do you ever have feelings you wish you didn't have?
people always say you shouldn't bottle up your emotions, that it's not healthy.. but if you think it's wrong to feel a certain way...(ex.
jealous, anxious), isn't it better to swallow it into your stomach so no one gets hurt?
This is not a black and white issue. It depends on the kind of feelings you?re having. If we are speaking of anger, rage, jealousy, envy, strife, etc., yes by all means keep a lid on them. If we are speaking about expressing appreciation or love for someone then probably best to do it. If we are talking about inclinations to do something then its? best to weigh the consequences, good and bad and then make a decision we can live with.
FM
every year, on dec 25th, witnesses in our area gather at a book study group, and they have a dinner together.
although they say that they don't celebrate christmas, why do they gather on dec 25th like catholics do and share dinner together?
i'm sure that neighbors think that it's a christmas gathering.. i know that there isn't any christmas decorations there, or gifts being given, but i find it odd, that every year, some book study will organize a dinner on december 25th.
Eyeslice, I see it like you. Christmas is a day off work and many JWs use it to socialize and for field service. There is nothing wrong with getting with some friends and having a meal. It is to me simply an extra and appreciated day off work.
FM
this from the proclaimers book, page 199.. when shown ( who showed them?
) that celebrating the birth of jesus had actually become of greater interest to people than the ransom provided by his death; that the revelry of the holiday and the spirit in which many gifts were given did not honor god; that the magi whose gift - given was being imitated were actually demon - inspired astrologers; that parents set an example for their children in lying by what they told them about santa claus; that "st. nicholas" ( santa claus ) was admittedly ( who admitted this ) another name for the devil himself; and that such festivals were, as acknowledged by cardinal newman in his essay on the development of christian doctrine, "the very instruments and appendages of demon - worship' the church had adopted ---------- when made aware of these things ( who made them aware ) jehovah's witnesses promptly and permanently stopped having any part in christmas celebrations.. so, let me get this straight, from 1919 ( when they were supposedly selected by jesus as the faithful and discreet slave,) they continued this demonic practice of celebrating christmas until a member of christendom, cardinal newman and not jesus, showed them , made them aware, some seven years after jesus saw fit to select them as his slave, that all this time they were celebrating a demonic holiday.. who is lying to whom?
stop blaming the parents and everyone else for your own blatant bold faced lies!.
Christmas? pagan roots have been known for centuries. As mentioned on another thread the Puritans did not celebrate Christmas as they saw it as an unchristian holiday. There have been a number of other Christian religions as well that did not celebrate Christmas.
The Proclaimers Book makes it sound like this was ?new light?. I guess they think this lets them off the hook for all the years that they did celebrate Christmas.
FM
i know you cant know whats in someones head or mind, but in a average congregation of about a 80 to 100 people how many would you say were religious!.
i can say in mine there was about 6 that i would say were genuine people.
the rest i felt believed in the "truth" i did, but they were either scared of armageddon or peer pressureot to save face .
Prior to becoming one of Jehovah?s Witnesses I was not religious. In fact I saw too much hypocrisy on organized religion to want any part of it. I was though a spiritual person.
In the congregations of JWs that I have been in I have seen all kinds of people. Some were truly spiritual as are some churchgoers. Also some were religious (especially the ones who had been Catholics) and some were not. One of the most spiritual and religious men I have known was my ex-father in law who was a Baptist Deacon.
FM
here in the uk this week there has been controversy over a play that depicts violence and rape in a sikh temple (known as a gurdwara).
protestors have managed to have the play taken off, which in turn has upset proponents of free speech.
so, here is the question; should people be allowed to express any point of view, be it considered by some to be racial, blasphemous, anti-religious, anti-semitic or homophobic?
No! Absolute freedom of speech is not practical as there has to be some restraint. For example it is illegal to shout "Fire" in a crowded (unburning) Theatre and this is a good thing. Like everything else, there has to be a reasonable balance.
FM
We were always told that if a person was tired and depressed that there was something about attending a meeting that would lift up your spirits. My eyes told me otherwise as I did not see this happening. My personal experience in the old congregation was that I could be in good spirits prior to going to a meeting but the coldness I'd experience would fix that.
FM
I couldn't have said it better myself!
which one would you choose to keep if you had to get rid of one?.
hmmm, think about it first (life without little britian & 3 none blondes, does that sound appealing to you?).
brummie
If satellite counts as cable then I'd keep cable. If it doesn't count as cable I'll pick JWD and have both satellite and JWD (best of both worlds).
FM
what does the elder manual say the procedure is when someone reports child abuse?
my father in law is telling my wife that is says to go straight to the proper authorities... i have a hard time buying that since thats not what the watchtowers i've seen have said!
any one have the low down on this?
Someone please help me with this. I seem to recall that the WTS has stated that according to scripture, Christians are to obey they laws of Caesar as long as they do not go contrary to God’s commands (this is the point I want to be corrected on if my memory is incorrect).
If my memory of the above WTS statement were correct, then not reporting a crime (such as child abuse) would be a sin. This would also mean that the WTS is again talking out of both sides of its’ mouth.
FM
what does the elder manual say the procedure is when someone reports child abuse?
my father in law is telling my wife that is says to go straight to the proper authorities... i have a hard time buying that since thats not what the watchtowers i've seen have said!
any one have the low down on this?
Heathen is correct with regard to the scriptural position. We need to keep in mind also that the Bible requires Christians to obey the laws of the land as long as they don't conflict with the Bible. I think this would mean that where the law requires you to report a crime if you have knowledge of it then you must do that. JW elders and the WTS seem to ignore Caesar's law in this regard.
FM
