John Aquila

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Posts by John Aquila

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  32

  WHY DO ONLY A FEW START TO QUESTION DOCTRINE CHANGES AND NOT EVERYONE?

  by disillusioned 2 in

  1. watchtower
  2. beliefs

  there are many on here who state specific changes in wt publications have caused them to start questioning (understandably you would think), and yet the majority don't.

  why is it only a few individuals that do this?

  curious as to what others think about this.

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  John Aquila

  There’s a couple of books that shed some light on this question.
  “The True Beliver” by Eric Hoffer and “The Believing Brain” and “The Science of Good and Evil” by Michael Shermer”

  People in general don’t like change, because change is disruptive. If the status quo is tolerable, then most people “Prefer” to go along with the current flow. But there is always a few people out of the “Group of Humanity” that always want to know more about the world and life. In the process of learning, they come to realize that the path they are in- is a dead end and they need to formulate a more viable trajectory into the future. It’s the brain’s response as a result of any new information it has received to give the person a “Wake up call” thus prodding people to abandon undesirable situations like (Dead end jobs, bad relationships, and cults)

  But for the majority of people, as long as they are not affected personally by ridiculous demands, they will prefer just to go along with the flow.

  It’s people like us “apostates that open the door to knowledge of the world. Remember Galileo? He went against the current religious idea that the earth was the center of the universe and the sun revolved around the earth. He was considered as apostate and found guilty of apostasy and a heresy.

  But he was right. And everyone else was wrong.
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  23

  Disfellowship, Disassociate, or fade. What would you do different.

  by John Aquila in

  1. jw
  2. experiences

  hindsight: .

  many times because of the shock of learning ttatt, a person loses it.

  you want to scream and tell the whole world that the watchtower is a big lie.

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  John Aquila

  Awake magazine quote:

  This magazine builds confidence in the Creator's promise of a peaceful and secure new world before the generation that saw the events of 1914 passes away.

  I need to get some of those old Awakes magazines. That was like the red flag for me. 1995 the year the generation starting changing, the year trouble started brewing in my household.
  
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  23

  Disfellowship, Disassociate, or fade. What would you do different.

  by John Aquila in

  1. jw
  2. experiences

  hindsight: .

  many times because of the shock of learning ttatt, a person loses it.

  you want to scream and tell the whole world that the watchtower is a big lie.

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  John Aquila

  Hindsight:

  Many times because of the shock of learning TTATT, a person loses it. You want to scream and tell the whole world that the Watchtower is a big lie. Your first concern is those you love. You want to save your spouse, your children, your parents.

  But you blurt out and say the wrong things at the wrong time. You can’t seem to control your emotions. And you can’t control your anger. You start demonizing the Organization. You start calling them Hypocrites’, the evil slave, the Devil--- without realizing that you just started scaring your wife, your husband, your parents, and your children are crying.

  In their mind you have somehow been caught by the devil. In their mind you have disobeyed the Governing Body and have looked at the internet.

  You tell them what you read about the Watchtower. They ask you, “Where did you read this?” You answer, “The internet.” You just confirmed their worst fear. You are becoming an apostate.

  They call the elders, the parents, the friends and they all rally against you. You start slowing down in field service. The loyal JW friends start scaring your family. They say, “The next thing will be the meetings and after that the truth.”

  Sure enough the more you learn about TTATT, the more you are convinced that you cannot go out in service anymore. You keep reading more about the Watchtower, and you finally get to the point where you just can’t go to the meetings any more.

  And because one took these steps, the results in many cases, have been that many have not talked to parents for decades. Some have not talked to children for years. And some lost their marriage partners forever.

  I have no doubt that if I knew back then what I know now; I could have saved my wife.

  Now that you understand what is involved in learning TTATT and leaving the Watchtower, what would you do different.

  This is advice for new JWs lurking the site.
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  7

  What did you think of the ones that married, “Out of the Truth” but would still defend the WT Teaching?

  by John Aquila in

  1. jw
  2. experiences

  when i conducted the wt study and the article was on marrying only in the lord, it seemed that the ones who commented the most were persons who married a non-jw.

  in fact, they were the ones that always told the young single jw girls to pioneer and never marry a worldly person.

  "because i know what its like and believe me it's no fun" .

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  John Aquila

  Wdaughter
  

  They are trying to overcome the stigma of the marriage (which is not forbidden explicitly, but is definitely considered weak) by insinuating that they are in some way suffering or being persecuted in their marriage-thus removing the stigma and inviting the crown of martyr to be offered to them.

  
  

  That's a pretty good explanation.
  
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  7

  What did you think of the ones that married, “Out of the Truth” but would still defend the WT Teaching?

  by John Aquila in

  1. jw
  2. experiences

  when i conducted the wt study and the article was on marrying only in the lord, it seemed that the ones who commented the most were persons who married a non-jw.

  in fact, they were the ones that always told the young single jw girls to pioneer and never marry a worldly person.

  "because i know what its like and believe me it's no fun" .

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  John Aquila

  When I conducted the WT study and the article was on marrying only in the Lord, it seemed that the ones who commented the most were persons who married a non-JW. In fact, they were the ones that always told the young single JW girls to pioneer and “Never Marry a worldly person.” Why? "Because I know what it’s like and believe me it's no fun"

  Then you would see those same persons at the movies holding hands with their non-jw spouse having a great time, or they would relate the great vacation they had in the Bahamas and all the unrestrained sex that the non-jw spouse likes to engage in----- while the single lonely sisters perished in their pioneer work.
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  48

  Hi everyone, this is my first post.

  by John Aquila in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  hey everyone, this is my first post.

  i was contacted by the witnesses in1965, baptized in that same year at age 15. i was appointed an elder in 1975 and served as an elder for 20 years..

  it hasnt been long since i learn ttatt and when i totally woke up.

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  John Aquila

  Introvert 2

  why I'm single never married at 52

  I guarantee you if by some freaking chance I strike it big again and I meet someone and she wants to get married, I will make sure I get a pre-nup and consult a lawyer to make sure it stands up in court.

  But as of this moment, I don't feel the necessity of getting married. I had a great marriage for almost 30 years, I don't think that comes around a second time.
  
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  39

  Are Elders experts on the Bible? Are they spirtually qualified men?

  by John Aquila in

  1. watchtower
  2. beliefs

  how many times have elders read their bible in its entirety?

  these are the leaders that give counsel to married couples, to teenagers, to single girls and single boys on everything from marriage, education, sex, association, dress, and recreation..

  how well do they know their bible?

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  John Aquila

  

  millie210
  

  
  

  "they can be disfellowshipped for joining a school football team"

  (this was to a young person who wasnt even baptized)

  Now that is hilarious!
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  21

  How do you feel when you see the Witnesses in the door to door work? Angry, Sad, or dumbfounded?

  by John Aquila in

  1. watchtower
  2. beliefs

  im here sitting and listening to youtube video songs and practicing on my guitar and checking out posts on jwn.

  and one more thing, im seeing the spanish jws going door to door in my street.

  they work my street every single week.

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  John Aquila

  I’m here sitting and listening to YouTube video songs and practicing on my guitar and checking out posts on JWN.

  And one more thing, I’m seeing the Spanish JWS going door to door in my street. They work my street every single week. Last I heard there are between 80-120 Spanish Congregations in this City and the one that borders it. Today I saw some newbies - young Spanish girls still in their 20s. Wow are they gorgeous. In the same street are several middle age men in their late 30s and 40s that I knew and are drooling over these sisters. They always skip my place. I keep the fence locked and most of them know I am a witness.

  I feel sorry for those beautiful young girls wasting their youth hoping one of those middle age men with a pot belly and just enough hair for a comb-over ---------will show them some interest.
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  48

  Hi everyone, this is my first post.

  by John Aquila in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  hey everyone, this is my first post.

  i was contacted by the witnesses in1965, baptized in that same year at age 15. i was appointed an elder in 1975 and served as an elder for 20 years..

  it hasnt been long since i learn ttatt and when i totally woke up.

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  John Aquila

  The fishnet story almost sounds like you put that in for comic relief.

  I know it sounds crazy, but that kind of stuff is normal where I grew up, El Paso Tx/Juarez Mexico. You have to experience it to believe.
  

  Juárez, which has been dubbed one of the top most dangerous cities in the world, has seen more than one thousand deaths annually over the past four and a half years–1,623 in 2008; 2,754 in 2009; 3,115 in 2010; and 2,086 in 2011. The 2012 count is already at 436 less than halfway into the year. CNS reported in 2010 that more people were killed in Juárez than in the entire country of Afghanistan.

  http://www.texasmonthly.com/story/ju%C3%A1rez-death-toll-surpasses-10000

  Now It's a place where Americans don't visit unless they are unaware of the danger. But prostitution, drug lords, and transgender activities which are dangerous for them, still flourish.

  http://womensenews.org/story/lesbian-and-transgender/130825/mexican-transgender-women-deported-life-peril

  I heard that elder/woman is still giving talks at conventions.

  
  
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  60

  Are You "Technically" Still A Jehovah's Witness?

  by minimus in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  even if you don't regard yourself as a practicing jw, some may view you simply as inactive, a lost sheep, etc.. if you were baptized but not disfellowshipped or disassociated, you may still be a jw---right?

  your thoughts please..

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  John Aquila

  I am an inactive brother "Who" will get wiped out if I don't get back into the Ark of salvation before all hell breaks loose.

  I'm waiting for the first drop of rain.