Posts by NotaNess

34

Going to anoher church?

by KatyH81 in

i just wondered if anyone has been to a church since fading, or getting out?

and how did you feel when you went?

Seriously, Churches are like restaurants. They are not all the same, for sure, and just like you might not like some restaurants, you'll have some issues with some churches. Please note, however, they all have food for living(spiritual food).

Find one that suits your taste.

A note on "passing the plate". My church doesn't, we have offering boxes in the back as well, or you can send in your helping money. Those plates are only a different form of a mailbox or box in the back. It's not a demand. Just another way of getting your donations in. I see people passing by our boxes in the back without putting anything in. Should I look at them as if they are refusing to help the expenses of the church? No, so don't look at people who pass the plate without putting money in it, like they aren't helping. They could be doing it another way, or maybe they are low on cash, or gave extra the week previous. You shouldn't go to church feeling pressure, so don't. And if you do go to a church where they pass the plate, feel good about helping where you are being spiritually fed.

37

Do you think the society will abandon 1914?

by B_Deserter in

it seems to me that they're slowly dismantling the date theology that ties the end times to this period in history.

first, they updated the generation teaching to mean a figurative generation, thus removing the possibility in the near future when all who were alive in 1914 are dead.

then, they abandoned 1935 so the annointed will never die off, and prove their belief that the annointed will see armageddon wrong.

NotaNess

They will change doctrine, publishing that the new light directs them to the real reign of Christ starting when the BeeGee's took control of disco in the mid 70's. BG backwards is GB. Totally didn't see that one coming. Their Watchtower and Awake mags will become a quarterly magazine featuring a "Sister Babe" of the quarter pin-up in the middle spread pages. Showing only her bare ankles, and neck of course under a bright floral dress. A hot feature section of the mag will be ongoing recipes for "Goody-night". The Governing Body and the annointed, will be decided via voting among all the witnesses...hanging chads will be reviewed by district JC's. The new official logo of the WT will be a tail wagging a dog.

...(tap, tap, tap...is this thing on?....)

13

You chance to be heard!

by pratt1 in

here's the scenrio:.

you have the captive audience of all the witlesses that you have associated with and loved in the past (including family members) but now shun you, for 5 minutes.. you most chose one and only one topic to proved that their religion is false and not based on love.. 1. who would you pick to be part of this audience?.

2. what topic would you choose to discuss?

NotaNess

Darn, I feel left out on this one.

22

Santa Clause, Easter Bunny and Tooth Fairy...

by changeling in

jw
friends

i recall witnesses saying how evil wordly parents were by "lying" to their children about these characters.

how witness children were fortunate that their parents always told them the truth.. so, i wonder, have you ever met an adult who was messed up because of having found out that santa clause and friends were not real?

are therapist's couches everywhere filled with these poor souls?

NotaNess

Good subject. I like this topic. I grew up with this fun, and now my child has the fun with it. JW do go overboard when it comes to this stuff. Being around witnesses, and experiencing them lying about various things, even if little "white" lies, really blows credibility with me. Even worse, when they are caught lying to each other.

Scripturally, having fun with these holidays has never taken anyone's salvation away, unless maybe you're anti-God, a devil worshipper, satanist who would like to kill people on halloween or something.

Christmas, Easter, Birthdays, Thanksgiving, and the generally innocent fun of Halloween are just fun themed periods during the year that we have fun with. Some could care less about these holidays, that's there choice.

JW feel they have to always work towards "Jehovah's" favor, and are told they are in less favor if they partake, thus the possibility to lose salvation. They will never understand the concept of God's Grace, as it truly is. We are saved not by works but by faith, and those who try and tie salvation to the "faith without works is dead" scriptures, is mislead. It says nowhere in there that you lose your salvation in those scriptures.

26

THIS IS MY STORY (And I'm Sticking To It)

by snowbird in

i joined this forum on 1may2007 with a promise that i would tell more about myself as time went on.

well, here goes.. i was born and raised in the black belt of alabama in wilcox county.

it is supposedly called the black belt due to the color of the soil, but i have a strong suspicion it is also due to the fact that there is such a heavy concentration of black people in the dozen or more counties that make up the black belt.. my parents were sharecroppers which was simply a form of whitewashed slavery.

NotaNess

Ethan, not giving up on Christ, good for you.

50

Is the Watch Tower name going away?

by garybuss in

is the watch tower name going away?

i'm seeing more use of the "jehovah's witnesses" name where the watch tower name once was such as the sponsors of the summer conventions.

is this new, or am i just noticing it?

NotaNess

Just a thought. Theyre aiming for a higher percentage of persecution. Having the general public even more on the attack, on the Jehovah's Witnesses, will make the rank and file more aggressive, causing another possible surge in click members. It will also give them that sense of "we are Gods persecuted people", even more. The public has always associated the "cult, outcast, bizarre, un-scriptural" feelings towards the name of Jehovah's Witnesses, not WTS. Putting their name on more published elements and signage, will bring a higher persecution.

22

We had a JW at the door today...how I handled it..

by megsmomma in

my first instinct was to tell him to go away and my husband was going to answer the door and i said, just tell him we are disfellowshipped.

(i am da'd....he hasn't ever been, but, he is "guilty by association" and conciders himself da'd too...).

so, it is one older man and he is handing out the "follow the christ" convention invitation.

NotaNess

Having never been a witness, the confrontation is different, yet the same for me as well.

Being a believer in a different Christian faith, for me it's like I'm getting ready to confront evil when I approach them or vice versa, out in the community. My heart and adrenaline gets going too. I throw out a couple of things for them to chew on, and am on my way.

Last time I left my card with a couple, so they could have someone call on me for an in house visit, but I haven't heard from anyone. Maybe when I told them, they were the ones belonging to false religion, it let them know how it was gonna go down at my house .\

Sounds like you did fine.

17

Can The Dead Be Brought Back To Life?

by The wanderer in

jw
friends

can the dead be brought back to life?...there is going to be a resurrection of both the righteous and the unrighteous.-acts 14:15. .

an article published by the bbc, sparks some controversy about dying or near death experiences.. the article goes on to state that individuals who were clinically dead were brought back to life.

individuals who past on to the "afterlife" claimed: "it was beautiful, one of the most wonderful.

NotaNess

If your heart stops and the blood is not flowing, and you are out like a light, you are dead...period. To make everything work again IS being brought back from being dead.

27

Pointers please in writing my letter of Disassociation!

by tremoka in

jw
friends

wooohooo!

i've made my decision!

i'm doing it, can't live in limbo any longer.

NotaNess

Where and the heck did your husband read the books!!!???? Under the covers in bed with a flashlight at midnight?

Glad you and the hub are on your way. Good luck with it.

6

May I direct your attention to pages 220 & 221?

by NotaNess in

of the proclaimers book.

no doubt many of you have read this jw book on the wt version of the history and origins of the society.. my issue is on pages 220 and 221 where they "briefly" show some images of things and practices, that the org has abandoned.

some of these were practiced for many years, and even were at the very creation of the organization.. according to jw/wts teachings and beliefs, this organization has "pagan" origins based on the given evidence.

NotaNess

Justahuman.....thanks for the response. Nice attempt, but one doesn't equal the other. It is a good argument though. The WT also tries to make connections with scripture and translation in sort of the same way. "This and this happened, so it must mean this and this"

B_deserter(did I type that right?)....go through the history of killers in the last century via internet, library or however you choose. Let me know how many of them were over 60. You'll find plenty, no doubt. Thanks for the response.

If I read correctly somewhere; I think a site that had past "Letters to the elders" and "Letters to the WT from the elders", there was one particular letter referring to a member who had previously killed people or someone in his past but the elders were told to keep the information to themselves and not alert authorities, even though he had never been caught or jailed for the crime(s).

Thanks everyone, and please know that I don't post topics only to try and counter other's replies. It happens sometimes, yes, but I truly appreciate the opinions and facts given in all matters on this forum. Without you all, people like myself would be that much un-informed of issues.

Some of my topics and posts are also attempts to give "new " to Lurkers or atleast give them some reality, like many others do here.