i was a former member now in order to be included with family, i am a non-attender for about 14 yearsi really hate to hear all the damage and mind altering things that go on with this cult.
pettygrudge:
I did not mean to stir bad memories for you. Notice that I wrote what "I have experienced". Certainly your experiences were not good ones. I will not comment since I do not know the whole story about you nor the cases of your siblings. It would be interesting to analyze the point of view of the elders involved. Of course I realize this is impossible, so there's only one side to the story.
i've just been reading a post about elders, and how the 'belief system' is the blame.
talk about an extension of jwism.. "but the woman you gave me".. each and every jw that told lies at someone's door, actually "told lies at someone's door".
simple as that.
From 1971 - 1975 I was telling my school friends that they were all going to die in 1975.
What you were preaching back then is not my concern. That was your choice if you were wording it that way. I doubt you were following a demonstration fromt the Kingdom Ministry.
I guess you were concerned with people's futures whether the end was supposedly coming in '75 or anytime in the future. There's nothing wrong with that, it's better to be ready than no to be.
With the recent hurricane alerts in the Gulf of Mexico, many in the Texas coastline were taking precautions: boarding up windows, leaving the coastline. The hurricane missed Texas completely and instead hit Louisiana. Where those Texans wrong in taking precautions? Like the old saying goes: better safe than sorry.
one of the few unfounded (i think) accusations that have been thrown at me by certain people is that i have caused 'untold damage' to the silentambs cause.. i don't know quite what this is supposed to mean or what i'm suppoed to have done or whether it is anything more than just 'mud' flung by people who find it easier to criticise rather than actually do anything.. over the last year (is it?
) i've been happy to promote the silentlambs cause and have hosted links to bills site and vidoes / sound files of tv programmes, radio reports, photo's of the march etc... as well as providing a place for people to meet and arrange things.
i hope it has been useful and helpful to at least some people.. if i have inadventantly held things up in some way then i unreservedly and wholeheartedly apologise.. all i can say is, i do my best and may not always get things right.
SwordOfJah:
Fair enough. However, Simon nor his fourm was the cause of anything you have cited here.
My my post I was not insinuating that Simon was at fault. I was simply showing that those three items damaged the cause. Simon, IMHO, did not do anything to harm that cause.
i've just been reading a post about elders, and how the 'belief system' is the blame.
talk about an extension of jwism.. "but the woman you gave me".. each and every jw that told lies at someone's door, actually "told lies at someone's door".
simple as that.
Pathofthorns:
No you were not lying. You were reading scriptures and that is not lying. The interpretation was a bit off, but after analyzing the new understand, if you still insisted in teaching the old interpretation, then that would have been lying. Would you rather have the brothers not publish this new understanding? Progress is good. I'm sure that the brothers in Bethel knew that they were going to take heat for that change, but they went with the truth.
one of the few unfounded (i think) accusations that have been thrown at me by certain people is that i have caused 'untold damage' to the silentambs cause.. i don't know quite what this is supposed to mean or what i'm suppoed to have done or whether it is anything more than just 'mud' flung by people who find it easier to criticise rather than actually do anything.. over the last year (is it?
) i've been happy to promote the silentlambs cause and have hosted links to bills site and vidoes / sound files of tv programmes, radio reports, photo's of the march etc... as well as providing a place for people to meet and arrange things.
i hope it has been useful and helpful to at least some people.. if i have inadventantly held things up in some way then i unreservedly and wholeheartedly apologise.. all i can say is, i do my best and may not always get things right.
As one of Jehovah's Witnesses I realize that it takes courage to stand up with the child abuse issue. I don't agree with the way things are done, but I'll just keep to myself.
One thing in my mind and many other Witnesses that damaged the silentlambs cause is:
1. Mr. Bowen throwing the stuffed animal at the Watchtower Representative. That was childish. I know what he is standing up for but to do something like that, I don't know, it just didn't look good.
2. The accusation against Jaracz and many yelling that he is the ring leader, perse.
3. The Satanic Ritual accusation.
Any Witness or even honest ex-Witnesses know that there are no Satanic Rituals. These people that throw out that accusation are just mental.
These of course are my opinions. Just wanted to share the point of you of a Witness.
i was a former member now in order to be included with family, i am a non-attender for about 14 yearsi really hate to hear all the damage and mind altering things that go on with this cult.
Too many times, people who are not within the "in" crowd regardless of their "zeal" for the truth are used as an example....
I don't deny that this happens sometimes. But in the rare instances that it does, the option is there to appeal and have a new committee look into the case. I say rare because even if one elder has a hidden agenda against the sinner, the other two elders add balance to the committee. That's why judicial committees are composed of three or four elders, not just one.
I find that different KH's have different personalities.
This is true and I have experienced it myself. That's why just because some problems occur in one congregation doesn't make the whole bunch the same. I have witnesses some elders that only worked for the position, but in my experience I have also witnessed that most elders have a love for the Bible, Jehovah and the brotherhood. I respect their heavy responsability and the amount of time they dedicate to the brothers and sisters. We might look at things from our individual standpoint, but the elders are looking out for the souls of every member of the congregation, some might only be 70 members and others are huge congregations of 200 or more.
whow is this different from a parent declining blood transfusion to his/her child?.
http://abcnews.go.com/sections/us/dailynews/religious_defense021003.html.
faith or no faith, both circumstances are child abuse.... what do you think?.
I don't think so.
Totally different situations. The JW parent looks for other alternatives for treatment, they don't just rely on prayer or faith. The Hospital Committees are very informed in alternative ways to handle different health issues and offer their services to all JWs.
i was a former member now in order to be included with family, i am a non-attender for about 14 yearsi really hate to hear all the damage and mind altering things that go on with this cult.
I wonder sometimes if the ELDERS have trouble sleeping at night
To answer your question honestly, I know many elders that do lose a lot of sleep at night. Jehovah has given them very hard responsabilities and they spend hours helping their brothers and sisters. Many elders spend a lot of time praying for their brother and sisters that get involved in wrongdoing.
to stand up and be judge and jury and say for that one mistake for being human, you cannot ever have a loving open relationship with your family ever again.
I guess you mean that you or someone is disfellowshipped when they make one mistake. This simply is not true. The person is disfellowshipped for not showing signs of repentance not because they make one mistake. Most of the time, a person is disfellowshipped because their sin was a practice over time and not just a one time thing. Most one-mistake sins are private reproofs.
But if you're mad because you or someone else is disfellowshipped for sinning, well let's say that the sin is fornication or adultery. While the individual is banging the other person, are they thinking about their relationship with God and the family? Obviously not, but when that individual is disfellowshipped then he/she cries foul and whine that now they can't associate with their family as before. IMHO the individual has to fess up to reality and really examine his/her own actions instead of the actions of the elders. In reality, the elders would never have to make a decision if the person wouldn't have sinned in the first place.
i've just been reading a post about elders, and how the 'belief system' is the blame.
talk about an extension of jwism.. "but the woman you gave me".. each and every jw that told lies at someone's door, actually "told lies at someone's door".
simple as that.
What lies are you talking about?
As one of Jehovah's Witnesses I would like to say that I do not lie at the doors. I teach what the Bible teaches. I follow what Jesus taught his disciples to do, and that is make other disciples.
I do not know of any Witnesses that get up in the morning and say "let's go lie to these people". To the contrary, their motivation is in saving lives. We are not out to destroy others faith, as opposers do, but to build peoples faith in Jehovah God and his wonderful promises. His promises are not lies for God cannot lie.
Excuse me if I sound like I'm preaching to you, but it angers me that all Witnesses are smeared by opposers insinuating that they lie to people. That is simply not true.
1: what is the official watchtower society child abuse policy?.
22: are child molesters ever allowed to go door-to-door alone?
35: (very important question) is it true that former governing body member leo greenlees was removed from the governing body for a molesting a child?
Rape Policy
Murder Policy
Governing Body
Judicial Hearings.
Ok thats all the time I have for now. Hope you enjoy my answers to your questions.
