Posts by Mephis

47

Does becoming (or remaining) one of Jehovah's Witnesses result in Poverty? Pew Research results differ from Watchtower claims.

by Balaamsass2 in

"raised in the truth" during the 50s, 60s,and 70s i repeatedly read and heard from the platform how reading the magazines weekly "was the equivalent of a college education" and how many had turned their family economic situation around by being "trustworthy" and giving up expensive bad habits most "worldly people" had.

sounded good.. what is the reality?

how does avoiding higher education, and then spending up to 20 hours a week getting ready for, commuting, and then participating in meetings and field service affect family finances?.

Mephis

With the smaller percentages sample size becomes a big problem with JWs. Wouldn't take too much note of increase in college degrees, and the question which indicates some JWs are 'living in sin' would suggest a very broad sample base to say the least.

The broader trends are interesting. It's a religion which actively sets out to guilt trip people over having a well paid job and for being financially secure - while offering televised productions of the perfect family, in the perfect home, living on whatever income a couple of pioneers can scrape together.

15

WOW - 18 Elders in ONE congregation!!!

by The Searcher in

hazel grove congregation in stockport, cheshire, u.k.. not only is the congregation saturated with elders, it is/was pretty well saturated with cash - according to its 2014 financial statement to the charities commission.

http://apps.charitycommission.gov.uk/accounts/ends82/0001066282_ac_20140331_e_c.pdf.

its elders are listed as frank broadhurst, nick ashton, nigel bailey, noel crossley, peter davies.

Mephis

They definitely all elders? Wasn't uncommon for Ministerial Servants to be listed as trustees too, but that may have changed over the years.

4

Britain Press told by EU not to reveal if terror attacks are carried out by 'muslims'

by EndofMysteries in

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-3823706/european-human-rights-chiefs-orders-british-press-not-reveal-terrorists-muslims.html.

"european human rights chiefs have told the british press it must not report when terrorists are muslim.

thank goodness they are getting out of the eu, before like sweden even people in uk can get arrested for posting on social media posting any facts and problems the immigrants/muslims/or refugees are causing.

Mephis

It's the Daily Mail. Even their own quotes don't support the headline they use. It's the Daily Mail. Hurrah for fascism Daily Mail. Here's a song about it.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5eBT6OSr1TI

11

The Jewish Temple(s) In Egypt. (Circa 5th Century BCE)

by fulltimestudent in

jw
friends

the web address on the above sketch is misleading as the sketch (it seems) was included originally, in a article in a peer reviewed archaeological journal by a stephen rosenberg.. there is little doubt that the temple was genuine and it demonstrates that the ot stories about the role of egypt in the formation of judaism do not tell the truth about the complete relationship between israel and the egyptian empire.. we know that this temple on elephantine island was genuine.

some papyrus correspondence has survived .

there is also another (claimed) jewish temple that an archaelogical team explored last century, but the precise location has been lost.. more on the above temple tomorrow..

Mephis

I'm referring to this temple in Egypt. It was destroyed in 410 BC and the Jewish community there requested it be rebuilt. In that letter they state that the temple pre-dates the Persian takeover of Egypt as it was spared by Cambyses even though he destroyed Egyptian temples. This is supported by a 2nd century BC document which claims that there were multiple waves of Jewish emigres into Egypt, beginning in 650 BC in support of the Egyptians campaign against Nubia (Elephantine Island is a fort on that border) but also those which are mentioned in the OT such as after the Babylonian invasions of Palestine. Hence the dating of the site is pre-Persian at the moment and requires evidence of it not being so to date it solely to the Persian period.

(the essay linked as a reference earlier in the thread covers most of this).

14

An ANALYSIS of Watch Tower of Britain’s last (January 2013) Child Safeguarding Policy by Barbara Anderson

by AndersonsInfo in

an analysis of watch tower of britain’s last (january 2013) child safeguarding policy by barbara anderson.

last year, i was asked to review watch tower of britain’s child safeguarding policy and its implementation.

what i discovered was depressing and disappointing especially because the policy contained just a single statement (#18) directing elder/trustees on how to protect children in their congregations from avoidable harm - they were to restrict a repentant abuser “…from being alone in the company of children.” the policy did not explain what procedures to follow to assure that abusers would obey that rule.

Mephis

Spot on with identifying how it's anything but child-centric in what it says and implies.

One aspect which makes me wonder is just what training is provided to these trustees of charities by London Bethel. They have an elders' school. What practical and best practice advice is provided on things like child protection? We all will know the answer, but it's curious and fits in with the pattern of the WBTS wanting to push all this onto the 'family' rather than address things in the way even other religions have done here in Britain.

11

The Jewish Temple(s) In Egypt. (Circa 5th Century BCE)

by fulltimestudent in

jw
friends

the web address on the above sketch is misleading as the sketch (it seems) was included originally, in a article in a peer reviewed archaeological journal by a stephen rosenberg.. there is little doubt that the temple was genuine and it demonstrates that the ot stories about the role of egypt in the formation of judaism do not tell the truth about the complete relationship between israel and the egyptian empire.. we know that this temple on elephantine island was genuine.

some papyrus correspondence has survived .

there is also another (claimed) jewish temple that an archaelogical team explored last century, but the precise location has been lost.. more on the above temple tomorrow..

Mephis

Since the Persian garrison did not show up until after 500 BC, what Jewish community preceded them is a matter of conjecture..

Only if you're sure that the request to rebuild the temple (dated to 407 BC) was telling lies about the temple existing prior to Cambyses arriving in Egypt in 525 BC. The burden of proof rests on someone wishing to prove the temple did not exist at the time. The archaeology is silent on it, but the (admittedly limited) documentary evidence pushes this prior to the Persians being in Egypt.

11

The Jewish Temple(s) In Egypt. (Circa 5th Century BCE)

by fulltimestudent in

jw
friends

the web address on the above sketch is misleading as the sketch (it seems) was included originally, in a article in a peer reviewed archaeological journal by a stephen rosenberg.. there is little doubt that the temple was genuine and it demonstrates that the ot stories about the role of egypt in the formation of judaism do not tell the truth about the complete relationship between israel and the egyptian empire.. we know that this temple on elephantine island was genuine.

some papyrus correspondence has survived .

there is also another (claimed) jewish temple that an archaelogical team explored last century, but the precise location has been lost.. more on the above temple tomorrow..

Mephis

One of the interesting suggestions Rosenberg has made is that this Jewish community may have come from Israel rather than Judah, although that would depend on date of the Jewish mercenaries heading into Egypt if one accepts Josiah 'reformed' the religious practices around 522 BC.

The idea that this could be aping the shape of a tabernacle rather than the temple at Jerusalem (which, from its written description, itself seems to copy even earlier Caananite temple forms) is also a fascinating one. Much of the Old Testament's 'history' has to be analysed through the filter of not only the postexilic community but also by the attempts to hammer the various stories/histories into a narrative which fitted a 'reformed' Judaism.

18

What if Jesus Christ was not put to death by the Romans but instead died a natural death?

by deegee in

according to christianity, the death of jesus was a miscarriage of justice.

so then, what if there was no so-called miscarriage of justice so that jesus was not put to death by the romans but he instead died a natural death?

would christians still receive the forgiveness of their sins and their hoped for salvation?.

Mephis

If he was a perfect man, he wouldn't die a natural death...

20

Spain 2016-10-03 BOE Re: Minors

by wifibandit in

october 3, 2016 to the bodies of elders re: minors.

3 de octubre de 2016 a los cuerpos de ancianos asunto: menores de edad.

Mephis

One of their issues in Britain has been over criminal record checks on elders etc. Guess it would get all kinds of conflicting when the holy spirit appoints a pedophile or fraudster as an elder.

27

What is the Watchtower view on donating to charity?

by HereIgo in

i've always had the impression that they frowned upon it, but never quite knew for sure.....

Mephis

Like Simon and keyser soze, I grew up with the impression that spare money went to the WBTS and Armageddon was going to sort out everything else. 'The poor will always be with you' thing. No real 'official' policy, just the internal culture pushing things in a certain direction. They push things like giving to WBTS means 'charity' in the normal sense of the word happens.

eg "How Can We Help to Meet the Needs of Others" (13 November, Watchtower)

In the face of natural and man-made disasters, we do not tell needy brothers and sisters to “keep warm and well fed.” (Jas. 2:15, 16) Instead, we seek to provide for their physical needs. Similarly, after receiving warning of a coming famine in the first century, “the disciples determined, each of them according as anyone could afford it, to send a relief ministration to the brothers dwelling in Judea.”—Acts 11:28-30.
As Jehovah’s servants, we are eager to help needy individuals in a material way. However, people also have a spiritual need. (Matt. 5:3) To help them become aware of that need and take steps to satisfy it, Jesus commissioned his followers to make disciples. (Matt. 28:19, 20) We individually devote much of our time, energy, and resources to carrying out that commission. As an organization, we use some donated funds to provide material help, but donations are used chiefly to promote Kingdom interests and spread the good news. We thus show our love for God and for our neighbors.—Matt. 22:37-39.
Those who support the worldwide work of Jehovah’s Witnesses can be sure that their donations are used properly and effectively. Are you in a position to help bring relief to your brothers in need? Do you desire to support the disciple-making work? If so, “do not hold back good from those to whom it is owing, when it happens to be in the power of your hand to do it.”—Prov. 3:27.

WBTS is a one stop charity shop according to Brooklyn.