"Dear brothers and sisters, when unflattering reports are made about the society, be quick to place your fingers in your ears and scream out loudly LaLaLa!"
stuckinarut2
JoinedPosts by stuckinarut2
-
34
The org tightens the noose on J.W.'s thinking.
by The Fall Guy inthe manipulative use of language by the org in the upcoming circuit assembly talks is as good - or better - than any advertising conglomerate could devise.
the mind-shaping wording is clearly used in order to deter critical thinking by the sheep.. face bad reports as jesus did (9 min.
note to the speaker: explain why spiritually mature people do not become ashamed of the good news or dismayed when faced with negative propaganda.
-
-
-
21
Cart witnessing in the quietest in my suburb.
by fulltimestudent ini walked to the station yesterday to meet a friend, and on the way, in what must be the quietest street in the entire suburb, were two j.witnesses and their little cart, all set with a literature display.
i wondered what point there may have been to choose that location.
i felt like grabbing one of their bibles and reading matthew 5:15 to them:.
-
-
stuckinarut2
In our part of the world, (a smaller town on the fringe of the suburbs), they set up a cart on a lonely bicycle and walking track.
Only a very small number of people pass by - usually people riding bikes, or going for a run.
They seriously look stupid. No one talks to them. People deliberately walk AROUND them!
But with the 2 or 3 witnesses sitting there, they can add up to 6 hours to the "worldwide work"
-
19
JW.ORG logica: I don't get it
by Gorbatchov ina dutch saying is "am i that smart or are you so stupid".. watching this jw.org movie about god's name made me use it: .
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=njtimafdp7m.
jw broadcasting june 2015, 15 seconds cut.. geoffrey jackson is proud that jw.org is using god's name.. then he convinced that jw.org does not know exactly what god's name is.. then he convinced that jw.org uses the name jehovah because it's most common recognized in english.. is this reasonable, asks geoffrey... yes!
-
-
stuckinarut2
Just because something is popular or commonly used, does not make it the correct thing...
-
11
Cart Witnessing in Giethoorn, Netherlands (My recent experience)
by Alfred inso i visited the netherlands last week and decided to stop by giethoorn.
this is a town whereby many (if not most) of the homes are accessed by small boats via narrow water canals.
during the summer months, the residents of this isolated picturesque town welcome visitors with their seasonal tourist attractions such as canal cruises on eco-friendly boats, restaurants and a small museum which highlights the history of the town.
-
-
stuckinarut2
As i have shared before, I have heard that some have had interactions like this:
Person walks up to the cart, and takes literature and asks the witness: "Can you tell me more about your beliefs?"
Witness says "Sure, if you would like to go to JW.ORG, you can learn more, and request a home visit"
Person says "Thanks, but I'm here now, can you just talk to me now?"
Witness says "Certainly. If you would like to go to JW.ORG, you can fill in a request form, and we can visit you"
Person says (Frustrated) "Don't bother. I was here NOW. You could just talk to me NOW. Forget about it"
-
13
"Secret Sins"... a catalyst for change both negative and positive
by silentbuddha ini have been completely out for close to 5 years and i have spent alot of time with individuals who either left or are in the process of leaving.
whenever we get to talking about what made you leave or what was it that made the flip switch, the initial answer is some doctrinal teaching.
in other instances it was just sorrow or a variety of other things.. however, as you get closer to many of these individuals it was generally a secret sin they committed at the root of it all.
-
-
stuckinarut2
Thanks silentbuddha. I certainly offered my comment with full respect. (Not trying to be argumentative.)
It is nice to be able to share our opinions freely, without it being a heated debate.
You are correct, we all once bought into such distorted thinking as witnesses. It is liberating once "the truth sets us free"
-
34
"The Governing Body is neither inspired nor infallible. Therefore, it can err in doctrinal matters or in organizational direction." -- Feb 2017 Watchtower
by cognisonance infull stop.
(paragraph 12 -- feburary 2017 watchtower -- who is leading god's people today?
)so why then would any jw abide by harmful doctrines setup by the governing body (blood, shunning, the two-witness rule, etc)?
-
-
stuckinarut2
It certainly is mind-blowing to see just how easily the GB / Society manages to take control of witnesses "thinking abilities"
The bible makes it clear that it is up to individuals to use our "thinking abilities, and our power of reason" to weigh up all information. NOT to just blindly follow what we are told to!
Here is an awake article from 2011 (1/11)
The Bible’s Viewpoint
Are Faith and Reason Incompatible?
“FAITH is a negation of reason,” writes British philosopher A. C. Grayling. His words sum up the feelings of countless writers and philosophers who over the centuries have claimed that faith and reason are incompatible.
Some religious beliefs do fly in the face of all reason. But consider this: Many strongly held scientific beliefs have proved to be wrong. Does that mean that all scientific beliefs are wrong or are not based on reason? Why view religious beliefs any differently? In fact, the faith described in the Bible does not exist without knowledge but is, instead, solidly based on knowledge and sound reason. As you review the evidence, see how true faith and reason are compatible.
Faith Firmly Based on Reason
The Bible says, for example, that if your worship is to be “acceptable to God,” it must be “a sacred service with your power of reason.” In other words, you must worship God “in a way that is worthy of thinking beings.” (Romans 12:1; The Jerusalem Bible) So the faith described in the Bible is not something blind and irrational, or a leap of faith, as some have called it. And it is not credulity. Rather, it is something you have thought through carefully—resulting in trust in God and his Word, which is firmly based on reason.
Of course, if you are to reason properly, you need accurate information. Even the most powerful computer programs designed on solid principles of logic will come up with some very strange conclusions if they are fed inaccurate data. Likewise, the quality of your faith will depend greatly on what you hear or on how dependable the information you feed your mind proves to be. Appropriately, the Bible says that “faith follows the thing heard.”—Romans 10:17.
A fundamental requirement for faith is “an accurate knowledge of truth.” (1 Timothy 2:4) Only “the truth,” says the Bible, “will set you free,” free from misleading beliefs, whether they are scientific or religious. (John 8:32) The Bible warns you not to put faith “in every word.” (Proverbs 14:15) Rather, it says that you should “make sure of all things”—or test out the things you hear before believing them. (1 Thessalonians 5:21) Why should you do research and test out your beliefs? Because faith based on falsehood is only a delusion. Some noble-minded people from the ancient city of Beroea set a fine example in acquiring proper faith. Even though these individuals really wanted to believe what Christian missionaries taught them, they made a point of “carefully examining the Scriptures daily as to whether these things were so.”—Acts 17:11.
-
13
"Secret Sins"... a catalyst for change both negative and positive
by silentbuddha ini have been completely out for close to 5 years and i have spent alot of time with individuals who either left or are in the process of leaving.
whenever we get to talking about what made you leave or what was it that made the flip switch, the initial answer is some doctrinal teaching.
in other instances it was just sorrow or a variety of other things.. however, as you get closer to many of these individuals it was generally a secret sin they committed at the root of it all.
-
-
stuckinarut2
I disagree. Sorry to be so blunt, but I think your reasoning is flawed, and is influenced by witness residual thinking.
The society has created that kind of thinking in witnesses.
They have said that the only reason witnesses leave, is because THEY have done something wrong. That the BLAME lies with that PERSON. They must be spiritually weak, or a secret sinner, or something like that. (see the "return to Jehovah" brochure for example)
The reality is MANY leave because they see the false teachings, and the high-control tactics for what they are - wrong. They see that there is no way that this one organization has the 'TRUTH' as a result of being the ' only channel God is using to communicate with humans'
Most who leave are more moral, and more honest.
It is precisely because we value truth, honesty,and transparency that we have left the society.
-
18
The true essence of the Bible—there is some problem with it?!
by venus inin the famous aesop fable, we read about a fox who unsuccessfully tried to get some grapes, but at last had to give it up, and walked away with his nose in the air, saying: “i am sure they are sour.”.
someone made a second part to this story.
fox did some rehearsal in the night and came on to the scene next day, and jumped with difference and got the grapes from the vine tree, and he began to eat to his full capacity.
-
-
stuckinarut2
Good point smiddy!
-
8
A retraction and apology - I posted incorrect information.
by doubtfull1799 init was recently brought to my attention by the person who was with me on the carts at the time, that a comment i made six months ago about the cart work on this forum was incorrect.
i apologise and in the interests of honesty and accuracy i feel it is only right to issue a public retraction.
i have quoted the post in question below as i am not sure how to correct or delete the original.
-
-
stuckinarut2
Doubtful1799, that is very honest of you to raise this and issue a correction.
It is not a big issue, but it really does show your level of sincerity and honesty, and that is to be applauded!.
(Never can it be said by the Org that those who leave try to exaggerate or tell mistruths, as we are willing to own our mistakes or errors...unlike the org itself, which has often issued "facts" with no verification or intellectual honesty.)
-
27
My Book With Bible Stories - 91 stories of murder and rape to be used as bedtime stories for your little children
by Anders Andersen in"no honey, daddy doesn't like this book.
do you have a nice book we can read?.
as far as i know my wife and i agree this book would be off-limits.
-
-
stuckinarut2
The difference with "fairy tales" and "biblical accounts" is that biblical accounts are held up as REAL factual historical accounts, while "fairy tale stories" are just accepted as "make believe".
No one is permitted to say that the biblical accounts are just made up...