The wife looked very uncomfortable when I brought that up, the whole "end is near" for 63 years. I called her out on it too: I said I'd seen pictures from the '20s of posters that said "Millions Now Living Will Never Die." She looked uncomfortable, almost embarrassed. Her husband said, "Well if that's not true, [that the kingdom is near] where will I go?" The whole conversation was like that: they mention something, I respond, they rush the conversation on to something else.
Abe Ostate
JoinedPosts by Abe Ostate
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Meeting with an Elder and his wife
by Abe Ostate ini'm a non-witness who is doing research on jehovah's witnesses (and has been for several years).
i just got out of a meeting with an elder and his wife.
i'm still somewhat stupefied.
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Meeting with an Elder and his wife
by Abe Ostate ini'm a non-witness who is doing research on jehovah's witnesses (and has been for several years).
i just got out of a meeting with an elder and his wife.
i'm still somewhat stupefied.
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Abe Ostate
I'm a non-Witness who is doing research on Jehovah's Witnesses (and has been for several years). I just got out of a meeting with an Elder and his wife. I'm still somewhat stupefied.
First, they seemed completely unable to grasp anything I was trying to say. When I told them I didn't believe in God (when they finally forced me to answer some questions, I was hoping they just answer mine) the woman took me to Proverbs 8 and started telling me that Jesus had created everything. I have no idea what that had to do with anything. She also, on several other occasions, started trying to explain the Lord's prayer and Jesus instructions to the apostles as though I had mentioned these; I hadn't. I felt like she was arguing against an invisible opponent.
Second, and worst of all, they lied to me directly. To my face, lied to me. They have been "in the truth" for 60+ years, they told me, yet the wife insisted that they have not been preaching that the kingdom was near for all that time, merely that the kingdom would be beneficial to man. I asked her explicitly if she had been saying that the end was near this entire time. She said she had not. I know this is a lie. I have seen quotes and scans of magazines from this time. -
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How do you get a word in edge-wise, when talking to a JW?
by Faithful Witness injust looking for some pointers, as i was never a jw.
i have an elderette coming over on friday, for another performance.. last week, i was under the impression that she was coming to answer some questions i had.
it quickly became clear that she came with a plan for the "conversation," and we went on an expedition from one passage of the bible to the next, while she made leaping claims, argued with herself and kept me confused and always with more than one question lingering in my mind, while she continued talking and talking.. when i have a conversation with someone, i tend to stop talking when they are speaking.
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Abe Ostate
At one point, during a conversation with an Elder and a Ministerial Servant, I started to feel that exact same way: as soon as one finished, the other would jump in, and they were so rapidly in sync with one another that I could barely think much less respond. Finally when one took a breath, I said, rather aggressively, "_____, I need to say something." If you have to, don't be afraid to be rude; they're the ones who are rudely refusing to let you speak your mind.
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Preparing for my next visit from my Elderette - Who (or what) is the Faithful & Discreet Slave, and why do JW's worship and follow a slave?
by Faithful Witness inshe is coming tomorrow afternoon, and i do plan to have a coherent mind and much better concentration this time.
i was suffering from hypoglycemia last time she made a surprise visit, and i was foggy and literally could not comprehend a simple sentence i was reading.
our plans are to discuss the topic of the fds.
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Abe Ostate
I would expect the conversation to go something like this:
-She'll read the passage in question (Matthew 24:45-47).
-She'll then begin to read into the passage, by which I mean that she'll assert that the governing body is the faithful slave, the domestics are all Jehovah's Witnesses, etc. In other words, she'll interpret it for you, but she won't provide any proof to back up her interpretations. Or, heck, she may just take the Bible verses from the new Watchtower and try to prove her point based on those "alone" (but again, her interpretations will either be unsupported, or based wholly on the Watchtower article itself).
I would demand that she provides proof that her interpretation is correct, given that not every group understands the passage the same way (which indicates the meaning is unclear). -
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Worst yb experience I have ever heard heartwrenching
by Skinnedsheep inhe sold his bicycle.
malachi, an elder who lives in burundi, earned his living by farming and by transporting loads on his bicycle.
in order to support their kingdom hall construction project, malachi decided to be at the construction site every day.
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Abe Ostate
It goes on to say that he learned construction on the project and then went and bought another bicycle with the (increased) earnings from his new construction job.
I wouldn't be surprised if it was made up, like someone mentioned.
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"In Gods Love" bible study ch 15, wife convinced to send our kids to Bethel
by DS211 inafter 6 weeks of hiatus from our home study we are finishing ch 15-see good for all your work.. throughout the last part of the chapter it goes i er how to view secular work--keep it simple and ministry first before work.
so the elder told me of a bro who went to a tech school for welding but got the real welding education with the siciety and is now 2nd in class welder at either bethel or the farm.
another bro went to bethel for computers and is now makes a ton if money oart time and can pioneer (jehovah made it all happen)...then elder we t into how 73% of kids cant get jobs after college and it isnt really an education but mostly partying.
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Abe Ostate
The entire house of cards, Bethel being the card at the top, comes crashing down when you realize the stack is based on false promises, false prophecy, and empty hopes and dreams.
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Worst yb experience I have ever heard heartwrenching
by Skinnedsheep inhe sold his bicycle.
malachi, an elder who lives in burundi, earned his living by farming and by transporting loads on his bicycle.
in order to support their kingdom hall construction project, malachi decided to be at the construction site every day.
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Abe Ostate
As if the money in the contribution box went to the construction... Poor naive Malachi...
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Why is JW Net so hostile? Is it just me?
by Brother Mike inwhy can't i say something without someone immature trying to be a smart ass or trying to fight everything i say and use it against me?
comments welcome.
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Abe Ostate
You're adorable.
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The murmuring phase is the beginning of an ex-JWs progression towards fading.
by Stand for Pure Worship ini suppose part of the fascination i have with this board is, the exotic nature of those making up the member population.
i say exotic because, as you yourselves will agree with, folks such as yourselves don't hang around the christian congregation for long upon making the decision that truth is not for you.
(rom 1:25) this "fading" thing spoken of here likely plays a role into why christians such as me find the average ex-jw to be a bit fascinating.
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Abe Ostate
SFPW said, "Folks like yourselves don't hang around the Christian congregation long upon making the decision truth is not for you."
On the contrary: wanting "the truth" is exactly why most people leave! But it's cute that you'd try to define your beliefs as categorically "true," such that everything else must be falsehood. It's flat-out adorable. You show how biased you are by the very way you try to conceptualize leaving. Could it be, gasp, that the people that leave believe they've found the truth elsewhere, in one source or many?
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watchtower tones down apostate talk at august 3rd convention!
by nowwhat? inno mention of them being mentally diseased or using "lies" to deceive god's people, just that they are out to attract followers for themselves!.
p.s.
i was cringing at the thought of sitting for 3 1/2 hours for the afternoon session but fortunately my one kid got sick!!
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Abe Ostate
Hey, guys! I've been lurking for quite a while on here, but I thought I'd finally comment. I'm a Sociology student who's been doing research on several congregations of Jehovah's Witnesses for 3 years. I just recently finished up.
I printed off a copy of the transcript someone posted on this site, with the intention of comparing it to the talk I would hear at the District Convention I went to this past weekend. I haven't transcribed the tape yet, but the two talks were significantly different. The verses were all the same, and the ideas, but specific examples of apostate activity was missing (claim JWs supported Hitler, etc.), and he said apostates were "diseased in a mental sense," as opposed to "mentally-diseased."
As soon as I transcribe the talk I heard, I'll post it here.