i bet a lot of others have, and its strange how so many are powerless to do anything.. one sister i know was married to another jw.
he was unfaithful, she was crushed, he wasn't disfellowshipped, she forgave him, he was cruel, finally she committed adultery to get out of it.
they divorced.
In one congregation I remember a brother and a sister who did this. But one of the older elders said it wasn't true. He had been in service with them on Sundays occasionally, and he said they were very nice. He couldn't understand how people were accusing them of gossiping, he thought they were wonderful. When the C.O. finally talked to the pioneers in private, dozens of examples poured out.
BF
i bet a lot of others have, and its strange how so many are powerless to do anything.. one sister i know was married to another jw.
he was unfaithful, she was crushed, he wasn't disfellowshipped, she forgave him, he was cruel, finally she committed adultery to get out of it.
they divorced.
I have seen this. I bet a lot of others have, and its strange how so many are POWERLESS to do anything.
One sister I know was married to another JW. He was unfaithful, she was crushed, he wasn't disfellowshipped, she forgave him, he was cruel, finally she committed adultery to get out of it. They divorced. Now they are in separate congregations. He starts to trash her name to all his friends, and his new girlfriend, who is a Witness. Since he has a strong personality, anytime one of the elders says something to him about it he says, "WHAT ARE YOU TALKING ABOUT? SHE IS A LIAR. HOW DARE YOU ACCUSE ME. YOU COULD BE REMOVED FOR FALSE ACCUSATIONS!!!" No one in that Hall dares stand up to him because he LOVES those meetings in the back room where he raises his voice, intimidates possible witnesses, and gets his way talking about how "He wants to focus on the ministry and people are trying to stop him."
Another couple I know did something similar. They would hang out with someone in the Hall for awhile, introducing personal information about brothers and sisters in the Hall under the guise of "worrying about their spirituality." Then, when the person said they didn't feel comfortable about that, they would go to the elders and accuse THEM of gossiping. They would quote scriptures, be very evasive when questioned, talk about Jehovah, and yell at the person who said they were gossiping. Even the circuit overseer couldn't control them.
They use their STRONG PERSONALITY to intimidate those that are trying to be "obedient" to the Organization and be "humble." They imply that they are the spiritual ones, when in reality, they are just the loud, pushy ones who derive joy from controlling others.
The older ones stay away from them, and tell the younger ones to "wait on Jehovah." The controlling ones have get-togethers where they exclude those not in the group. They comment at the meetings about gossip, and how bad it is. If someone accuses them of gossip, they counter-accuse them of SLANDER. They are VERY NICE to certain elders, and NEVER gossip to them, so that the elders are in disagreement when they meet about them. The elders would never admit that someone is controlling the congregation anyway, because the elders are the ones who give the talks and conduct the meetings, right?
Have you ever seen this in a congregation? Not the regular mean gossips that every congregation has, but the CONTROLLING, ACCUSING, POWERFUL gossips that rule the Hall and smash down those with weaker personalities?
Yes, this applies to both brothers and sisters.
BF
i have not been to a meeting this year.
yet i was invited to a witness "gathering" through my wife and kids.. i really don't want to go.. however, if my reason for not going is because of someones religion, i am really no different than they are.. guess i need to go based on principal.. i won't change my mind, but am interested in your take on this situation.. .
I would like to see what conversations take place there. Spiritual? Secular? Anything about the convention? Are you planning to throw out a few questions?
Let us know.
Bonafide
or not, as the case may be.
in-laws' family members were visiting from out of town so we went over for the evening.
my uncle-in-law is extremely religious.
or not, as the case may be.
in-laws' family members were visiting from out of town so we went over for the evening.
my uncle-in-law is extremely religious.
I bet your anointed family member is not like that because he is a true believer. He is like that because he thinks he is important because he is anointed. That's why he is so dogmatic.
Try this next time:
"I found such a great article in the May 1, 2007 Questions From Readers. It explains how the anointed have no more holy spirit or insight than the Other Sheep. What do you think about that?"
When he says, "Well, we are Christ's brothers" then say, "Well, we allow all who want to partake to partake. Anyone can partake, anyone. And the elders are required to count all baptized partakers, except disfellowshipped ones. That means anyone can partake. But THE POINT IS that the anointed have no more holy spirit or insight than a regular publisher."
Don't let him change the subject.
BF
or not, as the case may be.
in-laws' family members were visiting from out of town so we went over for the evening.
my uncle-in-law is extremely religious.
I bet your anointed family member is not like that because he is a true believer. He is like that because he thinks he is important because he is anointed. That's why he is so dogmatic.
Try this next time:
"I found such a great article in the May 1, 2007 Questions From Readers. It explains how the anointed have no more holy spirit or insight than the Other Sheep. What do you think about that?"
When he says, "Well, we are Christ's brothers" then say, "Well, we allow all who want to partake to partake. Anyone can partake, anyone. And the elders are required to count all baptized partakers, except disfellowshipped ones. That means anyone can partake. But THE POINT IS that the anointed have no more holy spirit or insight than a regular publisher."
Don't let him change the subject.
BF
here in southern california, the witnesses still do streetwork.
i did it since i was a kid.
i used to spend two hours every saturday morning from 7 to 9 am walking down the street near my house with my brother or sister.
Here in Southern California, the Witnesses still do Streetwork. I did it since I was a kid. I used to spend two hours every Saturday morning from 7 to 9 am walking down the street near my house with my brother or sister. We rarely placed anything, but we thought we were doing the right thing. Later as I grew up we did Laundromats, I usually tried to offer a magazine to a person in there doing their laundry. The driving around doing Laundromats was boring, waiting for the donut break. Arguing with the friends of other congregations for "crossing over" into our territory.
I haven't done it in a long time, but I see less and less Witnesses doing it as well. I see magazines sitting on newspaper vending machines, and in waiting rooms sometimes.
There is so much less urgency nowadays from when I was a kid.
And you? Have you done street witnessing? What was it like?
BF
as a kid, i used to read all the watchtowers of the 40s and 50s to see how the present day information developed from its original "thought".
i was exposed to many eye opening statements but i swept them under the carpet (although it stayed in the recesses of my brain) until the time was right.. so for me, it was a gradual thing.. how were you affected by your first encounters with "apostate" material?
?.
I was offered a tract called "30 years a slave of the Watchtower," I think that's what it was called. Maybe it was a book also? I was a kid, so I took it, didn't read it, and gave it to my mom.
After that, about 5 years ago, I saw the book "Visions of Glory" in the library. I read a few pages out of curiosity. The author said she was a bethelite and it was crowded in the hallways, and she felt like she was missing out on life. She said she started to smoke on purpose to get disfellowshipped. That confirmed my "all ex-witnesses are bad" indoctrination.
Actually, it was the January 1, 1989 Watchtower that got me thinking. I kept a copy in my bookbag for a long time, in fact that was the issue I had on the airplane as I went to my missionary assignment. It said about the preaching work, "a work that will be completed in the twentieth century." I believed it. I lost the magazine one day. But then years later, when I went to read it in the WT CD library, I couldnt find that expression. I searched and searched. Finally I went page by page, and I found IT HAD BEEN CHANGED. It now read that the preaching work "would be completed in our time." That really bothered me, I mean really bothered me.
Then, when I was in a ton of elders meetings with the CO and DO deciding whether or not to remove me, and I could tell by their crazy reasoning that THIS WAS OF MEN, NOT OF GOD, that I googled "Jehovah's Witnesses" and came on here. I was offended at first by the expressions "Kingdumb Hell" and "Asleep" by our resident lexicographer, WTWizard. But I couldn't stop reading.
Well, you know the rest.
BF
i am not going to use any names for this because i don't want to cause potential hurt to anyone.. there was a very nice family in my congregation when i was a teenager.
step-dad, mom, and her 4 kids.
the dad became an elder, had a great business, the mom spent lots of time with the kids.
I somehow missed this thread, and I want to post.
When I was growing up a Witness, I remember how suicides were viewed as "murder." Remember that? An elder in my area committed suicide, and there was no KH funeral.
In my missionary assignment, I remember two suicides. One was a young teenage brother, 17 years old. I didn't hear why he committed suicide, but they did give a talk at the KH.
Then there was a good friend of mine. He would accompany me in service sometimes as I served congregations. He took a trip to the United States, for business I heard. He died at an airport. The news report said he had jumped off an airport bridge. I couldn't believe it. I do remember he had some problems with depression, but it was my fault that I didn't think it was that serious. I wish I could put his name on here, he was a good guy.
I gave his funeral talk at a funeral home. I still have his photo on my wall at home.
For those who think there are some good things about being a Witness, read this thread from time to time. It is an evil cult, and just because some of us may joke from time to time doesn't mean we don't hate how lives are ruined every day by the Watchtower. If there was a way to bring it crashing down, a lot of us on here would do it.
BF
i am not going to use any names for this because i don't want to cause potential hurt to anyone.. there was a very nice family in my congregation when i was a teenager.
step-dad, mom, and her 4 kids.
the dad became an elder, had a great business, the mom spent lots of time with the kids.
