Posts by HereIam60

6

Letter of Disassociation to Former Religions / Baptism Questions ?

by HereIam60 in

this was prompted by some comments in another thread, but since it was somewhat "off" the original topic, i'm posting/asking seperately.... i was born in 1960, and baptized as a infant in a catholic church.

obviously i have no personal memory of this, and only know, because i was told, and we had a family photo of my parents holding me before the baptismal font while the priest prepared to do the sprinkling.

i was taken probably no more than 3 times to the catholic church in my early childhood and had no clue as to what was going on.. from the ages of 10 to 12 i attended a methodist sunday school, rarely the actual church service, but sang with the class in an annual christmas presentation in the church.. in the 1980s, studying with jehovah's witnesses, and considering baptism, i was told i had to write a letter to any religious group i had previously been involved with, stating i no longer wished any contact, wanted to be removed from their membership lists and witnessing as to why...(separation from satan's world, false religion, babylon etc.).

HereIam60

Dear Blondie,

Thank you for responding, and referencing the 1956 and 1989 Watchtower articles. It is appreciated. I see that by '89 the part about 'in association with the spirit directed organization" had been added. I will continue to research as I'm sure I've seen somewhere online a timeline of how the day of baptism questions changed over the years.

I never believed I was baptized into any 'Organization'. In fact from the very beginning the overuse of that word by some Witnesses grated on me. It seemed 'worldly' and opposed to what I was being taught, as the world we were supposed to be no part of, was filled with organizations.

The United Natiions Organization was said to be "a counterfeit of God's Kingdom", and " The Disgusting Thing that causes Desolation, prophesied by Daniel". The World Health Organization, and North Atlantic Treaty Organization were man-made attempts to solve problems that left God out of the picture and could not succeed. Also, in my background "The Organization" also referred to The Mafia!

The only way I could accept it at all was to re-define it in my own mind. That 'Jehovah's Organization' was His Arrangement of things on Heaven and Earth, but solely His, in his physical creation, and spiritually. It had nothing to do with any group or corporation of humans. Perhaps that was the original intent of the term.

I can understand how an adult, baptized in one religious group by conscious choice, upon deciding to change affiliations, might need to be baptized again in their new faith group, but since Watchtower teaching is that infant baptism is unscriptural and invalid, and an infant has no choice or understanding of the matter, I still cannot see why a letter of disassociation to the church where it was done is necessary.

Maybe this is no longer required, and in any event in my case is water that long ago went under the bridge. I'm just trying to sort out some thoughts that have long been in the back of my mind.

23

Babylon The Great

by EisMe in

babylon the great: a prophetic warning.

babylon the great is not just a city—it is the system that governs the world economy.

this was god's first judgment against economic babylon, but it would not be his last.. the three parts of babylon's economy.

HereIam60

Well, I don't know about all that...but when I originally studied with Witnesses, it was strongly emphasized that Babylon the Great was the World Empire of False Religion, and was intertwined with the other parts of Satan's world, The Commercial/Financial/Business System, and the Political system, and if we had any ties to or involvement in them whatsoever, when their End came, ours would too! I hardly think that the Watchtower leadership has ever lived up to this belief.

6

Letter of Disassociation to Former Religions / Baptism Questions ?

by HereIam60 in

this was prompted by some comments in another thread, but since it was somewhat "off" the original topic, i'm posting/asking seperately.... i was born in 1960, and baptized as a infant in a catholic church.

obviously i have no personal memory of this, and only know, because i was told, and we had a family photo of my parents holding me before the baptismal font while the priest prepared to do the sprinkling.

i was taken probably no more than 3 times to the catholic church in my early childhood and had no clue as to what was going on.. from the ages of 10 to 12 i attended a methodist sunday school, rarely the actual church service, but sang with the class in an annual christmas presentation in the church.. in the 1980s, studying with jehovah's witnesses, and considering baptism, i was told i had to write a letter to any religious group i had previously been involved with, stating i no longer wished any contact, wanted to be removed from their membership lists and witnessing as to why...(separation from satan's world, false religion, babylon etc.).

HereIam60

This was prompted by some comments in another thread, but since it was somewhat "off" the original topic, I'm posting/asking seperately...

I was born in 1960, and baptized as a infant in a Catholic Church. Obviously I have no personal memory of this, and only know, because I was told, and we had a family photo of my parents holding me before the baptismal font while the priest prepared to do the sprinkling. I was taken probably no more than 3 times to the Catholic church in my early childhood and had no clue as to what was going on.

From the ages of 10 to 12 I attended a Methodist Sunday School, rarely the actual church service, but sang with the class in an annual Christmas presentation in the church.

In the 1980s, studying with Jehovah's Witnesses, and considering baptism, I was told I had to write a letter to any religious group I had previously been involved with, stating I no longer wished any contact, wanted to be removed from their membership lists and witnessing as to why...(Separation from Satan's world, false religion, Babylon etc.)

While I could somewhat see doing this regarding the Methodist church, as I had been in regular attendance for a time, and participated in services - though never baptized into it, I did not see why I should have to do so with the Catholic Church as my involvement there was not under my control, and my presence there could not have been considered worship.

My 'study conductor' however was adamant that this MUST be done. So, though annoyed I eventually, reluctantly, wrote and sent the letters, and I'm sure the only notice given them was to be dropped into a wastebasket.

Eventually I went over, with Elders, the long list of questions for persons desiring to be baptized as JW, which must have included, Had I cut all ties with False Religion?, and was approved. Until recently, when I asked an elder to look it up, I could not clearly recall the date of my baptism...

It was in February 1987. Can anyone tell me, or, point me to a source, as to what questions were being asked on the day of baptism, prior to water immersion in that year?

I know eventually these included "Do you recognize that your baptism identifies you as one of Jehovah's Witnesses, in association with His Spirit Directed Organization ?". I do not know if I was asked this. I considered it only as a dedication of my life to Jehovah God in obedience to Jesus Christ.

I have never understood the 'legal ramifications" of a religious baptism. Is it entirely choice or voluntary, or actually legally "binding" one to a Church or Organization ?

Thanks!

51

You Could Be Stuck in a University When Your Parent Dies. Convention Day 2 Video

by liam in

the governing body is going all out at this years convention.

they are still discouraging university education.

i guess the end must be real close .

HereIam60

I think in a few cases long-tine, full-time servants are helped to go home in the event of a serious need, or death, but it probably depends on who you are. The sad thing is that there have been numerous talks asking Bethelites, Missionaries etc if it is really necessary to leave their 'assignment' to care for parents if there are Other Family Members who can do it!. One could be "stuck" in the assignment as well.

Of late they haven't even been pitching the preaching full time as the focus. It's all construction, of the "thousands" of Kingdom Halls and other buildings, they supposedly "need"...and for what?

45

The pope's cousin is a JW

by loosie in

.

sorry i can't get the file attachment to work

HereIam60

I guess my 'wake up call' here is to be more observant of what I'm reading...did not see at first this thread was started 20 years ago!

I have , in the past , heard householders say they "admire" what the witnesses were doing (the preaching) so it's not totally impossible that he made some complimentary remark. I just question it as it was stated in the quoted article.

Erroneous and mistaken things are often published. Years ago a sweet elderly sister in the congregation was approaching her 100th birthday. She was interviewed for the local paper. The reporter asked her for her memories regarding certain historical events. He asked if she remembered the sinking of the Titanic. She said something like 'Oh yes, that was a terrible tragedy. So many people couldn't be saved..". When printed, the article said she was a Titanic survivor. I said excitedly to an elder "I didn't know Jessie had been on the Titanic!!" He said "She wasn't. The reporter misunderstood what she said.."

45

The pope's cousin is a JW

by loosie in

.

sorry i can't get the file attachment to work

HereIam60

Hasn’t there already been a long argument about this already? Even if true, so what? By the way that “You witnesses are doing the work we ——— should be doing” etc. has been used many times in so called experiences, just fill in the blank.

24

Question for JW's: Is Jesus the Mediator of Your Prayers ?

by Sea Breeze in

praying to god “through the son jesus” has nothing to do with christ as mediator.. do jw's even know what a mediator does?.

i am in the insurance restoration construction business and have been in mediation many times when a policy holder sues an insurance company for not paying everything they believe is due them under the terms of their policy for property damage.. i am brought in as a technical expert.. in mediation, the plaintiff (policy holder) and the defendant (insurance company) are placed in separate rooms, they do not talk to each other.

they are separated because the dispute has alienated the one from the other.

HereIam60

My view, in short:

Yes Jesus is my mediator...the one mediator between God and men who gave himself a ransom for all. He said no man can come to him unless the Father draws him, and no man can come to the Father except through him (Christ). He is the great and sympathetic High Priest, always alive to plead for us, so we may freely approach the throne. So yes I pray to Jehovah in Jesus' name and also speak directly to Jesus as did Stephen and John.

The Witness teaching of Jesus being mediator of a covenant only for the 144,00 annointed , chosen for heaven, ones is still "on the books", but I think is unknown to, or ignored by many, perhaps a majority of current Witnesses.

15

Did the WT Policy on Lying Bother You When You Were a JW?

by Sea Breeze in

here's the wt standard for lying: "while malicious lying is definitely condemned in the bible, this does not mean that a person is under obligation to divulge truthful information to people who are not entitled to it" - insight pp.

244-245. vs. websters dictionary:.

lie, noun.

HereIam60

I never viewed it as "permission" to lie. Although they state "a person is not obligated to give truthful information to those not entitled to it..", they stop short of saying they may give false information. The implied course of action is that one should remain silent, but I'm sure there are those who take it beyond that...

22

Self control fruits of the spirit. Fat GB seem to lack it

by JohnR1975 in

fruits of the spirit would surely be required to be gb members?

yet some of them seem to lack self control when it comes to eating.

br herd, mark sanderson and br jackson in these are all very obese.. if they travel to poor places wearing their rolex watches and gold pinky rings the brothers there will surely wonder why they are so fat.. there are many scriptures talking about not being greedy and not gluttonous for food.. if they were really chosen by god as his channel on earth then why can’t they show the fruits of the spirit and show self control when it comes to being gluttonous?.

HereIam60

The older ones do not look very healthy or well. The four newest seem slightly more fit.

12

Speaking for Almighty God, they endorsed RADIUM

by Nathan Natas in

but was almighty god stupid?.

you decide:.

https://www.youtube.com/shorts/nxuaim8j3i0?feature=share.

HereIam60

Even in later years, and even now, they presumed to write on health and medical topics, always with the disclaimer "The publishers do not endorse or recommend any particular treatment.." (They have certainly discouraged and forbidden some though)..

Once when I was young and new, I threw away some delicious ice cream because it contained lecithin because I'd been told it was derived from blood.

Back in the day when there were 4 printed magazines per month there had to be a constant stream of topics to write about. Especially with the Awake! magazine, there seemed to be an unspoken 'rule", if it was discussed in Awake! it was "Not for Christians". Thus people said...Don't have wind chimes...Don't join a gym...Dont watch soap operas....Don't do Yoga....I've kept an old one with the cover article " Is the Internet For You?".

Another thing the Awake! tended to do was fuel hypochondria. We had two sisters in the congregation who would "get" every ailment covered in it. Yeast infections...TMJ....Diarrhea from insufficiently washed dishes...

I was present once when one of them recieved her latest issue in the mail. (There were subscriptions then and they were sent out folded in thirds and covered with a paper wrapper). She unwrapped and unfolded it, looked at it, then her eyes widened, and she said in an almost thrilled voice "Chronic Fatigue Syndrome !".... and I knew that was what she was going to have next..