Posts by Franklin Massey

55

Longtime lurker - first post

by applehippie in

jw
friends

been listening for quite a while to the many conversations found here on this forum.

i'm a good listener as my friends will tell you.. i am a born in jw, inactive for at least 2 years now.

i originally joined this forum to find out what my husband was "up to".

He was very angry and hurt with organization and put me and our family through a lot of heartache. However, I now think it was one of the things that aided him on his journey and his growth to the man he is now.

Although I haven't put my wife through "a lot of heartache," I know that I stress her out when I get fevered about the Org. I'm trying to learn better mechanisms to deal with my issues and she is a pretty liberal JW lady who has slowly allowed herself to open up to more ideas beyond current JW teaching. I hope that she will be able to say something similar to what you posted above in the future.

98

Discussion involving my Dad & other long timers - Mood is definately different

by Doubting Bro in

jw
friends

i've seen several posts relating to the mood among longtime jws here recently.

i thought i would add to that collection and recount a discussion i recently had with my dad and a small group of folks about his age.

quick background on the group:.

Franklin Massey

A very loyal, intelligent, and respected sister in our hall told me last week, "The more I read the Gospels, the more I realize that Jesus rarely taught doctrine. Instead, he taught principles. The more I think about this, the less attached I am to 'rules.' I think we (JWs) get too wrapped up in the small stuff and miss the big picture."

The same sister also said in another conversation, "Jesus was not judgemental. He didn't speak in generalities and absolutes. He was flexible depending on the situation of who he was talking to. I've been trying to be the same way which has led me to speak less and listen more. I've been doing this in the service car groups and I'm noticing that some of the friends speak in such a close-minded manner."

These interactions give me hope that more JWs are able to read their Bibles and search for understanding free of the rigidity and judgement of WT doctrine. The Society breeds close-minded people by stifling independent thinking. I'm glad there are still thinkers out there. I just wish more of them would speak up.

25

A baptism question for Morbidzbaby (and the rest of ya'll).....

by Mr. Falcon in

i read morbidzbaby's comment on the post http://www2.jehovahs-witness.net/watchtower/beliefs/206838/1/a-question-to-the-ex-jws were she said that she got baptized "hoping that it would sort everything out".

this got me thinking about the whole jw ritual of baptism and dedication.

i look back and recall that i never privately "dedicated" myself to anything or anyone before taking the "dip".. the wt teaching is that a person should privately dedicate (via prayer) themselves to jehovah before publically going through the ritual.

Franklin Massey

I was just a kid. It was a rite of passage. I had hit all of the benchmarks thus far (Theocratic Ministry School talk #1, unbaptized publisher, TMS talk #4, comments in my own words) so the next logical step seemed to be baptism. That's what I was always told to encouraged to do next. Plus, two of my contemporaries were getting baptised at the next assembly so I had to keep up. I did the dedication prayer because I was told that's what you had to do before you took the dip. The emphasis was always on the baptism - not the dedication. "You can do this when you're baptized" "When you're baptized, you can do that." Never, "Once you have made that personal, private dedication to God..."

It's weird though, because no one asked me about when I made my private dedication. No one clapped. No hugs. No one bought me a suit, bookbag, necktie for what was supposed to be the most important part of the whole ritual. None of that came until the day of the Big Show. According to JW doctrine, the public thing is supposed to be the less important outward symbol of the more important one-on-one dedication that a person makes with God. If that is the case, then why the big ceremony? Couldn't a person (a mature adult - not a kid that just started having wet dreams) make their dedication i private and just carry on? Why the celebration?

45

How far are you on your journey away from the JW Org?

by punkofnice in

i mentally left the org in march 2010. i stepped down as an elder after my lad got into trouble.

i researched the publications to make myself 'spiritually strong' but it backfired.. i was in mental and emotional turmoil, still on fs, the platform and meetings etc.

i had to force myself to conform to ever failing jw doctrine.. i announced to my family that i was not going back to meetings in august 2010 after the 'overlapping' joke of 'new light'.. i told the elders not to call.

Franklin Massey

@punkofnice: I am a better student of the Bible now than I've ever been. Hence, my doubts about "The Truth."

@unshackled: Read some of Miz's and my posts. This site is therapeutic. If I wasn't posting here, I would be walking the streets talking to myself like some sort of crackhead. In all seriousness though, I'm not sure how much longer I can pull it off. I'm getting tired.

14

Answer Up

by Franklin Massey in

jw
friends

we don't have this expression in the us.

"i always 'answer up' at every meeting.

" i love it!

Franklin Massey

"On the doors?" Never heard of it.

Our "answer up" is always just called "commenting."

34

Did you feel your BOE was spirit directed?

by pontoon in

jw
friends

when i was first appointed i did, not me myself, but the body as a whole.

good group of spiritual men.

at first a pleasure to serve with them.

Franklin Massey

I've never believed it. Even from a very young age, I saw some real troubles within the elder body. I remember being sad that my Dad was gone off to elders meetings that sometimes lasted until after midnight. He would come home depressed and tired. He later told me that there was infighting and that on a couple of occasions, he had to walk out of meetings that got too heated and were stuck in a dead end. Then I had friends whose dads were elders and the stuff that went on in their homes (broken marriages, physical and emotional abuse) convinced me that no divine force was hand picking these guys.

I'm in no way saying that all elders are bad. I'm just saying that they are not spirit appointed.

22

latest public watchtower says issue has been settled. why no new system then

by therevealer in

3. why has god allowed suffering?.

for a time, jehovah has tolerated rebellion.

to show that no.

Franklin Massey

I can't believe this silly 6,000 years thing is still around. I hoped that after the last two Creationist/Intelligent Design brochures came out that JWs would at least abandon these inaccurate dates for human existence. The ID folks mostly have. Heck, they have mostly dismissed the chance of the Genesis account being literal. Every time I think the WT is moving even just the tiniest bit forward, they stumble right back.

12

Has Anyone Been to a JC for "Brazen Conduct" Yet?

by OnTheWayOut in

just wanted to hear any stories connected to that new term from the elder's handbook..

Franklin Massey

No problems of that type yet in our congregation. Haven't had to use it. I don't think the term "brazen" is catching on either.

45

How far are you on your journey away from the JW Org?

by punkofnice in

i mentally left the org in march 2010. i stepped down as an elder after my lad got into trouble.

i researched the publications to make myself 'spiritually strong' but it backfired.. i was in mental and emotional turmoil, still on fs, the platform and meetings etc.

i had to force myself to conform to ever failing jw doctrine.. i announced to my family that i was not going back to meetings in august 2010 after the 'overlapping' joke of 'new light'.. i told the elders not to call.

Franklin Massey

Mentally: Waaaaay out. The more I pay attention at meetings, study, go out in field service, etc., the further out I go.

Physically: Waaaaay in. If you could see me in action you would think I would never leave.

12

So presumptuous that they don't realize they're condemned by their own literature.

by miseryloveselders in

jw
friends

this is from the come be my follower publication.

pages 187-189. i highlighted what i found to be ironic.. 14. on the other hand, jesus must be very happy to look down from heaven and see that millions of people are fulfilling the disciple-making commission that he gave his followers before leaving the earth.

(matthew 28:19, 20) what a privilege it is to contribute to the joy of the messianic king!

Franklin Massey

Here's what I find interesting...

As Miz pointed out, JWs don't use Mark 9:38-41 very often. However, they do pick up with vs. 42: “If anyone causes one of these little ones—those who believe in me—to stumble, it would be better for them if a large millstone were hung around their neck and they were thrown into the sea." This is often used to keep people from going ahead with conscience matters like dress and grooming, entertainment, recreation, etc. These are matters where the choice is not outlawed by The Society but could "stumble someone." So, OK. It could be used that way. But when read in context, it really applies to the circumstance mentioned in the previous verses.

To ignore the primary message of the scripture (don't stop anyone who is trying to promote Jesus in a Christian manner because if you do, you are both hurting the chances of more people becoming Christians and stumbling someone who is trying to be Christian) by acting directly against it ("all other so-called Christian churches are horrible and will be destroyed by the very being they profess to worship") is ridiculous.