i was just wondering....how many of you have actually met each other?
i'm new here.
what i mean is, are there regular reunions where one can go and meet other ex-jw's face to face?
dungbeetle, you wrote:
ROSSSSSSSSSSSS...
You met ME IN Ritzville....
<sulk sulk>
Hey, db, I don't recognize you from your moniker. My apologies for the oversight.
(There might be others here who I don't recognize by their screen name.)
Post me at: [email protected]
and identify yourself. :-)
Blessings,
Ros
Ros
"A religion that teaches lies cannot be true"--The Watchtower, 12/1/91 pg. 7
what would you say if a close friend was to come to you and say: "i've secretly been studying with jehovah's witnesses and i plan to join their organization.
i know how you feel about the witnesses, but i truly feel that they are god's chosen organization.
i don't really want to hear anything negative about the society, but out of respect for our friendship, i'll let you briefly mention one reason why i shouldn't.
Before I would respond to their question, I would first ask them why they believe the religion. People become Jehovah's Witnesses for different reasons. It would do no good to respond to them with MY reasons for not believing it. You would better be able to respond if you know THEIR reasons for believing it.
For example, if they said they believe the Watchtower position about 1914, I would respond by refuting that. If they said they believed in the promise of living through Armageddon to a paradise earth, I would respond to that. If they said it was about the Name, I would respond to that. If they said they believed Jehovah's Witnesses were the most loving people, I would respond to that. Etc.
Ros
"A religion that teaches lies cannot be true"--The Watchtower, 12/1/91 pg. 7
i was just wondering....how many of you have actually met each other?
i'm new here.
what i mean is, are there regular reunions where one can go and meet other ex-jw's face to face?
My best friends are former JWs. On this particular board I know, or have met: Lee Elder, Amazing, Outaservice, silentlambs, AlanF, Jukief (Mrs. AlanF), RW (rational witness), Randy Watters, Larc, Mulan, Venice and her lovely parents, Mouthy, Belbab, Obed (you'd never guess where), JAVA, and like Mulan, I may think of others I missed.
I know a host of others as well through BRCI and other informal 'apostofest' gatherings.
Oops, I see from Scully's post above that Jim Penton posted here last summer? (How did I miss that!) Well, I guess I better list the Pentons as personal friends on this board as well.
Ros
"A religion that teaches lies cannot be true"--The Watchtower, 12/1/91 pg. 7
Edited to add Pentons.
at this time of easter christians celebrate the foundation of their faith, the resurrection of jesus christ.
without the resurrection, the rest of the christian faith is in vain, with it, the whole plan of god is fulfilled and validated.
in other words, if the resurrection occurred it proves the existence of god and his plan for salvation.. with that in mind, i offer the proof that the resurrection is a historical fact that be relied upon:.
RWC:
As a Christian believer myself, may I suggest that it is wise to use caution in use of the word "proof" when it comes to matters of faith. While there is significant circumstantial 'evidence' that Jesus did indeed exist, was executed and subsequently gained a great following of people who worshipped him, it falls short of "proof" in the true sense of the word.
The strongest evidence of Jesus existence is the Christian movement itself in the first century, as it was written about by non-Christian contemporary historians. Some of these are:
Josephus (born c. 37ad)
Suetonius (writing c.49 ad)
Tacitus (writing c.64 ad)
Pliney (writing c.110 ad)
An interesting note in the Babylonian Talmud Sanhedrin (43 a)
It is taught: On Passover Eve they hanged Yeshu ... because he has practised magic and led Israel astray.
The most significant 'evidence' of Jesus' resurrection is the extraordinary faith in it that was exhibited by his subsequent followers, who were willing to die horrible deaths for their faith. Yet that is not 'evidence' for it either--only evidence that first-century Christians devoutly believed it. By far most of them were not witnesses to the empty tomb, but themselves believed on faith.
There are a number of websites that have relevant information. Here is one: http://www.btinternet.com/~nbch/sources.html
Also, when you present information, it's a good idea to present the source to back up your assertion. One statement you made that I'm curious about:
9. Immediately after Jesus rose, within five weeks, over ten thousand Jews are following him and overthrowing century old social structures that they believe had been given to them by God. Those numbers continued to grow.May I ask the source of this observation? The reason I ask is that in the Biblical account, seven weeks after the resurrection, on Pentecost, the new converts numbered "about 3000". (Acts 2:37-42)
Ros
"A religion that teaches lies cannot be true"--The Watchtower, 12/1/91 pg. 7
now that dad has recovered his equilibrium, i just wanted to say a huge thanks to everyone who expressed concern about my daughter the last couple of weeks.
in the great scheme of things this is a minor matter but it sure affected me!
i guess my family has been pretty lucky compared to others.. anyway, julie (that's the daughter one, not the wifely one) recovered so fast that she returned to school this past monday.
Good news, Alan. Glad to hear everything is getting back to well and normal.
Blessings,
Ros
Ros
"A religion that teaches lies cannot be true"--The Watchtower, 12/1/91 pg. 7
for those of you who may have ordered the latest book by greg stafford, "three dissertations on the teachings of jehovah's witnesses", it began shipping today.. if you're interested in ordering it, go to elihu books:.
http://www.elihubooks.com
F2J wrote:
Why are you promoting his book? The purpose of his books is to defend the Watchtower Society.
So is the Watchtower. But I sometimes recommend certain articles in the Watchtower for reading. I also sometimes quote JWs. What could be more convincing about what they believe than what they themselves say about it? Much more reliable than something written by, say, an angered "apostate" wouldn't you say?
By so doing he helps keep people in slavery. Slavery to an organization which has destroyed the lives of millions and taken the lives of thousands who have died following its ridiculous blood policies.Have you read his books?
No doubt some of those who become convinced to stay in the Watchtower due to what they read in Greg's books will die in this way as a result of their deciding to stay JWs.As a matter of fact, I do doubt it. Most JWs have never heard of him.
I believe their blood will be on Greg's hands, and on yours for promoting his books.I don't.
To waiting: Stafford is not writing by permission from the Society.
From what I hear, this latest book contains some rather "independent thinking". But I haven't read it yet.
Ros
"A religion that teaches lies cannot be true"--The Watchtower, 12/1/91 pg. 7
my father, an elder, is willing to speak with me about the society's view of disfellowshipping.
i actually think that today i put a chink in his armor about the whole thing.
(i'm very shocked, and just a bit hopeful.
You might find this artical on xjw.com of interest:
http://www.xjw.com/shunning.html
Ros
"A religion that teaches lies cannot be true"--The Watchtower, 12/1/91 pg. 7
for those of you who may have ordered the latest book by greg stafford, "three dissertations on the teachings of jehovah's witnesses", it began shipping today.. if you're interested in ordering it, go to elihu books:.
http://www.elihubooks.com
For those of you who may have ordered the latest book by Greg Stafford, "Three Dissertations on the Teachings of Jehovah's Witnesses", it began shipping today.
If you're interested in ordering it, go to ELIHU BOOKS:
http://www.elihubooks.com
i have been part of the 'alternative music scene' since i was 15. i should know backstabbers, it's part of the scene.. i was molested and shot at at 6, i remembered my abuse and the near death experience under the knife at 14, accused of being demon-possessed, prayed over and my cd's and books burnt at 15, i became an alco and depressive/agoraphobic and got in a lot of trouble with people at 15, i was accused of things i don't want to mention at the moment at 16, my own older sister stabbed me in the back and i was left homeless at 17, i received counselling for the abuse at 18, my little sister told me she had been abused for 8 years by my little brother and i had to carrying this for over a year at 22, i started studying the bible again at 23, and i have been critisized eva since for trying to better my life...... and i had to deal with family ridicule because i was 'weird, black witch/death' whateva they decided to call me at the time.
my sister was also critisized by family because she was weird.
when they found out what had happened to her, they were willing to accept her for what she was, a mixed up, miserable, alone girl.
Hello, and welcome.
I don't know what to say except thanks for the courage to tell your poignant story. Don't let the world get you down. When it gets right down to it, we all go through this life alone in one way or another. Hang in there and keep trying to do what you believe is good. If you can trust yourself, then you're your own best friend, and that's the most important thing. You'll find others, too, and know you're not really alone.
Blessings,
Ros
"A religion that teaches lies cannot be true"--The Watchtower, 12/1/91 pg. 7
the following is an article i found in my files this morning while i was looking for something else.
it is short and pointed:.
court backs shunning by religious group.
Hi, Amazing:
2. The Governing Body, having defended itself in this case, is inextricably the major component to and directs the practice of all Disfellowshipping and Shunning. The Watchtower organization and its Governing Body can never claim that this is the sole responsibly of the local JW Elders.Hmmmmmm ... Very interesting point. Thanks.
Ros
"A religion that teaches lies cannot be true"--The Watchtower, 12/1/91 pg. 7
