Posts by Siddhashunyata

17

What Profound ironies do you know about?

by Siddhashunyata in

jw
friends

in another thread big tex related a story about the memorial wine that was so ironic that i thought maybe others saw profound irony in some of their experiences.

for example i recall a brother who gave up a military pension 2 years before retirement in order to pioneer for jehovah.. he would deride another brother for working long hours at his business ( auto repair business) and who spent virtually no time in field service.

years passed, the pioneer brother became needy and had to stop pioneering in order to work while the other brother had saved enough to retire and pioneer.

Siddhashunyata

Interesting. Irony seems to have the same general chacter as delema although one wouldnt think so. Both tend to affect character . Life takes on a curiously unpredictable quality. . Inwardly we feel tension between a developing cynicism (resistance) and a developing tolerance ( acceptance). Out of this comes a complex and sometimes oblique character . An interesting person ,to say the least. Its as though Nature is polishing a stone. One definition of irony is "frustrated hope".

This character is under developed in JW because of so much denial. Ironies and delemas are often unthinkable because they (reality) conflict with ideology. For example I recall a Circuit assembly where a story was related how several brothers and sisters opted to go to the beach instead of the Sunday meeting. One of them drowned. Moral of the story : If they had been at the meeting they would all be alive. But the speaker failed to mention the then recent bombing that had taken place in an Australian Congregation . Those brothers and sisters in the front row had their faces blown off, literaly. If both stories are juxtaposed without denial, a different reality falls out and a different way of seeing life. Takes a strong mind. As a Witness, one of the questions I would ask myself was "Why delemas?" We want to do whats right so why not just give us a choice between right and wrong ? Why delemas? Which Siamese twin should die or will they both die or will they be vegetables? We wreck the plane , there's nothing to eat but each other. etc.

By the way, years ago, from the podium: "Brothers ,in the Ressurection will you be able to forgive those who wronged you in this life? Surely our love will be tested. Think about it. If you were eaten by a cannibal and God saw fit to ressurect him would you be able to forgive him ?" No delema or irony. Just do the right thing.

17

What Profound ironies do you know about?

by Siddhashunyata in

jw
friends

in another thread big tex related a story about the memorial wine that was so ironic that i thought maybe others saw profound irony in some of their experiences.

for example i recall a brother who gave up a military pension 2 years before retirement in order to pioneer for jehovah.. he would deride another brother for working long hours at his business ( auto repair business) and who spent virtually no time in field service.

years passed, the pioneer brother became needy and had to stop pioneering in order to work while the other brother had saved enough to retire and pioneer.

Siddhashunyata

talesin, it is one of the ironies of lfe that "you can't cheat an honest man". Throughout my experience as a true believer it was my "simple eye" that got me in trouble. I once caught a look on a book study conductors face that caused me to look again and I saw him glare slightly at a married pioneer sister (Her husband was a nonbeliever). She had the look of adoration as he continued feeding the sheep that night. Two weeks passed and the conductor's daughter ,who worked for me,called home for him to come pick her up for a ride home. It was the pioneer sister that answered the phone . The daughter said the sister was helping out while her mother (study conductors wife) was in the hospital having the baby. I told the daughter I would give her a ride home and I did. When I knocked on the door the brother (study conductor ) opened and I asked him to step outside. It was dark. In the faint light I looked at him and said " Are you ok ? " He swooned and cried out that he was doing every thing in his power to not have "these" feelings for the sister. I felt cut that he was in such trouble and pleaded for him to not be around her (they would also go in field service together). After pulling himself together he said he would stop and she would just have to understand. At that point he went inside and as I turned to leave the door flew open and the pioneer sister stood stealthily in the doorway. She called my name and said she wanted to read me something. Her bible was open and she read scripture about the platonic relationship between David and Jonathan . She "admonished" me and I left. It wasn't long before I again saw the brother. We just sort of gestured and waved, like "comrades". Then one night after the service meeting I caught his eye . We were in the back of the crowded hall as everyone was leaving. I went to him and asked if he was ok , he asked to go out side and there he confessed adultry. I was beside myself as to what to do. I told him I would not say anything for two weeks and that he should tell it to the Elders within that time. ( I have never been an Elder ). He said he would. After two weeks my conscious compelled me to speak with him and I did . He said he had spoken to the District Overseer and everything was ok and that I don't have to do any thing. I looked at him with that simple eye and behold , he was lying. I went to an elder and the rest is history. The irony ( since that is what this thread is about) , the irony is that , to this day , the wife of the book study conductor...hates me. Surely god's ways are unsearchable.

17

What Profound ironies do you know about?

by Siddhashunyata in

jw
friends

in another thread big tex related a story about the memorial wine that was so ironic that i thought maybe others saw profound irony in some of their experiences.

for example i recall a brother who gave up a military pension 2 years before retirement in order to pioneer for jehovah.. he would deride another brother for working long hours at his business ( auto repair business) and who spent virtually no time in field service.

years passed, the pioneer brother became needy and had to stop pioneering in order to work while the other brother had saved enough to retire and pioneer.

Siddhashunyata

talesin, no I have always posted under this name. I try to be as clear as possible but, when I post sometimes the ideas so refined or simplified that the sentence structure gets complex and perhaps too potent. Maybe some others also have that problem (style?).

Here's another ironic experience, I once moved into an all black congregation and was welcomed with open arms by all. The members were excited and happy when my white bible studies started coming to the hall. Word got back to the all white Congregation and they tried to pin a "troublemaker" rap on me but some white believers knew I was sincere especially since I only lived two blocks from the black congregation and the white congregation was 25 miles away. I had no car. I was loved by the blacks and hated by many of the whites. Push came to shove and the Circuit Overseer demanded that the black hall be sold and and the white hall be made bigger to accommodate the black brothers and sisters. This was done and we all lived happily ever after. Wrong! All the stuff you would expect to be there was there. In the end I was not only hated by many of the white brethern but a new species of black had been created and I was hated by them as well. Surely God's ways are unsearchable. (Please insert" African American" where I have used he word black and "Whatever American" where I have used the word white. I claim Poetic License).

17

What Profound ironies do you know about?

by Siddhashunyata in

jw
friends

in another thread big tex related a story about the memorial wine that was so ironic that i thought maybe others saw profound irony in some of their experiences.

for example i recall a brother who gave up a military pension 2 years before retirement in order to pioneer for jehovah.. he would deride another brother for working long hours at his business ( auto repair business) and who spent virtually no time in field service.

years passed, the pioneer brother became needy and had to stop pioneering in order to work while the other brother had saved enough to retire and pioneer.

Siddhashunyata

talesin, you have been rewarded they are being punished, Surely God's ways are unsearchable.

17

What Profound ironies do you know about?

by Siddhashunyata in

jw
friends

in another thread big tex related a story about the memorial wine that was so ironic that i thought maybe others saw profound irony in some of their experiences.

for example i recall a brother who gave up a military pension 2 years before retirement in order to pioneer for jehovah.. he would deride another brother for working long hours at his business ( auto repair business) and who spent virtually no time in field service.

years passed, the pioneer brother became needy and had to stop pioneering in order to work while the other brother had saved enough to retire and pioneer.

Siddhashunyata

In another thread Big Tex related a story about the memorial wine that was so ironic that I thought maybe others saw profound irony in some of their experiences. For example I recall a brother who gave up a military pension 2 years before retirement in order to Pioneer for Jehovah.. He would deride another brother for working long hours at his business ( auto repair business) and who spent virtually no time in field service. Years passed, the Pioneer brother became needy and had to stop Pioneering in order to work while the other brother had saved enough to retire and Pioneer. The first brother was looked down on because he stopped Pioneering and was needy. The second brother was lauded and had many "priviledges right up until I left the Congregation and lost contact. Surely God's ways are unsearchable.

31

The Memorials coming up......and ......

by ScoobySnax in

jw
friends

of course i'll be there on thursday, its one of the very few meetings i go to.

i guess i'll make the same promises that i always do.

i must get back to the meetings soon, i'll see the po who always seems to make a beeline for me after, yes here's my number , phone me.

Siddhashunyata

Big Tex, thanks for sharing. Got a big laugh out of that. Perhaps a thread on PROFOUND ironies is in order. That story would rank near the top.

48

My Prediction: If You Don't want To Be A Witness----You've Disassociated

by minimus in

jw
friends

eventually, i believe that if an inactive person refuses to talk to elders, stops all meetings and service and might create any possible problem to the local congregation, that they might be loopholed into showing themselves as having "disassociating" themselves.

it would be an easy way to get rid of deadweights that can cause more harm than good in the congregation.

Siddhashunyata

Consider this, a high control group is not concerned about loyalty but about control. Therefore removing all threats to control is the prioity even if it temporarily effects profits. Loss of control means the end of the game so disfellowshipping is the weapon of choice. If it was about loyalty they would be in dialogue with the "Bretheren' about the issues being raised .

52

Is the Society's message to JW's getting stronger?

by truthseeker in

jw
friends

during a dinner conversation with a loyal jw, he mentioned that the society seems to be making stronger statements to jw's.

he mentioned the "keep on the watch" brochure, and how it seemed to be for jw's as well as the public.

he acknowledged the "personal questions" the society were asking us, in the brochure - how pointed and direct they are, even asking you to rank your physical and spiritual activities on a scale of 1 to 10. .

Siddhashunyata

The WTBTS's huge weapon is Disfellowshipping. Reform is impossible as long as they have that weapon. They will not disarm themselves so the dubs have to do it by ignoring the weapon . No reform until that happens.

36

Jehovah's Witnesses GET CRAZY!!

by GetBusyLiving in

jw
friends

do you guys know any very obviously crazy jw's?

i've noticed that they have been "flocking" to the org.

over the past few years especially.

Siddhashunyata

Had one of the old school annointed sisters from way back to Rutherford. Sat through all meetings wearing a large hat (never ,ever took it off in the hall). She sat and sat and sat but never made a single comment, never raised her hand or spoke.

In another congregation an unhappy older sister claimed she could have been of the annointed., but when the great crowd was announced in the 30's (she was in the audience) she claimed she was talked into being of that class by a very glib brother.

15

counsel from elders

by bonnzo in

jw
friends

how many have had elder give u this counsel(or if /were an elder given this counsel):

"its come to our attention that u were(fill in space with anything that is up to your own conscience that is ok in wt world such as pg-13 movie, certain music, or choice of entertainmen).

this has offended the conscience of others" then proceeds to counsel u to cease and desist so as to appease the other persons conscience.. isn't this a case of the sensitive conscience forcing me to abide their concience even more so than they claim im offending theirs?

Siddhashunyata

My experience with this led me to understand that the elder (s) conveniently used this form of intimidation to enforce their personal view on a matter. Thats why they didn't counsel the "weaker conscience".