Are JWs in America back on the 'door to door' work now ?

[Arauna]

2 hours ago, Srecko Sostar said:

Sometimes we (people) understand the same things differently.

Yea - when I was working in USA, I found this the general idea - so everyone can carry on doing their own thing.  THis, I am sure was a teaching of doctor Spock - so everyone can feel important. 

[Arauna]

2 hours ago, Patiently waiting for Truth said:

that is exactly what I did when i left the JW Org, and I'm still doing by warning others of the dangers. 

No, that is not what you did and you know it. You went far beyond talking to the brother u had a beef with.....  ... so . Do not act all righteous. You are a stinker and you know it!

2 hours ago, Patiently waiting for Truth said:

then I'm a man so i do not know about the problems ladies face in the world or the org. 

You are a stinker! Twist my words for a nasty purpose!   I stand up to anyone who does not treat others well. That is why I see through your MO. 

[Arauna]

2 hours ago, Patiently waiting for Truth said:

again you link God to the JW Org. Can

Of course I link "jehovah" to the org. We carry his name don't we?  You are the one who is mentally in a box...... the hate-OCD box.... 

You are just throwing anything at me. So do not expect any answer -   try to control the OCD. 

[Thinking]

16 hours ago, Patiently waiting for Truth said:

This i have witnessed locally in my ex congregation. A young man who was once a M/S but mysteriously 'left' the Org at the same time a prominent Elder was D/fed, left his wife and even left England / moved back to Wales. The young M/S never returned to the KH and before i left the Org, I would often ask if anyone visited him, or could i have his address that i might visit him, but I was met with silence. That young man commited suiclde.... 

such dreadful things have happened…it is devastating  that some men in positions of power or authority can wield  a ignorant understanding of Christs Law over a cong…it does happen…I don’t understand at times why some cannot see that it happens…perhaps because they cannot imagine that Jehovah would allow such things amongst his people…yet that in itself means they do not understand how Jehovah works..what he allows..and why….and it has ALWAYS happened amongst his people…because we are not yet under his full blessings and care.

But there is good too..kindness and acts of brotherly love that I cannot find elsewhere,,,and I want to remind you…that it was loving brothers that corrected my dreadful situation…yes it was too late….but they did act…and were as devastated over the situation nearly as I…..they were the kind and good brothers in places of authority…they out number the bad…and even the bad after discipline may very well be forgiven…and as I write this I know if I picked up my phone to my loving kind elders..(of whom I don’t always agree with) and ask for help…I know they will be there for me.

   Being used as a people does not mean he finds us all acceptable….or as once taught that the organization as perfect….far from it….but what you are doing is not acceptable either ….you dont have it all correct either…and you have as much sin to carry around as I do…or any other brother and sister…and to who ever you associate with…they also cannot do what Jehovah has a achieved with this imperfect people assembled before him…and it’s even going to take Jesus a thousand years to get it all right…not because of his lack of power…but because how degraded we as humans have become.

Even his people at this time have become more degraded than fifty years ago….I wish I had the understanding  I have now …twenty years ago….not in chronology or in getting an exact understanding of every little bit of law…and scripture….but in Jehovah himself and why and how he teaches his peoples…in what he’s really like..and why he does certain things and why he allows certain things…

At times I wish I had my time in the truth all over again…but I was a babe..and I had to grow and mature..and yet I’m still a babe In Jehovahs eyes…and even those that direct us go thru the same experience… they don’t do everything right either…just like Moses never got it right…just as we get a bit of wisdom we are ready for the grave …as we die like gnats at this time of the end.

My and my families experience has forced me thru the fire of refinement…and a long hard look at what Jehovah has forgiven me for….certainly makes me stand before him as if naked and ashamed…..try to remember that you don’t serve a organization…you don’t serve the GB…but you serve Jehovah and his Son….you must hold on to that…and endure…ENDURE ENDURE ENDURE And  be kind to other brothers and sister trying to stay afloat and never ever endanger their faith that may be getting tested…never ever be the one to extinguish  a flickering flame of faith….because Jehovahs watching one’s like you and me..and he will treat us as we have treated others…and as far as ones like Space Merchant making it….I think you will find Jehovah has that all in hand as well….in fact we need to be thankful that Jehovah even gave one’s like you and me a sideways glance…

[xero]

Like Tom pointed out earlier w/regard to the actual congregations of the 1st century - the congregations weren't free from strife. Why would anyone imagine it would be so today? To believe that you must not be reading your bible with any depth of understanding. In fact it seems sometimes that there's more there to give us all something to deal with - we get some great learning experiences.

[Arauna]

6 hours ago, Thinking said:

understand at times why some cannot see that it happens…perhaps because they cannot imagine that Jehovah would allow such things amongst his people…yet

Well, I disagree with these brothers. The story of Job tells us that we will be tested to extremes and scriptures in the new testament tell us we will be persecuted and mocked. Any opposite teaching is not the truth. If the world loves you, you are doing something wrong. 

During Armageddon we will get full protection.  At present we can fail to ask jehovah what to do, due to imperfection..... or allow our desires to make bad choices in a given situation. It will not push us out of the truth but we can damage ourselves in many ways and those around us.

The worst thing we can do is to hang onto bad experiences. When we think on them ....then we strengthen these memory connections jn the brain and the pain comes back more often. ..... and the viscious circle starts...... thinking on it strengthens memories again and again.  This is where one must learn self-control..... and only we ourselves can do it. 

Praying and staying close to jehovah helps. Take focus of your own pain and put the focus on jehovah.  I often think of a young sister who got involved with her boss.  She later committed suicide. Her mother , who was sickly before this, was in and out of institutions (nervous breakdown)... she was such a lovely person but could not handle this. I used to marvel at her dedication and knowledge of the bible. 

Yes, we all have a breaking point and should not deem ourselves strong.... but we can develop skills to cope ...... and adversity does do this if we practice our faith.  None of us is above being severely tested. Once tested severely, we have an understanding of how dangerous satan can be. He wants us all to fail. 

[Arauna]

6 hours ago, Thinking said:

At times I wish I had my time in the truth all over again…but I was a babe..and I had to grow and mature..and yet I’m still a babe In Jehovahs eyes…and even those that direct us go thru the same experience…

I feel for you my sister. I am just glad that your love for jehovah was greater than the great problem ... and jehovah blessed you with a better understanding..... and in the new system he will bless you more by compensating you for the suffering. 

My pain came with my husbands death just after my daughter was operated on for cancer.  The events after this..... I also wish I had had better insight and knowledge..... but that is water under the bridge.... I rarely think of it.... but just about the positive things I learnt since then....... which is a bunch ! 

I have been in two congregations where i have not approved of some treatment of someone.... now that i am older i will stay quiet until the time is right to say something. ... i am not a busy body at all! 

But i say something when things are evident and it is not a false accusation or a whim. 

 

[Srecko Sostar]

5 hours ago, Thinking said:

I don’t understand at times why some cannot see that it happens…perhaps because they cannot imagine that Jehovah would allow such things amongst his people…yet that in itself means they do not understand how Jehovah works..what he allows..and why….and it has ALWAYS happened amongst his people…because we are not yet under his full blessings and care.

 

5 hours ago, Thinking said:

…they also cannot do what Jehovah has a achieved with this imperfect people assembled before him…and it’s even going to take Jesus a thousand years to get it all right…not because of his lack of power…but because how degraded we as humans have become.

 

5 hours ago, Thinking said:

Even his people at this time have become more degraded than fifty years ago….

I think we should be far more careful with the ideology behind the phrase “god allows”. In fact, I’m not sure the phrase “God allowed or allows” is found anywhere in the Bible text.
If we deal with the explanation of an event and say "God allowed it", then we must know which events "God did not allow" to happen. How will we know when the permission or non-permission happened and why? We can only find the answer in our interpretation and our ideology.

So there is no real or correct answer, because the answer does not come from God but from man. If one claims that something is “God’s will” then such an individual puts himself in the place of God, and then it is idolatry.

You write about degradation. On the one hand, you are assessing the general degradation of humanity, and on the other hand, you are talking about the degradation of the WTJWorg organization itself and its members. Of course, this is a subjective and emotional statement.
Humanity is no better or worse than in past centuries. The scenography has changed and other global changes have taken place, but the nature of man is constant. People love each other and people hate each other. Of course, my assessment is also insufficient, because it is based on personal circumstances and the conditions in which I live.

If you personally notice the degradation within JW membership then we may wonder to what “new light” JWs have been exposed to over the past 50 years? Does degradation depend and arise on the type of theology and doctrine you are exposed to or is it due to “external factors”?

 

[Arauna]

6 hours ago, Thinking said:

for….certainly makes me stand before him as if naked and ashamed…..try to remember that you don’t serve a organization…you don’t serve the GB…but you serve Jehovah and his Son….you must hold on to that…and endure…ENDURE ENDURE ENDURE And  be kind to other brothers and sister trying to stay afloat and never ever endanger their faith that may be getting tested…never ever be the one to extinguish  a flickering flame of faith….because Jehovahs watching one’s like you and me..and he will treat us as we have treated others…and as far as ones like Space Merchant making it….I think you will find Jehovah has that all in hand as well….in fact we need to be thankful that Jehovah even gave one’s like you and me a sideways glance…

Amen

[Arauna]

12 minutes ago, Srecko Sostar said:

something is “God’s will” then

For me there is a massive difference between gods will - which is part of his plan /purpose..... and what he "allows" in satan's wicked system. He did give satan "permission" to test Job..... read the bible section again..... .

One should not conflate the two concepts because then you will become like Job's friendly advisors who were not qualified to give him advice at all! 

[Srecko Sostar]

10 minutes ago, Arauna said:

If the world loves you, you are doing something wrong. 

One would think that all or almost all the people around us who are not JWs are liars, fornicators, thieves, etc. How wrong it is to look at it that way.

11 minutes ago, Arauna said:

During Armageddon we will get full protection.

WTJWorg publications have different statements as far as I know. The last thing I read about it is that God will provide collective but not individual protection in Armageddon. Whatever that means. :)))

13 minutes ago, Arauna said:

I often think of a young sister who got involved with her boss.  She later committed suicide. Her mother , who was sickly before this, was in and out of institutions (nervous breakdown)... she was such a lovely person but could not handle this.

Better a living dog than a dead lion, the Bible says. If we stick to that, then the affair with the boss is not the end of the world, but it is the beginning of condemnation from the JW community. What has the JW community done to prevent suicide from happening? By rejecting and excluding such a sister (if it happened) from the family and the congregation, it contributed to this act of suicide and illness of her mother. How much "the burden on the conscience" is in those who contributed to this outcome?

[TrueTomHarley]

22 minutes ago, Srecko Sostar said:

Humanity is no better or worse than in past centuries. The scenography has changed and other global changes have taken place, but the nature of man is constant.

It hardly matters, does it? You can fart all you want and as along as there is plenty of space between you and your neighbor, there are no real consequences. But when population, technology, and competition for resources bring people shoulders to shoulder, your unpleasant ways provoke strong reaction.

So it is with the world today. At any time, applying godly wisdom would have been beneficial. In our time it become crucial.