iamfreenow

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Posts by iamfreenow

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  5

  i don't know

  by Jerry1 in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  i never was a witness, never been inside a kingdom hall.

  i lurk sometimes in this forum because i have one in my family.

  i am going to try out a similar conversation on her and would like to know how any of you would have answered these questions thanks jerry.

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  iamfreenow

  I will get back to you

  I wouldn't hold your breath waiting for him to do that
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  44

  Trouble in Paradise??

  by Gill in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  i was having a look at the accounts of three local congs as i had heard a bit about the borg beginning to run low on cash as donations are falling.

  locally, i was very surprised to see the cash flow problems of these congregations.

  i had a look at other areas and saw that there were a minority making a small 'profit', a lot breaking even when it comes to contributions and a fair amount that are losing the plot financially.. congregation 1. accounts for 2005/06 income was short 19,000, yes, their expenditure was that much over their income.. congregation 2. accounts for 2005/06 income was short 11,000.. congregation3.

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  iamfreenow

  Thankyou for that Gill

  I looked at all the local Congregations , and none seem to be doing particularly well. I looked at the lists of Trustees as well, and one Congregation, where the elders were always big on titles anyway, had Mr Presiding Overseer xxxxxxx. Mr Secretary xxxxxx etc as their list of Trustees, as if their titles would be of interest to a casual observer.
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  25

  What is the purpse of the Jehovahs witnesses

  by theyoungone in

  1. jw
  2. experiences

  i have been on this site for a while looking around at all your comments and most of you have pretty good arguments and i am not trying to argue for either side i am just wondering and maybe this has already been discussed but what is the purpose of the jehovah's witnesses most of you believe that the jw organization is a cult and that they are controlling the minds of their people, but why are they trying to control the minds of the people?

  is it to get their money?

  is their reports of the jws having like billions of dollars stashed away?

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  iamfreenow

  Hello theyoungone, and welcome.

  Agapa 37 said

  The purpose of JWS are to preach, teach and make disciples. Jesus commanded his followers to spread the Goodnew of Gods Kingdom. That is JWS number one priority. Also, there purpose is to serve the Tue God Jehovah, like his son Jesus did. Jesus said he made his name known amoung men and will continue to. JWS represent The true God.

  I used to believe that, for most of my 60 years. Many JWs still believe it, and it would be wonderful if the leaders of the Watchtower Society shared the same altruistic motives, but they do not.

  Their purpose, if one can call it that, is to maintain control over the 6 million or so they have indoctrinated by any means at their disposal, whether it be by evasive tactics or outright lies. Whatever it takes, they will do it to uphold their authority and maintain the comfortable lifestyle they have built for themselves over the years. Any threats to their authority, in the shape of JWs who begin to see through the man made nature of their doctrine, and dare to challenge them, are quickly eliminated by disfellowshipping.
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  28

  Facing reality about getting older

  by JH in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  as jw's we weren't supposed to get that old and fall sick, all depending on how old we were when we joined.. but time is passing by and we are getting older, and sicker and uglier....lol.

  was it hard for you to accept that you will one day die, after being told that paradise is just around the corner?.

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  iamfreenow

  Growing old, sick and dying is a reality that the Watchtower has never prepared it's followers for. Armageddon has alwaysbeen "just around the corner". It's neverbeen worthwhile for any young JW at any time in the history of the Organisation to go to college or university to pursue a career. The best, indeed the onlycareer any young Witness should pursue is regular pioneering.

  That has been the Society's message to the young for the whole almost 60 years that I was in the Watchtower. I responded to it personally, setting a goal of regular pioneering as soon as I left school. I well remember an Awake from 1969, when I was 23, that stated as fact that young people would never grow old in this system of things.

  As for accepting that I will grow old, I really have no choice, as I am well on my way to that now.
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  24

  Is it wise to wake someone sleepwalking into the Watchtower trap?

  by Gill in

  1. jw
  2. experiences

  is there a time not to speak out?.

  is there a time when it might be better not to say something and put doubts into someone's mind?.

  we, as a family are 'faded' for well over five years now.

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  iamfreenow

  Gill,

  I feel you are right to consider doing something to at least help this family make an informed choice about joining the Watchtower. It's possible that joining would split their family anyway. I just wonder how their teenage children will react to the sudden loss of freedom they are certain to experience if their parents do get baptised.

  Knowing the softer approach taken towards potential converts by Watchtower study aids nowadays, it might be a reasonable approach to inform them of the implications of the blood policy, which I very much doubt has been explained properly to them, and what it could mean to them if any of their family is in a position of needing blood.

  Also, if they have young children, particularly daughters, the Watchtower's record on child abuse might be interesting for them.

  Personally, in your position, I would feel obliged to at least try to do something.

  Marion
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  95

  First & Last, One-time post

  by journey-on in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  i have been lurking for quite some time now on jwd.

  my story is pretty much just like everyone else's, "only the names have been changed".

  in reading your posts, i have both laughed and cried till tears ran down my cheeks.

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  iamfreenow

  Hello journey-on, and welcome to the forum

  Your letter is excellent, I hope it isn't the only post you ever make.

  Many JWs could do with reading something like that.
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  13

  My mother finally got her liver transplant...........

  by WingCommander in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  yes, it has finally happened!

  after years of being on recipient lists, she finally got the call on saturday evening that a liver was waiting for her.

  of course we packed and drove the 5 hours to the medical center that would perform the operation.

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  iamfreenow

  I am happy it went well, Wing Commander

  I wish her a speedy recovery
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  28

  What kind of hobbies would you like to try?

  by Lady Lee in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  we were deprived of so much as jws.

  service and meeting had to come first which meant putting a lot of interests on the side - waiting for the new world when of course we would be too busy trying to convert the resurrected.

  i've tried many different things.

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  iamfreenow

  I have always enjoyed knitting and sewing, and have much more time for them now.

  I have been doing a writing course, which is interesting, and a computer course, which was confusing to begin with, but is clearer now. I need a pc of my own to really progress with that.

  I like gardening. I have a small flower garden at home, and a larger vegetable garden, so I will be spending more time in them fairly soon.
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  15

  "God Boards"

  by AllAlongTheWatchtower in

  1. watchtower
  2. beliefs

  you've probably all seen them; those church message boards in some prominent place along the road so passing drivers can read them.

  most are simply informational, like "sunday services at 12pm" or the like.

  some use little witticisms to gain attention, and these are the ones i'd like to talk about.

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  iamfreenow

  That sort of catchy signage has been around in some form or other for many years. I remember my late husband used to laugh at a sign outside a Liverpool church that a JW who had visited that city had taken a photograph of.

  The sign said "WHAT WOULD YOU DO IF JESUS CHRIST CAME TO LIVERPOOL?"

  At the time, Liverpool Football Club had a player named Ian St John playing for them , and someone had written in equally large letters underneath it

  "MOVE ST. JOHN TO INSIDE LEFT"

  I think the sign was removed soon afterwards.
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  56

  How did I conclude it was not the 'truth'?

  by jgnat in

  1. watchtower
  2. beliefs

  a new board member asked me this.

  i asked if it would be all right to publish my reply.

  the question, in full, is, .

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  iamfreenow

  Fred E. Hathaway wrote

  Independent thinking refers to thinking that does not at least attempt to take Jehovah's personality, thoughts, and ways into account.

  Not true, in a Watchtower context anyway,

  The Watchtower have set themselves up as the only channel through which the Bible can be understood. (To be fair, most cults do exactly the same). The following quotes from Watchtower publications illustrate this

  Only this organization functions for Jehovah's purpose and to his praise. To it alone God's Sacred Word, the Bible, is not a sealed book." The Watchtower; July 1, 1973, pp. 402.

  The Watchtower magazine is the means of God's communication

  1. Quote: "It should be expected that the Lord would have a means of communication to his people on the earth, and he has clearly shown that the magazine called The Watchtower is used for that purpose." (1939 Yearbook of Jehovah's Witnesses, p. 85.)

  Where exactly did God show this? Probably in the Watchtower itself!

  Cannot understand the Bible outside of watchtower organization

  1. Quote: "We all need help to understand the Bible, and we cannot find the Scriptural guidance we need outside the ‘faithful and discreet slave' organization." (The Watchtower, Feb. 15, 1981.)

  Again, no one can understand the bible without the Watchtower to tell them what it means

  Those who think apart from the Watchtower's guidance are like Satan

  1. Quote: "From time to time, there have arisen from among the ranks of Jehovah's people those, who, like the original Satan, have adopted an independent, faultfinding attitude...They say that it is sufficient to read the Bible exclusively, either alone or in small groups at home. But, strangely, through such ‘Bible reading,' they have reverted right back to the apostate doctrines that commentaries by Christendom's clergy were teaching 100 years ago..." The Watchtower, August 15, 1981.

  So if you think independently of the Watchtower interpretation of scripture, you are like Satan. Is this mind control? It seems so to me.

  "We cannot claim to love God, yet deny his word and channel of communication." The Watchtower, October 1, 1967, p. 591.

  So if you love God, you will be in the Watchtower Organisation. To not be in the Watchtower is to reject God, according to the Watchtower.

  All who want to understand the Bible should appreciate that the "greatly diversified wisdom of God" can become known only through Jehovah's channel of communication, the faithful and discreet slave. The Watchtower; 10/1/1994; p. 8.

  What the Watchtower is saying here is that God's word can only be understood through their teachings. Therefore, one must be in submission to them, and any attempt to understand the bible by those outside the organisation will fail.

  These quotes should be sufficient to show that the Watchtower seeks to control the thinking of its' members, and discourages any form of independent thought, tactics typical of any high-control cult.

  Marion