Don't go see the Twilight Movies At Romans 6:1-7 Paul speaks of sin. It is a cruel master and we all struggle to break free from it. Whether it is an addiction, unclean thinking, jealousy, anger, hate, etc. we as sincere servants of God struggle against these bad leanings. Verse six of this chapter says “that we should no longer go on being slaves to sin” and how true that is. (Romans 6:6)  In waking up to the fact that we have been misled by the Watchtower leadership for so many years, it dawns on us that we are not just enslaved to sin as imperfect humans.  We are (or have been) enslaved to men to one degree or another also.

One example is with respect to a person’s conscience. There are many matters that the Bible is silent on; but men and their opinions rarely are silent about anything. Personal viewpoints from men going as far back as Rutherford still hold sway and shape Jehovah’s Witnesses behavior and morality to this day. The blood doctrine is at the very core of a Christian’s conscience is it not? Acts 15:29 simply says to abstain or avoid it. It does not define what a blood fraction is, or whether a 21st century medical procedure is alright or not. Yet a group of men have continuously shaped the consciences of millions via the Watchtower Organization on this very serious matter of conscience. Some have been relatively unaffected by it, while others have literally died due to these man-made policies. Romans 2:14-15 highlights that people will be held to their conscience, not by a tribunal of men, but by Christ. Why impose our own upon another? The same thought also holds true for the mundane, such as:

 

  • Which movies will my family and I watch?
  • What kind of employment will we choose?
  • How about the length of my skirt? Or the kind of material it’s made of?
  • What annual celebrations or holidays will or won’t I participate in?
  • Will I grow a beard?

 

These and an almost countless number of other things are decided and laid out in great detail by articles written in Watchtower publications. Also there are “unwritten laws” that are in effect touching on many of these subjects as well. The image at the top is from a recent Watchtower article (February 15, 2011), mentioning but *not* mentioning the Twilight series of books that have been made into movies. These are quite popular among many people these days, selling millions of copies.  In case you are unfamiliar, the films are basically aimed towards female tweens and teens and are romance stories quite similar to Romeo and Juliet with a tinge of vampires and werewolves thrown in.  If you are a Witness, you will be considered weak and somewhat worldly in your faith if you watch one of the Twilight movies, regardless of your age. Yet they have never been mentioned by name in print.

Another more well known unwritten law is that of brothers and their facial hair. If a brother appears at the Kingdom Hall in nearly all of North America wearing a beard, either long or short, he will be considered weak and rebellious by a large portion of congregation members. He will not be given privileges in the congregation, such as carrying a microphone or being appointed as a ministerial servant. If he is already on the servant body he will be spoken to and then at some point deleted if he does not shave it. Some exceptions occur in isolated places like Alaska. However if you are located in the majority of areas in America, want to be a good Witness but also want a beard then you are out of luck. Yet you will not see these unwritten rules in print. Witnesses though clearly recognize that they exist. (See the letter at the bottom of the page written to the Society regarding wearing a beard) So finally our article title gains its relevance, and slavery comes to the fore. 2 Timothy 2:24 says that we should be “a slave of the Lord”. Yet Paul states at 1 Corinthians 7:23:

“You were bought with a price; stop becoming slaves of men.”

Is our conscience enslaved to the small group of men that are running and have run the Jehovah’s Witness Organization? They hold an enormous influence over what we think, say, and do. How we live our lives, what kinds of employment we seek, how we dress and groom ourselves and much more is at stake.  The Hebrew Scriptures are quoted with respect to not getting tattoos, because some worldly nations apparently did this. But the same Hebrew Scriptures in nearby verses are not referred to regarding the necessity of a man not shaving his sidelocks and of his wearing a beard. Why the inconsistency? Well the answer is, that it really boils down to a Christian person’s conscience, does it not?

Our struggle exists in the courage to ask these questions, and then in the step after that: What do we do about the bondage we find ourselves in? Do we accept it patiently with endurance, and “wait on Jehovah”? (BTW, this is a phrase that does not appear in any Bible) It can be a good axiom depending upon the circumstances. But it is of course not the same thing as “waiting upon the Organization”.  Even just the learning process alone, prior to doing anything about it, is significant. It can be quite cathartic and eye-opening for us. The effort and courage to study and dig deeply into God’s Word, and do the research required to “prove to yourselves the good and acceptable and perfect will of God.” is very beneficial for us to undertake. (Romans 12:2) Truly it is “the journey”, and not just the destination that are important in our personal relationship with God and in determining whether we are slaves of men or to Christ Jesus.

I learned an interesting thing about Alex Haley, the famous author that is best known for the books and TV miniseries “Roots”. Just the process of researching and endeavoring to tell the story of what happened to his ancestors nearly bankrupted him and ruined his life. He was met initially with support, but after a couple years was told to come home, and to stop all this research and plane and ship-hopping from one place to another. But he was not even close to being finished after those planned out two-three years of research had been reached.  The whole story and truth of the matter had not been accurately or comprehensively enough traced. He was met with agreeable apathy at first when speaking of his need to continue, and then later indifference, and finally outright hostility that he should be taking this long in his research. Every dime of his money had been spent, the money forwarded to him by his publishers was long gone, but still his search was not complete. He pressed on, despite all the odds and personal dangers. Despite the family opposition too- to just “come home” and forget it. …And so he finally completed the research at last, after some ten arduous years. The rest of the story is of course history; and a retelling of a dark and terrible chapter of it to be sure. Many people, particularly white America, saw for the first time the evils and horrors that the slave trade inflicted. It opened many people’s eyes up to the bare and naked ugliness of this brutal bigotry, and of the countless lives that had been lost or cheapened as a result of being in bondage to men in a literal and societal sense.

Our struggle could never be compared to what these millions of African people and their descendants endured. However it highlights in our minds that slavery to men, whether physical, emotion, mental, or financial, is evil. It is ungodly. And people can and should fight against it to gain their freedom. (John 8:32) These questions are then very valid:

  • How far shall I fight for my Christian Freedom?
  • How fast and how long should it take me?
  • How much freedom apart from what others say or think do I personally need?

These questions are up to each person to answer. After all, our individual relationship with our Heavenly Father is at stake. Because the real question is: Whose Slave are we?

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———– REFERENCE #1 ——————————————————————

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WATCHTOWER BIBLE AND TRACT SOCIETY OF NEW YORK, INC.

 

WRITING DEPARTMENT PHONE (718) 625-3600

25 COLUMBIA HEIGHTS, BROOKLYN, NEW YORK 11201-2483, U.SA

EZF:ESJ December 11, 1996

 

 

Dear Mr. _______

 

We apologize- for our delay- in responding to your letter letter of November 3, 1996. You ask about the propriety of a Christian wearing

a beard.

 

As you likely have realized, the publications of the Watch Tower Society have not endeavored to make specific rules to govern dress and grooming in the tens of thousands of congregations earth wide. Grooming and clothing styles vary around the world. The Bible does not set forth specific directions on dress or grooming but does advise Christians to dress modestly and to do things in such a way as not to offend others. (1 Corinthians 10:29, 31-33; 1 Timothy 2:9, 10) Thus, one would want to consider what is commonly expected in one’s community of those who profess to reverence God or who teach the Bible to others.

 

A well-trimmed beard in itself would not preclude one from being in the Theocratic Ministry School, sharing in the ministry, or being baptized as one of Jehovah’s Witnesses. Nor should a Christian be shunned simply for wearing a beard since this is not considered as being disorderly in one’s conduct. At the same time, the Society is not in a position to investigate the leanings and preferences of each of the tens of thousands of communities where in Jehovah’s Witnesses carry on the all-important work of making known the Kingdom good news. As Paul stated, we are “a theatrical spectacle to the world, and to angels, and to men.” So it appears that the early Christians were cognizant to some extent of the impression given to others by their appearance and comportment. As you can likely appreciate, they would not want anything to distract others from listening to the message.-1 Corinthians 4:9; 2 Corinthians 4:2.

 

As you note in your letter, there are some areas of the world wherein a certain style of dress and grooming is viewed as accept-able for one who is teaching the Bible or “professing to reverence God” in the community. (Compare 1 Timothy 2:10.) In other areas the same style might be quite objectionable or even offensive to a particular community or culture. While not condemning a person who chooses a certain style of dress and grooming that does not conflict with Bible principles, when it comes to one being considered for special privileges in the congregation, we feel an obligation to leave this with the local body of elders, who are able to assess better how the matter is viewed locally.-Luke 12:48; also compare Acts 16:3 and 1 Corinthians 9:19-22.

 

At the same time, on matters of grooming, we do agree that this should be left to an individual’s personal decision. While a certain style of grooming, such as wearing a beard, does not prevent a person from being valued as one of Jehovah’s servants in the Christian congregation, it may have some effect on the extent he can be used for additional privileges,depending on the local sentiment. In time, a person’s preferences may even change somewhat when considering all of the factors involved.

 

We trust that these comments will be of some help. We take the opportunity to send an expression of our greetings and best wishes.

 

Sincerely,

Watchtower Bible and Tract Society of New York, Inc.

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———– REFERENCE #2 ——————————————————————

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Aboard the “African Star” – After working on the book for more than a decade, Haley was stuck — and desperate

 

“I just love to get out in the ocean. You are really out there, thinking in ways you haven’t thought before. The best writing I ever possibly could do was after The Digest helped me go to Africa and Europe, and I was not known and I could just take my time and nobody was pressing me. God, I don’t know how long it took me. I was working slowly, slowly. When I had done all the research, nine years, working in between doing articles for other magazines, I was ready to write. I didn’t know where to go, didn’t know what to do. I knew I had a monumental task. And I got on a cargo ship. I went from Long Beach, California, completely around South America and back to Long Beach. It was 91 days.There’s something about a ship. Usually I go out on freight ships, cargo ships. (I wouldn’t get caught on a liner. How can you write with 800 people dancing?) But the freight ships carry a maximum of 12 people, and they tend to be very quiet people.

I work my principal hours from about 10:30 at night until daybreak. The world is yours at that point. Most all the passengers are asleep.

I had written from the birth of Kunta Kinte through his capture. And I had got into the habit of talking to the character. I knew Kunta. I knew everything about Kunta. I knew what he was going to do. What he had done. Everything. And so I would talk to him. And I had become so attached to him that I knew now I had to put him in the slave ship and bring him across the ocean. That was the next part of the book. And I just really couldn’t quite bring myself to write that.

I was in San Francisco. I wrote about 40 pages and chunked it out. When you write well, it isn’t a question so much of what you want to say, it’s a question of feel. Does it feel like you want it to feel? The feel starts coming in somewhere around about the fourth rewrite.

I wrote, twice more, about 40 pages and threw it out. And I realized what my bother was: I couldn’t bring myself to feel I was up to writing about Kunta Kinte in that slave ship and me in a high-rise apartment. I had to get closer to Kunta. I had run out of my money at The Digest, lying so many times about when I’d finish so I couldn’t ask for any more. I don’t know where I got the money from. I went to Africa. Put out the word I wanted to get a ship coming from Africa to Florida. I just wanted to simulate the crossing.

I went down to Liberia, and I got on a freight ship called appropriately enough the African Star. She was carrying a partial cargo of raw rubber in bales. And I got on as a passenger. I couldn’t tell the captain or the mate what I wanted to do because they couldn’t allow me to do it.

But I found one hold that was just about a third full of cargo and there was an entryway into it with a metal ladder down to the bottom of the hold. Down in there they had a long, wide, thick piece of rough sawed timber. They called itdunnage. It’s used between cargo to keep it from shifting in rough seas.

After dinner the first night, I made my way down to this hold. I had a little pocket light. I took off my clothing to my underwear and lay down on my back on this piece of dunnage. I imagined I’m Kunta Kinte. I lay there and I got cold and colder. Nothing seemed to come except how ridiculous it was that I was doing this. By morning I had a terrible cold. I went back up. And the next night I’m there doing the same thing.

Well, the third night when I left the dinner table, I couldn’t make myself go back down in that hold. I just felt so miserable. I don’t think I ever felt quite so bad. And instead of going down in the hold, I went to the stern of the ship. And I’m standing up there with my hands on the rail and looking down where the propellers are beating up this white froth. And in the froth are little luminous green phosphorescences. At sea you see that a lot. And I’m standing there looking at it, and all of a sudden it looked like all my troubles just came on me. I owed everybody I knew. Everybody was on my case. Why don’t you finish this foolish thing? You ought not be doing it in the first place, writing about black genealogy. That’s crazy.

I was just utterly miserable. Didn’t feel like I had a friend in the world. And then a thought came to me that was startling. It wasn’t frightening. It was just startling. I thought to myself, Hey, there’s a cure for all this. You don’t have to go through all this mess. All I had to do was step through the rail and drop in the sea.

Once having thought it, I began to feel quite good about it. I guess I was half a second before dropping in the sea. Fine, that would take care of it. You won’t owe anybody anything. To hell with the publishers and the editors.

And I began to hear voices. They were not strident. They were just conversational. And I somehow knew every one of them. And they were saying things like, No, don’t do that. No, you’re doing the best you can. You just keep going.

And I knew exactly who they were. They were Grandma, Chicken George, Kunta Kinte. They were my cousin, Georgia, who lived in Kansas City and had passed away. They were all these people whom I had been writing about. They were talking to me. It was like in a dream.

I remember fighting myself loose from that rail, turning around, and I went scuttling like a crab up over the hatch. And finally I made my way back to my little stateroom and pitched down, head first, face first, belly first on the bunk, and I cried dry. I cried more I guess than I’ve cried since I was four years old.

And it was about midnight when I kind of got myself together. Then I got up, and the feeling was you have been assessed and have been tried and you’ve been approved by all them who went before. So go ahead. And then I went back down in the hold. I had a terrible head cold, flu-ish like. I had with me a long yellow tablet and some pencils. This time I did not take my clothing off like I’d been doing. I kept them on because I was having such a bad cold. I lay down on the piece of timber.

Now Kunta Kinte was lying in this position on a shelf in the ship, the Lord Ligonier. She had left the Gambia River, July 5, 1767. She sailed two months, three weeks, two days. Destination Annapolis, Maryland. And he was lying there. And others were in there with him whom he knew. And what would he think?

What would be some of the things they would say? And when they would come to me in the dark, I would write. And that was how I did every night, only ten nights. From there to Florida. I remember rushing through the big, big Miami Airport. Flew back to San Francisco. Got with a doctor, and he kind of patched me up.

I sat down with those long yellow tablets and transcribed. And I began to write the chapter in Roots where Kunta Kinte crossed the ocean in a slave ship. That was probably the most emotional experience I had in the whole thing.

Come around about 1:30 in the morning, you’ve been working since 10:30 and decide you’re going to take a little break. So you get up and you walk up on the deck. And you put your hand on the top rail, your foot on the bottom rail, and you look up. The first most striking thing is, man, you look up and there are heavenly objects as you never saw them before. You find yourself looking at planets at sea. And what you start to realize, you never saw clear air before. In some latitudes, down off West Africa, South America, on the night of a full moon, there are times you get into an illusion — if you could just stretch a little further you feel like you could touch it. And you are out there amidst all Gods firmament and then you stand and you feel through the soul of your shoe a fine vibration and you realize that’s man at work. That’s a huge diesel turbine, 35 feet down under the water driving this ship like a small island through the water. Still standing there, now you start hearing a slight hissing sound. You realize that’s of the ship cutting through the resistance of the ocean. With all that going on, feeling these man things and seeing the God things, that’s about as close to holy as you are going to ever get.”

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Edited from a talk at Reader’s Digest, October 10, 1991, four months before Alex Haley’s death

Excerpted from the book Alex Haley: The Man Who Traced America’s Roots by Alex Haley. Copyright © 2007 The Reader’s Digest Association, Inc. Published by The Reader’s Digest Association, Inc.; April 2007; $17.95US; 978-0-7621-0885-5.

 

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22 Comments on Slavery To Men

  1. serein says:

    this alway got to me how they tell yoy to dress and the letter above is just away of not making it look as thoe they are botherd but its all rubish cos they are,now one had a beard at the hall i went to and when some one came with one it wasnt long till i noticed they doint have one after a few weeks,hair has to be short, women must wear skirts or dresses why,i think aslong as your clean and tidy not scruffy and cant be bothered witrh yourself then you ok,its the the way some one dresses realy its there personality why would someone be put off just cos some one has a beard or a womans got pants on omg its such a sin,gods not gona say nope uor not geting in to paradise you had a beard and wouldnt shave it off or you had a tattoo or you wore jeans or what ever hes gona say you had the personality the faith the goodness i was looking for welcome,i also had a bllod transfusion as you know and for me people i dont know gave me some of there blood and saved my life so i could be with my family how kind is that,but the jws cos they are brainwashed look down on me with pitty cos the drs lied and i didnt need it crap cos i did,and pity me cos i was weak, crap i was strong for my kids,pity me cos i left the org becouse of it, crap i pity them for still being in and not being strong enough to look in to things and just follow along not as gods sheep but as mans sheep.

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  2. andrew says:

    Another rule which I feel is detrimental is the required informing of hours spent in the ministry.

    Also all the judging that goes also if you do not follow in lock step with the organization. When we met 3 times a week you were judged spiritually weak if you missed 1 of those meetings every week, but now we all only meet twice a week. If you decide not to go to an assembly you are judged as not appreciating Jehovah’s provisions.

    If you buy a 2 door car you are not spiritually minded. If you chew gum during the meeting you are unfaithful in little things which means you will be unfaithful in big things.

    If you watch Harry Potter, Lord of the Rings etc. you are worldly. If you didn’t aux. pioneer this last April when the hour requirement was lowered you are lazy.

    If you are a younger married couple without children and if at least one of you is not pioneering you are materialistic. If your kids play after the meeting you are a bad parent. If you hug your wife or child during prayer you are not focused on the right things.

    If you seek higher education you are worldly, unspiritual, and greedy. If you buy a lottery ticket you are a greedy person subject to disfellowshipping.

    If you practice unapproved sex with your wife you could lose all service privileges and in the past were subject to being disfellowshipped.

    If your child has a toy gun you love violence.

    The list goes on and on.

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  3. JJ says:

    Wow Andrew that’s a lot of things. Until you stop and really analyze it you don’t realize how many man-made rules there are…

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  4. JWB says:

    First of all JJ, thank you for putting in the time, effort and research required for this article. As usual, you have written in a very thought provoking way.

    Many years ago I wrote to the WTS asking about the matter of growing a beard. The reply I got was quite interesting. Of course they could not point to a scripture that showed it was wrong, but their argument was based on what the LOCAL COMMUNITY might associate that person with. I also understood their reasoning to touch on the matter of whether or not it would make the person stand out as different from what was the local custom. At the end of the day, whether or not a person wearing a beard ‘qualified’ for privileges in the congregation was left for the conscience of the local elders. I wonder if male JWs in local communities where the norm is to wear beard follow the custom or not. I think an important point to keep in mind is the need to be reasonable when it comes expecting dealing with others.

    “Let your REASONABLENESS become known to all men. The Lord is near.” (Phillipians 4:5)

    “But the wisdom from above is first of all chaste, then peaceable, REASONABLE, ready to obey, full of mercy and good fruits, not making partial distinctions, not hypocritical.” (James 3:17)

    “Continue reminding them to be in subjection and be obedient to governments and authorities as rulers, to be ready for every good work, to speak injuriously of no one, not to be belligerent, to be REASONABLE, exhibiting all mildness toward all men.” (Titus 3:1 & 2)

    Of course Romans 14:13 works both ways. Whatever our ‘rights’ may be we should always take care not to stumble others. 1 Corinthians 6:12 expresses, I think, the proper Christian spirit. However is growing a beard really going to cause spiritual shipwreck to another person’s faith?

    Your account of the struggles of Alex Haley reminded me of the a negative remark that a relative of mine made concerning me and my continuing research. He likened it to trying to find the end of a rainbow (in other word that it would be a waste of time because it would never end). However, I say to all the friends here, do not give up your individual research for it is said that “knowledge is power”. The growing strength that knowledge provides can help release us from spiritual bondage.

    “The spirit of the Sovereign Lord Jehovah is upon me, for the reason that Jehovah has anointed me to tell good news to the meek ones. He has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim LIBERTY to those taken CAPTIVE and the wide opening [of the eyes] even to the PRISONERS;” (Isaiah 61:1)

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  5. Chris says:

    Hi JJ,
    Mostly good article:)
    When we really start to lay out these unwritten rules they are so pervasive they almost get into your bones, if you have been around long enough.
    So please forgive me if I seem critical or have misunderstood the tone of your article.

    A spiritually mature Christian would not entertain themselves with ‘something’ that promotes spiritism in its various forms, as normal or glamorous.
    This is a fact and the scriptural examples are extensive.
    So my question is- What would you do if you saw a younger less mature Christian watching or reading such material?
    Would you just say that’s their conscience and they will work it out with time, study and prayer. Or would you be concerned and try and give them scriptural counsel even though the Bible doesn’t mention vampire movies or books?
    satan’s methods of self promotion are subtle.
    That’s not WT paranoia but a fact.
    So despite their tiresome droning on things which more mature Christians now consider obvious, at some point we have all needed counsel on our conduct.
    Granted, they go too far on soooooo many things.
    But are you saying that watching vampire movies is no big deal if it doesn’t bother your conscience because the Bible doesn’t mention movies or vampires etc?
    Agree with everything else, especially the beard thing which is just nuts:)

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    • JJ says:

      Chris you raise a valid point. The crux of it is the personal conscience isn’t it?

      The mention of a series of popular PG-13 Vampire movies isn’t really what were talking about is it though? I could have mentioned the old Dracula movie with Bela Lugosi – it too had the drinking of blood, and supernatural powers, in it. Or perhaps even The Wizard of Oz, which has witches and spell casting in it. Also in that vein (to use a pun) is the animated cartoon The Little Mermaid. Some would find these older films quaint and completely acceptable to watch with their children.

      Very few would have a problem with them, yet they too contain spiritistic characters and acts. The question then devolves down to a matter of degree.

      Another example is wind chimes- some
      cultures have used them to chase evil spirits away. Does this mean a Christian shouldn’t hang them on his porch because he loves the soothing sound they make? The answer becomes
      obvious, and it is this: each person should be left to decide and not impose their conscience on the other. “Let no one judge you” as Paul said.

      The pharisees did this. They made lists and lists of things the people couldn’t do, and so went beyond the things that were written. So I feel the answer is that warnings are appropriate; self-righteously deciding for someone else what they should or shouldn’t watch is not.

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    • andrew says:

      I agree with JJ. What is wrong is taking a bible principle and making a hedge of rules around it based on one’s own conscience in order to rule other’s consciences.

      For instance Jesus said his followers are not part of the world. Is it right to take that statement and say a brother must leave his job as a janitor at a quasi-government research lab or be DFed?
      That is a real life example that I know of first hand.

      This is what the organization has done on so many topics. The choice our brother makes on a certain matter on which the bible doesn’t directly talk about may not be what we would choose to do and we may give our own opinion on the matter, but if he chooses not to take our advice that matter should end there without our judging him.

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  6. Amos says:

    I also agree with both JJ’s & Andrew’s replies.

    I strongly believe that we must be careful in not imposing our conscience on another. Neither are we given the right to judge or censure another. I do however believe that we can lovingly point out scriptural principle to others & then leave it up to their conscience to decide for themselves.

    Another thing that I’ve considered recently is concerning Cornelius. Cornelius was a Roman centuriun (as we know), & there is no mention in scripture of him leaving that profession following his conversion & baptism AND receiving the Holy Spirit.

    What does this say regarding those in the employ of peace keeping forces in our day (police or military) after they “come to the Lord”?

    Should they be forced to exit their career/employment?

    Amos

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  7. serein says:

    iv desided not to judge the jws anymore im feeling bad about it i feel its not my place,yep theres loads of reasons to knock em but im gona leave it as i was once one and althoe i felt stuff wasnt quite right i still thought it must be so folowed along,i feel sad for anyone whos misled but even thoe iv left, i still love all my bros and sis as only god knows the real person inside and if the religion is wrong it dont mean the people in it are bad or wrong they trying to do there best and i just wish the men at the top would stop the shunnings and judgings and leave that to god.

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    • Amos says:

      serein:
      iv desided not to judge the jws anymore im feeling bad about it i feel its not my place,yep theres loads of reasons to knock em but im gona leave it as i was once one and althoe i felt stuff wasnt quite right i still thought it must be so folowed along,i feel sad for anyone whos misled but even thoe iv left, i still love all my bros and sis as only god knows the real person inside and if the religion is wrong it dont mean the people in it are bad or wrong they trying to do there best and i just wish the men at the top would stop the shunnings and judgings and leave that to god.

      I quite agree with your sentiments Serein. It’s not the sheep that are wrong, only the crooked shepherds, exactly the same as any other denomination, Catholic or Protestant.
      Remember the scripture that says; “blind guides leading blind men into a pit?” Well this is how I see it, the leaders are blind as to the truth from God’s Word. OR they deliberately & knowingly twist truth to become falsehood!

      Amos

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  8. belongingtojah says:

    I have a question:

    Are all things a matter of conscience?

    While it is true that there are “many things” things that are left up to the Christians conscience and it is important that we discern what these are and make every effort to not judge or stumble our brothers.

    I believe it is also true that if you establish beyond a reasonable doubt by Jehovah’s word that a teaching is false then would it not be reasonable to conclude that this is not a conscience matter but rather something that either needs to be adjusted in a christian manner or else separate yourself from the false teacher.

    I do understand that you brothers who are the authors of this forum are wanting to help those who are struggling with all of these issues to be able draw close to Jesus and Jehovah and get the comfort from them that they are not getting from the organization that claims to represent them.

    Just a question and some thoughts to stimulate thinking and christian freedom of speech on this subject.

    Your Brother in Christ
    belongingtojah

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    • andrew says:

      belongingtojah:

      As Christians we will each of us give an account of ourselves to God. We will not be judged by what our fellow believers do or say.

      In Jesus’ counsel to the congs. of Asia in Revelation he has strong words for some Christians who were acting unrighteously or teaching things that were stumbling their brothers. He didn’t say anything to the faithful ones to separate themselves from the unfaithful Christians and start meeting apart from them. He simply encouraged endurance.

      If someone feels they should continue to endure in the organization for whatever reason, that is their choice. Jesus will take into consideration what that individual does, says, and teaches not what others he may be associated with do or teach.

      Many however will feel that their spirituality will improve if they separate from the organ.

      Andrew

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      • jacqueline says:

        Andrew, I agree with your statement. Some must stay because mate would be shipwrecked, or they might just want or need to wait to see what they can do. (shouldn’t leap without a parachute.)
        In my case I was asked by the PO why I didn’t just leave. He said every CO had my name when they walk in the door. Because I had a restraining order against the org. they made my life a living wasteland. That is the best thing they could have done. \
        Some brothers stop by my house to get BS literature, so they must be talking, because I am not hiding anymore, I say I am gone and won’t ever come back. Idon’t get a negative when I have been forced to be open. I feel clean now. Only one son won’t talk to me and his father, but all other relatives have adjusted.

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  9. Roy says:

    I have thoroughly enjoyed reading through the posts I saw here today. Most comments seem to be quite balanced; not the totally anti-JW banter I expected.
    I hate hypocrisy in all its forms, and it seems to me that the organization is guilty of hypocrisy.

    On the one hand, they correctly (and strongly)admonish interested ones to “Get out from among them”, lest they be judged guilty by their association with unclean religious organizations. However, to CONVERTS, the advice is, “If you see something that you KNOW IS NOT RIGHT, do not be presumptuous and run ahead of the faithful slave. In time, Jehovah will sort it out”.

    On one hand, they say that no one can be accused without two or three witnesses, and refuse to divulge details of accusations of wrongdoing against pedophiles, but on the other, they demand from professionals (Lawyers, Doctors, Therapists, Accountants, etc.) that if, in their professional capacities, they become aware of the wrongdoing of a member of the organization, they are to report it to the body of elders. This notwithstanding ANY LOCAL LAWS about guarantee of privacy.

    This is a policy in writing, not hearsay.

    We all need to differentiate in our minds, what is reproach on the organization, and what is reproach on Jehovah’s name. Are they one and the same? You decide. DO NOT LET OTHERS TELL YOU SO.

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    • Hi Roy,

      Nice to see your post. You made the following comment.

      “they demand from professionals (Lawyers, Doctors, Therapists, Accountants, etc.) that if, in their professional capacities, they become aware of the wrongdoing of a member of the organization, they are to report it to the body of elders. This notwithstanding ANY LOCAL LAWS about guarantee of privacy.

      This is a policy in writing, not hearsay.”

      I have never heard such a thing. Not trying to dispute your comment but I would love to get my hands on the Watchtower source material for such a policy. In what publication and when did this appear?

      Dennis

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  10. Roy says:

    Hi Dennis,

    Two sources you may refer to.

    1. September 1, 1987 Watchtower article – “A time to Speak” – When?”

    And secondly, there is an L.A. Times news article which addresses this issue (I was unable to find it this morning, but will continue searching), in searching for the article, I came across this link:
    http://www.equip.org/articles/.....dentiality
    This article is a little skewed; the L.A. Times articles was more probing, questioning and balanced in my opinion.

      (Quote)

  11. DanielB says:

    This is one of the erroneous cultic identifiers : ” do not be presumptuous and run ahead of the faithful slave. In time, Jehovah will sort it out”. Faithful slave ? Unfaithful slave ? How does the slave treat his brothers who confess Jesus ? Slavery to men , or a slave of the Master ?

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  12. JIM says:

    “These people come near to me with their mouth
    and honor me with their lips,
    but their hearts are far from me.
    Their worship of me
    is made up only of rules taught by men

      (Quote)

  13. Tinaa says:

    Slavery to men will and could cost your life. Slavery to men will cost you your peace, your joy, your happiness, your health and most importantly your loyalty to Jehovah.

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  14. Tinaa says:

    My JW friend was constantly picking on me for looking so different and because I had a nose stud. The funny is that she could not really point a scripture in the Bible where Jah said it was sinful to have a nose stud. I was also considerate of others for instance I would not wear my nose stud at the meetings, then on my way home I would put my nose stud back. My JW friend started to become too controlling over little things and I did not like that one bit so I had to give her some distance. I am all for treating people with respect but I do not like when people try to control me and try to do my thinking for me and I won’t tolerate that.

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