fiddler

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Posts by fiddler

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  13

  Can a video involving a christien having sex be viewed and used by elders?

  by StephaneLaliberte in

  1. watchtower
  2. beliefs

  lets say someone has a sexual encounter and a third party video taps it.

  in canada, it would be illegal for the one that taped the video to show it to the elders as this would be "invasion of privacy".

  what i am wondering however is if any legal action can be done against the elders and the wt if they view this video and take it into account in a judicial comity.

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  fiddler

  I believe this did happen to a young gay brother who was video taped by his own parents and the vid was used during his JC. Anyone remember that one? It was truly dispicable of his parents!
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  70

  How Far Apart Were Your Legs?

  by Joe Grundy in

  1. watchtower
  2. child-abuse

  several threads on here about the excellent bbc r4 programme this week ('the report') focussing on rape and abuse in barry, south wales, jws.

  fat pervert mark sewell later got 14 years and i hope he is enjoying every minute of it.. the courageous ladies who spoke on the programme were articulate, reasonable and made a tremendous impression.. the quote in the thread title made an impression on me, and i hope, on all listeners.. forget religious, theological, 'biblical' issues and cut to the basics.

  a rape victim was asked to demonstrate - to demonstrate, ffs - to three unqualified (middle-aged at least, presumably) men just how far her legs were apart when she was raped.. i have rarely heard anything so outrageous, and i used to investigate rape and abuse in my profession.

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  fiddler

  I would have to say that learning about this kind of perverted questioning during a JC was another factor in my waking up. It was a time concerning my half sister who was 17 at the time. She was in the JC because of 'fornicating' with her boyfriend. I had her brought out of her state and to my home in Oregon to try and help her. The boyfriend was the least of her problems. She'd suffered years of abuse (emotional and physical) from her mother. So she described the questions that she was asked; what position, how many times, did she enjoy it, yada yada. At first I didn't know it was procedure to ask a teenage girl this kind of thing...thought it was just a one off in one congregation. I was so incensed about it I told MY local elders about what perverts my poor sister had had to endure. Yes, I got her set up in my congregation which I thought were so much more loving and kind. You should have seen the blank look I got when I was going on about it! Hmm.....

  Fast forward a few years to my own JC. Yes I had committed the act of adultery and I turned mysel in less than 24 hours after the deed. I was a mess and yes, I felt terrible that I had done it. One of the same elders that had heard my rant earlier was there. Another elder started asking for details and I just looked at him and said 'sex is sex' I'd come there confessing my guilt. I understood the definition of adultery. Details of a personal nature were not necessary. That one elder doubted my sincerity because of what I said and wanted to DF me but since I had come forward on my own and was obviously saddened the other two elders opted for private reproof. Yes, there were some good elders in my hall but It was that whole JC experience and the attitude of a certain elder after that really caused the blinders to come off my eyes. I really saw them all and the organization and everthing for what they were...just men. There was nothing spirit directed or special about them. I began to realize that it WAS procedure to ask those questions. I was done with the whole JW thing at that point and I walked out of the hall vowing to never set foot in one again and I haven't.

  Although I would rather the religion just came to an end completely I know that at best some reforms would be at least a step in the right direction. Making sure a sister was present in the room while a young girl or ANY woman was being questioned like that would be one change I would like to see. The obsession with sex that permeates this religion is telling...I think perverted men have been in positions of power there from the beginning. It's woven into the fabric of the religion.
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  82

  Do you remember the 15 minute break at the Sun. meeting?

  by 3rdgen in

  1. watchtower
  2. beliefs

  a poster on another thread reminded me of when there was a 15 min.

  break between the talk and the wt study on sundays.

  the break was supposed to be to allow jw's time to drive their bible studys home from the talk.

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  fiddler

  Well this thread certainly has brought up long forgotten memories! Yes, I remember the 15 minute breaks! Yes, we kids used to run around in the parking lot (lots of admonitions about watching out for cars and maybe NOT running around in the parking lot). I also remember some going out for a smoke. At some point (maybe after 1975) when it was the rank & file JW leaving during the break it seems THAT was when they stopped the break because too many witnesses were leaving after the talk...not just studies.

  Anybody here used to go to Sqaw Peak Congo in Phoenix? (Sorry for the politically incorrect name but that was what it was called). This thread brought back all kinds of memories of that place to me.
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  323

  Question and answers for fisherperson regardingy time at bethel

  by _Morpheus in

  1. jw
  2. experiences

  so fisherperson sent me a pm asking a bunch of questions re my time at beth hell.

  rather than respond in a pm i will post the q/a here as i have nothing to hide.

  q:what years did you serve in brooklyn bethel?

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  fiddler

  I think FISHERMAN responds like a Bot. There are over 50 pages in this post and the ones about the goings on at Bethel are a great read. The many responses from fisherman are repetitive space taking nonsense. He/she/bot's comments are like junk mail. Aside from that though, I've enjoyed the discussion!
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  35

  If you were told today you would die next week, would you be happy and fine with that?

  by EndofMysteries in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  i don't know how so many who seem to be certain this life is it after being jw's seem to happily accept it and be fine with it.

  i am living and trying to live as if this is it.

  i want there to be a future life/afterlife, something, but i see how fast life comes and goes and even if i'm living it to the fullest, there is no peace for me with the thought this may be it.

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  fiddler

  LOL!! Giordano, that cowboy poem was great.
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  6

  An amazing interview by Sam Harris

  by The_Doctor10 in

  1. watchtower
  2. beliefs

  sam harris did this interview with megan phelps formerly of the infamous westboro baptist church, and i got to say holy $#!

  @ the parallels to jw indoctrination/beliefs is actually pretty astonishing.. http://www.samharris.org/blog/item/leaving-the-church.

  highly recommend everyone listen to this interview, especially if you're on the fence about continuing as a jw or in any other overbearing cult/religion..

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  fiddler

  Wow! That was excellent. It would be a very good conversation for any JWs to listen to 'cause hey, They think the Westboro Baptist peeps are crazy! (Don't they?....I certainly would have back in my JW self personae.)

  thanks for that!
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  11

  Could this happen to you?

  by adjusted knowledge in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  there was a jw who was a born in and faded about 10 years ago near a congregation i attended.

  he never married or had children and was in his late 30's.

  his parents shun him for the most part but then he had a major stroke.

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  fiddler

  I have had this thought about myself. What if I had a stroke or dementia and somehow all I knew was stuff from my past? Yes, I think Advance Directive is the key. Isn't it funny how to go back would involve mental incapacity?

  Actually, no...it isn't funny if it is me.
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  43

  Advice Needed - JW Grandparents

  by What Now? in

  1. jw
  2. experiences

  my family has been out (inactive no meeting attendance or field service) for just over two years..

  weve made many changes in our lives, including with our personal appearances (tattoos, piercings etc) that are a pretty obvious sign that we arent going back any time soon.

  our families went through a period of time about a year ago when they made a lot of threats that if we left the truth, they wouldnt even be able to share a meal with us, they would stay loyal to jehovah etc.

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  fiddler

  Everyone's comments have been great but one thing I have been thinking while reading this thread is about how respectful YOU have been. You don't bring up questions or say things against the organization. Is there a way to respectfully ask that they show the same consideration to you and keep the religious (or however you want to phrase it) talk turned way down. The Bible stories are of mature subject matter and not appropriate for small children because it gives them nightmares or something like that. How did those stories sit with you as a kid? I know that even when I was a JW I did not read Bible stories to my kids for story time. I felt, even then, that they were too harsh.

  I am also on the other side of this fence in that I am the exjw grandmother and am completely cut off from my grandson who is 4 1/2. My daughter never even gave me the chance to hammer out some rules about what things I could not discuss with him. All I wanted really was to hold him and take him to the park and buy him ice cream and stuff like that. I have been collecting Brio toys for him in hopes that some day before he's too old he can come to grandmas house to play with them. Can't let go of hope...It's never a two way street however with JWs is it? It's 'my way or the highway'.

  PS: I do have a granddaughter and another on the way with my other kids out of the religion so the train set won't go to waste!
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  11

  We can no longer support "religious freedom" says the ACLU

  by StarTrekAngel in

  1. watchtower
  2. scandals

  http://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/congress-should-amend-the-abused-religious-freedom-restoration-act/2015/06/25/ee6aaa46-19d8-11e5-ab92-c75ae6ab94b5_story.html

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  fiddler

  I'm reading Christopher Hitchens "god is not Great" and the statement he makes repeatedly, "religion poisons everything", is so true.
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  28

  pissed off my wife today at the assembly..I asked her why the bozo GB member lett has a pinky ring.

  by goingthruthemotions in

  1. jw
  2. experiences

  so at the assembly to day that nitwit lett gave a talk....i noticed right away he had a pinky ring.

  i asked my wife what was the purpose of the pinky ring?

  and then asked....would jesus wear a pinky?

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  fiddler

  "Why should you antagonize your wife with negative comments about the WT? Because not to do it sets the line way back, and the more so, the stronger the WT's hold will be over your life, to cramp you into paralysis.

  She needs to know you love her but you hate the cult for the hypocrisy they show. Keep showing her love and affection for the person she is, not for the slave of the Gobbering Body she let's her selfbe.

  Keep reminding her every time there's such an obvious show of hypocrisy like wearing pinky rings but telling kids to hand over their ice-cream money. "

  ThAT is what I meant! Thankyou oppostate for clarifying. I'm pushing 60 and believe myself to be quite 'grown up' but this thing where WE are supposed to cower to their diatribes and say Nothing just doesn't sit well with me.