Drearyweather

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Posts by Drearyweather

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  31

  Have Jehovah's Witnesses Become Boring?

  by David_Jay in

  1. watchtower
  2. beliefs

  okay, that new video about 1975 has got people talking, and yes, the child abuse cases will always require us to remain vigilant...but after my having left in the late 1980s/early 1990s, it seems all the real "exciting" stuff is gone.

  when i left the witnesses were still preaching that the "generation that was old enough to understand the events of 1914" will not pass away before armageddon comes.

  no blood cards were our badges (not that stupid jw logo) and that card meant what it said, "no blood"!

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  Drearyweather

  David_Jay,

  Thanks for your comments. I'm trying to give my perspective on this matter.

  When I said that other religions can be boring too, I was implying the notion that based on personal experiences and one's outlook, anyone can make a comment on another's religion and faith, which may just be what it is- an opinion, not a fact.

  Does a religion or a faith or a way of life become boring just because ex-members of that faith or religion feel so? What will be your view if a couple of ex-jews discuss this and tell that Judaism is boring because there is nothing much to discuss among them?

  Bible students who left during the Rutherford era felt that the Russell Era was better and formed groups sticking to his teaching.

  Hardliners who left during the Knorr era claimed that Rutherford Era was better and stuck with Rutherford's teachings. (e.g. True Faith JW's)

  And then now we have those who felt that the Franz era was good and the current era is boring,

  So, I feel that there would always be a group of people who will feel that JW's during their period (when they were active) were better than the current one (when they have left or in process of leaving). This would happen in the future too. And this is true for all religions.

  Has Judaism benefited you? You have answered yes. But the answer would be different if you ask a person who has left and chosen to follow another religion.

  Similarly, Have Jehovah's Witnesses become boring? The answer would depend upon whom you are asking.

  But as you said, we all have our opinions and that is what they are: opinions.
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  31

  Have Jehovah's Witnesses Become Boring?

  by David_Jay in

  1. watchtower
  2. beliefs

  okay, that new video about 1975 has got people talking, and yes, the child abuse cases will always require us to remain vigilant...but after my having left in the late 1980s/early 1990s, it seems all the real "exciting" stuff is gone.

  when i left the witnesses were still preaching that the "generation that was old enough to understand the events of 1914" will not pass away before armageddon comes.

  no blood cards were our badges (not that stupid jw logo) and that card meant what it said, "no blood"!

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  Drearyweather

  I went back several years on this site and compared it with other sites in the exJW community. I saw a similar pattern in these others too. There's less and less to talk about regarding them. Why? It's that the Witnesses are just becoming more and more of nothing than they ever were.

  There is less and less talk about JW's now compared to several years ago on this forum. This is also because some of the great posters who posted on this site years ago are no longer there. You had Ex-DO, Ex-Gilead Missionaries, Ex-translators, Ex-Bethel Members etc here, who posted some great stuff and engaged in constructive debate.

  You are wasting your lives. Get out and get your family out today or this is the legacy you will leave your children: a wasted life in a boring religion where they will have to bury you and their children will have to bury them.

  This is pretty much true for all religions, including Judaism.
  
  
  
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  9

  Is this the JW great tribulation?

  by greenhornet in

  1. watchtower
  2. beliefs

  http://www.newsweek.com/jehovahs-witnesses-russia-ban-court-611138.

  in russia it is.

  now there going to say its coming to you!

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  Drearyweather

  In Russia it is. Now there going to say its coming to you! They just love to be persecuted and they brag about it. The great Trib is here and Armageddon is around the corner.

  Have JW's officially announced that the GT has started? at least in Russia? Share some details and sources.
  
  
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  19

  One of the most defining thing that made me question JW church after 27 years was seeing the funeral discourse outline.

  by Chook in

  1. jw
  2. experiences

  it gave the poor bastard who past away no respect, hardly mentioned anything about the deceased.

  yet hijacked the event with cult propaganda..

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  Drearyweather

  jwfacts,

  The outline in the link is a very old outline (from 1988). There were two more revisions after it. A third new funeral discourse outline was released on December 2016.

  However, the wordings in the Note section are somewhat same, but without using the word "Eulogize":

  "Adapt the material to match the circumstances of the deceased and needs of the grieving ones. While not overpraising the deceased, you may use events from his life throughout the talk to show how those in attendance can benefit from his example. You may choose to arrange a well-rehearsed interview with a brother in good standing who knew the deceased well.
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  11

  What's worse, 2 week old getting nearly 100 rat bites and living, or Jesus' torture and death?

  by FatFreek 2005 in

  1. social
  2. current

  some 35 miles from here, in the small town of magnolia, ar, a teen couple is in trouble -- as they should be -- for allowing their 2 week old girl, a 5 pound baby, to suffer nearly 100 bites from rats.

  one of the bites was so large and deep it required plastic surgery.

  i don't want to even think about the horror this teeny creature felt during those instances -- and the horrible nightmares she may suffer in years to come.. i wonder if this is one of those human experiences that may be worse than what christ suffered on that stake.

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  Drearyweather

  never a jw,

  You missed the part where I said "rational". Your arguments are purely emotional, subjective

  Just to clarify, I was not providing any argument, but my personal opinion on your question.

  I would have given you a rational reply if the subject being discussed was about Albert Einstein, Isaac Newton or Mahatma Gandhi.

  Jesus, Krishna, Buddha, etc are figures that carry a personal and emotional weight for religious people. For historians or atheists, they are merely subjects for study and debate.

  When I said that "Jesus gave the ultimate sacrifice", I was not stating an academic fact, but was giving my opinion on why I consider Jesus to be a real person and why I consider his sacrifice as the ultimate one based on my personal experiences and reading of the Bible.

  Is the response emotional, subjective? Yes, because as a religious person, I consider this topic on a personal level. That's my perception which may be different from others. In India, there is a section of people who literally worship Mr. Babasaheb Ambedkar for what he has done to them. Other people may argue and debate about him, but for these people, his contribution to their personal lives matter the most and that's why they choose to revere him.

  To give an example, I/We have made the statement that "My mom is the best" or "My Dad is a superhero". Obviously, this doesn't mean that other mothers and fathers are not good; neither does it mean that a child has done a thorough study of all other parents in the world and has come to this conclusion about his own parents. Such statements are based on personal experiences and cannot be rationally proved or if I put it, doesn't need to be proved.

  According to me, Family and Religion are two topics which are personal to people and thus it needs two qualities that may not always be possible or may not be necessary to rationally explain or prove: Love and Faith.
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  11

  What's worse, 2 week old getting nearly 100 rat bites and living, or Jesus' torture and death?

  by FatFreek 2005 in

  1. social
  2. current

  some 35 miles from here, in the small town of magnolia, ar, a teen couple is in trouble -- as they should be -- for allowing their 2 week old girl, a 5 pound baby, to suffer nearly 100 bites from rats.

  one of the bites was so large and deep it required plastic surgery.

  i don't want to even think about the horror this teeny creature felt during those instances -- and the horrible nightmares she may suffer in years to come.. i wonder if this is one of those human experiences that may be worse than what christ suffered on that stake.

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  Drearyweather

  How does that work? Try explaining in a rational way without resorting to the apostle Paul contrivances.
  

  I am a human being in captivity of death. The Bible says that Jesus gave his life as a ransom and that I will get everlasting life in God's kingdom if I believe in him and that I will be resurrected if i die before it comes. This thought makes me feel better and I choose to believe it. You can choose to believe otherwise if you want.

  How did anyone benefit from that sacrifice?

  I don't want to say how others have benefited. For me, Jesus life, his activities and his sacrifice have helped me to become a better person, give up bad habits and live a good life.

  We get far greater benefit from many scientists who gave up many of their personal pleasures to give us many medical procedures

  Yes, I appreciate what they have done. But I don't compare Jesus with scientists. Believing in Jesus does not mean that I automatically discredit what other great men have done. As I told, for me personally, Jesus was the ultimate, rest all come next. You can believe otherwise.

  Jesus' death didn't improve humanity one iota.

  Don't know about others. It did improve my life.

  If anything, it delayed improvements to our lives for 2,000 years

  I don't feel so.
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  11

  What's worse, 2 week old getting nearly 100 rat bites and living, or Jesus' torture and death?

  by FatFreek 2005 in

  1. social
  2. current

  some 35 miles from here, in the small town of magnolia, ar, a teen couple is in trouble -- as they should be -- for allowing their 2 week old girl, a 5 pound baby, to suffer nearly 100 bites from rats.

  one of the bites was so large and deep it required plastic surgery.

  i don't want to even think about the horror this teeny creature felt during those instances -- and the horrible nightmares she may suffer in years to come.. i wonder if this is one of those human experiences that may be worse than what christ suffered on that stake.

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  Drearyweather

  We've all been taught about the ultimate sacrifice that Jesus went through. Do you think that it was the ultimate?

  There is a difference between 'Ultimate Sacrifice' and 'Ultimate Suffering'
  

  The child who went through the sad experience can be classified as ultimate suffering, but not ultimate sacrifice.

  Was Jesus death the ultimate suffering? No. There are people who went through much pain and suffering than what Jesus went through. But yes, Jesus' death was the ultimate sacrifice.
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  19

  Reaction of Governing Body Belies More than their Accusation

  by carefullyread in

  1. watchtower
  2. bible

  a disfellowshiped brother wrote a letter of disquisition to the governing body of wbts a little while ago.

  it was not in any way nasty, derogatory, rude, blasphemous, or with profanity but it was civil, truthful, & very informative that some have described as extremely truthful to enlightening, an ebullient disclosure.

  i got to see some paraphrases extracted from it that have been circulating quietly or rather secretly passed around & i agree with the latter description.. the governing body was greatly perturbed, alarmed, to confused with this letter particularly as they became aware several of the congregation were also sent copies which some of the local congregational elders raised controversial questions about but mainly was dismissed by them without reading, to scoffing & ridicule but some also saw something more truthful to concern them.

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  Drearyweather

  The GB declaration naming the disfellowshiped brother as “the worst apostate person they had yet encountered” was pronounced to the whole of the congregation at a Sunday morning meeting, & they stated it was the exact words of the GB & it was also relayed to at least four other congregations I know of in the surrounding region.

  Was this 'GB declaration' through a letter? If yes, it would be interesting to see this letter. In fact, this would probably be the first time such a declaration was announced to four congregations, and that too during a Sunday meeting, and about a person who has already been disfellowshipped.
  
  
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  33

  Can the dead hear?

  by AmyWatson916 in

  1. watchtower
  2. beliefs

  the "what does the bible really teach?

  " book says we cannot speak to the dead (page 64) and that the dead do not hear (page 58) but on page 68 the book has jesus talking to a dead man and the dead man apparently hearing and responding.

  the same thing happens on page 69 when peter talks to a dead woman and the dead woman apparently hears and responds.

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  Drearyweather

  Amy Watson,

  If you need the JW answer to the question, then here it is:

  https://wol.jw.org/en/wol/d/r1/lp-e/1102003054
  

  But can you wake up someone who is sleeping in death?— No. No matter how loud you call, the one who is dead will not hear. There is nothing that you or I or any other person on earth today can do to wake the dead.

  But Jesus is different. He has special power from God. So when Jesus calls Lazarus, an amazing thing happens. The man who has been dead for four days comes out of the cave! He is brought back to life! He can breathe and walk and speak again! Yes, Jesus raises Lazarus from the dead.—John 11:1-4
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  23

  2017 Regional Convention Outlines

  by accesible in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  2017 regional convention outlines.

  https://drive.google.com/open?id=0bywm0b0qtwlstw8ws2litmhcrja.

  aquí están todos los bosquejos de la asamblea regional 2017 en inglés.

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  Drearyweather

  It would be good not to share these or in fact any passwords on public forums.

  Each elder who is assigned a talk in the convention receives his specific outline as a PDF in his inbox on jw.org.

  For any convention, the entire zip file for the Talk Outlines is provided only to the following individuals:

  1. Convention Committee Co-ordinator

  2. Program Overseer

  3. Rooming Overseer

  4. Audio-Video Department Overseer

  Each of these department heads are given access to a separate convention domain in the local elders domain, where they can download materials for their departments which includes the talk outlines.

  Each overseer who has access to these outlines and other materials are given unique passwords which is different from his convention domain password. These passwords are shared through a letter sent to the Convention Committe Co-ordinator. Usually, the Audio-Video Overseer will share his password with a volunteer/key-man with whom he is working so as to print the talk outlines and use it during the video and demonstrations rehearsals before the convention

  The branch can easily come to know which overseer has been assigned with this password which can land him in unnecessary trouble and pain.

  Hence, it would be good not to share passwords on public forums, instead can be shared through PM for those who want it.