I don't know if any of you have had a chance to see the new 2003 calendar yet. It is quite different to the usual sort. Every page tells the story of a current brother or sister who lived a dreadful life until they came into the 'Truth'. They were either on drugs, alcoholics, suffering from depression etc etc. They all completely turned their lives around when they were saved by the WTBTS!! It gives before and after photos of each person - they are fairly recent stories. It's funny, but after telling myself that I wouldn't be taken in by their propaganda again, I started feeling really guilty after reading the calendar. They are very crafty people.
Posts by rebel
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58Can You Discern What The Society Is Really Saying?
by minimus inso much of the watchtower is written in "code".
so much of the circuit and district overseers comments are spoken in "code".
for example, you are not told directly that you shouldn't read any other publication but the society's, but you are asked, "how could anyone spiritual ever have the time to keep up with their bible-based reading of all the spiritual food that we must take in, and still have time to read "worldly" books?
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I was watching the telly
by uriah ini was in bed watching the telly this morning (what, i hear you ask, not at the meeting?
no actually) and the prog was "the world at war" on the splendid bbc2 - this is quality tv for all you americans that don't have quality tv and have to wait for ours to air over there - and this german was saying that he was present at the rallies where hitler was giving his speeches and that he looked around at everyone, their faces and apparent joy and ferver.
he said he listened to the speeches and understood the words but could not believe them.
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rebel
Uriah,
I know that series - it was brilliant - I saw it when it was first aired. I remember the theme tune - it was really haunting.
I know excactly what you mean. I have always felt that I didn't belong at the KH or assemblies. I was always waiting for someone to 'find me out' and pounce on me and say 'You don't belong here!" I guess it was just insecurity on my part. I was never much good as a Catholic, and when I became a JW, I always felt like a lapsed Catholic pretending to be a JW - how stupid is that?
xxR
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44
Where do I go for support???
by scaredyetresolved ini would love some support since i am scared and confused, but i don't know where to turn.
my husband and i are both having our eyes opened wide after years of doubts.
we have finally read the "apostate literature" over the past few weeks and have checked and rechecked their sources.
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rebel
Scaredyetresolved,
It is fantastic that both you and your partner are seeing the light together. My husband is well and truly in this organisation and will not listen to anything I say. It's good you have the chance to get your children out while they are still young. I wish I could say the same - my life's a bit of a mess at the moment. Just stick with what you know is true in your heart.
I wish you all the best
xxR
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53
Bible is God's word?
by Moxy inid like to hear some *reasoned* explanations for why you believe the bible is gods word.
ive been so fascinated by the study of *real* biblical scholarship since i began educating myself, i now find it incredulous that i used to take the bible as divine, along with all jws and tons of christians, including a good number here.
so id like to entertain your very best lines of evidence that this is the real deal.. mox
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rebel
It still boils down to the same thing.
If I loved my children, and I wanted them to know me and understand me, and I wrote them a letter, I would make sure they could understand it. I would not include puzzles, riddles, symbols, contradictions etc. How would that bring them closer to me? I would not expect them to be able to decipher what was symbolic and what was literal. I would not punish them if they were unable to understand the muddled letter. I would not elevate those of my children who were able to understand most of it over those that couldn't. Basically, I would MAKE SURE that they could understand EVERY single word - nothing would be open to interpretation - it is not clever or kind to hide important information which can either lead to life or death. Why was the Bible deliberately written in such a confusing, puzzling, symbolic (though sometimes non-symbolic), complicated way? If someone could answer that, I would be so happy!
xxR
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118
Would some of us be better off as Witnesses?
by Jerry Bergman ini have often wondered if many people would be better off if they stayed witnesses.
some people i have known have really gone off the deep end after they left the watchtower.
most all of my family have left now (not due to me as i was cut off from them for years) and many others i know who have left are now bitter atheists or have become pagans and worship stones or new ageers playing with crystals.
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rebel
Gary1914 wrote - "Jehovah's Witnesses do not teach morality. They legislate morality. If you are not moral you will be punished. So witnesses out of fear of losing friends and family are moral."
That is brilliant and sums it up perfectly. As a JW, I did things and didn't do other things out of fear - fear of the organisation. What has that got to do with a God of love? This is so far removed from the teachings of Christ, it is laughable. How can you call yourself a Christian and be devoid of love, compassion, humilty etc as many elders are? I am not saying all elders, but a substantial amount. They are supposed to be setting an example.
I would not be better off as a JW. It would make things easier and less painful regarding my family, as I have said on other threads, but I can't go back to all that hypocrisy. I know I will find it hard and will be treated unkindly by the JW community where I live, but I am preparing myself for that and I won't be going back.
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37
DubSticks
by Farkel in.....or why they won't let me play at the kingdom halls anymore.
sorry to wreck everyone's lovely christmas eve, but it's time for some brutal torture!
if nothing else, "dubsticks" illustrates how a perfectly normal and often happy person is going along in life minding his or her own business, and then dubs enter into that life and change everything.
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rebel
That was really nice. I am sitting here all alone and it cheered me up.
xxR
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26
The Next Teaching to Fall
by Blueblades inwhile many have had their hopes dashed concerning the change on this "generation " teaching, there is yet another teaching yet to fall very soon.it must and will fall because it connected to the generation doctrine that has already been changed.. the teaching that could shortly cause the governing body a serious problem and could bring about a major change for the vast majority of the rank and file is "the great tribulation".while this teaching has been put off to the " indefinite future"the gb.continues to have a serious problem with it.if the great tribulation fails to occur reasonably soon,the doctrine concerning the earthly hope for the vast majority of jw's.will have proven to have been false.the' great crowd' are those who will have come out of the great tribulation.according to the society those persons began to be identified as present as early as 1932.so the youngest members are now in their 70's or 80's.. again, the time-line is running out!
and has the potential of adversely affecting hundreds of thousands of other witnesses in the not to distant future,as time passes without the fulfilment of their hopes for a new heavens and a new earth.. also, some time ago,there was a watchtower study article, i don't remember which one it was .it spiritualized, armageddon!
psalm 91,especially verse 7.it said that a thousand will fall at your very side and ten thousand at your right hand,applies to those leaving the org.
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rebel
"Truth matters very little to the average JW so I see the 1914 doctrine almost becoming irrelevant in the bigger picture. It should matter, but I don't think it will."
Eyeslice - I don't think this is true. Most JWs don't know the truth regarding the 1914 teaching or the organisation. It is so clever the way the WTBTS does this - you are made to feel like the lowest of the low if you even question any JW beliefs because, by doing this, you are questioning Jehovah. Most JWs I know would never come to a site like this or read ANYTHING that contradicts JW teaching out of fear - fear of what will happen to them and their families. We are told that apostates are out to catch us and make us doubt the true teachings - if we doubt, we are doomed. I am sure if most JWs could get rid of this fear of the elders etc, they would look into the false teachings being promoted by this organisation. It is as if you are trapped in a snare - the very snare that the WTBTS teaches is promoted by the satanic world we live in. When you are unable to question anything out of fear, it makes it so difficult to find out the truth.
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Why Do Inactive Ones Regularly Go To Assemblies?
by minimus ini never could understand why people that never go to meetings, suddenly show up at circuit assemblies or district conventions.
what do you think??
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rebel
I suppose it is worth sitting through the whole thing if it makes your family happy. I hate to see them look so down. I didn't go for all of the district convention this year, but I went for one day just to make them happy. Many of you will disagree with this, but for the time being, I don't know any other way.
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The Next Teaching to Fall
by Blueblades inwhile many have had their hopes dashed concerning the change on this "generation " teaching, there is yet another teaching yet to fall very soon.it must and will fall because it connected to the generation doctrine that has already been changed.. the teaching that could shortly cause the governing body a serious problem and could bring about a major change for the vast majority of the rank and file is "the great tribulation".while this teaching has been put off to the " indefinite future"the gb.continues to have a serious problem with it.if the great tribulation fails to occur reasonably soon,the doctrine concerning the earthly hope for the vast majority of jw's.will have proven to have been false.the' great crowd' are those who will have come out of the great tribulation.according to the society those persons began to be identified as present as early as 1932.so the youngest members are now in their 70's or 80's.. again, the time-line is running out!
and has the potential of adversely affecting hundreds of thousands of other witnesses in the not to distant future,as time passes without the fulfilment of their hopes for a new heavens and a new earth.. also, some time ago,there was a watchtower study article, i don't remember which one it was .it spiritualized, armageddon!
psalm 91,especially verse 7.it said that a thousand will fall at your very side and ten thousand at your right hand,applies to those leaving the org.
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rebel
I get angry when I think about the 1914 teaching. When I first started studying, approx 14 years ago, it was the be-all and end-all - my study conductor went over it again and again and I felt quite excited by this teaching. I thought I had finally found something that was a real gem. I told all my family and I was so happy because I thought Armageddon would come any time now and my mother would not have to grow any older or more feeble and she would hopefully still be around and see the prophecy fulfilled etc. Now, I see her growing older and she can hardle walk or see any more and she asks me when the system will end - she really believes it. I feel responsible for feeding her this garbage in the first place. I don't know what to say to her - I tell her God has it all in hand. She wants to see my little Claire (my daughter) as much as I do and I tell her just to be patient and wait - it will come. I really don't know what to say any more because I shouldn't have raised her hopes.
xxR
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53
Bible is God's word?
by Moxy inid like to hear some *reasoned* explanations for why you believe the bible is gods word.
ive been so fascinated by the study of *real* biblical scholarship since i began educating myself, i now find it incredulous that i used to take the bible as divine, along with all jws and tons of christians, including a good number here.
so id like to entertain your very best lines of evidence that this is the real deal.. mox
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rebel
Can I just ask those that don't believe the Bible to be God's word, do you believe in God? If so, do you think he would have tried to communicate with us? I have been looking into an awful lot of stuff lately, most of it things I used to take for granted. I am unhappy with some parts of the Bible, for instance, we shouldn't kill, yet God slaughtered people???? Why would he contradict himself? Also, you should have only one wife or husband, yet loads of bods had more than one - Solomon and David had hundreds, incest is wrong (Lot??) etc. However, I do feel there is something about the Bible that is special, maybe because that's the way I have been taught since childhood. Does anyone think that God has communicated with us through a means other than the Bible? I often think of those that died for translating it or just for having a copy in their possession - that makes me think it must be a special book in some way - maybe I'm wrong. I know someone mentioned on this forum that a lot of what I do is to make myself feel comfortable because I do things that I am familiar with and that make me feel safe - it could be that way with my belief in the Bible. I am just starting to really study it for the first time in my life but it is very difficult to understand. That bothers me - why did God make it impossible to understand if it is supposed to be a letter from him to us? I'll stop rambling now.
xxR