That's encouraging that witnesses are now allowed to do real charity work to help their fellow man. I remember when their idea of helping those who were downtrodden went a little something like this. Are you hungry? You are? Starving actually? That's too bad. how would you like to live in a world where you will never be hungry or thirsty again? And you can pet lions and tigers. And instead of barbequeing a pig you will feast on nuts and berries and various other fruits. Here take this watchtower ummm we normally get a donation for thi...oh you don't have any money? Well how about we set up a bible study I guess you will be back here next week??
Darryl
JoinedPosts by Darryl
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12
JWs do Volunteer To Help Worldly Organizations Distribute Food to the Needy
by Athanasius insome months back i posted a topic asking if jws were now encouraged to volunteer their time for charitable organizations, as one of the volunteers who i work with was promoting jw.org to one of the spanish speaking workers.
because of that, i guessed that he was a jw.. https://www.jehovahs-witness.com/topic/5708790489939968/jws-now-encouraged-volunteer.
well the other day as he and i were folding and stacking tables after distributing food to the needy, i mentioned that after i retired i got bored and decided to do volunteer work.
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Do JWs believe they will be the only people saved at the "end"?
by LaurenM inthe answer posted on jw.org: "no.
many millions who lived in centuries past and who weren’t jehovah’s witnesses will have an opportunity for salvation.
additionally, many now living may yet begin to serve god, and they too will gain salvation.
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Darryl
The answer to that question was an out and out lie. The question was do Witnesses believe they will be the only ones saved at the "end". What is the "end"? We sang songs about it, we talked about it all the time, we used to view graphic pictures depicting all the calamity falling upon all those who are not Jehovah's Witnesses. It's been laid out plainly by the society for years and years and years. We all know the person was talking about Armageddon the end of this system of things, he that endures till the end, probably you might be saved in the end or whatever. Armageddon Armageddon Armageddon it's been ingrained in our psyche since day one. Why did we go to all those damn meetings, sit through the assemblies, go out in service, refrain from anything fun, birthdays, holidays, proms, girlfriends, boyfriends, a normal life. Because we loved it?? Hardly. Because we didn't want to be killed at Armageddon. And the society has been very clear ONLY JW's will be saved at the end. And any JW"s who don't walk the line and attend all the meetings and go in service and do all the other stuff required will also be killed. Period. I saw the bunker video they were all witnesses in there, even the guy they talked about who was not in there was a witness but apparently not a good one and the implication was clear he was living on borrowed time. Talking about the resurrection and all that is ridiculous because whoever asked the question if they are not a witness probably wasn't planning on dying in order to get in but the society knows that is in their opinion absolutely the only way they will have a chance. In their world on the other side there will be no need to put a label on what they are because they will be the only ones alive JW's so when these people come back to live who will be there to teach them the right way to live? JW's and only JW's because they are the only ones who made it. I cannot believe the society would out and out lie like that.
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That Most Uneven of Judicial Procedures~The Gradual Lifting of Restriction After Reinstatement
by TMS inthose with substantial experience as jws will likely agree that judicial matters are handled with considerable inconsistency.
elders certainly vary in skill level, understanding, compassion or even knowledge of the talmudlike watchtower rules.
the punishment and, it is actually punishment, for similar offenses can result in anything from private or public reproof to disfellowshipping or sometimes an elder will choose to simply offer private counsel without even bringing the matter before the body of elders.
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Darryl
I went to exactly 2 meetings and a JC meeting since I was df'd almost 20 years ago. The first meeting was a book study at of course the kingdom hall. It was between them telling me I was df'd and them telling the rest of the cong nobody knew yet but of course I was not permitted to go to anyone's home. I remember the elder that was on the committee was in that book study but not the conductor. I could tell the kids already knew because of how they were looking at me. I had gone with my wife at the time and we were sitting together near the back but I remember at one point during the study the elder stood up and walked to the back of the room behind me for a few minutes. I don't know if he was looking to see if I had studied or what I didn't know what was going on. The next meeting was the Sunday meeting I did the whole get there late sit in the back thing I inadvertently sat in someone's seat who had taken their baby out so when they got back I had to move. I looked around a little and caught the eye of a "sister" who was giving me the most evil look you could imagine. The funny thing was her husband had just been df'd around 2 months prior and was at every meeting since. I have no idea what he was df'd for but maybe she thought it was for homosexuality and I was his lover. I swear that's how evil the look was she was giving me. I only went because I had sort of promised my mother that I would work myself back in I only said it because it was what she wanted to hear not because of what I wanted. After that meeting I said the hell with this I don't want back in and never stepped foot in a KH again. Well actually I did for a JC meeting as I stated. They called me and asked if I wanted to meet, it had been about a year and since I got df'd I wrote them a letter and came clean about all the sinning I had been doing since my teens. Anyway they asked if I wanted back in I said I guess t would be nice to be...another elder interrupted NO DO YOU WANT TO BE BACK IN?? Like I said I guess it would be........DO YOU WANT TO BE ONE OF JEHOVAH'S WITNESSES?? I guess not really. You called me by the way. I will always regret going to those 3 meetings. Actually I regret every meeting I ever attended. The early ones I had no choice but my dad was an unbeliever so as I got into my teens I should have just refused to go like my older brothers. But no I had to be one to get baptized and make mommy proud. But now she talks to the 3 who walked away years and years ago and never got baptized including one who's been in and out of jail since he was about 15 but has no dealings at all with me. Aint that some shit
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Brother & Sister-in-Law Return to Kingdom Hall After Two Decades, Quickly Get Stumbled
by TMS init was a mild surprise, learning that a brother and sister-in-law had began re-associating with jehovah's witnesses after at least 25 years of being away.
the couple, of hispanic ethnicity, are in their early 60's, with their five children all grown and independent.
the family had been considered nominal jws, infrequently attending meetings, rarely in field service, but using the annual convention as their family vacation.
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Darryl
I'm sure if the kingdom hall had developed a serious and expensive plumbing issue this person would suddenly be an approved associate in good standing and qualified to do the work for free.
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16
I need a little help
by Darryl inmy story is i've been df'd for about 20 years.
a couple years after i started attending church and found it to be a tremendously uplifting experience.
from the people to the music, message everything drew me in.
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Darryl
Thanks all actually do go to the gym. What attracts me to the churches is some of them are actually doing good work. The one I attended donated money and food to the local food bank. They looked after the elderly, had a summer enrichment camp for the kids, gave to various charities. I believe when its all said and done the main question is what did you do for other people? Knocking on empty houses for 2 hours every Saturday is not even a productive plan to reach the masses with your message. I mean how many people do your normal witness encounter in a week? If it's anywhere like it was when I was in usually at most you will get in a solid hour of actual door to door work. In that hour you might get 5 or 6 people to answer of those 6 maybe 2 will allow you to get your spiel out. Invariably someone in your group will remember that they have a return visit that they been trying to catch and want to see if they're home even though everyone knows they won't be. But I digress I just feel like making a positive difference in someone's life is better than handing them a tract or watchtower but that's just my opinion.
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I need a little help
by Darryl inmy story is i've been df'd for about 20 years.
a couple years after i started attending church and found it to be a tremendously uplifting experience.
from the people to the music, message everything drew me in.
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Darryl
My story is I've been df'd for about 20 years. A couple years later I started attending church and found it to be a tremendously uplifting experience. From the people to the music, message everything drew me in. However I was still torn because I didn't totally believe the doctrine. I just can't accept the whole Jesus is God thing as well as everybody is going to heaven. As far as heaven goes I truly have no idea who's going, who's not going if everyone is going or if no one is going. I definitely don't believe that only a handful of Jehovah's witnesses are going, I have a spiritual side in me that wants to believe in God and Jesus and the whole thing but it's getting difficult. I see a lot of corrupt leaders in the church as well.
I did at one time feel that the witnesses had the truth but I always knew that I couldn't live up to the demands. It always kind of irked me when the fds thought they knew the exact meaning and prophecy behind every scripture in the bible. If there was a scripture that mentions donkey poop laying on some dirt they can decipher the scripture and tell you who the greater donkey poop and the greater dirt is. And don't even mention the book of Revelation, that whole book was written about Jehovah's Witnesses particularly the fds. Nobody else just them-Babylon the Great of course, nations all that but the good news only pertains to the Jehovah's Witnesses. Do you think when John got the vision Jehovah allowed him to look in on a Watchtower study way off into the future, or maybe a convention drama, watch a 6 year old give a tract presentation at a door? I just don't believe 6 or 7 million people and when you think of it how many of them are on the up and up? There might be some active witnesses reading this sentence right now and if so you are not in the number I just quoted. But let's just say 7 million people just 7 million meet God's approval the other 4 billion, yes 4 billion will be destroyed. Can you imagine? Airplanes falling out of the sky, cars and trucks crashing, can you imagine the fires, air pollution?
Anyway I need help I want to believe in God but quite frankly I don't know what to believe anymore
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But where else should we go? Can you answer this question?
by purrpurr inhaving watched many jc youtube videos one question that gets asked is "where else would you go?".
in other words if not jehovah's witnesses then what other religion or organisation would you go to?.
it's one that i have trouble answering, what would you say?.
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Darryl
As far as the witnesses go maybe all of the moral stuff is in theory the best way to live. Don't lie, pay your taxes, don't commit fornication, treat people the way you want to be treated, don't steal,kill, or harm your fellow man in any way.But really all churches teach that to a certain extent. Witnesses are the only ones who police it the way that they do, as well as instruct the members to police each other. The other stuff is what I had a huge problem with, all the tedious boring meetings, service, assemblies, conventions, all that was required of you. Way too much. As far as children go I happen to believe it's the cruelest most horrible thing you can subject your child to religion wise. No child should ever deal with the hurt and shame and disappointment that I and countless other witnesses had to endure. I vowed that my children would never step foot in a KH.
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JW Acumen & Education = NO VALUE IN THE REAL WORLD
by Black Man inhaving been out of the cult for a few years now, i can finally sit back and accurately access the good, bad and the ugly, especially as it relates to education and having a sense of self-worth and realizing your potential.
in my opinion, religion is a total crock, but at least in some religions there is at least some value that you can translate your experiences and education gained in such into the real world.
for example, the mormons have their own accredited university where you can obtain a degree and you can actually put that down on your resume and use it in the real world.
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Darryl
I remember a conversation I had with my mother, I had already left the org and had started attending a Baptist Church and what struck me about attending church was how uplifting an experience it was. Of course I learned all my life that churches were full of evil people who are attached to false teachings and all that. I don't think that I ever bought into all the doctrinal stuff. However the people I encountered were good people. They were involved in the community. They had a scholarship fund to help young college age kids. They encouraged and helped the young kids to be as great as they could be.
Then I talked about my upbringing and how sports, other extra curricular activities were strongly discouraged. College was a huge no no. I told her how much I resented the fact that I never went to college and thus was forced to work a job in manufacturing. It's a good paying job but still my options were severely limited. Then she says this and sadly it almost got her cussed out but I expressed my anger the best way I could and respectfully although I was boiling inside.
What she said was well the Society has changed their view on that slightly and they understand that at least some college might be necessary in the times we are living in. Yeah it was pretty fucking necessary in the times that I was a teenager as well. She continued in fact brother W is putting his Son's through college Jr just graduated this year. I knew Jr when I was in that cong Jr was at least 15 years younger than me. Brother W was your typical asshole elder. Law and order, frowns all the time makes up new rules just in case the ones coming from NY wasn't strict enough. He was definitely a stay the hell away from college guy when I was growing up and his boys were barely walking. Now that they are all grown up he's putting them through college. I asked my mother don't you think that's pretty fucked up??? I didn't use those words but that is the message I wanted to get across. She thought nothing of the society changing their view on something just another example of the "light" getting brighter and brighter. My ass. Never ever ever going back.
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Serena
by Darryl ini was watching serena win yet another wimbledon title recently (congrats to her) but it got me to thinking about her for a moment.
she identifies herself as a jw and if you look up any info on her it will tell you that her religion is jw so that means that she herself and the rest of the world identifies her as a jw.. for those of us who are df'd as well as those of you who are about to be df'd what is the reason?
and what is the main difference between a df and a fade away?
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Darryl
Yes very good I said all those things. This is just an open forum of ideas and thoughts correct? I'm not lodging a formal complaint against Serena Williams to the society. You said that they Are ignoring what she's saying now even though she's saying she's a jw. That's because everything is good and positive if it becomes not so good yes trust me thats another story.
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Serena
by Darryl ini was watching serena win yet another wimbledon title recently (congrats to her) but it got me to thinking about her for a moment.
she identifies herself as a jw and if you look up any info on her it will tell you that her religion is jw so that means that she herself and the rest of the world identifies her as a jw.. for those of us who are df'd as well as those of you who are about to be df'd what is the reason?
and what is the main difference between a df and a fade away?
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Darryl
So if she does something really horrible and is all over the news for that and in the same report they say she's a jw do you think they would let that fly??