like "If you enjoy your job, you're an enemy of Jehovah" and "the only reason we're here is to preach. Work and relaxation only exist to help us to preach".
The paragraph talking about the "do more!" attitude in the world getting people down really got me down just reading it, as it applies so much to the Borg.
I also found the Ecclesiastes scripture quoted to be ironic, as the rest of the article tells is that NOTHING is better or more of a priority than to preach;
22 What does a man really gain from all his hard work and ambition that drives him* to work hard under the sun?+ 23 For during all his days, his occupation brings pain and frustration,+ and even at night his heart does not rest.+ This too is futility.24 There is nothing better for a man than to eat and drink and find enjoyment* in his hard work.+ This too, I have realized, is from the hand of the true God,+ 25 for who eats and who drinks better than I do?+
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Victoria Derbyshire TV show on shunning - video link
by Isambard Crater inhttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hyzbjz8x9y4.
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Perhaps the reason why the Liverpool Echo newspaper social media feeds don't include links to the paedophile JW sentence is because...
by Isambard Crater in...the liverpool echo arena is the regional convention venue for the north west of the u.k (also holding manchester's r.c this year after the grande concert bombing).
or am i just being cynical at this coincidence?.
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Isambard Crater
darkspilver - thanks for finding the tweets. I have searched deep on their Facebook feed and couldn't find anything on there though, unless you might have more success?
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Perhaps the reason why the Liverpool Echo newspaper social media feeds don't include links to the paedophile JW sentence is because...
by Isambard Crater in...the liverpool echo arena is the regional convention venue for the north west of the u.k (also holding manchester's r.c this year after the grande concert bombing).
or am i just being cynical at this coincidence?.
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Isambard Crater
...the Liverpool Echo Arena is the Regional Convention venue for the North West of the U.K (also holding Manchester's R.C this year after the Grande concert bombing). or am I just being cynical at this coincidence?
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DA myself to relieve great pressure?
by Isambard Crater inmy lifelong mental illnesses, fuelled significantly by the borg, are very bad at the moment and result in me missing lots of midweek meetings, but i haven't missed a sunday in years except the occasional vacation.. the nature of my mental and emotional illnesses mean that i, as a physically in and mentally out pimo, take to heart very painfully admonishment from the platform to never miss meetings, preach all i can, and so on.. okay, i report 3 hours each month on average and no elder has ever said anything, but when they make comments on the platform, i feel such great guilt and shame, but also anger, as they do not understand my illnesses and when i do mention my situation to elders, they kind of minimise and joke about it.. some other sisters in my congregation started "officially" not attending midweek meetings a few year's ago because of their own health circumstances, but i know for a fact that some elders look down on them for this reason, not showing real understanding deep down even if they do on the surface.. i have reached the point where i want to hand in a da letter as a cry for help, or more like a clear indicator to them that when i say i'm not well enough to attend midweek, i really mean it and it's not just an excuse.
sure, i'm only 42, but i can still be too fragile to go out at night with a 30 minute drive both ways..
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Isambard Crater
I guess I will console myself knowing that I'm aware of four other Sisters, one who is an elder's wife, who haven't attended a Midweek meeting for over 3 years.
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DA myself to relieve great pressure?
by Isambard Crater inmy lifelong mental illnesses, fuelled significantly by the borg, are very bad at the moment and result in me missing lots of midweek meetings, but i haven't missed a sunday in years except the occasional vacation.. the nature of my mental and emotional illnesses mean that i, as a physically in and mentally out pimo, take to heart very painfully admonishment from the platform to never miss meetings, preach all i can, and so on.. okay, i report 3 hours each month on average and no elder has ever said anything, but when they make comments on the platform, i feel such great guilt and shame, but also anger, as they do not understand my illnesses and when i do mention my situation to elders, they kind of minimise and joke about it.. some other sisters in my congregation started "officially" not attending midweek meetings a few year's ago because of their own health circumstances, but i know for a fact that some elders look down on them for this reason, not showing real understanding deep down even if they do on the surface.. i have reached the point where i want to hand in a da letter as a cry for help, or more like a clear indicator to them that when i say i'm not well enough to attend midweek, i really mean it and it's not just an excuse.
sure, i'm only 42, but i can still be too fragile to go out at night with a 30 minute drive both ways..
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Isambard Crater
Positive things:
- I have plenty of proper non-J.W friends and around 3 or 4 J.W 'friends'
- I have been in counselling for years. They all say the Org is a lot to blame
Negative things:
- Like so many on this forum and Reddit, I "have to" stay in the Org and go through the motions for family reasons (my Dad is an Elder and regularly checks on me and also talks to my local Elders)
So do you reckon I just keep putting in the bare minimum Field Service and going to Sunday meetings, but keep missing midweek meetings and ignore anyone if they give me any shit about it?
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DA myself to relieve great pressure?
by Isambard Crater inmy lifelong mental illnesses, fuelled significantly by the borg, are very bad at the moment and result in me missing lots of midweek meetings, but i haven't missed a sunday in years except the occasional vacation.. the nature of my mental and emotional illnesses mean that i, as a physically in and mentally out pimo, take to heart very painfully admonishment from the platform to never miss meetings, preach all i can, and so on.. okay, i report 3 hours each month on average and no elder has ever said anything, but when they make comments on the platform, i feel such great guilt and shame, but also anger, as they do not understand my illnesses and when i do mention my situation to elders, they kind of minimise and joke about it.. some other sisters in my congregation started "officially" not attending midweek meetings a few year's ago because of their own health circumstances, but i know for a fact that some elders look down on them for this reason, not showing real understanding deep down even if they do on the surface.. i have reached the point where i want to hand in a da letter as a cry for help, or more like a clear indicator to them that when i say i'm not well enough to attend midweek, i really mean it and it's not just an excuse.
sure, i'm only 42, but i can still be too fragile to go out at night with a 30 minute drive both ways..
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Isambard Crater
I already realised it's not the truth in 2014 and have been stumbling on for family reasons only since then.
When I mentioned a cry for help, I don't really want the elders to help, as "preach more, pray more" isn't the answer for me - but what I want is for them to outwardly say that if I feel the best I can give means missing midweek meetings til I feel a bit better, that's "ok" as long as I listen on the phone system or something.
What I can't bear is my perception that every time someone on the platform looks in my direction when talking about spiritually weak ones or opportunities to pioneer, that they're thinking and talking about me.
Since starting to miss lots of mostly midweek meetings, nobody has officially talked to me, arranged a shepherding visit or showed any genuine sign of love and concern. Ironically - and predictably - the only time my group overseer mentioned a a shepherding call was the week the Circuit Overseer was here, just to make the elder look good. So I refused the offer and was busy anyway.
I guess my fade started in 2014 but I just want to feel more comfortable with it, not feeling the guilt for missing midweek meetings and having to back out of many oh-so-wonderful (sarcasm) field service demonstrations and stuff like that. But because the J.W's don't recognise mental illness, or at least say preaching and praying can really help (note: not if you're PIMO like me), I feel they're always glaring at me and on my back, even if that's just me exaggerating the feelings and perception.