I remember spending a whole saturday morning researching, watching the blood dvd, and praying to make sure I list everything on my blood card correctly. Asking friends to witness signatures and all that garbage. When I did the research and found that blood transfusions do NOT equate to digesting/eating blood, I threw mine away. Blood functions like an organ that runs indefinitely throughout your system. Like someone mentioned above, a weight was lifted forever off my shoulders.
Posts by Emery
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20No more blood card
by lostinthought inwhat a day!
first of all one of my electronic devises broke so the store said they would replace it i just needed to show id, i removed my license from my wallet and saw my blood card staring me in the face i couldn't stand looking at it so i took it and crumpled it up and threw it away, upon leaving the store i had a car accident it the parking lot, nobody was terribly injured but it was my fault so i feel bad...but i also feel elated that i tore up the card, what if i had a really bad accident and i needed blood?
what could have happened to me?
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41
Who else, besides me?
by AK - Jeff inover the years on jwn i have often found myself hunting through posts of newcomers, hoping against hope i suppose, that the newbie would be one of my former friends in the local congregation down the street.. i just find it hard to imagine that not a soul among these people has taken the courage to investigate their religion and leave like my wife and i have done.. as the local 'active apostate', i also supposed that at any moment some of the 'brothers' would come covertly to my home, knock and say something like " i am out - please let's talk about it, why i left, why you left.
but, none of the above has ever happened.
i did come across a local former jw here, from another congregation, and we have become good friends over the past few years.
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Emery
They should make a separate section on the forum that is divided by different states. So that if say I am from NC I can go click on the North Carolina Reunion forum and try to find old friends.
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60
New here
by konceptual99 ini am new here, been lurking for a while but felt compeled to join as i would like to comment on more and more of the topics i come across.
by way of an introduction here is some info about me.. i am an active jw, married with a family, living in the uk.
i serve as a ms and have done for many years.
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Emery
Welcome konceptual99!
The intention of the members of this site is not to cause anyone to fall into spiritual turmoil. Witnesses who stumble upon factual information outside of what you regularly read from the Watchtower can place anyone into a crisis. I am also currently an active Jehovah’s Witness and have been for almost 20 years. I myself have been doing an objective and unbiased personal study this past year to validate my spiritual foundation as a witness. It has taken a lot of courage and at the same time an enormous amount of humility before researching the history and developments of the Watchtower Society.
We all have presuppositions (assumptions). Our presuppositions are organic and change according to data. Our beliefs are based on arguments, points, and the best available evidence. The assumptions I had about the organization came from the trust I had in the Faithful Slave and the arguments made inside the Watchtower publications. I still feel the organization offers many great things like; the fellowship network, if you travel and go to another country you can stay at a random witness house and feel a sense of comfort knowing you both share the same faith. The fellowship can be clean and enjoyable (if you avoid the Pharisaical friends). They do teach many things that are in context and harmonize with scripture. You can still find friends that have a sense a respect for spiritual accountability and a sincere love for Jehovah.
The biggest hurdle an active witness has to live with inside the organization is to be submissive to the authoritative structure of the Society. The freedom to utilize your own spiritual conscience and logic to conclude whether something being said from the platform indeed has sound scriptural basis doesn’t belong to you. There is no outlet for disagreement other than being counseled repeatedly for a stubborn heretical belief or be disfellowshipped for apostasy. Regardless of your bible trained conscience on a certain matter, it will always, ALWAYS be overridden by the faithful and discreet slave’s written word.
A great example of this is when new light is released (overlapping generations of 1914), everyone that suddenly hears this new light is expected to now preach and believe it as Jehovah’s revealed understanding. Not because you’ve researched, reasoned, or logically concluded it to be true but because 7 men from Brooklyn have decided upon the matter. I use to reason, well these same men showed me other bible truths I still agree with, as not believing in the Trinity, Hell fire, birthdays, holidays, etc. with ample evidence for support. Their track record seemed very good and it didn’t appear unreasonable to place my trust in the organization. You and I, along with 7 million other witnesses have easily done this time and time again.
It should go without saying that nothing on this earth is perfect; humans, governments, or organizations. However, when an organization claims to be the earthly agency, mouthpiece, and only true channel to God, the expectations and their grand claims need to be critically examined.
1 Thessalonians 5:21-“Make sure of all things; hold fast to what is fine.”
Here are the questions that had me on my way towards my independent bible trained thinking.
Has the Watchtower Society been entirely honest with us when detailing its history and evidence supporting their authority? What gives them the right to disfellowship, set dress codes, determine doctrine, demand submissiveness, and advance their own ideas as bible truth?
Tying Jehovah's name into their fallible uninspired bible interpretations is severely dangerous! Not only do they tie God’s name to themselves but when human error is advanced like; false prophecies, contradicting interpretations, or injustices that stem from organizational policy it places God's name in a bad light and people’s faith can be forever shaken…especially if you believe Holy Spirit guides and appoints these leaders.
I am not suggesting to anyone who reads this to leave the organization. If you believe this is Jah’s anointed organization then you would benefit in establishing the firm foundation for this belief. Give yourself the opportunity to validate or invalidate your doubts. Follow truth where ever it may lead you and always pray to God for assistance. There is nothing wrong with inspecting and researching the faith and works that your life will be governed by, that is called walking in integrity.
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The Pharisaical Laws of JW's
by Emery ini remember hearing from a former elder of a situation he found himself in while conducting the old weekly bible study.
that morning only one male was present during the morning study, however that brother forgot his tie.
under instruction from the slave, any brother not properly dressed for a meeting is not to have any congregation priviledges (hold mics, talk, attendent, magazines, reading).
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Emery
@Sauerkraut
It is an unwritten rule. I've heard elders suggest this especially towards those in long distance relationships.
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22
Is this valid reasoning for Trinitarian Doctrine?
by Flat_Accent ini had been watching jwfairytale's videos recently, and he's been including snippets of this short film about a guy that becomes a jw and then changes to a born again, or so i think.
you can watch it here.
it's very dated, but quite enjoyable:.
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Emery
The way I understand the Trinity is that YHWH likes to do role-play and reveals himself in 2 additional forms. The overall doctrine is suppose to stay monotheistic and yet has many characteristics of polytheism. I've had discussions with an Orthodox Rabbi regarding the matter and he pointed out that throughout Judaic history the Jews never believed or taught that the messiah would be YHWH in the flesh or that he needed to die for the atonement of mankind. The messiah would be a Son of God, similar to that of the prophets and of King David.
There is no historic record among the Jewish commentaries and books of old that God exists in a Triune fashion. During the Messianic Age, the messiah was to "fear God"-Isai 11:2-3, go to war, rebuild the temple, and rule as king over the earth. Knowing the messianic promises found in the Hebrew scriptures, hebrew commentaries, and analyzing the proof claims written in the gospels, seem to me like a disconnect. Which is why belief in the Trinity is so hard for me to deal with.
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Is this valid reasoning for Trinitarian Doctrine?
by Flat_Accent ini had been watching jwfairytale's videos recently, and he's been including snippets of this short film about a guy that becomes a jw and then changes to a born again, or so i think.
you can watch it here.
it's very dated, but quite enjoyable:.
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Emery
I have never given much thought to these scriptures within that context but it certainly appears like a great argument for the Trinity. I have always kept in mind that Jesus was elevated to the position of King and the book of Revelation normally falls within that understanding.
I don't believe in the Trinity based on the Hebrew scriptures regarding the messiah and also based on the synoptic Gospels. Many of the scriptures used in support of the Trinity use the controversial gospel of John which was written about 20-30 years after the synoptics. Most the scritpures used as proof texts appear very ambigious and are not definitive. After reading many books by Bart Ehrman and other textual critics you can see where the orthodox belief developed in hindsight 2-3 centuries later. Yet I dont see the doctrine to be a salvation issue as preached throughout the NT. Regardless if you're a Unitarian or Trinitarian you can still be a spiritual christian person. I like to refer to Paul's words found in 1 Cor. 13: 9-12
"For we know only in part, and we prophesy only in part; but when the complete comes, the partial will come to an end. When I was a child, I spoke like a child, I thought like a child, I reasoned like a child, when I became an adult, I put an end to childish ways. For now we see in the mirror, dimly, but then we will see face-to-face. Now I know only in part; then I will know fully, even as I have been fully known."
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The Pharisaical Laws of JW's
by Emery ini remember hearing from a former elder of a situation he found himself in while conducting the old weekly bible study.
that morning only one male was present during the morning study, however that brother forgot his tie.
under instruction from the slave, any brother not properly dressed for a meeting is not to have any congregation priviledges (hold mics, talk, attendent, magazines, reading).
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Emery
@Quendi
That makes the Mosaic Laws look petty! There are a total of 613 Mosaic laws.
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The Pharisaical Laws of JW's
by Emery ini remember hearing from a former elder of a situation he found himself in while conducting the old weekly bible study.
that morning only one male was present during the morning study, however that brother forgot his tie.
under instruction from the slave, any brother not properly dressed for a meeting is not to have any congregation priviledges (hold mics, talk, attendent, magazines, reading).
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Emery
My parents were pulled aside one day because of the bowl cut I always had as a child. The next day we took an emergency trip to the barbershop.
As a teenager I was pulled aside one day by an elder when my hair looked like a "Rock Star". It was still short but I just had a spikey messy look to it. The elder told me had I been at Bethel I would of been heavily reprimanded and that style doesnt fly there. He recommended that I comb my hair backwards like all the 50 year olds. I wish I can go back in time and tell him to go eat some sh!t.
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archive of letters to body of elders
by metaspy inis there a documentation of every letter to all body of elders in the united states?.
if so, where could i find it?.
i am looking for one dated march 14, 1997, to all bodies of elders..
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Emery
I love seeing these letters exposed on the net. Anybody can be an Elder now haha.
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The Pharisaical Laws of JW's
by Emery ini remember hearing from a former elder of a situation he found himself in while conducting the old weekly bible study.
that morning only one male was present during the morning study, however that brother forgot his tie.
under instruction from the slave, any brother not properly dressed for a meeting is not to have any congregation priviledges (hold mics, talk, attendent, magazines, reading).
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Emery
I believe they have also made the rule that if an elder or MS is to give a part on Sunday they MUST wear a matching suit? Can anybody else confirm this?