iamfreenow

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Posts by iamfreenow

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  14

  Why is the # for annointed still in the 8,000's?

  by White Dove in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  shouldn't it be going down but fast?

  god, how old are they, anyway?

  do new ones keep popping up or something?

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  iamfreenow

  The Society opened up the gates of heaven again a few months ago when they announced in a Questons from Readers article that the gathering of the anointed is still taking place, and they do not know when it will end. Since this gathering has to end before Armageddon can come according to Watchtower doctrine, this event has, not for the first time in recent years, been postponed again.

  Of course, a more cynical person might conclude that this latest change is designed to save them having to explain why the number f partakers never seems to fall much each year, and sometimes rises.
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  19

  Public talk cut down to 30 minutes

  by katiekitten in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  has anyone else heard this?

  (apologies if this has already been discussed).

  my inactive mum has an active jw friend with an elder husband.

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  iamfreenow

  Yes it is true, and it's global as far as I know.

  Apparently the 15 minutes they are cutting off the current legth of the Public talk is for "association and ministry", and all this starts in January
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  5

  Who Knows Anything About Being A Charity?

  by sweet pea in

  1. watchtower
  2. beliefs

  my real question is - "how can the watchtower bible & tract society get away with being called a charity?

  they don't seem to do any charitable works within the community, they get free labour to develop their property empire and they're a publishing company.

  correct me if i'm wrong please?

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  iamfreenow

  Hello sweetpea,

  I can't see how the Watchtower Society can be described as charitable either, they do little or nothing to benefit anyone in the long term, but I would think that they are very careful to operate within the requirements of the Charity Commission as not doing so would be ultimately very costly for them. I did find a link to the Charity Commission website

  http://www.charity-commission.gov.uk/index.asp

  perhaps that will tell you why the WTBTS are allowed to keep their charity status.
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  52

  Describe Your Feelings When You KNEW It Wasn't The "Truth" After All

  by minimus in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  when it finally registered that you did not really have the "truth" after all, what went thru your mind?

  .

  when things "clicked", what was your emotional state and what did you about it?.

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  iamfreenow

  Initially very angry that I'd spent my entire life, over 59 years, believing in falsehoods, and had succeeded in getting several others, including my eldest son to believe it as well.

  Also, I felt a great sense of disappointment that all the things I'd worked so hard to be part of weren't going to happen after all. I felt and still feel a deep sense of sadness for my many former friends who still put their faith in the false promises of the Watchtower Society. I hope that they, like me, will one day open their eyes and see the WT for what it really is, and leave.

  Nowadays, as a Christian, I am relieved to have finally found the true God, and not the Watchtower version.
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  52

  What are you reading?

  by Hortensia in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  it's rather quiet on the jwd forum tonight - probably you are all out partying, eh?

  i'm wondering what's in the pile of books by your chair or bed?

  i have a couple of mysteries, robert barnard's newest one and a really old arthur upfield.

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  iamfreenow

  I am reading Seductive Poison: A Jonestown Survivor's Story of Life and Death in the People's Temple by Deborah Layton.

  A very good read in my opinion, and a warning to anyone thinking of joining a cult.
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  23

  Is it stealing to get lit without paying the borg for it?

  by SnakesInTheTower in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  i'm a pyromaniac.

  i want a fire on this thread and soon .

  so i wanted everyone's opinion on something.

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  iamfreenow

  The literature is "free", there is no price displayed, so how can it be stealing not to pay for it?

  Anyway, the Watchtower Society doesn'r say you have to give

  What financial contributions are expected of those attending meetings of Jehovah's Witnesses?

  Regarding money contributions, the apostle Paul said: "Let each one do just as he has resolved in his heart, not grudgingly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver." ( 2 Corinthians 9:7 ) At the Kingdom Halls and convention auditoriums of Jehovah's Witnesses, no collections are ever taken. Boxes are placed so that it is convenient for any who wish to contribute to do so
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  40

  Favorite Classical Music Piece?

  by El Kabong in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  i'm kind of partial to strauss....listening to "tales from the vienna woods" now......(with images of bugs bunny cartoons in my head).....what are your favorite classical pieces?

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  iamfreenow

  I love so many classical pieces it would be hard to pick one, but the one I play more than most is the Symphonie Fantastique, by Hector Berlioz. Here is a rendering of the 4th movement I found on youtube

  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JL8df-r2drM
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  7

  In your "opinion" are "DF" treated worse than "DA" ex-jws? Are equally?

  by booker-t in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  when i was growing up in the 70's you rarely heard about "so and so" has "disassociated" themselves and are no longer one of jw's.

  that was how i remember a jw's sister being announced as "da" in 1975. her family and my family were best friends and it sent chills down my family's back.

  i was very young and i kept asking my mom, "can we speak to sister x-witness" "is sister x-witness still a jw's" "will she be destroyed at armaggeddon?

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  iamfreenow

  In my experience, most people who disassociate by letter state their reasons for doing so, which in my letter was that I no longer believed in Watchtower doctrine. Therefore, the elders at least are aware why these peole have left, although in the Hall I attended gossip often circulated that the one leaving had done so out of shame because they wouldn't or couldn't meet Jehovah's standards. I very much doubt that anyone apart from the ones I sent personal letters to know that I left due to the research I had done,as it would not be in the eldes or the Society's interest to publicise that.

  Because I disassociated, I haven't been bothered by elders calling on me to see if I want to return, which tends to happen with those who are disfellowshipped, unless they request otherwise. I would imagine that those who leave for the reasons that I stated in my letter would be viewed as apostates, and thus considered to be more of a threat to the congregation than those disfellowshipped for say, sexual offences,smoking etc.
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  23

  Some people are just so kind

  by fullofdoubtnow in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  when our friend marion was baptised a few months ago, trev and i went to the service, and we briefly met a couple there who have become good friends with marion since she has been attending their church.

  they seemed very nice people, and since then have occasionally asked marion how we are.

  they gave her a lift to the hospital to see me last thursday, and could see how concerned she was about me, i was very unwell last week.

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  iamfreenow

  Trev and Linda just called, they arrived safely. The drive wasn't quite as long as Trev thought, and they got away at 3pm.

  They are just having a rest, then a walk on the beach. I'm sure they will have a lovely, restful break. I doubt I'll hear much from them before they are setting off back, but if I do I'll post it.

  Marion
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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

  MR PRESIDING OVERSEER
  XXXXXXXX	MR OVERSEER XXXXXXXX
  	MR OVERSEER XXXXXXXX
  	MR OVERSEER SECRETARY XXXXXXX
  	MR OVERSEER XXXXXXXXXXX
  	MR OVERSEER XXXXXXXXXX

  That's how one of the Derby Congregations listed their Trustees.

  Don't they just love their titles?