I have been lurking through this sight for about a month now and have found it to be wonderful! I would like to say right off- I am not a baptized witness-I am not a publisher- I do not have family in the borg-nor do I have friends there either- I just study with the JW's. At 1st I thought "WOW- these people really know their stuff- This is Great!"- I was raised Lutheran and there were things that I was taught that I never quite understood and couldn't get an answer to- But those Witnesses they could answer anything! Now after a couple of years of studying w/ them (they hadn't given up on me after the 6 month to a year period yet!) I'm starting to see Huge cracks and weird personality's! My husband was constantly warning me about them "sucking me in"- so I would keep a constant eye out on behaviors and attitudes. I started to get leery when the talks about "Worldly People and the dangers of them started to crop up in conversations (My Husband is VERY Worldly according their "Standards")- I actually cried after one of the 1st meetings I went to because they talked about the dangers of an unbelieving mate and how that made Jehovah feel- oh boy!! That's when my guard really went up!! I started to notice the Robotics of EVERYTHING! After every talk the same ole "Wasn't that a wonderful talk? How about that Watchtower article- wasn't that WONDERFUL?? Aren't we lucky to have the Faithful and Discreet Slave to make sure are needs are taken care of?"- As I'm thinking, very sarcastically, "OH- Golly Gee- it was just Swell!" After the release of the "Greatest Teacher" I skimmed through it and was asked if that would be something I would like to read to a child that is very close to me- I'm thinking "UHH- probably not!" I stuttered out a "maybe"-Once again "faithful and discreet slave-loving provision of spiritaul food- Blahblah" - Anyway- the biggest reason for this is- I am still studying w/ them (Please do Not think I'm a hypocrite) My goal is to finish the book we're on and know that after it's done that they "won't be able to come to your house and see you anymore" (yup- that came right the dub's mouth) But in the meantime I'm looking for questions that will get these guys to start thinking! I've thrown a couple in the study's such as the cross & stake issue w/ 'GASP' secular backup-that they actually read but came back w/ the what the society says and how the secular thing was wrong (GEEEE why wasn't I surprised?!?) Organ transplants-matter of conscience (they left out the flip flops on that one!) I would so appreciate some help on what I can ask- Just subtle issues- Most of the ones that come have been raised in it (which I find ironic what with in the Require brouchure it speaks badly of those who stay in the relegion they were born in and never look for the "truth"-HMM?) Thanks In Advance- and I apologize for the length!
My Story
by unique2u 17 Replies latest jw friends
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Maverick
No need for apologies, great account! You did come to the right place, there are some very sharp people on this site. You might like to read Crisis of Conscience, don't let the J-duds know you are reading that book. You will get a lot of insight to the J-dud Masters! Most of the duds don't know most of the stuff in that book. Please keep us posted on your progress. And Welcome! Maverick
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freedom96
Welcome to the board!
You have an opportunity if you so choose,to have some fun with these guys. Study this board, there is so much information. You can talk to them from a standpoint of really wanting to know.
Those of course who are already baptized cannot question anything. They will be kicked out. But, for you, at this time , you can have the fun we wish we could have had. Do it in a way to make these guys think. Maybe you can save them from the dark depths of the WTS.
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Hamas
Welcome, my friend !
Great to have you with us. I am pleased that you have already noticed the cracks in the Watchtower. For some of us, it took many years ! It took me almost 20 years to discover the truth about 'the truth' !
I hope you open your mind to this.
Welcome again, my friend.
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jst2laws
Hello Uniqe2u
Try the Blood issue.
Question:
All blood fractions such as viral immunizations, factors 8 and 9, snake anti-venoms, erythropoietin, interleukins and albumin are approved for use by the Watchtower society but come from stored blood. Since you teach that transfusions are forbidden because the scriptural mandate is for blood to be poured out on the ground instead of stored for other use, why do you approve of the use of blood fractions?
Question:
If it is acceptable to have all blood fractions from the stored blood of others, why can't you store your own blood for future use?
Question:
I can see how one might link the Hebrew Scripture comments on use of the blood of slaughtered animals to the use of blood transfusions, but where is the scriptural guidelines for dividing the blood up into four un-acceptable portions (red blood cells, white blood cells, platelets and plasma), but then legislating the allowance of dozens acceptable fractions?
Question:
Plasma is forbidden, yet all the important components of plasma, once extracted, are allowed. The one major portion of plasma that would have to be forbidden is water which makes up about 96%. Can you show me where this is laid out in the scriptures?
Have fun Unique2u
Jst2laws
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garybuss
Hi U2u, Go to the appointment in 1919. It is their ONLY doctrine of importance. Go into the inspection period. Dig out the facts. Let them know you will be making your final decision based on the outcome of this study. It will be work but you will most likely enjoy it and "they" will not. GaryB
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jst2laws
I'm surprised you are not getting more help here. I'll give you another one.
The Kingdom Good News.
Mat. 24 says the "good news of the kingdom will be preached in all the earth" and the JW's are quick to point out they are the only religion preaching the good news of the kingdom world wide. They need to be reminded that the prophesy actually applied to the first century Christians. Any application beyond that period is tentative and based only on ones theology, not on any clear scripture.
So the question is what did the first century Christians preach. Whateve it would be, it is good news "of", belonging to, part of, associated with, the kingdom but not necesarily ABOUT a kingdom or government. With that understood ask your JW friends:
How could the good news have been about a global government when the first century Christians never once used the term government in their preaching?
Why, after 33 CE in connection to Stephen's last stand, is the phrase "good news of the kingdom" not found in any Christian writings if that was the theme of their preaching?
Why is there only about 9 occurences of "good news" associated with the word kingdom, but over 100 occurences of "good news" associated with Jesus Christ or God in general?
Why did Paul say regarding his preaching that he had presented himself as knowing nothing except Jesus Chirst? (1 Cor. 2:1+2)
If that was what the first century Christians preached in fulfulment of Mat. 24, why do the JW's not focus their preaching on the same theme?
Emphasize their faith that all prophesies must be fulfulled, so preaching the good news of Mat 24:14 was fulfilled in the first century with the preaching about Jesus Christ which proved to be the good news of the kingdom.
You have a admirable interest in helping your JW friends. Please don't be disappointed though if they get scared, run away and you don't even get to finish your book with them.
Jst2laws
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Double Edge
Welcome Unique... I really enjoyed your post. I've never been JW, so I'll leave it up to my fellow posters to help you. ... by the way, several people are on vacation, and this being the weekend it might be a little slow as far as the responses go. Thanks for sharing.
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unique2u
I would like to thank all of you for the wonderful welcome! I can't wait to ask about the points regarding the blood (especially in the respect of pouring the slaughtered animal's blood into the ground yet purified cows blood is OK?) I'll be doing alot of research on the 1919 issue- it shall be worth it! I looked for Crisis of Conscience at a bookstore this afternoon upon doing a search for it in their computer of inventory I kept receiving a message it was Out of Print... It was pretty busy in there today so I hope to get back there later this week when it's hopefully slower and see if they can order it- I've seen the book mentioned Many times on this sight and can't wait to dig into it! On a side note while I was browsing I did see in the relegious section a book on Cults and the Witnesses were the 1st ones mentioned- there was over 70 pages of the history of them and what they believe and how they come to their conclusions- So- I'll probably have to get that too (I could only skim through it and some of the history one thing that stuck out was one of the early founders, I can't remember if it was Russell or not- got divorced??) One thing I failed to mention in my original post was a question I had posed regarding Jesus coming back as a spirit after his resurrection I referred to Luke 24:36-43 (the disciples were afraid becasue they thought it WAS a spirit and Jesus told them to feel his flesh and they didn't believe and then he asked for food)- They didn't have a ready answer for that and said they'd get back to me--Curious if anybody has any type of heads up on the "watchtower" answer? Again- Thanks for the welcome! Just a Note- I'll probably post once a week to let you all know how the study is going :)
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jst2laws
Hello again unique2u,
One comment on:
especially in the respect of pouring the slaughtered animal's blood into the ground yet purified cows blood is OK
If you are refering to Hemo-pure, I don't think I would call it "purified". It is approved by the WT because it is a "fraction". Your JW friends will not know a thing about it and will probably tell you that you are misinformed.
It may be best to stay with the issues of scriptural reasoning above rather than debate leading edge medical advancements.
Looking forward to your weekly updates.
Jst2laws