Posts by waiting

9

how can I go on?

by red_spice in

jw
friends

this is my first time posting.

i have been a loyal servant for over 25 years.

2 years ago my "elder" husband announced that he would never attend another meeting.

waiting

Dear Red,

Thanks for working at this posting thing till you succeeded.

My first husband was, unlike your husband, a total drug taking jerk Ministerial Servant (until I told the elders about the drugs.) He had been privately & publicly reproved at least once a year for 8 yrs. then DF. I continued - that's what I felt it was my duty to do - with all 3 little children. It was hard. But I did it until I didn't want to do it anymore. And it took me a long time to get to that crux point.

For companionship? You can still have a good marriage, not the 3-fold cord we have been taught by the WT, but the 3-fold cord taught by the Bible. You can still put Jehovah God in your life and marriage - perhaps your husband just wants the WTBTS out of it. I'm sorry you have to go through this, it is hard.

Perhaps your husband has some legitimate concerns - have you talked with him quietly, without emotion - if possible? We teach our studies to do that with mates that don't agree with their study of the Bible.

Your husband probably won't respond as you wish - they never do. But the open communication can be a start to a better friendship.

No matter what happens, find your own peace.

14

I want to play too

by Lars_Ulrich in

jw
friends

just want to say how much i appreciate this site.

im addicted- i just cant help coming back every day.. ive been telling all my friends- this is the spinal tap of witness sites, the monty python for brothers.

so who are you guys really, bethelites preparing for the annual talent show, or do you actually work with the writing committee?.

waiting

Greetings Lars_Ulrich,

Please forgive what I'm about to say, seeing that you're a real Christian. I have a minor infection and the Dr. has me on groggy pain medication.

Bite me.

15

Introduction

by Carmel in

i just wanted to introduce myself.

i grew up as a witness in the 50's but found that there were to many issues that i could not resolve without going "outside" to investigate.

i have never returned and have no desire to, however, about two years ago i discovered h20 and have been participating there every since.

waiting

Dear Red Spice,

Simon's the guy to talk to, he's kinda quiet in here - but he's our resident computer technician (cute nerd).

Hear from you soon!

37

What is an Amicus Brief

by 3acrewood in

hi, waiting, and all others concerned about this amicus brief:.

just to set the record straight - i have been a legal secretary for over 20 years, and i assure you there is nothing shady about the society filing an amicus brief in regard to this swaggart thing.

an amicus brief is filed in cases in which the verdict could set a precedent that would or could have an adverse affect on other parties not involved in the suit (i.e., other religious organizations, corporations, etc.).

waiting

Dear Friend,

In REAL life (as compared to computers), I have a failing of getting insulted when words are written as to a perceived ignorance and stupidity.

I also looked up the word "denigrate" which you held out that you would do to anyone with immoral views.

Websters: Denigrate: to blacken, to cast aspersions on, defame, to deny the importance or validity of, belittle.

I personally feel that we have said nothing on this forum immoral for human dignity. But we sure don't want the Society or our elders to know we're here. Why, we are of the strong impression that they would think our questions/comments on blood, Jimmy, voting, etc. would be immoral because we're talking about them. I strongly believe that we would be viewed by the Society as having immoral, or apostate, views. That is just my unlearned (gentler than ignorant or stupid) opinion.

BTW, you seem quite well versed in the legal arena. Are you an attorney, paralegal, etc? This knowledged shared with us would definitely help us to weight your legal comments.

Again, BTW, the attorney who I asked, did tell me that a Friend of the Court Brief is not something to be entered into lightly - the names are linked together in record for as long as there are records. He did agree that WT did not have to agree with Jimmy, but that surely they agreed with his stand against taxation of Bible stuff (Jimmy had t-shirts, cups, hats, etc.)

Even lawyers can disagree, obviously, that's why they argue before a judge.

100

Preacher Jimmy Swaggart and JW Lawyers

by waiting in

in the supreme court of the united states, october tenth, 1988, case no.

88-1374, filed on june 22, 1988, clerk joseph f. spanol, jr.. on that date and file number, the attoreny james m. mccabe,and donald t. ridley, 25 colombia heights, brooklyn, ny 11251 (718)606-4993, attorneys for amicus curiae, watchtower bible and tract society of new york, inc. filed a "friends of the court" brief on the behalf of the famous preacher, jimmy swaggart and his ministries.. why would the watchtower society, direct channel for jehovah's holy spirt, which also godly hates babylon the great, which also christiandom is the largest part, go into the supreme court of the united states and file a legal brief to help jimmy swaggart's ministries in his trial which was case no.

88-1374: jimmy swaggart ministries, appelant vs. board of equalization of california, appeller?.

waiting

Dear Friend, Where, exactly, are you that "A lot of JW's are registered voters. Some friends vote." I sure would like to know this to point out to our elders (I've always thought the Democrats were kinda cool the way they fight and stuff.)

Where are you getting your figures on the amount of money for literature and for donations? Please share with us? I don't think this is the pertinent argument to this thread, however.

It does not matter if we ask and receive a donation from the householder or whether they take literature or not. We have been instructed through our Kingdom Ministery - and in our congregation repeatedly been told from the platform - that the publisher is to donate to cover the costs of the magazines, etc.

Then we have been taught, exactly how by demonstrations, to ask for donations from strangers and to deposit this whole amount into contribution box.

It is receiving money from the publisher and solicitation of money from strangers. I am not saying it is wrong, shady, illegal, whatever.

I am saying it is double payment and those less fortunate than us (and there are millions)will not see the double payment - just like we didn't for a long time.

You said in a previous post to Frenchy that you had provided "at least some evidence of my claims on this and other threads, which is better than spouting sheer opinion." I've come to realize that you qualify your words quite carefully. But I've asked for voting information and for statistics, could you please supply the evidence?

I've also come to realize that in your qualifying your, and our, words, that sometimes you are not presenting a different viewpoint - just wanting us to qualify our words properly. I fully agree that JW rank and file are notorious for not qualifying their wording - listen to any Watchtower study. The difference here is that on the computer we're corrected - in our KH - normally, we're not.

13

Eve's Choice

by Frenchy in

okay, i'm interested in what you girls, especially, think of this:.

eve's choice.

ah, now i know of fair eve's plight.

waiting

Hi guys,

Personally, I really don't see anything wrong with the argument that he should have killed them and started another pair. He could have just told the angels that Adam & Eve were obviously flawed in their own thinking - it was surely not his fault that they put to much emphasis on that fruit.

What would have been wrong with being the children of John & Mary, Milo & Keisha, Burt & Elaine.......... The way I see it, just different parents - and I would have loved to have different parents ('course, that goes for all teenagers too).

My new quote book: "In a world without men, there would be no crime and a lot of fat happy women."
Nicole Hollander

"The roses and raptures of vice are damned uncomfortable as you will soon find out. You have to get into such ridiculous positions."

John Mortimer

And for our Resident Poet:

"God created the Poet and then took a handful of the rubbish that was left and made three critics."

T. J. Thomas

47

WHY does God fail to...

by Martini in

jw
friends

...attain unanimous support from his creation of free moral agents?

from the majority at least.. apparently according to the wt interpretation of god's own book...a prominent spirit creature who made himself satan became unsatisfied and left god.later untold numbers would join the devil.. now the only solution for the future of these 'rebels' would be for god to destroy them.. then the very first human creatures apparently also felt unsatisfied and withdrew from god.they got destroyed.. later god had to confuse the language of all humans because they were unanimously opposed to god.

those people too are history.. then god had an ark built because all flesh had left god's way except for a handful of people.. evidently god was not expecting any great number to actually join noah, otherwise god would have had noah build several arks!

waiting

Dear mgm,

I have not attended a meeting in two months, Sundays, an occasional Thursday, for the previous 2 years. I now look with my 20/20 hindsight and realize I've been shuffling my feet for a while.

I told some close (elder) friends of mine that I wanted to take some time and think about this. I told him I did not dedicate myself to a corporation - I dedicated myself to Jehovah. He has not brought up religion since to me.

His wife (after she invited me to her KH meetings) just put up her hand and said, "Didn't mean to pry, closed subject." She dismissed the subject then and never has encouraged me since. Not that I was looking for encouragement, but, I swear, you could see the veil come over her facial features when I said I wanted to think about this situation.

Two other brothers I know well, have approached me. I just said I was taking time to really try to study my religion - just as we teach others to do.

Maaaaannnnn! Was I given a strong discourse (fingers pointings and everything) on the only way to life was the meetings. I MUST get back to the meetings - even if I didn't agree - that's the only way Jehovah would ever accept me. I said I wanted to do what was conscientiously right. The poor brother, confused, told me not to follow my conscience - just get back to the meetings! I told him, you don't mean that. And he said, well, if your conscience is made wrong, what else can you do but go to the meetings?

When one of the brothers (two different visits)couldn't answer my questions - Bible based - he said jokingly that I studied too much and was missing the point - life was at the meetings.
I brought up the scripture "where two or more are gathered in your name, your spirit is there." Any place could be a meeting - we're looking for his spirit - not a building.

His answer was: Don't you go thinking that two or more applies to you and your husband (I really never had thought of that until he said it)- and it doesn't mean just a group of people studying for themselves. It means the meetings in the Kingdom Hall, period.

He also referred to the big shuffle in Bethel in 1980 as "The Apostasy of 1980." Has anybody else heard a title penned to this event? I haven't.

19

are you guys for real?

by Jokemyster in

jw
friends

i came to this forum to maybe get you to think and use your own brains.......but the funny thing is you are........i just wonder why you stay in name only when so many of you are not likeing it, and dont believe anymore or dont believe all of it, what keeps you going when you dislike it so much?.are you afraid of loseing family?

face?

what?........i walked away and believe me its not bad at all..i have friends that are true to me and peace within my heart.

waiting

Hi, mgm,

It does make a person wonder: Why are so many of us afraid to speak out in the open?

Why are we afraid to question?

What kind of organization does that to it's own people? We're your channel - but be silent if you don't agree.

Does make you wonder, doesn't it?

77

Writing private letters to the Society.

by spectromize in

for anyone who's ever written something of a private nature or asked clarification on certain beliefs have you ever had the unfortunate experience of the elders calling you in the back room or a sheperding call ?.

the reason i bring this out is that newer brothers or sisters don't know that everytime you write the society the society sends a copy of your letter to your local cong.

elders.

waiting

Dear Friend,

Thank you for your suggestion for calling the Service Department. We have done that, another elder has done that, and our Circuit Overseer has done that.

They are very polite, even friendly, and it ends there.

THANKS, FRENCHY, I HAVEN'T FIGURED IT OUT YET - BUT I'LL GET MY HONEY TO HELP ME.

42

Blood Transfusion?

by Friend in

considering the latest questions from readers article on blood transfusion, i was wondering what the feelings are among this forums participants about blood transfusion.

over the years the society has been receiving a growing amount of letters on the subject of blood and blood transfusion.

any interesting biblical perspectives here about whether "abstain from blood" means abstain from blood transfusion?

waiting

Dear 7,

"Imagine if every Thursday your shoes exploded if you tied them in the usual way. This happens all the time with computers and nobody thinks of complaining."
Jeff Raskin

"The person who agrees with everything you say either isn't listening or plans to sell you something."
Bud Holiday

"God in his bounty and generosity always creates more horses' asses than there are horses to attach to them."
Thomas Perry