a few points from the 2006 biannual c.o.
meeting w/elders & ms. the theme was "take a personal interest in others"...phil 2:4,5. shepherding work.
we have lives in our hands.
I believe there was a somewhat similar case out of Boston some time ago about either a bethelite or CO that was involved in an auto accident that caused either a fatal or serious injury and the WTS was eventually held legally liable because the brother was involved in the ministry.
Someone on this site may remember this court case.
Ronin1
a. this is statement a. only one statement or sentence here.
b. statement b. one sentence... .
i. cult.
The Merriam Webser's Delux Dictionary-Tenth Collegiate Edition defines a cult as :
1. formal religous veneration; worship== WTS fits this profile
2. a system of religious beliefs and ritual; also ; its body of adherents==WTS fits this profile
Definition of adherents: one that adheres: as (a) a follower of a leader, party, or profession (b) believer in or advocate especially of a particular idea or church
3. a religion regarded as unorthodox or spurious; also; its body of adherents==WTS fits this profile
4. a system for the cure of disease based on dogma set forth by its promulgator (health cults)==WTS fits this profile-blood transfussion doctrine.
5a. a great devotion to a person, idea, object, movement, or work ( as a film or book) (especially such devotion regarded as literary or intellectural fad. ==WTS fits this profile- devotion to GB members, etc.
5b. a usually small group of people characterized by such devotion.
Ronin1
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went down to wilsons prom for the weekend, it was great altho had to cut the weekend short mike developed a fever there.
it was cold and dark but still great here are some pics for ya.
These pics are great!!
It looks like you guys had a great time.
Thanks for sharing...........
Ronin1
she's still in a coma.
she's in cardiology icu.
the hospitalist was giving me and my family the run around, not there, not telling us much; so, i fired him.
Hang in there.
You have a tough decision to make but know that our prayers are with your mother, you, and your family.
Ronin1
anyone know this poor soul?
randy
a brother who served as a curcuit and district.
IP_SEC:
You are correct about this statement: "You are also responsible for subjecting yourself to that authority. No one had a gun to your head. You werent shackled to those kingdom hall seats. The only real victims of the JWs are minor kids as they dont have choice. The adults can pick up and leave any day they are ready too. If you consider yoursef a victim of the mean elders, you made yourself a victim."
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That is why once I and my husband came to a full realization of who really had power over us- only Jehovah God and Jesus Christ, we took our stand.
On many occasions when elders, bethelites, and bethel elders tried to tell me something, I would ask them this particular question:
Can you give me good health, everlasting life, or raised me from the dead? When they would answer: of course not, then I would reply- then the society cannot tell me anything.
Point blank- we can only be dupped if we allow ourselves to be dupped.
==============================================================================================
Still, persons' sentiments are very strong about the hurt they suffered by the decisions of ones in authority. I do not believe their feelings are of hatred.................just still very angry and hurt.
Ronin1
anyone know this poor soul?
randy
a brother who served as a curcuit and district.
To Uninformed:
You make some interesting and good points. However, I think you are missing the feelings of persons on this particular site.
I, for one, cannot condone anyone who sees what is clearly wrong and not taking a stand for truth and justice. That means that elders who know their BOEs are doing wrong and making unkind, unloving, cruel, etc. decisions in meetins and still stick with them in their decisions are not excusable. I do not care that an Elder, CO, or DO may want to keep their so-called position or standing. That is not what being a servant of God is about or serving the spiritual needs of the flock.
When my father and my mother moved to SC from NYC (Queens) and my father saw what was going on in their new SC local congregation as respects the BOE's, he told my mother he would never serve as an elder in that congregation and he didn't.. As an elder and as a person, my father always stood against injustices- as siblings we miss that in him. He and my mother taught all of my siblings to be the same way. When my husband was a MS in NYC (Queens) and he saw the nonscense going on with the BOE's and MSs, he stepped down voluntarily as a MS. He refused to continue in their unchristians ways. The elders pressured him for a scriptural reason for his 'stepping down' and he would not give them one.
I hope no one hates the COs, DO's , or elders. But there are strong sentiments about such ones that have clearly abused their so-called power to the destruction of persons' spiritual and physical lives, destroying families and really causing many persons to loose their faith in Jehovah God and his promises.
For their actions, forgiveness will not come easily.
Ronin1
anyone know this poor soul?
randy
a brother who served as a curcuit and district.
After reading all these posts, I will state this again as I did in an earlier post:
"WE should have heeded the counsel in the Bible from long ago........it's always been there :
Ps 56:11 -" In God I have put my trust. I shall not be afraid. What can earthling man do to me?".
Jer 7:4 - "Do not put your trust in fallacious words, saying, 'the temple of Jehovah, the temple of Jehovah, the temple of Jehovah they are".
Instead, many of us continued to listen to the diatribes and fallacies of the WTS ( not from God), their threats of disfellowshipment, destruction, etc. and allowed ourselves to be suckered into many untrue doctrines, rules, etc.
Thus we allowed ourselves to be dupped.and were dupped.
===================================================================================================
And I definitely understand many of the sentiments expressed. If anyone has had a chance to read Mein Kampt by Adolf Hitler and the "Nurenberg Trials"- you will understand the mentality of 'just following orders' and why that can be no excuse for any elder who professes or professed to be a true Christian and then get involved in the negative and non-Christlike actions that have taken place at BOE meetings and witch hunts, etc. Their BOE's meeting decisions destroyed lives of many families-never to be repaired. That is why so many on this site have no sympathy for COs and DOs, etc. now suffering and being put out to pasture by the WTS. Those Elders, CO's and DOs had no business 'just following orders' of men in lieu of Christ Jesus example and Gods' word the Bible.
Forgiveness is not easy for some. Let's just hope their not being able to forgive does not hinder them from progressing toward whatever positive goals they have set for themselves since leaving the BORG.
Ronin1
anyone know this poor soul?
randy
a brother who served as a curcuit and district.
Hi LDH:
I feel our biggest problem was that we did not heed the appropriate counsel straight from the Bible:
Ps 146:3- "Do not put your trust in nobles nor in the son of earthling man, to whom no salvation belongs".
WE should have heeded the counsel in the Bible from long ago........it's always been there :
Ps 56:11 -" In God I have put my trust. I shall not be afraid. What can earthling man do to me?".
Jer 7:4 - "Do not put your trust in fallacious words, saying, 'the temple of Jehovah, the temple of Jehovah, the temple of Jehovah they are".
Instead, many of us continued to listen to the diatribes and fallacies of the WTS ( not from God), their threats of disfellowshipment, destruction, etc. and allowed ourselves to be suckered into many untrue doctrines, rules, etc.
Thus we allowed ourselves to be dupped.and were dupped.
Ronin1
2 sheets of paper towel for hand drying, controlled use of toilet paper, don't dawdle while in the stall, covered mirrors, what next?.
how about maximum of 2 trips to the bathroom per day otherwise you are written up by brother bathroom monitor.
if more than that you are put on cleaning duty after the day's sessions are done.. .
After reading these posts, I had to share my experience.
Back in 1983 I attended an international convention in Haiti with over 500 other JW delegates.
The convention was outside in an open stadium on folding chairs or you could sit in the concrete stands. Many of the brothers and sisters had only one bible and song book per family, so we found ourselves giving them our publications, etc.Nevertheless, at some time I and my roommate had to go to the bathroom.
Well, we did not know that the convention had apportioned off a certain part of the stadium of bathroom facilities for the delegates from outside the country- namely U.S. , France, and Martinique. So we went to the nearest facility being used by the Haitian sisters. Much to our surprise and discust, when we arrived and stood on line, there was an attendent handling out toilet paper. But!, the number of sheets you received were based on what you had to do in the bathroom- if you were only going to urinate, then you received less that if ,,,,,,,,,,,,you know what.
Anyway, we finally get inside and realize there are not toilets for just u...................... That's right, all the sisters were standing in an open pit u............. and other assigned sisters were using brooms and mops to brush down the ur.................into an open hole. We could not believe that this was Jehovah's Organization ...........so unclean and unsanitary. We quickly left and decided we would 'hold it' until we got back to our hotel room.............It was the most discusting thing I have ever experienced. Also, a tour of the entire country back then revealed to us the major unsanitary conditions and unclean water supply in the country. We made sure we did not drink anything but bottled water........etc. We did not eat ice cream or ices..........etc.
It was truly an educational trip to another country.
P.S.- Haiti was overall a beautiful country back then until the revolution and the fall out of Duvalier............etc..
Ronin1
anyone know this poor soul?
randy
a brother who served as a curcuit and district.
I think we ( those out of, fading, or active) on this post need to remember that we were all duped by this organization on different levels.
My late father and my mother (now 72 years old) were baptised when they were 11 and 10 years old respectively in the WTS organization. They raised their eight children, who subsequently were baptised, in the WTS organization. Were we duped? Yes.
My father served as an Elder and MS and one of my brothers as an Elder. Three of us regular pioneered and four of us (including my husband-also was a MS but stepped down after noticing several things) served on the Building construction programs for over 10 years. Were we duped? Yes.
Therefore, this DO/CO was also duped. WE all listened and believed the garbage the WTS spoon-fed us and lived and acted our lives accordingly. Were we Duped? Yes.
Remember, that this organization is one of the most sucessful generational cults of all times. I say this because my older sister's daughter is now a regular pioneer and two of my sisters are raising their young ones in the WTS.
Think about this fact: I will use my own family history:- my parents were baptised back in the years 1933 and 1934. They raised all eight of my siblings in the WTS which means this has spanned into the 1970's and 1980's. I and my husband raised our children in the WTS and our children are now 23 and 26 years old. (note: our son is from my husband's former marriage from a different country). Fast forward.........this is over 70 years of indoctrination of the WTS cultist beliefs and doctrines, etc. Well over half a century.
Therefore, we should feel sorry for this CO/DO. We were all duped, just on different organizational levels. Unfortuately, his actions probably caused more hurt and heartache for many dubs because of his position. Nevertheless, he was used by this organization for many years and tossed out like 'fodder'.
This is a 'sickening' story but one that is being repeated daily with the WTS current actions of 'downsizing'.
Just to up-date- my 72 year old mother is fully aware of the organizations' true self- we talk every week on the phone, but she lives with our younger sister and her husband that are fully active in the WTS organization, so she still attends the meetings, etc. I sure many on this post can understand her situation. My twin sister is Disfellowshiped and has no desire to return to the WTS; myself and my husband are faders and very inactive; of my three brothers- one who was an elder -he was read off as being DA even when he did not formally DA himself and because of that action my other two brothers have left the organization for good- final faders. My other three sisters are active either regular pioneering, etc. My father passed away almost ten years ago -he was a faithful member of the WTS but even he knew the problems going on and spoke out against the injustices in the congregations. When he and my mother moved to SC and he saw what was going on in their local congregation he told my mother he would never serve as an elder in that congregation. As an elder and as a person, my father always stood against injustices- as siblings we miss that in him.
Ronin1
