Posts by whyizit

70

For Christians: Grace vs. Forgiveness

by AuldSoul in

jw
friends

i have been trying to sort this out scripturally, and would like to get input from christians on how these two concepts differ and/or overlap.

please be liberal with scriptures to support statements.

i think there may be others who are trying to figure this out for themselves, too.

whyizit

I read a sign awhile back that said, "Complicated religion is not of God". I truly believe that. The more I ask my JW friends questions, the more coplicated they try to get, even to the point of throwing the original question out the window and bombarding me with unasked for, unneccessary materials. Just the simple facts, that's all I want.

Here is the best, most simplistic explanation I have heard on the subject of grace.

You can't do enough good to earn it. You can't do enough bad to lose it. All you need to do is ACCEPT it.

Accepting it is the key. If you always feel that every gift you've been given has a string attached, then these are not really gifts. If I give my child a $5 bill, he doesn't tell me he can't accept it, because he hasn't earned it. ("Oh, no! I couldn't possibly accept that. Only if you let me mow the lawn. I'll pay you back...) No, way! He knows it is a true gift. He smiles and thanks me, gives me a hug, tells me he loves me! He accepts the gift. More than that, he cherishes our relationship. If he ignored me or disowned me, I couldn't give him any gifts. He wouldn't be receptive. (Yet, I would still love him.)

That's why I think Jesus told us to come to Him like children. They know how to accept a gift.

Don't know if this is helpful to you, but it was very helpful to me. As well as many of the verses you cited. Especially Rom.8:15 and Gal. 4:6. I'm not on the outside looking in. I'm part of the family. I can call God my Father. Just like Jesus taught, and like Jesus did. I never called my earthly Dad by his first name. That was what everyone else called him. I was his child. I had a special relationship with him. I called him Dad. Same deal with God. Through Jesus, I'm adopted, now he's my Dad too. (BTW: My earthly Dad would have been very hurt, if I would have referred to him by his name. He loved being my Dad.)

14

A Few Funny Bible Verses

by JH in

jw
friends

ok, i found these on the net but i found them funny.... .

http://www.boerenroem.nl/fbv/blog.html.

daniel opening windows .

whyizit

Oops! Hit a key I shouldn't have.

How about the NWT version of Job 6:6?!

14

A Few Funny Bible Verses

by JH in

jw
friends

ok, i found these on the net but i found them funny.... .

http://www.boerenroem.nl/fbv/blog.html.

daniel opening windows .

whyizit

15

jw's bought a restaurant here

by orbison11 in

jw
friends

a jw's couple bought a restaurant , relatively nice one too, here in town.

so i am doing my part in spreading the good news about how my son, a member of their church, had his assembly here in my town 3 weekends ago and was not allowed to talk to me due to my no longer beign a jw (and my shop is 2 blocks from the arena they had their assembly in).

i have not spoken with him in 8 years.

whyizit

What are they going to do if someone orders a "rare" steak? Ha! I hope all the meat is kosher, otherwise they are going to be going against the OT law!

All kidding aside, there should be some editorials written to your local paper, to warn outsiders about the "inside doctrines" of the WTS. Not saying people should not eat there, but make sure they don't get fed a bunch of mumbo-jumbo on the side. You know some patrons will be ripe for the picking, especially if they go in to dine and they are vulnerable for some reason.

32

Should I tell him how I feel or let it go?

by megsmomma in

jw
friends

brief history: my mom shuns me, my step dad is not a jw but thinks pretty much like one and called me apostate when i tried to tell him some things.

my step dad and i have never been close, he was verbally abusive to me growing up.. well, last week he and my mom fly up my ex- and his wife with my daughter (all jw's) to go boating with them and my sisters kids.

i am glad my daughter got to see her cousins....but, i am sure if they talked about me at all it was not positive talk.

whyizit

If that isn't a blatant attempt to push your buttons, I don't know what is!

I don't think you need to explain to your step-dad why you would be hurt and/or angry. Believe me, he KNOWS. So does the rest of the family. (Except maybe your daughter, depending on her age.) That was the whole point of it all!

It's all about sending you over the edge. If you get ticked enough to blow up and tell him off, he wins. If you get hurt and wish you could have been there, he wins.

If you act like you hope they had a great time and let it roll off your back, it appears that YOU win. You look like the better sport. But we all know it still rubs the wrong way. Shame on them!

It's all the manipulation game that is taught within this religion of "warped love". Is that real love? Would you ever do anythng like that to your child? Consider the source. A bunch of back-biting adults trying to pass as God's chosen. Tsk, tsk, tsk.

Chin up! YOU are miles above that!

39

Hello Everyone...

by Abandoned in

jw
friends

i've been away for quite awhile.

well, not really, just away from any discussion of that horrid religion.

i just couldn't give any more seconds of my life to talking about anything even remotely related to jehovah's witnesses.

whyizit

SOOOOO GOOD TO HEAR FROM YOU!!!!!

Sounds like everything is going great. I'm very happy for you.

Would love to catch your stand up act. Love comedians!

PM me when the book is ready.

Best to You Always,

Whyizit

16

Help! - Need Work Ideas for My 13 Year Old Daughter

by BlackPearl in

jw
friends

my daughter is getting to the age where she recognizes a need to make some summertime money.

she wants to buy a new cell phone and a few other things, and wants to earn the money herself.

i own a small business, and i would have her help me around the office but there isn't much for her to do.

whyizit

How about ebay? Maybe she could sell some of the things she has out-grown.

A friend of mine goes shopping for cheap children's clothes. She said baby shoes and costumes are pretty good sellers. She gets them for under $5 and sells them on ebay for a hefty profit.

I've bought lots of hard to find VHS kid shows on ebay, and I've paid top dollar. Maybe it would be a way for her to make money as she cleans her room!

55

DO NOT CONTINUE SENDING EMAILS TO ME OR ATTEMPT TO CONTACT ME OR MY FAMILY.

by esw1966 in

jw
friends

isn't it 'nice' to finally get letters from home!?????.

this is the entire letter written to me by my sister:.

"do not continue sending emails to me or attempt to contact me or my family.".

whyizit

This is a comment from someone outside of the org.

I was once Queen of the Silent Treatment when I would get mad. My brother called it my "spoiled-brat syndrome". I would get highly pissed at him, and cut off all communication. It was my attempt to control him. My way of punishing him. But you know what?

It ALWAYS backfired! I was the one who was miserable and thinking of him all the time.

Eventually I would try to patch the fences and we would get on with being siblings again. My biggest regret is that I would try to drag our poor Mother in the middle of it. I made her just as miserable as I was. That haunts me.

I hope your sister isn't pulling that one.

7

Did this ever occur to you, when you were in field service...Your Thoughts?

by whyizit in

jw
friends

i know that jws have a mighty big persecution complex, and feel vindicated when doors are not answered, slammed in their face, or people are out and out rude to them.

but to those of you who were involved in fs, and had these things happen to you, did you ever think there might be legitimate reasons for it?

especially in light of the fact that many jws start off the schpeel with, "what a dangerous world we live in.

whyizit

Well, there's a few more things I hadn't thought of.

I wonder if family of military people today have the same feelings? What did the JWs do, when right after the 9-11 attacks EVERYONE had flags in their doors, windows, cars, apparel, etc...? I was told that a long time ago all you had to do was put a flag on your property and they would not come there. How did they get around that?

7

Did this ever occur to you, when you were in field service...Your Thoughts?

by whyizit in

jw
friends

i know that jws have a mighty big persecution complex, and feel vindicated when doors are not answered, slammed in their face, or people are out and out rude to them.

but to those of you who were involved in fs, and had these things happen to you, did you ever think there might be legitimate reasons for it?

especially in light of the fact that many jws start off the schpeel with, "what a dangerous world we live in.

whyizit

I know that JWs have a mighty big persecution complex, and feel vindicated when doors are not answered, slammed in their face, or people are out and out rude to them.

But to those of you who were involved in FS, and had these things happen to you, did you ever think there might be legitimate reasons for it? Especially in light of the fact that many JWs start off the schpeel with, "What a dangerous world we live in." ???

Could it be:

People do not want to answer the door when a complete stranger is on the other side? Especially if they are home alone? Especially if there is more than one person standing on the stoop?

If I am a stay at home Mom with my kids in the other room, why would I open my door to some one who could be a nicely dressed pedophile? I would have to wonder, "How carefully do they screen these guys they have out in this FS work? What kind of background checks are run before you send them out?" Afterall, they are often knocking when men are at work. Mr. Charming JW could return later to a young lady's home, further befriend her, so he could gain access to the babies of the house. Creepy, yes! But is it out of the question?

Rather than feel a persecution complex, did anyone ever think, "Why would anyone with any sense at all answer, let alone invite us in?!"

Did you ever have to go out in field service with someone that you suspected to be a little odd? Someone that you wouldn't want your family members to open the door to? Did any of them ever go back and get "friendly" with one of the door-to-door prospects? (Without anyone else tagginfg along?)

I would really be surprised if this kind of thing doesn't happen with any door-to-door religious org. Just wondered how many of you seen it happen first-hand in the JWs?