Good point, Reality79. Jesus "the exemplar" did not condone their conduct, and he did not invite them to a social gathering, but he still acknowledged their existence as fellow creatures of Jehovah. After all, it was Jehovah who gave them free will; they did not create it themselves.
snakeface
JoinedPosts by snakeface
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26
"You don't even exist."
by snakeface inrecently i remembered another example which shows how hateful and unchrist-like the witnesses are brainwashed into being.. a long time ago, when i was a pioneer, i was hanging out with a group of long-time pioneers after the district convention, in the stadium hallway.
some had been pioneering for more than 10 years and therefore were considered to be spiritually mature.
a woman who appeared to be a sister was walking by; she paused and greeted us and said something like, "what a great program that was.
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26
"You don't even exist."
by snakeface inrecently i remembered another example which shows how hateful and unchrist-like the witnesses are brainwashed into being.. a long time ago, when i was a pioneer, i was hanging out with a group of long-time pioneers after the district convention, in the stadium hallway.
some had been pioneering for more than 10 years and therefore were considered to be spiritually mature.
a woman who appeared to be a sister was walking by; she paused and greeted us and said something like, "what a great program that was.
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snakeface
lola-rabbit, that is so sad, the way that sister was basically thrown away. The elders probably made that up. The person probably had repented long long long before then.
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"You don't even exist."
by snakeface inrecently i remembered another example which shows how hateful and unchrist-like the witnesses are brainwashed into being.. a long time ago, when i was a pioneer, i was hanging out with a group of long-time pioneers after the district convention, in the stadium hallway.
some had been pioneering for more than 10 years and therefore were considered to be spiritually mature.
a woman who appeared to be a sister was walking by; she paused and greeted us and said something like, "what a great program that was.
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snakeface
rebel8, good point. Of course I knew that scripture, which says "whoever says a greeting to him is a sharer in his wicked works" and another that says, along with not eating with them, "Not even saying a greeting" but I thought of it as, Whoever initiates a greeting, whoever goes up to them and opens a conversation with them. I wasn't intending to stand there and engage in a long discussion. If I had dropped by book and a DF person picked it up for me, should I not say "Thank you" to that person? (I am sure most witnesses would not in such a scenario.) All this is the way I apparently understood that scripture from the very beginning, although I never really thought about it or discussed it with anyone. I spoke and acted from my heart. My conscience was my guide.
To ignore the person's greeting would by extension imply I have determined that the person is not worthy of my greeting and that the ransom has not yet covered that person's sin. I believe that's what these witnesses feel, that Jehovah hates this person and they are not worthy of forgiveness unless they jump thru hoops in which case the elders get in between the person and Jehovah and try to get Jehovah to change his mind about destroying them.
The underlying principles should be Love and Mercy.
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"You don't even exist."
by snakeface inrecently i remembered another example which shows how hateful and unchrist-like the witnesses are brainwashed into being.. a long time ago, when i was a pioneer, i was hanging out with a group of long-time pioneers after the district convention, in the stadium hallway.
some had been pioneering for more than 10 years and therefore were considered to be spiritually mature.
a woman who appeared to be a sister was walking by; she paused and greeted us and said something like, "what a great program that was.
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snakeface
NewChapter, that's funny: "little bitches for Jehovah..." A new religion, the JB's... Jehovah's Bitches. ha ha Men can be appointed MS's and women can be appointed JB's.
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"You don't even exist."
by snakeface inrecently i remembered another example which shows how hateful and unchrist-like the witnesses are brainwashed into being.. a long time ago, when i was a pioneer, i was hanging out with a group of long-time pioneers after the district convention, in the stadium hallway.
some had been pioneering for more than 10 years and therefore were considered to be spiritually mature.
a woman who appeared to be a sister was walking by; she paused and greeted us and said something like, "what a great program that was.
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snakeface
Recently I remembered another example which shows how hateful and unChrist-like the witnesses are brainwashed into being.
A long time ago, when I was a pioneer, I was hanging out with a group of long-time pioneers after the district convention, in the stadium hallway. Some had been pioneering for more than 10 years and therefore were considered to be spiritually mature. A woman who appeared to be a sister was walking by; she paused and greeted us and said something like, "What a great program that was." I did not know her, but the others did and knew she was disfellowshipped. I personally would have said, "Yes, it sure was," and continued on my way. But they said to each other things like, "Did you hear something?" and "No, you couldn't have because there is no one there." and "I did NOT hear something -" and turning to the woman - "because I do not even know you. I don't know you at all. In fact, you don't even exist." The woman stood emotionless, then continued on her way. The pioneers explained to me that she was disfellowshipped, and that she obviously is not accepting her discipline if she's going around trying to talk to people.
Later we met up with other pioneers, and of course this group started telling the other group, "So-and-so is here, she even tried to talk to us..." the other group said yes they saw her too, she is in the process of being reinstated. The first group was saying things like, "She's not ready to be reinstated if she is not accepting Jehovah's discipline..." I tried to explain to them that the program is, we do not share spiritual things with disfellowshipped persons nor invite them to gatherings. Other than that they are still human beings. For example, if one says, "Good morning," it is proper - and Christlike - to respond "Good Morning". If they come to the hall it is proper to hold the door for them, help them find a seat, and treat them like any other visitor (even though they are not a potential Bible study).
I myself have at least been civil to disfellowshipped persons. After all, if they're at the hall or at an assembly that should tell you something right there. It's not like they are still "out in the world" committing gross sins unrepentantly. They know they're disfellowshipped, and there's no need to remind them or look down upon them. I always thought, "There but for the grace of God go I." Or as Jesus said, the one who has not sinned may throw the first stone.
A couple of years later, while walking thru the hall at a convention site, I came across a pioneer sister (from another congregation) whom I had not seen in about a year. I started talking to her, but she suddenly started trembling and crying, and her face turned red. She said to me, "I'm sorry, but I haven't been reinstated yet." She realized that I did not know she was disfellowshipped, and now she was forced to shamefully tell me she was. I felt compassion for her. I responded with something like, "It's good to see you here. I always appreciated your comments, and admired the kind things you did for people in the congregation. Keep coming back. And may Jehovah bless you." Then I continued on my way.
Question to governing body: which approach is more likely to get the "lost sheep" to return to the fold - and stay?
(Hint: read The Greatest Man book.)
ha ha
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Did YOU Actually Believe That You Would Never Die?
by minimus ineven though i was raised a witness, i was never convinced that the end would be in 1975 or even in my lifetime..
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snakeface
Yes I did. That's when I went and took flying lessons and became a pilot. My instructor said I was the "most adventurous student" he ever had.
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Should Men Tuck In Their Shirts?
by minimus ini was reading an article about how men should not tuck in their shirts if the shirt is worn as casual wear.. i often wear suits with a black tee shirt, tucked in.
i have some great cabana style shirts that are always worn over the belt.
if i'm playing some sport, i would never tuck in a tee shirt.. i looked online after i read the article and it seems some are very firm on their position...... and while we're at it, should men wear a belt with jeans or with dress slacks?.
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snakeface
Why bother to even wear a shirt?
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Should Men Tuck In Their Shirts?
by minimus ini was reading an article about how men should not tuck in their shirts if the shirt is worn as casual wear.. i often wear suits with a black tee shirt, tucked in.
i have some great cabana style shirts that are always worn over the belt.
if i'm playing some sport, i would never tuck in a tee shirt.. i looked online after i read the article and it seems some are very firm on their position...... and while we're at it, should men wear a belt with jeans or with dress slacks?.
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snakeface
Just because someone writes something in some article on the internet doesn't make them an authority.
I look at it this way: I paid for the shirt, so I wear it any way I want. If people don't like it they can turn their heads the other way. Except during the week of the circuit overseer's visit. (just kidding about that part)
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Christian Music
by free2beme inwhy is it, that those with less talent tend to sing and produce christian music?
then their efforts are not labeled as a waste of time, but rather a praise of god and thus makes anyone who wants to actually say the truth about their quality think, "i am some home speaking out against god.
" just something i noticed, as i walked through a park recently that had a christian concert of people who sung like crap with a lot of applause..
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snakeface
Well there are a lot of "secular" musical celebrities who sing like crap too. On the other hand, there are some Christian singers with great voices. For example, search youtube for John Starnes singing "Buelah Land". Even if you don't like the song, the man has a great voice. Susan Bailey, The Stroms, and so many others...do a youtube search for Christian songs and sample some of them. There is some real talent out there.
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Why was Eve's eyes not open when she ate from the tree?
by puppie069 ineve was the first to commit the sin regarding the tree?
why wasn't she the example of gods judgement?
why was adam brought into the sin.. if she ate first, why wasn't there judgement at that point?
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snakeface
That whole story is a crock of BS! It says that the animals had mates (and were naked) but when God made Adam, Adam was alone for some time. Since Adam was perfect that means he had procreative organs; yet he was alone. Then one day God realized oops Adam needs a mate. God makes a woman from Adam's rib and then tells Adam that a man will leave his father and mother and cling to his mate. Adam did not have a father and a mother. Ok then this snake comes along and starts talking to Eve. (Why didn't Satan just materialize as a man, more powerful than Adam? And perhaps have sex with her as angels did in pre-flood times?) And where was God when this was going on? Notice that God happens to come along afterward; yet he seems to know that Adam and Eve had eaten the fruit. Why didn't God intervene right after Eve ate, or when the serpent started talking, for that matter? Then after judgement was pronounced upon them, why did they suddenly need clothing?
Why did angels wait so long after that to come and "have relations with the daughters of men" (and God not seem to even know about it) yet Satan did not do so with Eve in the Garden?
It's because it's not true. And any religion that teaches it to be true is "false religion".