Flip a coin.
Russia, despite it's size and population has a very mixed record in conflicts.
Life seems cheap in the Russian Military, and it's soldiers are well aware of this.
Despite modern losses they have never used Nukes...(fingers crossed).
Balaamsass2
JoinedPosts by Balaamsass2
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Ukraine - Nato - US crisis
by mikeflood indon't understand....but this crisis in ukraine seems to be getting out of control....i mean, everybody knows how to start a war..... by the way, as always, people at the borg are having a field day.....
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A Jehovah's Witness family's excellent Letter of Resignation trending on exjw Reddit today
by Balaamsass2 ini got an email notice today on this excellent letter of resignation from a german family that is trending on reddit.
i thought i would share it here if anyone is so inclined to write one.
for those with pimi jw family and jw business connections, it may not be wise to share such a letter, but i imagine it must be very freeing to send such a letter.
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Balaamsass2
It looks like they sent it to all their "Whats ap" contacts (150). So I imagine using Facebook pms, email, or old fashioned stamps to a congregation member list would work the same, pretty much forcing the Elder Body to read it in order to respond.
Years ago, in the 70s, one JW Sister left her letter under the wiper blades of every car in our KH parking lot, and along the street (JW and neighbors). I remember it caused quite a stir in the Hall for weeks. I thought the PO was going to have a stroke over it.
She followed up a couple of more times during meetings with copies of underlined Watchtowers outing local Elders and their families for various issues, "sins" and peccadillos. What a stir that caused for months! Elders were marching up and down the street "patrolling" the lot and neighborhood during meetings.
If I was to ever do something like this, I would pay an Attorney for advice. Perhaps add a "C.C. Attorney" and some sort of legal warning about reputational Slander, and tortious interference with business relationships.
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A Jehovah's Witness family's excellent Letter of Resignation trending on exjw Reddit today
by Balaamsass2 ini got an email notice today on this excellent letter of resignation from a german family that is trending on reddit.
i thought i would share it here if anyone is so inclined to write one.
for those with pimi jw family and jw business connections, it may not be wise to share such a letter, but i imagine it must be very freeing to send such a letter.
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Balaamsass2
I got an email notice today on this excellent letter of resignation from a German Family that is trending on Reddit. I thought I would share it here if anyone is so inclined to write one. For those with PIMI JW family and JW business connections, it may not be wise to share such a letter, but I imagine it must be very freeing to send such a letter. I have read many such letters over the years, and this is one of the best. What do you think? Would would you add or remove?
"Our letter of resignation
This is an English translation of our resignation letter written in German, which we distributed last week via our WhatsApp status. Over 150 people have seen it.
~
Dear Elders,
We are making this public statement because certain circumstances among Jehovah's Witnesses have become unacceptable to us. Even if our family has fortunately not yet been affected by it, child abuse is more than just "serious wrongdoing" or a "spiritual sickness". It cannot simply be repented of and "handled" by talking to elders who have no psychological training whatsoever. Pedophilia is a serious mental disorder. The main issue is not whether the perpetrator can be forgiven or not, but whether further cases can be prevented. It is unacceptable for the protection of offenders to take precedence over the protection of victims and for the "privacy" of a potential offender to outweigh the welfare of children. In such cases, elders must not be "primarily concerned with maintaining the sanctity of God’s name", as if HE could not do that Himself. Instead, they should attend to their duties for the good of the flock (1 Pe. 5:2, 1 Tim. 6:20). "The responsibility to protect children from harm" cannot simply be shifted to "the parents" alone (for quotes see w19 May, pp. 8-13).
It is common knowledge that child abuse hardly ever happens in the presence of other witnesses, and it is also obvious that the biblical two-witness rule was never intended for such cases. Nevertheless, it is still used today as an explanation as to why elders do not pass on the names of perpetrators to the authorities or make them known in the congregation. There are indeed biblical principles that come much closer to the facts of the case and do not require two witnesses (Deut. 22:23-27, Ex. 21:29).
The cases of abuse in churches are extensively denounced in our publications. However, not a word is said about the cases in our own ranks. In contrast to the churches, Jehovah's Witnesses have not commissioned any independent studies to investigate the cases. While the Pope has publicly apologized for the suffering caused, nothing of the sort has happened on the part of the governing body. The fines totaling millions have been concealed from the members.
In 2015, it became known that the Australian branch of Jehovah's Witnesses had records of alleged perpetrators of child sexual abuse. This information became part of a major government commission of enquiry. The findings of the Australian Royal Commission (ARC) are staggering:
At least 1,800 victims, 1,006 perpetrators and 579 confessions. 28 people were appointed as elders or ministerial assistants despite the allegations. Nevertheless, the commission concluded that NOT A SINGLE CASE was reported to the authorities. Elders were even instructed by the legal department of the branch office to destroy records that could have been used as evidence. The final report sharply criticized the lack of transparency and the existing structures at Jehovah's Witnesses. (Royal Commission: "Case Study 29: Jehovah's Witnesses". See under "Submission" the document "Submissions on behalf of Watchtower Bible and Tract Society of Australia", pp. 20-22, sections 2.1 and 2.2)
However, the Governing Body subsequently refused to publicly apologize to the victims and to pay into the Australian National Redress Scheme for victims of abuse. While over 500 organizations had already contributed to this fund, six were publicly reprimanded by the Australian government for refusing to do so, including Jehovah's Witnesses. It was only when the government threatened to withdraw their charitable status that the organization relented.
But although even Geoffrey Jackson of the Governing Body testified under oath before the Commission and the videos of this were made available to everyone by the authorities, the Governing Body does not say a word about this in its monthly broadcasts, so that hardly any Jehovah's Witnesses are likely to be aware of these abuses. Instead, JW Broadcasting prefers to report on bushfires under the keyword "Australia". After the scandal became public, the Watchtower immediately called on the faithful: "Loyally support the leadership (...) when faced with what appear to be damaging attacks by apostates or other such deceivers of the mind - however plausible their charges may seem. " (w17 July, p. 30). The charges are indeed very serious. However, the judges of the Royal Commission are certainly not deceivers. But instead of endeavoring to clarify the situation, the legal department prefers to sue victims' associations, as recently happened in Spain (AEVTJ, Madrid).
In Australia alone, based on the known cases alone, there would be an average of one child abuser for every assembly. Since the cases cited only concern Australia, where not even 1% of all Jehovah's Witnesses live, and the number of unreported cases of sexual abuse is usually 15 to 20 times higher, it must be assumed that the true extent is enormous. None of this can be attributed to Satan or the evil world alone. Whenever people are brought up to give absolute obedience, to eliminate critical thinking and to consider the reputation of an organization more important than the welfare of the individual, the door is opened to abuse. We cannot believe that this is the result of the guidance of the Holy Spirit. What appalls us, however, is not primarily that these things have happened, but that they continue to happen and not even a "governing" body feels responsible for them.
But that's not all that has been on our minds recently. The marginalization we have experienced since we stopped "functioning" as expected has made us very concerned and thoughtful. Especially as we have not been guilty of anything other than passivity.
Due to our bitter experiences over the past few years, we have done a lot of research and prayerfully studied the Bible. In doing so, we have come to some shocking realizations. We strongly recommend that you look up the biblical passages quoted and check for yourselves whether this is really the case (Acts 17:11).
Firstly, it must be noted: The critical examination of special teachings is not apostasy, but a Christian commandment (1 John 4:1, 1 Thess. 5:21). If we find differences between the commandments of God and those of men, we must obey God more than men (Acts 4:18, 19; 5:29). To give absolute obedience to a human organization is to serve a second Lord besides Jesus (Matt. 6:24, 2 Cor. 1:24, 1 Cor. 7:23, Matt. 23:8-10).
The doctrine of faith of every Christian was already definitively established in the first century, at the time of the apostles (Jude 3, 1 Cor. 2:1-5, Acts 16:31). Nevertheless, it was expanded more and more by the Bible students under J. F. Rutherford, later by various presidents and by the Governing Body of Jehovah's Witnesses.
We note with sorrow that the "Governing Body" has taken a position which, according to the Bible, belongs to Jesus alone (1 Tim. 2:5, Matt. 23:8).
Jehovah's Witnesses also do not practice a Christian baptismal vow (Matt. 28:19), but baptize into an organization instead of in the name of the Holy Spirit (w20 March, box on p. 12).
In addition, they have inadmissibly expanded the content of the Good News, which is a serious sin according to the Bible (w81 1.1. box on p. 29, Gal. 1:6-9).
The doctrine of two classes with two hopes is clearly unbiblical (John 10:16, Eph. 2:13-19; 4:4, 5) and was not established by a governing body, but by one man (w15 15.7. p. 9 par. 14; w21 January, p. 14-15 par. 2-4), whereupon millions of people no longer obeyed Jesus' command to celebrate the Lord's Supper (Matt. 26:26-28, John 6:53, 54, 1 Cor. 11:23-26).
Disfellowshipping is misappropriated and used as a means of pressure, even against family members, children and those who were minors at the time of their baptism. This not only contradicts the Bible (Mark 2:16, 17, Proverbs 17:17, Isaiah 58:6, 7), but also the Convention on the Rights of the Child, the German Basic Law (Art. 3) and the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and has massive consequences for mental health.
We want to be able to gather freely with other Christians without being viewed with suspicion or marginalized (Matt. 18:20, Heb. 10:24, 25).
Nowhere does the Bible mention that Christians should call themselves by the name that God gave to the people of Israel, which significantly does not appear once in the basic Greek text of the New Testament. We want to be witnesses of Jesus and simply be called Christians - as Jesus commanded and as it was also ordained by divine providence (Acts 1:8; 11:26).
The judgement of other people who follow Christ was not given to us, but to angels (Matt. 13:27-30, 39, Mark 9:38-40, Gal. 3:26, Rom. 8:14).
Our salvation does not depend on obedience to mysterious human instructions in the future, but on our personal faith in Jesus (Gal. 3:11, Rom. 14:22, 23, Acts 16:31). Salvation does not come by performance, but by grace alone (Eph. 2:8-9, Rom. 3:27-28; 10:2-4).
We do not believe that God guides us by progressive error, but by truth (1 John 1:5). According to the Bible, truth is not found in a plethora of books, magazines and special teachings that change regularly, but in Jesus himself (John 14:6).
We believe that contact with other worldviews is not dangerous, but enriching. Proven faith is, according to the Bible, as lasting as gold (1 Peter 1:7). It has nothing in common with a soap bubble that threatens to burst at the slightest touch.
We believe that education, art, culture, the free development of the personality and sufficient free time are not detrimental to faith, but rather conducive to it. We are convinced that knowledge is always better than ignorance - and freedom is always better than coercion.
We do not believe that a symbol is more sacred to God than what it stands for. Consequently, blood is not more sacred than the lives of our children. In emergency situations, we therefore follow Jesus' example of mercy (Matt. 12:7-12).
We want our children to grow up in an environment where the focus is not on terms such as Armageddon, Gog of Magog, Babylon the Great, overlapping generation, Governing Body or years, but on love (1 Cor. 13:2, 13).
We believe that unconditional love should be the essence of every family and every Christian (Prov. 17:17, 1 Cor. 13:2).
We want our children to be able to talk about their personal faith and doubts at any time without making themselves suspicious or being afraid of being ostracized by their family.
Our experience in recent years has shown us that this is not possible with Jehovah's Witnesses. We therefore hereby declare that we no longer wish to be known as Jehovah's Witnesses.
We ask for written confirmation.
4 September 2024
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Witnesses after Covid shut down are increasing their calls around my neighborhood
by wozza inhi all , i just had another call by a an elderly jw ,let's call him ian.. only about 3 months ago i had a young jw call and trying to talk to him i had to tone it down a bit because he did'nt seem so theocratically bright as he only offered a tract and not much else , and i've had others call since covid.. so it seems around here they are making regular calls but not like back in the day when i used to auxillary pioneer where we would go over this turf every 1 to 3 weeks in the 80's.. but back to my caller ian ,on his own , but out with a group of jw's he was quick to get around the pleasantries and and so i interrupted him tactfully to slow him down.
started with a bit of my history easing into the fact that i had my first contact with jw's with my soon to be mother-in -law who was an invalided jw ,we had many good talks about her beliefs in the early 70's.. at this point he jumps in and wants to know if i would want a study again because i told him that i once did a study with jw's back.
i carefully steered him into telling me about those days ,what was he was doing back then.
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Balaamsass2
Great post. I can't wait to read more in the future as JWs slowly AWAKE! from COVID slumber. :)
Some years ago we got some of the old books with damming verses highlighted ready to find in the living room bookcase. No one ever came when we were ready.
Over the past 10 years, a few visiting C.O.s accompanied by two Elders arrived at the door unannounced and unexpected. We were unprepared, and chose not to answer. :)
Recently 3rd Gen spoke with a JW sister when she was out front gardening. It will be interesting to see if JWs arrive again, another CO with 2 Elders, or... if we became a "do not call".
Usually we don't answer the door. We sleep in whenever possible, and don't like entertaining unexpected salespeople, beggars, poll takers, politicians, JWs, Mormons, and riff-raff. (neighbors and friends email, Fb, Next-door pm, or call before visiting).
I look back at all those poor householders who opened their doors and tried to be civil with me for 50+ years and feel like....well... an ass.
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Do you recognize this?
by Gorb inthinking sometimes about my youth days and the stories my grandfather told me about our jw congregation.
do you recognize that your congregation was full of somehowe strange folks, very low educated, poor and simple?.
the po was an elder with some distance, with some personality acting intelligent and following the rules strict.. there was always a kind of scandal.
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Balaamsass2
As a kid in the silicon Valley we had some VERY interesting people in the congregation. A chemist, accountants, contractors, cops, tradesmen, a management consultant, a few engineers and a few strange gifted oddballs. I think the 1930s and 1940s "anti religion -slogan "Religion is a snare and racket" and Fred Franz's convoluted bible prophesy writings attracted some free thinkers.
After 1975, Knorr's death, Ray Franz leaving, the 80s had a whole new "vibe". Fear of heretics and free thinkers took center stage. In the grumpy mean Ted Jaracz era, service meetings became scripted, humor evaporated, "Speculating" became verboten, as did Congregation picnics, ball games, and even home Watchtower studies. Some Halls I attended became more "churchy", almost like Southern Baptists or Pentecostals...and attracted some of the same people.
Purely my opinion from attending only a dozen halls on both US coasts.
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Ukraine - Nato - US crisis
by mikeflood indon't understand....but this crisis in ukraine seems to be getting out of control....i mean, everybody knows how to start a war..... by the way, as always, people at the borg are having a field day.....
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Balaamsass2
During the 70s and 80s the USA successfully ground down the USSRs economy and moral until by after (Afghanistan)1990 they essentially went bankrupt.
I see the Ukraine war as doing the same thing. NATO and the USA are using the Ukrainians as a proxy to grind down and wear down Russia's military, economy and people.
The key factors are different. In the 80s you had a US actor,(a great poker player) Ronald Regan, who convinced the Soviets the USA had "star wars" and was willing to use it, and Gorbachev a moderate statesman, trying to improve an almost bankrupt Country, that was having difficulty producing/obtaining basic advanced technology (chips and transistors).
Today the problem is Putin is as "hard" and plugged in as Stalin, and Biden can't act OR play poker. He telegraphs and announces his every move and concern in the news media. China is supplying Russia with the latest tech, and seemingly could care less about US restrictions.
Russia has an almost limitless supply of bodies....if...the Russian people and Generals don't revolt. They don't have limitless money and tech. Russia's GDP is about that of Canada and Mexico...but with a bunch of old nukes. Tough one to guess about.
Look at the world GDP rankings.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_countries_by_GDP_(nominal)
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The fading of a well known American religion. Could this happen someday to Jehovah's Witnesses?
by Balaamsass2 innew york times 9/5/24.
" there are only two shakers left.
they've still got utopia in their sites.. "by jordan kisner.
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Balaamsass2
I was digging around the net on this subject. YIKES! Extinct religions galore!
Here is a list of completely extinct Christian religions. About 53. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Category:Former_Christian_denominations
When you look at ancient and "pagan" religions, the list of extinct religions is endless. Perhaps this is why the upper classes of Europe and the USA insisted their children learn the Greek and Roman "Classics" and Gods...a tongue-in-cheek, socially acceptable, politically correct, way to examine what was once held to be "true Religion" to free their children's minds of superstition ???
https://www.ranker.com/list/religions-that-are-gone-and-why/richard-rowe
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The HLC do not pressure JWs
by usualusername1 inthe hospital liaison committee (hlc) for jehovah’s witnesses does not pressure members to refuse blood transfusions.
rather, their role is to support jehovah’s witnesses in adhering to their pre-existing religious beliefs, which include a strict prohibition against accepting blood transfusions based on their interpretation of biblical scriptures.. jehovah’s witnesses are well-informed about their stance on blood from an early age, and refusing blood is a deeply ingrained religious conviction, not something imposed during a medical crisis.
the hlc’s purpose is to provide assistance in accessing bloodless treatment options, facilitating communication with healthcare providers, and helping ensure that the patient’s choices are respected.. while the hlc strongly supports adherence to the beliefs of jehovah’s witnesses, the ultimate decision remains with the individual.
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Balaamsass2
I resigned as an Elder over 10 years ago. I still have an HLC relative.
10-20 years ago I know of a few cases in Northern California, despite HIPAA privacy laws, JWs working for hospitals reported on JWs who took blood, had abortions, or received treatments for sexually transmitted diseases. Some worked nights in billing and records. EVERYTHING SHOWS AND GETS BILLED FOR. Having "Jehovah's Witness" on your medical records is a red flag for JW paper pushers to inspect.
The HLC members I personally know, are pompous morons I would not want helping my dog across the street.
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lets imagine big A really does happen...
by stan livedeath inlets imagine the watchtower idea of armageddon really does happen in the next couple of years.... and afterwards jehovah says to the gb.
" right guys--ive done my part--its all over to you now.
see you again in 1000 years time ".
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Balaamsass2
The world would be a "Theocracy" ruled by autocrats aka Governing Body. "Biblical" penalties for crimes, ie: Stoning, the death penalty for adultery, apostasy, aka walking disorderly, no industry, so primitive homemade building materials, agricultural implements, and clothing.
It would resemble Afghanistan. lol. :) Two-story mud hut, Mountain View, fruit basket lady in scratchy goathair Kaftcan.
Who would have thought AFGHANISTAN was the REWARD all those years?
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Where is Tony?
by Athanasius inon february 22, 2023, anthony morris iii was officially removed from the governing body of jehovah's witnesses.
a few months later it was revealed that the watchtower bought him a house in lumberton, north carolina.. however, and correct me if i am wrong, since leaving the gb nobody has reported seeing tony attending jw meetings or participating in field service.
in fact nobody has reported seeing him anywhere, not even at a local liquor store.
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Balaamsass2
Send Tony a card w/check. No self-respecting ex-CO or GB can resist a green handshake. :) The canceled check will serve as "proof of life". His bank info will be stamped on the back of your canceled check.