Posted by Doug [Keflar] on April 04, 1999 at 18:57:10 {th2VaRoznYCuspFhnTUgvhKqcjatLo}:
In Reply to: ****A Pardon From The King? posted by Kristin on April 04, 1999 at 17:36:43:
Kristin,
What a thoughtful and reasoned reply!
:I abhor the disfellowshipping policy and believe they (the GB) have twisted the scriptures all around to support their doctrine.
I'm very sorry to hear about your son, Kristin, and I also abhor the Dfing policy as you well know. I've written many articles in here pointing out how it is so far away from what the Bible teaches. I wouldn't be surprised if many dubs hadn't really thought about it until they saw the articles on the subject by a number of people on this board besides myself.
:Disfellowshipping is the easy way. No social responsibility is required. The elders are trained by the present sociopaths serving as GB simply sweep the "problems" under the carpet until the problems they compounded beg to come out or die.
Precisely. Any totalitarian orgaganization deals with dissenters or questions in a totalitarian way, regardless of whether it is humane, or even appropriate. The WTS is no different.
:You said, "I also believe that meaningful reform in the WTS is, if not a fantasy, a tough, long hill to climb."
:Thank you for acknowledging this! I wouldn't have become part of the reform efforts if I didn't believe our faith and years of hard work wouldn't reap miracles.
Go for it! Of course the only real reform that is necessary is to stop shunning as it is now practiced. That would make blood transfusions a matter of conscience, celebrating holidays, and a host of other things now forbidden by the society's strict pharisaical lawbooks would all be subject to the individual conscience of each JW.
:You also said, "If they would simply stop their shunning as is now practiced and go back to the Bible principals on the matter, I will go away. Forever. Promise."
:I agree! I also have discussed the banning of Covert with Rick and The Australian. I would have opposed it from the start because it destroyed the life of my son. Banishing someone from the community in any form should only be reserved for the most severe violators. Posters of porn, committers of illegal acts, and the like.
I totally agree.
:Although there is some disagreement whether young ones as Covert will lose respect if allowed to attack others character, I chalk this off to impetuous youth. Contrary the my dear friend The Australian's belief, youth in these harsh times really require come TLC (tender loving care) and occasional kid glove treatment (especially when their souls and hearts are already bruised enough as it is).
Covert's a pretty tough kid. It's Rick that I worry about.
:To the Australian: don't discount the impossible; I did just travel back in time to wrong a right. Speaking of "wishes," I wish that Covert would have the good full life my son missed.
I'm sure he'll appreciate that very much.
:I dreamt that it was the year 2999, a thousand years into our future, and I was looking through the eyes of someone. I picked up the Watchtower Society's Watchtower Magazine off a coffee table. The caption of the main article was backed with a photo of beautiful mountains, fields and running streams. It read "2914 to Present: IS THE NEW WORLD CLOSE?"
If they keep preaching THAT mantra, they won't last another 30 years, let alone another millenium! People can only cry "wolf" so long before people begin to disbelieve.
:I got this astonishing jolt we are milleniums away from the end of this system. I felt a suffocating feeling as I awoke in our room. And wondered, Is this the feeling Christians a millenium ago felt when they became aware the end was far into the future? A feeling of sudden mortality. A feeling one is no more special than the billions who have died throughout history. A realisation that one will with certainty grow old and die, pay the penalty of sin with death, and die with nothing more than pure faith we shall then receive the promised reward of life with God?
Well put. Now that you've realized this you can begin LIVING instead of spending your life WAITING!
All the best t'ya!
Doug