TheListener

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Posts by TheListener

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  28

  Lack of gatherings means the congregation only exists in the Kingdom Hall

  by truthseeker in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  this is the situation with my congregation and i wonder if it is the same with yours.. as many of you know, the watchtower is not known for organising social gatherings of any kind for relaxation or enjoyment.. many of us only come into contact with witnesses while going to meetings and going out on field service.. as soon as you leave the hall, the congregation ceases to exist, in my mind anyway.. when you go back to the hall, the congregation exists, but only for the time you are there.. think about it - you spend 2 hours sitting and perhaps 10 minutes talking during each meeting.

  if you have no friends in the hall that you see on a regular basis, then you feel like you're on your own until the next meeting.. .

  my point is this: for those who still go but are not invited out anywhere, particularly if they are fading, do you feel that the congregation only exists in the kingdom hall?

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  TheListener

  It's a double edged sword for the WTS.

  If they encourage get togethers the likelihood of individuals doing inappropriate stuff grows AND people talk and share their feelings more openly with those they are close to - more frequent and church organized get togethers draw people together.

  This is definitely an individual congregation thing. Some are loving and active and others are cold and almost anti-social.

  You have to be the right person at the right KH in order to have a full social life.

  BUT,

  Even for those that do have full social lives none of it is organized and sanctioned by the WTS. There are no open houses (after dedication) of KH or official goody nights at bookstudy or sunday school or men's club or mother's club or anything. Why don't KH's have small playgrounds for the children - then they would have adults and children associating with each other and building each other up.

  BECAUSE

  When dubs get together too much and become too comfortable they may start to wake up. The more sanctioned gatherings there are that aren't completely controlled the greater chance that non-conformist thoughts would hit the group.
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  25

  For my hairy argument...

  by Inquisitor in

  1. watchtower
  2. beliefs

  can anyone come up with names of some famous people (dead or alive doesn't matter), respectable men (sorry ladies, but a bearded lady wouldn't help my case), who've grown beards or kept a moustache?

  thank you.. inq.

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  TheListener

  C. Everett Koop - former US Surgeon General

  Paul Wolfowitz - Former Deputy Secretary of Defense (heads up World Bank or something now)
• 
  12

  Yet another email

  by truthsetsonefree in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  does it get more cultish than this?

  satan's meeting (read even if you're busy) .

  satan called a worldwide convention of demons.

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  TheListener

  I got it too.
• 
  56

  My Wife Just Left Me Because of the Evil Watchtower

  by rassillon in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  this is very difficult to write because i am crying.

  i am normally not the kind of person you will ever see cry because things don't affect me that much but this has got to be the hardest things i have ever went through.. i just got through discussing with my wife my feelings.

  i guess it has been hard to hid some of the things that i have felt since i have learned that many of the wt teachings are false.

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  TheListener

  ((((((((((((Rass))))))))))))

  I'm very sorry Rass. Feel free to vent your emotions here. There will always be someone to listen.
• 
  155

  MAT 24:14 HAS BEEN FULLFILLED MP3 FROM BETHEL HEAVY

  by What-A-Coincidence in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  warning: the wtbts is becoming more cultish as evidenced in this mp3.

  listener take heed.

  turn on all your cult warning alarms on.. .

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  TheListener

  I know this is exciting an all but...

  Wasn't Matthew 24:14 fulfilled in the 90s?

  There must be a thread that has the WT quote saying this scripture was fulfilled.
• 
  16

  So tired...I feel like less than a sparrow (me)

  by JamieL in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  this is a nice big open board, thought i'd throw myself out there.. recently i had been a part of the "e-jehovah's witness" board.

  especially as i don't think i even care that much anymore.

  well, 3 weeks after that she cheated again, with a different guy.

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  TheListener

  Welcome Jamie.

  You need to take care of yourself. Perhaps a professional counselor can help you get through this time in your life.

  If you really want to go back to meetings and be a member of the congregation in good standing you should build your physical and mental health up. You need to be strong in both areas in order to make it. It's tough going to the kingdom hall while disfellowshipped.

  -As a side point; there isn't actually any proof that the man in 1 Cor. is the same person mentioned in 2 Cor. It is a correlation the WTS makes and probably some other religions too. But, if you research it a bit it is also possible that Paul was talking about himself. He seemed to have a love/hate relationship with the Corinthians.

  Welcome to the board and good luck on your journey.
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  35

  Hi newbie saying hello

  by nikitaeve in

  1. watchtower
  2. beliefs

  hi there, i'm nikitaeve and id just like to say hi to everyone here.

  i used to be a witness and was one for about nine years but i still regard everyone with the warmest of feelings and i still believe the teachings.

  a little bit about myself; im from england.

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  TheListener

  Welcome Nikita.

  What kind of book are you writing?

  I hope that you stick around and share your ideas and opinions with us.

  Welcome to the forum.
• 
  93

  Society's claim of Matt. 24:14 being fulfilled - What it could really mean

  by Jourles in

  1. watchtower
  2. beliefs

  i've had this thought for quite a while and wonder if fits with the recent talk about the wts claiming that matt.

  24:14 has been fulfilled.

  my thought was this --- in the wake of the recent cutbacks at bethel, scaling back of literature, and other cost cutting measures, could the wts be preparing the r&f for the complete or massive reduction of literature that would normally be placed with "householders?

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  TheListener

  - Field service will continue. It's effective busy work.

  - Reporting of hours by publishers will continue. It's become THE measuring rod for an individual's spirituality level. They may not publish the reports any longer, but the friends will keep turning in those slips.

  - Turning in time promotes urgency and makes the field ministry appear more important.
• 
  33

  Watchtower never took preaching work seriously!!

  by proplog2 in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  there has been a lot of discussion about the claim that the gb feel they have fullfilled their obligation to preach.. this would be no surprise.

  jesus said if you want to really do what is right you need to sell your property and give to the poor.

  and then... you could follow jesus.. after pentecost there was an arrangement where an individual could sell his property and give the proceeds to the apostles.

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  TheListener

  If they took the preaching seriously they'd:

  -Send everyone to a pioneer school at least once in their dub career

  -wouldn't make the new publications secret until the DC, but get them to the friends as quickly as possible

  -wouldn't make a special "pioneer book" just for pioneers but share that information with everyone (yes, I have the book and know it doesn't contain anything new or interesting but everyone could use it)

  -they wouldn't have special pioneer meetings but incorpate that into a special talk or meeting during the CO visit.

  Just some thoughts.
• 
  155

  MAT 24:14 HAS BEEN FULLFILLED MP3 FROM BETHEL HEAVY

  by What-A-Coincidence in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  warning: the wtbts is becoming more cultish as evidenced in this mp3.

  listener take heed.

  turn on all your cult warning alarms on.. .

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  TheListener

  Received my email copy today.

  I am really interested in how my dub wife reacts. Normally we don't discuss these types of emails.

  But, this one has come from a source that gets really excited abou the latest news about the end coming. My wife may ask me to listen to it. I hope so. If she does I'll bring up some points I've read here.

  BTW, listening to it turned my stomach.