*** w09 4/15 p. 6 par.
16 job held high the name of jehovah ***.
even when crushed by the news of the death of his children, job did not ascribe anything improper to god.
When GOOD things happen to a JW, it is "a blessing from Jehovah."
When BAD things happen to a JW, it is "persecution from Satan, which Jehovah allows to refine that individual."
on the other hand ...
When GOOD things happen to someone that is NOT a JW, it is only the "peace of wicked people." - Psalm 73:3
When BAD things happen to someone that is NOT a JW, it is "proof that they do not have God's blessing."
This is a can't lose theology!
*** w09 4/15 p. 6 par.
16 job held high the name of jehovah ***.
even when crushed by the news of the death of his children, job did not ascribe anything improper to god.
Why would anyone that could prevent pain and suffering allow it?
The WT answer has always been that there is a larger, grander purpose: Universal Sovereignty.
But when you really analyze it, does it make sense? No.
It's like me being upset because the ants outside my house disobey me. According to the Bible narrative as explained by JWs, God is a narcissist that is willing to allow terrible--albeit preventable--things to happen to humans because his reputation is at stake!
After giving this careful consideration for several decades, I've concluded that God--if there is a God--could not possibly be so immature and self-centered. If, on the outside chance, a Supreme Being exists that does indeed have this serious emotional personality disorder, then He is unworthy of my concern, let alone my devotion.
The Bible, particularly as interpreted by JWs, paints Jehovah as a petty tyrant given to capricious, unpredictable temper tantrums not unlike an abusive control-freak.
I'm not having any of that myself.
Oubliette
he stayed inside and kept going about his business like they weren't even there.
i engaged them on the verandah hut politely explained that they'd caught us at a bad time as we were doing a big cleanup of the house.
the elders had even bought a pack of chocolate cookies around, so they were expecting to be invited in and offered coffee.
Flipper: Time is better spent on other positive activities.
Dusting is definitely a better way to spend time than talking to elders that only want to trap you.
when i got home today from work my wife showed me a 5 page letter from our oldest son.
he basically said he does not what anything to do with us because of all the wrong things we did as parents to him and his brother.
he blames us for not being there for him and we are toxic parents.
Good. Don't be surprised if it takes a while, especially considering the attitude of his wife.
my grandmother asked me to read to her so i asked her what she wanted me to read.
was the watchtower, but she specfically asked for the one with "the timeline.
it for a few days and apparently hasn't read up.
You can't make sense of nonsense. Quit trying, you'll only frustrate yourself.
i've been thinking about how the governing body now say they are the faithful and discrete slave, and trying to think about how this will play out.. as i understand it, the 15th july wt now says that the fds is identified with the governing body since 1971, and before that with a small group of anointed brothers taking the lead at watchtower hq since 1919.. of course they can't come out and say that the fds before 1971 was the wt board of directors because for a few years in the late 1940s hayden covington was both on the board of directors, and he was vice pres of the wt society too.
hayden covington was not anointed and never claimed to be.
he was 'other sheep' through and through.. .
Hayden Who-ington?
Serioiusly, how many current R&F dubs do you think know who Hayden Covington was, let alone grasp the subtle doctrinal significance suggested by your original post?
The last few years have conclusively proved to me that the WT leaders--whoever that may be at any given moment (and I mean the real leaders, not the alleged ones)--can change any teaching at any time and the majority of their followers will fall in line with nary a blink or a misstep!
"That's what I always believed anyways!"
As confusing as this once was to me because I actually really thought that TRUTH and ACCURATE KNOWLEDGE were important, I have been absolutely convinced that in the cultish world of JWs, doctrine is irrelevant.
The only thing that matters is obedience, blind, unquestioning obedience.
Listen, Obey and Be Blessed! And by "blessed" we mean you won't be kicked out and shunned by all your family and former friends.
ok i walked out on austin powers because i thought it was so crude and god dishonoring.
since the fade i think it is very funny, still not a favorite but not the end of the world either.
any movies that were a big sin are nothing now?
This is Spinal Tap
we had to go off grid for a time, time and half a time as we thought we had been outed.
fortunately it was a false alarm, but it was a stressful time.
i asked for my original diary thread to be deleted in case there could be anything on there to identlfy mrs smith and i. i am always very careful when posting, and am sure there was nothing on there, but felt it best to have it removed in order to be as cautious as a dove.
Winston: There is no such thing as unconditional love among Jehovah's Witnesses.
So true. If it's conditional, it isn't love!
when i got home today from work my wife showed me a 5 page letter from our oldest son.
he basically said he does not what anything to do with us because of all the wrong things we did as parents to him and his brother.
he blames us for not being there for him and we are toxic parents.
TotallyADD,
I greatly appreciate your openness on this forum in acknowledging the mistakes you've made. It sets a good example and I hope your son soon responds.
That being said I want to point out something that you may not have noticed, a connection between something your son said to you and a comment you made about your daughter-in-law.
Your son said:
I need to go to more therapy to become something he will approve of.
You commented about your daughter:
That's why she has never really liked us because we would not let her control us.
Do you see the connection?
The WT/JW belief system is a high-control cult. The more its members try to conform to these beliefs, the more they take on the traits of the leadership.
It's all about control.
Why would your son (or anyone for that matter) ever even think, let alone say, to another adult, "You need to become something I approve!"
Um, no!
Perhaps you can slowly and gently teach your son what unconditional love is all about.
Yeah, I thought it was very telling that the talk only addressed the PERCEIVED mishandling of matters within the congregation, but scrupulously avoided even acknowledging any matters that have ACTUALLY been mishandled.
Things that make you go, "Hmmmm!"
