ok, y'all know i'm a head case, and this is one of my typical head-case posts, so you've been warned.
i'm sure the bethel monitors love my neurotic posts.
("see what happens when they leave?").
Syn said "You could become cannon fodder for a suitcase nuke tomorrow, dude! So, live each day as if it were your last. Relate to people. Challenge them, learn from them, love them.
That's about it!"
Syn - I think what you said is so simple and to-the-point. I need to keep reminding myself of this constantly. We all think we are invincible and will be here tomorrow (well I do, anyway) - but who knows?
Thank you for this.
xxR
everyone in the truth, knows it is the "love of money", not money itself that is wrong.
i am well aware that money in itself does not bring happiness.. what i detect though amongst the witnesses is almost an antipathy to money and wealth.
one sister i was speaking to the other day complained about all the spending that goes on at xmas.
Sara Annie & Orgbuster,
Sounds like you know many members of my congregation. Many of them are materialistc, smug, self-satisfied and pompous. They love to emphasise how unimportant money is, yet they have 4 or 5 holidays a year, live in huge houses, drive the latest cars and are always in new outfits etc. They like to preach to those who are less well-off, telling them that money is not important and does not make you happy. Funny how easy it is to say that when you're loaded!
xxR
Sorry - bit mixed up
xxR
Edited by - rebel on 4 January 2003 6:17:13
the jehovah's witnesses have been saying for years now that the end could happen at anytime.
yet when you want to become a jehovah's witness it takes about one to three years of studying to actually be allowed to get baptized.
it seems to me that this would be like seeing a train about ready to hit someone and rather then push them out of the way, you first ask them if they know how to build a train and then explaining it to them in detail.. just seems to send a mixed message of "the end time is near" and then "but we have plenty of time to get things planted in your mind before it arrives.".
It's funny, I often thought about this. When I was studying in the mid-1980s, it took me ages to cover the required books. Then they introduced the Knowledge book and when I had a couple of studies, I was told by an elder that if the person isn't making 'significant progress' once we have covered half of this book, I should drop them like a hot potato to make them realise the urgency. The thing was, as I explained to this 'caring' elder, some people have many problems and issues going on in their lives and they weren't mentally or emotionally able to make 'significant progress' in so short a space of time. I was told that I needed to heed the advice of the GB - they received their info DIRECTLY from Jehovah and knew what they were doing. I didn't take any notice. One lady studied with me for 4 years. She still isn't baptised and is not regular at meetings. I am so glad because I really like her and now I know she is safer on the outside.
xxR
there's a very good book for atheists to read that have a very hard time with the concept of god.. the book is written by a former atheist who was like many of you a sceptic until he started doing personal research to find evidence of god and the biblical history and claims.
this is an extrememely good read if you want to find out from a former atheist who found evidence that showed proof that god is real and the biblical evidence that is found to back up the bible.. .
click here to view the book.. yizuman.
Thanks Rem,
I'll check these out.
xxR
there's a very good book for atheists to read that have a very hard time with the concept of god.. the book is written by a former atheist who was like many of you a sceptic until he started doing personal research to find evidence of god and the biblical history and claims.
this is an extrememely good read if you want to find out from a former atheist who found evidence that showed proof that god is real and the biblical evidence that is found to back up the bible.. .
click here to view the book.. yizuman.
Gumby,
Where can I find something to read about the pagan beliefs that the Bible writers adapted? I would be very interested in this. Does anyone else have any info? It may have been posted before and I missed it.
Thanks
xxR
i'd like to tell you a true story about my father.
he isn't alive now, but he was the po of a congregation in the uk when he died.
i did once post this on h 20, so my apologies if it is "old hat".. he had an unusual experience during ww 2, this mystified him so much that he searched for answers for years.
Englishman.
The JWs told your dad the demons gave the medium her power and they used the scriptures Mouthy sited above to show how Jehovah feels about consulting mediums. They then said that the demons had seen the Lancaster go down BUT hadn't bothered to watch the rest and had presumed him dead. Demons don't know everything, do they????
Just a thought.
xxR
i would really like to hear your opinion on this topic:.
you know how the jws look down their nose on a person who falls into depression?
i am curious how many people here think that if you have been in therapy that you are emotionally weak.
Estee,
I agree with you - it does take courage to seek outside help if you need it. However, a word of caution. Doctors have tremendous power. I was seriously depressed at one stage in my life and was sectioned in a a psychiatric hospital when I sought help. For those of you that don't know, this means I was not allowed to leave until the doctors saw fit to let me out. They said I was a danger to myself (??? - how would they know) and I was in for 4 months. I had 3 children at home but still had to wait on this dopey doctor to decide to let me out. I hadn't done anything bad, I was just suffering from depression, but they decided to make an issue of it. Maybe the ward was empty and they needed people to fill it - who knows. As I mentioned on the other thread about psychological help, only 4 JWs visited me in that 4 months (on different ocassions - I didn't just have 4 visits in total from them). My family were great - it's a good job I have a large family - it could have been very lonely. Most of the people in my word were just depressed like me - there were hardly any crackpots, which is what most people expected. Only one elder out of 5 in my congregation came to see me - so much for Christian love. I think I was an embarassment to them.
xxR
.
did you ever need psychological help when you were in the "truth", or maybe after you left?
would you say that people who come here on this site are in need of psychological help, since they can't seem to get over their bad experience as a jehovah witness?
I was sectioned for a while whilst in 'The Truth', but to be fair, it wasn't all to do with the WT society. Most of it was my inability to deal with a particular situation which sent me off the deep-end.
BTW, when I was locked away, only a couple of JWs visited me. If is wasn't for my family (nasty, horrible RCs who I was supposed to have been avoiding) I would have been one very lonely inmate.
The best psychological help is to have a true friend to talk to, someone who loves you unconditionally, but I know that is not always possible.
xxR
which watchtower teachings lack logic?.
i know you're all tempted to say all of them, but some beliefs if the facts were true, would be logical.. which ones that are supposed to be a logical consequence of a true fact are in fact not logical whether the fact is true or not?.
for an example of logical belief based on untrue or unprovable fact , if god created adam and all humans came from him,(supposed fact) he could pass on defects in his genes to all humans and we could all be "imperfect".this we could call logical.. a watchtower belief that lacks logic is for example jw's who go through armageddon or die and are ressurected to earth are not perfect but still have another test to go through, yet those who die and that go to heaven are perfect straight away and require no further testing.. so which teachings are based on beliefs that are not true and which ones are just not logical?
I have often wondered about Revelation verses 20 and 21. The order of things happening is not the order the WT Society uses. But then again, I am beginning to wonder about a lot of things, including the Bible.
xxR
which watchtower teachings lack logic?.
i know you're all tempted to say all of them, but some beliefs if the facts were true, would be logical.. which ones that are supposed to be a logical consequence of a true fact are in fact not logical whether the fact is true or not?.
for an example of logical belief based on untrue or unprovable fact , if god created adam and all humans came from him,(supposed fact) he could pass on defects in his genes to all humans and we could all be "imperfect".this we could call logical.. a watchtower belief that lacks logic is for example jw's who go through armageddon or die and are ressurected to earth are not perfect but still have another test to go through, yet those who die and that go to heaven are perfect straight away and require no further testing.. so which teachings are based on beliefs that are not true and which ones are just not logical?
ChrisVance,
The 'Live Forever' book gave the example of a baking tin. If it was dented - all the cakes would have a dent shape in them.....so logical?????
xxR
