Posts by azaria

6

30 Years a Watchtower Slave - The Rutherford Plan

by Lady Lee in

30 years a watchtower slave

the rutherford plan

when william j. schnell joined the bible students in the early 1920?s, the group he joined was a place where they found "a goodly measure of brotherly love and happiness in fellowshipping.

azaria

I read this book a few years ago. If I remember right, he played a part in organizing the society in Magdeburg Germany, whose policies were eventually adopted by the Watchtower in the States. I can't imagine that he wanted back into the org at the end of his life. Below I typed part of the foreword of the book.

Foreword

By the Lord's grace I am a Christian. I was found by God in my tender youth. Early in life I was inveigled to join the Watctower Organization, and subsequently became totally enslaved to it.

By the Lord's grace I came free when He lifted me up from a night of prayer, and when I became so agitated and alive once again spiritually that I made a vow unto the Lord. That night I came free!

I have a vow to fulfull, which I made to God, when He set me free, once again to be a Christian: W.J. Schnell

5

THE POWER OF A FRIEND

by observador in

jw
friends

i got this from a friend of mine, and thought i'd share it with you.

warning: may not be a real life story.

a friend is something we should never throw out the window!

azaria

You could have at least warned us (while wiping away a tear)

Just a smile, a hug, can make such a difference in a persons life. Thanks for the story. I'll be sending it to a few people.

As Jesus said, after loving God, we are to love each other. Romans 13:9-10...and whatever other commandment there may be, are summed up in this one rule: Love your neighbour as yourself. Love does no harm to its neighbour. Therefore love is the fulfillment of the law.

2

silentlambs article in our local paper

by azaria in

tonight i called my husband.

he asked if i had seen the article on the jw's.

the fact that he would notice it is a good sign.

azaria

Tonight I called my husband. He asked if I had seen the article on the JW's. The fact that he would notice it is a good sign. The only connection he has to this org is that his mother-in-law is one. It doesn't interest him in the least. Hopefully a lot of people will read it. As the article stated, the problem within the JW org is much more heinous than other religions like the Catholic Church. No Catholic parishioner has been penalized for raising complaints against the church or members compared to JW's whose fate is possible disfellowship and losing family relationships. It is stated in the bible that if someone does a wrong against you, you're to go to that person. If he listens, you have won him over. If he doesn't listen you then go to the leaders within the church. (I realize that in the case of child abuse the child would have to have a representative such as a parent to stand up for him) In the JW org when someone is disfellowshipped for a sin are there always two witnesses in other cases or just in the case of child abuse? This is such an evil crime. They may be able to cover it up within the org, but do they not think that God sees what they are doing, not just the perpetrators but the others who help to cover it up.

4

I will get through it, but am sad at the moment.

by azaria in

jw
friends

like most people i hate war but sometimes it seems necessary.

watching oprah today saddened me.

she had former pows on today.

azaria

Like most people I hate war but sometimes it seems necessary. Watching Oprah today saddened me. She had former POW’s on today. Whatever you personally think about war (like one soldier said WAR is HELL) these men & women sacrificed their lives for us, so we would have freedom. I still don’t know if going to war with Afghanistan & Iraq was the right thing to do. I feel there is so much we didn’t know. What hurts me so much is that my parents were always complaining about the war, any war. It is so easy to be against the war, you don’t sacrifice anything. You still reap the benefits whether you agree with it or not. What were we supposed to do during WW2? Were we supposed to passively sit back and let Hitler take over? My father was so against the war yet we grew up never knowing if he loved us. He was a mean spirited man. I believe that the soul never dies. There are times that I think that Hell is the realization that you were cruel or indifferent to your family, that maybe one sees the heart of the people that were their lives. What a horrible ordeal that would be, to realize how much pain you inflicted on others. Times like these I realize that I still haven’t gotten over the death of my father. One good thing, you can learn how to show love to your own children, because you know personally how devasting it is not to feel loved by your own dad.

21

Question for those who chose to be JW

by pc in

jw
friends

i was born into the borg, i was wondering what made you join.

my mother who is now deceased use to say she did all this research.

my brother keeps stating that as this great fact to me.

azaria

My mother who is now deceased use to say she did all this research.

I thought I was researching everything until 35 years later I realized that research meant going out side of tyour spectrum.

In my experience, most JW's I knew considered research to consist of reading the Insight volumes, and bound volumes back to the early 1950's. Anything beyond that was considered unneccessary.

the only 'research' i did was read the research my bible study woman showed me that she'd 'researched'. I didn't know half of it was published by the WTS.

I guess the only thing that she researched was Holidays too.

These comments caught my eye because my brother and I talked about that very thing last night. My brother commented that our parents had done a lot of research when they first joined. Wondered what kind of research they did, but figured that it had to be strictly JW research, that put the org in a good light and was critical of Christianity. From these posts I realize that we were right. My mother was agnostic when the witnesses came to her door, so she had nothing to compare this org to. She was an extremely needy person. My dad and her hated each other, I had moved out, she still had two young boys at home. Knowing my mother it doesn't surprise me that she became tangled in this org. Here are people coming to her door promising her a better life in the future, paying attention to her. What I don't quite understand is why, if she has the truth and a wonderful future in Paradise, is she so miserable, so negative. This org gives her no joy, no peace.

I guess she is just one of those people that needs someone telling her exactly what to do in her life. I think some people need constant rules to live their life.

Sadly this my mother also. She can’t think or make a decision on her own. An elder has to be consulted. I bought her a KJV large print bible today hoping that she might read it. I’m quite sure that she will ask an elder if he approves of her reading it.

2

Questions - Memorial, Sabbath, Mediator,etc.

by azaria in

jw
friends

i know these questions have been answered many times over the years.

i just want to have it clear in my own mind.

my mother lives about 45 min from me.

azaria

I know these questions have been answered many times over the years. I just want to have it clear in my own mind. My mother lives about 45 min from me. Since my dad passed away I see my mother more often to help her out. Once a week I take her grocery shopping. I noticed that she spends a lot of time at the Kingdom Hall. Maybe she’s there more often because she’s lonely or maybe this is normal behaviour. I think she goes Tuesday, Thursday, Friday nights and Saturday and Sunday.(plus she goes to all the Assemblies? and Conventions in Ontario) Friday night I called about coming Saturday to shop but she couldn’t go then. So she asked if I would come on Sunday. I don’t believe in shopping on Sunday so I told her I couldn’t go then but that I would come over in a half hour. She started to question it but I managed to change the subject. I believe that keeping the Sabbath was never eliminated, but from my mother’s reaction it was a major thing, that no, we don’t have to observe it anymore.

1. the Sabbath: do Witnesses not observe the Sabbath?
2. How many times does a member go to the hall, bible study, door to door, etc, each week?
3. Why do all members observe the Memorial? First of all, if they say that Jesus came back why still observe it? If it’s just for the annointed, why not just observe it by themselves? Why should the rest be there to sit around and not be a part of it? It would seem to me that the annointed are rubbing it in everyone’s face, no? (smugness-I’m better than you) How does one know if he is of the annointed class?
4. Do witnesses really believe that the org (not Jesus) is the mediator between them and God?
5. Do witnesses not read the bible on their own, just for the sake of wanting to read it? Do they only read what is asked of them? (things that pertain to a particular article, bible study?)

I have so many, many more questions. Now that I spend more time with her I feel the need to be prepared. I honestly pray before I see or call her just to give me strength, patience and to be kind to her, that in the end I need to glorify God (by my behaviour) and my own feelings (about my reaction to what she is saying) aren’t that important really. But I admit it’s sometimes really hard and it’s very draining. When I have reacted emotionally to her in the past I know that she had control and power over me and I have to think that even though this is my mother (to love and respect her as my mother) her views are not mine. I don't respect her opinion, it is just her opinion, so why get all upset over it. God knows our hearts and that's what is important. For those who answer I really appreciate it.

Another Question:

Are JW's only allowed to read the NWT or can they read KJV. I was planning to buy my mother a bible with large print (because of her vision) but I don't want to spend the money if she rejects it.

10

what happens at the memorial??

by farmer in

jw
friends

?

azaria

My mother bought an expensive blouse to wear to the Memorial tonight. She doesn't have a lot of money to spend so I don't understand why. The whole Memorial seems so bizarre to me. Everyone comes all dressed up to reject the Lord's Supper? It may be the truth of the Watchtower but my understanding is that it doesn't say that in the bible. Jesus said to those who believe do this in memory of me until I come back. John 6:51 I am the living bread that came down from heaven. If anyone eats of this bread, he will live forever. This bread is my flesh, which I will give for the life of the world. John 6:54 Whoever eats my flesh and drinks my blood has eternal life, and I will raise him up at the last day.

6

Jehovahs Witnesses who shun family - please read this

by Sirona in

why do you shun your family members who have chosen to leave jehovah's witnesses (jws)?.

i am asking this question because i am personally so hurt by the attitude of my jw family toward me now that i'm not attending the meetings.

i've chosen another religious path.

azaria

Hi Sirona, First I want to say how sad I am for you that you are so mistreated by family members, especially by your mother. From the post it sounds like you are a caring person. These posts upset me the most. I'm starting to learn that some people just won't change (not that they can't change) I’m not sure if it was you or Sassy who wrote about their mother a few days ago (about being self centred) I thought the poster was talking about my mother. As I write my mother is on a plane back to Canada. I’m not looking forward to it. My brother and his wife are happy that she has finally left. When I phone her to see how things are going with her all she does is complain about everybody and everything. She never calls me-unless she needs me to do something for her). She spent about two months total with my brother. He’s pretty laid back but he’s had enough. She reacts negatively about everything - if it’s not the news, it’s a movie, or someone in the grocery store - she can and does find it everywhere. Coming back from the Netherlands she was held up in London (she missed her first flight) and she mentioned how st u pid someone was. My mother speaks very guttural. The very thing she criticizes someone else for she is guilty of. I don’t say too much, just shake my head. At times I’ll say well we all make mistakes at times, none of us are perfect, but it doesn’t seem to register. When my brother called a few days ago I got so mad because my mother can’t appreciate the fact that she stayed with him for a couple of months (he’s very generous-taking her to restaurants etc, he even paid for the ticket down) she went on a cruise for a week, she spent 3 months in the Netherlands (with her sister, my cousins, her homeland-walking the streets where she grew up, eating the food (pastries) she was familiar with etc) It’s all wasted on someone that doesn’t appreciate any of it. She says she’s greatful but she’s not happy.My youngest brother (who can't do any wrong) hasn't gone to see her or even phoned her. He was in town Sunday for something else-there was no excuse. My brother and her sister, especially, have done a lot for her yet all she can react to is how wonderful the brothers and sisters have been at the Kingdom Hall. It makes me so friggin angry. Okay I’m over it. (sorry it got so longwinded, if no-one reads this that's okay, at least I got it off my chest))

96

My Dad died a few hours ago

by BONEZZ in

jw
friends

excuse me if i ramble...this is hard.

i have even avoided threads in the past where others have had to go thru this because i didn't want to face it.

guess i'm a wuss.

azaria

I'm so sorry to hear about the loss of your father. My own dad passed away a witness 7 months ago. It's painful to think about. IThankfully your dad saw the truth after 51 years. It gives us a little hope that others might also see it. Hang on to the wonderful memories of your father. Not all of us have that. Take care Bonezz

52

Emotional Day

by Puternut in

jw
friends

i am having one of those days.

it all started yesterday when i was picking up some work from a client yesterday nearby.

when i walked in the store, the nora jones cd was playing and i became emotional.

azaria

Just want to say how sorry I am. These stories are just heartbreaking. Not being a witness I don't understand how families can break apart like this, over a false religion. My husband and I have been separated for a 1 1/2 years. Whether we get back together down the road or not we will always be there for each other and the kids will never be separated from their dad. I can't imagine doing it to their dad, and can't imagine doing it to our kids. I wish with all my heart that my mother could see the real truth. I don't believe she will ever see it. All I can do is pray for her. Hang on to the hope that your children will one day (when they realize what they are missing) reach out and have a relationship with you again. As I get older I realize more and more how important family is. Hopefully they will too. Take care.