Welcome WasOnceBlind,
Don't know if you've read anything on the Witnesses but I highly recommend Crisis of Conscience (pdf) to show you how the Watchtower treats even those who are in a high position.
i stumbled upon this site about a week ago while googling a question.
the question was "why can't jw's have beards?
" i read the responses and realized the truth in them.
Welcome WasOnceBlind,
Don't know if you've read anything on the Witnesses but I highly recommend Crisis of Conscience (pdf) to show you how the Watchtower treats even those who are in a high position.
sickening to see the photo of the religious zealots all stood around the governor signing into law the right for people to discriminate against others (gay, lesbian, trans-gender) based purely on religious dogma.. if religious people want those freedoms then the can't have it both ways - they cannot complain if *they* are discriminated against.. "sorry, we don't like zionists, get out".
"oh, it's some special mass and you can't work your shift?
you're fired!"..
@ Marvin Shilmer,
"I asked myself why on earth was this gay couple ruining this woman's business when getting the flowers they wanted was as easy as going to the store next door?"
But what happens when everyone 'next door' decides to discriminate? A lot of small towns might have only one bakery or floral shop. And what happens when such discrimination is broadened to include racial origins?
sickening to see the photo of the religious zealots all stood around the governor signing into law the right for people to discriminate against others (gay, lesbian, trans-gender) based purely on religious dogma.. if religious people want those freedoms then the can't have it both ways - they cannot complain if *they* are discriminated against.. "sorry, we don't like zionists, get out".
"oh, it's some special mass and you can't work your shift?
you're fired!"..
@ Viviane: "As usual, Christians get it exactly backwards."
While I agree with you in general we should not fall for their ploy and refer to them as 'Christians' since they only represent a fraction (30%) of all who identify themselves as Christians (90%) but do not share their beliefs or prejudices. Right wing fundamentalist Christians should be labeled "Fundamentalist Christians" or perhaps "Conservative Christians" in order to emphasize their minority status.
when i was a kid i would hear religious songs on tv and start sining them... not knowing they were church songs... one day i started singing the hallelujah song (not sure the exact name of the song) my father quickly gave me a hard slap on the mouth and said if i ever sang that song again he would take his belt off and beat my butt until it was red!.
well fast forward 30 years..... the public speaker was missing today and so tv.jw>org to the rescue.... instead they decided to play the new video about the last hundred years since 1914.. instantly the hall was filled with the exact same song i was punished for!
yes a church song filled the hall for almost 5 minutes as we watch br.
Instead of saying pulpit they say podium and instead of saying bulletin board they say information board simply because they do not want to use any term that "Christendom" uses. They won't even allow you to join the YMCA because it is loosely associated Christendom.
But they'll play their songs.
when i was a kid i would hear religious songs on tv and start sining them... not knowing they were church songs... one day i started singing the hallelujah song (not sure the exact name of the song) my father quickly gave me a hard slap on the mouth and said if i ever sang that song again he would take his belt off and beat my butt until it was red!.
well fast forward 30 years..... the public speaker was missing today and so tv.jw>org to the rescue.... instead they decided to play the new video about the last hundred years since 1914.. instantly the hall was filled with the exact same song i was punished for!
yes a church song filled the hall for almost 5 minutes as we watch br.
Here it is.
I wonder if there's any brave soul amongst the still-ins to wear one of those "pagan" rings and pins and see what reaction they would get.
at a recent one day assembly i walked away with the thought that the wtbts sure does not like witnesses who have the opportunity to make a good living.
there were, in one day, three experiences of witnesses who turned down "6 figure salaries" because there would be some traveling involved and some meetings would be missed as well as missing family worship night.
i thought it strange that the exact phrase was used of "6 figure salary".
i just skimmed the titled article on jw.org and once again the watchtower is misdirecting:.
http://www.jw.org/en/publications/magazines/wp20150301/jesus-death-and-resurrection/ .
they try and make the old case that jesus saves us from being destroyed at armageddon.
sickening to see the photo of the religious zealots all stood around the governor signing into law the right for people to discriminate against others (gay, lesbian, trans-gender) based purely on religious dogma.. if religious people want those freedoms then the can't have it both ways - they cannot complain if *they* are discriminated against.. "sorry, we don't like zionists, get out".
"oh, it's some special mass and you can't work your shift?
you're fired!"..
@ Simon,
"Just one more reason that the religious should never be allowed anywhere near the political / law making process - they will always try to pervert the rules to suit their own warped view of the world."
“Of this General Assembly, the treasurer, attorney general,
register, ministers of the gospel,
officers of the regular armies of this State, or of the United States, persons
receiving salaries or emoluments from any power foreign to our confederacy,
those who are not resident in the county for which they are chosen delegates,
or districts for which they are chosen senators, those who are not qualified as
electors, persons who shall have committed treason, felony, or such other crime
as would subject them to infamous punishment, or shall have been convicted by
due course of law of bribery or corruption, in endeavoring to procure an
election to the said assembly, shall be
incapable of being members. All others, not herein elsewhere excluded, who
may elect, shall be capable of being elected thereto.”
Thomas Jefferson - Proposed Constitution for Virginia. From The Online Library of Liberty: The Jeffersonian Cyclopedia, page 493, #4604.
jws teach that god created personsspirit beings and physical beings.
at some point in time, some of them defamed his name and challenged his sovereignty.
as a resultant, creator changed his status into a beggar (proverbs 27:11).
i'm new to this forum.. i was raised in " the truth" from age six and now i am in my mid 60's.
my wife was born in " the truth" and is very strong in the religion.
i have had many experiences during my lifetime with the other members of several congregations.
Welcome Bigdummy.
I was 14 and naïve when I was sucked into the religion so we can't blame ourselves As for bitterness we are entitled to it though it doesn't have to last forever.