Last thing I would ever do is tell any Elders about my thoughts and feelings. The reason is that usually they only want to bring our thinking back in line, correct our viewpoints so we're back to "normal". Only that we aren't unnormal. Nothing is wrong with my thoughts and what I feel about the Society and our leaders. The impression I've had for years regarding Elders and also CO's is that they just want us to function, that's all. Don't be inactive, turn in your reports every month so nothing seems out of the ordinary.
Sauerkraut
JoinedPosts by Sauerkraut
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35
Have You Ever Spoken To An Elder About Your True Feelings About "The Truth"?
by minimus ini've has conversations with certain elder friends but i never gave them a total pummeling, at least i haven't yet.. what about you?.
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Crisis of Conscience, Apostacy and the Antichrist
by konceptual99 ini've just finished reading coc and it's truely a thought provoking book that's given me much to think about.. one thing that has struck me is the way rf was disfellowshipped and how he tried to reason with the elders on the jc.
a key point of reasoning was that how the elders could define the disassocated one he ate with as "the antichrist" or one practicing the things described in 1 cor 9. apparently the elders either remain silent on the matter or said it was not for them to judge.. i thought the reasoning was really sound but i have been doing some checking on the definition of apostacy and the antichrist according to the society and it seems pretty clear to me that anyone guilt of apostacy becomes part of the antichrist.
characteristics of apostacy as defined in the it-1 book are described as follows:.
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Sauerkraut
Konceptual99, I sent you a PM.
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30
Crisis of Conscience, Apostacy and the Antichrist
by konceptual99 ini've just finished reading coc and it's truely a thought provoking book that's given me much to think about.. one thing that has struck me is the way rf was disfellowshipped and how he tried to reason with the elders on the jc.
a key point of reasoning was that how the elders could define the disassocated one he ate with as "the antichrist" or one practicing the things described in 1 cor 9. apparently the elders either remain silent on the matter or said it was not for them to judge.. i thought the reasoning was really sound but i have been doing some checking on the definition of apostacy and the antichrist according to the society and it seems pretty clear to me that anyone guilt of apostacy becomes part of the antichrist.
characteristics of apostacy as defined in the it-1 book are described as follows:.
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Sauerkraut
Konceptual99, I'm in a similar situation. Still in and don't want to be forced out too quickly. Sadly if you really look at it, JWs are an organization of Apostates. We teach a lot of things that are not in line with what Christ taught and what Christians in the first century believed. Check out two scriptures- Galatians 1:6 and 5:1. On whose authority do we teach a new good news? Surely not Christ's. The latter scripture shows that we have freedom as Christians. The JW view and definition of Apostasy goes way beyond what the scritpures say and is judgemental as well. Should we judge?
What I don't understand is: why do you think you have to comply when some day the elders confront you? You don't. Should I find myself in the situation that my doubts and beliefs that are contrary to WT doctrine become known to the elders, I will simply ignore them. Should they try to force a judicial committee on me, I won't go along with it, they can't force me. The authority they have only goes as far as we let them and we don't have to waste our time reasoning with them. And while we should try to be peacable, we don't have to make it easy for them to enforce policies that are not really scriptural.
If you really want to minimize risk, don't speak about your doubts to anyone still "in".
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Disfellowshipped for Being Raped!
by UnDisfellowshipped inmarch 8th 1974 issue, pages 13-16:.
"scream!
scream!
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Sauerkraut
^You have an excellent point LongHairGal.
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Sauerkraut
Lostinthought, I'm glad it's not just me that is bothered by that silly attitude. People focusing on "status" really are narrow minded. But think about it, it's imparted into people's minds. How many "regular" guys get interviews on assemblies or conventions? About how many regular guys do you read in the magazines? How often are speakers on assemblies introduced as "Elder from Congregation soandso...", who cares, aren't all speakers Elders anyway? That's how it starts. Witnesses are nothing to outsiders (at least so they think) that's why they have to be someone in the Org.
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District Convention Points Saturday 21-07-2012 New Light? Governing Body Is Our Mother?
by Bubblegum Apotheosis ini have been trying to wrap my head around the talk that introduced the slave as our mother?
the brothers at bethel are worried that we are not treating our spiritual mother with respect.
jehovah is our father, the faithful slave (the governing body) is our spiritual mammy.
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Sauerkraut
Honor the visible spirit anointed slave class as our Mother? I thought that most of them have mental issues? Seven older Men (what they really mean but are still afraid to say openly) to be my Mother isn't something I feel too fond of. Nah, thanks. This is really getting idolatrous.
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Our most Holy Faith.( God works through individuals)
by philmurray inhelo.straight from the start i am a christian begotten of the father jehovah gods holy spirit.can i take the time to extend christian greetings to all.i know that i along with all of the offspring of adam have inherited original sin.that without faith in the antilutron ( in this age) i can not approach the mercy seat, holy throne of jehovah god the almighty.so many christian faiths.all use the bible.all quote from it.all pray to the same god.all fallible humans convinced that their method/way/faith is right.the only way to please the father and his beloved son.some cling to a teaching/teacher.some cling to a tradition.all accept a particular mindset.
so all christadelphians are wrong(including their off shoots,ie ecclesia of christ etc).ditto ditto etc etc-mormons,their off shoots,catholic its off shoots(ancient catholic re mel gibson etc)anglican ( not if we accept women !
) ad infidium.. so what are we left with.a history of the j.w.
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Sauerkraut
What strikes me is that Christ said "I am the way". Not any religion, not any organization, he alone. It's good to worship together and build one another up, but care should be taken that in time people do not start following men. The controversy of Paul vs. Apollos makes it clear how quickly that can happen, how we tend to put people on a pedestal and forget about who we must really focus on.
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Welcome Newbies & New Posters ! How has this Board Assisted You ?
by flipper init's nice to have you here !
i found that this board was very supportive when i first got on it over 4 years ago .
i still find it supportive !
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Sauerkraut
Missed this thread. I registered about a week ago and forgot to introduce myself. While still "in" I started researching about "the truth" a while ago. I can't say when and what exactly caused it but I started having this intuitive feeling that something was wrong. The more and more blatant emphasis on unconditional obedience to the GB was what bothered me most. So I started doing the unthinkable- reading on the Internet, and I don't mean the Org's website. That was shocking. Was also the first time ever I heard of all the cases of child abuse among Witnesses. On and off I would read a bit more on the net. One thing that I found very interesting is that J.F. Rutherford was a drunkard, supposedly. Also how fixated on Pyramids C.T. Russell was. About a week ago I started researching about the heavenly vs. earthly hope for Christians doctrine. That settled things for me and I completely realized that our "Truth" is not what we're told and that not this or any GB before has had Jehovah's Spirit as guidance. It had bothered me before that we're told to follow men, not Christ. Now I'm not only bothered but done with paying attention to what they have to say, they no longer have any authority over me. Can't say where my life will lead me from now on. Due to family ties I can't just quit right now, I wish I could, but especially my Mother would be extremely shattered. We've had some discussions about some of my thoughts and she started becoming very accusatory, saying I was placing my own wisdom over that of seven million and how Jehovah would not permit them all to be so wrong... Better not to argue, at least for the time being. I prefer to be upfront about my thoughts and don't want to pretend. It's sad to see how many are unconditional in their obedience and how they have given up all inclination for free thought.
Btw, I'm thirty and third generation Witness. Never been a Pioneer and have always had something against the "carreer Witness type".
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No more 3-day DCs starting in 2013?
by respectful_observer inapologies if there is another recent thread on this, but i have heard from 4 different people in 3 different geographic areas (including someone who does advance work for the dcs), that beginning in 2013 the three day dc program will be replaced by a second two-day circuit assembly.
some people were passing the info along like a secret, others seemed to think that everyone already knew.. if everyone in j-dub land is already talking about this, how is it not all over this forum??.
anyway, can anyone confirm or deny?.
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Sauerkraut
District Conventions, I've never liked them much. The best day was Sunday at around 4 PM.
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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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Sauerkraut
Thanks Emery. Interesting how very serious some can take an unwritten rule.