OneEyedJoe

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Posts by OneEyedJoe

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  16

  Your Religion Is Dispicable

  by freemindfade in

  1. watchtower
  2. beliefs

  http://www.jw.org/en/news/legal/by-region/world/jehovahs-witnesses-in-prison-2/.

  the witnesses make reference to article 18 of the international covenant on civil and political rights, in reference to their not being able to practice their religion in certain places.

  how despicable when (in my mind) their policy of disfellowshipping, apostasy, etc, causes them coerce members to keep this religion.

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  OneEyedJoe

  In some lands the exercise of this basic freedom by Jehovah’s Witnesses brings [...] cruel mistreatment.
  

  Hey, they're talking about us!

  "In some lands" means "anywhere there are JWs that later decide they don't want to be JWs."
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  19

  So changes were made, but who cares because were so deep into the end, nothing the Organization does, really matters—does it?

  by John Aquila in

  1. watchtower
  2. beliefs

  so i called a few jwdubs that still talk to me, not to try to convince them of anything or wake them up but to try to get a feedback on how they took the big meeting change and other announcements.

  generally speaking, all the ones i talked to were not even fazed by the changes.

  many of them still didnt even realize the meeting format had changed and thought the layoffs were a normal thing that happens all the time.

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  OneEyedJoe

  In contrast, we have seen over 100 years of failed predictions, outlandish teachings, etc. What we have seen is sort of like Moses getting the Israelites backed up to the Red Sea, holding up his staff, and nothing happening, and Moses instructing the isrealites to cross the red sea anyway, insisting that it had been parted 'invisibly'. We have not been given reason to put implicit trust in the org and/or GB. In fact, we've been given ample reason not to trust.
  

  Fixed that for you, magnum
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  23

  TV.JW.ORG - October 2015: Neighborly love is more than just Field Service

  by Designer Stubble in

  1. watchtower
  2. bible

  the october 2015 jw broadcast, hosted by gerrit losch is quite positive actually.a lot of focus on "field service" needs to be balanced with other good works - supporting those in need around you - either in the congregation (witnesses) or in your classroom or neighbors (non-witnesses).

  visiting and encouraging the sick and elderly is mentioned.

  jesus parable of the merciful samaritan is highlighted.

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  OneEyedJoe

  Lip service.

  My best guess is that they did it so at some later point, they will have video "evidence" (for some court case) that they encourage their adherents to be friendly to worldly scum.

  This. The example that they gave of "simplifying" and doing cart witnessing says it all - they'll talk about all these great ideals of helping others (even the evil worldlies) but when they give an example of how to put this into practical use it ALWAYS has something to do with handing out magazines. They give this example of spending more time cart witnessing, or they'll give their examples of helping someone with their yard work or their car or groceries - but it's always helping people when you encounter them while out in service. In the rare case that they hold up an example of someone helping someone outside of the context of being out in service, the story still always ends with a magazine placement at the very least, but usually a study being started.

  Bottom line - the WTS NEVER encourages charitable works being done unless they're simultaneously pushing recruitment.
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  21

  November 2015 Awake

  by username in

  1. watchtower
  2. beliefs

  ok. when i first looked at the cover of this issue of awake i was instantly struck on how creepy it looked.

  my first impressions were the picture looked almost masonic in nature.

  well, further investigation has led me to another picture that shows a grand masonic hall.

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  OneEyedJoe

  There are so many tangible things that are wrong with this cult and their publications that it always irks me a bit when people harp on thin coincidences found in pictures in the publications like some kind of conspiracy theorist. Gives exJWs a bad rap, I think.

  Pictures of kids being killed with their puppy at Armageddon are one thing, but scouring the internet to find a 'similar' picture as what was used in a publication and then claiming a connection is a big stretch to me.
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  17

  Annulment of baptism for a minor?

  by Tornintwo in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  i've seen references to baptism annulment on a few websites, does anyone know if there has ever been a successful annulment of a baptism?.

  eg.

  a minor claims they didn't understand a key wtbts teaching prior to baptism, is there any realistic chance of annulment?

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  OneEyedJoe

  On jwfacts, I think Paul stated that his aunt was able to get an annulment. It's probably not common, and they will use any excuse they can to deny the request. If you've held any position (pioneer, MS, bethelite, etc) since your 18th birthday they'll claim that this was a reaffirmation of your dedication/baptism once you were of legal age.
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  9

  I have found a new Anthem for us ExJW's - Defector by Muse

  by cantleave in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  freeyeah, i'm freefrom your incitingyou can't brainwash meyou've got a problemfreeyeah i'm freefrom societyyou can't control mei'm a defectoryou think you're strong and you can't be brokenbut your empire is dissolvingyou thought, you thought i was weakbut you got it wronglook into my eyesi'm a defectorfreeyeah, i'm freefrom your incitingyou can't brainwash meyou've got a problemfreeyeah i'm freefrom societyyou can't control mei'm a defectoryour blood is blue and your mind is turned greenand your belly is all yellowyou believe your throne is too high to be overthrownwe'll watch it get razedby a defectorfreeyeah, i'm freefrom your incitingyou can't brainwash meyou've got a problemfreeyeah i'm freefrom societyyou can't control mei'm a defectori'm a defectorfreeyeah, i'm freefrom your incitingyou can't brainwash meyou've got a problemfreeyeah i'm freefrom societyyou can't control mei'm a defector

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  OneEyedJoe

  Uprising (also by muse) has a lot of parallels to being in the cult. The whole album (the resistance) has a lot of references to 1984 and will be familiar to anyone who's been in a cult.
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  21

  Using the internet can destroy your Faith.

  by James Mixon in

  1. watchtower
  2. bible

  that's the conclusion of a study showing that the dramatic drop in religious affiliation.

  in the u.s since 1990 is closely mirrored by the increase in internet use.

  of the u.s population had no religious preference.

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  OneEyedJoe

  I suspect that the biggest role that the internet plays is less about demonstrating that god doesn't exist through some debate or something and more about just a greater exposure to other ideas and people. More exposure to other religions seems likely to make an atheist out of anyone as you can use the other religions as an analog for your own and discover the flaws in your own thinking.
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  8

  A First Stepping-Stone For Bethelites & Lurkers?

  by The Searcher in

  1. watchtower
  2. beliefs

  for potential new-arrivals: .

  if you are one of the many who are facing expulsion from bethels around the world in the near future - or simply a sincere j.w.

  acts 13:31 - "who are now his (jesus') witnesses to the people.

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  OneEyedJoe

  I'm kinda with DOC on this one...I know it wouldn't have mattered to me one lick while I was in (probably would've gotten a "that's odd" and then I would've moved on) and I don't see how it would matter to anyone. Especially with how the JW bible's NT is so bastardized with the insertion of Jehovah all over the place it really muddies the water.

  But my journey was my own and since I was essentially an atheist for my last decade in the cult, it makes sense that it wouldn't matter to me whether I ought to be worshiping Jesus or Jehovah, because my main issues were more foundational than that. I think the best first stepping stone would be something like jwfacts where someone can go through a quick index and find a topicthat most affects them personally and explore it. Trying to advertise any single issue as a universal first step for people waking up (not that that's what's being done here, necessarily) is folly. Everyone's path out is unique in some way, and each step has to matter to that person on a deeper level than cold facts.
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  22

  Overlapping generation pushed me to the brink

  by Anator in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  hello, i haven't posted for a number of years.

  i've been struggling for years of wrestling in my mind regarding the organization.

  i guess the big thing for me to push me over the edge is the generation overlapping thingy.

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  OneEyedJoe

  Yeah, the latest FDS=GB change essentially demoted the 144k. Now they're just regular people that occasionally eat some really dry crackers and expect to go to heaven when they die.
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  22

  Overlapping generation pushed me to the brink

  by Anator in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  hello, i haven't posted for a number of years.

  i've been struggling for years of wrestling in my mind regarding the organization.

  i guess the big thing for me to push me over the edge is the generation overlapping thingy.

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  OneEyedJoe

  Franz was pretty young by today's JW standards to have been "anointed" in 1914. Such a thing would never fly today. Just sayin!
  

  There was a kid in my former congregation that was claiming to be anointed by 19 or so. Super pretentious "spiritual" little prick. Everyone made fun of his partaking anytime someone even tangentially mentioned him.

  But back in 1913 (I think that's when franz was baptized) everyone was partaking, so they assume franz was anointed upon his baptism