Posts by NotFormer

67

Thoughts on annual meeting “new light”

by FFGhost in

so, i finally saw the annual meeting video part 2.. this is the one with the “new light” on who might survive armageddon, vs. those who do not.. in summary, for those of you fortunate enough not to have to sit through it, it’s something like this:.

old light: once the “great tribulation” starts, that’s it for non-jws.

the “door of the ark” is closed.

NotFormer

God may save the ones he knows to be "right-hearted"? Sounds suspiciously like the predestination that Russell rejected at the start of this whole sordid mess. 🤔🧐

4

ExJW from La France !

by jwrogue1914 in

long time lurker here.

i've been out for 8 years this very month.

today is an important date for me because i'm posting on this forum for the first time and i just post my first video on youtube yesterday (channel : jw rogue) the channel is in french but you can activate the subtiles.

NotFormer

Welcome! You're no stranger, so you obviously don't need to have everything explained about what happens here and what to expect. It's good see that you have decided to "give back" in making exJW content.

Do your best to keep your anonymity until you're in the right place otherwise. There's no point making it easy for the bastards to make your life difficult.

14

The Memorial

by jhine in

the wt teaches that the memorial ( communion) should only be celebrated yearly and only the anointed can partake of the bread and wine .

is that right ?

i don't think so ..

NotFormer

jhine, as a fellow outsider, who goes to a mainstream Protestant church, I always saw this whole setup as an exercise in cruelty. To really grind into the great unwashed how lowly they really were to the GB.

That the current GB can't be anointed according to the former rules makes the whole thing farcical.

22

Join JW's or DIE - soon!!!

by BoogerMan in

w72 10/1 p. 607 - "they (jw's) know that soon now all who are not true worshipers of jehovah (jw's) will be destroyed.".

how quickly half a century passes by!

2 peter 3:8 - "...one day is with jehovah jw.borg as a thousand years and a thousand years as one day.

NotFormer

"Join JW's or DIE - soon!!!"

Well...soonish?

8

Jehovah's Witnesses Sinner's Prayer

by NotFormer in

i've noted before certain similarities between jws and independent fundamentalist baptists, such as door to door work.

the ifbs call it "soul winning".

the goal is usually to give a quick tour of a few bible verses, get the householder to "repeat after me" a formulaic prayer confessing faith in jesus.

NotFormer

I've noted before certain similarities between JWs and Independent Fundamentalist Baptists, such as door to door work. The IFBs call it "soul winning". The goal is usually to give a quick tour of a few Bible verses, get the householder to "repeat after me" a formulaic prayer confessing faith in Jesus. In the eyes of the IFB preacher, the householder is now saved from Hell.

Here is the Billy Graham version of a sinner's prayer: "Dear Lord Jesus, I know that I am a sinner, and I ask for Your forgiveness. I believe You died for my sins and rose from the dead. I turn from my sins and invite You to come into my heart and life. I want to trust and follow You as my Lord and Savior. In Your Name. Amen.⁠"

Here's the Jack Chick version: "Dear God, I am a sinner and need forgiveness. I believe that Jesus Christ shed His precious blood and died for my sin. I am willing to turn from sin. I now invite Christ to come into my heart and life as my personal Saviour" (note that Chick uses British spelling for "saviour", presumably because that's the way the KJV spells it [they're KJV Only over there])

To my point: now that we believe (still to be officially confirmed) that the WT is allowing for last minute, i.e. "cheap" salvation, they're probably going to need some similarly formulaic prayer or confession for the prospect to say to be saved from Armageddon.

Please give suggestions for such last minute prayers or confessions. 👍😉

28

JWs And Superstitions

by NotFormer in

prompted by a mention in a different thread.. cracks in the sidewalk, a pinch of salt over the shoulder, black cats🐈‍⬛; do jws have such superstitious beliefs.

are they allowed to?

would they be counselled if the elders became aware?.

NotFormer

road to nowhere: "Anti superstitious. Refuse to fun people with black cats, ladders. Santa, Etc.

Today refuse to eat black eye peas.

But superstitious (breaking made up rules)about using name jehovah, going in service, shunning"

I had a strong feeling that they would be discouraged from the more "mainstream" superstitions held by broader society. Especially since a lot of them grew out of Catholicism, eg. the number thirteen, and some are holdovers from paganism.

But these pages are filled with examples of superstitions that the JWs themselves have adopted. You give a few examples.

Related to superstitious beliefs and behaviours are the urban legends: https://www.jehovahs-witness.com/topic/186552/list-prominent-jw-urban-legends

14

The Memorial

by jhine in

the wt teaches that the memorial ( communion) should only be celebrated yearly and only the anointed can partake of the bread and wine .

is that right ?

i don't think so ..

NotFormer

Watching the fellowship meal whizzing past you while not partaking seems to be the dumbest interpretation of communion out there. And once a year? Whatever happened to "whenever you gather together"?

I don't know what Rutherford was smoking, but I don't want any!

13

the slaves might be revolting

by pepperheart2 in

on the watchtower website it says that most of the work that will be done fishkill will be out sourced to non jws .i thought that jws always used to build everything them selves.

this might explain what happend to ramapo they put an appeal out for free labour and people said no .

NotFormer

I'm also reminded of another Wizard of I'd cartoon

King, to peasants: Remember the Golden Rule!

Bung: What's the Golden Rule?

Wizard: He who has the gold, makes the rules.

13

the slaves might be revolting

by pepperheart2 in

on the watchtower website it says that most of the work that will be done fishkill will be out sourced to non jws .i thought that jws always used to build everything them selves.

this might explain what happend to ramapo they put an appeal out for free labour and people said no .

NotFormer

The spiritual standing thing is a real head scratcher. A boot licker would theoretically have a high spiritual standing, whereas someone who could actually drive a nail into a piece of wood wouldn't necessarily.

Handing out mundane tasks as privileges that improve your standing is great for creating an atmosphere of loyalty. But the price of that loyalty is probably competence.

36

Why are the 2 newly appointed Governing Body Members from Bethel, when there are anointed ones all over the world? they could have used.

by RULES & REGULATIONS in

library.

books & brochures.

enjoy life forever!—an interactive bible course.

NotFormer

LongHairGal: "Is everybody forgetting that we don’t know the reasons AM3 was removed? There is speculation he may have not been in agreement with the changes that were just implemented in the annual meeting.. Situations like this would possibly be more likely to occur in the future with somebody from elsewhere."

The paradox here is that if this speculation is correct, that Tony Morris was too hardline and obstinate in the face of change, it means that he was the one most loyal to long held WT doctrine. He was an outside convert, completely sold on the gospel according to the WT and was unwilling to compromise on it. Arguably exactly the kind of person they want, according to everything they've written over the years. He was punished for being too loyal!

So are born-ins more malleable than converts?