Posts by OrphanCrow

47

Taking bets on how long this cult will last and what will happen to it

by macys in

i wanna make a poll here.

how many years do you think the jdub cult will exist as is and what will happen to it?.

i say the growth stops this year and starts to decline.

OrphanCrow

done4good: Children of God - Was that not the cult that original Fleetwood Mac guitarist Jeremy Spencer joined?

Yes. The Children of God was a California cult that came up against the State law back in the 70s. The ramifications of those legal battles are still felt today in legal cases such as Candace Conti in California.

The Children of God went through transformations in response to legal pressure - Berg (main leader) dissolved the Children of God and remade the cult with a new name: "The Family of Love" aka "The Family".

The Family International eventually, in 2004, was established by one of the leaders of the original Children of God, Grant Montgomery, and operates to this day. Jeremy Spencer is actively involved in the Family International.

155

Headline: "Islamic Invasion: Europe now scrambles for guns." How true is this?

by cappytan in

jw
friends

a year to a year and a half ago, i would have taken this article at face value and believed it.. now, i realize this article comes from a dubious source.

world news daily has a die-hard right-wing bias.

so, in an effort to get real information, i'm asking my european exjw's, is this article all true?

OrphanCrow

tragical: The point I am making is that there is a direct correlation ...

Correlation does not prove causation.

Using correlated results to make conclusive statements is a dangerous practice that misuses the purposes of statistical study.

47

Taking bets on how long this cult will last and what will happen to it

by macys in

i wanna make a poll here.

how many years do you think the jdub cult will exist as is and what will happen to it?.

i say the growth stops this year and starts to decline.

OrphanCrow

vidiot: I don't know about "ceasing to exist", but child abuse scandals brought the Hare Krishna sect to its knees.
It's technically still around, but it's a pale shadow of its former self.

Child abuse scandal also brought the Children of God to its knees. However....good ol' Grant rallied the troops and created The Family International. The leopard changed its spots. But it is still there.

A pale shadow is still a shadow. And you never know what that shadow conceals when it comes to cults and money.

49

Dissenters in Watchtower History: Differing Departures

by slimboyfat in

i'm reading an excellent book about defectors from the mormon church called differing visions: dissenters in mormon history.

through a collection of essays from many academic authors it looks at the life stories of dissenters and reasons for departure, as well as analysing the impact of their dissent on the church itself.

fascinating stuff and makes me wish there was a similar volume looking at the key dissenters from jws/watchtower and the impact they had.

OrphanCrow

slimboyfat: and a brother called John something who resigned the Ireland branch in the fallout of Franz's departure too.

That would be John May and Martin Merriman.

http://www.jehovahs-witness.com/topic/23073/dublin-ireland-apostasy-1970s?page=1

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JwigZN6OOMc

49

Dissenters in Watchtower History: Differing Departures

by slimboyfat in

i'm reading an excellent book about defectors from the mormon church called differing visions: dissenters in mormon history.

through a collection of essays from many academic authors it looks at the life stories of dissenters and reasons for departure, as well as analysing the impact of their dissent on the church itself.

fascinating stuff and makes me wish there was a similar volume looking at the key dissenters from jws/watchtower and the impact they had.

OrphanCrow

slimfatboy: Fascinating, thanks, I'd never heard of Binkele!
I was thinking there must be some good non-American examples - I just don't know about them.

Funny thing is, though, Binkele was an American born German. It is interesting that his group of German Free Bible Students, who were never associated with the WTS, wore the purple triangles in the German WW2 camps. And Binkele's Free Bible Students would now be counted by the WTS as "JWs". The WTS now claims all purple triangles as their own.

49

Dissenters in Watchtower History: Differing Departures

by slimboyfat in

i'm reading an excellent book about defectors from the mormon church called differing visions: dissenters in mormon history.

through a collection of essays from many academic authors it looks at the life stories of dissenters and reasons for departure, as well as analysing the impact of their dissent on the church itself.

fascinating stuff and makes me wish there was a similar volume looking at the key dissenters from jws/watchtower and the impact they had.

OrphanCrow

slimfatboy: There was a break away group in Australia and Hungary and another in Nigeria wasn't there? I don't know the names of the movers and shakers.

Yes, you are right.

If you want to research something pretty interesting concerning breakaways and dissenters, etc, then just goggle "Watchtower movement in Africa". Try it with a space as well: Watch Tower Movement. The WT breakaways in African countries have had a political impact historically, with the WTS in NY finally making deals with some of the African governments to bring the WT 'sects' in Africa under control of the Society in order to stabilize some areas.

49

Dissenters in Watchtower History: Differing Departures

by slimboyfat in

i'm reading an excellent book about defectors from the mormon church called differing visions: dissenters in mormon history.

through a collection of essays from many academic authors it looks at the life stories of dissenters and reasons for departure, as well as analysing the impact of their dissent on the church itself.

fascinating stuff and makes me wish there was a similar volume looking at the key dissenters from jws/watchtower and the impact they had.

OrphanCrow

Two dissenters that were key in my personal journey of 'deprogramming' were Gary and Heather Botting, exJWs and the authors of The Orwellian World of Jehovah's Witnesses. The book was published in 1984.

http://www.amazon.ca/The-Orwellian-World-Jehovahs-Witnesses/dp/0802065457

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gary_Botting

Gary Norman Arthur Botting (born 19 July 1943)[1] is a Canadian legal scholar and criminal defense lawyer as well as a poet, playwright and critic of literature and religion, in particular Jehovah's Witnesses. The author of more than 30 books, he is one of the country's leading authorities on extradition law.[2] He is said to have had "more experience in battling the extradition system than any other Canadian lawyer."[3][4]

Gary and Heather are now divorced and Heather has remarried.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Heather_Botting

Heather Denise Botting, née Harden, born 21 September 1948, is a professor of anthropology at the University of Victoria in British Columbia. The original high priestess of Coven Celeste, she is a founding elder of the Canadian Aquarian Tabernacle Church[1] and was the first recognized Wiccan chaplain in a public university.[2]

49

Dissenters in Watchtower History: Differing Departures

by slimboyfat in

i'm reading an excellent book about defectors from the mormon church called differing visions: dissenters in mormon history.

through a collection of essays from many academic authors it looks at the life stories of dissenters and reasons for departure, as well as analysing the impact of their dissent on the church itself.

fascinating stuff and makes me wish there was a similar volume looking at the key dissenters from jws/watchtower and the impact they had.

OrphanCrow

Another WT dissenter:

Conrad C. Binkele - the director of the European Watch Tower Offices. Appointed by Russell in 1916, had a falling out with Rutherford in 1925, and founded the Free Bible Students in Germany in 1928. The Free Bible Students were banned in 1933 in Germany.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Conrad_C._Binkele

137

Something interesting!

by John Aquila in

i was invited to a small get-together by a long time friend.

we both served as elders for years.

he is in his late 70s.

OrphanCrow

Heaven: The only result from oppression is revolution and change. This group had a huge schism occur back in the 1920s, guess it's time for another one.

Yeah...but the sad thing is what emerged from that schism. Or maybe I should say the horrifying thing. Don't forget that from that early schism arose the Jehovah's Witnesses.

And from this new 'huge' schism, will arise the new and improved "JW..org".

Yay! A new cyber religion. From which even more offshoots and splinters can kaleidoscope off into the future.

And in the meantime...the leopard will have changed its spots...where oh where will the Watchtower hide next? What form will the Watchtower Society take on? Where is it hiding now?

137

Something interesting!

by John Aquila in

i was invited to a small get-together by a long time friend.

we both served as elders for years.

he is in his late 70s.

OrphanCrow

The phenomena of splinter breakaway groups of Jehovah's Witnesses is one that is pretty quiet but it does exist. The WT claims unity but historically, splinter groups have been happening since the beginning of Russell's time and have continued to form right up until today.

http://www.jehovahs-witness.com/topic/20779/splinter-groups?page=1

http://exjehovahswitnessforum.yuku.com/reply/297149/Sects-of-Jehovahs-witnesses#reply-297149