Posts by Gary1914

85

Active Elders who post on JWD

by Honesty in

does your conscience torment you knowing that you are misleading the flock of god as you continue teaching them the heresies of the watchtower society?.

why are you staying in the organization and posting here at the same time?.

do you really believe that you can help your families to reject the watchtower society while remaining an elder and visibly appearing to support their lies and false teachings?.

Gary1914

I thank all who have made supportive comments and would ask still-active lurkers to take note of the overall nurturing climate here.

Open Mind my friend, I concur!

85

Active Elders who post on JWD

by Honesty in

does your conscience torment you knowing that you are misleading the flock of god as you continue teaching them the heresies of the watchtower society?.

why are you staying in the organization and posting here at the same time?.

do you really believe that you can help your families to reject the watchtower society while remaining an elder and visibly appearing to support their lies and false teachings?.

Gary1914

If you were called to be on a JC against someone in the cong who was accused of doing what you youself may be doing would it pain you to take action against someone which will leave him to deal with something you are avoiding? that being cut off from your family?

I have not yet been included in a judicial committee where someone was accused of commiting apostacy. But I have attended meetings where a teenage girl was pregnant and also where one of the elder's sons was caught masterbating on more than one occasions. I recommended on both occasions that mercy be shown because of their age and they both cried which showed repentance. However, even if they did not show repentance, I absolutely will not vote to disfellowship ever again, unless there is some kind of pedophilia, sexual force or murder. Jehovah should be the one who decides, not men. It's ridiculous to think that we can expell members sometimes on just on a whim. I have seen elders insist that someone be disfellowshipped for revenge or just because the person was roundly disliked.

If I were called in to officiate in a judicial meeting where someone was accused of apostacy, I would vote to exonerate them. No matter what. I hope that happens because then I would have someone in the congregation to talk to about my feelings.

The whole disfellowshipping think is just so much crap. It gives men power over other men, and we all know the results of power. Corruption.

85

Active Elders who post on JWD

by Honesty in

does your conscience torment you knowing that you are misleading the flock of god as you continue teaching them the heresies of the watchtower society?.

why are you staying in the organization and posting here at the same time?.

do you really believe that you can help your families to reject the watchtower society while remaining an elder and visibly appearing to support their lies and false teachings?.

Gary1914

Gary1914: Please help me underdstand: why? I'm not trying to force anyone to leave prematurely. I'm not trying to be rude. I just don't get it. The things you just mentioned are deceitful, are they not? Does the end justify the means? Does this not make you a little like them? Help me wrap my brain around this if you can.
changeling

Hi Changeling. You questioned if the things I am doing are deceitful? I suppose they are, but deceitful to whom? An organization? A corporation?

When I conduct the book study, I take the answers that the brothers give and I say "good" or "fine" because they have answered the questions in the book just as they are suppose to. I don't add information to their comment. I am not angry at the witnesses. They are doing just what they were taught to do. I was once of like mind.

Does the end justify the means? I don't know. But I don't feel that this is a moral dilemma. What we are speaking of is, after all, just a cult. A man made religion. Why do they deserve my respect? Right now, they do not "need to know" my true feelings. I will reveal those to them when I am ready.

Does it make me a little like them? Of course it does. That's where I learned it from!

But I will admit my mistakes. I will apologize when I am wrong. I will not force someone to accept my "truth" or else. So in some respects I am better than they are.

85

Active Elders who post on JWD

by Honesty in

does your conscience torment you knowing that you are misleading the flock of god as you continue teaching them the heresies of the watchtower society?.

why are you staying in the organization and posting here at the same time?.

do you really believe that you can help your families to reject the watchtower society while remaining an elder and visibly appearing to support their lies and false teachings?.

Gary1914

Not everyone can just leave or even fade because of family issues, but serving in a position of trust, like an elder, and not "practicing what you preach" is hypocritical, don't you think?

Well then I guess I am a hypocrite. I am an active elder and I don't believe a word of it. However, I am careful that when I comment I say that "the Watchtower says..." or "the organization teaches...". No one seems to notice that I never answer as if it is something I personally believe.

I make up practically all of my field service time. As a result, my hours are higher than the national average and I am often commended for being such a fine example.

I feel guilty about this sometimes, but I just cannot leave the organization now. I have a family to think of and I just cannot tear about their world yet. However, I am working toward that goal.

78

Have you ever faked a service report?

by Orgull in

it's only my third day here so, go easy on me.

lol.. seriously, my new doubts have made it harder and harder to go in service.

a few months ago, when a new month rolled around, i realized that i hadn't actually gone in service at all the previous month.

Gary1914

I am still an elder.

I have a wife, a full time job, small children, congregational obligations and field service. It was really all too much for me.

Until I started to fake all my service time. Bible studies, return visits, house to house work. All of it. I have devised a scheme whereas I insist that I only work in the field with my wife and children. The brothers are aware that we go in service on days that are convenient for us.

I now have some relief and my life is not nearly as hectic as before.

Besides that, my hours are well above the national average.

I recommend that all witnesses fake their service reports. There is nothing in the Bible that says that we must put in a certain amount of hours preaching each month. It is a man made requirement and those men do not deserve my respect or obedience. They do not "need to know" what I actually do with my time. So to appease everyone, I just write out a service report every month and hand it in. Everybody's happy.

27

Comment by Greg Stafford to a Question

by Gordy in

the following is a comment from greg stafford.

if anyone has already posted this i apologise.

did do a search but couldn't find it.. http://www.elihubooks.com/lampstand/watchtower.htm.

Gary1914

....particularly their rejection of most of the ridiculous dogmas taught by mainstream christianity.

which they have substituted with even more ridiculous dogmas, i.e., 1914, 1935 as the year the door closed to heaven, only 144,000 going to heaven, Jesus as mediator only for the annointed, etc., etc., etc!

27

Comment by Greg Stafford to a Question

by Gordy in

the following is a comment from greg stafford.

if anyone has already posted this i apologise.

did do a search but couldn't find it.. http://www.elihubooks.com/lampstand/watchtower.htm.

Gary1914

27

Comment by Greg Stafford to a Question

by Gordy in

the following is a comment from greg stafford.

if anyone has already posted this i apologise.

did do a search but couldn't find it.. http://www.elihubooks.com/lampstand/watchtower.htm.

Gary1914

27

Comment by Greg Stafford to a Question

by Gordy in

the following is a comment from greg stafford.

if anyone has already posted this i apologise.

did do a search but couldn't find it.. http://www.elihubooks.com/lampstand/watchtower.htm.

Gary1914

....he is seeking a graceous exit but wants to stay at the entrance because he expects reform will come shortly as a result of God's judgment on the idol-worhipping ones within the JW community.

To believe this one would have to believe that JW's share a special relationship with God, whereas he is so distressed by the conduct of some that he will inflict punishment on them.

There is absolutely nothing in the history of JW's that would support the theory that God is more interested in this religion than he is with any other religion.

It is hard to believe that someone with the intelligence that Greg Stafford is proported to have would actually be waiting for Jehovah to exact vengeance on the ungodly. It simply goes to show you that no matter how intelligent a person is, religion sometimes makes one a blithering idiot. To believe that "...reform will come shortly" by way of Jehovah's intervention is so ludicrous that it smacks of the ridiculous. It's like the group who gathered on the top of a mountain waiting for the rapture to come.

I am sure that Greg Stafford is a very smart man, an accomplished man, a respected man. He is also a confused man who declares himself a Jehovah's Witnesses on one hand, and ridicules it's leadership on the other. Mr. Stafford cannot have it both ways. As the Governing Body says, you have to accept the complete teachings of the organization to be able to declare yourself a Jehovah's Witnesses and Mr. Stafford does not accept the complete teachings.

The man is obviously struggling and I feel sorry for him.

20

Video based on DC talk on "Superiority of Education by Jehovah" It's short

by Wasanelder Once in

it's only three minutes or so, let me know what you think.. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ctu6zjasupa.

thanks,.

w.once.

Gary1914

I liked it. Especially your Watchtower cover. Really funny.

However, it could use some music. Something soft.

I like soft music with my videos.