Silent, re-examine those doctrines. Look at outside info. By their fruits you will know them...and they have shown that they are not true disciples. Start over. Pray for direction.
FayeDunaway
JoinedPosts by FayeDunaway
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Didn't go to memorial this year
by silent inmy wife and i had business to attend to out of town today and i had thought if we made it back home in time, we'd go to the memorial.
as it turned out, we didn't get home in time and we missed it, but we had a real good talk with each other on the way home.
we are largely successful faders and at the very least, i like to try and make the memorial.
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Pshycos! - 2016 "Remain Loyal to Jehovah" Regional Convention Program
by thedepressedsoul inwow this is interesting!
i think how much emphasis this puts on "loyalty" shows their is an issue.
they're trying to plug the wholes as much and quickly as possible.
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FayeDunaway
To paraphrase rebel8,
Cult cult cultedy cult
Or....let's review.........
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In regards to memorial, what I am going to do
by Truth and Justice inwow!
what a list of new friends we have on this forum, i don't know if i'll ever be able to keep up, but that's ok.. i wanted to dive in to the post to talk about the memorial.
i do not have any intentions of going, even if i was invited.
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FayeDunaway
OK listen. Like smiddy said there are other options. My last witness memorial, I knew partaking was the right thing to do, but I passed it along because of public pressure. I felt like absolute crap afterwards. For a long time.I promised myself, and Jesus, that I would never reject him again.
I now belong to a mainline protestant church. We celebrate the Lord's supper on the Thursday before Easter. There are different variations on it that our pastor likes to do, but this was what it was like the first time:
It was a solemn occasion. We read scriptures leading up to the death ofJesus, about 15 scriptures at a time. There was a lit candelabra. After every series of scriptures, one candle was blown out and taize' songs (meditative songs) were sung. When we read the scriptures about the Lord's supper, everyone partook. Anyone who believes Jesus sacrificed his life for themselves can partake. You take a piece of the bread and dip it in the cup of wine. You walk back to your seat.
More scriptures were read, more hymns sung. The church is getting dark as the candles are blown out. The last scripture is read, Jesus dies. The last candle is blown out. The church is in absolute darkness. We sit for about 8 minutes in total darkness. It feels bleak and desolate. Jesus has died and everything feels hopeless. Then finally,one candle is lit. That one candle is everything. It is the hope of Easter, of the resurrection. Everyone walks out without saying a word.
On Easter, there were bells, trumpets, organ and piano. Singing, flowers, joy. Christ is risen!! He is risen indeed.
If you go to the memorial and feel like crap to rejecting Jesus, but you have to go, find one of these real memorials at a church near you. It is either Thursday or Friday night!!
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I like the fact that XJW's are passionate about politics
by minimus inthe fact is we could never talk about politics or of use toward political issues as witnesses now we can and we can disagree without being disagreeable .
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FayeDunaway
The year 2000 election showed me the importance of voting (Gore/Bush). Every morning my radio alarm went off and I heard the latest updates on the result of that election, which was so close, it was ultimately decided by a republican judge in Florida. The Iraq war would never have been started if Gore had won. Afghanistan, yes. Elections matter. At the local, state and national level. Throughout history millions of people have died for the right to vote. I don't take that lightly. -
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Blood Transfusion and Eating
by dugout ini get highly irritated when this subject comes up.
this idiot gave a talk in my hall recently and said that transfusion of blood and eating blood was the same thing.
my wife accepts this reasoning.
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FayeDunaway
Funny that anyone would accuse us here of being "faint of heart." Most of us here have lost most of our families and friends because of our own principles and personal integrity in following what we believe despite huge pressure to conform and/or fake it. -
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How to Tell When Someone Is Evangelizing to You Versus Trying to Be a Genuine Friend
by jacobm ini've had this question on my mind for the last two years.
first off, i'm still a follower of jesus.
second, i don't go to church but rather a topical skype bible study with some fellow ex-jws.
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FayeDunaway
Mega churches give me an icky feeling too. Probably because they remind me too much of a district convention. I would never go to one (I do belong to a church with about 300 members tho and love it). I invite people to church whenever it seems natural. It doesn't make a difference to me if they come or not.I treat them the same. I have as many atheist or agnostic, buddhist or muslim friends as Christian friends.
Maybe you are a bit paranoid cuz of your life experience. But there might be something behind it, especially if these same people kind of ignore you after you reject going to their church. Mega churches seem kind of both culty and impersonal at the same time. There's nothing whatsoever desirable about that for me.
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Blood Transfusion and Eating
by dugout ini get highly irritated when this subject comes up.
this idiot gave a talk in my hall recently and said that transfusion of blood and eating blood was the same thing.
my wife accepts this reasoning.
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FayeDunaway
For me it is an issue of life. The whole concept of the blood issue is because blood is symbolic of life, and life is sacred, right? If life is so sacred, use blood to sustain life. It is the life itself that is the most sacred thing, not the symbol of life, which is the blood. It is most respectful of blood if you use it to sustain life. Blood is donated these days with no life lost. The blood of one person can sustain two lives! Eating somethings blood is disrespectful of life according to the bible. Keeping someone alive with blood, without any life lost on either side, shows absolute respect for blood. And the whole issue is LIFE. It is disgusting to let someone die when you can do something about it. They are so worried about following a rule that they have the whole principle backwards. -
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lf the paradise earth is real would you want to live there?
by atomant inl know l would.anyone that says no is kidding themselves.just imagine going up to the hole of a cobra and patting it on the head like a pet.or running like a deer through the woods.who knows we might grows wings and be able to fly as well.food for thought.
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FayeDunaway
Are people easygoing? If there are JW's there have they completely lost their JW personalities? Who is in control? Cuz it would be a worldwide North Korea if JW's were in control. A worldwide hell. And my answer would be HELL NO.if this question truly doesn't have anything to do with JW's, then sure,I would love to live forever. Because I can't imagine wanting to listen to favorite pieces of music for the last time ever...no, after a while I want to listen to it again. Or eating my favorite meal a last time. After a while I want it again, and it can be just as good as last time. Or enjoying a cozy fire or a book. Or the sound of rain. I would never get tired of life.
In other words, if the reality is nothing like the witness promote, and doesn't involve the destruction of billions of 'unworthies,' yeah I want to be there. On secoind thought if judgmental people were somehow in control I actually would want to be there too cuz I would start a revolution against them!
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Memorial mixed emotions...
by Tornintwo indoes anyone else feel 'pulled back in' at this time of year?.
i still consider myself to a believer, believe in god and jesus christ, on the whole i think he taught tolerance, love, acceptance and i think we can benefit from following his example.
i love ray franzs book in search of christian freedom.
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FayeDunaway
Mark, your avatar particularly matches your post above. -
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Memorial mixed emotions...
by Tornintwo indoes anyone else feel 'pulled back in' at this time of year?.
i still consider myself to a believer, believe in god and jesus christ, on the whole i think he taught tolerance, love, acceptance and i think we can benefit from following his example.
i love ray franzs book in search of christian freedom.
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FayeDunaway
Torn, churches not only celebrate the resurrection (Easter) they also celebrate his death. Look up churches in your area online and see what they are doing this week. It could be Maundy Thursday or Good Friday or might have another name, but it will say. I can't express to you enough how much more meaningful these celebrations are than the witness memorial. The witness memorial seems like nothing compared to them. You don't have to just stay home, you can do this socially, and you can even partake for the first time if you go to a protestant church.