Posts by apostrate

37

The flat earth conspiracy!

by Truthexplorer in

ok. let me first start by saying i am not a flat earther.

i like most on here will have the same view most will have here about our planet.

in saying that however, i am incredibly gob smacked by the book written by eric dubay called 'the flat earth conspiracy'.

Laugh all you want, hell, I'm laughing, but the OP is right, The Flat Earth Society really does exist. It's been around for decades. Thomas Dolby ("She Blinded Me With Science") is a charter member! His second album was titled "The Flat Earth".

Not saying I believe them, just saying that they do, indeed, exist.

Also, there are people who believe that "We never went to the moon"!

I'm sure that somewhere out there, there's a group of people that believe that the Earth is held in position by resting on the back of a giant turtle!

14

Suffering: the result of Adamic sin?

by confused in

i am currently having a study with a pioneer couple to try to reactivate me and get me back into the congregation.

they have asked me to really think about the provision of the ransom sacrifice.

in doing so i have gone back to basics and have already hit a few questions i am thinking of raising.

apostrate

Crazyguy,

I know that this may be getting off of the subject somewhat, but, hey, it's all speculation and imagination, right?

I am sure that most JW's including myself, were taught that in the New World when we will be "perfect", we will have a perfect sense of balance, therefore we would never fall down and break our arm, right?

If you think about it, even from a JW perspective, being perfect does not mean that mistakes, such as falling down, will not happen. After all, the body has the ability to heal itself. Scratch your finger and it will heal itself.

And who created the human body with that ability to heal itself? (Again, from a JW point of view) Jehovah, right?

And, when did Jehovah create the human body with this ability? Before sin came into play.

Now, why would Jehovah create perfect man and woman with the ability to heal themselves if they weren't designed to break in the first place?

Just another of those many unanswerable questions for JW's.

24

Suggestions for Governing Body 2.0

by FusionTheism in

i realize many people on here are very angry at the watchtower society and/or governing body for various reasons, many of which are likely justified, at least to some extent.

i also can totally understand the cynicism and pessimism i see from certain ones regarding the leaders of the society.. i think one thing that's often forgotten or overlooked, however, is the fact that members of the governing body who've been "in the truth" for 30, 40, 50, 60 years, probably truly believe in this organization.

in my opinion, it's more likely that they believe what they teach instead of being liars who are intentionally deceiving everyone.

apostrate

They say a leopard can not change his spots. The WTS can make all the changes they want, I am still not going back.

They can apologize 'til the cows come home, I still wouldn't go back. I wouldn't go back if THEY PAID ME!

They could try to entice me with the promise of seven virgins and I still would not go back! Knowing the WTS the way I do, the seven virgins would likely be seven dudes!!

24

Suggestions for Governing Body 2.0

by FusionTheism in

i realize many people on here are very angry at the watchtower society and/or governing body for various reasons, many of which are likely justified, at least to some extent.

i also can totally understand the cynicism and pessimism i see from certain ones regarding the leaders of the society.. i think one thing that's often forgotten or overlooked, however, is the fact that members of the governing body who've been "in the truth" for 30, 40, 50, 60 years, probably truly believe in this organization.

in my opinion, it's more likely that they believe what they teach instead of being liars who are intentionally deceiving everyone.

apostrate

Well, to sum it all up:

We've been wrong for over 130 years.

Christendom has been closer to "the truth" than we have.

We're basically a cult that is just after your money.

But, please pardon our dust. We're currently undergoing re-modeling for your convenience!

59

'Anointeds' Do you know any and if so what are they like ?

by Introvert 2 in

would like to hear about any experiences anyone has had with the so called ' anointed ' .

apostrate

Brother Jeramy,

"For starters, the preaching work is a commission from Christ, not the Watchtower Society."

The commission work from Christ does not mean selling magazines door to door at your own expense and turning over all money taken in to a man made organization. The WT Society does this by means of coercion.

What you are really saying is that you are comfortable with it. You know that it is not right, you know that it is not true, but you are comfortable with it. You have friends here, you may have family here, who cares if it is true or not? It fits you like an old, worn, comfortable shirt.

I have talked to Catholics who share your same sentiments.

15

Prince of 'P-I-E-C-E"

by freemindfade in

now i have always kept to myself discussing and speculating about this with any witness.

i am speaking of the very talented musician prince.

i remember watching the naacp awards one year ages ago and hearing him thank the one true god jehovah and falling off my couch.

apostrate

Talent does what it can.

Genius does what it must.

45

Hold Me, Thrill Me

by Hold Me-Thrill Me in

jw
friends

i'm going to be honest and from the heart when i say that for 40 years in the jw religion i was very happy in my ignorance!

man, what a trip it was.

i loved every minute of it but then i was absent the bad in my religion.

apostrate

Faye,

I did start out by saying, "Perhaps I am wrong", and you do make a very valid point. Even if the number of JW's who leave for doctrinal reasons is relatively small, they face the same backlash and consequences as ones leaving for more "sinister" reasons. I didn't take that aspect into account when I wrote what I did.

I'm speculating again here, but, eventually even those who leave for doctrinal reasons soon realize what a farce the whole organization is as a result of their shunning policies.

45

Hold Me, Thrill Me

by Hold Me-Thrill Me in

jw
friends

i'm going to be honest and from the heart when i say that for 40 years in the jw religion i was very happy in my ignorance!

man, what a trip it was.

i loved every minute of it but then i was absent the bad in my religion.

apostrate

Perhaps I am wrong, but it just seems to me that the vast majority of people who post on this site leave the WT, not for doctrinal reasons, but because they realized (myself included) that the WT is just a big scam. Who really cares if God's name is Jehovah or Jesus or Fred or Biff??? (Even the WT admits that it doesn't pronounce his name correctly).

The WT is just like a pimp who scares its people into going into the street work, peddling books and magazines at their own expense. And they are threatened with death if they don't! The WT scam is no different than the Nigerian Prince scam. They steal your money and your life.

Anyone who leaves the WT over doctrinal differences can simply go out and join a different religion that is more in line with their views. And it is as simple as that. No need for bitterness, no need for counseling.

There are still many people who inside disagree with WT doctrine, and those who see through it for the scam that it is, but who continue with the organization for various reasons. Some because of family, some who just feel comfortable with it, like an old worn shirt.

Personally, I am over the bitterness part, at least as much as possible. Now I just look at it in an analytical way.

45

Being in a cult - what good did it do?

by Garrett in

jw
friends

so, here's a bit of a different point of view.

while most of us will agree that our time within the jw cult was rather terrible, however, i'd like to look at another aspect.

did anything good come out of being in a cult and then waking up from it?.

apostrate

Some people will find absolutely no good in having been in a cult while others will have a better outlook on life as a result of the bad experience. If I spend the rest of my life being bitter, then the WT will have won. I will not let them define my life. I don't even particularly like being referred to as an EX-JW, it has a negative connotation.

I now work in a retail store where I see many, many pathetic people who probably were never raised in a cult. They appear to be sad, directionless, hopeless, poor. I don't consider myself to be better than any of them necessarily, but I realize that one doesn't have to be raised in a cult in order to become poor, bitter or an indigent.

16

Jehovah cult kicked me out - but not the man who raped me,' victim claims

by defender of truth in

positions of trusta jehovahs witness spokesman said: we have tried to educate families to try and educate and protect their children, so that children can protect themselves if they find themselves in a situation.if jehovahs were found to have abused someone if they are in a position of trust they would no longer have a position of trust.asked why about the claims sewell had not been kicked out of the jehovahs the spokesman insisted we cant comment on specific situations.we dont give out personal information, he said.http://www.walesonline.co.uk/news/wales-news/jehovah-cult-kicked-out---8891636

apostrate

Back in the 70's it was common practice in the Kingdom Halls (at least where I attended) that, when a person was being reproved or disfellowshipped, the specifics of his sin were not made known or announced from the platform. However, at the time the announcement was made, there would be a short talk given about the evils of their specific sin (either just before the announcement or directly after).

So all anyone in the audience had to do was put 2 + 2 together to figure out what the perpetrator had done. The talk itself might not go into specifics either, if a brother was guilty of fornication, the accompanying talk might be about loose conduct or sexual immorality.

So, basically, if a young brother admitted to the elders that he pleasured himself, everyone in the Hall could figure it out and know what he did (plus, there's the benefit of the gossip mill). If a parent gave their child a birthday present, everyone in the congregation usually knew what they did.

BUT, if a brother had sex, in any way with a child, all he had to do would be admit to it and promise that he wouldn't do it again, and nobody in the Hall would be the wiser!!

That's messed up!