Posts by in3D

1093

THE NEWS IS BIGGER THAN DATELINE, BBC, CBC, ETC.

by AndersonsInfo in

if i told you that something bigger is on the horizon than dateline, bbc, cbc, sunday (australia), and all other tv programs which exposed the sexual child abuse cover-up by watchtower in 2002-2003, would you believe me?

have i ever misled you?

i'll answer that--no!

in3D

Barbara, you have a PM.

In3d

38

Fill In The Blank-----"A Good Elder Is.........."

by minimus in

jw
friends

in3D

1) Asks for insider trading tips from a recently reinstated sister who worked for a well know investment firm.

2)Has an affair with his best friends wife's sister, after his and his wife's baby was still born, then divorces his wife.

3)Goes on a shepherding call to encourage a sister, but ends up talking all about himself.

4)Disfellowships the mother of young children, and then shun the children.

I could go on . . .

107

Ray Franz And Things That Are Too Hard To Handle.

by Englishman in

jw
friends

i see that ray franz is coming in for a fair bit of criticism due to his apparrant unwillingness to accept that jw's had a problem with the existence of child abuse when he was a member of the gb.

also, it would appear that ray is being chided for his belief in the rule of 2 witnesses before action can be taken against an abuser.

it seems to me that it is quite likely that ray wasn't aware that there was a serious abuse problem within the society when he was a member of the gb, if only for the reason that ray would find such an activity so detestable that he would believe it to be a virtually impossible act for anyone to perpetrate.

in3D

I have read the latest version of CoC (2002), and I remember the subject regarding the oral sex debate.

I think Ray Franz made it clear that whether he or anyone personally thought oral sex was wrong or immoral, the point that I got after reading through the context was that, during most of the GB meetings or sessions, most of the time was spent debating on issues of disfellowshipping. And he began seeing that decisions would be made without regard to the individuals or the unique situations involved.

For example, at first, Adultery was only considered adultery if it was with another human of the opposite sex, and then later, certain cases started coming in, like one man having sex with an animal, yet the wife could not get a scriptural divorce because it (at that time) did not fall into the category of "Adultery"; or like one man had relations with another man, so they didn't consider this at the time "Adultery"; and like one womans husband was confined to a wheel chair, he wanted to please his wife, etc., so they had to decide on these types of situations (being very private matters).

I think he came across having the feeling that those petty arbitrary decisions that they would make had ruined peoples lives, when later these decisions had been completely changed or reversed because of "New Light". And he began seeing the hypocrisy! He saw decisions being made for one country, where in another country this same decision principle was not upheld and those brothers and sisters went through severe persecution.

And as I also have grown up knowing all these rules for disfellowshipping over the years change and evolve, it made me think too, that those making these decisions really do not take everything into consideration.

And how so many people have followed all these rules over the years, always having to ask the Elder Body/GB for the "right way".

R. Franz also says that the only regret he has in all the years he did spend in Full-Time Service (holding every position from the bottom to the top) was that he did not leave his wife with a Son or Daughter to comfort and to support her when he's gone.

I feel his efforts were not a waist of time, his book was revealing and confirmed a lot of what I have always felt over the years.

in3D

30

Is there anyone close by???

by kelpie in

i have only just registered at this forum and i would like to know if there are any ex jw's that live in or close to canberra, australia.. i have been shunned by all family and friends because i left the organisation (not disfellowshipped at this stage but won't be long) and i finding it hard to cope with.

i am sorry to be down but i miss all my family and friends and would love to make new friends that know what i am going through.

my boyfriend is very understanding but gets frustrated as he doesn't know why my family are doing this to me.. this sounds like a whingy post but i promise you, i am not normally like this.

in3D

Hi Kelpie,

Welcome, I see you are in the chat already. I was going to tell you that I had trouble at first getting into the chat. But, someone told me after a few posts you should get in. I had to actually start a topic "Can't get into chat! Can someone help?" That was the trick I guess.

Anyway, welcome to the site, mate!

in3D

33

Congregation get-togethers

by freedom96 in

jw
friends

did your hall ever organize times for the congregation to do activities?.

about every 6-9 months, mine would have a congregation picnic.

people would bring food, and we would play a softball game.

in3D

Hi Freedom96,

I want to tell you a funny story about "Planned Witness Social Events". As someone mentioned, since we were to only associate with Witnesses, it only seems fair that the Congregations or WTBTS would encourage this.

Well, while my sister and I were attending college (I will not say where), but we had got in contact right away with our local congregation that we would be attending. We met for the first time young Witnesses our age who were actually going to college, or had graduated from college and working as independent people, reaping the rewards for their hard work (where we are from, if you don't have a boyfriend or are not dating or engaged by the time you are 18 you are considered an "old maid" or looked on as unusual). College was not even thought about in our area where we are originally from, and most Witnesses marry very young. Anyway, during our time at college, with these friends, we would go out to dinner, meet for lunch, go to the beach on vacation, etc.

One New Years Eve, we got together with some other friends from another local congregation and went to have dinner and then went "All Night Bowling". We thought that this would be safe since we would be indoors and off the roads where people were likely drinking and driving. It was so much fun, so innocent, we were not drinking or cursing and we did seem a little odd to the others there. Anyway, we finished around 6:00am and then a few of us went to have breakfast. What was so wrong with that?

Well, about a month later at the next Circuit Assembly, the CO had found out about this "wilding". (How or why, I do not know). Well, in the talk for the Circuit, the CO was talking about gatherings, and he said, "some in our Circuit had gone 'All Night Bowling', brothers! . . . "On New Years Eve!".

I sunk in my seat and felt so guilty because of this. It did get a good laugh from the audience, though!

I can't understand why these things are frowned upon. The whole time at college, we did not get involved in "wrong doing" or did any immoral thing.

Why do the Brothers or Elders assume that something will always go wrong or will not look good? How do they know but that we gave a "good witness" to others?

While now being in NYC, my Cardiologist often asked me (while I had become single again and was interested in finding a good Witness mate (such a harlot, right!)), he asked, "doesn't the congregations have gatherings specifically to meet others who share your belief and lifestyle?" He is Jewish, and said that most Synagogues, have this type of arrangement, because they realize if they want their people to stay with the religion they have to meet others from their religion.

And I know some Witnesses who will not even attend any gathering if a non-baptized associate will be there. How are these ones supposed to make new friends within the KH and leave behind their old associates in the World?

I know this is kind of long, but wanted to post to this topic.

Edited by in3D to correct (while my sister and I was attending college) to: were attending college. Oh Well, I attended an Art school and my grammar has always suffered! Hee Hee!

in3D

Edited by - in3D on 2 November 2002 17:52:13

13

I just got laid off

by eisenstein in

jw
friends

i got laid off tuesday, the 29th, ten minutes before midnite, right before i was supposed to go home.

the nerve of them.

i am kind of upset, but know times are hard right now.

in3D

Dear Eisenstein,

Take courage . . . I have also been laid off before and understand what you are feeling. Don't be too hard on yourself. I also believe things happen for a reason. When looking back on this in the future you will see!

Take time to regroup; take time to decide on what you would like to do; and just enjoy your time and do things that you have been wanting to do!

You are not being punished! Don't let anyone make you feel like you are bad in God's eyes or that something you have done has brought this upon you! You are precious and loved by God!

I was once told by a former JW (after I had been laid off and not to mention the fact that I could be on total disability due to a health problem) that I should be working, that "Christians should work", and I guess the fact that I had more time to "read and study for every meeting" was making the person jealous. LOL

Well, what I have learned since then, is that you should not live by other peoples' expectations-No matter how "right" they seem and how "good" their intentions may be.

I wish you much success and happiness! - in3D P.S. Congratulations Junior Member!!!

Edited by - in3D on 31 October 2002 22:53:56

18

he who is sinless cast the first stone

by eisenstein in

jw
friends

does anyone know why the new world translation omits john 8:1-11?

john 8:1 - but jesus went to the mount of olives.

2- at daybreak, however, he again presented himself at the temple, and all the people began coming to him, and he sat down and began to teach them.

in3D

Eisenstein,

I discussed this same set of scriptures with a friend . . . and he brought out something that really made me think . . .

When Jesus said, "Let he who is sinless cast the first stone", and then began writing in the sand, my friend also brought out the point that even Jesus did not cast a stone, possibly saying that even Jesus is not sinless - also bringing up the fact that because Jesus has been known to be sinless, that he rightly could have throne a stone!

Well, we truly do not know this for a fact, if Jesus was sinless, although there are scriptures that say Jesus was sinless, but whether or not this is true means that we should really not be so critical and judge others so harshly. If Jesus was truly sinless, then he showed us that we should not be so self righteous or to be quick to jump to conclusions, but instead show mercy and compassion.

in3D

51

Did anyone really ever study?

by freedom96 in

jw
friends

i know we were taught to study all the wts stuff.

prepare for each meeting, prepare for service, (gotta know the articles) etc.

i mean with all the personal study to do, how could anyone have time for newspapers, novels etc.

in3D

Through the Bible reading program which goes through the Bible (at that time in 1990, around every 8 years, now I think they have "speeded" up the program to every 6 years) I had looked forward with much anticipation to begin reading the Bible from the very beginning from Genesis and to try to make it through to Revelation. Well, around that time, due to serious marital problems, I began seeing a Psychologist (who is Jewish), well, by 1992, we were in the Leviticus, Numbers, Deuteronomy books. Well, I came down with Salmonella food poisoning, and I landed in the hospital, a very prominent Jewish hospital in NYC, and the next thing I knew, I thought that I was in the Most Holy and thought that Elijah had been resurrected. I managed to keep up my Bible reading all through this time, I eventually recovered, and 4 years later while we had made it to the book of Jeremiah, I landed back in the hospital thinking I was Jeremiah ("I am but a boy" or (girl)! LOL! And I managed to keep up with the Bible reading schedule through this time also. Well, I can honestly say that I have read the entire Bible through this reading program, and was actually looking forward to go back through it again in 1998-99. Well, I made it all the way to Jeremiah and just stopped. I figure it is symbolic, but I feel that after having read the entire Bible it opened my eyes and made a lot of meaning to me.

I don't need to comment on the many WTs and other literature that I underlined and marked up. I feel that this rigid program of study could cause the most sane person to go insane and this is not just within the JWs (whom I know a lot have experienced similar things), but I witnessed others of very strict religions going through the same things, like Black Muslims, Orthodox Jews, etc.

in3D

133

Why Im ignoring my friends.

by refiners fire in

jw
friends

ive basically kept this under wraps in so far as this board is concerned, but ive decided to tell about it because, frankly, im under stress at the moment,am posting (when i post at all) a bit strangely and i wish to explain why im hardly posting, nor am i hardly responding to emails or chat requests from my friends here.

i apologize for the latter.

in a nutshell, my wife is sick, shes been sick a year now and the situation is getting worse.

in3D

Hello RefinersFire,

This is the first post that I have responded to since becoming a member.

I first want to say that I can sympathize with you regarding your wife's illness. I sincerely hope your wife gets good medical care and will continue to improve.

I also want to tell you that I also suffer from a Congenital Heart Defect, which was never discovered until I was 17, even though I had major symptoms long before that. And, that was almost 20 years ago. I have met personally people with various heart defects and one woman's condition was not discovered until she was 38 years old. I don't know if your wife's heart problems are from an actual congenital heart defect or as you said a genetic condition or from the scarlet fever. I would like to share with you a website about Adult Congenital Heart Defects, you can go to www.tchin.org, which has lots of links to various organizations and hospitals that you may find helpful.

As for Eisenstein: I personally know Eisenstein is not yourself, and as for "timing", I think that somehow timing did play a part in the post from Eisenstein and your sharing your situation with us. I hope that you can find comfort that there are true, sincere people on this site that care about what you and your family are going through. Please let us know how your wife is doing.

Sincerely,

in3D

Edited by - in3D on 25 October 2002 2:37:37

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