Posts by Incognito

23

My Bible Study Conductor's Letter to Me

by ohnightdivine in

jw
friends

recently, i wrote a sister, my bible study conductor, an email just telling her that i thought of her, and i thanked her for being a part of some milestones in my life many many years ago.

(for those who are reading my post for the first time, i was a very impressionable teenager at that time and i had the chance to live in their country for a while, spent much time with her, got to know her way of living, and essentially she became my life's mentor.

closer to me than family.

Incognito

You haven't shared your email to her but it was likely more a warm and friendly communication to a close friend regarding your personal relationship with her and her family.

Her entire message back to you is about JW activities and behavior. Perhaps due to translation, it seems to be a cold reply. She also does not appear to continue to consider you a close friend as she said: "Let's become close friends encouraging each other!"

Once I stopped JW attendance, I found there is little in common to talk with JWs about including family, as they seem lost if not talking about anything other than JW meetings and service activities, people at their hall, their vacation plans and what they watch on TV.

40

Is Russia "right" about presecuting Jehovah's Witnesses?

by iliketreasure in

jw
friends

jehovah's witnesses are presecuted in russia.

on par with the is and other terroristic groups.

it happened when the anti-extremism laws were extended to non-violent groups.. i don't believe that russia actually cares for the well-being of their citizens with this move and probably merely a law to stop other political forces (and the jws are one in a way, since their gather authority over large groups of people and also have their own political and judicial institutiona), but are they right about it anyway?.

Incognito

... just take away their tax status and you have given a death strike. Let them keep their property just tax the crap out of it.

If that happened, I expect WT would then place further burden on R&F JWs to make-up for the increased expense.

85

''Special Letter'' to be Read In Canada Week of Feb 3,2019

by Beth Sarim in

i have just been informed that there is a 'special letter' to be read at the meetings week of feb 3,2019 in canada.

anybody heard of this!!

just a heads-up!

Incognito

Rubadub, the tread title idicates the letter is to be read 'The Week Of Feb 3' which does mean it is to be read on Feb 3 but sometime this week likely at the midweek meeting.

36

May 2019 child abuse WT

by neat blue dog in

the new study edition watchtower is up, and most of it is devoted to child abuse damage control.. https://www.jw.org/en/publications/magazines/watchtower-study-may-2019/.

Incognito

13 Do elders comply with secular laws about reporting an allegation of child abuse to the secular authorities? Yes. In places where such laws exist, elders endeavour to comply with secular laws about reporting allegations of abuse.

While WT makes the claim that reporting does occur where required by law, evidence does not support reporting always ocurs. Pennsylvania USA is a mandatory reporting state yet the Pen court case WT lost a few years ago proved that matter was not reported.

Australia does have mandatory reporting states yet out of the 1800+ cases revealed to the CARC, 0 cases were reported even as it could be assumed that at least one case occurred within a mandatory reporting area.

224

How to sue the WT over shunning policy. It CAN happen!

by Bad_Wolf in

this is a very good document from a law school exploring religious freedom vs an individuals right to religious freedom without blackmail, pressure, etc, and also explores why certain lawsuits did not win and what it would take to win them.

https://scholarship.law.upenn.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?referer=&httpsredir=1&article=3827&context=penn_law_review.

a person born in, and whose parents or family pressured to shun because they simply left the religion, who has evidence of damages, etc, would likely have a good case if they find a good lawyer.

Incognito

WT play matters both ways to its benefit. Just as WT often claims clergy privilege in court, the required actions of its representatives do not support those claims which the courts have now started to recognize.

While elders may need to be re-appointed as such when they change congregations, a person who is DF'd in one congregation remains such if they relocate or even visit any other congregation regardless of location.

Actually, WT will sometimes assign an elder(s) from other congregations to a congregation that is experiencing problems. As such, those assigned elders remain such and do not need to be re-appointed.

If the organization was truly organized congregationally, each would choose its own elders without further approval from WT, and each congregation's elder body would be free to make decisions without authorization or fear of penalty from WT.

Congregation elders are not free to make decisions but are mandated to follow the policies and procedures of the WT organization (or other corporate entity ie: CC), thereby acting as that organization's agent. If elders do not do so, they risk censure, removal from their position or being removed from the religion through DF'ing.

27

Cart witnessing

by Phoebe in

jw
friends

not sure if anyone has posted this before but it's just been put on youtube so i guess it's okay to show you??

if not, please delete it.. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bdusnlvjm-k.

Incognito

what in the hell has this religion come to?

Not the religion I was raised in, that's for sure.

So, are JW women are now permitted to wear pants while doing 'Theocratic' activities? (2nd video - Holley Abrams)

26

All Watchtower Brooklyn sales in 37 NYC doc pages + spreadsheet

by Corney in

i have compiled 32 real property transfer reports (“reports”) and 5 recording and endorsement cover pages (“cover pages”) that are ny city public records and available online on a836-acris.nyc.gov site.

37 pages, 38 properties, $2.2bn, one society... enjoy: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1ryaj_4ihgs1uoyeptkbzdbmw9rd12dmf/view?usp=sharing.

see also spreadsheet: https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1acdsqfusm5mi2zatfn87ksxmvrdzh0wfxg9nlomdszw/edit?usp=sharing.

Incognito

the sources seem to be in conflict, with one (the Patch) saying that the 30 Front St. property just sold was their last holding, and another (YIMBY) reporting that "The Witnesses still own two small properties at 80 and 86 Willow Street."

JW's like to when possible, rely on technicalities when denying or confirming an accusation - IF a response is actually offered.

While those two Willow Street properties may be located closeby to the former WT Headquarters, perhaps they are not considered or identified as part of the 'headquarters' properties the Patch article is written about.

8

Two for One offer. You get one for the price of two!

by Slidin Fast in

did anyone else fall for this one?

i did pre-assembly work in my home town, this was obviously voluntary unpaid work.

i continued to do part-time work helping to support my mom who has been recently abandoned by my elder dad,.

Incognito

So, to continue to qualify as a pioneer you had to do 2 hours for every pioneer hour you missed.

Where is the Bible example for this requirement?

As we kept track of our own time, we could have reported anything we wanted and no one would have known the difference. Of course, WT has developed a method to ensure we acted in the manner they demand as they conditioned us to believe, Jehovah, similar to Santa Claus, sees all and knows when we've been good and bad, naughty and nice.

As believers who volunteer their time and are told they are a brotherhood with all 'brothers' as equals in the eyes of God, why does anyone need to 'qualify' for a title 'Pioneer'? The title only seems to elevate the person above the brotherhood while placing burdon and stress on the volunteer to ensure they report enough hours this month, so as to continue to qualify to keep the title next month.

SinceJehovah is supposedly satisfied with the efforts freely given by each individual, and since we are to believe preaching is a noble requirement which we are to perform, why then worry about holding a title?

61

JW Phrases

by Holden Caufield in

jw
friends

what some jw phrases that you hate?.

Incognito

Rendezous

'The Slave'

'The Body'

'The Committee'

'Information Board' - not Bulletin or Notice board

Worldly & Spiritual

'Fleshly' brother or sister

'Bible Study' when it is not the Bible that is being studied.

'In the Truth' - how long have you been in the truth?

Return Visit (not 'Back Call' as in the past)

'The Field'

'The Head' as in the man

Subjection

'Hours' or 'Time' - ie: Did you submit your time? How many hours did you get last month?

Irregular

Self Abuse

70

The Reasons for Cart Witnessing

by Simon in

whatever we think of it, you have to admit that it's quite "genius".. the door to door ministry as done in western developed countries where the jw quirky religion has probably reached their saturation level was a complete and utter waste of time in terms of the effort expended to recruit people.. at the same time, it was rarely something that anyone enjoyed which led to people being labelled as inactive, being pressured to doing more and maybe ultimately deciding jwism wasn't for them and leaving.. there was also the issue that many jws are actually pretty bad at knowing and articulating their beliefs so were pretty incapable of getting any meaningful message across.. they solved all this with the cart witnessing.

the real point isn't to recruit, it's to make life easier for jws.

now they can stand and chat with their friend, have a coffee, not talk to anyone or make eye contact and still act as a walking billboard for jw.org.

Incognito

Carts also seem to be another control tactic. There are only some who are permitted to do cart work whereas other 'publishers' must go D2D to get their time. Not sure what a JW must do to qualify for cart work.

It seems the carts also make it easier to extend the day in ministry. Since JWs can sit and drink coffee, eat and talk to each other close to where the cart is set up, there then is no need to take a break elsewhere such as a coffee shop or restaurant.

I've observed JWs with carts outside ice arenas and other public venues, late in the afternoon, beyond the time when publishers would usually be out knocking on doors. What I found odd though, just as increasing numbers of parents were arriving with their children to skate or play hockey, the JWs would quickly pack up and depart.