Elders don't operate in a vacuum. Cults are run top down. The top would know this sort of thing goes on and at the very least don't stop it, at worst covertly encourage it.
sparrowdown
JoinedPosts by sparrowdown
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29
Watchtower Spies and Secret Agents
by TerryWalstrom ini'm posting this link:http://jwdivorces.bravehost.com/spies.htmlonce you start reading it you won't be able to stop.fascinating and well-documented citations which give credibility to the belief that such a sneaky, underhanded, and often illegal practice has been secretly promoted for decades by watchtower society world headquarters..
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On leaving JW's and hating religion...
by Jehalapeno init's been nearly 4 years now since i completely woke up to the watchtower lies.. thinking back on my jw life, during the time i believed, the organization truly did teach us to hate all beliefs that were contrary to the watchtower's.. i hated "false" religion.. so, when i finally woke up and applied critical thinking to my beliefs, i just went on hating religion in general...only this time i added jw's to that list.. a few months of waking up, i decided to base my beliefs on evidence.
i didn't want to have a set of beliefs unless there was some logic or evidence behind it.
so, now i consider myself an atheist.. and i kept on hating religion.. within the last six months or so, something has changed.
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sparrowdown
Religion has a helluva lot to answer for that I'm not sure I can ever forgive. It has been a haven for all types of abuses of power, torture, rape and murder included. It's a parasite financially and, by extension of it's wealth and power politically influential and that makes it all pervasive and dangerous. It likes it's secrets too much for my liking.
Personal faith and belief that contributes to the fabric of a healthy functioning society that protects children I don't have a problem with.
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Watchtower Spies and Secret Agents
by TerryWalstrom ini'm posting this link:http://jwdivorces.bravehost.com/spies.htmlonce you start reading it you won't be able to stop.fascinating and well-documented citations which give credibility to the belief that such a sneaky, underhanded, and often illegal practice has been secretly promoted for decades by watchtower society world headquarters..
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sparrowdown
Re elder stalking I think WT's official policy would be carefuly worded to say it never happens but I've seen evidence of it too many times in too many congregations to know that it happens alright.
Even if there is no evidence of it in your experience "absense of evidence is not evidence of absence"!
I'm personally aware of elder stalking that was carried out on various individuals (and families) one was a guy that hadn't been baptized that long and was fading and attending a church in the area, in a smalltown with jdubs lurking around every other corner you can bet one of them will see you and the congregation will gossip about it. Everyone in the cong knew of both the fader's activities and the elder "sting" operation it was a big deal in the area, in fact two other brothers and a sister ended up followed the guy out!
Another situation, another state, involved an XCO who slept with a prostitute so he could get a scriptural divorce, get reproved and remarry. The local body of his elder buddies helped him navigate the whole process and discredit his wife who believed (quite rightly) they were all in on it. Bethel sent out "undercover" brothers because the elders told the branch the CO's wife was in an "apostate ring" and they monitored and observed the sisters in that cong for months. It wasn't until a younger sister came forward and claimed the XCO and herself were having an affair did they turn their attention to the XCO. The most they did was disfellowship him and he was reinstated in six months so he got what he wanted afterall. The XCO's wife who is my friend and a nice person to boot was devasted by it all and is now a "marked woman" so to speak. Sounds far-fetched but I have first hand knowlege of these events they are "on the record."
Oh it happens tho WT would deny it officially or in a court of law.
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The changing retail Industry - will your job disappear?
by fulltimestudent inthe smart phone is a major factor in the changes that are happening in china's retail industry.
will your country also change?.
in the usa - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cscl9f2bvgs.
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sparrowdown
They could replace the carts with vending machines and you would have a more human experience than dealing with the cart zombies.
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Watchtower Spies and Secret Agents
by TerryWalstrom ini'm posting this link:http://jwdivorces.bravehost.com/spies.htmlonce you start reading it you won't be able to stop.fascinating and well-documented citations which give credibility to the belief that such a sneaky, underhanded, and often illegal practice has been secretly promoted for decades by watchtower society world headquarters..
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sparrowdown
Wow, that's quite some reading and digesting, thanks Terry.
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Do You Think Many Jehovah’s Witnesses Truly Believe?
by minimus ini did for many years even if i had doubts that i would put on the back burner.
but i thought the majority of witnesses believed, even if they were “weak” in the faith.. obviously, we have elders , pioneers and ministerial servants that are here and they are not true believers.. do you think many jws simply do not believe what they are preaching?
?.
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sparrowdown
Yes I think many if not most believe some idealized panda petting version of "the truth" and in their version "Jehovah" knows their heart and will look out for them and turn a blind eye to their faults and not kill babies and little doggies etc etc.
Then there are the ones who don't really care about the beliefs and probably don't even know what they are supposed to believe and their reasons for being there are purely social.
There are ones that have doubts but would never say it out loud.
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Convention 2018 Notes
by pale.emperor insomeone on jwtalk has shared their convention notes (for those interested in a jw perspective).
jehovah’s people will experience hardships, so reliance on god is paramount!.
prayer is essential and vital for our spiritual well-being.
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sparrowdown
My notes now would be like
M U S T st ay a wak e
Whilst awake MUST NOT develop convention induced tourettes syndrome!
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Tired and Poor
by Diogenesister in* "if you want people to remain loyal followers you have to keep them tired and poor" - jim jones, said to a trusted confidante.. sound like anyone we know???.
* from the book "a thousand lives" .
( as told by neil "great apostate" gardener) .
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sparrowdown
Ah yes, the ole "treat em mean and keep em keen" variant used by cults everywhere "keep em tired, poor, uneducated, guilty, fearful and confused and keep em loyal."
WTBTS proud keepers of the tradition and well versed in the art of how to create and keep braindead followers.
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Just seen on Twitter: Ol' Rubber Face Steven Lett - Obedience Required
by jp1692 injust seen on twitter: .
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sparrowdown
This is what an MK Utra glitch looks like. Lol.
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Race are we biased here is a fun quiz to self evaluate ourselves
by recovering inhttp://www.playbuzz.com/sammccarty10/are-you-actually-racially-biased.
try it it is fun.
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sparrowdown
"Cultural competence" is a thing now and all these rules that go with it for eg apparently it's not cool to ask about nationality, because... I don't know.. it's not "culturally competent" ???