the organization has many problems.
certain doctrines are problematic.
the men who run the organizaion have issues.
“sherrie11”: “What is the most recent cult to appear since the seventies?
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_new_religious_movements”
Yikes, that’s quite a list! And that’s just since the 70s. It sure goes to emphasize the old saying: “There is a sucker born every minute.” . . . . And, how!
this should be fun.
building a wall is unchristian.
i can't understand why the pope is getting involved in american politics.. poor donald..
“David_Jay”: “Catholics do not teach or believe the pope is infallible. Pope=infallible, that is the Watchtower at its most ignorant, uneducated height.”
Well, don’t forget the longstanding traditional Catholic concept that when the pope is formally speaking “ex cathedra,” then what he says is supposedly infallible.
Now, whenever the Watchtower governing body meets together (apparently every Wednesday), then, apparently, as a collective body their decisions (now by 2/3 majority vote) represent the direction of the holy spirit (i.e., the spirit from Almighty God). Although, with the track record of that governing body (which apparently now solely comprise the faithful and discreet slave in its entirety in all the earth – big surprise!), it’s obvious that the Watchtower governing body has no more credibility – or infallibility – than my left foot! (Any arguments to the contrary, please bring ’em on!)
this should be fun.
building a wall is unchristian.
i can't understand why the pope is getting involved in american politics.. poor donald..
“slimboyfat”:
Thank you for the link regarding the rise of early Christianity as it related to the epidemics during the Roman empire and the social connections among Christians versus the pagans (at the very bottom of the first page of this thread). I read it all, and it was quite interesting as to a logical and scientific explanation of that phenomenon.
the organization has many problems.
certain doctrines are problematic.
the men who run the organizaion have issues.
the organization has many problems.
certain doctrines are problematic.
the men who run the organizaion have issues.
since there a couple of ex-bethelites here, and a lot of people from the greater ny area who have probably visited the bethel in brooklyn and patterson many times, maybe they can shed some light into this curious question we (my wife and me) have for awhile.. so a couple of years ago, we happaned to be in the states and also went to visit the bethels in brooklyn and patterson.
we had the full package, what i mean is, not only we took the tour, but we also had someone to invite us for lunch.
while we wanted to enjoy our stay there, there was always a weird feeling being there.
“steve2”: “I do not think it unreasonable for visitors who accept lunch invitations to offer something.”
Well, the headquarters locations have always been receiving money funnelled from all over the world, including dirt-poor African, Asian, and South-American countries. And then there are the cumulative donations from publishers into all the different contribution boxes, including the “worldwide work” fund.
Also, don’t forget that all those donations are TAX-FREE, and the Bethel labourers practically work under a SLAVE LABOUR arrangement (a vow of poverty, similar to the Catholic nuns). As well, much of the food served at those meals, including the lunch, has already been made available through raising, slaughtering, and processing of THEIR OWN homegrown cattle, pork, etc. (also operated under the same slave labour arrangement).
So, when you think of it, certainly the Bethel headquarter locations can at least afford to offer a free lunch to the odd guest – without too much undue financial hardship. As for the Bethel drones – I mean workers – well, they should rightly be putting their palms up toward their billion-dollar enterprise of which they call their “mother organization.”
list as an accomplishment on a resume, "i escaped from a mind control doomsday cult?".
sometimes when i reflect on it, the magnitude of this accomplishment amazes me..
But for the promotion of something like a book, should you choose to go that route, or for, say, the subject of a talk show or news article highlighting your struggle with escaping a cult such as the Watchtower, then I must say that you should definitely share with others the exact nature of what you’ve had to deal with. Doing so would be quite cathartic for yourself, and would also serve as a validation for those who have suffered similarly and a warning to those who might very well be able to avoid having to suffer as such at all from the get go.
since there a couple of ex-bethelites here, and a lot of people from the greater ny area who have probably visited the bethel in brooklyn and patterson many times, maybe they can shed some light into this curious question we (my wife and me) have for awhile.. so a couple of years ago, we happaned to be in the states and also went to visit the bethels in brooklyn and patterson.
we had the full package, what i mean is, not only we took the tour, but we also had someone to invite us for lunch.
while we wanted to enjoy our stay there, there was always a weird feeling being there.
“DesirousOfChange”: “They are taught to "glean" off of the "surplus" of the flock.”
I’m pretty sure that “Judge” Franklin Rutherford would heartily agree with you! He had people all over the world, including dirt-poor countries like South America and Africa, funnelling money to his own ivory castle of “Beth Serim” in San Diego. He had two of the most expensive luxury Cadillacs in all of California – 16-cylinder Fisher Fleetwood Cadillac coupes.
Um, yes, I would say that that charlatan buffoon would certainly qualify as ‘gleaning off the surplus of the flock.’
That article is right on the money! It describes the leaders of the Watchtower organization to a tee. They use charm (i.e., the sparkling new “JW Broadcasting” studio thing), manipulation (i.e., threatening that people will “die at Armageddon” if they don’t smarten up and do what they’re told), and blackmail (i.e., forbidding any contact with family members if they willfully break any of the many, many rules of the Watchtower leaders).
They continually exploit people by demanding that they recruit more members by pounding the pavement in a pathetic show of loyalty to God’s one-and-only true organization in all the earth.
And toxic? Well, just Google “Jehovah’s Witnesses” and “depression,” as well as “trauma” and “suicide.”
