Posts by pronomono

25

Don't let your job interfere with your meeting attendance

by Quarterback in

jw
friends

recently, a public speaker brought up this point that i remembered being preached in the 70's.

when they bring this matter up, they always manage to give you an experience of how one person stood his ground, and got a great job offer, as a result.. what about the many experiences of ones that were not blessed?

i can memtion horror stories of ones that should have kept working their meetings..

pronomono

Don't let your job interfere with your meeting attendance

Better advice....Don't let researching TTATT interfere with your job.

11

Funny experience last night...

by pronomono in

my story in brief..... after being a born-in, getting baptized at 15, and seeking to excel based on the approval of elders and my parents, i hit a bump in the road.

i moved to a new congregation, and was a little more than disheartened by the lack of love.

with all my responsibilities removed from the recent move and being told that i no longer qualified for responsibilities due to my declining activity, i sat down to do some long overdue research to appreciate our spiritual heritage.

pronomono

It really does Phizzy. Hopefully I'll run into him around town some more since I don't see him as much at the KH (primarily because I'm not there as much now).

11

Funny experience last night...

by pronomono in

my story in brief..... after being a born-in, getting baptized at 15, and seeking to excel based on the approval of elders and my parents, i hit a bump in the road.

i moved to a new congregation, and was a little more than disheartened by the lack of love.

with all my responsibilities removed from the recent move and being told that i no longer qualified for responsibilities due to my declining activity, i sat down to do some long overdue research to appreciate our spiritual heritage.

pronomono

My story in brief....

After being a born-in, getting baptized at 15, and seeking to excel based on the approval of elders and my parents, I hit a bump in the road. I moved to a new congregation, and was a little more than disheartened by the lack of love. With all my responsibilities removed from the recent move and being told that I no longer qualified for responsibilities due to my declining activity, I sat down to do some long overdue research to appreciate our spiritual heritage. I started with Studies in the Scriptures and Millions Now Living. I was dumbfounded by the things I learned and was curious how much other crap we used to teach as "truth". This led to severe cognitive dissonance, marital problems, and depression. All three are slowly getting better with time. It seems that the more meetings we miss, the better it gets. I've been fading since July 2013 and have only been door to door twice since then. I miss, on average two or three meetings a month, but this month has been particularly good since I've missed two weeks straight. I haven't received a single call from the elders for encouragement, not even the one that just a few weeks ago claimed he'd be in touch weekly because it was his duty in light of the recent BOE letter.

So after missing two weeks straight, I walk into the supermarket to get some beer, apple cider to be more specific, and I see a brother at our hall. I've always liked this brother because he's one of the few that have been nice to me, so I approach him to see how he's doing.

Me: "Hey bro! What's going on? I haven't seen you for a while."

Bro: "Hey! What's up?" (He stops. Looks at me really closely.) "Oh wait, I'm not supposed to talk to you."

Me: (Initial reaction. Oh crap. They've found out. I've been disfellowshipped and they didn't even tell me, or at least marked. Those pricks!) "Really? What's up?"

Bro: "Oh, I was disfellowshipped last night." (And he starts to walk off as fast as he can.)

Me: (I start to walk off fast with him to.) "I'm sorry to hear that bro."

Bro: (Still trying to get away.) "Don't worry, I'll be back."

Me: "I know. I still got to check on my brother though. I can't shun you like that. You know that."

So we stopped and chatted for a bit. I tried to get him to tell me what happened and why they disfellowshipped him, but he wouldn't say anything except it was too personal. He assured me that things were great with him and his wife. (My guess is pornography.) I assured him that I was there for him if he needed anything.

It felt good not shunning him. Especially after this time a year ago I met an older sister that was disfellowshipped and shrunk back like she was diseased when she told me her status. I guess I've come a long way from where I was, but I still have quite a journey left ahead of me.

Thanks everyone for helping me to begin mustering up the courage to do what's right and be a better person.

20

Abhor Menstruating Women.......Because The FDS say so.

by pronomono in

wow.

the insight book has some outlandish reasoning.

i'm trying to put together a talk for tomorrow night, the number 3 on abhorrent things (insight vol 1, p 17) and the entire first half links abhorrent things to menstruating women through a "possible" derived word that might mean uncleaness.

pronomono

So that's where those warts came from....... Lol. I never knew. Now I can explain it to the wife.

Never going to the KH isn't an option yet, but I feel a sickness coming on tonight. I might call out sick or dead...... spiritually speaking of course. I have to be for not understanding this fine piece of literature most likely written by Freddie.

20

Abhor Menstruating Women.......Because The FDS say so.

by pronomono in

wow.

the insight book has some outlandish reasoning.

i'm trying to put together a talk for tomorrow night, the number 3 on abhorrent things (insight vol 1, p 17) and the entire first half links abhorrent things to menstruating women through a "possible" derived word that might mean uncleaness.

pronomono

Wow. The Insight book has some outlandish reasoning. I'm trying to put together a talk for tomorrow night, the number 3 on Abhorrent Things (Insight Vol 1, p 17) and the entire first half links abhorrent things to menstruating women through a "possible" derived word that might mean uncleaness. Then it goes on to say how we should hate abhorrent things. Are they implying that I should hate my wife because she menstruates? That's ridiculous.

It then tries to relate this menstruating woman to idolatry when these two things are in an entirely different class. Menstruating is uncleaness due to natural bodily functions in our imperfect state. Idolatry is a willful sin. How does unwillful uncleaness even begin to relate to willful sinning?

Am I totally off base and missing the point? This talk has me stumped.

Below is the source if you'd like to humor a read.

===========================================================

Insight Vol 1, Page 17

ABHORRENT THING

The Hebrew word nid·dah ′ occurs 30 times in the Hebrew Scriptures and is possibly derived from the root word na·dhah ′ , which means “exclude; put out of mind (refuse to think of).” (Isa 66:5; Am 6:3) Nid·dah ′ indicates impurity, something abhorrent, whether physically, as for example, from menstruation (Le 12:2, 5; 15:20, 24, 25, 33), or morally, as from idolatry. (Ezr 9:11; 2Ch 29:5) The same Hebrew word is used with regard to the “water for cleansing” (Nu 19:9-21; 31:23, NW; “water used in case of menstruation,” Nu 19:9, NW, ftn; “water of separation,” KJ; “water for impurity,” RS, AT; “lustral water,” JB), indicating water used to remove that which is impure or unclean.

Thus, at Lamentations 1:17 Jeremiah says that Jerusalem in her desolation “has become an abhorrent thing [“as a menstruous woman,” KJ; “objeto de abominación,” NC (Spanish); “abhorrent,” AT] in among them [that is, among the surrounding nations].”

Prior to Jerusalem’s destruction by Babylon, Jehovah said of the people of Israel through his prophet Ezekiel: “The house of Israel were dwelling upon their soil, and they kept making it unclean with their way and with their dealings. Like the uncleanness of menstruation [nid·dah ′ ] their way has become before me.” (Eze 36:17) Due to idolatrous practices, Israel was spiritually impure and would thus be avoided by her husbandly owner, Jehovah God, and would be reunited with him spiritually only after cleansing. Thus, at verse 25, Jehovah says: “And I will sprinkle upon you clean water, and you will become clean; from all your impurities and from all your dungy idols I shall cleanse you.”—Compare Eze 18:6.

At Ezekiel 7:19, 20 God expresses his anger against Israel for having made religious images with their silver and their gold and says that he will, therefore, cause them to throw their silver and their gold into the streets as an “abhorrent thing [nid·dah ′ ].”—Compare Isa 30:22; see DISGUSTING THING, LOATHSOME THING.

Abhorrence. Other Hebrew expressions having the sense of “abhorrence” are quts, referring to the emotional reaction and defined as “abhor; have an abhorrence of; feel a sickening dread of” (Ge 27:46; 1Ki 11:25; Nu 22:3), and ga· ʽ al ′ , also meaning “abhor,” but indicating a rejection of the object abhorred. (Le 26:11, 15, 30; 2Sa 1:21, ftn) In the Greek Septuagint these Hebrew words at times are rendered pro·so·khthi ′ zo, signifying “become disgusted” (Ge 27:46; Le 26:15; compare Heb 3:10), and bde·lys ′ so·mai, conveying the sense of “express abhorrence of; have disgust for.”—Le 20:23; 26:11; compare Ro 2:22.

Because the Canaanites were guilty of sexual immorality and perversion, idolatry, and spiritistic practices, the Most High abhorred them, and this resulted in his decreeing their destruction. (Le 20:2-23) The Israelites were warned that, if they became disobedient, Jehovah would also abhor them, withdrawing his protection and blessing. By reason of loyalty to his covenant made with Israel, however, he would not abhor them to the point of bringing about their complete extermination. (Le 26:11-45) In the case of those who will prove to be wicked, the resurrection will turn out to be one to eternal “abhorrence” (Heb., de·ra· ʼ ohn ′ ). It will be a resurrection to condemnatory judgment resulting in everlasting cutting-off.—Da 12:2; Joh 5:28, 29.

Deliberate rejection of Jehovah’s commands, reproof, and provisions constitutes an improper abhorrence. The Israelites were guilty of this when they refused to follow Jehovah’s commands, as well as when they came to abhor the manna as “contemptible bread.” (Nu 21:5; Le 26:15) Proverbs 3:11 counsels against ‘abhorring Jehovah’s reproof.’

At Romans 12:9 Christians are admonished: “Abhor what is wicked.” The Greek term here rendered “abhor” (a·po·sty·ge ′ o ) is the intensive form of the Greek verb meaning “hate,” and thus literally means “hate intensely.” A person’s failing to abhor what is wicked, no longer loathing it, can result in his becoming an object of Jehovah’s abhorrence.

19

Should I Tell a Witness that I Am an Apostate?

by Band on the Run in

i sometimes join discussion groups.

the witnesses do get mentioned.

i try to make it humorous but some bitterness seeps through.

pronomono

Phizzy, like AlphaMan said it's impossible to be a JW apostate.

The reason? We received advancing light and moved forward with Jehovah's progressive organization. It was the GB that was not adaptive enough to keep up with advancing light. They have clung to old light and past truths. (Proverbs 4:18)

7

The organisation is one step away from this..

by Dis-Member in

un slams vatican over child sex abuse.

a united nations human rights committee has slammed the vatican for adopting policies allowing priests to rape and molest tens of thousands of children.. the un committee on the rights of the child denounced in a report on wednesday the holy see for adopting policies that allow the clergy to abuse children with impunity.. "the committee is gravely concerned that the holy see has not acknowledged the extent of the crimes committed, has not taken the necessary measures to address cases of child sexual abuse and to protect children, and has adopted policies and practices which have led to the continuation of the abuse by and the impunity of the perpetrators," said the un committee.. .

in addition, the un committee urged the vatican to release documents about the pedophiles and churchmen instead of concealing them.. it also urged the holy see to "immediately remove all known and suspected child sexual abusers from assignment and refer the matter to the relevant law enforcement authorities for investigation and prosecution purposes.".

pronomono

I had the same thought cross my mind when I read it this morning. I could see it happening for all religions really. That will be the time that WTBTS says their prophecies are coming true. The scarlet covered wild beast is attacking Babylon the Great and about to touch the eye of Jehovah. The end is nearer! It will be a God-send for the GB.

24

hello!

by gamergirl in

jw
friends

glad to be a new member and find others with similarities of background.

some background info on me: my dad became jw when i was young, so i spent maybe a third of my life in the religion.

although i respect everyone's beliefs, i personally knew many genuinely selfless people in my congregation, but the way i was raised, now that i am an adult i am realizing was very sheltered and unrealistic.

pronomono

We're glad to have you with us, Gamer Girl. For me, video games have been the only way I've been able to keep my sanity as I've been working on my fade. I like games with deep stories, but will play just about anything - DMC, BioShock, Final Fantasy, Resident Evil, almost anything really except Barbies Island Paradise.

20

History And The Search For True Christianity

by pronomono in

what happened to the original christian churches named in the bible - philadelphia, thessolonica, ephesus, smyrna, pergamum, thyatira, sardis, and laodicea to name a few?

one would think that since these were the original churches, if we could trace the history of these churches down to our day, we could find who is preaching truth today.

obviously this doesn't lie with jws because it is a new religion, although i do not doubt the sincerity of their belief.. there are two likely cases that i can see: 1) these became what is now known as the roman catholic church, 2) the roman catholic church was an apostate christianity that seperated from these true churches and used their power to snuff out the true churches from history.. which one do you think is correct?

pronomono

Thanks, itsibitsybrainbutbigenoughtosmellarat. I'll give that a read.

In my mind true Christianity comes down to the two basic commands: love God with whole heart and soul and love your neighbor as yourself. Absolute truth is impossible in our limited capacity. And for that reason, I am very reserved when it comes to religions that claim their teachings to be such.

20

History And The Search For True Christianity

by pronomono in

what happened to the original christian churches named in the bible - philadelphia, thessolonica, ephesus, smyrna, pergamum, thyatira, sardis, and laodicea to name a few?

one would think that since these were the original churches, if we could trace the history of these churches down to our day, we could find who is preaching truth today.

obviously this doesn't lie with jws because it is a new religion, although i do not doubt the sincerity of their belief.. there are two likely cases that i can see: 1) these became what is now known as the roman catholic church, 2) the roman catholic church was an apostate christianity that seperated from these true churches and used their power to snuff out the true churches from history.. which one do you think is correct?

pronomono

What happened to the original Christian churches named in the Bible - Philadelphia, Thessolonica, Ephesus, Smyrna, Pergamum, Thyatira, Sardis, and Laodicea to name a few? One would think that since these were the original churches, if we could trace the history of these churches down to our day, we could find who is preaching truth today. Obviously this doesn't lie with JWs because it is a new religion, although I do not doubt the sincerity of their belief.

There are two likely cases that I can see: 1) these became what is now known as the Roman Catholic Church, 2) the Roman Catholic Church was an apostate Christianity that seperated from these true churches and used their power to snuff out the true churches from history.

Which one do you think is correct? What do you believe happened to these original churches?