Posts by leaving

22

Do JWs use the Baptizmal formula?

by Hortenzie in

do the elders say: "in the name of the father, the son, and the holy spirit" when they are immersing the one being baptized?.

leaving_quietly

Avoidance dance? Do tell! I'm curious why they don't do this. Did you ask them?

46

War over preparing for WT study

by cookiemaster in

i know that title sounds weird but so is this situation.

with the following information i'm about to desconspire myself a little bit, but i don't really care since i will simply deny it if any of my elders are lurking here.

anyway the situation is the following.

leaving_quietly

DID THESE ELDERS NOT GET THE POINT OF THE LESSONS!!!!!!! (Yes, I'm shouting)

NOT TO LORD IT OVER THE FLOCK!!!!!

20

Has anyone used this question on a JW? How might they respond?

by BU2B in

jw
friends

as i was laying in bed i thought of a question to ask my wife.

"when the wt has an article on the next change in teaching or new light, just guessing, what do you think it might be?".

it does not need to be phrased just like that, but i thought it might be a powerful question since it would make the jw subconsciously question all of the current teachings, something they are not taught to do.

leaving_quietly

We were in the bible section at a bookstore and an NIV bible had footnotes. My wife asked me "how do you know they get this information from reputable sources?" I looked at her a little bewildered, and responded, "how do you know the Society does?" Getting them to *think* is REALLY hard.

8

NEED Help before Monday

by Crazyguy in

i noticed in a thread a day or 2 ago that someone mentioned a wt dated back in 1981 i believe where it stated that the policy of the jw's were that if anyone even thought a doubt about the jw's that they were infact apostates!!!

i downloaded the article in the 1980 8/1 pp17-22 and that was not the article.

can't find the thread, help anyone please!!!!!

leaving_quietly

@Crazyguy, you had the right article. Maybe you downloaded the wrong year or wrong pages?

The article is w80 8/1 pp. 17-22, Remain "Solid in the Faith". Particularly paragraphs 10 and 11:

10 Among the various causes of apostasy, one of the foremost is unquestionably a lack of faith through doubt. (Heb. 3:12) Interestingly, The New International Dictionary of New Testament Theology supplies the following information on the Greek verb that is often translated by “to doubt”: “Diakrinō, make a distinction, judge, . . . ; doubt, waver. . . . In some [New Testament] passages doubt appears as a lack of faith and thus as sin (Rom. 14:23). . . . In Rom. 4:20f. doubt comes close to disbelief. . . . Doubt is thus a lack of trust in the act of God which he has still to perform and which men are to await. . . . In the NT the doubter sins against God and his promises, because he judges God falsely.”

11 Thus the one who doubts to the point of becoming an apostate sets himself up as a judge. He thinks he knows better than his fellow Christians, better also than the “faithful and discreet slave,” through whom he has learned the best part, if not all that he knows about Jehovah God and his purposes. He develops a spirit of independence, and becomes “proud in heart . . . something detestable to Jehovah.” (Prov. 16:5) Some apostates even think they know better than God, as regards his ordering of events in the outworking of his purposes. Two other causes of apostasy are therefore ingratitude and presumption.—2 Pet. 2:10b-13a.

61

How did you tell your spouse you want out of the JW religion?

by leaving_quietly in

what did you imagine would happen?

did they react the way you expected?

how did you bring it up?.

leaving_quietly

@thedog1, I identify with your where you're at. The brothers in the cong where I attend are also very loving and trusting the org. I told my wife a week or so ago that my main beef is the "do more, do more, do more" mantra, that Christ said HIS load was light, that I don't feel that the organization makes our load light. We have an international convention coming up where I live, and there's a LOT of work to do to prepare for all the delegates. I told my wife that I really feel the whole thing is a major expensive burden on the local congregations in the area, and that it is unnecessary and adds nothing to our worship of God or the preaching of the good news. It's yet another "load" they put on us.

I have other doctrinal issues and organizational issues, such as the teaching that Christ is only the mediator between God and the 144,000, that the New Covenant does not apply to all who wish to be part of it, that partaking is limited to just a few, that Christ is not to be honored the same as God (yes this is in print, though the Bible says otherwise). There's more, but I'll stop there.

I started reaching In Search of Christian Freedom, and found one good point right up front: why does one want to leave the JW organization (or any other religion for that matter. It's a good self-examination question. I haven't come to a solid conclusion about that one myself. I just know it does not have the truth. But, it is my belief that neither does any other religion. I think that's my biggest issue. JWs claim to have the truth and teach the truth, but it does not take long to peek under the surface to find out that it does not. Am I willing to lose my family over it? It's a really, really hard decision. Christ said, "A man's enemies will be persons of his own household."

61

How did you tell your spouse you want out of the JW religion?

by leaving_quietly in

what did you imagine would happen?

did they react the way you expected?

how did you bring it up?.

leaving_quietly

Thanks again for your responses. Would love to hear more if anyone wants to post.

Welcome, TableForOne!

24

Regarding the permission of certain blood fractions, what is the biblical basis?

by I_love_Jeff in

with regard to the permission of certain blood fractions, what biblical basis is the watchtower's selection of approved and non-approved components or fractions made?.

two key words here: biblical basis.

one answer by a jw caught my attention: .

leaving_quietly

I can't think of a BIBLICAL BASIS. However, this topic does beg the question: is this a COMMAND or a PRINCIPLE? See, a COMMAND has repercussions. Let's see:

1 Cor 5:9-11: In my letter I wrote YOU to quit mixing in company with fornicators, 10 not [meaning] entirely with the fornicators of this world or the greedy persons and extortioners or idolaters. Otherwise, YOU would actually have to get out of the world. 11 But now I am writing YOU to quit mixing in company with anyone called a brother that is a fornicator or a greedy person or an idolater or a reviler or a drunkard or an extortioner, not even eating with such a man.

Hmm. Nothing about blood there.

1 Cor 6:9, 10: Do not be misled. Neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor men kept for unnatural purposes, nor men who lie with men, 10 nor thieves, nor greedy persons, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor extortioners will inherit God’s kingdom.

Nothing about blood there, either.

Gal 5:19-21: Now the works of the flesh are manifest, and they are fornication, uncleanness, loose conduct, 20 idolatry, practice of spiritism, enmities, strife, jealousy, fits of anger, contentions, divisions, sects, 21 envies, drunken bouts, revelries, and things like these. As to these things I am forewarning YOU, the same way as I did forewarn YOU, that those who practice such things will not inherit God’s kingdom.

Not there, either.

Rev 22:15: Outside are the dogs and those who practice spiritism and the fornicators and the murderers and the idolaters and everyone liking and carrying on a lie.’

And not there, either.

What gives WTS the right to DF or view as DA'd anyone who takes a blood transfusion? Right or wrong is completely arguable. However, the authority to throw someone out over this is just not given in the scriptures.

46

War over preparing for WT study

by cookiemaster in

i know that title sounds weird but so is this situation.

with the following information i'm about to desconspire myself a little bit, but i don't really care since i will simply deny it if any of my elders are lurking here.

anyway the situation is the following.