Posts by bk62

13

What's Fair About This??

by worldlygirl in

jw
friends

i've asked my husband about this many times, and he always manages to skirt the issue.

here is the point i try to get across to him: .

first of all, you have to agree that god is fundamentally fair (he agrees with me on this point.

Seems like another one of those issues they are going to try to "change with the times". Unfortunately for them though, it will surely backfire. It seems to me that one of their "driving forces" for gaining new converts is that, only those knowing the "truth" will survive, and not end up crispy critters. So as WG brought up, if they don't open their eyes and seek out this knowledge, they won't survive. This philosophy is paramount to their survival, in my humble opinion. If they start to concede that it isn't quite that cut and dry, well then all these little seeds of doubt will start to take hold. If that's true, then maybe it's ok for somebody to accept a blood transfusion, or celebrate a birthday - I mean, they didn't do it with malice or anything - just in fun! Then the masses will really start to open their eyes. I've brought up my grandmother here on several occasions - also with the JW couple we are studying with. She (my grandmother) was a devout Catholic who went to church every day, did the rosary thing, and everything else all good Catholics do. I have no doubt in my mind her heart was more pure and devoted to God than most. Yet these people have the gall to tell me she screwed up, and didn't seek out the true religion, so she won't "survive" (as opposed to some poor soul who couldn't afford a bible, or lived in a country where they didn't have ready access to the "truth".)

As far as they're concerned, she was sinning by going to a "false" religion. BuLL-SH&T!!! Like Worldly-Girl brought out, this would point to an uncaring, selfish god instead of the kind, loving God they speak of. (Unless His omni-potence isn't so powerful, and He doesn't know what's in our heart!!)

Sorry for rambling - just had to throw in my 3-1/2 cents!! Hey WG - Please read your Private Messages. I've sent you several to your HM account, but not sure you're getting them.

Brian

4

Recent Vegas Experience

by bk62 in

jw
friends

my wife had never been there, so i thought it would be a good way to spend the weekend.

i made reservations for friday and saturday night at the riviera hotel and casino.

well friday afternoon i started coming down with the flu (or something), so i knew it was going to be a long weekend!

bk62

My wife had never been there, so I thought it would be a good way to spend the weekend. I made reservations for Friday and Saturday night at the Riviera Hotel and Casino. Well Friday afternoon I started coming down with the Flu (or something), so I knew it was going to be a long weekend! It's a 5 hour drive from Phoenix, so we pulled up at the hotel at 2am (we got a really late start!) Well as soon as I started to exit the car something started falling all around me, so I jumped back in and shut the door!

Well apparently some drunk dudes on the 10'th floor were playing, and they knocked out the window, which fell on my truck (causing some minor dents, dings and scratches). Security came, took a report and some pictures, and said I would be hearing from their Loss Management person. After about two weeks I decided to call them. I was promptly told that, since it wasn't their fault the window fell on my truck, they would do nothing!! They did give me the name, address and tel# of the responsible party and told me it was up to me to contact him.

Just curious - does this sound reasonable to you guys? I thought they would at least offer me a few nights stay and a show!!! It really ticks me off that they apparently could care less - it's a good thing nobody was hurt (I wonder if they would have even bothered to call the ambulance!)

8

Comment to JW's on latest KH Meeting (Please add your comments!!)

by bk62 in

i again went to the sunday meeting with my wife, in order to "keep abreast" and look for any flaws to exploit.

lo and behold, this was a "special" meeting b/c the "circuit overseer???

" was there to put his spin on things.

bk62

Redneckgurl,

Thank you very much for your comments. I gather (based on the limited interest in this post) that I'm making an issue out of nothing. It just seems funny to me - they say all other religions are being disrespectful, or not getting to know God because these other religions don't use his personal name. But from what you said, it's entirely optional whether you use the name Jehovah or God. I can understand that you used the name God when speaking to non-JW's, in order to help with their understanding. You also said that God is only a title - not His name. But I had that question going through my mind during the meeting I mentioned above. The speaker made comments like "...only God the Father can forgive us...." or "Put in faith in God, our saviour". Please note - I am absolutely sure he didn't say "Only a god can forgive us" or "Put your faith in our god". He was using God as His name, not as a title.

Please forgive me for being petty - I'm just trying to make sense out of all of this!! /bk62

19

Are Birthdays and Christmas celebrations really rooted in Evil????

by bk62 in

during the last two months i've tried and tried to rationalize the jw view that, since these "pagan holidays are not based upon the scriptures, they must not be practices by christians".

i've spent a lot of time thinking about this, and trying to come up with their motivation for these policies.

they can't think that celebrating will actually hurt, yet they obviously can't honestly think the practice goes against the bible.. i thought it might just be another "control" for them to place on the flock - and a way to differentiate themselves from other faiths.

bk62

SearchoftheTruth,

If you read the first chapter of Job and verse 4 it says:
" And his sons went and held a banquet at the house of each one on his own day; and they sent and invited their three sisters to eat and drink with them. 5. and it would occur that when the banquet days had gone around the circuit, Job would send and sanctify them;"
This sounds like birthdays to me.
But Job was a blameless man. So it couldn't possibly be birthdays could it?

I think that passage must have been referring to a Hawaiin Luau!!! :) But wait a minute - pork isn't clean, so I guess not...but the WT says it's ok right?

19

Are Birthdays and Christmas celebrations really rooted in Evil????

by bk62 in

during the last two months i've tried and tried to rationalize the jw view that, since these "pagan holidays are not based upon the scriptures, they must not be practices by christians".

i've spent a lot of time thinking about this, and trying to come up with their motivation for these policies.

they can't think that celebrating will actually hurt, yet they obviously can't honestly think the practice goes against the bible.. i thought it might just be another "control" for them to place on the flock - and a way to differentiate themselves from other faiths.

bk62

Yup, bk, that's the gist of what they said in one of their replies to Questions From Readers..

(the wheels starts spinning....)

So lets talk birthdays here. Has anybody here ever associated birthdays as being a religious holiday? I know I haven't. So they're saying it's ok to celebrate a Hawaain Luaui b/c people have forgotten the paganist-religious origin (I didn't know there was one!) but celebrating birthdays is not Ok - implying that people have *not* forgotten the paganist religious origin. I guess it's because they don't allow their followers to forget it, which is why they point out Bible passages whenever people question their logic.

It just gets better and better - thanks again for your reference!!!!

19

Are Birthdays and Christmas celebrations really rooted in Evil????

by bk62 in

during the last two months i've tried and tried to rationalize the jw view that, since these "pagan holidays are not based upon the scriptures, they must not be practices by christians".

i've spent a lot of time thinking about this, and trying to come up with their motivation for these policies.

they can't think that celebrating will actually hurt, yet they obviously can't honestly think the practice goes against the bible.. i thought it might just be another "control" for them to place on the flock - and a way to differentiate themselves from other faiths.

bk62

.... and then they turn around (in the April 8, 2003 Awake! Questions from Readers) and say re Hawaiin luaus, something like ``sure it's of pagan religious origin, but no worries! It's real meaning as a religious rite has long since been forgotten and nobody remembers it as anything but a pig-out feast (!?)'

Room 215 - is this a fact? I will need to try and find that mag - what a contradiction!!!!!

Thank!

19

Are Birthdays and Christmas celebrations really rooted in Evil????

by bk62 in

during the last two months i've tried and tried to rationalize the jw view that, since these "pagan holidays are not based upon the scriptures, they must not be practices by christians".

i've spent a lot of time thinking about this, and trying to come up with their motivation for these policies.

they can't think that celebrating will actually hurt, yet they obviously can't honestly think the practice goes against the bible.. i thought it might just be another "control" for them to place on the flock - and a way to differentiate themselves from other faiths.

bk62

Hmmm - Adam and Eve were married (right?) - they both sinned - doesn't that mean that people should no longer be married since it leads to sin?? ;-)

28

Still do not know where I fit in the picture.....

by LyinEyes in

jw
friends

today is easter sunday, my younger kids went with cousins to hunt for eggs.

i saw many people out and about in their sunday finest with family going to church......... i go to the grocery store in my hooter's tshirt......... i know it takes time after leaving the borg to find your place,,,,,,,,,but i am wondering if i will ever feel differently than i do now?

i can't put my true heart into celebrating xmas, or easter,,,,,,these religious holidays mean nothing to me.

bk62

I don't have anything new to add - just that I totally agree with most of the other posters. I've long ago stopped associating these holidays as a religious event, and instead just used them as another excuse to get together with family (which is increasingly difficult to do). Christmas is such a commercial event it's not even funny. I have a friend who tells me I'm lucky to be married to JW - "Think of the money you'll save on Christmas, Easter, Valentine's Day, etc..." As true as that might be, I still hope to one day convince her to just look to the holidays as a time to celebrate - period.

24

Geezer JW plows car into crowd of 13 in front of Stanley Theater Assy. Hall

by joe_from_kokomo in

this story just out in all major newspapers and tv stations across the country.

apparently, a 78-year-old witness attending the circuit assembly meeting at the stanley theater in new jersey lost control of his car and plowed into a crowd of 13 fellow witnesses, seriously injuring 3 of them.. here is the link to just one instance of this story, on the uk guardian:.

http://www.guardian.co.uk/uslatest/story/0,1282,-2584228,00.html.

bk62

Amazingly, if a 'worldly' had run into a JW crowd it would have been rationalized as:
Satan trying to interfere with the assembly
Jehovah testing the faithfulness of the 'brothers'
a chance for the family members of the injured to show the importance of being at the assembly by not missing a single session!
However, because a JW ran into the crowd, it will now be rationalized as:
Satan trying to interfere with the assembly
Jehovah testing the faithfulness of the 'brothers'
a chance for the family members of the injured to show the importance of being at the assembly by not missing a single session!
See the foolishness here? I wonder who among them will have the common sense to call it what it was, an accident.
Lisa
Don't miss Hoagies, Class

Great point, Lisa - I would be really interested to hear what is said at the next KH meeting about this issue!!

19

Are Birthdays and Christmas celebrations really rooted in Evil????

by bk62 in

during the last two months i've tried and tried to rationalize the jw view that, since these "pagan holidays are not based upon the scriptures, they must not be practices by christians".

i've spent a lot of time thinking about this, and trying to come up with their motivation for these policies.

they can't think that celebrating will actually hurt, yet they obviously can't honestly think the practice goes against the bible.. i thought it might just be another "control" for them to place on the flock - and a way to differentiate themselves from other faiths.

bk62

Not completely on topic, here, but I feel compelled to ask if you got married before or after your wife's conversion to JW?

In my case, I knew she wasn't Catholic, but had no idea to what faith she belonged. Even when I found out (before we were married) I wasn't too concerned for two reasons. First, because I had absolutely no idea what a Jehovah's Witness was. My flawed opinion was that, as long as she believed in God, who cares which religion she belonged to. Now I know better!! The other reason I wasn't concerned was because she (like I) wasn't active in her religion, so I felt like we would be able to look for a religion together at our leisure. Unfortunately her family and other witnesses have gotten their hook into her big-time, and now she's really serious about getting more involved.