Neo

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Posts by Neo

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  46

  My first post and THANK YOU to all

  by xjwms in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  this site has been a place that i have visited many times.. i would like to make some friends and meet local people.. to blondie ... words cannot explain how much i appreciate.

  the reviews.

  i can see so clearly how the studies keep members.

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  Neo

  Thanks for posting this, xjwms! Welcome aboard!!

  Neo
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  44

  JW online dating forum

  by rebel8 in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  i have always been curious about some of the google ads that appear on this web site.

  (i know how it works?the webmaster pasts a code, and google puts up whatever ads they want.

  ) has there ever been a thread on this topic?

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  Neo

  "Wanna go on a return visit with me, sis?"

  [removed]
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  44

  JW online dating forum

  by rebel8 in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  i have always been curious about some of the google ads that appear on this web site.

  (i know how it works?the webmaster pasts a code, and google puts up whatever ads they want.

  ) has there ever been a thread on this topic?

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  Neo

  Straight from JW Connections:

  [removed] Invading people's privacy
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  44

  JW online dating forum

  by rebel8 in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  i have always been curious about some of the google ads that appear on this web site.

  (i know how it works?the webmaster pasts a code, and google puts up whatever ads they want.

  ) has there ever been a thread on this topic?

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  Neo

  Hi rebel8, check the article Dating and Singles sites for JWs.

  Neo
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  8

  AJWRB - New article

  by Lee Elder in

  1. watchtower
  2. medical

  ajwrb has published a new article regarding the wts most recent comments regarding their blood policy.

  the article can be viewed online:.

  http://www.ajwrb.org/review6-15-04.shtml.

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  Neo

  Another essay on the same 2004 WT article:

  The Watchtower Society redefines the guidelines for use of blood products Osamu Muramoto, M.D.

  ---

  In the June 15th 2004 issue of the Watchtower, the Watchtower Bible and Tract Society featured two articles on the use of blood products by Jehovah's Witnesses. The first article is titled "Rightly value your gift of life" and reiterated the long-held tradition of the scriptural interpretation to support the religious doctrine to prohibit medical use of blood products. The second article is titled "Be guided by the living God", which details the rules regarding which blood product is "unacceptable" and which is "Christian to decide." This issue of the magazine also included the reprint of the previous landmark article published on June 15th 2000 titled "Questions from readers: Do Jehovah's Witnesses accept any minor fractions of blood?", confirming the then new policy permitting any fraction of the "primary component" of the blood. The circumstances under which this new policy was promulgated in 2000 clearly showed that it was the preparation for allowing Jehovah's Witnesses to receive full benefit from the newly developed hemoglobin-based blood substitutes.
  

  While the two articles of June 2004 showed no substantial changes in the policy promulgated in June 2000, there are several interesting points which are worth discussing. First, the second article now depicts a new chart showing a clear horizontal line dividing the "unacceptable" and the "Christian to decide".

  The latter category include fractions from red cells, from white cells, from platelets, and from plasma. While there is nothing new in this chart compared to the "Questions from readers" article of June 2000, this chart now explicitly indicates the "fractions of red cells" as an acceptable fraction. This is an important emphasis, because until recently there have been no "fractions of red cells" which can be used medically. With the emerging technology of hemoglobin-based blood substitute in late 1990's, the Watchtower Society quickly paved the wide road for Jehovah's Witnesses to receive this "minor" fraction of the red cells, which in reality comprise 97% of the red blood cells.

  The other interesting point is the explanation for the refusal of the "primary component". After the lengthy biblical discussion and meticulous justification for refusing to "take in" blood for medical reasons, the article quickly concludes this:

  The 2001 textbook Emergency Care under "Composition of the Blood," stated: "The blood is made up of several components: plasma, red and white blood cells, and platelets." Thus, in line with medical facts, Witnesses refuse transfusions of whole blood or of any of its four primary components. (page 22)

  In essence, the article states that the reason for refusing "four primary components" is that it is "in line with medical facts" which is stated in "Emergency Care." While everybody agrees that there is no biblical reason to define the "four primary components" that must be refused, most readers would have expected that such a classification is based on well-established and sound "medical facts." Very interestingly, the book this article cites here is not an authoritative medical textbook. It is a textbook used by the students of the emergency medical technician courses. Why did the Watchtower Society not cite more authoritative medical textbook or scientific sources to base this critically important classification? The simple reason is that such a classification is not at all scientific, but it is simply a tradition in medicine. To use a parallel analogy, our food is traditionally classified into "major components" such as protein, carbohydrate, fat, minerals, etc. Is this classification the only classification considered as a medical fact? Of course not. This is only one of many ways to classify our food. We can also use such a classification as grains, meat, vegetable, fish, etc. This is another way to classify our food, which is equally valid. These classifications are just traditional and convenient tools to understand the various components of our food. Depending on the method of classification, what is considered "primary component" is different. The same is true for the classification of the blood components.

  In case of the classification of the blood components, there are many different ways to classify. It is true that the classification that blood banks most frequently use is the four components this Watchtower article states. However, medical textbooks use many different classifications. Often times, the blood is separated into "two major components", red blood cells (45%) and plasma (55%), because other smaller components such as platelets are usually taken as a fraction from one of those major fractions. Another classification which is frequently used in textbooks of anatomy and physiology is based on chemical composition. With this classification, the major and primary components of the blood are water (80%), hemoglobin (15%), albumin (2-3%), and globulin (1-2%).

  While the Watchtower Society adopted the classification of red cells, white cells, platelet, and plasma, as the "primary components" and specified those to be refused, what would happen if the Society adopted a different classification which is equally valid and "medical facts"? For example what would happen if the classification of hemoglobin, albumin, globulin as the primary components were adopted? This classification would have prohibited the use of hemoglobin-based blood substitutes and albumin as a plasma expander, which are now permitted to be used for Witnesses. What does this difference tell us?

  It tells us that what is "unacceptable" in the Watchtower doctrine has nothing to do with the biblical doctrine cited in the article. It only depends on what classification of the blood components the Watchtower Society adopted among several different classifications available in medical literature. Under one classification of the components (red, white cells, platelets and plasma), the most of the currently available blood products in medical practice are in the category of "Christian to decide", or the matter of conscientious decision. This is because the current technology no longer uses those crude fractions in pharmaceutical products. On the other hand, under the other classification based on chemical components (hemoglobin, albumin, globulin, besides water), the most of the currently available products become unacceptable, because this classification is more consistent with the current biochemical technology for producing blood-based pharmaceutical products. Under this alternative classification, however, the use of platelets may be acceptable because it is not considered a primary or major component under this classification. In other words, if the Watchtower Society had adopted the chemical classification of the primary components of the blood, which is more consistent with the current biotechnology, hemoglobin, albumin, and globulin, are all prohibited, but platelets and perhaps white blood cells may have been permitted.

  Which classification of the blood components the Watchtower Society adopts makes such a huge difference in terms of what is acceptable and what is unacceptable, and thus who can survive and who must die from catastrophic blood loss. This difference has nothing to do with the biblical doctrine, or not even with the current medical science. It only hinges upon the Watchtower Society's decision which classification of the blood components they adopt. The cold reality of Jehovah's Witnesses is that their life-and-death decisions are after all not directly based on any of the biblical arguments these articles discuss, because such biblical doctrines have no relevance to the classification of the blood components. And it is this classification that determines all the "unacceptable" components and thus the life-and-death decisions. It is ironical that the rules promulgated in this article titled "Be guided by the living God" are simply guided by the human decisions and old tradition. Should they adopt an alternative classification, which is more in line with the current medical technology, life and death of Jehovah's Witnesses would have been totally different.

  References Muramoto O. Bioethical aspects of the recent changes in the policy of refusal of blood by Jehovah's Witnesses. British Medical Journal 2001; 322: 37-39 [Full Text]

  Muramoto O. Recent developments in medical care of Jehovah's Witnesses. Western Journal of Medicine 1999; 170: 297-301 [Full Text]

  About the author

  Dr. Muramoto is a staff neurologist, lead physician, and a member of the Regional Ethics Council, Kaiser Permanente Northwest Division, Portland, Oregon. His views and opinions are his own and do not reflect those of Kaiser Permanente and Northwest Permanente P.C.
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  60

  The org is going down----I can feel it!

  by stopthepain in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  .

  my brother called me today.he is 20 ,3 years younger than me,and out of the religion.he still has fear though that it could be true,but thats another story.. he told me he heard my mother and father talking upstairs.my mother said about the org "ive put 26 years into it,i think i'm done with it,i might just go sunday from now on".this is huge ,because she was a devoted nutjob witness.she made my life horrible for the 1st 17 years of my life.i had been trying to suddly tell her the truth about the troof,but i didn't expect this.i'm happy and yet i want to know where she stands with the borganization.. this along with what seems to be an outpouring of similar stories,i have a gut feeling the jehovahs witness mind control cult is on the brink of implosion.everyone is so burdened by it.the jig is up,gb,good riddance when you fold.the rank and file have had enough.my 2 younger sisters are on the edge of mental freedom.i hope they can fully get free of it.. this is a milestone in my families long and strange trip in mental enslavement!!!!!!!!!!!!

  !

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  Neo

  kazar,

  Finally, eight months ago, after viewing this site, and realizing the truth of what I viewed, I ran way ahead of the organization and made made the transition overnight. I wish it were a paradise to look forward to, but I know it's not and I have made peace with myself and the world around me. And I have all of you here to thank. It has been an enlightening experience here. The facts that are posted and the humor.

  Such great news!! Thanks for posting that. Welcome to JWD!!

  Simon,

  The WTS is an outdated dinosaur. It's from the age of tupperware parties and kipper-ties.

  Excellent description, right on the money, I loved it.
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  30

  Comments You Will Not Hear at the 3-6-05 WT Study (Abbreviated)

  by blondie in

  1. watchtower
  2. bible

  comments you will not hear at the march 6, 2005 wt study (february 1, 2005 issue date)

  review comments

  will be in black and parentheses ().

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  Neo

  I'm taking the liberty to reproduce Pistoff's comments on this week's article from another thread:

  Consider the really stupid article on the pearl of high value. (...) I picked it up in the crapper the other day because anything connected to Jesus interests me. So I read the snippet about the pearl merchant. To me, it's message is clear; the merchant sees the pearl, realizes it's great value and goes all out to buy it. Thus, when seeing something of great value, as the good news about Jesus [to me his destruction of the oppressive religious system] you go after it with all you have. VALUE. That is the message, and why the pearl works. The merchant knows it's value, and does not hesitate to exchange his valuables for it.

  Well, it is not good in WT land to value anything of material value. So the WT says this:

  "A common merchant might first figure out the market vaule of the pearl so as to determine how much he would pay for it in order to make a profit...but not so the merchant in Jesus' parable. His interest was not monetary or material. In fact, he was willing to sacrifice all the things he had." HUH?

  Are you following this twisted sophistry? It is greatly valuable, but...um... not for it's material value. Hmm.. so this means he liquidated his entire assets in order to hold a shiny rock? It gets worse:

  "In the eyes of most merchants, what that man in Jesus' parable did was probably unwise. An astute businessman would not think of undertaking such a risky venture. But the merchant in Jesus' parable had a different sense of values. His reward was, not any financial advantage but the joy and satisfaction of possessing something of surpassing VALUE. This point is made clear in a parallel illustration that Jesus gave. He said: 'The kingdom of the heavens is like a treasure hidden in the field, which a man found and hid; and for the joy he has he goes and sells what things he has and buys that field.' "

  So, they reason: it is not the material value he is after, but instead owning something of surpassing value!

  And it is like a man who finds....a treasure....I suppose the treasure is not valuable either, huh?

  This concept invalidates the entire point of the parable!! If there is no material value, the point is gone and the merchant looks like an idiot in pursuit of a bauble.

  But this illustrates my point: they have no one who can take the amazing parables of Jesus and motivate the rank and file. It isn't writing anymore; it is a careful avoidance of anything they might have to defend; they tiptoe because they fundamentally MISUNDERSTAND the parable. It is about VALUE, and all they can think is materialism. Since they cannot get the idea that it is a PARABLE, they think we can't either. And so the merchant becomes instead an ascetic!

  When you can't even motivate with the use of Jesus teaching, you should go home and SHUT UP.
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  162

  Goodbye everyone

  by holly in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  its time to leave.

  i have had all the answers i need to make a firm decision.

  thank you so much everyone for your replies, for talking to me over the last few weeks and for some of the humour.. i believe the jws are right and that they have the truth.

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  Neo

  

  AlanF said:

  If Holly isn't a troll, she'll be back. She'll regret enormously, in just a few years at most, this decision. (...)

  There exists a picture that's an optical illusion that illustrates this nicely. When you first look at it close up, you see a fuzzy image of an attractive woman from behind sitting at a makeup table with a big mirror in front of her. As you stare at it, you gradually begin to see a huge, grinning skull staring back at you. From then on, you can't look at the picture without seeing the skull.

  It's the same with getting to know Jehovah's Witnesses. At first, you see some attractive features. Then you gradually begin to see evidence like a grinning skull. Once you admit to yourself that the "skull" is there, you can't see the attractive things without seeing it. And once they see it, many leave the cult.
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  8

  AJWRB - New article

  by Lee Elder in

  1. watchtower
  2. medical

  ajwrb has published a new article regarding the wts most recent comments regarding their blood policy.

  the article can be viewed online:.

  http://www.ajwrb.org/review6-15-04.shtml.

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  Neo

  Good article! I like the way you emphasize that the opinion of an individual JW is often distinct from the WT official stand. Thank you Lee, and keep up the good work!!!

  Here's the blood components chart the article refers to:

  Neo
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  17

  A JWD / Knowledge Jones ...

  by Taylor S. in

  1. watchtower
  2. bible

  i've been thinking about it in my sleep ... can sleep.

  it's been less than a month since i stumbled onto this site while researching the roots of jwism for a character i'm writing on.

  since then, i haven't written anything, haven't done much recreationally .... i've just been digging deeper through this site and simultaneously .... digging through my memories of growing up dub.

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  Neo

  What a ride, Taylor!! Welcome to JWD!