Comments You Will Not Hear at the 9-19-04 or 9-26-04 WT Study (Highlights)

by blondie 14 Replies latest watchtower bible

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  blondie

  Comments You Will Not Hear at the 9-19-04 or 9-26-04 WT Study (August 15, 2004 issue) Highlights Only

  Review comments will be in black and parentheses ()

  WT quotes

  will be in red and quotes ""

  Quotes from other sources

  will be in blue

  HATED WITHOUT CAUSE

  "They hated me without cause."?John 15:25

  www.biblegateway.com /cgi-bin/bible

  Opening Comments

  Due to a change in my schedule for the next 2 weeks, I will only be putting down the sentences that jumped out at me.

  START OF ARTICLE

  Jehovah?s Witnesses?have been misrepresented?Russia.

  Paul wrote that all of God?s servants?including each one of us?should expect to be persecuted.

  By allowing Satan to bring a measure of hardship upon us, Jehovah has given each of us the opportunity to furnish our personal answer to Satan?s challenge.

  The Devil employs innuendos, false accusations, and outright lies?to malign God?s loyal servants.

  In some countries, they have slanderously been called a dangerous sect.

  They have been maligned through lying propaganda.

  We need not be unduly concerned if for a time opposers seem to be succeeding in hindering the advancement of the good news.

  One thing has become very evident: Those with good spiritual habits and deep appreciation of Bible truth have no problem in holding firm when tests arrive. But those who in ?favorable season? miss meetings, are irregular in field service, and compromise on small issues often fail when under fiery test.

  Comments You Will Not Hear at the 9-26-04 WT Study (August 15, 2004 issue)

  Review comments

  will be in black and parentheses ()

  WT quotes

  will be in red and quotes ""

  Quotes from other sources

  will be in blue

  JEHOVAH, OUR ?FORTRESS IN TIMES OF DISTRESS?

  "The salvation of the righteous ones is from Jehovah; he is their fortress in the time of distress"?Psalm 37:39

  www.biblegateway.com /cgi-bin/bible

  START OF ARTICLE

  When faced with distressing problems, how can we run to Jehovah for protection??we must submit to Jehovah?s arrangement by seeking association with fellow Christians (only JWs) who can allay our distress.

  True Christians (only JWs) do not trivialize prayer by viewing it as just a feel-good therapy.

  Another provision from Jehovah that can help us in times of distress is the companionship we enjoy in the Christian congregation?focus on the needs of others rather than on our own trials.

  Commend young ones, to build up new believers, and to encourage those who are depressed.

  Brotherly love will also help us to avoid a spirit of suspicion toward one another (what not making sure people are doing something they could be DF?d for?).

  We should be slow to conclude that personal difficulties are a sign of spiritual weakness?even faithful Christians experience distress.

  Christian meetings provide an excellent opportunity for us to comfort and encourage one another?this loving interaction is not limited to congregation meetings. Rather, God?s people (only JWs) also look for opportunities to engage in wholesome association in casual settings (repeated in the most recent WT I received today?evidently ?God?s people? aren?t associating much away from the KH).

  At times, we may feel too downhearted to enjoy association with fellow Christians (only JWs)?isolating himself.

  Our brothers and sisters are an expression of God?s care for us.

  For instance, when experiencing adversity, some may begin to question their own spirituality, concluding that their hardship is a sign of God?s disapproval.

  He (God) will exalt us in due time?maintain a positive attitude.

  Concluding Comments

  If you have any experiences that highlight the reality at the KH or contradictory statements made in the WTS publications to the ones here, please post them.

  The next full review will be 10-4-04.

  Blondie
• 

  confusedjw

  When the WT sometimes prints caring sentences like these as you quoted:
  
  -At times, we may feel too downhearted to enjoy association with fellow Christians (only JWs)?isolating himself.
  -Our brothers and sisters are an expression of God?s care for us. For instance, when experiencing adversity, some may begin to question their own spirituality, concluding that their hardship is a sign of God?s disapproval.
  -He (God) will exalt us in due time?maintain a positive attitude.
  
  It just reminds me of the Good Cop Bad Cop routine.
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  Flash

  One thing has become very evident: Those with good spiritual habits and deep appreciation of Bible truth have no problem in holding firm when tests arrive. But those who in ?favorable season? miss meetings, are irregular in field service, and compromise on small issues often fail when under fiery test.

  The manipulation NEVER ENDS ...does it???
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  heathen

  Yes , Sell magazines or be damned ....... Gawd it's really sad that these people can't even realize how stupid they sound .
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  Annanias

  Blondie, considering the Fortress article, what seems to be the theme is that Jehovah's protection will come thru the congregation. For some this might be true; however, what I think most of the people on this site are trying to say is that we have empirical data to the contrary. It is unfortunate, but a lot of the logic being used is based upon assumptions, and those assumptions are the problem itself.

  {"You know what happens when you make an assumption, don't you? You make an ass out of you and 'umption'." Samuel L. Jackson}

  The primary statement (corollary) is that Jehovah is our fortress in times of distress. This is true, as ultimately, we have nowhere else to go. A major part of the problem, though, lies is the interpretation of the term 'distress'. Being able to say 'oh, I burned the darn muffins' may be distressful indeed, but hardly worth his time and attention. It would seem that the time(s) when our soul is being ripped apart, where death is not only imminent but probably welcomed, where the opening verses of Psalm69 is made to sound like a tea party, is when Jehovah is longed for (and attentive?). Curiously, however, we are instructed to go to the KH and associate with our Bros & Siss because this is a "another provision" that CAN help us. But what if the Bros & Sis are the source of the problem itself? What does one do then? Apparently, the assumption is that this situation never happens? What do you do when you're being tossed about by a blustering sea, and the "crags from the wind" are the problem?

  I have read a number of personal stories as to why people left the truth and I haven't, as yet, run across anyone leaving a KH because their dog died, or their car wouldn't start, or their diet wasn't working. (But then, admittedly, I don't know EVERYBODY'S story) Even though some may have been crushed by a pet's death, or angered at their transportaion, or disgusted with their girth, so far, without fail, the issue of egression seems triggered from the congs either refusing meaningful concern or showing outright hostility toward whatever distressful issue is at hand. So, the therapy suggested here is a lot like saying, "What? This patient has OD'd on Heroine? Quick, give him 15mg of morphine!"

  But all is not lost. We are given a REASON for this perculiar regimen: (I love this. A personal favorite) Standard answer #1A:

  By allowing Satan to bring a measure of hardship upon us, Jehovah has given each of us the opportunity to furnish our personal answer to Satan?s challenge.

  What this means is that if you are suffering (you poor slob) I don't have to help you because if I do help you, (drum roll please) it will interfere with your personal answer to Satan! So when you wusses come crawling in here begging for help for whatever malcontention you're going thru, why I can just slap you on the back and say, "Way to go. Keep up the good work. Now stay warm and well fed."

  What is actually happening, and has been for some about four years now is that something has been turning up the pressure on this world. (Gee, I wonder what?) Anybody who doesn't believe that hasn't bought any gas lately. What has been occuring inside the borg, however, is what happens within every institution that is created for a situation in history during a differing situation. Like the military during peace time and war time. The officer corps during peace time will be vastly different than the office corps during a war. (We're talking total war here, not little lopsided political skirmishes like Iraq) Why? Because the value of a man, his attributes, the talents that it takes to be an officer during peace time are almost meaningless when the sh*t hits the fan. Circumstances have begun to outstrip most of the borg's leadership potential. The smiles and the politics and the WT waving that vaults one into the "elder" corps is fast becomming ineffectual in the face of our 21st century. That's why the article of 9/5. It is/was a general cry for a different type of recruit to the officer corps, and, a general admission of the current failure to adapt and understand that the rules have changed. Just because you bluffed, bamboozled, and hornswoggled your way to an "eldership" doesn't mean you know how to handle the life long results of decisions facing an 18 year old being on either accepting a full scholarship to Harvard or the evening slot at the drive thru window. The old tried and true BS that use to work back in the 70's and 80's, but that have since been laid to waste by circumstance and time, are just so much hot air now, and an insistence that a "true Christian" has to accept them just like it was 1976 is not only a foolish denial of history, but an insult to the individual as well. The vast majority of the "elders" are just like the vast majority of the rest of humanity: they are struggling so hard to convince themselves and everyone else that nothing has changed, and that anyone who says otherwise is subversive. Anybody remember the movie "1942" with John Belushi and Dan Akroyd? Well, that general feeling of doom, panic, and insecurity is within the borg and growing. (Became a UN NGO? What the hell were you thinking? I can't turn my back for a minute!) Jehovah may not let this slide all the way down the toilet, but read the handwritting on the wall: you need to start getting YOURSELVES ready. The cong may be a great place to get solace and sympathy, but don't expect anything beyond that. You need to start hunkering down and learning how to rely on yourself because the JW next to you may not be trustworthy.

  The stress fractures are starting to appear. You are some of them. Remember, all of this is going to get a hell of a lot worse before it get's any better. If you believe the Bible, then you've got to remember that it's going to get so bad that unless it is stopped, nobody gets out alive.
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  heathen

  annanias--- I think you made a good point . Within the congregations there does seem to appear an atmosphere of self importance rather than humility . They do seem to feel as if the most important thing is serving the WTBTS and not making sacrifices to help each other , to them a sacrifice for others is a ride to church on sunday . To them the only time they do something wrong is when the WTBTS informs them of it . Not even the WTBTS apologizes for mistakes . I think they spend most of their time living in a state of denial and despair .They are litterally afraid of one another rather than trust each other and be forgiving to one another they would rather crusify each other and embarrass each other . They do evoke a spirit of pettiness beyond anything I think I've seen anywhere else .
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  czarofmischief

  Our brothers and sisters are an expression of God?s care for us.

  Bloody hell...

  CZAR
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  Flash

  Heathen, in one short paragraph you described perfectly the enviroment that exists within the Witnesses. I do believe your being 'kind' when you say,

  "...there does seem to appear an atmosphere of..."

  No, it's there, it's real! Everything you said was absolutely correct...I wish I had said it!
• 

  garybuss

  
  
  The message sent to me by more than a few Witness people after I ended the silent phase of my exit, was "We didn't like you when you were a Witness anyway.". The meanest Witness people to me were the women. The adolescents would leave threats for me on my telephone answering machine. That all stopped when I got caller ID. I can't see how such a mean lying threatening bunch of people could be much comfort to anybody.
  
  The first Witness people to really reject me was my relatives. I can only believe they didn't like me much either. When they are so violent with their initial rejection, it makes it easy for me to write them off.
  
  I remember when Delores was in the last weeks of her life and she was blind and could not stay alone, she didn't want to go back to the hospital until she really needed to. I was out of sick leave and out of vacation time and out of money. Her Father and step mother, sister and brother in law, and brother and sister in law were visiting. I asked them if any of them could stay with her during the day so I could go to work. They all said no. They were all pioneering and had to get their "time" in. The Dakota wind blew a little colder that December night. I have seen Witness love up close, first hand.
  
  
  
  
  
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  jgnat

  Here is the JW media response to the charges in Russia that they are a cult, last paragraph:

  http://www.jw-media.org/region/europe/russia/english/prb_who/article_01.htm

  "If a grown child or any other person in a Witness family does not want to be one of Jehovah's Witnesses, he is not pressed to change. In many families not all share the same beliefs or ideology. For Jehovah's Witnesses this is no reason to break family bonds. True, Jehovah's Witnesses greatly desire that their relatives understand the Bible. However, they recognize each individual's right to choose his own religion and his own way of life. They are ready to show love to one another and to carry out their family responsibilities regardless of the religious conviction of other family members."

  See? They are harmless.

  Here is what John Burns, the Canadian lawyer working on the Russian ban has said to the appeals court:

  http://www.religioustolerance.org/witness9.htm

  "John Burns also pointed out to the court that the experts whose analyses were cited in the lower court verdict had acknowledged that they had never attended a Jehovah's Witness meeting. Comparing the Moscow religious community to a village, he suggested that the seven non-Jehovah's Witnesses who testified that the organization had broken up their families were like seven relatives living outside this village while being involved in family disputes with several of its inhabitants. "Would you liquidate the entire village on the basis of what those seven told you, as well as the conclusion of a few experts who had never lived there?" he asked the three judges. "Well, that's what the lower court judge did.""

  See? The opinion of "outsiders" cannot be trusted. But those who have left and lost contact with their family members already knew that.