Posts by Sentinel

28

Do all informed JW's deny the man Christ Jesus as their mediator?

by hooberus in

many here are familiar with the current watchtower doctrine that jesus is the mediator for only the 144,000. .

members of the great crowd who know and believe wt doctrine on this subject will deny that jesus christ is their mediator.

those of the remant who know and believe wt doctrine on this subject will claim to have jesus christ as their mediator, but will deny that the mediator is a man.. however, the bible says that the mediator is .

Sentinel

In my opinion, Jesus lived his life to show and teach mankind that we humans have a divine connection; and that the most important thing we can do is to show love and compassion to our fellow man. In that life, he lived as a human and died as a human. If indeed the resurrection occured, it occured to show that the soul is reborn again, but not in the same body. These bodies are mere hosts. To understand those teachings would mean that the follower would accept that he had a connection to the divine. It is through this "connection" that understanding comes. Even at that, his ideals were considered blasphemus to religious leaders of the day. He was born, and his soul (which had already received it's divine rewards) lived in the body of Jesus on this earth. His death showed us how very frail this human life is, and how important it is to know the soul and understand the part we play in the journey. It is the soul that bears protecting.

Religion has crusified the truth about the purpose of Jesus. We have to struggle now ourselves and have faith that Jesus message regarding life now, and life later with the divine, can change our lives. Religion even managed to create the hellfire doctrine. Man has and continues to be his own worse enemy. Things done for control and power.

The worse enemy we have is ourselves and our conscience, if we have lived against what it tells us. The enemy is not a creature with horns; it is not this Satan. Discover for yourselves the flagrant lies, one heaped upon the other, and you will not only be free of JW's, but you will be free to be your self.

/<

13

letter to family

by kat2u in

.

i am in the process of writing a letter to my mother.i have been told by family members that she knows im going to come back into the fold.and has thus decided that untill i do she will not be in the same place as i am again.this also includes mt parents 50th wedding anniversary in june.my father wants me there is has never been a jw.but mom has decided that if i attend then she cannot.this all added to the fact that she is in continual contact with my eldest daughter to "keep consistent" in their treatment of me.i am angry and intend to explain to her the fact that i will never be a jw again and to explain to her why.. i have seen many wonderful letters others have posted to family members.im just looking for anyone who has any ideas or thoughts that i might be able to use in my letter..

thankyou!!!!

Sentinel

Even if he isn't a JW, wouldn't your father still be "head of the house". If he wanted you to be there, then I'd go. If your mom doesn't show up at her own celebration, others will note that she is the one with the problem. Do what your heart tells you. Your dad makes up half of that marriage union. Sometimes husbands don't like to be put into a position where they take a stand "against" their mate. (they know how miserable an unhappy or angry mate can make their life) I'm sure he loves you and would want you to be there. He might have to stand up to her in public though, and maybe this would be difficult for him to do. Find out how he feels.

/<

18

Things about Jesus the Borg didn't tell us

by ozziepost in

has it ever troubled you when you read a scripture that tells you something about jesus that the borg doesn't?.

care to make a list?.

i'll start:.

Sentinel

Hummm, can't quite go with the "Jesus is god in the flesh". Jesus may have been a supreme being in the universe, and his soul reborn to life on earth in a form that would be enlightening. But, all that stuff about the trinity, or Jesus being "god" doesn't resonate with me.

/<

44

Emotional Blackmail and ex-JWs

by Lady Lee in

based on a discussion last night and a request to write something about it i went hunting through some old posts and found this one.

emotional blackmail and jws.

we were discussing whether it is emotional abuse when the elders visit us after we have left and wind up being nasty or try to pressure us to go back.. so i was thinking - what are some of their tactics and would they fit into this category?.

Sentinel

Lady Lee, thanks for this great thread. I have enjoyed reading everyone's posts here. Such good information. The JW belief system fits so well with "women being considered second-class". That's why my mom was drawn into it. Co-dependance, on a different level. She raised her three daughters the same way. Thank goodness, we are free from all of that and our lives have improved so much!

Welcome kalela! A very good post here for your first one.

/<

20

After 10 months of fading, the elders are gonna pay me a visit....

by Agent Smith in

i have been fading since the middle of last year.

if it wasn't for my wife being a devoted dub, i probably would not go to the meetings.

i go to around 65%-75% of the meetings.

Sentinel

Fading possibly allows you to get prepared to be labeled and shunned--if one can ever be prepared for that. It gives you a bit of extra time to freely move around other JW's and be included as a "member", even if you are considered "weak". Fading may "protect" family members and close friends, so they can still feel able to be comfortable around you. Your wife is the most important person, and you've been up front with her. You can simply make yourself unavailable to the brothers--but we all know that only lasts for a period of time.

Do you attend meetings just to please your wife? You may wish to re-consider, if you are firm in your decision. If you are hanging on by attending a few meetings and doing a week bit of token service, you are still sending mixed messages. Sincere members may believe you need encouragement and some will be genuiene in their attempts to "help" you. So don't be surprised if some actually do try to show you love and compassion in the "JW way". It is very difficult for a JW to hear that someone just doesn't "believe anymore". They immediately assume that gross sin is present, and so they are afraid. This is the dogmatic cult at it's best. They will soon react to you out of this fear.

They only have power over you if you give them that power. Fading works for many, but in the end, you will stand strong unto yourself. You owe no one an explanation at all. This is your life and your choice. You have to listen to your own heart.............."listen, it will tell you"...

Best wishes.

/<

14

Our Ginger and Rainbow Bridge.... :(

by Sentinel in

i have been remiss in posting any updates on my home situation, with my husbands health issues.

and now, another stressful event has occured, and our beloved "ginger" (three year old cat) will be put to sleep on the 29th.. hubby has been undergoing test after test, and meanwhile has been admitted to the hospital here twice.

the first time was related to the growth in his chest and his ventral hernia; the second time was due to a seriously infected cat bite.

Sentinel

((( CJ, Sheila, bebu, "arizona", Faded, Special K)))

Thanks for all your support. If I allow myself to think too much about it, I get sad, so I am trying not to do that. Just another one of those things in life, where we must make a decision with the best information we have, and move on. The lady at the shelter spoke with so much clarity, that I truly thought she knew what she was talking about. Now, I'm back to wondering if our Ginger was really quite "mentally unstable". It really doesn't matter now....

We are trying to concentrate on what is going on with hubby's health and his upcoming surgery in the following weeks to come. "June" (our younger cat--a Tuxedo) is remarkable. She is giving us both so much love and attention. It's like "she knows" what we need.

We are making ourselves as knowledgeable as possible about the human body and how it functions, so we can speak to the surgeon in clear terminology and understand what he tells us. Quite amazing creatures, we are as human beings....the way we were made. Even at that, we also receive much from the animal kingdom.

Karen

15

Kingdom Hospital

by Valis in

eheh...anyone else into the stephen king stuff?

i loved the stand and it and the langoliers...and now another one.... .

sincerely,.

Sentinel

I'm absolutely steaming--well not so much "now", but last night. I had looked forward to the movie and hubby was sitting there to share the experience, when "bam", our cable goes down!! Of all the times for cable to go down, it had to be right when the first showing of this movie was to begin. No reason for cable to go down...never is. We are at their mercy. I hate it.

Naturally, this morning it's back up again. So how was the premier first two hours of "Kingdom"? ...and when is the next continuation?

/<

2

Heaven

by slipnslidemaster in

show me how you do that trick.

the one that makes me scream" she said.

"the one that makes me laugh" she said.

Sentinel

Please Slip, you are breaking my .

/<

44

Update on Mouthy

by mouthy in

since some of you inquired... i have just come home from the hospital the dr said "you are a tough old bird -after he saw the xrays.

he knew i suffer a lot of pain anyway.

( rh arth)-gonna live another 25 years"-i told him to" scram.

Sentinel

Mouthy: Living with constant pain like you do, is no doubt a great challenge; but you always are cheerful, always have a kind and loving word, and seem to be a gracious lady. My grandmother (gone many years now) had R A, and it became so painful for her to play the piano after about fifty years old. Every now and then, she would still give it a try because she loved to play so much. Her hands were so badly deformed, but I never heard her complain--though I would see her rubbing her hands and massaging them any time she was sitting still.

You go girl!

/<

8

Bid Farewell to Guilt and Regret.

by Blueblades in

jw
friends

.

everyone's past is filled with regrets, mistakes and missed opportunities that still cause pain.these feelings are an index of our humanity, evidence that we have a heart and a conscience.. but from an emotional point of view, they are deadweights that keep us from moving forward.while they can't merely be willed away.i recommend you give yourself a good talking-to.. remind yourself that everyone has negative experiences.but whatever happened is in the past, and nothing can change that.holding on to the memory only allows the damage to continue into the present.. from the april ladies home journal page 82. yes i do read articles in my wife's magazines.i thought this piece might help some of us here on the forum.. blueblades

Sentinel

William Shakespeare did say it so well:

MOURNING IN VAIN

When remedies are past, the griefs are ended

By seeing the worst, which late on hopes depended,

To mourn a mischief that is past and gone

Is the next way to draw new mischief on.

What cannot be preserved when fortune takes,

Patience her injury a mockery makes.

The robb'd that smiles steals something from the thief;

He robs himself that spends a bootless grief.

Some good wisdom here I think.

/<