Wow.
So, you know I'm an active witness, very active. Hah. And I'm not laughing at y'all, but wow, I can't believe how extensive this is.
It's odd, cause I've read some of this info, and I'm going, hey wait, I read all sorts of fiction. Some of my favorite authors are Dostoevsky, Ayn Rand, and Heinlein. Currently, I've got a call who has proposed that evolution was used by God... as a result, I've been reading through Darwin's Origin of the Species, as well as other secular works that do and do not support evolution, and weighing the material as objectively as possible.
Although he'll never convert, I still keep regular contact with an agnostical evolutionist friend of mine. We know we'll never agree on religion, but we still argue it every few weeks, and I love those discussions.
It's not exactly encouraged, some of y'all may be aware, but I'm still attending a four year college for a degree. I've spent time away from home living in college dorms. I've done, yes, that college thing. And still... still, I'm a Witness. Oh sure, I've had some of the bad experiences, but in reflection, it seems my problems were me expecting other Witnesses to perfectly practice what they preach. Which they don't. My mom went through with a controversial divorce... the elders still won't take sides, and I've got huge issues with the way many interpret subjection. However, upon reading all the scriptures in the Bible (out of several translations) on the topic, I've decided that the subjection is referring to the cooperation between husband and wife, and indeed the Society has recently taken a very firm view against domestic violence of all sorts lately.
I'm loving reading this 'Blogging the Bible' on Slate Magazine on msn.com. A Jew is reading through the Pentateuch for the first time, unaided, and his unpolluted summaries of what happens are very interesting.
Ok, so I'm confused by all this rhetoric that Witnesses are backwards and academically dumb. I know many very very educated witnesses, and love hanging out with them. Sure, I've been around a few who cross their arms and glare when I present other ideas about the scriptures and how perhaps these ideas are correct, incorrect, or may be reconciled to what we already know of the scriptures.
I'm in good standing with every congregation I've been in, I'm steadily increasing my hours, and I adore the ministry. After being in close association with other college students, it's a relief to be around folks who aren't focused on smoking drinking and fornicating. In whose company one can enjoy a pleasant evening of humor, good food (cause I always eat good with the Witnesses), and yes that word 'uplifting' speech.
And now here I am posting on what is technically a very apostate website. So. What do you make of it?