JW vs non-JWs (page 3)

asilentone

If anyone is very loyal to the Watchtower, they would not be here at all except the damn spies for the Watchtower!

thomas15

4examp,

Welcome.

Like Chalam, I'm not a JW, never have been but rather a witness for the risen Jesus, Son of God, Savior.

I have found that the posters on this forum are fair minded and knowledgeable and even as there are many different views you will be treated with respect. Of this I am sure. It is however very unlikely that you will bring some "killer research" to this body that will cause a mass exodus back to the WT. I encourage you to try however and hope that you have as open a mind as you hope that everyone else here has. I personally look forward to your comments!

Take care,

Tom

4examp

I won't be able to bring some "killer research"-- just clear, direct, irrefutable evidence not affected overall by different Greek texts, or by variant readings, or by translation, or by interpretation, or by expert opinion, or by anything!

In other words, just info that has nothing to do with human opinion, interpretation, or bias.

ziddina

"but active, still-really-believe-WT-teaching folk...."

What Keyser Soze said....

An active JW who still believes the teachings of the WatchTower Bible and Tract Society [WTBTS] wouldn't be on here at all, having taken to heart the words of the WTBTS : "If you are one of Jehovah's Witnesses, curiosity might prompt you to visit a chat room that claims to be a place where Witness youths from around the world can make new friends. Finding friends among youths who share your faith is a desirable goal. However, these chat rooms harbor insidious dangers for Christians. What kind of dangers?"

The article goes on to state: "I was in a chat room with a group of people who I thought were all Jehovah's Witnesses," says a youth named Tyler. "After a while, though, some of these people started disparaging our beliefs. Before long, it was evident that they were really apostates." They were individuals who deliberately tried to undermine the morals of those who they claimed were their fellow believers. "...

Interestingly, this statement is in itself deliberately misleading; most so-called 'apostates' are not "deliberately trying to undermine the morals..." The WTBTS considers ANY criticism or even honest questioning as threatening to its existence... People who have THOROUGHLY RESEARCHED the origins of the religion and its teachings, and have found massive flaws in such, are not interested in others' 'morals' - they are interested in alerting others to the DANGERS inherent in blindly accepting at face value the statements and claims of the WTBTS...

As has been stated so many times on these boards, if the WTBTS REALLY has the 'truth' it shouldn't be so FRIGHTENED by those who attempt a closer examination, or by honest questions...

Hope this answered your question?? Zid

ziddina

Whoops! Just read your second post - thought you were a Jehovah's Witness [JW]. To make sense of some of the posts, here are some of the inside anagrams: WTBTS = Watchtower Bible and Tract Society, the Corporation that operates the Jehovah's Witnesses religion worldwide. Jehovah's Witnesses = the name of the religion generated by its second charismatic (well, actually, alcoholic and skirt-chasing...) leader, 'Judge' J.F. Rutherford. Gee, where do I start?? Uhhhmm, first of all!!

Watchtower and Awake are the two bi-monthly magazines produced by the aforementioned WTBTS. Interestingly, one Watchtower is produced for perusement by the general public, while a SECOND version is produced "just for Jehovah's Witnesses" - this is a sly attempt at secrecy on the part of the WTBTS. Look around the boards here, someone usually posts the subtle changes between the "public viewing" Watchtower issue and the "only for Jehovah's Witnesses" version - brrrrrr!

"QFR" = "Questions From Readers" - this is a section at the back of the Watchtower magazine. These 'questions' are sometimes a sneaky way for the WTBTS to slip a new rule or restriction past the general populace of JWs [Jehovah's Witnesses].

"FDS" = "Faithful and Discreet Slave" - this refers to the governing body of the WTBTS corporation that run the whole organization. You can see them posted here: http://www.jehovahs-witness.net/watchtower/bible/175432/1/Pics-and-Bios-of-Current-Governing-Body - that is the most recent version I could find...

"R&F" = "Rank & File" - the average JW who does what he/she is told, attends meetings, goes out in 'service' and talks to people about the WTBTS' religion...

"DO" = "District Overseer" - this fellow is over a 'district' which has several 'circuits' within it - think "Regional Vice President" and you'll get a rough idea. Either this post or the next one is being eliminated due to cost-cutting by the WTBTS, or so the RUMOR goes...??

"CO" = "Circuit Overseer" - this fellow is one step down from the above - think "District Manager" or "City Manager" or "Zone Manager"... This position/these positions are being eliminated - rumored to be eliminated soon??

"PO" = "Presiding Overseer" - the local congregations are usually run/overseen by three or more elders, and this one is the lead elder. The position is appointed by the WTBTS nowadays, whereas in the early years of the WTBTS it was obtained by popular election within the congregation...

"BOE" = the three [sometimes more, sometimes a little less...] elders who are in charge of the congregation. Congregations can have more than three elders, but usually there are only three who perform such functions as disfellowshipping, public reproof, and so on...

"JC" = "Judicial Committee" - this is the term for a meeting of the above three to determine the fate of a JW who steps out of line - immorality, or, worse yet, questioning the WTBTS' way of running things...

"DF" - also "Df'd" = Disfellowshipped. This usually means that any and all practicing JWs can have no further contact with this person until he/she is 'reinstated' - too lengthy to go into here, but involves a long period of humiliation before being allowed back into the religion

"DA" - also "DA'd" = Disassociated. A JW who decides they no longer want to be in the religion, and have [publicly within the congregation] decided to let the congregation and WTBTS know of their dissatisfaction. Usually involves sending a letter to the PO and BOE stating that "So and So" no longer wishes to be a JW. Not usually done, however, as the end result is the same as disfellowshipping - the DA'd person is shunned by family and friends.

"NWT" = "New World Translation of the Holy Scriptures" - contains many mistranslations and deliberate alterations of the actual Hebrew and Greek scriptures - I'd advise you to go to a good Christian Book store and get the best Hebrew-to-English [or whatever your language] and Greek-to-English translations you can get...

"KM" = "Kingdom Ministry - this, if I remember right, is an internal publication read only to JWs about specific issues affecting them - like putting in more time in service, not surfing the internet, how long womens' skirts can be, whether men can have beards, etc, etc.

"MS" = "Ministry School" - a [now half-hour, was an hour-long meeting] meeting to learn how to convert more people into the WTBTS' religion.

That's all I can come up with for now... Anyone Else?? Zid Oh, also very important! Check out books on "CULTS" and research 'cult indoctrination' techniques...

poppers

mindmelda

Someone made a comment that made me think. I do believe that many Witnesses have lost track of all the subtle and not so subtle doctrinal update and changes over the years.

A lot of the changes are couched in such subtle language that I don't think it's registering on some that "hey here's a whole new doctrine that completely contradicts the new one".

Or they really believe that this is "increasing light" rather than what it is, a contradiction of previous teaching.

You know, I wouldn't have minded so much if they'd just said, "Hey, we're wrong, we're just humans, we made a mistake. Do over! "

But, it never works that way. They have this contradictory need to appear infallible (because of their claims to be the Slave or Gods prophet on earth) while at the same time constantly scrambling to make revisions when their predictions don't happen or some moralistic nitpicking goes pear shaped on them.

4examp

A dictatorship that demands 100% compliance, cannot openly admit fundamental error.

It's just not good for business.

Lillith26

(You know, I wouldn't have minded so much if they'd just said, "Hey, we're wrong, we're just humans, we made a mistake. Do over! ")

Aparently they have published a book on past "bad judgments and dull lights", when I left it was offered to me to read- but I wouldn't take it! It's sick that the FDS would go to such lenghts in order to cover up the BullShit! "we didn't lie, the light is becomming brighter now we are in the time of the end" LOLOLOLOLOLOLOLOL

Does anyone know the name of this "publication"? - (also a copy of it may come in handy the next time I run out of toilet paper LOL)

JW vs non-JWs

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