Posts by startingovernow

5

What proof for 6000 years of human existence?

by startingovernow in

i noticed this paragraph in blondie's comments:.

q 5. what has especially distressed jehovah?.

5. satan's revolt is still going strong.

startingovernow

I noticed this paragraph in Blondie's comments:

Q 5. What has especially distressed Jehovah?

5. Satan's revolt is still going strong. For some 6,000 years, Jehovah has observed acts of idolatry, violence, murder, and sexual perversion. (Gen. 6:5, 6, 11, 12) Furthermore, he has heard despicable lies and blasphemies. Even God's own true worshippers have on occasion hurt his feelings. The Bible describes one such situation with the words: "How often they would rebel against him in the wilderness, they would make him feel hurt in the desert! And again and again they would put God to the test, and they pained even the Holy One of Israel." (Ps. 78:40, 41) The pain that Jehovah feels when his people reject him is certainly great. (Jer. 3:110) Clearly, bad things happen, and Jehovah feels deeply distressed when they do. -Read Isaiah 63:9, 10.

This was strange to me. In all the years I was a JW, I don't remember much emphasis on this number, but I came in well after 1975. I looked at my CD-rom and all I saw was a chart of dates (1975 being associated with 6000 years) but no references or proof of this statement. Where do they get this from???

18

Watchtower's Official Policy Concerning College

by VM44 in

is it official watchtower policy that an elder cannot remain an elder if he allows his children to go to college?.

also, is it official policy that a person cannot have "privileges" or even pioneer if they are attending college?.

if it is, can someone post scans of the official boe letters stating the watchtower policy concerning college?.

startingovernow

Have you seen the Sept 1, 2008 WT?

http://scienceblogs.com/pharyngula/2009/10/its_a_gateway_drug_to_a_lifeti.php

32

More Misc Ramblings About Gilead

by AllTimeJeff in

jw
friends

honestly, i can't remember if i told some of this already, so if i repeat myself, please allow me this.

i am practicing for old age..... it is now 6 years since i got the "long form" application for gilead, with over 120 questions to answer.

5 years since i got my notice that we were selected to attend the 119th class of gilead from april-september 2005.. prior to this, i really wanted to be a co. i won't belabor the point about my ex jw wife wanting to go overseas, but suffice to say, her goal won out over my goal.

startingovernow

Jeff, I don't view such posts as ramblings at all. Considering it was the goal of Gilead that made me make the impulsive decision not to go to college and ended up messing up more than a decade of my life, I like to have more confirmation of what the WT really is all about. I remember seeing someone's class notes from the 80's and having my first thought be, "That's just crazy stuff - it doesn't make any sense, maybe this is a joke." But then, like with so many thoughts, I would have this other inner "WT voice" tell me that it must be me, since I haven't read the Bible enough, studied enough, etc.- that is why I don't understand things. I know of at least 2 couples that went to Gilead, and as far as I know, they are still in their assignments. When I look at the couples themselves, I can't help wondering why they are there. These were not kind and loving people. They were simply interested in their positions. One of the couples were Bethelites prior to Gilead, so all that you describe of Bethel was already the norm for them. The other couple had lived with the guy's mother their entire marriage pre-Gilead, so maybe having a table head watching what they did and said was not so much out fo the norm for them either. What amazes me is what you describe of the "Bible education" at Gilead. Really, with as many meetings as JWs are supposed to go to we all should have read our Bibles and understood it backwards and forwards, but this is not the case. JW's mainly study the publications of the WT and I found myself doing so just so I wouldn't be caught not knowing any "new light". Sad that it took me so long to realize just what was happening. So, as sorry I am as to what happened to you in Africa, I am glad you are alive to tell the tale and share the truth about Gilead, etc. Maybe if will help someone young person who was like me (sincere) realize that if they really want to help the world there are better organiztions to get involved with to do so.

20

Is it brainwashing?

by jgnat in

i've had a bit of a semantic tousle with a member of this board on whether the coercive techniques used by the wtbts to obtain and retain members is "brainwashing".

i say "brainwashing" is not a good description of what goes on, i prefer "mind control", or coercive and deceptive techniques.

he argued to call it something less than "brainwashing" is to water down the destructive effects of the wts on it's members and former members.

startingovernow

According to what I read in Steve Hassan's "Combatting Cult Mind Control," JW's are under mind control, not brain washed.

28

did you like being called "brother" or "sister"?

by highdose in

jw
friends

i always found it very patronising, particulay as most of the jw's who did that treated me very badly and not like a sister at all!.

i also hated when brothers would say " i've met a lovely sister and i'm planning to marry her!

" sounds so incestuous!

startingovernow

At first, I liked it because I was the only one at meetings that was called by their first name when commenting. Even unbaptized JW children were called brother and sister, but I was reminded I was a worldly outsider everytime my name was called. When I got married, I not only lost my first name, but was then called Sister [my husband's last name]. I really had an identity crisis. Then towards the end, I realized that some elders would greet me by saying "hello sister" because not only did they not bother to remember my first name, but didn't even bother to remember and use my last name.

I knew a P.O. who ONLY addressed his wife as "Sister". Not by her first name, not by "honey" or "sweetie" or anything endearing like that. There would be a gathering for lunch or something and he'd turn to his wife and go "Sister, would you please grab me a lemonade?" or something similar.

That grosses me out as much as men calling their wives "Mother."

32

Nine year old baptized

by EmptyInside in

this weekend at the circuit assembly, (i stayed home, thank goodness), i heard a nine year -old girl was baptized.

and she seems a bit mature for her age, but hardly mature enough,in my opinion, to make such a choice on her own.

it seems to be a trend in our circuit right now.

startingovernow

9 years old, what is that, third grade age? I didn't start doing word problems in math until 6th grade. You know, where you actually had to figure things out and check your answers. At nine, the best she can do is underline the answers in a paragraph and rearrange the words so they sound like they are her own. Oh wait, that's all that adult JWs do too!

15

For those of you attending college now (or at least recently have)....

by 2pink in

please remind me what the work load is like.

i went to college and took a few classes in my early 20s, and found it all very easy, but i had a lot less responsibility back then so i think my perception was skewed.

now i am 31, married, 2 kids, soon to be 3. i work very part time from home.