jschwehm

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Posts by jschwehm

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  17

  Questions and Answers

  by Marvin Shilmer in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  questions and answers.

  should dissidence exist among dedicated jehovahs witnesses?

  answer:.

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  jschwehm

  Hi-

  Someone asked "what is next loyalty oaths"?

  If I am not mistaken, this was considered by the organization during the early 80's after the Franz incident. Is that true?

  Jeff S.
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  19

  Is it right to get people out of the org?

  by sleepy in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  i gather that most on this forum would agree that jehovah's witneeses do not have the truth they cliam to have.. but to what degree do we inform friends and relatives who are still belivers of this.. for many (assuming they come to the same conclution) it would come as a relief , but for others could it do more harm than good?.

  for instance an elder in my hall recently died from cancer which he had suffered from for about a year.. what kept him going and happy through pain and suffering was the belief that he was in the true religion favored by god and would recieve a resurection.. imagine the heart break he would had suffered if people had convinced him that the society was a sham.. imagine others say like my parents who are in their 50's and have no pension who look forward to the future paradise.. would it be right for me to covince them that thier dreams for for future are all flawed.. i am still in my 20's and i'm not the type to get depreesed and all that, but i have to admit to being gutted when the truth dawned on me that all my hopeds and beliefs were likely wrong.. but can we be certain to such an absolute degree that all that witnesses belive is false?.

  do we really have the right to preach with coviction to others that they are wrong, just like we preached when we belived?.

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  jschwehm

  hi Sleepy-

  I would answer that it is a good thing to assist individuals who wish to leave the WT organization. It is difficult to help people who do not want help. I think it is important to share information with individuals who will listen.

  In addition, one of the best things to do is to speak to individuals *before* they get involved in destructive groups like the JWs. My wife and I speak to youth groups and others about the dangers of cults and hopefully our warnings about how cults work will help them to make informed decisions whenever they are in a situation where a cult recruiter comes calling.

  Jeff S.
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  39

  Where were you in 1975?

  by dins in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  i have a vivid memory of 1975 even though i was only 6 years old.

  i remember the whispers and the fervor surrounding the year.

  i even had an uncle who marked his calendar every day with big red xs proclaiming that he couldn't wait for "this evil system of things to end.".

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  jschwehm

  Hi-

  I was living in Louisiana and going to the East Metairie Congregation with my mother I think. I believe my mother had just gotten baptized some time in 1974 and my father was starting to study.

  I was about 7 years old and I can remember my parents telling me that I would never have to live as a grown up in this old wicked system. They told me that I would never make it to high school, get married, or have to raise a family in this wicked world.

  When I got older, my parents and other JWs told me that the Society never said anything about 1975 but that certain ones in the organization got too excited about the date and read more into the Society's comments on 1975 than what was actually there. Of course, if this is the case, why did the Society write a half-hearted apology over the 1975 issue in the 1980's if I am not mistaken.

  In any case, the Society's propaganda machine went into action not long after the 1975 debacle and most dubs today are in permanent denial over the event especially the ones who lived through it and are still loyal JWs.

  Jeff S.
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  35

  Joseph Rutherford and Burlesque

  by Amazing in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  no one really expects 'perfection' of their fellow humans, even of those in high station.

  our past president, bill clinton certainly demonstrated that men in high station can and do give into acts that are not accepted by the public at large.

  likewise, i doubt anyone expects that joseph rutherford would be perfect, but we would expect that as a human, he had his ways.. what about "true" spiritual leaders?

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  jschwehm

  Edmund Gruss has written a book entitled "Jehovah's Witnesses and Their Monuments to False Prophecy" has a lot information and a lot of documentation about Beth Sarim and Beth Shan.

  Jeff S.
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  5

  Sound Bites from BRCI - #3 of 3

  by Amazing in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  one former bethelite was talking about a close relationship he had with a governing body member.

  (i happen to have a couple of tapes of this gb member the former bethelite mentioned.

  they were talks he gave on prayer.

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  jschwehm

  Hi Amazing-

  That is like the conversation that my brother in law had with a member of the GB while serving at Bethel...This GB member who is now deceased said that the JWs should sue the organization for fraud because of all the false prophesies and failed predictions that it made as God's channel.

  Jeff S.
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  5

  Unnecessary Suffering & Military Service

  by jschwehm in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  alan f. demonstrated the deceit of the watchtower organization over the issue of alternate civilian service for military service.

  there is no question in my mind that the headquarters got numerous letters over this issue after the change was announced in the 1996 watchtower.

  they comment on this in the august 15, 1998 watchtower:.

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  jschwehm

  Yes, anyone who has any doubt that the organization's leaders encourages its followers to view their organizational policies as if they come from God need only read the literature. This is idolatry plain and simple.

  Jeff S.
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  5

  Unnecessary Suffering & Military Service

  by jschwehm in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  alan f. demonstrated the deceit of the watchtower organization over the issue of alternate civilian service for military service.

  there is no question in my mind that the headquarters got numerous letters over this issue after the change was announced in the 1996 watchtower.

  they comment on this in the august 15, 1998 watchtower:.

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  jschwehm

  Hi Gang-

  Alan F. demonstrated the deceit of the Watchtower Organization over the issue of alternate civilian service for military service. There is no question in my mind that the headquarters got numerous letters over this issue after the change was announced in the 1996 Watchtower. They comment on this in the August 15, 1998 Watchtower:

  *** w98 8/15 17 Strengthening Our Confidence in God's Righteousness ***
  6 In the past, some Witnesses have suffered for refusing to share in an activity that their conscience now might permit. For example, this might have been their choice years ago as to certain types of civilian service. A brother might now feel that he could conscientiously perform such without overstepping his Christian neutrality regarding the present system of things.
  7 Was it unrighteous on Jehovah’s part to allow him to suffer for rejecting what he now might do without consequences? Most who have had that experience would not think so. Rather, they rejoice that they had the opportunity of demonstrating publicly and clearly that they were determined to be firm on the issue of universal sovereignty. (Compare Job 27:5.) What reason could anyone have to regret having followed his conscience in taking a firm stand for Jehovah? By loyally upholding Christian principles as they understood them or by responding to the proddings of conscience, they proved worthy of Jehovah’s friendship. Certainly, it is wise to avoid a course that would disturb one’s conscience or that would likely cause others to be stumbled. We can think in this regard of the example that the apostle Paul set.—1 Corinthians 8:12, 13; 10:31-33.

  Here are the questions that accompany this paragraph in the study article as well:

  *** w98 8/15 20 Strengthening Our Confidence in God's Righteousness ***
  6, 7. (a) Why might some Witnesses who suffered in the past now have a different understanding? (b) Why should we not view Jehovah as unrighteous for having permitted such suffering in the past?

  I think what is telling is that the organization refuses to admit that they manipulated these individuals under the threat of shunning to refuse alternate civilian service. They wish to blame this situation entirely on the rank and file JWs and of course deflect the blame from the borg.

  In addition, they turn around and blame the previous view on God as demonstrated in the question they ask above. In other words, do not view the organization/Jehovah unrighteous for allowing you guys to suffer because of the policies we had in place back then. In addition, they tell these poor individuals who suffered due to their crazy policies what they should feel now that the organization allows individuals more freedom to choose alternatives in this area.

  The Watchtower organization has no love for the individual JWs at all and situations such as this one demonstrate this.

  Jeff S.
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  37

  The Day "Rebellion" Happened in Bethel

  by metatron in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  years ago, during the early 70's, conditions and morale.

  at bethel got pretty bad - a sex ranting knorr,.

  demanding overseers, stupid policies, and brothers.

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  jschwehm

  I do not remember the Bethel application that I filled out in detail. I know that they had us sign an agreement at the end saying that we would work wherever we were assigned or something.

  I believe that way it worked for me was that the service committee of my congregation accepted the application and then it went to the Circuit Overseer who would then approve it or not. Then I guess the personnel department at Bethel took over from there.

  By the way, when I was getting ready to leave Bethel, I was told in no uncertain terms NOT to talk about the craziness that happens there.

  Jeff S.
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  3

  Silentlambs on radio program

  by jschwehm in

  1. watchtower
  2. scandals

  saturday, june 30, 2001. silent lambs with a former jehovah's witness and an active witness concerned.

  about child and sexual abuse within the watchtower society.

  computer users all over the country can listen to "family shield!".

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  jschwehm

  I just wanted to bring this back to the top so people can see it.

  Jeff S.
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  3

  Silentlambs on radio program

  by jschwehm in

  1. watchtower
  2. scandals

  saturday, june 30, 2001. silent lambs with a former jehovah's witness and an active witness concerned.

  about child and sexual abuse within the watchtower society.

  computer users all over the country can listen to "family shield!".

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  jschwehm

  Saturday, June 30, 2001
  Silent Lambs with a Former Jehovah's Witness and an Active Witness Concerned
  About Child and Sexual Abuse Within the Watchtower Society

  Computer users all over the country can listen to "Family Shield!"

  Computer users all over the country can listen to "Family Shield" live providing they have adjusted for their time zones (11:05 Central, 12:05 Eastern, 10:05 Mountain, 9:05 Pacific). The AM 850 KFUO website offers live programming through the RealAudio option. Persons who access the KFUO website at www.kfuo.org can select the "Listen Live" option. If they do not have the RealAudio program, they will be prompted to download it free when they click on "Listen Live."