i would appreciate some serious discussion and comments on signs of the last days.
i've already run a search for previous posts on the subject, and most of what i found was silly, sarcastic, name calling, etc, but nothing of any real value.
i would really like some information, links even, for some valuable information on the subject.
http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/frontline/shows/apocalypse/
I found the above link interesting. The 1400's were a lousy time to be alive.
Happily, I think we're doing OK (as a society). I love our advances... TP, dishwashers, cars, planes, good food, clothes, TV & stereos, computers... you get the idea.
Why do they keep calling it "Crisis in the Middle East"?!?! This crisis has been going on since I was a kid, in the 70's. Shouldn't it be called "Life in the Middle East". Just a thought.
comments you wont hear at the november 3, 2002 wt study.
"pay more than the usual attention"hebrews 2:1.
introduction .
Blondie - again awesome job. Next week, since its dealing with apostates, I may have to throw in a few comments of my own.
Hey I noticed you ended one of your comment on a thread that you were an ex-pioneer. Same here.
I once caused a real uncomfortable silence at a pioneer meeting when I gave the wrong answer. We were all asked "What motivated you to enter the full time ministry". I put up my hand and answered "Guilt. I always felt like I wasn't doing enough." OOPS wrong answer. LOVE was what was suppose to motivate me.
Silly me!!! I guess I didn't study ahead. Turned out, as a pioneer, I still wasn't "doing enough". Not enough studies, RV's, mag placements, balanced lifestye, not enough money - you should know the drill. Not making my time.
I don't feel guilty anymore. Or afraid. Or judgmental (oops, I mean discerning). hmmm seems to be alot more room for Love.
i've been reading this site for about 2 weeks.
the information and support here are great!
i'm trying to fade away from the jw's without having to da myself (because of my many jw family members).
I'm a newbie too. I faded for about a year, but I'd get a visit about once every 3 months, and then everytime I went to a meeting, an elder would pull me in the back to talk about my attendance. I landed up getting DF'd anyway, 'cause I had to take a stand and support a family member who was DA. Long storry. But I'm glad its all done with now
Apparently, the elders are planning a 3 month campaign to "assist" (via visit) those who are inactive. Just a heads up... you are verrryyy lucky (ahhh, feels soo good to use that word!!!) to have a husband who isn't a witness. Definitely use this to your advantage. Let everyone view you as weak, big deal. Use lots of excuses. Avoid witnesses. Be happy (this pisses them off). When I was fading, I brought up the whole UN thing with my mom... so in some ways she understood "what stumbled me", and until the Society apologizes and shows repentance for their "bad association" - why should I ?!??!? LOL It'll never happen.
Look forward to seeing your opinions and views.
i'm getting that religious people realllly get on my nerves - no matter how "well meaning" they are.
i read in one of the posts some advice to the newly "ex'd" and i appreciated it, especially the point how other's may want to "save" you now that you've left your religion.. get this... i work with 2 born-agains and my boss is a mormon.
they've all made some comments about that "i shouldn't let this experience destroy my faith in jesus" (tolerable, assuming i believed in him) however, one co-worker has a new zeal for her born-again faith and has raised many topics with me because she respects my opinion.
Thanks for the replies... it got me laughing. At least I know I'm not the only one annoyed by it. Yes the lottery, or my favorite - Music Awards. You always get one that "Thanks the Lord".
I partially feel sorry for her. No not partially - fully. I, at one time in my life (its becoming a more foggy memory) wondered "what I was doing wrong" when I was pioneering, my husband (now ex) was an elder, we contributed $$$, answered diligently, looked for the shhhheeeeppp, didn't swear, smoke - well you get the picture - and I got a disease, he got fired, a death in the family all in a few months time. No "blessings" there. Guess I was going thru the "Job" syndrom then.
Now I'm a divorced, casual smoking, binge drinkin', swearing cougar and I'm happy, have a few dollars in the bank, friends galore and the freedom to think and speak (what I'M thinkin' not some churned out "quotes"). I feel very "BLESSED". lol
For me, its the guilt thing again. Also a way for this person to feel that the good in her life is do to her "god-fearing works, love, etc." whereas when bad happens, its basically that person's fault or something other's can avoid.
Ohhhhh - it still pisses me too, with the whole "turn down foolish questioning"... bastards. Don't question anything OR wait until God provides the answer. I'm sick of waiting and I'll ask all the stupid foolish non-answerable questions I GD feel like asking! (hmmm, abit more steam released) LOL
i'm getting that religious people realllly get on my nerves - no matter how "well meaning" they are.
i read in one of the posts some advice to the newly "ex'd" and i appreciated it, especially the point how other's may want to "save" you now that you've left your religion.. get this... i work with 2 born-agains and my boss is a mormon.
they've all made some comments about that "i shouldn't let this experience destroy my faith in jesus" (tolerable, assuming i believed in him) however, one co-worker has a new zeal for her born-again faith and has raised many topics with me because she respects my opinion.
I'm getting that religious people realllly get on my nerves - no matter how "well meaning" they are. I read in one of the posts some advice to the newly "ex'd" and I appreciated it, especially the point how other's may want to "save" you now that you've left your religion.
Get this... I work with 2 born-agains and my boss is a Mormon. They've all made some comments about that "I shouldn't let this experience destroy my faith in Jesus" (tolerable, assuming I believed in him) however, one co-worker has a new zeal for her born-again faith and has raised many topics with me because she respects my opinion. Yesterday, she pissed me off with a "how she's been so blessed". Nothing can piss me off more than this statement. It infers that God chooses who will do well, and who won't, and blesses them accordingly. I told her that I can agree with being appreciative of what we have, however ... blah, blah, blah. The short of it all is, this morning she showed me her morning "scripture" and commentary (shocking how much I'm learning that all religious people are very similar to JWs), and it happened to be on "foolish questioning".
Hell, that use to be thrown in my face all the time as a witness. The threads here are full of them "Kangaroos only in Australia", the "144,000", etc. If it can't be answered by the Bible, then its a "foolish question". How nice and tidy. You're thinking ability is somehow dimishing your FAITH in God. Bullshit. If He exists, He can answer the questions -
ooohhhhhh that felt good. Now back to work.
with so much going on over here, do you think that newbies, lurkers, or potenial apostates could or do get scared off from this place?
if someone is on the fence and they want to explore the internet and are warned that all you'll see are disgruntled apostates, could these forums make them think the "faithful and discreet slave" is actually right?
As a newbie, and a "lurker" for a time, I always found the arguments interesting. I've learnt alot about other's opinions, whether I agree or not, and feel I can post my views. I think its great. But then, I can be a bit argumentative anyway. I like pushing the limits of my thinking abilities or views on life, spirituality, God, evolution/creation, all of it.
the visiting co pointed out in his talk that "people who love to practice evil will be destroyed [very strong vocal emphasis on this word] !
" many of you insist he is referring to those whose only "sin" is not being a baptized jehovah's witness and their children.
after my experiences on the internet from ajwr to h2o to this forum, however, i'm beginning to appreciate that all is not "black" and "white" but many shades of gray, many hues of stunning colors, and a mixture.. why not use the words killed or executed to describe the fate of these evil people, i asked the co afterwards?
Blame the apostates for "free sex" - hmmm, I was doing it because it felt good. HEY, who on this board has been twisting arms?!?! Stop it right now, and we can all go back to being good, little, JW's before we're all destroyed, oops sorry, killed - no I mean oh, forget it... :(
Gave me a good laugh, and a slight tingly feeling all over!!!
hi all, am i right in thinking that the wts teach that the "acceptance door" for being an annoited closed in 1935 or have i got mixed up on this?......
"Now this is my favorite point: In order to make room for replacements, 6000 of the 7500 dead must have fallen away before their death. For those keeping score at home: that's 80% of the Annointed, that were already elderly, sinned badly enough to be dropped from the heavenly hopefull and had to be replaced." - Quote from BUSTER
I don't know how to do those neat little boxes for quotes... anyhoo, my two cents.
I once read that a df'd JW with the heavenly calling, if re-instated wouldn't revert to being of the Great Crowd (earthly hope), but that they would still maintain their original calling.
Hmmmm, I wonder if any of the "newly" appointed ever got demoted.
hi guys,.
for me, the hardest thing to do now is to continue to try to not be a hypocrit.
as a jw, i was better than everyone in the world because i was no part of the world simply by virtue of my dubdom.
I hate JW funerals. Even when I was active, I left instructions not to have one. For this very reason (and I've been to a few)... they say about 5 min worth about the "person" - born at so-and-so, loving parent, loved to garden and then 45-55 min on a resurrection talk. Sister Dearly Departed believed... and the speaker counts time.
The last JW funeral I went to was for a sister who had died with cancer. All her kids were "worldly" but one couple. A few of the attendees got up and left in disgust after they realized only 5 min. was going to be spent on her memory.
Frankly, weight out your family relationships and do whats comfortable for you. If you're not going to the "get together" after, why go to the KH? You can grieve and pay your respects personally for the loss. However, I haven't been in this situation... yet.
when you were getting fed up with meetings before you gave up, was there anything you did to deliberately get on the brothers nerves?.
i turned up to a meeting once with jeans on, and a red top with cccp on it with the 'hammer and sickle'.
i also went to another bs group a few times so that if i wasnt at one group they'd think i was at the other and vice versa.
I looove reading this post. I believe "pissing" them off is a vital step in obtaining your freedom and lessening their control. Some things I did:
* One of my family member's went inactive first. Every meeting, I was always asked "where's so and so," blah blah blah. I hated going as is, let alone having been made to feel like I had to explain someone's else's actions. Then one day, a particularly large, intimitating elder, pulled me in the back room to discuss my family member. I got mad. I said I didn't need to answer for their meeting attend and to leave me the *$)#* alone because I didn't find any of it "encouraging". Well, after the meeting, this elder approached me to say he didn't realize he'd get me so upset and he was doing it all out of "love". Well, I let him have it again, except this time in front of everyone sitting within 3 rows (back & forth).
* I started my "inactivity" and one beautiful, sunny, morning I stayed home from the meeting to spring clean. An elder dropped by to "encourage" me, see how I was. I said "fine". Silence. He asked if it was a good idea to stay home from the meeting to clean. I said a simple "yes"... he left.
I did a tonnnne of stuff. The best was acting really stupid in my Committee Meeting. They'd ask me if I got the point of the scripture, and I'd say "no". Then they would all take turns explaining it (out of context) and ask me again. I'd say "no". They were pretty frustrated and pissed off when they took all of 5 min. to discern I had a "wicked heart condition."
