has this been covered yet?.
i was looking to download the new nwt from jw.org and stumbled across an awake on creation - march 2014 edition.
and it always interests me to see the latest spins they'll try to make creation sound plausible.. seems now they are implying the sun, moon, and stars were created when god said "let there be light".
Wait a minute there...
If, when a big summer storm is coming, the sky is charcoal gray, how can they say God 'created' the luminaries on whatever day it was, (because that's when they were first "visible") when there was, not an hour's summer storm brewing, but a water canopy thick enough hold the oceans in the atmosphere?
a few minutes ago.
it's a buddy of mine from my old hall.
i occassionally study with him when i can tell he's feeling guilty about hanging out with me, but it's been months since i've seen him.
The appearance of a brother from the local KH at your door at the EXACT MOMENT that you were in need of a fourth for golf was evidently more than mere coincidence. Likewise, your having obtained the delicious Bloody Mary recipe only THE DAY BEFORE clearly demonstrates the way that this channel of communication provides "'food' in due season"! Clearly, this upbuilding account will make for an excellent and encouraging anti-FS experience at next summer's ex-JW convention! May each of us use to full advantage such opportunities, when they present themselves!
as a fader, i'm working on a mental guide to field service.
because most of this is a mental exercise realizing that your new knowledge, the mental side of things, is what makes it so hard to preach after learning ttatt.
what presentations have you used in field service as a fader to preach the good news without preaching jw propaganda?.
Because of my job, I'm completely comfortable talking to strangers, so I could (if i wnated to) give a really excellent presentation of the magaizines. Not that they had anything in them worth reading. So instead of aiming my presentation at the householder (who I didn't want to drag into the morass my family and I were in anyway) I kept in mind my door to door companion of the day. If they were hardnosed types, I gave a generic JW presentation that would bore the householder while not setting off alarms with my elder or MS partner. If I was with a good brother or sister I (and it was their turn) I played backup singer to their lead, except intorducing a bit of dissonance in my comments or things that didn't quite apply. If I was with a young person and the householder was an argumentative type, I might play the hard cop, resonding to the HH's reasonable questions with memorized by-the-book answers. The householder ignored me anyway but I hoped my partner wowuld see that we don't really HAVE any answers, just memorized sound bites. My favorite was when I got to go alone to a door (prefereably out of earshot of the car). Then I was as mild as possible, suggesting pryaer and bible reading for answers, not the literature. And then when I got back to the car I used a little bit of theocratic war strategy on the FS group. It's been awhile since I was actually in a cr group but today that might mean saying (with a bit of confusion in my voice after i got back in the car) "well, everything was going along ok and we were talking about the bad conditions in the world and I brought up the subject of hypocrisy in religion, and then she said "funny you should say that, since your church just got smacked with a $20 million dooollar fine in California for not reporting child abuse. I told her I hadn't heard about anything like that and she said she wasn't surprised but I should google Candace Conte but I'm not about to do that." Or "That woman said Jehovahs witnesses had put an obscene video about masturbation on Youtube and she said she'd show it to me on her iphone but I said I had to make a return visit and left." or "Well, that guy said he knew all about the witnesses because his dad lives in Brooklyn and he says we've sold have a billion dollars worth of real estate over the last few years. I told him I was pretty sure he was misinformed." Naturally, I made it clear how shocked I was shocked by all these terrible allegations but I would make sure to give enough specifics for anybody to find out once they started googling. I used to LOOOOve field service.
since my coming out publicly, i have received a lot of kind words.. i wanted to thank all of you from the depth of my heart.. .
on the other hand, i need to make two things clear:.
i'm often encouraged to use my position to create cartoons or stories for nickelodeon, etc.... i do not have that kind of fire-power.
Some perfectly sincere people still manage to have irrational and unsubstantiated religious ideas. Catholics believe Jesus = God, which non-Biblical belief Jehovah's Witnesses reject, but then they turn around and pull the same kind of scriptural sleight-of-hand when they teach Jesus = Michael. Six of one, half-dozen of the other. Wrong is still wrong.
But apart from what they believe (or say they believe) for a lot of people what's the appeal of the Watchtower Way of Life is not the specific menu of beliefs but getting to set themselves up as judges to decide who's a sheep and who's a goat. Obviously YOU must be one of the latter.
In other words, maybe what took them into "The Truth" in the first place was not JW's particular beliefs but the critical, condemnatory JW life-style and outlook. People like your correspondent may eventually manage to escape the JW mental prison, reject their former beliefs and land here, but in their hearts, they're still just as harsh and critical of other people as they ever were. The only thing that changes for them is the identity of the goats. As they see it, it's their way (whatever that way happens to be) or the highway...to HELLLLLLL.
Metaphorically speaking, that is. Ignore those people.
got caught at the supermarket (in between the martini olives and snack crackers ) with several bottles of hard liquor in my basket along with some red licorice by a sister that has known me for years.
still respects me, not knowing that i am in full fade mode, or at least not recognizably knowing.
anyway, when she sees me, her eyes get all big and she heads in my direction, nearly ramming my liquor laden cart with her vegan oriented basket.. "hey sop, how are you doing?
With friends and family still in I can't trashtalk the "arrangement" so I'm doing the opposite. I'm so energetic and giddy w/ anticpation ("I just know this is going to be such an important meeting we'll still be talking about it in the New System! I can just imagine. ' No, I wasn't even born yet, Job, so I wasn't at the Cedar Point meeting in 1922, but I WAS at the Annual Meeting in 2013 and it TOTALLY energized me for new opportunities of service!' ".
And if anybody else tries to talk sense to me and tells me not to get too excited, I'll remind them that "Expectation postponed makes the heart sick", and I know Jehovah wouldn't go to all this trouble to make these special arrangements if it was going to be just an extra-long meeting. ng. No, brothers, 'For everything there is a season', and I have a feeling that THIS MEETING is the reason we got all the new sound equipment and PA stuff for. The Faithful and Discreet Slave has an EXTRA-SPECIAL reason for making sure we all hear this vital information at the SAME TIME!"
Of course, we know it will all be a bunch hot air (except for the $$ pitch) but I'm hoping the obvious difference between my eager anticipation beforehand and my tight-lipped smile and downcast eyes and generally stiff behavior afterwards as we all shuffle out and I mumble in an unconvincing a monotone "Yes, it was most encouraging" might make some people wonder what all the fuss was about. Especially when I make a point of missing the next few meetings because I have a feeling I'm going to be REALLY tired. Sometimes what you DON'T say talks louder than what you DO say. Or so they say.
My other plan is to try to "encourage a brother who's feeling a little discouraged" as I "talk" (on my on my turned-off Smartphone) within earshot of all the members in my family (one at a time), using all the lamest-ass excuses I can think of and the smoothest used-car-dealer tones I can.
"Well, that's true, and I'm sorry that happened to you, it WAS wrong, but remember, the brothers ARE imperfect men so don't allow yourself to be stumbled...Yes, but the Faithful and Discreet Slave has told us we MUST obey, even if it seems to us not to make sense. Remember what happened to Korah! I'm sure he felt HE was in the right...Yes, we did believe thta, but that was OLD, Light, brother...Candace WHO? I never heard of her. How do you spell her last name? C-O-N-T-I? No, I haven't heard anybout any lawsuit about sexual abuse...Besides, I'm sure it's lies from Satan, anyway...No, the reason we've beenn encouraged so often about giving our best to Jehovah (including our matrial funds) is to support the Kindom building work...The new Bible Education Center in Warwick will be real witness to the entire community...Well, I don't know and I'm sure the brothers got a good price for the old factory buildings, but even still, costs for new construction are increasing every day, so...yes, that's true, many of the friends HAVE donated their time and money to help speed along the building work, but building materials for aproject of this magnitude aren't FREE, you know, so I'm sue there's still a sgnificant cost involved...they sold it for HOW MUCH money?..No, that has to be a misprint...That amount would almost pay for all the new building activity all by ITSELF, so tthat the brothrs wouldn't even need our donations, so that figure, wherever you got it, must be wrong. That's almost a BILLION dollars. No I'm sorry, I don't believe it...No, I'm not saying the New York Times LIED, but their sources may not be accurate...No, I'm not going to check the figure on worldy websites because that would show a lack of faith in the Slave...Well, brother, yes I understand where you're coming from but don't forget, Jehovah sees EVERYTHING, so if there should be some matter that should be handled differently, he's wasare of it, so why dodn't we leave it all in HIS hands, and in the meantime, do all WE can to show ourselves approved? Would you like to work in Field service with me on Saturday?...I understand, Jehovahs people are BUSY people and Satan tries to take up all our time with HIS Interests but at least consider it...Well, if you pray about it and keep busy in the work Jehovah has assignedus, I'm sure you'll realize that despite certain 'wrong predictions' as you call them, or the fact that SOME in the congregation who went out from us have brought reproach upon THEMSELVES for their bad conduct (but as the Apostle says, they were never OUR SORT anyway) despite all THAT, I'm sure you'll recognize that the tremndous worldwide growth in Jehovah's organization shows we have his blessing...Well, true, it may not be growing in THIS country but there certainly is a speeding up taking place when you look at the WORLDWIDE picture...Well, even if we're not keeping pace with the increase in population, we're STILL increasing in numbers overall, and that says SOMETHING, I think you'll agree...Yes, true Mormons and Muslims may have triple our growth, but then they aren't serving Jehovah and in his eyes a wondrous expansion is now taking place...Well, I have to go, now, brother, but its been really encouraging to talk with you so I hope you'll continue in prayer and keep up your meeting attendance and perhaps when the Circuit Overseer comes to town you could work with him. I know it would be encouraging for both of you. Have a great week and I'll see you at the meeting!"
If the family isn't retching into the sink by the time I hang up, nothing will reach the. Of course, they'll think I'm the most useless friend-of-Job ever but I can clear up that little misconception down the road. And of course, as someone with an appointed position, I'll keep the "brother's"name in strict confidence.
This also works at Starbucks or one of the benches in the mall, and I'd love to try it just within hearing range of a couple of our Pushcart Pioneers, then finish up with a self-satisfied grin to them as I pack it in--" 'Some as teachers, some as evangelizers'. We're all running the good race to the finish, sisters. I hope you get a study and I'll see you at the hall!" Br Encouragement, that's me!
the word out of bethel is of a mass purge the likes of the 1980's.. there's also possible public reproofs handed out for irregular ones.. .
the scriptures they are using to support this:.
the very ones keeping away from you will perish.
Speaking of OBEY I saw a great poster of a scary robot with a big OBEY command and thought it would be even coolr if someone (someone with more skills than I have) knew how to make it say OBEY AND BE BLESSED.
Then we could turn them into T shirts for next years conventions then wear them while walking around stiff-armed like robots in front of the convention sites. Or just wear them to your neighborhood Starbucks about 10:45 AM.
Just a thought. Ok, back to the topic.
about me, i am being raised in a jw family.
all of my family expect for one aunt, who had left but not disfellowedshiped thankly, are in jw.
my father is an elder and so is my grandfather.
I can answer (as most of us can) your last question first. You can be appointed (while still secretly doing what JWs condemn) is because God's Holy Spirit has absolutely nothing to do with congregation appointments. There are many good and sincere brothers and sisters doing their best to do what they've been told the Bible teaches, but God is not 'directing' the organization in any way whatsoever. Meaning it's just like the Catholic Church or the Society of Friends or Weight Watchers or the Moose Lodge or your Grandma's herb study group. In other words it's nothing more than a club with a set of internal rules and regulations that mean nothing at all in the larger world.
So if you feel there are more positives than negatives in your membership (a group of pre-selected frends who are mostly honest, a chance to practice speaking in public, getting to talk to Grandma, practice at socialization at assemblies, a chance to dress up) then stay in. If you think the negatives (the casual homophobia, the sexism, the lack of any sort of cultural or intellectual discussion, the cluelessness of some eders) outweigh the good parts, then quit. Its a pretty clear choice, although each choice has its own set of challenges. I can't talk about quitting, because I'm still in and a MS too for the past five years.
The way to do that (stay, if you've decided to) is now that you know its NOT Gods organization, start viewing the meetings as a long-running play. By now, you should know your role by heart so just try to give your best performance each week and don't worry (or feel guilty) because you don't really believe your lines or because you're not the same person at home and at work as you are on the platform. Heath Ledger got too caught up in the part he was playing and look what happened to him. Don't make the same mistake., Just keep reminding yourself....IT'S ONLY A MOVIE!!
Even so, you can still do a lot of good in your congregation, if you want to. There are aways people who DO believe and who are trying (and failing) to be good and who feel terrible about it. Be kind to them, since you know the elders wont be. There are plenty of good verses and principles in the Bible that can help encourage such people (and I don't mean 'encouraging them to do more'). I mean encouraging them to be better people, and failing that then to forgive THEMSELVES as well as their brothers and sisters. The reminders to look out for the ones in need in the book of James, and Paul in the book of Romans telling those folks to get over themselves and stop worrying about what everybody else is doing are very good. Ignore Ezekiel and Revelation and Second Peter and anything else that is spuriously applied to our times.
If you do those things while you're in, you'll be doing good, and if you decide to leave, having done all those things in the past will leave you with a guilt-free conscience when you walk out the door. Never be judgemental to anybody. And only speak the things that come from your heart. If you can't mentally agree with anything your script contains, cross those lines out. I've been in for over ten years (a MS for about half that) and I have never once used the terms "faithful and discreet slave" "reach out" "Gods appointed servants" "celestial Chariot""spiritual feast" or "Babylon the Great". That's all cult talk. In fact, except for a little piece of paper filed somewhere in the congregation files, there's nothing to connect me or anything I say with that organization out in Brooklyn. It can be done. It's just a matter of whether you WANT to do it. Or Not.
Short answer, decide which course is best for you (take your time, there's plenty of it), then do it and let go of guilt, either for what you did or for what you didn't do. You did the best you could. As the Glorious Ones like to remind us, we're all imperfect.
PS. Welcome. You're among friends.
first 4 dc starts today.. hopefully somone will inform us about new releases.. .
first 4 dc starts today.. hopefully somone will inform us about new releases.. .
just a thought yesterday as i was eating lunch with my 5 yr. old son.
the restaurant had ccr's bad moon rising playing, and i thought,.
this could be a real up temp song to sing at the hall and it even has the lyrics that speak of impending doom.
All three of those kid's songs are nice. I only remember the middle one so the other ones must be in the new songbook although I'm sure at the KH hall their pretty melodies are spoiled by all the offkey untrained voices. I'm told that most of my old favorites got the boot. Figures.
One time I was at the grocery and heard a familiar tune on the Muzak. I was shocked that the Muzak company would borrow one of "our" Kingdom songs without permission since I knew Bethel would never have agreed to it. A few years later I was listening to a concert of music by either Schubert or Schuman and there it was again! It turned out that WE were the ones who hijacked it. By that time, I wasn't shocked at all except that nobody else ever seemed to notice how we recycled a worldly song.
