Posts by pronomono

I'd like to validate Bill's point, though. Many elders have expressed this very thought to me in an effort to encourage me to reach out. One elder even told me that the elder's meetings they have at each assembly is starting to see less and less elders, and that he was concerned that soon there won't be enough to shepherd the flock unless more brothers reach out.

The odd thing is that in my new congregation, we have about 8-10 brothers that seem to be well qualified but are not servants, probably due to service time. None of us are reaching out. I'm not sure about their reasons, but prsonally, after learning TTATT, I lost my drive. I realized my lack of humility and decided that the "privileges" weren't worth the lies.

If this trend continues, the Society will be forced to wake up and change their views on apostates, shunning, and shepherding (and many others) in order to keep the flock and not die out. Or they might view the dwindling number as a sign the end is nearer and rejoice.

27

Jehovah's Christian Witnesses??

by Junction-Guy in

jw
friends

.

when i was a kid and on vacation in florida about 20 years ago, my dad had mentioned about an "apostate group" in florida and that it was called "jehovah's christian witnesses" supposedly they even had their own kingdom halls, how many others here are aware of this group and do they even exist still?

dave

pronomono

I found this post while researching a comment from "In Search Of Christian Freedom". Here's a little more info on the topic from Brother Franz's book.

"Some years ago the Watchtower magazine occasionally modified the name in its articles by using the expression “Jehovah’s Christian Witnesses.” (See also the 1971 book “The Nations Shall Know that I Am Jehovah,”,which frequently employs this term, as in pages 51-54, 76, 82, and so forth.) It was then learned that a group of former Witnesses had already adopted and registered legally this name. The Watchtower thereafter generally desisted from using the expression. An exception is found in the August 15, 1980, Watchtower , page 24."

31

Will Jehovah's Witnesses Populate Other Planets?

by God_Delusion in

hi guys,.

when i was growing up and pressured into having a bible study (although we didn't use the bible that much), i would ask my bible study conductor questions like:.

why are there so many other planets?.

pronomono

I did a search in the WTLibrary. The March 1, 1954 watch tower had a questions from readers that asked something along those lines. The official answer from the society was that commenting on it would be pure speculation since no scriptures suggest or deny anything to that effect, but that we as humans are too unimportant to concern ourselves with such matters.

31

Will Jehovah's Witnesses Populate Other Planets?

by God_Delusion in

hi guys,.

when i was growing up and pressured into having a bible study (although we didn't use the bible that much), i would ask my bible study conductor questions like:.

why are there so many other planets?.

pronomono

I think he was spouting loads of BS because I've never heard such rubbish in my 28 years of going to meetings. But then again I don't actually pay attention much anymore, so that could be a new understanding, a "revealed" truth. But I think he was mainly speculating to appear to have all the answers. JWs aren't taught how to be wrong. We are taught that we know more about the bible than everyone else and some have to prove it by making their own additions to the bible.

21

Got Home From a Business Meeting This Evening-Kids Were Watching JW DVD

by PaintedToeNail in

jw
friends

i had a business meeting this evening, hubby elected to stay home with the kiddies (he could have come with me), as he said "you need a break, have some time alone'...so considerate...so i thought.

upon returning home, he had popped one of the new dvd's released at the convention, don't know the title, of some young brother who gets fired from a job and goes for a drink with a buddy from work.

it is very annoying that he pulls these little tricks on me, act like he is doing me some favor or being considerate then pulling one of these jwisms...like the time he booked an appointment with a physchiatrist, and he wanted me to go along to discuss his insecurities in our marriage because i had learned ttatt...he conveniently left out the part where the doctor is a jw.

pronomono

In all honesty, most of the videos for kids have good principles. But this is where us JW's get you. We make you think that since this one video is good and morally upbuilding, that everything we say is good and morally upbuilding. Then your getting baptized and accepting organizational policies that you don't understand. One day you begin to question it and BAM!!! Disfellowshipped. Seriously though, as your husband, he is programmed by the verses that state the husband is the head of the household. Since you aren't a JW, he doesn't value your opinion on what the children should believe when it comes to spiritual matters and he never will. He's going to continue to raise them the way the WTBTS says to without any regard to what you wish. Divorce isn't necessarily the answer, but you can be open with your children. Let them know that some things in life aren't black and white. That dad feels one way on spiritual matters and that you feel another way. Share the TTATT with your children and help them to understand why their dad believes what he does. Ultimately, it is the child's choice as to which path they will take. You can only help guide them down the path that you feel is best.

7

See JW's, this is what we have all missed out on....

by Newly Enlightened in

by not having dreams and goals outside of the watchtower box and encouraging our children to expand beyond the cult.. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=digfo2dgc9y.

pronomono

I could never do that. My fingers are too stiff from gripping my service bag on the weekends.

80

hello. pls help. getting married soon. afraid i won't be happy because wtbts said so.

by seasickbumblebee in

alshello.

i'm a practicing jw.

finally decided to create an account to see whether you could all help me.. so i am engaged to this wonderful wonderful man and in three months time we'll be married.

pronomono

I found the scripture where Paul mentions that e ven acts that are proper in themselves become wrong if done in bad conscience.

Romans 14:22,23 says, “Consider the man fortunate who can make his decision without going against his conscience. . . . every act donein bad faith is a sin." - Jerusalem Bible. The NWT reads a little different, but it still has the same effect.

Only you will be able to answer the question of whether or not what you did violates your scripturally trained conscience and if you have reason to feel guilt. But as we've mentioned, Jehovah is ready to forgive if you take the necessary steps. James 5:16 highlights one of these necessary steps where it says, "Confess your sins to one another, and pray for one another, so that you may be healed." Confession is not limited to men in authority. Some things are not easily spoken about with older men. Sometimes you need a sister. Sometimes you need friends. You've taken this step and confessed to us. If there is a cause for repentance make this known before Jehovah, don't repeat, and accept the forgiveness that Jehvoah readily extends. Jehovah knows that we are not perfect and that we sin many times, but as a loving father he gently corrects us and guides us on the road to life, apart from the many laws and regulations that the WTBTS tries to impose upon us. Most of our problems as JWs arise not because of scripture, but because of the Pharisaical laws and regulations that the WTBTS impose upon us. In reality, we have been set free from law and our righteousness has been made known by our faith in Jehovah and our love for one another. See chapter 9 of "In Search of Christian Freedom" for a better explanation.

40

Former Longtime Elder : Contributions

by James Jackson in

jw
friends

for a year now, i have been handling the accounts.

we have 6 elders and 7 ms, and none of them ( i am not serving), want to do the accounts, so they asked me to do it.

here is what i have noticed.. 4 elderly sisters cover the whole congregation in donations monthly!

pronomono

When I handled accounts, it seemed much the same way. A few people carried the load of the many. A major portion of our donations came from an individual who was not a member, but was someone on one of our brother's magazine routes. I watched our accounts slowly decline to the point where I was forecasting to our coordinator that we'd be without funds in the next two years and it might be a good idea to have a local needs about contributions as well as figure out ways to cut costs.

80

hello. pls help. getting married soon. afraid i won't be happy because wtbts said so.

by seasickbumblebee in

alshello.

i'm a practicing jw.

finally decided to create an account to see whether you could all help me.. so i am engaged to this wonderful wonderful man and in three months time we'll be married.

pronomono

"anyone here has similar experience?

does intimacy even sex before marriage ruin it all?"

An elder once told me, not realizing the full implications of what he was saying, that "for all intents and purposes, when you become engaged, you are married. You are commited to that person."

And as such, my wife and I found ourselves in your situation, but with out the guilt. We made love on many occasions. And when we were asked about our conduct during courtship, with clean consciences we were able to reply that we were chaste. Our personal life is between us and Jehovah.

What is currently ruining it for me is not guilt but that I feel the way you do in having doubts about the WTBTS. My wife doesn't know this yet, and I'm trying to find the words to tell her. It's treacherous waters dealing with these feelings after the fact because you can lose so much in such a short time. Personally, I've been reading Raymond Franz's two books, Crisis of Conscience and In Search of Christian Freedom, to get a solid foundation of what to believe. Late at nights I have the books and the WT Library open side-by-side verifying everything he says as fact. As a former Governing Body member that started where we are, he knows what we are going through. I just wish I had the opportunity to meet him before he passed away.

So from PERSONAL EXPERIENCE, do not feel guilty about your actions during courtship. If you do feel guilty, not because of what the WTBTS says but because you feel what you did was morally wrong in Jehovah's eyes, then repent before Jehovah in prayer and make a commitment not to do the same. Do something that might not be wrong in itself, but leaves you with a bad conscience, is still a sin. I forget the scripture where Paul tells us that.

Also from PERSONAL EXPERIENCE, the real issue is whether or not you share the same views on the WTBTS. The Society is right when they tell you to marry only in the Lord because since it is difficult being yoked to an unbeliever. That's goes for both sides of the fence. To be truly happy, you need to share the same religious veiws when one of you is determined to be a JW, unless you are willing to face the repercussions. Trust me, it is killing me. Only 350 pages of In Search of Christian Freedom until I have my thoughts together.