Balaamsass2

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Posts by Balaamsass2

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  11

  New Zealand: Supreme Court dismisses Jehovah's Witnesses' final appeal for Abuse in Care exemption

  by AndersonsInfo in

  1. watchtower
  2. child-abuse

  https://www.rnz.co.nz/news/national/528110/supreme-court-dismisses-jehovah-s-witnesses-final-appeal-for-abuse-in-care-exemption.

  1:10 pm on 16 september 2024 .

  anusha bradley, investigative reporter.

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  Balaamsass2

  The evidence and documentation keep piling up.
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  21

  Do you recognize this?

  by Gorb in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  thinking 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

  Ditto on what Blonde said about the internet.

  I remember when a JW Cousin called about a notorious child molester who had moved into my area in the mid-90s. She had been on AOL (remember that!) reading about Silent Lambs and newspaper stories about him and others, including some early TV programs about JW child abuse I had never heard about or seen because they were on meeting nights!! I read the Silent Lambs website and WOW what a change THAT made in me. It caused me to write back to Bethel and some GB members I knew. The results? Crickets. ZERO response.

  As the internet improved and became cheaper, I spent more time researching JWs, actual Bible Scholars, science, and history using it. As an Elder, It caused me to contact the Brooklyn service desk about other local Child, Senior, and Spousal abuse issues...their silence and desire to cover things up deeply disturbed me (I did contact the police). By 2002, I stepped aside as an Elder, never pioneered again, and cut down on contributions, service time, meetings, and convention attendance. I was heartsick, and my heart just wasn't in it any longer. What type of people cover over and LIE about domestic violence, child abuse, and financial abuse of the Elderly? There is nothing honorable or Godly about that! I then read Ray Franz's "Crisis of Conscience"...and BAMM.

  I agree with Blondie. If you have a conscience, a few brain cells, and a heart, the internet and the ability to instantly research items will lead you out of Watchtower.
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  53

  Half hearted JWs compared to past generations

  by JohnR1975 in

  1. watchtower
  2. beliefs

  is it just me or has there been a massive change in jws of late?.

  when i grew up in the cult they had a real sense of urgency and would do an hour minimum, these days it’s not even ten mins before coffee break.. same goes for everything else, it’s half hearted .

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  Balaamsass2

  A couple of years after 1975 many JWs realized Watchtower was wrong and cut back or quit.

  A couple of years after the mid 90s many JWs realized Watchtower was wrong again about "this generation will not pass away" and and cut back or quit.

  After the major press about Child abuse on TV, Newspapers, and Online, many JWs started wondering.

  A couple of years after Watchtower cut back on the magazines, went ONLINE and started begging for more money $$$, and selling all NYC properties, many JWs started reading sites like this, and realized Watchtower didn't have "God's Blessing" and cut back.

  A couple of years after the Bookstudy was canceled and Watchtower made a 180deg about face on "the center for survival during persecution" more JWs cut back.

  And after the complete shutdown of previously MANDITORY Field Service, and ALL previously MANDITORY in person meetings were shut down for COVID and replaced with Zoom, and the INTERNET even more JWs realize all the Watchtower warnings were false.

  And the hits keep coming.

  I am amazed anyone still is a true believer.
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  135

  Rumour 144,000 literal number teaching to be abandoned at Annual Meeting

  by slimboyfat in

  1. watchtower
  2. beliefs

  say it ain’t so!

  .

  in one sense it’s a no brainer because the figures just don’t add up any more.. in another (negative) sense it’s a no brainer because it’s been fundamental to jws since year dot and might undermine the whole thing?

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  Balaamsass2

  It never made any sense anyway.

  When you read about the numbers of disciples at Pentecost right after Jesus death, and the growth within the first two hundred years by ancient writers and historians, their were 144,000 "anointed" over a thousand years ago.

  Whole congregations in New York City started partaking in the late 1970s giving Ted Jaracz and Freddy Franz "conniptions" (as mom would say).

  Whole congregations in the 3rd World have been partaking for years. Putting the Society in the awkward position of #1. ignoring it, #2. Removing elders & disbanding remote congregations, thereby hurting "growth" statistics. Watchtower chose #1.
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  20

  I saw this on ex JW Reddit today. Are ANY JW kids even listening to talks anymore with tablets in their hands? :)? lol

  by Balaamsass2 in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  i got this notification from ex-jw reddit today via email:.

  r/exjw · posted by u/nightmare_dark_shade 1d ago.

  guys, my parents found out i was posting here.

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  Balaamsass2

  I got this notification from ex-JW Reddit today via email:

  "

  r/exjw · Posted by u/nightmare_dark_shade 1d ago

  Guys, my parents found out I was posting here

  A little over two months ago, my pimi family and I (F19) went to the convention. Well, my dad somehow saw the post I took during the convention, and he told my Uber pimi mom. " By the time I clicked on the link the poor kid had removed his original post. Dang, I really felt for the kid. Busted by his folks for posting and reading ex-JW stuff DURING the convention. I told 3rd gen about it, and she asked "WHAT teenager would even listen the a convention with a tablet in their hand?" and added.."No wonder the kids today are clueless about what they believe!" I thought about what she said,..... and laughed...yes, a lot of the teenagers I knew in the 60s and 70s would have been looking at porn and movies during the convention if it existed back then. lol. (Way back when during boring talks I was forced to simply stare in the distance or find a juicy or strange chapter in the bible with sex, murder or war in it.) My question to more current Ex JWs: Do kids even listen today to talks with I-Pads and the entire worldwide web in their hot little hands?????
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  65

  Ukraine - Nato - US crisis

  by mikeflood in

  1. social
  2. current

  don'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

  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).

  https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_wars_involving_Russia
  
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  15

  A Jehovah's Witness family's excellent Letter of Resignation trending on exjw Reddit today

  by Balaamsass2 in

  1. watchtower
  2. scandals

  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.

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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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  15

  A Jehovah's Witness family's excellent Letter of Resignation trending on exjw Reddit today

  by Balaamsass2 in

  1. watchtower
  2. scandals

  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.

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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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  13

  Witnesses after Covid shut down are increasing their calls around my neighborhood

  by wozza in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  hi 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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  21

  Do you recognize this?

  by Gorb in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  thinking 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.