Posts by truth_b

28

Looking Back Were There Any “Apostates” In Your Congregation?

by minimus in

jw
friends

i remember knowing some jws that expressed their own personal viewpoints regarding what a scripture meant that was at odds with society teachings.

in the 60 and 70’s, that was pretty much tolerated until the great purge in 1979 and 1980. as a matter of fact, it wasn’t unusual for witnesses to get together and discuss personal questions and viewpoints they might have.

it wasn’t unusual to send letters to the society asking what was considered the right or wrong view.

truth_b_known

Two that I know of -

There was an elder a lot looked up to. He was a great person and had a storybook family; loving wife and 2 kids. As the story goes, his wife met an apostate and woke up pretty quick. The story continues that the elder and his wife got divorced because he couldn't take her constant apostate attacks. Within a couple of months following all that he was "free to remarry" and did.

The second is not so cut and dry. My father was disfellowshipped. He had been sharing things he had learned in studying the Bible. Eventually he was called to a judicial meeting and asked if he believed he was part of the Faith & Discreet Slave. He answer in the positive (keep in mind this was about 30 years ago) as he professed to be one of the Annointed. He was never told why he was disfellowshipped, but a friend of mine was at a get together where one or more of the elders on that judicial committee was present. My friend overheard one of the elders state that they just had to disfellowship someone for apostasy. The funny thing was the congregation presiding overseer looked into it about a year later and told those elders they needed to reinstate my father.

26

The Bible speaks of the "Unforgivable Sin" ? What is it ?

by smiddy3 in

do any jehovah`s witnesses or ex jehovah`s witnesses even know what that sin is ?.

why is such a statement in the bible if its not identified what that sin is ?.

were the authors of the book just playing with peoples heads ?

truth_b_known

BelisemDeBelimakom has gotten the closest correct answer. Jesus was performing miracles by means of the Holy Spirit. The Pharisees were going around stating Jesus' miracles were done by means of an "unclean spirit". That sin is unforgivable according to Jesus' words.

4

Two Quotes Jehovah’s Witnesses in Particular Need to Consider

by PhilosophicalLogic in

jw
friends

“he who knows only his own side of the case knows little of that.

his reasons may be good, and no one may have been able to refute them.

but if he is equally unable to refute the reasons on the opposite side, if he does not so much as know what they are, he has no ground for preferring either opinion... nor is it enough that he should hear the opinions of adversaries from his own teachers, presented as they state them, and accompanied by what they offer as refutations.

truth_b_known

Truth does not ask to be believed. Truth asks to be tested.

As previous posters have already stated so well, I am sure if you ask one of Jehovah's Witnesses "To whom should I ask my questions about Jehovah's Witnesses" they would answer "From one of Jehovah's Witnesses." To which you could in turn ask "Why then should I ask Jehovah's Witnesses questions about other religions?"

16

Can a righteous God be one-sided?

by RULES & REGULATIONS in

a mother and her four young daughters — the oldest of whom was 6 — died in a residential fire wednesday morning in des plaines, il.

officials said.. four young children and one adult were killed in a house fire in the 700 block of west oakton street in des plaines, jan. 27, 2021.. .

after 45 years as a jehovah's witness, this tragic story really has me really questioning if there really is a god?

truth_b_known

According to an old Hindu legend, there was a time when all human beings were gods, but they abused their divinity. So, Brahma, the chief god, decided to take the divinity away from them and hide it somewhere they could never find it.

Brahma called a council of the gods to help him decide where to hide the divinity. “Let’s bury it deep in the earth,” said the gods. But Brahma answered, “Humans will dig into the earth and find it.” Some gods suggested, “Let’s sink it in the deepest ocean.” But Brahma said, “No, Human will learn to dive into the ocean and will find it.” Then some gods suggested, “Let’s take it to the top of the highest mountain and hide it there.” Brahma replied, “Human will eventually climb every mountain and take up their divinity.” Then all the gods gave up and said, “We do not know where to hide it, because it seems that there is no place on earth or ocean that human beings will not eventually reach.”

Brahma thought for a long time said, “We will hide their divinity deep into the center of their own being, Humans will search for it here and there but they wont look for the divinity inside their true selves”

All the gods agreed that this was the perfect hiding place, and the deed was done. And since then, humans have been going up and down the earth, digging, diving, climbing, and exploring, searching for something, which already lies within themselves.

“Divinity lies within us all”

22

Should JW's Follow an Apostate?

by Sea Breeze in

wasn't ct russell an apostate seventh day adventist?.

truth_b_known

I think the Seventh Day Adventists are actually one of many splinter groups of the original International Bible Students. When Russell died and Rutherford carried out his successful coup of the Watchtower many of Russell's followers left to make their own sect.

16

Can a righteous God be one-sided?

by RULES & REGULATIONS in

a mother and her four young daughters — the oldest of whom was 6 — died in a residential fire wednesday morning in des plaines, il.

officials said.. four young children and one adult were killed in a house fire in the 700 block of west oakton street in des plaines, jan. 27, 2021.. .

after 45 years as a jehovah's witness, this tragic story really has me really questioning if there really is a god?

truth_b_known

Rules & Regulations:

What you are struggling with this the cognitive dissonance created by Western culture (which is heavily influenced by Judeo-Christian belief systems) and reality. In Judeo-Christian teachings the god of the Bible is "good" and "love". The god of the bible only created things that are good. Anything not good is disobedient mankind's fault.

As a rational human being it does not compute that a benevolent, all powerful, higher consciousness that is only capable of good would allow innocent people to be hurt or killed. The cognitive dissonance shown by mainstream Protestant sects of Christianity tries to explain all that is "bad" in the world and ends up as a pile of rubbish. There is a good reason for that - the answers don't lie in Judeo-Christian belief structures.

That is not to say that it is all useless. I can't argue with ideas such as -

Feed the poor
Care for the sick
Love your enemies

I was born and raised as one of Jehovah's Witnesses. I got out through a slow fade. Then I came to the realization it was all nonsense. I became a nihilistic anti-theist for years. That took a huge toll on me.

I started studying Eastern religions and philosophies. The idea found in Hinduism, but especially Taoism and Buddhism struck a chord with me. Especially since they are rational structures that fit in with science.

Is there a god? The only honest and accurate answer I can give is - I don't know. I am open to the idea. I don't need to know to be happy.

I believe throughout mankind's history there are individuals who somehow gained some sort of enlightenment. They tried to share that enlightenment using the ideas that already existed in their culture. Then people took that knowledge and distorted it into rigid systems called "religion".

9

A 'typical JW' story

by joey jojo in

i am friends with an elderly 'worldly' woman, who was unaware i am an ex-jw.

she employs a jw husband and wife pioneer couple for odd jobs around her house- mowing, cleaning etc.

the couple has been working for her and her recently deceased husband for years.. just before the 2019 international convention, despite the fact that the husband was fighting his last battle with illness, the couple kept asking him to attend the convention with them.

truth_b_known

Many years ago I recall offering the Watchtower & Awake! magazines to a person at his doorstep. He stated he would take and read my magazines if I took and read his Catholic magazine. I refused thinking I did the right thing. It has the same underlying principle - Witnesses have 2 street signs in their world: One Way and No Turn. Pretty hypocritical.

The funny part was shortly after that we had a Circuit Overseer visit and the CO brought up this scenario. The CO stated that it was alright to take and even read the magazine if it meant getting Watchtower literature in the householder's hands.

26

Changed From "Disfellowshipped" to "No Longer One of Jehovah's Witnesses!

by Atlantis in

jw
friends

a friend is trying to figure out the approximate date or letter, which indicated a change from the wording of public announcements.. they changed from saying the person has been disfellowshipped to saying that a person was no longer one of jehovah's witnesses.. i thought it was around the time of the bulgaria scandal.. could you help us out to remember when this change took place?

if we could remember the approximate year, we could look up all the boe's for that year and might find the letter.. many thanks!.

atlantis!.

truth_b_known

Oh, yeah! There are multiple outcomes from a committee meeting. The scope goes from disfellowshipped to northing. Publicly and privately "reproved" are in the middle. Even the extent of the proof may have varying degree of "privileges" being restricted.

I think the terms/phrases you will hear announced at a meeting are so-in-so has been/is -

Disfellowshipped

No longer one of Jehovah's Witnesses

Reproved

26

Changed From "Disfellowshipped" to "No Longer One of Jehovah's Witnesses!

by Atlantis in

jw
friends

a friend is trying to figure out the approximate date or letter, which indicated a change from the wording of public announcements.. they changed from saying the person has been disfellowshipped to saying that a person was no longer one of jehovah's witnesses.. i thought it was around the time of the bulgaria scandal.. could you help us out to remember when this change took place?

if we could remember the approximate year, we could look up all the boe's for that year and might find the letter.. many thanks!.

atlantis!.

truth_b_known

Waton:

I have no answer for you. I was only trying to answer the OP question.

26

Changed From "Disfellowshipped" to "No Longer One of Jehovah's Witnesses!

by Atlantis in

jw
friends

a friend is trying to figure out the approximate date or letter, which indicated a change from the wording of public announcements.. they changed from saying the person has been disfellowshipped to saying that a person was no longer one of jehovah's witnesses.. i thought it was around the time of the bulgaria scandal.. could you help us out to remember when this change took place?

if we could remember the approximate year, we could look up all the boe's for that year and might find the letter.. many thanks!.

atlantis!.

truth_b_known

If memory serves, I believe the newer phrase "No longer one of Jehovah's Witnesses" was the replacement terminology for "disassociated". A disfellowshipped person may still want to be one of Jehovah's Witnesses, but may not have convinced the 3 elders that they are truly sorry for what they have done.

truth_b_known

Posts by truth_b_known