Vöt Änårж

.... From this week's Bible reading, Vot wonders- could Amnon have legally married Tamar?

Or was it 100% impossible for him to have her?

For those wondering who those people are and what happened with them, please see 2 Samuel 13:1-22.

[Here's hoping that Corinthians guy doesn't see this Q lol!]

Vot remembered an earlier incident today during field service when a RV in my territory was turning into a demo Bible study and I was with a brother who doesn't speak the language very well, and I'd forgotten to carry a bandanna. Happily I was wearing a hooded coat so I slipped the hood over my head (playing it safe).

Some weeks ago Vot invited an elder to work with me in my hostel (aka my main territory) and he arrived as Vot was tying up her hair. As I finished getting my stuff ready for the study (to be conducted in my room), he asked what topic we'd be covering. I gave him a brief overview of the subject, what we'd covered last time and a brief description of the student's religious beliefs. Then he said "You're conducting it right?"

And Vot said "No, you're conducting it."

And he said "But how am I to give you advice on what to work on if I don't get to see you at work?"

And I said [cop-out response] "I don't have a head-covering."

And he said "Yes you do. There it is on your head!" (i.e the bandanna I'd wrapped around my pony-tail).

I said it counted as a "ribbon" and not head-covering, and he said "Nah- so long as it's on your head, it's head covering"

He conducted the study though :-P

The best photo I can find of the hair-do is here; ignore the white and black ear-warmer; I'm referring to the blue one. Vot had tied it the way she had tied the other one the day we spoke.

http://i632.photobucket.com/albums/uu43/Vot_A/head...

Vot has had brothers pull her leg in various ways in the past; do you think this is one of those times? Does that bandanna really count as head-covering?

xD

=====================

End of Q, examples of leg-pulling in the past:

1) At college back home a brother came to our room with a list of names of JW students and numbers besides the names. Vot asked what that was about, he said we would be playing a congregation football match and those were our jersey numbers- what number did Vot want to wear? I found it crazy- why was everyone playing when there was only supposed to be 22 players in total? After he convinced me to choose a jersey number for myself (and Vot doesn't play football but he insisted), he laughed and told me that it was the magazine orders for each publisher!

2) Vot had eaten a lot of meals over at the brother above and his roommate's place, so she decided to return the favour and cook them a meal. After the meal was served, one of them said "May the hostess pray for us?" Vot looked up at him; I sensed something was "wrong" (I was still a Bible study at the time). They must have noticed the puzzled look on my face, because they suddenly burst out laughing and then he prayed.

Hence Vot's always being on her guard xD

Let's say Person A in your neighbourhood informs your Family Member B over in another state about some "crime" you've committed. Family member B (like a good citizen) phones the police to report and the local police come all the way to your house (aka "the crime scene") and then they find nothing's up and realise it was a hoax.

What legal avenues are available to you in this situ?

Note: According to US law.

Vot is trying to get as wide a range of answers as possible. So if you think JWs don't believe in Jesus OR you know the reasons others have for thinking so, kindly share :-)

And I hate that I even have to add this, but please- whatever other issues you have with Jehovah's Witnesses, please save the name-calling and other derogatory language for another time and just stick to the topic- i.e whether or not JWs believe in Jesus. Thanks in advance ^_^

Vot is having a discussion via IM with a fellow student here- we're cool, often have interesting Bible discussions and though he doesn't agree with our beliefs enough to become a Witness himself, there's a lot of our beliefs he agrees with. Like I said- we're cool.

There's a new issue: he says a sister is interested in dating him and wanted to know what exactly was "wrong" with that.

Of course, he doesn't agree with our viewpoint on the matter (so long the couple are happy etc), but he is still interested in viewing the matter through "JW eyes".

Vot has said everything she can, but he's not convinced. He's agreed for me to post this on here so he can hear what other JWs have to say. So, tell him!!! lol

Non-JWs, anti-JWs etc wanting to discuss anything OTHER than what Vot is asking- feel free to collect the 2 points :-)

Vot has heard of people being "stalked" by other users on Y!A who send them a flood of emails and the like until they are forced to block them..... but do you have a devoted fan (for lack of a better term xD) who mentions you in almost all their answers (exposing the "fact" that you are not one individual but actually 5 religious bigwigs living in different parts of the world all sharing the same account) and it doesn't matter whether you have answered that question or not?

Vot doesn't know whether to be disturbed, or flattered xD

http://answers.yahoo.com/question/index;_ylt=ArsY3...

It can be amusing though to know you affect someone so deeply they can't help talking about you in their answers. S/he's never emailed Vot though, which utterly breaks my heart </3

*giggles*

When you think of the word "obsession", which Bible character comes to mind? xD

Vot'll check the answers in the morning (St. Petersburg time)- goodnight!

When Vot joined this site 4 years ago (how much of my life the Yamster has stolen!!!), there were common claims by anti-JWs that there are no JWs in college. After people on here got used to having at least two JW college students on here (i.e Tears of Oberon and Vot), that false claim eventually died off.

Another claim around that time was that there are no elders on Y!A, and that the JW regulars had to keep their "Y!A-life" secret from the JWs in their real lives lest someone report them to the elders. After people on here got used to having some elders on here (or at least, have some JWs claim to know for a fact that some of the other users on here are elders) that one died off too.

Vot knows (well, as far as one can "know" these things online) that there are different "kinds" of JWs on Y!A: inactive ones, newly-baptised ones, publishers, pioneers, ministerial servants, elders, anointed ones etc

During some after-service chit-chat with an elder who regularly checks in on Vot's progress with her addiction to the internet in general *cough cough*, he mentioned that his roommate at Bethel is also addicted to the Russian equivalent of Facebook.

That made Vot wonder: Do we have any Bethelite regulars on Y!A?

You don't have to name names, just a "Yes" would suffice if you know of such a one.

There had been the claim back in 2008 that the members of the Governing Body regulate the JW answers on here and make sure all anti-JW Qs are deleted, but Vot thinks that's stretching things.

But hey- let's throw it in there: Do you think we have a member of the Governing Body on Y!A?

*giggles*

Imagine this scenario:

There's a certain "clique" in a certain congregation [Note: Vot is misusing the word "clique" here] consisting of two sisters (Mary and Anna) and one brother (Tom). They are all of the same age, and while they don't always hang out together, if there is any congregation get-together or other leisure activity planned, the three are ALWAYS there together. Many times they themselves are the ones doing the planning and inviting others.

Anna and Tom have more things in common than Mary has with either of them (for the sake of this scenario, Vot will say for example- background, native language, family situation, social status, hobbies, favourite TV shows, taste in music etc), so it's easier for them to "communicate in a crowd".

At one point, Mary asks Anna whether there is something going on between her and Tom. Anna says no, and that Tom is "free game".

Anna thinks Mary is romantically interested in Tom herself, and when the subject comes up one day (i.e the subject of all the crushes the ladies have on Tom), Anna tells Tom she thinks Mary is interested in him. Tom says he doesn't believe that, but he doesn't say whether he likes the idea or not. Mary does not know about this conversation.

At a later date, Mary once more asks Anna whether she is sure there is nothing going on between her and Tom (with the basis for the Q being all the "inside jokes" Mary does not understand and their (i.e Anna and Tom's) frequently working together in the ministry).

After a third occasion and a third denial, Anna starts wondering:

1) whether there might be something to Mary's 'suspicions'- after all Tom had joked in the past about how Anna was a 'shield' for him because interested sisters assumed from a distance that he was "taken" already and thus left him alone- could Tom be interested in Anna himself?

2) whether she should 'distance' herself from Tom since their circumstantial closeness seems to make Mary feel left out and possibly makes her feel that Anna is preventing Tom from noticing Mary (assuming Mary IS interested in Tom), which could affect their (Anna and Mary's) friendship.

All the individuals involved are free and old enough to date/marry and in good standing and what have you.

What would YOU say to/about Anna about her "wonderings"?

Vot sucks at playing "Agony Aunt", so it'd be nice to hear from others. Thanks xD

Oh- and do you think King Solomon's 700 wives bickered a lot?

.... Who are not Jehovah's Witnesses themselves?

Vot doesn't mean the commercial truck drivers who deliver fresh fruit to Bethel or the local council man who comes over regularly to make sure the WTBTS building standards are up to par. Vot means the individuals working right at the "hub" of our organization.

I ask because Vot sees people on here saying they "do not hate JWs, but hate the WTBTS"...... how are the two separable?

They obviously don't hate the legal corporation itself- they "hate" the *people* behind the legal corporation. But those people are JWs TOO and they hold the exact same beliefs as the little old JW lady next door. They don't make a living off "misleading" JWs in the rest of the world and live by the same standards encouraged by the Bible- the same standards JWs around the world live by.

Is Vot missing something, or is their thinking rather skewed?

[Anyone who doesn't respect the viewpoint of the ones addressed in the Q title is free to collect 2 points and move on to the next Q. Thank you]

I'd get straight to the point, but I want what I mean to be as clear as possible, so here goes:

There's this concept on college campuses called "being exiled" i.e being asked by your roommate to spend the night elsewhere so s/he can have a member of the opposite sex spend the night in your room. As any "exile" can attest, it is a very inconveniencing practice.

Anyways, Vot has had a room to herself for most of her college years (except for a few months in 2007-2008) so I haven't had to worry about that, and when I DID have a roommate and she wanted her boyfriend to spend a few weeks living in our room and I wouldn't give my permission (Vot's hostel rules require that the roommate agree to the arrangement), she huffed and puffed and moved out of the room.

[Side note: There were plenty of other non-occupied hostel rooms where they could stay together, and NO WAY was I getting exiled by a student in a lower year than I, and especially when I needed my internet connection for answering Qs on Y!A all night long xD. And for all the noise she and her boyfriend made about how "bad" a friend Vot was, now they have a child being cared for by her relatives back home and they don't talk to each other anymore. Anyways, that's a whole other story]

Okay, now to the question *whew*: Something a brother mentioned to Vot in field service made me curious as to what others think on this matter- the one exiled has to go spend the night in another student's room. Now this brother refused to let an exile spend the night in his room because he felt that by so doing, he was (to borrow a phrase from The Tyra Banks Show) "enabling" the fornication.

What are your views on the moral ramifications of hosting an "exile" for the night?

“In case you build a new house, you must also make a parapet for your roof, that you may not place bloodguilt upon your house because someone falling might fall from it."

A little background:

Vot has some diluted white paint in a large glass jar (it had tomato paste in it originally) in the kitchen, and this morning I looked at it and thought how much it looked like tasty milk. Now I know there's warnings about storing chemicals of any sort in "food containers" but I don't live with any kids so I don't have to worry about them. But then I remembered that sometimes the girl next door raids my fridge (Vot raids hers more often than she does mine) and she might feel like some milk and take a gulp before she realised what it was.

The Eve in me chuckled and thought "That would serve her right for trying to "steal" my 'milk'!"

Then the JW in me realised that it wouldn't be so funny if that actually happened, because Vot is responsible before Jehovah to make sure her "house" has "parapets" where necessary so no one gets hurt while here.

Now that made Vot wonder about this:

Does this principle in any way apply to using electric fences as a security measure on one's property? You know, the kind that zap intruders upon contact?

Vot is not for the fences because of the many cases of them accidentally zapping a family member trying to LEAVE the property, but what about when it zaps a burglar trying to get in?

Just fishing for thoughts outside my own head.... xD

..... Is killing bugs in any way against your religious (or lack of them) beliefs? Do you feel it's morally wrong to kill bugs?

Bonus Question:

Do you know any good websites listing common pesticides, their target pests, active ingredients and their MPCs?

Thanks :)

..... About the New World and the questions the Bible does not comment on and that we just have to "wait and see", what crosses your mind the most?

Vot means Qs others have asked, like:

Will we wear clothes?

Will people get to look like they'd prefer (e.g "It's not in my family's genes right now, but I hope I'll have a smaller nose!!!!), or will our attitude towards our physical "imperfections" change?

What kind of technology will there be, and how will they be pollution-free? Solar energy? Cellphones and computers? Cars and planes?

Will Jehovah allow us to travel to other planets?

Vot wonders about pests and food supplies (I know, no surprise there lol)- will these bugs change their "destructive" diets like the lions and wolves will, or will there be more than enough vegetation for man and beast (and bug) for there not to be a problem, or will Jehovah let us invent "clean" pesticides that bring no harm to man or beast (or good bug)?

And speaking of food- will he let us tinker around with plant genes, to possibly breed- for example- Vitamin A-rich carrots that taste like roast beef? xD

What "wait and see" question is closest to your heart? :-D

===========================

As always, non-JWs, anti-JWs and JW-wannabes who choose to give off-topic answers are welcome to collect their 2 points, courtesy of Vot ^_^

*goes back to studying for Pesticide exam tomorrow morning*

...... and says something like "I'm/ She's /He's a pioneer"- do you ask "What kind of pioneer?" or do you just assume they mean "regular pioneer"?

Vot was asked why she felt the need to clearly define what kind of pioneer she meant; I feel it's kind of misleading to say just "pioneer" when I mean "auxiliary pioneer" or even "regular auxiliary pioneer" because in my head "pioneer" means "regular pioneer".

Is Vot alone in this kind of thinking? xD

=============

Non-JWs, anti-JWs and JW-wannabes: The 2 points are on the house :)

.... in 2008 (?) about stopping the usage of the tetragrammaton (YHWH) and its transliterations (Jehovah, Yahweh, etc) in all liturgical ceremonies and songs, and have it replaced with titles in various languages (Adonai, Lord, Señor, Seigneur, Herr) etc?

It'd be nice if I could have links leading to the story in English AND French as well, for Vot does not trust Google Translator xD

Thanks in advance :)

.... with someone they are not married to (cohabiting): If person goes for Confession on Saturday and tells the priest they are sorry for giving in to fleshly weakness and falling into the sin of fornication, then goes back home to their partner, can they receive Holy Communion the next morning at Mass?

In other words, are members of the Church barred or restricted in sharing in the service in any way if they are openly living a lifestyle that involves serious sins like fornication, adultery, theft, abortion, drug abuse etc?

Vot would prefer that only Catholics respond, but such restrictions do not work on Y!A so for everyone else: Enjoy collecting the two points :)

Vot is looking for Bible verses, articles possibly addressing the situation from our publications and also any wisdom acquired from personal experience:

Imagine Vot is dating, and her boyfriend makes friends with the man in the couple next door to my place, and in the end we all end up being friends. In time, the man from next door starts stopping over at my place even when my boyfriend is not here, and he confides in me- stuff about his woman that, as we say in Africa, is so private that you can't even tell your mother about it. Vot does not feel comfortable with this flood of "too much information", don't like the way he comes over when my boyfriend is not here (he's his friend after all), and the stuff he told me about his woman he asked me not to share with my boyfriend so I feel burdened with the information.

I also noticed my feelings towards the other woman have changed. After what I have been told about the way she treats her man, I don't enjoy going shopping with her anymore like we used to and I make excuses not to go.

I feel I have to stop this, but I don't want to hurt my neighbour's feelings or be rude.

Your comments?

BTW- NONE of the above is REALLY happening to Vot; I just tailored it to look that way. So just go ahead and share what you'd advise me HAD I BEEN in the situation. Thanks. :)

Is Christmas the only time some people have fun in their lives, such that the thought of NOT celebrating it makes life look absolutely bleak to them???

We don't celebrate Ramadan or Hanukkah either, which are religious holidays of religions we do not belong to, just as Christmas is a religious holiday taken from the pagans and "Christianized" but there's still nothing Christian about it (Google that if you didn't know), so what's the problem?

Besides, anyone who has any JW friends or relatives knows we have parties and celebrations whenever we want to, all year round.

You're with a member of the opposite sex in the ministry. The sister has a Bible student, and this is her 5th study with the woman so far. The woman speaks a language that the brother doesn't speak, so the sister conducts the study.

At the end of the study the sister motions for the brother to pray, and she explains to the student that the brother will pray in language X because he doesn't speak the language the woman understands.

But then the woman protests, saying "But the material we just considered says that "Amen" means I agree with what is being said in the prayer, and I won't understand, so how can I say "Amen" to his prayer?"

What would you say?

Please state whether you're playing the role of the brother or of the sister in this case. Thanks :)

... Bible-based games to play at a get-together?

Vot was appointed "game master" but this time I don't have any games I haven't taught them (or for some, reminded them about) already and I need something new. In the past we've had games like:

- Sticking names on people's foreheads and they have to guess using questions which Bible character "they" are

- Telling the person next to you one word that they have to use in a "presentation" to the person next to them, going round like that

- Writing down what first comes to their mind when they hear certain numbers (144,000; 2,520; 1:1; 83:18; 21: 3,4; 1931 etc) and afterwards comparing answers.

- Re-enacting famous Bible stories, and making up an outcome had the people involved made different choices (e.g had Cain controlled his jealousy, had Achan decided not to give into temptation and steal the loot from Jericho, etc)

Any suggestions for some new games? It's okay if they are variations of the ones mentioned above.

Also there is one we call "Bible Snakes & Ladders" which has various Bible questions, simple and deep, and none of the brothers and sisters have seen all the questions available (there's plenty) but it wouldn't hurt to add some more.

So any interesting question suggestions for that board game?

And thanks :)