Dr - I think they are having a couple more conventions here through July also. Plan your lunch time around the area (tee hee).
Posts by Dawn
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7Visiting with a JW today
by Dawn ini stopped by a store today to pick up a few things - forgetting completely about the big "convention" that is going on nearby.
while i was in the check out i noticed a number of people dressed up in the deli area with badges on.
so i thought to myself.........should i?
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7
Visiting with a JW today
by Dawn ini stopped by a store today to pick up a few things - forgetting completely about the big "convention" that is going on nearby.
while i was in the check out i noticed a number of people dressed up in the deli area with badges on.
so i thought to myself.........should i?
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Dawn
I stopped by a store today to pick up a few things - forgetting completely about the big "convention" that is going on nearby. While I was in the check out I noticed a number of people dressed up in the deli area with badges on. So I thought to myself.........should I? or shouldn't I? Well - I just couldn't let you all down (LOL).
So I walked over to the deli to order a pop and just casually glanced at the name badge of the lady in front of me. She caught my glance so I said "Oh - sorry - I thought you might work here but your badge is different" She smiled and began to explain that they were here for a convention at the coliseum. I looked at her puzzled - what convention could that be? Well - we're with Jehovah's Witnesses. "Oh" I said "I recognize that name - I watched the show on Dateline". Well - the poor thing had no idea what I was talking about - but being the typical Witness (just like I was) she HAD to have an answer for everything. So she said "Oh I didn't see it but I heard it was very accurate and for that we are greatful" (I think she was confused and thought I was referring to the convention ad on the news the night before). So I - with my best look of shock - took a step back and said "Oh...so you DO have a big problem with pedophiles in your organization!" (of course - loud enough for the people around to hear but not so loud as to be obvious). As the puzzled look crossed over her face she then smiled again and said - "Oh - that show. Well that man has been disfellowshipped from our organization". So once again I looked shocked and said "The man who started the support group for the victims? He was disfellowshipped? Why would they do that?" She, of course, had NO idea what the heck I was talking about. So she called over her husband.
He, being very friendly, began to explain that if anyone does something wrong they are dealt with - but if there's not more than 2 witnesses then there isn't much they can do yadda yadda yadda. I just smiled and said "well - being that I have worked in the legal field for years (which I do) I know there is rarely a witness to child molestation so that would be a problem for you wouldn't it".
Well - to make a long story short - I asked them a few more questions to get them thinking, Then the man referred to the "signs" in Matthew of the time of the end and stated that they are the only organization who is preaching the "good news of the kingdom". I said "what is the good news of the kingdom?" He said "that Jesus would return and make the earth into a paradise". And I said "so....isn't that what ALL the other Christians are teaching?" The woman replied "Yes, but they don't go out and preach it - they just encourage people to be good and do charity. We're preaching door to door". (damn those other christians and all their good works!!)
Well - I could have really slamed her then with that one by pointing out that 6,000 missionaries lost their lives in the past few years because they were "preaching the good news of the kingdom" - missionaries that were NOT Jehovah's Witnesses and some of those were in lands that the JW's won't even go into because their work is banned. SO THERE! But - I figured I'd leave it on a friendly note so they would not be so quick to dismiss what I had questioned them on so far.
The good news - the man said that in the last days Jesus would call his sheep and I just might be one of those I just smiled and said that I was one of those sheep, I had already been called and had a personal relationship with Jesus. Little do they know - Jesus called me alright - right out of their cult!
Well - I don't know that anything I said will go very far with them......but I bet you that they, or one of those other JW's that were all sitting with them will go home and secretly look up the Dateline stuff - the curiosity must be killing them now!
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19
JWs always become frightened....
by MegaDude in....when meeting a former member.. .
a few weeks ago i was outside doing the old yardwork routine: mow my postage stamp size of a yard, trim the bushes, edge it.
it was saturday and the jws were once again working my street.
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Dawn
Great post MegaDude. The JW's always passed me up at my old house because they all knew I lived there. Now that I have moved...I'm waiting for the next visit My friend says I'm the only human alive that WANTS the JW's to visit my door (LOL).
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68
A question for those churchgoing ones...forgiveness
by ashitaka inthis is in reference to the comments that kgb made on the thread i started yesterday about the molester who was crushed underneath a car.. http://www.jehovahs-witness.com/6/54218/1.ashx.
he talked of forgiveness of murderers, molesters, rapists, etc.
i know that many churchgoes feel the same way about this.. my question is, if god can forgive murderers, rapists, etc., then what about those who don't believe in god, who don't have 'faith'?
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Dawn
I am a psychology major, so I know about the adverse affects of pent up anger. I agree, being angry all of the time is harmful. Just because I won't forgive the person who molested me DOES NOT mean I walk around angry. I don't. Most days I don't think about it.
Do you agree that stealing a lollipop is equal to molesting a child?
Stinkypantz - I apologize if I gave you that impression. I did not mean that. I was also molested as a child and so feel that I can speak somewhat freely on this topic. I found it a part of my healing process to "forgive" because I needed to do that in order to let it go. But that was the way I healed and each of us as individuals grow in different ways. Perhaps forgivness is not the piece that you need to heal and I can understand that and support you in your right to decide what is best for you. (((((Stinkypantz))))))) again - I'm sorry if I misspoke.
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68
A question for those churchgoing ones...forgiveness
by ashitaka inthis is in reference to the comments that kgb made on the thread i started yesterday about the molester who was crushed underneath a car.. http://www.jehovahs-witness.com/6/54218/1.ashx.
he talked of forgiveness of murderers, molesters, rapists, etc.
i know that many churchgoes feel the same way about this.. my question is, if god can forgive murderers, rapists, etc., then what about those who don't believe in god, who don't have 'faith'?
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Dawn
Just to clear things up - the basic belief in Christianity is that we are all sinners and that only Jesus has the right to forgive us our sins because of his sacrifice. So if we ask him we are forgiven.
Ok - that being said - there is a big difference between forgivness and approval. I can forgive someone for something they did wrong to me but that doesn't mean that I have to approve of what they did OR that I have to like them or let them into my life any longer. I believe that forgivness is actually for the benefit of the victim and NOT the perpetrator because it is a part of our healing when we let it go and do not let it hurt us any longer. When we get to a point where we can say THIS THING no longer has power over me and I am no longer under it's label and I am free from it.
There is a lot of medical evidence showing that when we carry anger we really damage ourselves. Letting it go in forgivness is a part of our own healing and NOT to beneift the perpetrator. I can forgive someone who did wrong to me - but that doesn't mean that he/she is forgiven by Jesus and doesn't have to suffer consequences. The perpetrator has to deal with Jesus himself/herself - and will also suffer consequences for his/her actions.
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27
Are you REALLY sure?
by Dawn inwhen i was one of jehovah's witnesses i was absolutely sure i had the truth.
so sure i would have been willing to sacrifice anything for my beliefs.
i worked hard at study, meetings, service - even aux.
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Dawn
In reading all the posts here I find a very interesting observation. Some individuals are pretty open minded - some think there might be a God, some don't. I can relate to this - perhaps I am much more willing to accept Christianity because it is the belief I was raised in. Perhaps I want to believe in a God because I do not like the alternative? I can accept that I am deceivable and so I try to get the facts and then make a decision that I feel comfortable with - because in the end it is I who has to live with that decision. I don't believe God will destroy me because I misunderstood some doctrine or scripture.
However - there are some who are as dogmatic about their beliefs now as I was when I was a JW. If you don't believe in religion - fine. If you don't believe in God - fine. But how can YOU really be sure? I see some responses from individuals who assume that it is ME who is lacking the knowledge of the "real truth" and deceived. Well - since YOU were at one time decieved - how can YOU be sure you are not now?
I think it's safe to say that we can all be deceived - that's been proven. Perhaps we (whether christian, atheist, jewish, muslim, pagan, or any other belief) should not be so quick to judge someone with a different belief as being less knowledgeable than us. Perhaps we shouldn't be so sure all the time that WE ARE RIGHT AND THEY'RE WRONG.
to DJ: I know that you are still unsure about the Son of God, being God. Can I ask you how you rationalize the creatorship of Christ? Do you still view Him as master worker, or Michael or - I'm still unsure about this. I don't believe he was Michael, and it appears from the bible that he was divine in nature. But I don't know about him being God himself. Probably something I'll be researching and considering for some time. But I also don't feel any rush to make a decision one way or another. I do believe he is God's son and I don't see from the bible that I need to make a decision beyond that.
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the 144,00.......the annointed
by fairy inare they chosen by god?
and if they are then how come some of them fall away?.
why would god choose them if they are going to fall away?
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Dawn
I don't believe that the 144,000 are the ONLY ones chosen by God - and I definately no longer believe that they are interpreted in the same manner that the JW sees them.
But on a different note - as to the question about God knowing they would fall away. I don't believe he did know until people made that choice - or actions moving them to that choice. According to the bible, time itself was created by God. Which means, that he lives outside of the dimension of time. I see it like this - what if you could view an person's entire life in one snapshot rather than a time-line. As that person makes choices in their life you continue to view the entire snapshot as it dynamically changes. In this way - as the person made choices you could see immediately where that choice would lead them in 30 years. It would appear as if they were pre-destined when in fact it is just that you can see their entire life at once.
I heard it explained this way - watching a parade from the sidewalk you will see each section of the parade as it passes in a linear fashion. But someone in a skyscraper would see the entire parade at once.
As for Adam being perfect - yes he was, but that doesn't mean he couldn't choose to sin. If being perfect meant you CAN NOT sin then Jesus really didn't do anythign here on earth did he? The point is that Jesus made the choice NOT to sin. Being perfect doesn't mean being a robot with no free will - it means you have the choice to sin or not. Being imperfect we don't have a choice - we try, but we can't make it through our entire life without sinning - it's impossible for us.
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What did you miss out on most, because you were stuck in JW land ???
by run dont walk in.
could of been as a child, teenanger, adult,anytime in your life, did you feel that being a jw (or jw parents) prevented you from doing things you really wanted to do.
why does the watchtower find it necessary to "rob" people of being human and enjoy things in life ??
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Dawn
It's about what I make of my life now - very good comment!
I'm definately making up for lost time now. My kids are very involved in extra-curricular activities so that keeps us busy doing the things we couldn't before.
I enjoy doing things with people that I choose as friends and not people that have been chosen for me. I like the freedom of being out with friends and not having to worry about stupid things like "what if someone sees us in a bar" when we're not doing anything wrong. Or whether the people I'm with are considered "good association". Now I just go do things with people because I WANT to and I come home feeling recharged. It's a nice feeling.
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Are you REALLY sure?
by Dawn inwhen i was one of jehovah's witnesses i was absolutely sure i had the truth.
so sure i would have been willing to sacrifice anything for my beliefs.
i worked hard at study, meetings, service - even aux.
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Dawn
When I was one of Jehovah's Witnesses I was absolutely sure I had the truth. So sure I would have been willing to sacrifice anything for my beliefs. I worked hard at study, meetings, service - even aux. pioneered while working full time.
Now - many years later I know that I was fully deceived.
I became a born again Christian a few years back. I have spent my fair share of time studying the scriptures and researching history of JW's as well as christianity and other religions. I believe in God and I believe that Jesus was his son. I am much happier now. But I have to be honest with myself and admit that I am "deceivable". I was deceived once - it would be much harder to deceive me again - yet - it COULD happen.
So what about you. Regardless of your belief system now - do you admit that you can be deceived?
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I put my burden on Jehovah, but he gave it back
by Nosferatu inremember all those times that you waited on jehovah for help?
remember how he didn't help?
tell some of your experiences of how jehovah didn't help you in your time of need.
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Dawn
Uknowitsthetruth - That's like telling someone you can travel through time if you close your eyes hard enough and concentrate - then if it doesn't happen it's because they didn't concentrate enough. I have heard your reasoning before for unanswered prayers and it did not sit well with me.
I am a born again Christian and I do believe in Jesus and in prayer. Why are some unanswered? I don't know. One thing I have learned as I've grown from my JW past is that sometimes we just don't know the answer. And to try and pull one out of the air just to always have an answer isn't the way to go either. There is a christian rock song with lyrics along this line that I like "Sometimes he calms the seas, sometimes he calms his child" - the idea behind it is that for some reason God will sometimes remove the pain, and other times leave the pain yet give us the strength and support to deal with it.
I'm not saying that is THE answer - just one of many possible reasons.
I find that now I don't necessarily pray for THINGS from God all the time - but I find it is a sort of meditation that helps me work through problems, plan for the future, that kind of stuff.