Good catch about the bait and switch. It's crazy what they get away with.
Also, I did get the apple reference :)
Also, I did get the apple reference :)
OneEyedJoe
JoinedPosts by OneEyedJoe
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23
New June Awake with Misleading Statements about Evidence for god
by ttdtt inthe article (faith) is all about why you should have solid evidence based reasons for belief in god.
it's not good enough to believe in god just because you were raised to believe in god.. (from the article).
but god wants those who worship him to have genuine confidence in his existence and in his love.. then it goes on to tell us how we can get that genuine confidence that there is a god.
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Today's Daily Text - Being Uneducated And Ordinary... WTF!!!
by Divergent inthursday, march 3. they were uneducated and ordinary men.—acts 4:13.. in recent years, the spiritual instruction provided by jehovah’s organization has reflected an increased emphasis on simplicity and clarity.
consider three examples.
first, there is the simplified edition of the watchtower.
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OneEyedJoe
Wow this is really something
In recent years, the spiritual instruction provided by Jehovah’s organization has reflected an increased emphasis on simplicity and clarity.
This statement really reminds me of moses taking credit for producing water from a rock - the act that got him barred from entering the promised land. They're giving credit to "Jehovah's organization" for the spiritual instruction, not to jehovah himself. Which brings me to:
Third, there are the recent refinements in our understanding, such as the clarified understanding of “the faithful and discreet slave.
They started out by taking credit for everything, and giving none to god. So are they implicitly admitting that the "recent refinements" in doctrine are from men and not from god? Are they saying that they've changed doctrine so that people can understand it better? Who would consider this a good thing? This is like a physics professor teaching his students laws of physics that are not accurate but easier to understand - they may be able to learn them more easily, maybe more people will get physics degrees but the knowledge will be completely useless! If they're claiming that the doctrinal changes were intended to make things simpler, then they're admitting that they're teaching false doctrine.
The doctrine is from men, and they know it's not even true - it's just convenient for them because it makes it easier to indoctrinate people into their cult.
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53
How did you feel when they eliminated the Con. Book Study?
by Freeandclear inyears ago when i was "in" i loved the book study.
it was my favorite meeting by far.
mainly because it was a small group.
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OneEyedJoe
I was really conflicted when they announced this. In my case it was compounded by being at a convention when they did the announcement - so you're in expectation of more "spiritual food" when they make announcements but they were telling us there'd be less.
On the one hand I was relieved to have less meetings to deal with and a free night at home, but at the same time one of my first thoughts was "do not forsake the gathering of yourselves together as some have the custom, but encouraging one another all the more so as you behold the day drawing near." So while it was one of those things that I didn't want to argue with because it was actually beneficial to me, it went in my mental file for reasons this might not actually be "the truth."
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32
Every Know Anyone Too "Weak" To Wake Up?
by freemindfade ina jw that is probably irregular, they don't really attend meetings, they are not up on anything going on, they may even seem like they are faded but they are not, they are just slackers.
a jw that is impervious to the f.o.g.
(ok maybe it bums them, but they are too lazy and self serving to do otherwise).
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OneEyedJoe
I would recommend speaking with your spouses more secular way, not in ways that directly relate to JW doctrine, but just day to day stuff. Watching tv, philosophies on life, the world. See if they can start entertaining ideas that will open their mind.
Either my flair for subtlety is severely lacking or my wife is exceptionally sensitive (probably both) because this doesn't work either. Sometimes I'll be innocently trying to talk to her about something I find interesting and it just so happens to go counter to JW doctrine (sometimes not even then, but it touches on a topic that she thinks might go against JW doctrine) and she'll flat out leave the room and not talk to me for a couple hours. But that's getting a bit far off topic, I think...
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Conversation with JW mom on this years memorial date and Nissan 14 discrepancy.
by Question_Mans_interpretation ini'm having an ongoing texting conversation with my mom right now on the march 23rd memorial date.
she completely goes into cult mode.. me: why is the memorial on march 23rd this year and not april 22nd/23rd when the corresponding nissan 14 commences?
since when did the organization stop following the jewish calendar for passover?.
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OneEyedJoe
If this organization is not being used by Jehovah, it will fail. Will it not?
My response to this would be "That's true. And would you rather wait for the organization to fail before you leave it behind, or would you prefer to know now so that you can take heed of Rev. 18:4 knowing that if you wait for it to fail, it might be too late?"
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Every Know Anyone Too "Weak" To Wake Up?
by freemindfade ina jw that is probably irregular, they don't really attend meetings, they are not up on anything going on, they may even seem like they are faded but they are not, they are just slackers.
a jw that is impervious to the f.o.g.
(ok maybe it bums them, but they are too lazy and self serving to do otherwise).
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OneEyedJoe
I agree. That's sorta how my wife is. They don't really know doctrine, and so have no attachment to it so if someone shows them the doctrine then proves that it's wrong they're right where they started and they feel no emotional distress over it. I think if my wife had seen the cult from a male's perspective (i.e. more push to do more, reach out, etc.) I might be able to get somewhere with her, but she's always just floated along. She doesn't give talks, she's barely regular in recruiting. She goes to most of the meetings, but I suspect only because it's her only social outlet. She doesn't know any of the "deep things" of the cult, she just knows the rules and regulations (i.e. no smoking, no beards, no friends of the opposite sex, no voting, etc) enough that she wants to stop me from living/exploring a normal life. -
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I have a question.
by DATA-DOG inaccording to jwism, god didn't cause suffering, he just allowed it.
wow, that's really, really, dumb.
to help humans out, jeehoobidoob provided the ransom.
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OneEyedJoe
Even if you're going to give the JW reasoning a pass, couldn't he have said enough is enough by now? How many generations of people do we need to see come and go before we establish a pattern? More to the point, how many billions need to suffer and die? Couldn't we have wrapped this up after WWI? Or perhaps after the hundred years' war? Or hell, pretending that the flood happened, why not wrap up this failed experiment after that? He could've made one family perfect, it would've even been less work for him! Just pop Jesus down and hit him with a lightning bold and make Noah and family perfect and call it a day. -
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I have a question.
by DATA-DOG inaccording to jwism, god didn't cause suffering, he just allowed it.
wow, that's really, really, dumb.
to help humans out, jeehoobidoob provided the ransom.
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OneEyedJoe
The only explanation is that he's an asshole that puts a greater value on proving a point than he does on human lives and suffering. -
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What's the point?
by punkofnice ini mean, i don't want to be miserable or anything, but what's the bloody point of it all?.
since i left the watchtower cult, i have come to realise that god cannot possibly exist...and if a god exists...god is indifferent to humankind as the least.. in 100 years time i'll be gone.
kaput.
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OneEyedJoe
The point of life is what you make it. Find things you enjoy and go from there.
When you buy that brand new car you know, if you're being realistic, that one day it will break down or be totaled in an accident. For most, though, that does nothing to get in the way of enjoying driving your pristine new car. The same is true of life. Try not to let the inevitability of it's end get in the way of enjoying the now.
That said, I can totally see where you're coming from and feel much the same quite often. When things are hard it's easy to give up. In most cases, though, it's probably worth putting in the effort to get your life where you want it to be and enjoy at least some of it.
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Saturday Let the Games Begin
by Poztate inthe start of a new memorial season is upon us.
saturday is the day for the start of the invites to look but not touch the bread and wine.
the "observer class" is a belief unique to jehovah's witnesses.. along with the invite to the masses a special effort is being made this year by the elders to invite all the df's, da's and faders.. along with the invite a copy of the rtj will be left with them.. naturally we will still be treated as pariah's if we do attend but it is the thought that counts.. i am of the "fader class" as i don't wish to rock the boat with my wife and extended family.
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OneEyedJoe
If they call on me this year I'll simply be polite but honest. No more game playing.
This is the direction I'm leaning too. I think I'd be happy for them to df me in absentia...at least then I'll find out who my real friends/family are.