Posts by Gordy

52

I'm worried about dating "worldly" women at 36 this is hard!!!

by Witness 007 in

i can't believe i have to date again when i seperate from my wife!

i hope i remember how.....i only ever dated my wife.

what are the rules?

Gordy

There are cases where a girl became pregnant as a result of one sex interview with a boy

"sex interview" makes it sound like she was applying for a job.

36

Did You Have Respect For The Elders In Your Hall?

by minimus in

jw
friends

one day after a sunday meeting, 2 elders got into it with each other and started screaming at one another in the back of the hall just as service arrangements were being made.

of course, the boe counseled them strongly but the result was that the congregation lost respect for the whole body.

Gordy

There were four Elders I had respect for knew them from when I became a JW in 1971 till they died by the early 1990's.

They were in their 60/70's they were guys who had their heads screwed on right. They didn't let the 1975 farce get out of hand. In fact you wouldn't have known about it much in the congregation. In all the time they were there we had only one disfellowshipping. Once they started to go off the scene and younger ones, 30/40's, started to become Elders. Things changed it became more Watchtower oriented. numbers have dropped, some are attending other congregations in the area instead. People being DF'd or stopped going.

Incidentally two of those four Elders showed me from scripture that they believed Jesus was God.

11

uk attendance

by alexb123 in

does anyone know jw numbers in the uk

cheers

Gordy

I recall that just before I left that the number of JWs was 126,000 and a peak of 132,000. This later on dropped to 122,000 with a peak of 125,000.

So when JWs last year were going on to me about a 3% increase, making it 125,00 peak 131,000. I pointed out that they were still basically the same numbers they were ten years before. Could you call that increase?

It like a congregation having 100 members, losing 20, taking them down to 80, then 10 years later gaining 20. Claiming they have increased but in real terms, they are just were they were beforehand.

52

I'm worried about dating "worldly" women at 36 this is hard!!!

by Witness 007 in

i can't believe i have to date again when i seperate from my wife!

i hope i remember how.....i only ever dated my wife.

what are the rules?

Gordy

I will have been separated for 12 years this coming December. Well thats when I was told to leave home because I was a "spiritual danger" to the family. I disassociated from the JWs in 2001, since then my wife has not spoken or had contact with me. Maybe thats the real date of separation?? Anyway I'd get divorced but never seem to get round to doing it. I'm now 57.

I suppose over the years I've been to busy trying to sort my own life out, clearing debts etc, dealing with own family.

Its not that I haven't thought looking for a woman and dating. I don't just mean for the physical side of things, but also for some companionship. Not that I'm alone, I have two sons, 32 and 20, living with me and usually go out with them. But they have their own lives to live.

But there is this strange thing that when I'm out and I'm talking to a woman I feel as if there is a barrier I put up. I feel as if I just don't know how to handle the situation. As someone said you feel like a 14 yr old again wondering what to do. Is it the usual thing that the first woman I "dated" was a JW and we got married, so never really had the interaction with dating other females.

17

Transfusion breakthrough as human blood grown from stem cells

by truthseeker in

http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/life_and_style/health/article4567387.eceaugust 20, 2008. transfusion breakthrough as human blood grown from stem cells.

mark henderson, science editor .

vials of human blood have been grown from embryonic stem cells for the first time during research that promises to provide an almost limitless supply suitable for transfusion into any patient.

Gordy

<http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencetech/article-1047054/Scientists-create-limitless-supply-blood-stem-cell-breakthrough.html>

Scientists create 'limitless supply of blood' in stem cell breakthrough

Scientists have grown huge quantities of red blood cells for the first time - a breakthrough that could make blood donations a thing of the past.
The researchers harnessed stem cell technology to create cells from blood types A, B and O. They found the lab-grown cells were as good as natural ones at carrying oxygen - raising the possibility of creating artificial blood for use in transplants.
Robert Lanza, one of the world's leading stem cell scientists, said: 'You wouldn't have to worry about shortages because you could create as many as you want.'
Red blood cells are now used more often than blood in transfusions, added Professor Lanza, of U.S. company Advanced Cell Technology, so the breakthrough has the potential to save countless lives.
Hospitals could also stockpile bags of artificial blood as a safeguard for when their own stocks run low, she said.
The blood, which could be tested on humans for the first time next year, could prove invaluable on the battlefield, at the scene of road accidents and in other situations when the natural version is not readily available.
The advance also raises the prospect of mass-producing supplies of the ' universal donor' blood type O-negative, which can be safely transfused into any patient, whatever their blood group.
It is in short supply - only eight per cent of Caucasians have it and just 0.3 per cent of Asians.
Synthetic blood could also be safer, because it should be free of hepatitis, HIV, and other deadly diseases, New Scientist magazine reports.
The National Blood Service welcomed the advance, but urged donors not to stop giving blood. Spokesman Gareth Bell said: 'There is a continuous need for donors to come forward because we need to make sure blood is there for patients when they need it.'
Mohandas Narla, a U.S. expert in blood cell biology, called the results 'a very good start'. But he pointed out that the research has yet to make sure the cells will survive long enough in the human body to be useful.
Natural red cells circulate for around 120 days.

27

Generation change & Michael/Jesus - wife's bible study

by insearchoftruth in

sat in on my wife's bible study tonight, next week the husband of her study sister is coming with her, he is actually the presiding overseer of the congregation.

tried to get me to talk about trinity next week, but the topics will be either generation or michael.. .

the sister pointed to the statement in matthew on generation, i believe it was matthew 24:14 and said that since jesus was talking to his disciples, that equates to the anointed.

Gordy

Needless to say, there is NO SCRIPTURE that they can point to. Instead, they use alot of presumption and tortured reasoning to arrive at their conclusions. They will use primarily the Scripture in 1 Thess. 4:16, where it says....

"For the Lord Himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first:"

From this verse, they say that Christ will shout with the archangel's voice, so therefore, He must be the archangel. There are a number of things to point out here....

First, it does not say that Jesus is the One Who is doing the shouting. It says He will descend WITH a shout. The word "with" means "accompanied by". For example...."I went to the store WITH my wife." Does that mean that I am the same person as my wife? No. It means that she accompanied me to the store. In fact, there are some verses that clearly say that, when Jesus comes, all of the angels will be coming WITH Him.

Check out the following verses: Matthew 25:31, Mark 8:38. It makes sense that the arrival and coming of a King would be announced by a loyal subject, which in this case, will be Michael the Archangel. There will be a shout from Michael, and then the blowing of the trumpet to announce the King's arrival in the rapture.

Suffice it to say, there is nothing in 1 Thess. 4:16 that states that Michael and Jesus are the same Person.

Secondly, the JWs only seem to read the part of 1 Thess. 4:16 that suits their purpose. If we read the whole verse, and apply their logic, then we have proof that Jesus is also God, for the very next statement says that Jesus comes "WITH THE TRUMP OF GOD". Now, if we use JW reasoning, and say that Jesus' coming WITH the voice of the archangel means that He IS the archangel, then we must also conclude that Jesus' coming WITH the trump of God means that He is God. Of course, JWs would strongly disagree, but if their logic is to be used, then they must be consistent and interpret the whole verse the same way.

Of course, it is plain that both the voice of the archangel and the blowing of the trumpet are simply announcements of Christ's coming, and neither are done by Christ Himself.

Also, the JWs make some strange connections from the book of Revelation, primarily chapter 12, where Michael is said to have angels under His command.

"And there was war in heaven: Michael and HIS ANGELS fought against the dragon; and the dragon fought and his angels:"

Then, the JWs find other verses that say that Jesus has angels under His command, and arrive at the conclusion that, because they both are said to have angels under their command, then they must be the same Person. I am sure that you can see the ridiculous nature of that logic. A military commander may have soldiers under his command, and he can rightly call them "his soldiers". However, the President of the United States is the "Commander in Chief" of the military, and therefore, he can also refer to them as "his soldiers". This does NOT mean that the military commander and the President are the same individual.

I believe any sane person can see the shallow nature of the Watchtower reasoning. The fact is: THEY DO NOT HAVE ONE SINGLE SCRIPTURE THAT THEY CAN POINT TO, SAYING CLEARLY THAT JESUS CHRIST IS MICHAEL. Do not let the JWs get away from this fact, but press them on it.

50

what angers you about the truth

by stillajwexelder in

this angers me .

elders who will not make shepherding calls to comfort their brothers and sisters but as soon as that brother or sister puts one little foot out of line those same f-----g (sorry about the language but it really angers me ) elders can not move fast enough to form a judicial committee and then are so unmerciful - it makes me want to vomit literally

Gordy

So far it looks like the main thing that angers most if the total lack of love shown at times when it is needed.

I can verify this, at a time when myself and my family needed the help and support of "Jehovahs loving organisation." Was to be kicked while we were down. Elders visting offering support - nil. Brothers/sisters disappeared from visiting.

Judicial Committee set up, within two months of me having attempted suicide and diagnosed as having, acute clinical depression. Incidentally I learnt recently that according to their "Elders Manual" that a JC should not be held with a person suffering depression.

Getting my wife to get me to leave home because I was a "spiritual danger" to the family.

This from an organisation for 25 yrs at the time, that as I said above, "Jehovahs loving organisation".

I have often said ifthey had shown the love and support, they say they do, then the chance would be I would still be a JW.

Instead it caused them more harm than good. Out of 9 members of my family only 3 are still JWs. 3 DA'd, 3 decided not to have anything to do with JWs.

Yet in all this they believe that they di the "loving thing."

4