Room 215
JoinedTopics Started by Room 215
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13
Poll: Successful Reactivations by Elders?
by Room 215 inhi all,.
all my experience is that once a jw begins to question the organization, a irreversible progression sets in that leads inexorably to a total disaffection with the organization that no amount of ``shepherding'' can change.. so my question to you all is: can we document one single case in which a disgruntled ex-jw was successfully reactivated/restored to loyal dubdom?
(my impression is that the efficacy of elders' ``shepherding calls'' is a myth, a total waste of time).
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JW Obligations Mitigate Against Strong Families
by Room 215 inwe've all read and heard reports of what jw shunning polices do to families.
my experience is that even for faithful and active jws, strong families are rare, despite wt rhetoric to the contrary.
the reason: the society exalts what it considers to be ``spiritual obligations'' above all else, and these more often than not cut into time that could otherwise be spent with loved ones.. as an elder, i wish i had a nickel for every time a conflict of meetings schedules, assemblies, elders' meetings, etc., etc.
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17
For JWs: Ducking the Hard Questions
by Room 215 in``i mean, what have they eery been right about?
'' ``what have they ever done to merit such relfecxive, unflinching loyalty?''.
these two questions i've posited several times to the apologists on this bards, with nary a response to date.
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63
A Salute to the Kids of Dubdom
by Room 215 inas the unfortunate school-age children of jws worldwide, or at least in christendom, face up to two of what must certainly be the most dreaded days of the school year -- today and monday, i don't think it would be remiss to do pay them tribute -- the honor of a brief recognition of some sort, say by the raising of a glass, a prayer, a couple moments' reflection, whatever.. i refer to all those of the trembling knees, quivering lips, moistened eyes and hollow feelings in the pits of their little tummies as they loyally face up to the humiliation of standing aside from the masses of christmas celebrants among their school friends.
how they must agonize over dealing with the incessant questions of their mates about ``what are you going to do this christmas," ``what did santa bring you?
'' -- not to mention listening to the spirited banter of their school friends recounting how much fun they had and what they found under tree christmas morning, etc.
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8
Whence Baptism?
by Room 215 inhave any of you researchedthe origins of the practice of baptism?
as far as i can determine, there's no mention of it, much less as a requirement, in the torah or any of the old testament.. unless i'm missing something, it appears suddenly with john the baptist (oh, excuse me, wt lurkers, john the baptiser).. so then, if all of this is as it appears, then it's fair to conclude that the practice is of extra-biblical (as in ``pagan'' or ``heathen'') origins.
if true, then we have a fascinating example of how john, then jesus, appropriated a pagan custom because of its suitability as a symbol; in this case, of dying to a former life course and awakening to another.
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18
Bethel Memoirs, Good and Not So Good
by Room 215 inin an earlier post, i mentioned a recent trip to a local assembly hall to catch up on the latest in jw rhetoric -- which incidentally sounds pretty much like it always has.. .
while being regaled with exhortations to elevate the importance of meeting attendance to the status of that approaching a patient on life support, i couldn't help but chuckle as how so many -- not all, mind you, but many bethelites during my tenure there in the late sixties, honed their skill at ducking meetings to the level of fine art.. because it was policy that work assignments took precedence over all other obligations including and especially meetings and field service, many would find some pretext to stay back and piddle away at their desk or workbench.
this was particularly true of the stafers assigned to the maintenance of the bethel home.
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3
Salvation JW-Style: Hard Questions
by Room 215 inthese points and related ones have been raised here before, but i think it's worthwhile to pose several questions for comment.
is salvation collective or individual?
this one poses a dilemma for jws.
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20
``The Truth,'' No; ``The Opinion," Maybe
by Room 215 inhi all,.
i don't know about the rest of you, but there's something that grates on me like new chalk on a blackboard.. i refer to that expression jws use to describe that threadbare tapestry of conjecture, fill-in-the-blanks theological approach to doctrines the bible leaves hazy and judgmental moralism that comprises the wt belief system-- you know, ``the truth," as in ``he/she left the truth,'' or ``how long have you been in the truth?''.
may i suggest that it be amended to ``the opinion?
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20
JWs Best/Ugliest Traits?
by Room 215 inmy votes:.
the best: as a group they're relatively color-blind (low to no incidence of racism among them ).. the worst: their stubborn refusal to see the good in anyone but themselves!.
what say you?
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11
Har-Magedon JW-Style -- You Really Believe It?
by Room 215 indespite an occasional denial or duplicitous ``we can't say, nor can we judge'' for public consumption, i guess all of us are aware that the official wt line on who lives and who dies at the big a is all unbaptised people (99.9 percent of humanity) as well as those among them who got baptised but are lax at getting to meetings and field service (maybe half or more of the present memebership).. my question is: what percentage of the rank and file buy fully into the party line on this?
i know inevitably there are hard-liners who spout it, but my experience is that the average dub, while not protesting vocally, has more or less privately concluded that it just can't be that way... too many really decent, well-motivated people are out there in ``the world,'' (and the corollary to that axiom, too many stinkers inside the organization, for that matter).
babies dying?