Posts by menrov

9

RUSSIA - September 2017 - Jehovah's Witnesses appeal extremist label and Supreme Court decision

by jwleaks in

jw
friends

jehovah's witnesses appeal russian decision on declaring them extremist organization.

https://jw-russia.org/news/17091115-214.html.

[40 page court argument with 166 points.].

menrov

The WT pretends to take the bible as completely correct and true. If that is the case, they should not fight the government as they are there with support from God:

Romans13 Let every person be subject to the governing authorities. For there is no authority except by God’s appointment,1 and the authorities that exist have been instituted by God. 2 So the person who resists such authority 2 resists the ordinance of God, and those who resist will incur judgment 3 (for rulers cause no fear for good conduct but for bad). Do you desire not to fear authority? Do good and you will receive its commendation, 4 for it is God’s servant for your good. But if you do wrong, be in fear, for it does not bear the sword in vain. It is God’s servant to administer retribution on the wrongdoer. 5 Therefore it is necessary to be in subjection, not only because of the wrath of the authorities3 but also because of your conscience.

The freedom of speech is not absolute. The WT believes it can do and say whatever they want, but as Romans explains, their freedom is limited. This is valid for every organisation. It is sooooo peculiar: they (WT) have not problem to shun and silence a person with a different view (ie person is considered dead / non-existent), and at the same cry as a huge victim when they experience the same treatment from a government.......

31

August 31, 2017 BOE Re: Procedure for Handling Certain Cases of Wrongdoing

by wifibandit in

august 31, 2017 to all bodies of elders re: procedure for handling certain cases of wrongdoing.

menrov

If you come to know of an accusation against one of these broth-
ers or sisters assigned to your congregation, two elders with knowledge of the circumstances should

immediately contact the Service Department. Specific direction will be provided on how to handle
the case and what kind of report is to be sent to the branch office. For example, depending on who

was involved and where the offense took place, elders from outside your congregation, such as el-
ders serving at Bethel, may be asked to handle the case.

So much for confidentiality

35

September 1, 2017 BOE Re: Protecting Minors From Abuse?

by wifibandit in

i have it in spanish for now: .

1 de septiembre de 2017 a los cuerpos de ancianos asunto: protección de los menores contra el abuso.

please send this letter to me from any branch you have access to, in any language.

menrov

Is it not strange that the average JW believes that approval is needed from the WT organisation before approaching the legal authorities for such serious crimes like child abuse. In NL, consented sex with minors (I believe 16 or less) is illegal and considered a crime. Are they (congregational elders) going to report this as having knowledge of such a relation requires reporting?

Anyway, the slightly adjusted policy can be considered a slight improvement (if at all), it is sad that this document 1) will not be shared with the rank and file and sad that 2) the rank and file are under the impression that their spiritual leaders are there to protect them and 3) that JW's look up to the organisation to drive the key decisions in their lives.

15

When JWs Pray for Houston

by NJ501 in

when i hear prayers given by brothers why do they only pray for other jws not all people??

i remember hearing a comment from my mother saying 4000 jws are affected by this...and i'm thinking yes that is sad but what about the tens of thousands other people affected?

too me it just doesn't seem right to just pray for jws but to pray for all victims.

menrov

The company work for has provided a building to American Red Cross to be use as shelter. Also, the company provided financial support for all employees that are impacted. That was setup very soon after the event. No distinction on race, gender or religion.

Just imagine that a shelter would only be open for one group of people?

The "so bad" word offers support to all alike.

72

JW`s Lie about Christendom hiding the Name Jehovah.or its equivalent Yahweh

by smiddy in

jehovahs witnesses have been outspoken over the years/decades that christendom have been hiding or obscuring or even eliminating gods name jehovah from the general public.. how true is that statement .?.

1. it was a catholic monk of the 13th century that first coined the name jehovah in the english language.. 2.the roman catholic douay version of the bible does have the name jehovah in it.

about the 16th century.

menrov

Hmm...first of all, the WT likes to generalize. By using the word Christendom, they generalize al Christians and Christian organisations. There is absolutely no proof they, Christendom as a group, had evil intentions to hide the name. The name was often not used for various resons:

- no alignment of the correct spelling
- NT seems not to have the name at all
- out of respect to God as not knowing the correct spelling

Many translations do acknowledge the tetragrammaton and provide a reason for the chosen translation of it. Most translations made by Christendom have applied a very modest attitude as they decided not to change the NT by adding the name Jehovah in it, like the WT did.

The WT was not the only organisation that used a name for the tetragrammaton. I have a hard copy of the bible from early 1800 (1815) and has the name in it. Various Catholic translation also have a name in it (often Yahweh). Many Spanish translations also have a name.

To use the name or not, is a choice. To add it to NT is wrong as until now, there is not one mss that has it. But to accuse Christendom of evil actions in order to hide the name, is really wrong.

61

Set the record straight!

by Colinconfused in

i would like to state publicly, on this forum, i no longer hold the views i had a year ago.. with much thought, research, study and logical examination i have come to a better understanding of my beliefs and where i stand on all these issues.. i'm very happy to announce i have returned to healthful teaching of the holy scriptures and i firmly believe that the governing body of jehovah's witnesses is the faithful slave.. sorry if i have contibuted to any kind of stumbling and know that if i can turn things around then there's hope for all who come to there sence.. phill4:6,7.

menrov

I have difficulties to believe the OP. If one is really going back to the org, such a person would just go and fade from here. Why announce it? Attention? a Hoax?

12

Brother & Sisters, Aunts and Uncles.....husband and wife

by menrov in

was just thinking about the practice in wt (and i believe some other religions as well) to call your fellow female (baptized) jw a sister, a brother if it is a man.

children call older people aunt or uncle.

so, at home, i can call my wife by her first name etc.

menrov

Was just thinking about the practice in WT (and I believe some other religions as well) to call your fellow female (baptized) JW a sister, a brother if it is a man. Children call older people aunt or uncle. So, at home, I can call my wife by her first name etc. During a meeting, I am supposed to call her Sister xxx. How strange is that?!?!

A child will call the older woman Aunt xxx or the older man Uncle xxx. But they are not their aunts or uncles. I creates a sort of an artificial family atmosphere. A sort of trust built on the use of these terms. They will hardly see the difference between their real aunts and uncles and the artificial ones.

I was not raised a JW as child so I cannot share how a child experience the use of these terms, the fact that at home, the father calls the mother by her first name and during the meeting Sister xxx. Does the child think sometimes that his father is married to his sister??

332

The most successful teaching of Jehovah's Witnesses and an amazing new book on the divine name

by slimboyfat in

jehovah's witnesses have had to revise their chronology and various doctrinal interpretations due to events and scholarly corrections.

but the one teaching where they have been consistently ahead of the curve is the importance of jehovah's name.. .

i'm going to run through a (necessarily selective) timeline of jw events and scholarly publications that demonstrate the phenomenal success of this teaching in the last days.

menrov

i believe it is far overrated the number of people that have heard of the name Jehova(h). I dare to say that in numbers other names are more known like Hitler or Mao.

the WBTS did not bring any honor to the name for their God. False doctrines, manipulations, shunning, pedophiles, hunger for money....I do not read Jesus doing any of these things.

so far, nobody has the true original writings. All manuscripts available are still copies. None of them have the tetragrammaton. Strange that God either allowed this to happen or was not strong enough to avoid it. Or, may be that was exactly the purpose. All attention should go to His Son. He is now Judge and has all authority.

22

Which Bible Translation

by moreconfusedthanever in

i have seen a few comments about the nwt being an altered version of the bible and i must admit that when they released the new one it did not sit right with me.. i want to read the bible but not the nwt.

i also do not want to read one that has the thee and thou and ye etc because that will do my head in.. what translations do you recommend?.

menrov

NET - New English Translation via https://lumina.bible.org/

16

Daily Text July 21, 2017: Jehovah is a loving father?

by Sanchy in

jw
friends

is jehovah really a loving and compassionate "father" to his children?

as a jw i would have definitely answered "yes", followed by the typical "he allows suffering, but doesn't cause it", or perhaps the "he has created us to enjoy life and wants us to be happy" mumbo jumbo.

today's daily text demonstrate this reasoning (bold mine):.

menrov

The WT promotes their God in a way that actually creates the opposite. The WT believes they need to sell their God to other people by using these descriptions of love and care. The outcome when somebody does not agree: one becomes very often an atheist.

What if there indeed is a creator and that creator simply created humans and all flora and fauna. And once done, handed it over to humans to enjoy the planet. That's it. What does that mean? It means that we owe all failures and successes to ourselves. No bad demons or good angels. Nothing to blame the creator. Is there any proof that this creator is interested on our wellbeing? NO. Is there any proof he loves us and at the same time allows us to suffer? NO. All views are human interpretations, trying to find answers for their own problems, suffering and injustice.

Any (normal) father would do anything to provide a safe and healthy environment for his child(ren), and protect him/her from any cause of pain or worse. Many prefer to give their own live to safe that of his child(ren). Now, consider that the child has grown up and the father says: here is my house. Enjoy, have your own family. And father goes away, doing other stuff. From that moment, the child is on his own. And yes, will make decisions that sometimes are good and sometimes not. Will the father intervene? No, because the child is now on his own. Father is doing other stuff. The family of the child grows over the years and the child forgets about his father. He is now independent, just as his father wanted him to be(come).

That is how I now see my god. As my creator. Will he ever intervene? I do not know. I have not seen any proof for that over that last say 10.000 years. Is it important? No, I am now responsible for my own steps. Life after death? Who knows.