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Doctrine -
Chronology
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Written by Don Alderman
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Sunday, 07 March 2010 15:24 |
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Most Jehovah's Witnesses are unfamiliar with the great emphasis the Watchtower Society has put on particular dates that they predicted would bring catastrophic events to earth. They feel that a fullfillment of their predictions would be proof that we are in the "time of the end." When each predicted event failed, one after the other, in many cases the prediction was given a new future date and the whole process was started all over again. These errors were covered over with their "new light" doctrine, and the blame was always placed on the "brothers" jumping to conclusions and running ahead of the organization.
This "never getting it right" practice has caused many to lose faith in the Watchtower organization as God's spokesman. Many have asked, "if the "faithful slave" really have God's holy spirit, then why can't they ever get it right the first time?" Why the "pin the tail on the donkey" method? Are we to conclude that "trial and error" is God's approved way of bringing us all to the "Truth?" As we all know from reading the Bible, this kind of scholarship is not found anywhere in the Holy Scriptures. Even so, over 7 million people faithfully follow them as the channel through which God speaks. But does he?
Millions of Witnesses have put their lives on hold and are hard at work trying to earn enough points with God so they can live in peace in a future "Paradise Earth." What is not realized is, that all this volunteer work for a better future life down the road has as its reward much sadness and bitterness. Comments like, "the new system was supposed to be here by now" or "it wasn't suppose to end like this" are common when long sought after goals are finally realized to be in vain.
The Watchtower Society constantly dangles the carrot in front of these workers so they will reach out and do more with sayings like, "the end is imminent", "we're in the last days of this system", or "the end is just around the corner", and "Armageddon is knocking at the door."
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Life Stories -
Leaders
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Written by Terry Walstrom
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Tuesday, 24 March 2009 09:43 |
Like so many other former members of the New World Society of Jehovah's Witnesses I think back on my old "friends" and find they are no longer friends at all. They look at me and shake their head and the dust from their feet as though I were some foul thing to be avoided with the stench of death about me. Yet, at one time we called each other "brother" and "sister" and shared the same "mother," the Governing Body of the Watchtower Society.
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Blogs -
Musings of a Watchtower Insider
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Written by Barbara Anderson
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Friday, 05 March 2010 16:48 |
As an independent, outspoken critic of the Watch Tower organization, I know, “The more profile, the more scrutiny.” Inasmuch as I write many articles, posts and blogs, there is opportunity for criticism of my integrity and honesty if I make certain claims without proof such as saying, “Thousands of Witnesses die each year when they need whole blood or some major blood components that JWs leaders don’t approve of.”
In answer to those who have inquired where I arrived at that figure stated in one of my lectures, “Why It Is Dangerous to Associate With Jehovah’s Witnesses” (http://www.randallwatters.org/live/sociology/other/why-it-is-dangerous-to-associate-with-jehovahs-witnesses.html), which I delivered in France and Italy, I will attempt to explain my position.
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Life Stories -
Leaders
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Written by cantleave
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Tuesday, 16 February 2010 10:11 |
The title of my story is rhetorical - I am going to answer it with my experience.
Before I do that, I want to discuss what we are told through Watchtower literature and the instruction that is given during meetings, assemblies and conventions, for the reasons why people leave the “Truth”.
The Watchtower of 15 November 2008, in the article “Help Them Return without Delay” indicates people leave because of the following:
- They succumb to “anxieties of life”
- they may have been "stumbled"
- they may have a problem with teachings,
- They may be involved with wrongdoing.
So how can anxieties of life affect someone? Well according to one personal account in the aforementioned article:
“I started giving more attention to worldly matters than to spiritual things. Then I stopped studying, engaging in the ministry, and attending meetings. The next thing I knew, I was no longer a part of the Christian congregation”.
Allowing these anxieties to facilitate a drifting away from the “truth” means that an individual has failed to put their faith and trust in Jehovah and have allowed poor spiritual habits to develop.
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Blogs -
Spirituality Beyond Gilead
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Written by Jeffrey Byrge
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Friday, 29 January 2010 11:33 |
At a recent series of Circuit Assemblies, the Governing Body put out warnings on what in their view is the latest danger from Satan, designed to break the faith of Jehovah's Witnesses everywhere.
Facebook.
Yes, thats right, apparantly, the GB is concerned because a lot of people are having "Facebook sex". They are meeting old friends who aren't Jehovah's Witnesses and getting it on with whomever would willingly sleep with them. Evidentally, the GB would like their flock to believe that when JW's get on Facebook and other social networking sites, fornication happens.
Now, this IS news. Because most people who are on Facebook, or Twitter, or other social networds, are clearly not having sex, as evidenced by the fact that they are actually typing status updates or playing games like Farmville.
This was used as more "evidence" that really, because the internet is of "the world that is controlled by Satan", JW's are really better off staying away, limiting their own use of the internet. Because too much use could only weaken their faith.
So why would the Governing Body lie about this?
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Sociology -
Sexuality
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Written by Josh
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Friday, 09 March 2007 00:00 |
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I feel the need to express how I feel and felt about my life as a gay man. I was brought up from birth as a Jehovah’s Witness. This has played a major part in my life and it has been a real struggle to get past.
I remember when I was really young, feeling strange whenever I would see a man without a shirt on. I used to get really giggly and flustered. Picking up little crush’s for some men I didn’t understand that I was gay. As the years went on I continued to have these feelings and as I got into high school they started getting stronger.
At this stage I started to realise what I was considered by society and the boy that was once bright and open and very talkative ceased to exist and I replaced it with shyness, quietness and sadness. I had also started experimenting with masturbation, to me I think it started off harmless enough, not realising at first that what I was doing wasn’t accepted by Jehovah’s people or Jehovah. Finally realising that I had a problem (A problem considered by Jehovah’s Witnesses but normal by society and for most teenagers) with masturbation I desperately tried to stop. I would feel so guilty for doing the act and for the things I was thinking during. Afterwards I would plunge into massive depression and guilt.
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Support -
Restoring Family
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Written by Anonymous
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Monday, 16 March 2009 08:47 |
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Foreword: The following account is provided in the interest of those who face the dilemma of wanting to leave the organization of Jehovah’s Witnesses known as the Watch Tower Bible & Tract Society. I was involved with the organization for nearly 27 years from December 1968 through July 1995. I was active for a total of 25 years. I served in various congregational positions including Elder. In my active evangelizing for the Watch Tower Society I helped a total of 15 people become Jehovah’s Witnesses including my four children.
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Sociology -
Women
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Written by jamiebowers
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Wednesday, 24 February 2010 11:55 |
I was 11 years old when my mother remarried and quit her job. A year later she started studying with the jws. Her husband was very opposed and frequently caused fights about it. My younger brother went with her to the meetings, but I wasn't interested. At the time, I was an honor student, on student council and a class officer. The more she studied, the less interested and even oppositional she became to my academic career (Jws don't encourage college. The leadership claims that it is due to worldly influences, but the real truth is because they don't want anyone to engage in independent thinking).
There were a few times when I was home alone with my stepfather while the rest of the family were attending the meetings. He tried to force himself on me, but I fought him off. I told my mother, and she did nothing about it. Eventually she left him because of his opposition to her becoming a Jehovah's Witness. They reconciled a few months after he began a study with the Witnesses.
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Doctrine -
Chronology
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Thursday, 14 January 2010 19:50 |
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From the April 15, 2010 Watchtower article:
Holy Spirit’s Role in the Outworking of Jehovah’s Purpose
13 Third, holy spirit is at work in bringing Bible truths to light. (Prov. 4:18) This magazine has long been used by “the faithful and discreet slave” as the primary channel for dispensing increased light. (Matt. 24:45) For example, consider our understanding of those who make up “this generation” mentioned by Jesus. (Read Matthew 24:32- 34.) To what generation did Jesus refer? The article “Christ’s Presence—What Does It Mean to You?” explained that Jesus was referring, not to the wicked, but to his disciples, who were soon to be anointed with holy spirit. Jesus’ anointed followers, both in the first century and in our day, would be the ones who would not only see the sign but also discern its meaning—that Jesus “is near at the doors.”
14 What does this explanation mean to us? Although we cannot measure the exact length of “this generation,” we do well to keep in mind several things about the word “generation”: It usually refers to people of varying ages whose lives overlap during a particular time period; it is not excessively long; and it has an end. (Ex. 1:6) How, then, are we to understand Jesus’ words about “this generation”? He evidently meant that the lives of the anointed who were on hand when the sign began to become evident in 1914 would overlap with the lives of other anointed ones who would see the start of the great tribulation. That generation had a beginning, and it surely will have an end. The fulfillment of the various features of the sign clearly indicate that the tribulation must be near. By maintaining your sense of urgency and keeping on the watch, you show that you are keeping up with advancing light and following the leadings of holy spirit.—Mark 13:37.
(italics ours)
Well, this change should buy out another 60 years or so before Armageddon may come! Such brilliant leaders of the Watchtower. See chart with the history of the changes by clicking READ MORE
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Life Stories -
Leaders
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Written by Frank Kavelin
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Monday, 10 August 2009 15:25 |
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I am Frank Kavelin. My wife Barbara and I were recently disfellowshipped for apostasy. Long before we became inactive, I was mentioned in one topic and was the subject of another topic on the Discussion Board JWN. I was the elder who was quoted in the Los Angeles Times defending an article that appeared in the 1987 Watchtower dealing with doctor/patient privacy issues. http://www.jehovahs-witness.net/watchtower/beliefs/107603/1/A-Time-to-Speak-When-with-scans. I am also the brother who was seriously injured in the Santa Monica Farmers Market tragedy of 2002.
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