by beroea 20 Replies latest jw friends
hello Beroea,
I've read your posts before at h20 - glad to have you here. You are respected for your stance where ever you post.
Perhaps you can be a good source for some of the new posters here who are still active - and don't see total negativety for the WTBTS.
Give some thinking room to all persons no matter how few/how many posts they've made.
Welcome to you and other jw's who are still active.
I'm inactive in good standing, btw. Jw woman for 30 years.
waiting
Gopher
Thanks for showing respect. Looking forward.
Moxy
I think is goes back to some centuries ago when a lot of religious people from Europe travelled to USA looking for freedom of religious believes.
Those people were in fact very religious and making a lot of new believes systems in your own country. The history shows that they was looking and seeking, buts that’s a danger if you meet the wrong people.
So I think you in the north of USA – being very religious - some times are victims of people with power to speak. Maybe I’m wrong but compare to us in Europe you do more thinking about the meaning of live and also about which religions are making answer to that.
That’s good but also a weakness if you don’t show attention to whom making the answer.
Hope that make a little sense to your question
Beroea
Hello Beroea
Nice of you to drop by!
I might have already told you this on H2O. I'm still active and a Ministerial Servant (of 11yrs). My wife is still for the bOrg.....anisation. What you said to start this thread off about family is the same for me too..........>
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So why do we stay and not just quit tomorrow. I don’t know for all – we are in different situations. A lot of us have wife/husband and some have even children as well. Having strange thought and even serious doubts about 607/1914, GB, ECT is hard to faces and takes times – sometimes years. Even I say to my self, “I don’t believe this nonsense” my family is still there. They are afraid of all the new thoughts. Your doubts are a threat to them and the family union. So a lot of felling is a part of the discussions. So very often you just have to shout you mount and lets times go on and hope for better to come.
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Glad to hear from you Bro, One more from H2O.
Qwerty
To Libereted
A hard one to answer
I try to make their attention to the personal relationship to God and Christ. Show them that Christ died for us all and are able to carry any kind of sins and problems if we just let him do it. No man or anything must be a filter of that. The love of Christ is so powerful that nothing is able to split us.
I try not to talk about organisations matters - only pay attention to basis Christian believes.
Not always easy but it works many times. So I try to avoid taking about the JW demands but the freedom of Christ. I do know the demands of JW but try to make people understand that faith are all that matters. We are not - what ever we do - able get salvation by works. Salvation is a gift. Nothing else.
Beroea
Hi, Beroea,
I thoroughly enjoy your post and hope you continue posting, too.
A thought: Could it be that by remaining as an elder despite your doubts, that the 'sheep' you help shephard may be better off than if you left and turned the job over to someone who is not as sympathetic to their doubts and weaknesses?
I would enjoy knowing you.
LoneWolf
Alias: Tom Howell
Beroea,
You have recieved some very kind and encouraging remarks here
which make my earlier comment seem harsh. The problem is that
you are not just a Witness but an elder - a leader. People look to
you and respect you. They believe that it must be the truth because
you stand before them and tell them that it is.
Young people are making important decisions right now and you are the
one they look up to. Every time you you stand before them and give a
'talk' you are telling them a lie. They think you believe what you say and
hope to be like you. It is becauce elders like you continue to pretend and
keep a foot in both camps that so many have been mislead.
To win my respect you will have to stand up and be counted.
Hi beroea! Welcome. HOpe to read more of your posts.
Hello LoneWolf
Your quistions
A thought: Could it be that by remaining as an elder despite your doubts, that the 'sheep' you help shephard may be better off than if you left and turned the job over to someone who is not as sympathetic to their doubts and weaknesses?
Yes, maybe you right. But I have so fare not been asking about doubts concerning doctrines. So the problems haven't been there yet. If a JW has doubts they keep it to them self. Surely they don't gone to the elder with this kind, but mainly moral matters and family problems. All JW knows sharing thought about doctrines doubts is like walking on fire. So they don't do it.
So with the job as elder I have so fare been able to avoid conflicts between the job and my own opinion. But in the long rum I do know this is nearly impossible
Thanks for asking
Beroea
Dear Trevor
Your comments
“To win my respect you will have to stand up and be counted”
Yes you are right in a way. But life isn’t always that simple. A lot of considerations have to be taken. To combine those is a hard job sometimes and others will always think you should have done different. But for the time being I have made a promised to my self that I will not say anything I don’t believe - instead I will talk about and teach also in the congregation things I can put my trust on. Not always easy but anyway that’s what I do.
I do know this way isn’t going to work in the long run. But until I feel the right time has come it’s the way for me. I’m not in a position just to follow my own. I have family and will not leave them unprotected. My speed is reduced so the only way doing elder job and making speaks in the congregation is turning the text in a way I’m able to live with.
Hope you see my situation.
Beroea
