Posts by mizpah

24

Hypocrisy of the First Order by JWs

by AlanF in

jehovah's witnesses are known for their hypocrisy and double standards when it comes to how they treat others and how they want to be treated by others.

as to why heinze and paul were kicked off.. .

in the best interest of the club to remove paul and heinz from our .

mizpah

I guess it proves the old expression of "what goes around, comes around." Jehovah's Witnesses are not the only ones trying to insulate themselves from the critics. Many fundamentalists have the same mind-set.

But in this case, I'm sure the two Jehovah's Witnesses felt that they were unfairly discriminated against for holding different views. And they probably protest the deletion of their names from the posting as unfair and unchristian. No matter that they do the same on their sites. Freedom of expression in the Watchtower Society only means that you are free to praise the organization. No criticism will be tolerated.

22

Mother Teresa's beatification- JWs and Good works

by pravda2004 in

after hearing of mother theresa's beatification today, which is a recognition of her tireless lifelong devotion to ministering to the suffering of others, i was wondering why the jws have no works of charity as a witness to christ's love for mankind.

is jw doctrine confined to the idea that all "good" public works should be in witnessing and proselytism alone?

with the amount of money the watchtower has, why is there no public witness of charity?

mizpah

Pravda:

I would suggest you read about some of the Popes that have been made "saints" by the Catholic church. Their lives were hardly "saintly."

This whole procedure by the Church is a farce. In the early 1960s over 200 "saints" were demoted or removed from the list of saints by the church. They had to be "decanonized." Even poor Saint Christopher, patron saint of travelers, took a "hit." Perhaps, the most notorious was Saint Philomena. When her relics (bones) were investigated it was discovered that she was a male not a female. Her statues were removed from the churches. And those churches which bore her name had to change it. Historically, there was serious doubt that she ever existed at all.

People like Mother Teresa don't need the rituals of the church to declare her a saint. Her good works and selflessness stand as a witness to her saintliness. If only the entire leadership of the church would divest itself of its riches and privileges and follow her example, then one might then admire the institution.

24

What is happenning in France?

by AlanB in

.

just wondered if anyone knows what is happenning in france.

my parents told me something about the french printing presses being moved to london for some reason.. any ideas?

mizpah

In the 1950s we were told that book studies were going to be essential because the Kingdom Halls and Bethel could be closed down by the worldly political leaders. We were told that we might have to approach people with only the Bible in hand or by word of mouth. At the time, I thought it was a great idea anyway. Why did we need so much literature when the Bible was enough?

It is obvious today that the "reason d'etre" of the Watchtower Society is not the preaching work but the huge publishing empire it has created throughout the world. So, when nations like France try to tax this business, the Watchtower Society cries "foul" and cites it as an example of persecution. The reason it doesn't encourage "phase two" of yesterday is that it is the business that justifies the existence of the organization itself. The "preaching work" is only the excuse to keep its business growing.

45

What's happened to the preaching work?

by Dark Knight in

something happened the other night that got me thinking.

i met a christian in one of the local malls and he did the usual preaching about jesus routine, trying to convince me that i am a sinner and how i need jesus and all that jazz.

he wasn't a jw, but rather he was from one of the local revivalist churches.. now what i'm thinking is that i've been out of the org for almost three years now.

mizpah

RH:

Your comment about "rendezvous points" reminded me of the attempt by the Society to call the places to meet for field service by the same name in the U.S. However, in English the word "rendezvous" often meant a place of sexual assignation, a tryst. So the term wasn't used for very long before it was discreetly dropped. Afterall, what would people think when they heard Jehovah's Witnesses had "rendezvous" in various areas?....

When we left the organization, we were often asked about the "preaching work." Jehovah's Witnesses always suggest that if one is not "preaching the good news" one can not be a Christian. What they failed to understand is that not everyone in the early church was an "evangelist." (Preacher of good news.) Paul plainly says that only SOME were appointed to this position. (Eph. 4:11)

The other thing that they fail to understand is that if the Watchtower message about the Kingdom (Christ's invisible presence in heaven from 1914) is false, then they have been "false" teachers and preachers. And this would be a serious charge in the final judgment.

22

Mother Teresa's beatification- JWs and Good works

by pravda2004 in

after hearing of mother theresa's beatification today, which is a recognition of her tireless lifelong devotion to ministering to the suffering of others, i was wondering why the jws have no works of charity as a witness to christ's love for mankind.

is jw doctrine confined to the idea that all "good" public works should be in witnessing and proselytism alone?

with the amount of money the watchtower has, why is there no public witness of charity?

mizpah

Pravda:

Does it mean that if the "three miracles" can not be found in the case of Mother Teresa that she will not be declared "a saint?" I find the whole procedure preposterous. It gives an unauthorized authority to the church that is exclusive to God.

And some of the "saints" that have been canonized have been anything but saintly persons!

15

I met Mulan and her hubby this morning!!!

by codeblue in

just wanted everyone to know that mulan is just as fantastic in person as what she appears to be when she writes on this board.

both mulan and her husband are very kind, down to earth people---i am glad i was able to get to know someone after reading their posts.. so for you newbies out there, realize there is "life" and good people to meet from this board.

take advantage of those opportunities, your life will be definitely enriched from this experience.. thanks again mulan for taking the time to meet me!!!.

mizpah

Codeblue: It's been my experience that some of the finest people have left the Watchtower organization in recent years. They have been sensitive and kind people who chaffed under the unkind and careless attitude of the Watchtower Society and its leaders. Their consciences no longer allowed them to be part of such an cruel organization. When the Society dismissed people like Ray and Cynthia Franz, Ed Dunlap and others, they purged themselves of the most valuable asset it had. The events that followed caused many in the congregations to leave instead of remaining in such an oppressive atmosphere that now exists in the Watchtower Society. The sad part is that the Governing Body and other leaders are unaware of the lost treasures. Instead, they have become vindictive and spiteful by their labeling of these good people as "apostates." But there should be a warning in Jesus' words: "As you do it to the least of these, my brothers, you have done it to me."

29

Mental health issues

by YellowLab in

how many of you have experienced or are experiencing any mental health related issues?

were/are any of these issues related to you being a jw?

do you feel many dubs still in "the truth" have mental health issues but are afraid to seek treatment from a "worldly" psychologist or psychiatrist?.

mizpah

Sadly, many people who had depression and other mental illnesses were often made worse by the counsel of the elders. One thing that a person does not need when depressed is guilt. Yet, the standard counsel of elders if one felt inadequate in some way was that the individual needed to pray more, attend all meetings and go out in service. The person sensed that not only was he failing in some way but that he wasn't pleasing God either. This only added to the serious problem.

It's worthy to note that the Watchtower Society has made some concessions in seeking mental health professionals. At one time, the fields of psychiatry and psychology were viewed as worthless. However, when many at Bethel showed signs of depression it became evident that more help was needed. I understand now that the Watchtower organization has consulting pyschiatrists and pyschologist who regularly communicate with or visit patients at the headquarters. Of course, these professionals are usually fellow Jehovah's Witnesses.

22

Mother Teresa's beatification- JWs and Good works

by pravda2004 in

after hearing of mother theresa's beatification today, which is a recognition of her tireless lifelong devotion to ministering to the suffering of others, i was wondering why the jws have no works of charity as a witness to christ's love for mankind.

is jw doctrine confined to the idea that all "good" public works should be in witnessing and proselytism alone?

with the amount of money the watchtower has, why is there no public witness of charity?

mizpah

I was pleased that one Roman Catholic said that this procedure to make Mother Theresa a "saint" was "redundant." I think he meant that her life was a testimony to her "sainthood" and did not need the approval of the church. There is a certain amount of arrogance involved when the church declares who and who is not a "saint." God alone can do that.

7

Does sex abuse really run in families?

by neverthere in

my son was sexually abused by his father, i stopped all visitation by the time my son was 5 (the very same day i found out, he never saw my son again).

my ex was raised jw, his brother sexually abused his daughter and spent alot of time with my ex when he was growing up (they are quite a bit apart in age, but used to take him on trips with his family).. we are going through adoption now, my ex has yet to be informed of this, but i am soo afraid that when it all comes out that my ex will contest.

time is drawing nearer and i am worried about the damage that my ex did to my son.

mizpah

It is hard to understand how a parent who was sexually abused would become an abuser. One would think that the parent would be so appalled by what happened that the parent would be more determined to protect one's own children. I know we often hear that "most abusers were abused themselves." But I also know that every adult has the capacity to make decisions of right and wrong.

5

Boy Scouts Abuse Case (Seattle)--Secret Database?

by blondie in

http://www.tribnet.com/news/local/story/4167096p-4181258c.html

2 brothers sue boy scouts, allege sexual abuse from 1971 to 1983

sean robinson; the news tribune.

mizpah

Blondie:

Access to the Boy Scout database would certainly set an interesting legal precedent. If this occurs and the Boy Scout organization appeals any such decision, I have no doubt the Watchtower would file "a friend of the court" brief. The Watchtower has too much at risk. This will be interesting to follow.

Thanks for the information.