well folks, you may recall that i was invited to my sister and her husband's gilead going-away bonanza last saturday.
elders would be there.
my world would be rocked from it's stable position of "inactive"!
They were like dear caught in the headlights.
They probably envy you. Maybe they'd like to fade and don't know how to go about it. I once got that "deer in the headlights" look from an elder I used to go drinking with, but I just ignored him. Now I kind of wish I took the time to talk to him.
Walter
i know some apostates become bitter and can see nothing good in their time spent as witnesses, but i am not talking about that kind of apostate.
i am talking about the other kind of apostate who tends to idealise certain aspects of their time in the witnesses.
what motivates such sentiments i wonder?
People can go to prison and look back at some experiences as being useful to them - even if they were later proved innocent of the crime they were convicted of. That doesn't mean it was right they were in prison, that they got there fairly, that they were treated humanely.
I can relate to this. I was briefly incarcerated for a crime I didn't commit. Overall, it was a negative experience, but I was able to learn some useful lessons there. My experience as a JW was predominantly negative, but I learned some useful things there too.
Looking back, I can now see that there are less costly ways of learning the same lessons.
Walter
so my mother suprised me about a week ago by telling me we are going on a bus trip to bethel from april 13-17. for those of you who aren't used to this concept, american dubs seem to think that packing themselves on the bus with 60 other witnesses and driving for 4 days is somehow going to strengthen themselves spiritually.
well, i doubt that will work for me.
i was just wondering, is there anything i should look for/ be on the alert for?
American Dubs seem to think that packing themselves on the bus with 60 other witnesses and driving for 4 days is somehow going to strengthen themselves spiritually.
Just thinking about it puts me in a nasty mood. When I was a JW I could barely tolerate a couple of hours with just a handfull of them. I can't imagine 4 days of it. You have my sympathy.
Walter
when your other half is out of town, or you just have the luxury of being alone, what is your favourite way of passing the time?
I live alone too.
Beer, pizza, and video games!
I used to do the no pants thing but I stopped that. I have a cockatoo now, and that big beak worries me...
Walter
the parable of the prodigal son.
i will set out and go back to my father and say to him: father, i have sinned against heaven and against you.
" "my son," the father said, "you are always with me, and everything i have is yours.
The privilege of sharing in the field service is restored when the individual is reinstated... Othe privileges such as commenting at meetings , having parts on the program and offering prayer at the meetings can be restored progressively when it is determined that the individual has progressed spiritually to the point that he is qualified and when it is judged by the elders that the extending of such privileges will not be offensive to the congregation
Doesn't that seem a little backwards? An "interested person" who was never a JW can comment the very first time he enters a kingdom hall. A "bible study" can join the school. They are pressured into doing this long before they ever go out in "field service".
I guess it's more important to get those magazines sold.
Walter
i wanna hear the word that made you either physically nauseous or burst out in uncontrolable laughter.
please demonstrate it in a sentence as well.
mine was 'enthused' (my fingers were shaking as i typed).
We use every pagan, demonic wedding ritual but don't throw rice, give toasts or klink glasses.
Rice costs money. So does alcohol. Rather than spending money on these frivilous, demonic practices, would it not be better used in furthering kingdom interests?
Ok, I'm off to throw up now.
Walter
actually the letter is from the christian congregation of jehovah's witnesses.
it was sent to elders in february 2002, after our last km school.. i scanned and posted this letter back in 2002, but with the influx of new posters this is a good time to bring this letter back to light.. it discusses field service, inactive publishers, shepherding, marital problems, child abuse, and other topics.
some of the topics in the letter have been updated in more recent correspondence, but overall this is an interesting read.. http://www.jehovahs-witness.com/tmp/boe20020318.pdf.
If there are two or three other elders reading this that are willing to record the program, we can make the contents of this sensitive meeting available to any that want it.
I'd sure like a copy of such a program.
Thanks for posting the letter. I saved a copy.
Walter
Because they bashed us first.
Walter
i thought it might be interesting to see where everyone is...home...work...someplace interesting?.
i'm in the world trade center in boston, sitting looking out at boston harbor.
i have to do a presentation today at the build boston show... a tradeshow for architects and builders.
I'm at work, sweating and bleeding for the benefit of my slave driving master. I look forward to getting my peanuts at the end of the day.
Walter
the parable of the prodigal son.
i will set out and go back to my father and say to him: father, i have sinned against heaven and against you.
" "my son," the father said, "you are always with me, and everything i have is yours.
It's for their benefit. While you're in a DF'd state they grow accustomed to treating you like dirt. Many of them actually enjoy it. Imposing restrictions after reinstatement allows them to gradually wean themselves from treating you like dirt. It also gives them time to find a new victim.
Walter
