Text For Monday, 21 May 2007

[barry]

Each one will carry his own load.—Gal. 6:5.

Instead of shouldering his responsibility to make a decision regarding Jesus Christ, Pontius Pilate let others decide for him. This, however, did not absolve him of his accountability for passing an unjust sentence upon Jesus. (Matt. 27:11-26; Luke 23:13-25) What about you? When called upon to make decisions, do you allow others to make up your mind? Decision-making is not easy. It takes maturity to make right choices. Of course, making a decision is very difficult when the situation is complex and various factors have to be weighed. Yet, the responsibility of making decisions is not so weighty as to be included among “the burdens,” or “troublesome things,” that those with “spiritual qualifications” may carry for us. (Gal. 6:1, 2; ftn.) Rather, it is a load for which “each of us will render an account for himself to God.”—Rom. 14:12. w 3/15/06 2, 3

[eyes&ears]

This text is something else isn't it? This is what I calll double talk goobly gook.

Make your own decisions but follow everything we say or else.

Oh well, I will not go on a Monday morning tangent/rant :ban_dance01: :185: !!!


The main point for me is it certainly does take maturity to look at the total picture and count the cost when making any kind of decision these days. Too bad I was spiritually demented for so long. (Opps sorry, said I was not gonna rant)

Yes, and you better believe it is to Jehovah alone that WE ALL WILL RENDER AN ACCOUNT, WHEN ALL IS SAID AND DONE. JEHOVAH WILL BE LOOKING AT US INDIVIDUALLY. HE WILL TAKE CARE OF THE ORG.

HOLD ON TIGHT EVERYONE IT AIN'T OVER UNTIL IT IS OVER.


Sisterly love

E & E

[barry]

Decision-making is not easy. It takes maturity to make right choices.[/b]

Thinking of the talk we had yesterday, it takes maturity also for deciding to get baptized.
Is 14-16 mature enough for that?

I doubt that.

[Jeshurun]

Thinking of the talk we had yesterday, it takes maturity also for deciding to get baptized.
Is 14-16 mature enough for that?[/b]

What would you think about a couple of weeks after your 12th birthday? That's the situation I was in. When I returned home from that District Assembly, my mother and I discovered that my father had packed his bags and left (abandoned us, actually, not a dime of support). Even he, a 6th grade dropout who was basically illiterate (except that he was a PhD at reading racing forms) recognized that we were both in the grips of a fanatical mind-control cult (not to mention behavior-control).

From that point on I became horifically depressed, without guidance from anyone except the elders. We had to go on welfare, and I more or less held three jobs and it became impossible to keep up my grades at school, which happed to be the highest out of 2,400 students. I was told by my teachers that the sky was the limit for me, probably on my way to major achievements and scholarships. Not more than a year later, I ran away from home and I went from high honor student to cutting classes and failing just about everything. Somehow I managed to recover enough of my senses to barely graduate high school and put myself through college.

I could go on and on from there but I guess I've already beaten the point to death.

The Watchtower is a dangerous cult and there are others who have been damaged far worse than my silly old self, even to the point of suicide, which I myself have seriously considered on two different occasions.

This is a very short synopsis of why I wish this rotten system would end tomorrow.

Agape to all of you
I am very thankful for my spiritual family here.

Lou

[barry]

Hi Lou,

I'm sorry to read your story.
It must have been so difficult for you.
I can understand that you would like this system to end as soon as possible.

kind regards,
Barry

[Molly]

What would you think about a couple of weeks after your 12th birthday? That's the situation I was in. When I returned home from that District Assembly, my mother and I discovered that my father had packed his bags and left (abandoned us, actually, not a dime of support). Even he, a 6th grade dropout who was basically illiterate (except that he was a PhD at reading racing forms) recognized that we were both in the grips of a fanatical mind-control cult (not to mention behavior-control).

From that point on I became horifically depressed, without guidance from anyone except the elders. We had to go on welfare, and I more or less held three jobs and it became impossible to keep up my grades at school, which happed to be the highest out of 2,400 students. I was told by my teachers that the sky was the limit for me, probably on my way to major achievements and scholarships. Not more than a year later, I ran away from home and I went from high honor student to cutting classes and failing just about everything. Somehow I managed to recover enough of my senses to barely graduate high school and put myself through college.

I could go on and on from there but I guess I've already beaten the point to death.

The Watchtower is a dangerous cult and there are others who have been damaged far worse than my silly old self, even to the point of suicide, which I myself have seriously considered on two different occasions.

This is a very short synopsis of why I wish this rotten system would end tomorrow.

Agape to all of you
I am very thankful for my spiritual family here.

Lou[/b]

Dear Lou-

This is not the first time that my heart has gone out to you because of your experiences with the teachings of the WTS. Certainly as the text today relates, we must each carry our own load. I just don't think Jehovah ever intended for it to be made as difficult for us as the demands of the WT teachings. I thought the yoke was supposed to be "kindly" and the load was to be "light." How can anyone regard the WTS's teachings as kindly and light. They are ever increasingly burdensome, dictatorial, and intolerant. Forget love - it's not there!

You related how your father could see that it was a cult even with a 6th grade education. It's similar to my experience in that my first husband divorced me because he couldn't stand my religion. The day the divorce was final, he came by the house to say: "Give it up. I love you." Of course, I couldn't see the things he was seeing about the WTS. I guess you could call me brainwashed. That was almost 16 years ago. I'm not such a willing sucker any more.

Still, I do think it initially was the avenue (I absolutely hate the word channel) through which Jehovah has drawn people from all the nations to be his followers. Somewhere along the way things changed, increasingly so in the last few years. I don't believe it is his avenue anymore. And I do believe that he is just about ready to chastise severely those in responsible positions for the way they have treated His sheep.

You have endured a lot, Lou, but you're here because you Love Jehovah despite a multitude of reasons you could have given for not loving Him. He knows that and appreciates your endurance and the love you are showing for His name!

Molly

[eyes&ears]

Jesh,


:Love: :40:

Thanks to Jehovah you have come a long way. I am so glad you are here.

Don't you ever let go of our heavenly Father OKEY DOKEY. Remember all

he has done for you as I know you will.

Lots of love to you and your family.

E & E




PSALMS 55:16

As for me, to God I shall call out;
And Jehovah himself will save me.


57:1

Show me favor, O God,
show me favor,
For in you my soul has taken refuge;
And in the shadow of your wings I take refuge
until the adversities pass over.

[Jeshurun]

eyes&ears, and Molly, you guys have brought tears to my eyes and gotten me all choked up.

Thank you from the bottom of my heart.

Molly the story of how they killed your true love also hits me at the heart.

The family situation I came from caused me to focus all my energy and become obsessed with establishing a faithful Christian family of my own. In short, the elders intervened and put an end to any chance at a relationship with another sister in the organization. But this is what I felt I needed to have any chance to be a thriving "Witness". They had no clue of the love that I had for Jehovah because they never bothered to find out.

They can pull this off by making you actually believe that all their "guidance" is coming from Jehovah himself. How can the young mind of a person who truly loves Jehovah not be vacuumed into this like a black hole? And that all conspires to make us believe that Jehovah rewards all who love him with a life of living hell.

How is it that we were all brainwashed into believing that there absolutely had to be one true, perfect, never-ever wrong-about-anything religion run by imperfect men?

1914! That's how!

Love ya's all!

Lou