ScenicViewer

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Posts by ScenicViewer

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  26

  Finding out that jws are not what they make out to be

  by nomorepain13 in

  1. jw
  2. experiences

  *warning this is long* it all started on the last day of the "remain loyal to jehovah" convention.

  a little background story, i've been raised as a jw, been in and out of the religon, never baptised but was made an unbaptized publisher about 3 years ago, always felt out of place in the congregation, blamed myself for this because if i had just went to meetings and did all the right things then i would have friends and not be in the mess that i was.

  right after becoming an unbaptized publisher i met my now fiance, end up leaving my mother's house to live with him, elders haven't contacted me about my situation even though i'm sure they know as my step father is an elder...but anyway on the last day of the convention my fiance came with me as i was visiting my mother and had planned to go with her and her husband to the convention.

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  ScenicViewer

  nomorepain13: Finding out that jws are not what they make out to be
  

  Not only is the religion of Jehovah's Witnesses not everything it pretends to be, it is absolutely nothing it pretends to be.
  
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  182

  Major congregational quake in Southern California

  by Hecce in

  1. watchtower
  2. beliefs

  this notice is not official yet and it should be confidential until released thru the proper channels.

  a friend of mine told me about a huge elders meeting in southern california.

  the subject was the relocation and dissolution of some congregations; it seems that this is the result of some project that has been going on for some time and is going to be implemented right now.. please let me know if this is happening all over the country?.

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  ScenicViewer

  That letter is talking out of both sides of it's mouth, isn't it?

  It is very exciting to witness the rapid growth of the visible part of Jehovah’s organization.

  That part promotes the illusion that there is growth in the organization, and it's what many JWs will hear.

  ...whether an auditorium could be better utilized by merging congregations

  "Merging congregations." This is what's really happening. Wouldn't "rapid growth" mean that more KHs are needed, not fewer, which will be the direct result of merging?
  

  
  

  ... your congregation will participate directly in an adjustment that will include neighboring congregations.

  But the congregation isn't told what the "adjustment" will be, suggesting to those that have their ear to the ground that it will be bad news, but the average JW will think that any adjustment will always come from Jehovah and will be wonderful - until after it happens.
  

  Can you hear the future spin on this? An elder, still promoting the false idea that there is growth in the organization, will be quoted as saying something like "Why within less than one year attendance at our KH has nearly doubled."

  It reminds me of the inflated pioneer numbers that were reported after the hourly requirement was lowered to 30 during 1 or 2 spring months and auxiliary pioneering was heavily promoted. (I think it was 30. Some low number close to that.)

  Jehovah's Witnesses have always survived on misleading half truth, but now more than ever.
  

  
  
  

  
  
  
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  15

  I finally tied the knot, or any advice for an old "sew-and-sew"?

  by compound complex in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  i met up with many friends of 50-60 years over the last week.

  these were friends from the neighborhood, school, and kh.

  i renewed some really special attachments.

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  ScenicViewer

  Don't be mislead; be misled.

  Oops!
  
• 
  15

  I finally tied the knot, or any advice for an old "sew-and-sew"?

  by compound complex in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  i met up with many friends of 50-60 years over the last week.

  these were friends from the neighborhood, school, and kh.

  i renewed some really special attachments.

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  ScenicViewer

  - I finally tied the knot

  - ...an old "sew and sew"

  - ...it all seams to be...

  - I renewed some special attachments

  All the word play mislead me too, but you only got stitched, not hitched.
  
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  41

  what are your thoughts on this quote from the elders book?

  by aboveusonlysky in

  1. watchtower
  2. bible

  'in order to extend mercy, the committee must be convinced that the wrongdoer has a changed heart condition and that he has a zeal to right the wrong and is absolutely determined to avoid it in the future.'.

  shepherd the flock page 91. i remember this is one of the first things that concerned me as an elder because it seemed to sound like a person is guilty until proven innocent rather than 'love believes all things', especially given the word 'convinced' appears in bold.. then in a training video one elder said something like 'unless we are convinced of repentance the shepherd the flock book says we must disfellowship'.

  that was the begining of the end for me as i thought surely true christians would reason the other way round and show mercy wherever possible.. any thoughts?.

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  ScenicViewer

  Prodical son - squandered a fortune living a debauched life, came home when the money ran out - thrown a banquet.

  David - had an innocent man killed to cover adultery - kept his position as king but had his baby killed.

  Achan - theft - fessed up and was stoned and burned along with his entire family.

  So basically pick an example and be as forgiving or harsh as you want.

  That's a pretty wide span of outcomes. No wonder Watchtower is all over the place with it's judgements.
  
  
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  41

  what are your thoughts on this quote from the elders book?

  by aboveusonlysky in

  1. watchtower
  2. bible

  'in order to extend mercy, the committee must be convinced that the wrongdoer has a changed heart condition and that he has a zeal to right the wrong and is absolutely determined to avoid it in the future.'.

  shepherd the flock page 91. i remember this is one of the first things that concerned me as an elder because it seemed to sound like a person is guilty until proven innocent rather than 'love believes all things', especially given the word 'convinced' appears in bold.. then in a training video one elder said something like 'unless we are convinced of repentance the shepherd the flock book says we must disfellowship'.

  that was the begining of the end for me as i thought surely true christians would reason the other way round and show mercy wherever possible.. any thoughts?.

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  ScenicViewer

  Iown Mylife:

  ...Jerry Decker. He really believed in being sympathetic and understanding.

  In my previous post I mentioned an elder's remark about leaning toward mercy when in doubt. It would have been in the late 1970s or early 1980s when he said that, but the modern elder's manual says the opposite.

  Like your experience with Jerry Decker, who was compassionate, I believe the elder was telling me the truth at the time. Now it seems that the organization has changed, that it has become more harsh in making judgements and is leaning away from being merciful.

  In other words, the Watchtower organization is becoming more and more controlling as time goes on.
  
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  41

  what are your thoughts on this quote from the elders book?

  by aboveusonlysky in

  1. watchtower
  2. bible

  'in order to extend mercy, the committee must be convinced that the wrongdoer has a changed heart condition and that he has a zeal to right the wrong and is absolutely determined to avoid it in the future.'.

  shepherd the flock page 91. i remember this is one of the first things that concerned me as an elder because it seemed to sound like a person is guilty until proven innocent rather than 'love believes all things', especially given the word 'convinced' appears in bold.. then in a training video one elder said something like 'unless we are convinced of repentance the shepherd the flock book says we must disfellowship'.

  that was the begining of the end for me as i thought surely true christians would reason the other way round and show mercy wherever possible.. any thoughts?.

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  ScenicViewer

  Many years ago an elder told me, after he had returned from an elder training school, that when in doubt elders should lean toward mercy in judicial matters. However this quote from the elder's manual shows just the opposite.

  Judicial systems vary from country to country. In the US it's 'innocent until proven guilty,' the idea being that it's better to let a guilty man go than to convict an innocent person. In other places it's 'guilty until proven innocent,' the idea being that it's better to convict an innocent man than to let a guilty person go.

  It seems that Watchtower is following the more harsh way of the world rather than the more lenient way of the world and the Bible itself ('love believes all things').

  Thanks for this post aboveusonlysky - I learned something about the organization that I was not aware of.
  
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  8

  Am I right in thinking that the most zealous JW make the most zealous apostates.

  by Chook in

  1. jw
  2. experiences

  just a thought.

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  ScenicViewer

  Maybe some were weak as active Witnesses because they didn't fully accept all of it. It's hard to get behind something when you sense problems with it, even if you can't fully explain them.

  Then, when they fully woke up, they became zealous against it because they can fully see the trickery Watchtower uses and are happy to explain it to others.

  Am I right in thinking that the most zealous JW make the most zealous apostates?

  I think it's a general rule with plenty of room for exceptions.
  
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  35

  My Favouite Inappropriate Watchtower Pictures

  by pale.emperor in

  1. watchtower
  2. bible

  i'd love to see you're favorite wt illustrations/photo's that they think are fine to print - but are actually kind of creepy/wierd.. .

  here's my three fave from my book of bible stories (yes, a book for children!)..

  man gets his head nailed into the floor with a tent pin by a good jehovah worshipper:.

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  ScenicViewer

  Small girl in a ditch, apparently dead, next to her doll, puppy, and a bicycle.

  More fear mongering aimed at small children. Little eyes pick up these small details.

  The large image from the book is cropped for this post.
  

  Paradise book (From Paradise Lost to Paradise Regained), 1958, p159

  
  
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  30

  Incredible cover of book published in 1932

  by Truthexplorer in

  1. watchtower
  2. bible

  ok, i am reading through the book the watchtower and the masons by fritz spring meier which i am finding a fascinating read; and discovered that judge rutherford published the book 'cause of death'.

  what is incredible is the book cover.

  the book was published in 1932 which would have been a little bit more eye catching back then.

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  ScenicViewer

  As a side point, Watchtower now teaches that the snake didn't have feet, but in 1932 they obviously said differently.