by CaptK 61 Replies latest jw friends
But, what if we don't want to 'keep true' to an ancient Jewish Storm God whose name was made up by a Catholic Monk 700 years ago? Couldn't that pose a problem for us?
No one should ever feel forced to return to the worship of a book publishing company who use the made up name 'Jehovah' in the same way that the 'Coca Cola comapny' use 'Coke'.
If we don't want to keep true, then we lose friends. It happens all the time. We can even not like ourselves then.
Actually, I and J didn't become separate letters in English till later than that, and the same goes for the letters U and V. Jehovah is used by the American Standard Version, Verkuyl's Berkeley Versions, Byington's Bible in Living English, Fenton's Complete Bible in Modern English, Stern's Jewish New Testament, the KJV, Young's Literal Translation of the Holy Bible, the Living Bible (paraphrased), Moulton's Modern Reader's Bible, the New English Bible, the NWT, and the Webster Bible. In my own personal Bible collection, I also see Yahweh (An American Translation, the Bible in basic English, the Contemporary English Version, the Easy-to-Read Version, God's Word™, Traina's Holy Name Bible, New American Bible, New Century Version, New Jerusalem Bible, Revised English Bible, Today's English Version), Javé (Knox), YAHVAH (Rotherham Version revised). Several that prefer Jehovah, also recognize Yahweh as a legitimate transliteration of Hebrew; and several that prefer Yahweh, also recognized Jehovah as a legitimate English translation of the Hebrew. English is like every other language on Earth today, it evolves as people use it in different ways and as usage changes over time.
We all have the freedom of choice, even if there are various "forces" at play. If we choose to return to something, that is our decision. I, for one have never worshipped a book publishing company, nor does that appeal to me. If someone else has or does, I'm sure the True God will make sure that the person knows the True God's views with respect to worship.
How long to return?
Depends on how much your elders liked you.
Nvr
and what type of effort a person makes to return.
Depends on how much your elders liked you.
Yep.
and what type of effort a person makes to return.
Nope.
At least one Application for Reinstatement is required to return as a member of the Congregation.
At least one Application for Reinstatement is required to return as a member of the Congregation.
Where is that requirement in the Bible?
It follows the spirit, not the letter.
Freddie! That's the problem with the WTBTS it's too bull of Evil 'Spirits!'
JGnat - you said "My husband is very much like you, Fred. He sincerely believes everything written in the literature. What he DOESN'T comprehend is the sub-culture of influence, status, and backbiting that runs a hall. Not being a "generational witness", my husband doesn't have anyone to speak to his cause. He's an outcast in suit and tie."
My s.o., is very similar. My s.o. just can't seem to understand the concepts of power,deceit, intellectual dishonesty and also the 'mind and scripture twisting' techniques used to keep people from exercising their Christian freedom and acting from their loving Christian hearts to see the 'true nature' of the 'spiritual food' being handed out every week, ESPECIALLY when it comes to this whole DA/DF/reinstatement thing. It is painful to watch a loved one,who is a decent Christian WITHOUT their meddling, go through so much agony to get reinstated. I watch as my s.o. can't figure out the divide between some of the writings in the literature, the bible and the actual bevhavior by other family members, people in the hall, and the elders. What JWs dont seem to understand is that THEY can be (and are in this case) the cause of "stumbling". How do other UBMs cope with this? (watching their loved one exist in anguish over this stuff). As a matter of fact, a more general question might be, "Are there any other forums that are especially geared toward us 'unbelieving mates' and coping with all of the issues that come with it?
