TMS

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Posts by TMS

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  61

  Is this Completely Apostate

  by redline in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  i just happened on this place a few days ago, and thought i would stop in to see what it was all about.

  it claims to be a jehovah's witness forum, which it is not.. dont want to come here and point fingers, as i am sure there are some good people in here, just seems the bad have followed the good.

  i guess in reality thats always the case, but hey, what else would these people do if they couldn't wage their little war on the truth.

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  TMS

  Redline, COMF has nicely isolated some of your assumptions about this group:

  >"1. Most of you were raised Witness and left for different reasons. Assuming that circumstances, or people involved either didn't meet to the expectations that you had ingrained."
  ______________________________________________________________________

  I can only respond for myself, of course. Yes, I was raised a Witness, baptized in l953. I served as an elder for about 35 years, along with other duties. When my 21 yr old son was DF'd about 9 years ago, I felt it in his best interests to remain in my household. He was not, in ANY sense of the word, wicked, and I could not in good conscience treat him as such. The treatment my wife and I received subsequently was the beginning of the end for us. BTW, the care and support we have received the last several years from our "wicked" son is extremely rare and more than justified our decision.

  "2. Your dissecting the religion looking for imperfections and using this minutia as justification for your actions."
  ______________________________________________________________________

  Just hold Jehovah's Witness up to a very basic standard. After you've been in a few more years, reassess the "love they have among themselves."

  "3. Some have lifestyles that were more openly accepted in other religious organizations, so it was beneficial to the conscience to move away from the strict guidelines of the Society."
  ______________________________________________________________________

  Another religious organization? Never! Dear, that reminds me of the old N.H. Knorr(3rd president of the WTBS) quote: "If you want to commit adultery, go join the Catholic Church."

  TMS
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  11

  Dubs: How Much are You Worth to the Society?

  by Farkel in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  you are worth a few hundred bucks a year to them.

  nada.

  zip.

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  TMS

  Copernicas' query:

  "TMS – I liked your thought here. How about elaborating a little more as to exactly what you meant?

  quote:
  --------------------------------------------------------------------------------
  Perhaps, I am a naive old man, but my sense of things is that it is not about money. Isn't the money just one of the tools? Even control may not be the end in itself, but just another tool to accomplish an end.
  --------------------------------------------------------------------------------

  I do agree, it’s not JUST the money. Let’s talk about this some more"
  ______________________________________________________________________

  Copernicas,

  JW.com discussion board consensus(if there is one) may be that an evil, greedy corporation policy is in place. My personal impression is that many in authority are true believers, much as we once were.

  Fiscal responsibility is connected to "furthering Kingdom interests" in their collective minds.

  If the GB mindset were purely fund generation, I think the "friends" would gladly give even more if asked to do so.

  TMS
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  2

  liability dispensation...

  by Flip in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  if jehovahs organization on earth, namely the wtbts was liable for an accident, which caused persons injury, or death i.e.

  automobile, slippery sidewalk, etc.

  does jehovah's society use an at arms length insurance company to take the fall for jehovah rather than publicly implicating his corporation?.

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  TMS

  The Society will pay a 1% administration fee + actual material replacement cost. Remember, the body is 70% water. Municipal water supplies charge less than a penny per gallon.

  Donated funds must be protected.

  TMS
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  11

  Dubs: How Much are You Worth to the Society?

  by Farkel in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  you are worth a few hundred bucks a year to them.

  nada.

  zip.

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  TMS

  Much emphasis has been place in this forum on the money generated by the Watchtower's literature distribution, financing of Kingdom Halls, wills, temporary use of funds, etc.

  Perhaps, I am a naive old man, but my sense of things is that it is not about money. Isn't the money just one of the tools?

  Even control may not be the end in itself, but just another tool to accomplish an end.

  TMS
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  8

  epidural for labor allowed for JW's ?

  by Lolieworm in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  my hubby had a question for me that i couldn't even come close to an answer for.

  ps.

  i used to be a witness.

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  TMS

  reasoning from Outcast:

  "If you wanted a witness answer, I would say no.

  Jesus didn't take a drink drugged wine on the cro..uh steak, I mean stake did he?

  So if we are to follow jesus example while he was on earth, we can not ease our pain."

  ______________________________________________________________________

  Following that line of thought, Outcast, weedkiller would also be a no-no because of the curse on the ground including the warning words: "thorns and thistles it will grow for you."

  TMS
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  6

  Selecting Judicial Committees

  by TMS in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  several threads on this board have contained comments about elders with axes to grind "volunteering" to serve on judicial committees.. the society's intructions have always indicated that only the best qualified brothers should be used.

  skill, years of service and familiarity with the type of problem at hand would be factors in the selection.. close friendship or indications of animosity might disqualify one if other qualified ones were available.. the elder body was entrusted to name the best trio of brothers for the particular situation.. .

  in actual practice, it usually worked this way.

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  TMS

  Several threads on this board have contained comments about elders with axes to grind "volunteering" to serve on judicial committees.

  The Society's intructions have ALWAYS indicated that only the best qualified brothers should be used. Skill, years of service and familiarity with the type of problem at hand would be factors in the selection.

  Close friendship or indications of animosity might disqualify one if other qualified ones were available.

  The elder body was entrusted to name the best trio of brothers for the particular situation.

  In actual practice, it usually worked this way. Brother A becomes "aware of a situation" and reports to the body.(Since usually elders are "out of the loop", so to speak, his information likely came from his wife or children.) The elders decide that Brother A, along with Brother B should investigate the situation. A and B report back to the body and the body agrees that this is a possible disfellowshipping offense.

  The body decides that since Brothers A and B are already familiar with many of the facts of the case, it would be best to send them along with Brother C to act as a judicial committee. Brother A is selected as chairman.

  The problem with this is that Brothers A, B and C MAY NOT be the best qualified to handle this matter. After all, Brother A's primary qualifications were that he heard the gossip first.

  Turning this scenario around. A brother or sister wants to confess a sin and goes to the elder he feels will give him the best shake. Through a similar turn of events, THAT elder finds himself committee chairman.

  The expeditious way of using the individuals initially aware of a matter to follow through on it prejudices the committee in either scenario.

  Your thoughts?

  TMS
• 
  15

  Do You Remember...

  by Undecided in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  i just got home from a dinner sponsored by the senior citizens counsel, an organization funded by the taxes of our city and county.

  they have many programs to benefit the senior people in our area.

  i hate to admit it but i qualify.

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  TMS

  a snippet from the remarks of Undecided:

  "I am so happy to be able to mingle with people and enjoy their company, to feel the bond of humanity, to feel a closeness that I never had with people before. Life is so much more enjoyable when you can accept people as friends."
  ______________________________________________________________________

  This senior can identify with those remarks. From the man at the liquor store to the kids swimming near the boat launch, it seems incredibly easy to connect with everyone now that we're not divided as "sheep and goats". LOL Many in this forum have used the word freedom, but I feel such a lacksadaisical nonchalance about everything, it's pathetic. All I want to do is putter across the lake, set up my grill, eat my jalapeno-cheddar sausage, drink my Tecate and watch the sun go down. Did I say my wife and poodle are with me? The poodle is chasing butterflys on the beach and my wife is splitting the last hot dog with me.

  TMS
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  8

  Stillborn

  by TMS in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  december 1966 my wife had a stillborn son.

  had he lived, he would now be 34 years old.

  our circuit overseer at the time expressed his sympathy, but added the consoling words: "look on it as a blessing.".

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  TMS

  December 1966 my wife had a stillborn son. Had he lived, he would now be 34 years old. Our circuit overseer at the time expressed his sympathy, but added the consoling words: "Look on it as a blessing."

  We eventually had another son in 1971, but, especially for a mother, there is no "replacing" a lost child.

  My wife was aware of the Society's position that stillborns will not be resurrected, but she never accepted that explanation. After all, "Jehovah satisfies the desire of every living thing." She was content to wait, confidently, for her "satisfaction." If the future John the Baptist could be regarded as a real "person", then . . . .

  This post is not about speculation as to who will or will not be resurrected, but how a belief system can affect your life outlook.

  TMS
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  10

  my last year in the BORG

  by BoozeRunner in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  although this story is several years old, i wanted to share it here.. after i was df'd, in 1996, under questionable and selective circumstances, i really tried to get back in the swing of things in order to be reinstated.

  i actually travelled from nyc, where i was staying with family for a short time, back to my cong.

  in new jersey, often getting a hotel room solely for the purpose of attending the sunday meeting.. my p.o., tho, basically cringed each time i showed up(guilt, i guess).

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  TMS

  a few of BoozeRunner's words:

  "I asked him several times over the course of about one year to please have a copy of the KM each month for me. His response was always, "we dont have enough."
  ______________________________________________________________________

  This became a hot button issue for me when my son was DF'd. How or why would someone be expected to sit through a meeting without a copy of the study material (KM)?

  So I gave him my copy and made sure everyone saw my awkwardly copied black and white 12" X 16" post office copier copy. A conscientious elder dug up an old reference to "not copying any of the Society"s forms" and brought it to my attention.

  TMS
• 
  10

  my last year in the BORG

  by BoozeRunner in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  although this story is several years old, i wanted to share it here.. after i was df'd, in 1996, under questionable and selective circumstances, i really tried to get back in the swing of things in order to be reinstated.

  i actually travelled from nyc, where i was staying with family for a short time, back to my cong.

  in new jersey, often getting a hotel room solely for the purpose of attending the sunday meeting.. my p.o., tho, basically cringed each time i showed up(guilt, i guess).

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  TMS

  a few of BoozeRunner's words:

  "I asked him several times over the course of about one year to please have a copy of the KM each month for me. His response was always, "we dont have enough."
  ______________________________________________________________________

  This became a hot button issue for me when my son was DF'd. How or why would someone be expected to sit through a meeting without a copy of the study material (KM)?

  So I gave him my copy and made sure everyone saw my awkwardly copied black and white 12" X 16" post office copier copy. A conscientious elder dug up an old reference to "not copying any of the Society"s forms" and brought it to my attention.

  TMS