Well, as you ask, Sam, my wife is not doing so well at the moment. She is very emotionally distraught as she cannot really cope with large groups of people so the meetings are very difficult and she has missed quite a few recently. She has no real issues with doctrine etc., but more the social aspects and expectations. The theocratic sister managed to resolve her issues, I think and continues on regardless.
thedog1
JoinedPosts by thedog1
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30
How many JW apologists really post here?
by Londo111 inyesterday, stand for pure worship confessed that he has been trolling jwn, as he has through many incarnations.. it makes me wonder if any of the jw apologists that have posted here over my last two years have been real: scholar, recovery, and so forth..
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30
How many JW apologists really post here?
by Londo111 inyesterday, stand for pure worship confessed that he has been trolling jwn, as he has through many incarnations.. it makes me wonder if any of the jw apologists that have posted here over my last two years have been real: scholar, recovery, and so forth..
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thedog1
Leaving Quietly
thank your for your kind, empathetic thoughts. Yes, things have changed for me in the few short months that I have been looking into this, triggered off, I think, by all the changes in the WT thinking this year. Now, when I read a publication of the WT, I catch myself thinking about whether I really agree with what is stated. I sort of sleep-walked through the 1995 'generation' change and even the next change a few years ago did not really set off alarm bells, just the jaded thought 'oh no, another change in thinking.' I think it was when one quite theocratic sister came to me and said she could not understand aspects of the July 15th 2013 WT even after going through it a few times that I started to go back through those articles and question them myself. I have now come to the conclusion that the latest generation teaching is unsustainable scripturally, so when we come to study it again in I think April next year, I will have to be unavailable to take the WT study. So yes, some threads beginning to unravel.
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thedog1
She does but she is happily married
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30
How many JW apologists really post here?
by Londo111 inyesterday, stand for pure worship confessed that he has been trolling jwn, as he has through many incarnations.. it makes me wonder if any of the jw apologists that have posted here over my last two years have been real: scholar, recovery, and so forth..
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thedog1
I don't view myself as an apologist. Just questioning what I believe and there is no way to do this inside the congregation without being exposed to severe results. But I am genuine and am still an active Witness.
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thedog1
I welcome the equality. I always thought everybody is equal. Though currently serving as an elder I always struggled with the notion of being an elder who is somehow 'in authority' over others. Always found shepherding calls hard. Feeling a bit of a fake, thinking to myself that I am talking about things with other reasoning, thinking human beings with a brain. How was I any different? I do not mind the questions so long as others are polite about it. I have the utmost respect for women. A lot of them are smarter than me. My own wife, for example, is one of the most practical people I know. She is the one who changes the plugs, assembles the flatpacks, and repairs whatever needs repairing, while I attempt to look all intellectual. But we both bring something to the party. I work as a teacher and she does the housewife bit. You may say, oh yeah so typically male and female roles. But as I have already mentioned, she is the practical one. But in the past we have done whatever is necessary to keep the show on the road, and it didn't matter who worked or who didn't so long as we paid our way. At one time we had our own business where we worked together 50/50. Later we both had different jobs where she was sometimes earning more than me. Who cares? A marriage is a love match and a partnership. Whatever it takes!
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129
They are Definitely Attacking "Higher Education"
by XBEHERE ina friend of mine recently had his co visit and in the elders meeting the co out-right asked the question: how are the friends doing in your cong.
as regards pursuing higher education?
the co continued...you know in view of all the counsel from the slave regarding the dangers.
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thedog1
Well, this, amongst other things, over the last few years, are things I have been wrestling with in my own conscience. For quite some time, I have questioned whether I should be in the position of advising others to follow the guidelines and directions of the org. Not very comfortable with this 'position' so who knows what way I will take this in the future.
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129
They are Definitely Attacking "Higher Education"
by XBEHERE ina friend of mine recently had his co visit and in the elders meeting the co out-right asked the question: how are the friends doing in your cong.
as regards pursuing higher education?
the co continued...you know in view of all the counsel from the slave regarding the dangers.
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thedog1
Got to admit this was a really weird section of the article. I do not agree with it at all. I have a brain.
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They are Definitely Attacking "Higher Education"
by XBEHERE ina friend of mine recently had his co visit and in the elders meeting the co out-right asked the question: how are the friends doing in your cong.
as regards pursuing higher education?
the co continued...you know in view of all the counsel from the slave regarding the dangers.
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thedog1
Billy, a severely incapacitated person maybe should be able to accept help from the cong, but in this case the relatives did not need the help, and the cong had been helpful in multiple ways, visiting, and giving all sorts of material and emotional support. The cong was not shirking its duty at all. Wearewatching youman, apology accepted. Personally, I have never encouraged anyone to put themselves in a situation where they are in the situation your grandmother is in. I understand you are in a difficult situation in trying to do the best you can for someone who has in a sense painted themselves into a corner by their own behaviour. I believe in providing for ourselves and not burdening others. I have met many pioneers who think others in the cong owe them a living because of the sacrifices they have made to pioneer. I do not agree with that at all. It is unfair if others have to pick up the pieces for the irresponsible behaviour of those who feel they are doing God's will but expecting others to pick up the tab. So in a sense we are on the same side. I always advise people to think before they make decisions which may end up in others having to support them just because they think they have some divine commission to do something. So in some ways we are on the same side.
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129
They are Definitely Attacking "Higher Education"
by XBEHERE ina friend of mine recently had his co visit and in the elders meeting the co out-right asked the question: how are the friends doing in your cong.
as regards pursuing higher education?
the co continued...you know in view of all the counsel from the slave regarding the dangers.
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thedog1
maybe I was too direct in my statement. In our own cong it was discussed with the co that if somebody was in need and family and gov organ. could not help that the congregation would step in. This was, as you mentioned quoting scripture, to be as a last resort. We had a case recently where a family were in a bad situation, as they could not meet rental payments and the bro in question had not gotten a promised pension. This bro came to the elders for help. It turned out that his wife's family owned a piece of land that she could sell to buy a derelict house in our territory. The money she got from the sale only barely covered the purchase of the house, so the local bros donated huge amounts of time and effort, and paid for the materials to refurbish the house out of their own pockets. Now this family have their own home due to the generosity of the local bros. This same family were often given bags of food or prepared meals by the local bros many times after the meetings.
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129
They are Definitely Attacking "Higher Education"
by XBEHERE ina friend of mine recently had his co visit and in the elders meeting the co out-right asked the question: how are the friends doing in your cong.
as regards pursuing higher education?
the co continued...you know in view of all the counsel from the slave regarding the dangers.
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thedog1
that should be criticism and disrespect