Posts by Faithful Witness

20

Our teenagers first Christmas tree

by truthseekeriam in

jw
friends

we had fun putting together our first artificial tree last week, it came out so pretty!

the lights and cheap ornaments just add to it.. we have been careful to close our blinds at night to avoid our jw neighbors from calling in the elders, that worked for a few days until we decided to go out for an early dinner and yes, i forgot to close the blinds!

as we drove up to the garage door i could see the tree in the front room and started to freak out a little.

Faithful Witness

Our tree is mostly decked in cheap ornaments. Each year, we take our kids to a big Christmas store and let them choose a special one. There are also several homemade ornaments, that the kids made in preschool. We make some together. We also lose a few cheapies along the way, as some break or we discard them. We look forward each year, to getting out the ornaments and hanging them on the tree, like memories. We love our memory tree. It gets better every year. There are even ornaments for pets gone by. Haha.

(BTW we have a pre-lit tree, and love it hahaha)

Good for you! It is wonderful to hear a story of Christmas spirit. Do you watch any Christmas movies? Make cookies? What other traditions are you starting or continuing?

37

Help me...!

by OneDayillBeFree in

jw
friends

lost my job, just a week before making the final arrangements to move into my very own apartment.. got a speeding ticket on the following sunday for trying to make it to the meeting "on time", (never made it to the hall, just parked in the back of a shopping center for 2 hours in silence).. marked by the elders for quitting pioneering, no more commenting and "failing to adhere to bible counsel".. jw family sees me as a disappointment.

non-jw family is too far away to care.. found out ex-girlfriend got df'ed and is now pregnant.

puts some of the blame on me for how things turned out.. realizing that she's not entirely wrong as i was still an ignorant, kiss-ass, die hard jwdub when we started dating, always putting the "kingdom interests first" never having time for her since "the end was so freaking close" and then warping her up in the mess of me learning ttatt.. dwelling night after night in "what could have been" if i had never been a jw.. alternating between being a theist, atheist and agnostic on a daily basis to the point where i don't care anymore yet getting creeped the f*ck out when facing my own mortality and the thought of me dying alone.. always coming to the same conclusion, when i find myself alone on friday nights and weekends, that i have no actual friends, only two conditional jw "friends" which are both currently out of town for about a month and 0 real, non-jw friends.. haven't been able to sleep well in literally weeks now.

Faithful Witness

One day,

You did the best thing, posting your feelings here. We all go through times of hopelessness. It sickens me to see how many people have dedicated their lives to this organization. You are in a time of growth and change. I know it hurts, but you will come out better from this challenge.

Have you ever seen those polished stones, that have been through rock tumblers? When they go into the tumbler, they don't really look that special. They get tossed around and around with some grit and bounce off other stones for long enough, and they come out shining. You can see all the little details of the colors and even the flaws in the stone make them look more unique. A simple rock turns into a small treasure.

I am reminded of the story of Joseph. If you're feeling like reading the Bible, read the last few chapters of Genesis. He got tossed around a lot, and look how he came out. I don't know you personally, but I can sense something spectacular happening here.

Hang in there, and the practical advice that has been given here will serve you well. You are among friends. Your feelings do matter, and you won't be judged or reprimanded for thinking or expressing yourself here.

Keep posting. I think your story is going to help others, who may not yet be brave enough to speak out loud.

9

Does this Site get more Newbies than WTS gets Baptisms?

by skeeter1 in

jw
friends

just wondering on whether jwn gets more newbies that the wts gets bapstisms?

are there any statistics?.

this site's newbies usually lurk for a month or two, with no interaction with us.

Faithful Witness

We "left," but we were never really there in the first place. Since then, I have met so many people whose lives have been touched (or torched) by the influence of the WTS.

You asked a great question, and I do agree that people are underestimating the power of the Internet in reaching people.

Many people will pass right by, or right through, the organization and not give it much thought afterward. Others have their entire social and support network demolished, leaving them so devastated and alone, having "nowhere else to go."

I honestly didn't take any action for a couple years after changing my mind about the JW's. It was not until my tree got shaken more violently, that I realized I should actually take another look (with open eyes).

I am so grateful to find this forum, and all the people here who are willing to share their experiences. I am learning a lot.

20

Who is the faithful and discreet slave?

by wearewatchingyouman in

when i discuss things with my father regarding whether a governing body is needed for christians one theme that is constant with him is "if it's not the gb who is the faithful and discreet slave - who else is giving food in these days to god's people?".

i've been working on a response to this for the last couple of months and am just curious as to who christians who are ex-witnesses interpret the faithful and discreet slave to be, and the parable in general.. .

i guess i'm just looking to round out my argument and have a few different angles.

Faithful Witness

Oh, this is a can of worms, but I will bite.

The faithful slave is one of Jesus's parables. He uses parables to illustrate how men can please God.

The parable of the slave is so simple, to anyone who has ears to hear it. Like most of the parables, the meaning of this seems to be "hidden" from the wise and righteous ones who have declared themselves to have this special power of interpretation.

Anyone who serves the Master (Jesus), should consider himself to be a slave. Do what is pleasing to the master, and when he returns, he will reward you with more responsibility.

If I choose to serve Jesus, I am a slave. The idea of serving a slave, is absurd to me.

Where does Jesus tell us to serve the slave, even a faithful one?

(The JW's have mastered the art of confusion, and this is a prime example of their twisted teachings. Try explaining their belief to anyone unfamiliar with JW doctrine, and you end up sounding like a mental patient).

20

My 10 000th Post

by cofty in

jw
friends

in honour of this personal landmark i have decided to choose my personal top 5 threads i am pleased to have posted.. 1. jehovah's witnesses view of jesus compared to the early church.

2. soldiers of jah.

3. the current state of the watchtower & the cynicism of soviet communism.

Faithful Witness

Cofty is cool.

36

What are the best questions?

by MissyM in

jw
friends

what would you say are the best questions to ask a jw which they will not be able to answer and may make them question their beliefs?.

what (if you are a former jw) made you question the "truth"?.

Faithful Witness

It is easy to determine when a question has stumped a JW because a JW will not be able to respond for minutes, so don't say another word until a JW says something.

This is a great point to remember. I have a hard time keeping my mouth shut. Let them think. It is fun to watch.

if they change the subject, ask again. Be patient. Don't ask too many questions. if you raise flags, you lose their attention and possibly your only chance.

My question today: why do JW's write their names at the top of time cards, when Jesus specifically told us to practice righteousness in secret? Matthew 6:1-6

32

What is the OBJECT of Faith For a Christian? (precisely)

by Perry in

of course we were all shamed for not having enough faith in god's spirit directed organization, the elder arrangement, the f&ds ....blah, blah, blah.. but what else is there?

.....another organization, faith in jehovah, faith in jesus, faith in the bible?

what precisely is the primary object of faith for a christian?.

Faithful Witness

I do not feed abortion debate threads, but that is an interesting perspective, Adam.

Is it better to have lived and lost, or to have never lived at all?

18

DECEPTIVE CROSS-REFERENCING IN NWT

by The Searcher in

in order to "scripturally justify" j.f.

rutherford's rebranding of the bible students by the creation of a designer name which made them stand out from other bible students, the nwt deceptively misuses a verse to perpetuate the falsehood of the unscriptural name, "jehovah's" witnesses!.

(james 2:7) "they blaspheme the fine name by which you were called,* do they not?".

Faithful Witness

Haha, I was confused by the subject line of your post. I thought this was going to be about the cross.

23

Governing Body humility: crapping their pants and admitting it stinks

by Terry in

we've all heard the old saying:.

any job worth doing is worth doing right the first time.. but, this would not seem to apply in the only organization on earth claiming to be solely guided by jehovah!.

in the watchtower society, the governing body gathers in a board room and prays, discusses and votes.. presumably the prayer invokes holy spirit of jehovah.

Faithful Witness

The WTBTS publishing company has a commitment to its followers. The F&DS serves the JW's faithfully. This is my understanding.

They provide spiritual food for the memhers and anyone else who is interested. They have been doing so, month after month, for over 100 years.

You actually should give them some credit here. They are feeding millions, and their diet has been steady for over a century.

If it weren't for new light, they would run out of material. It is no wonder that JW's gobble it up with such zeal. They are always hungry for more information. The publications keep the people united. This is critical during these end times.

Clearly, the bible is not a sufficient guide for men, so they have taken it on themselves to pick up where God left off.

15

Is there anything the WTS could say that would NOT be accepted as fact?

by Faithful Witness in

this is a follow-up from the recent thread from adjustments, addressing the mind control and manipulation the wts uses to threaten the jw's into unquestioning submission.. is there any statemtent they could make, that people would not question?

honestly, if you read their study articles, it is unbelievable what the people will listen to, swallow as "truth," and then regurgitate to others, as if it has always been their belief.

we visited a local kh for the september 8 & 15 lessons on new light.

Faithful Witness

"The pope is right!"