gdt

Joined

• started 2 topics
• posted 151 times   see topics posted on
• send a message

Posts by gdt

• 
  19

  The "C" Word (no, not that one)

  by wasasister in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  dear friends:.

  i found out on friday evening, my brother-in-law has cancer.

  we don't know much at this point, but the prognosis is not good.

  1. 
  2. 
  3. 
• 

  gdt

  Please accept my deepest thoughts, life is not fair is it? How about (if your brother can do so) asking him to have a prayer with and for you two girls? He may well find that a very nice request etc. Again, sincerest of thoughts, I wish I had knowledge of some practical solution other than faith. geoff. gdt
• 
  71

  My sad news

  by Fe2O3Girl in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  as some of you on the board knew i was expecting a baby, i feel i should let you know that things have not worked out for us.. when i went for the 20 week ultrasound scan last thursday, severe problems were found with our baby's internal development.

  only one kidney was detected, and it was very enlarged and polycystic.

  there was no long term hope for the baby at all; if it survived to full term it could only live for hours at most.

  1. 
  2. 
  3. 
• 

  gdt

  please add my thoughts and sorrow for both of you.My first wife, the mum of my 4 kids whom i lost in a terrible accident 20 years ago, went through a miscarriage, with me there, absoluetely dreadful.i just wish none of us had to suffer such awful twists of nature which are for the better longterm but so hard to handle. My prayers too along with everyone else's here, for you both. geoff.
• 
  48

  JW Beliefs

  by treefrog in

  1. watchtower
  2. beliefs

  hi there everyone, my name is treefrog and i am new to this site.

  i am a roman catholic so i feel like i'm entering the lion's den here, but not to worry.

  i hope to share my beliefs with you all regarding our saviour, jesus christ.. i hope to shine a light into your organisation (if jesus christ couldn't, how can i expect to!

  1. 
  2. 
  3. 
• 

  gdt

  Is it awful to be laughing like mad at this thread? at least it kept a few off the street!!

  cheers laughing like mad, gdt
• 
  108

  My story, please read

  by fairchild in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  first of all, thank you very much for taking the time to read this.

  i hope that i am putting this in the right forum.. .

  i studied as much about different religions as i could and read every book available to me.

  1. 
  2. 
  3. 
• 

  gdt

  and 'fairchild', I must say that after my own disfellowshipping, one of my sons, and one of my step-sons at various times over the years (bad bunch eh?) we all in our own ways have fixed any problems, been restored to fellowship, one of the sons now a fine servant, and I must say to you that it is not right for anyone to say 'the caring stops', believe me I know from both sides of the fence that is not true, but if God said in the Scriptures, without qualification, to do something, like 'remove the wicked man', etc etc etc, it is a matter of caring more for what god says as he had recorded in scripture, than caring for our own human feelings. not easy, but to some situations it makes it worse, to others it is accepted as discipline, and what son does a loving father not discipline? So that's another way of looking at it, we usually don't like discipline, do we?

  Cheers, I seem to have dragged this matter out, and sorry if my earlier post was taken by you to be hurtful, as was suggested to me. I really hope not.Geoff.
• 
  108

  My story, please read

  by fairchild in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  first of all, thank you very much for taking the time to read this.

  i hope that i am putting this in the right forum.. .

  i studied as much about different religions as i could and read every book available to me.

  1. 
  2. 
  3. 
• 

  gdt

  PinTail, what you said sounded so nice. I thank you for those words and I am sure fairchild will too. And yourself 74, I didn't read the excellent remarks of 'fairchild' as you must have, and certainly hope she doesn't feel bad that I encouraged her to hang on in, she sounds forthright enough to tell me to get lost!!

  You may have noticed that I have hardly said boo so many times in reading everyone's experiences, there is truly two sides to everything...(only 2 sides??) or is it His side/her side/right side?

  Anyway, thank you for your thoughts, geoff.
• 
  108

  My story, please read

  by fairchild in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  first of all, thank you very much for taking the time to read this.

  i hope that i am putting this in the right forum.. .

  i studied as much about different religions as i could and read every book available to me.

  1. 
  2. 
  3. 
• 

  gdt

  hello 'fairchild'. You seem such a thoughtful and thorough person, and I must add my experience, as you have had many other's in this discussion. (it is only 5.30pm here in Australia....hope you're sleeping soundly by now!!)

  Unlike 'out of the org' who seems to have a nice attitude (maybe except to the brotherhood??), I am now 65, have loved 'the truth' and the brothhood for many years, 50odd actually), have been an elder for half of them, (which just means shared a few more of life's experiences), have been disfellowshipped for a while, and I fully accept the causes and the results, unlike a lot of what you will get here.

  The only suggestion I can offer, for the truth's sake, is for you to re-read what the Revelation book chapters 1-3 says, explaining how Jesus Christ looks at his congregations and is applicable today. Notice the words 'I have a few things against you....." and similar judgments against his own approved congregations. Is not that the same today? But for all the 'warts and wrinkles' we do not on our own as an individual have the brotherhood of which you have experienced so well and been blessed by it so much. No more than the early Christians who were told to 'flee to the mountains' and who did so as a brotherhood, despite imperfections, and were blessed with survival.

  Please remember to read Hosea chapter 11, Jonah chapter 4, and any page of the Christian scriptures telling us what love really means and allow for the fact that God so loved the world - you, me, every human, no matter what we are, what we have or will be, that he gave his only begotten Son Jesus Christ for us. May my small voice encourage you to stick to the truth of Jehovah's and Christ's 'congregation'.

  My special thoughts, Geoff. gdt.
• 
  18

  Looking for advice

  by PenSue in

  1. jw
  2. experiences

  i am not a jw but i am a business manager and one of my employees is.

  i want to be able to understand her better and be able to respect her choices but i struggle with certain issues such as sending holiday cards to company clients.

  she won't do so because of her beliefs and the clients cannot be neglected so this of course creates added work to those who are already very busy.. i am unsure of when to separate religion from business and am confused about why it's ok for her to take the vacation days designated for christmas, yet she can't cater to the needs of the business.. i do not ask things of her that fall outside the scope of her position and because of the lengths we go through to provide concierge service for our clients, i find that her religion is an out for her participation.

  1. 
  2. 
  3. 
• 

  gdt

  awwww out of....your first two paragraphs were lovely, then the third seemed to contradict the first two......but to stick to the thread, yes you are right, it was a 'chrismassy' one wasn't it? Cheers, gdt
• 
  18

  Looking for advice

  by PenSue in

  1. jw
  2. experiences

  i am not a jw but i am a business manager and one of my employees is.

  i want to be able to understand her better and be able to respect her choices but i struggle with certain issues such as sending holiday cards to company clients.

  she won't do so because of her beliefs and the clients cannot be neglected so this of course creates added work to those who are already very busy.. i am unsure of when to separate religion from business and am confused about why it's ok for her to take the vacation days designated for christmas, yet she can't cater to the needs of the business.. i do not ask things of her that fall outside the scope of her position and because of the lengths we go through to provide concierge service for our clients, i find that her religion is an out for her participation.

  1. 
  2. 
  3. 
• 

  gdt

  Hello there. I too have employees and as a Witness do not wish to make out I share the Christmas practice. But it is no more my right to impose my thoughts on others, as for them to impose upon me. So if my employees wanted a break-up Xmas gift-giving party amongst themselves, that is their business. We have worked together with some over 20 years, on this basis, and have respected each others' opinions.
  May I suggest you respect your employees desire not to actively promote a practice seen as hypocritical, I would expect he/she wouldn't dictate to you what to do in this matter. It is intersting to note that you have had responses from former Witnesses, with whom I agree as well. And it is hoped that, for the very few occasions at secular work over the year this would happen (eg Easter too) that the decency, honesty, reliability, hard work, and loyalty would all make up for not signing off your Xmas mail, signature implying approval thereof.

  Xmas is based on a 'mass for Christ' and buried in past traditions which we find untrue and unChristian, so it is a conscience matter behind the issue. May I suggest you just look up Christmas on either the Internet, or any concordance, and you may understand that there is more to it that signing off on a 'Christas greeting'.

  I am sure anyone on this board would help give you such information, but please feel free to pm me if you wish.

  Kind regards,

  Geoff. PS it is nice to see a willingness to understand and be reasonable. Cheers.gdt
• 
  140

  The WTBTS's proactive steps at preventing child molestation.

  by formerout in

  1. watchtower
  2. child-abuse

  brobennett, you made this comment in another post:.

  breeding pedophiles are more common in other religions since they are kept in circulation and not taken out of the religion.

  by the way, brobennett, do you have kids?.

  1. 
  2. 
  3. 
• 

  gdt

  My 50 years baptized, many really good years, some lousy ones, gives me enough age to tell 'bb' (who sounds like a young unmarried kid enthused for the truth but short on maturity), to get off this subject and realize there is indeed much work to prevent/correct child abuse. Not just within 6.6 million but all organized society. Has the policy of the Society produced 'good fruits'? Can it be improved? Even the HQ brothers have said Yes to that.

  In the meantime 'bro.b' ,please back off and appreciate that sometimes 'silence IS golden.'

  gdt. So unlike me but I've had a belly full of this, much the same as many of you have. 'b.b' does not represent the Society, no more than I but there is no reason for anyone to discredit the Society for much of what has been said.
• 
  57

  I went to the memorial service for Talia Balletti.

  by hubert in

  1. watchtower
  2. child-abuse

  i sent a pm to one of the forum assistants telling him this, and he said i should post and let everyone know how it went.. i didn't want to do this until mario posted first, because it's about his daughter, not mine.

  but, i know all you wonderful people out there are waiting for some news on the memorial service, and i think mario is too grief stricken to be able to write right now.

  sometimes these things hit you harder after it's all over, because now you have more time to think about it.

  1. 
  2. 
  3. 
• 

  gdt

  Mario, good to hear from you. I too, if possible, would have 'taken up space' as you worded it, from just wanting you to know others really do care, very much. all most of us could do was be with you in spirit.Take care, Geoff.