IS AIDS AIRBORNE??( AND OTHER CONCERNS BASED ON SUNDAY WT.)

by stillAwitness 28 Replies latest watchtower bible

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  stillAwitness

  The WT study article for sunday was: A Law of Love in Hearts taken from Jerimaiah 31:33: "I will put my law within them and in their heart I shall write it." (Anyone who knows the basis for this scripture please let me know.)

  This WT study really intrigued me b/c a lot of the points and even the comments that were made from the congregation a lot of times did not make sense or were just totally out of context. (My points made in red)

  PAR. 14: "...We do not need to memorize an extensive code of rules to direct our every act; our love of God guide us." Funny because when I decided to research this statement using the WT I simply typed in the phrase RULES into the WT Cd-ROM subject box and found thousands of articles! Like this one:

  WT 96' (p.14) Living by the Law of the Christ: "Indeed Christians are obligated to observe all commands in the Bible that are directed to followers of Christ. And there is more. Jehovah's organization, as well as individuals congreagations have to extablish necessary rules and procedures in order to preserve good order.

  When I read this it reminded me of someone in Bible history so I typed in "PHARISEES" into the subject box. And found this:

  WT 99' (par 15) "Jesus Christ denounced religious leaders who imposed a mass of rules saying: "They bind up heavy loads and put them upon the shoulders of men, but they themselves are not willing to budge them with their finger." -Matt. 23:2,4 He pointed out their burdensome man-made rules and traditions."

  Par 22: Jesus said "You give the tenth of the mint and the dill and the cumin (anyone know what these are?) but you have disregarded the weightier matters of the vow namely justice, mercy and faithfulness."

  Now back to the study article. This is my big question. Based on Paragraph 18 it tells the story of a missionary sister named Sonia from Senegal:

  "She (Sonia) studied the Bible with a woman named Heidi , who contracted HIV from her unbelieving husband(of course they would point out that he was an unbeliever-I'm surprised they did not put it in bold capital letters) ...Soon her health failed and she was hospitalized with AIDS. Sonia relates: "The hospital staff did their best but they were few in numbers. Volunteers from the congregation were called on to take care of her needs at the hospital... The doctor in charge said: "Out biggest problem if that even relatives often abandon family memeber when they know they have AIDS. Why do you who are not related...agree to put yourself at risk? HUH? AIDS is not airborne?? Only way she would be putting herself at risk is if she was giving the woman her daily shots or they were having some lesbain affair or something. and our d ear ol' Sister Sphie continues:"I expalined that to me. Heidi was my sister...I found it a pleasure to take care of her." Incidentally, Sonia suffered no ill effects from her loving efforts to care for Heidi. There it is again??? How would she of possibly "suffered ill effects" from taking care of an AIDS patient? She was just there to give her company and the aritcle even explained that she slept on a mat. Can someone explain this? Maybe I missed something. Cause I thought again, AIDS was Not an airborne diesease?? I was especaiily interested in what comments would be made. This one from the WT conductor made me barf:

  "As we see from this paragraph, the bond we brothers and sisters have for one another is deeper many times then the own relationships we have with our wordly family memebers. Only we have that type of love for one another...the world cannot even comprehend it."

  Unbelievable what you really learn once you do the research! I cannot believe how many contradictions and out of context points were made in this just on study article. I sat in that audience wondering if I really could be the only one smart enough to see it! (Anyone have add'tl points please feel free to reply.) Any links would be helpful also.
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  sir82

  Someone pretty high up at Bethel is still stuck in the 80's, when the thought was that the least physical contact with an AIDS patient would immediately & irrevocably infect the toucher.

  If you want a bigger laugh, take a gander at the new baptism questions in the "Organized to do Jehovah's Will" book, section 2. There are quite literally about half a dozen questions on why it is "loving" to inform the PO if you have a "communicable disease" (politically correct code name for AIDS), why it is "loving" not to get upset if people refuse to invite you to their homes, why it is "loving" not to initiate physical contact if you have such disease, etc. etc. ad nauseaum.

  Yes indeed, making sure you have a full understanding of the hysteria related to the discovery of AIDS in the 1980's, and the common misunderstandings of that time, is one of the core doctrines you must fully understand to be fully acceptable to God & be baptized!

  This is one wacky religion.
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  blondie

  
  Part of the problem with AIDS is how ignorant people are whether in the US or Senegal, including JWs and non-JWs.

  I put some quotes from a 1994 Awake in my review that showed how ignorant the WTS was then and a quote from the new OD (2005) book that continues the same stupidity.

  Especially in Africa, there is a lack of education and a highly different marital structure. Men can have more than one wife, as well as have sex with a variety of women on the side, including prostitutes. For that reason, AIDS has spread quickly among the heterosexual populace and many children are infected but are orphans, with both parents having died from AIDS.

  Although the WTS in the US have good information on how AIDS spread, they still will not let people be baptized in the same water as people not know to have AIDS (or be HIV) (or they have to be baptized last). They caution AIDS infected JWs from hugging other JWs. They say these JWs have to notify the elders of their condition.

  Ignorance abounds in developed or third world countries, JWs or non-JWs.

  Blondie
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  BrendaCloutier

  Sadly, ignorance is not bliss.
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  defd

  HUH? AIDS is not airborne?? Only way she would be putting herself at risk is if she was giving the woman her daily shots or they were having some lesbain affair or something. and our d ear ol' Sister Sphie continues:"I expalined that to me. Heidi was my sister...I found it a pleasure to take care of her." Incidentally, Sonia suffered no ill effects from her loving efforts to care for Heidi. There it is again??? How would she of possibly "suffered ill effects" from taking care of an AIDS patient? She was just there to give her company and the aritcle even explained that she slept on a mat. ;Can someone explain this?

  Do you actually know what happens to a person who has AIDS? What they actually die from? You cannot catch Aids virus from the air, but you can catch sickness in connection with the illness. That is what was meant by that statement in the article.
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  mrsjones5
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  damselfly

  I remember questioning that 94 Awake article. We had been taught in grade 7 health class about HIV and AIDS several years prior to that article. When I explained what I had learned to some members of the hall I was told "You never know, it could happpen thru casual contact" No, it can't! did you not just listen to what I had to say?

  Dams
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  defd

  Whats wrong with that reply jones? Isnt that true? Or are you just being your RUDE self?
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  blondie

  I know several elders who will tell you that you can get AIDS from touching the doorknob after a person with AIDS has touched it.

  And while the WTS concedes that there is no proof that anyone has ever caught AIDS from being the same pool with someone or hugging them, they direct the elders not to assign a JW with AIDS to a book study in a private home or to be baptized in a pool before other JWs have been.

  Of course, this is assuming you know who has AIDS (or HIV) or that they even know themselves.

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  g94 3/22 Helping Those With AIDS ***

  What should a person who knows he or she has AIDS do when he or she wants to become one of Jehovah’s Witnesses and get baptized? Out of respect for the feelings of others, it may be wise for them to request a private baptism, although there is no evidence to suggest that AIDS has been transmitted in swimming pools. While many first-century Christians were baptized at large public gatherings, others were baptized in more private settings because of varying circumstances. (Acts 2:38-41; 8:34-38; 9:17, 18) Another alternative would be for the candidate with AIDS to be baptized last.

  ***

  g94 3/22 p. 15 Helping Those With AIDS ***

  And if one of the Congregation Book Studies is held at the Kingdom Hall of Jehovah’s Witnesses, it may be wise for one with AIDS to choose to attend there, rather than in a private home, unless that one has discussed the situation with the householder.

  ***

  g94 3/22 p. 15 Helping Those With AIDS ***

  The prudent AIDS sufferer realizes that others are sensitive about this disease. Therefore, out of respect for the feelings of those who want to be of assistance, it would be better for the AIDS victim not to initiate public displays of affection such as hugging and kissing. (Blondie: add handshaking to that too). Even if there is little or no possibility that such gestures could communicate the disease, this restraint will show that the victim is considerate of others, thus engendering similar consideration in return.
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  damselfly

  You cannot catch Aids virus from the air, but you can catch sickness in connection with the illness.

  This is what is wrong I think. What is meant by catching sickness? the AIDS patient is more likely to get sick from the healthy sister, as the sick sister's immune system is severly comprised and is more suseceptible to succumbing to the healthy sister's germs.

  Dams