Posts by zophar

27

I Ended my Bible Study

by Maria Nieves in

i ended my bible study today.

several months ago, i began to feel that the truth was not the truth.

as the months progressed, my feelings intensified.

zophar

However, I viewed my bible study conductor as a friend, I confided in her and I trusted her.

She probably feels the same way about you. She no doubt views you as a friend and there is no reason for you to quit being friends unless that is what she decides. Keep showing an interest in her and especially since you still have an interest in the Bible, she may continue to call on you from time to time if that is what you decide you want. You are obviously an open minded person or you would probably never have started posting here. Who knows, you might eventually cause her to do some thinking on her own.

Whatever, remember that you have some control of the situation unless she decides to cut you off completely.

Be happy!

24

Consummed

by Hobbittz in

jw
friends

i am head over heels in love with a man who was raised jw.

i believe he is fighting demons, however, and is torn between what his heart wants to do, his beliefs, his depression & lack of self confidence.

he has had 2 wives.

zophar

Perhaps you should focus more on your own self-esteem. What is it, exactly, in this person that appeals to you? Do you feel that you could never have a healthy relationship with someone else if you were to drop this person and start dating?

This appears to be a doomed relationship. Work on what you can change, which is yourself, and not on what you want the other person to change.

I feel really bad for you and your situation. I hope a healthy self-esteem will lead you to happiness.

1

Judging as bad association now....or at the Great Tribulation....or both!

by zophar in

reading posts where some have commented on how their parents, children or other relative have cut off all association with them because they do not agree with the teachings of the wtb&ts.. think about it.

jw's teach that if you aren't one of them, you will be destroyed.

so from a jw perspective, their df or da or inactive adult child or relative or friend, is eventually going to be destroyed and die.. on the other hand, jw's teach that god and christ have not yet started the process of separating the sheep and the goats.

zophar

Reading posts where some have commented on how their parents, children or other relative have cut off all association with them because they do not agree with the teachings of the WTB&TS.

Think about it. JW's teach that if you aren't one of them, you will be destroyed. So from a JW perspective, their DF or DA or Inactive adult child or relative or friend, is eventually going to be destroyed and die.

On the other hand, JW's teach that God and Christ have not yet started the process of separating the Sheep and the Goats. (After teaching for many years that the preaching work was doing that before the Great Tribulation begins!)

However, a JW with a DF, DA or Inactive friend or relative, judges NOW that this person is unworthy of association. Why? Isn't Jehovah's timetable for Judging sufficient? Wouldn't it make sense that you would associate now as much as possible with your child or relative to help them because at some future point God is going to judge and destroy?

It seems to me that a JW who acts this way is putting his or the congregation's judgment above Jehovah's. In the meantime, they have lost their only chance to associate with their friend or relative, at least according to their interpretation of God's judgment.

It is all such a waste and makes no sense!

26

The Anointed Apostate: the Remarkable Sister Pettifog

by TerryWalstrom in

(on the anniversary of my jw best friend's death, i've reached into my archive to replay this incident in his honor)

the remarkable sister *pettifog*.

this morning i arrived on my bicycle at the local starbucks early and took up a seat at the outdoor table in the fresh air.. that’s when it happened--a group of 3 older ladies at one of the other tables outside rose to leave and one of them walked over to my table and spoke directly to me.

zophar

Terry,

Always enjoy your stories.

Around 1973 an older JW who had been the pillar of the JW community where he lived, resigned as an Overseer, City Overseer, Assembly Overseer and became irregular in his meeting attendance. One day I visited with him. He made it plain that he did not believe 1914 had any Scriptural significance and therefore did not believe 1975 had any special meaning as well.

As a young pioneer servant in his early 20's, I was shocked. How could he say such things. He was a brilliant man, who thought for himself. He was the first I heard report on something Rutherford said about women being nothing but "a bag of bones and a hank of hair." Little did I know that he was right.

He continued to associate off and on with the congregation until his elderly JW mother died. She had been an active Witness since about 1906. As soon as she died, he disassociated himself. He was probably about 65 years old at the time. I remember how bitter he was. He lived another 30 years or so, dying at age 96. A widower, alone, never having children and now, an outcast Apostate shunned by all his former friends. Friends that included dozens he had helped over the years. Many of whom had heard his funeral talk for one of their relatives and 1000's who had heard one of his public talks over the years. Basically alone and bitter the last 30 years of his life.

I had always thought, what a wasted life. .....and now, here I sit in my 60's with the same thoughts he had then. How different would my life have been if I had heeded what he told me as a young man?

Good to see your post.

33

Racist Air

by Tobyjones262 in

so now whites are to blame for pollution.

lol these idiot libtards are pushing trump for the win every day.

so all whites are to blame if one factory owner is white but a black who runs a drug cartel whites are still to blame.

zophar

Keep that bag over your head. I notice it doesn't have a mouth hole, you might take advantage of that and keep yours closed as well.

33

Racist Air

by Tobyjones262 in

so now whites are to blame for pollution.

lol these idiot libtards are pushing trump for the win every day.

so all whites are to blame if one factory owner is white but a black who runs a drug cartel whites are still to blame.

zophar

Try to use your words

That is one of the most ironic things you have ever written!

If EVER someone needed to learn how to use their words, it would be TobyJones262.

How the Congregation you left must miss your delightful insights.

Just shows me that ex-JW's can be just as messed up as the current ones.

10

march broadcast about neutrality

by road to nowhere in

i notice they commented that "we" should not sympathise with protestors, like the protestors are always right.

sometimes i feel a protest would be a good place for a machine gun, because i do have feelings on different things.

despite their stated neitral stance, the wt is left leaning.

zophar

I consider myself middle?????

Is that the definition of "The middle of nowhere?

24

“Millions now living will never die”

by HappyBlessedFree in

so i’m just reading the part in ray franz book “crisis of conscience” about the 1925 prediction of “millions now living will never die”.. ofcourse all witnesses are very familiar with this campaign.

yet none of us ever had an issue with it, including myself.

since the booklet was published in 1920, we are one year away from 100 years from that time.

zophar

Awake! 11/8/1974:

"Today there is a great crowd of people who are confident that a destruction of even greater magnitude is now imminent. The evidence is that Jesus’ prophecy will shortly have a major fulfillment, upon this entire system of things. This has been a major factor in influencing many couples to decide not to have children at this time. They have chosen to remain childless so that they would be less encumbered to carry out the instructions of Jesus Christ to preach the good news of God’s kingdom earth wide before the end of this system comes.—Matt. 24:14."

17

Does anybody else still have an obsession about Saturday morning weather?

by Exelder in

jw
friends

i am still enjoying the luxury of weekends to do whatever i want....but....out of habit i am still obsessed with looking at the weather for saturday mornings.

rain on a saturday morning was a very rare treat and we got the morning off, although as group leader, i still had to go to the group just in case somebody turned up.. does anybody else still watch the weekend forecast with interest?

(i am aware that this is probably a uk thing as we are obsessed with the weather ha ha).

zophar

Today's forecast has storm warnings this morning where I live.

Expect a caller in the next couple of hours if you happen to be the RV of a zealous JW!

49

How Long Will YOU Identify As A Jehovah’s Witness?

by minimus in

jw
friends

some witnesses realize that they got into a religion and it turned out to be disastrous.

many decide they have to somehow get out.

some do it right away and others take longer.. where are you in your journey?

zophar

There are a variety of reasons that may make leaving difficult.

Some find it easier to just, go to Church at the Kingdom Hall. In other words, you will agree with some of what is said and disagree with much. Christendom has had people doing this for years. How many Catholics really believe birth control is wrong?

Even a person who is basically PIMO might choose to remain an elder to try to plant his beliefs on others. It will eventually end because he will be called out for individual thinking, something totally forbidden for hard liners.

Live and let live.