Athanasius

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Posts by Athanasius

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  16

  It's OK to be an Apostate ... but only if you're on the Governing Body

  by Simon in

  1. watchtower
  2. scandals

  look at the governing body.

  none of them believe now what the wts believed back when they were born and later baptized.. so why aren't they disfellowshipped for apostasy?.

  simple - because the true beliefs are always taken to mean whatever they currently consider them to be.. think about it - they can never be apostates because whatever they decide to believe becomes "the truth" and anyone not believing it is then guilty of apostasy, even if they believe things the wts has taught them all their lives.. if you do believe in the bible and jesus story, do you think this is what he intended?

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  Athanasius

  As the membership of the JW Governing Body changes, so does the "truth."
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  16

  It's OK to be an Apostate ... but only if you're on the Governing Body

  by Simon in

  1. watchtower
  2. scandals

  look at the governing body.

  none of them believe now what the wts believed back when they were born and later baptized.. so why aren't they disfellowshipped for apostasy?.

  simple - because the true beliefs are always taken to mean whatever they currently consider them to be.. think about it - they can never be apostates because whatever they decide to believe becomes "the truth" and anyone not believing it is then guilty of apostasy, even if they believe things the wts has taught them all their lives.. if you do believe in the bible and jesus story, do you think this is what he intended?

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  Athanasius

  
  
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  10

  Any thought on Business Territory

  by Sabin in

  1. watchtower
  2. beliefs

  i was working one day, had a couple of male customers to serve when this lady walks in & offers me a track on her religion, my answer without thinking " i already know what the bible say's, i'm one of jw's".

  she just threw me a dirty look & the two guy's just looked down & said nothing.

  i just carried on, served them as nothing had happened.

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  Athanasius

  Don't know how the JWs approach business territory these days, but back in the 1970s we would ask to see the owner or the manager of the business first. We'd explain our reason for calling and if he or she had an objection to us talking with the employees. If they weren't interested and objected to us talking to their employees, we'd leave and go on the the next establishment.

  We placed a lot of magazines in business territory.
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  59

  $1.2 billion coming, still 12 properties to go

  by the girl next door in

  1. watchtower
  2. beliefs

  but still, they ask for more at every opportunity.

  send in that ice cream money kids!.

  http://www.brooklyneagle.com/articles/2015/12/4/sales-watchtower-headquarters-and-two-other-jehovah%e2%80%99s-witnesses-properties-could.

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  Athanasius

  Since the Watchtower corporation refuses to make their financial records public, it's impossible to know where they stand financially.

  I'd love to see their Balance Sheet. This is more valuable in determining a corporation's financial status than their Profit and Loss statement.

  Until some Bethel insider defects with the Watchtower's financial records, we can only guess at what is happening inside the Watchtower Vatican.

  However, something to keep in mind about the Watchtower, is that it has always had a captive audience for its products. Watchtower prints 8 million copies of a book or Bible and they know that most will be sold. Of course things worked better for them when they could set a fixed contribution price. That way they always made a profit on each sale. Maybe this income source is drying up. After the fixed price for Watchtower literature was dropped, maybe the JWs are donating less for the literature or not at all.

  Regarding the $12,000 or more per day for use of Assembly Halls, are they really able to squeeze the JWs for the full amount?
  
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  155

  Survey: How long were you in the cult vs what year you were baptized

  by ILoveTTATT2 in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  hi people,.

  i want as much data as possible on the effect of the internet on the time captured by the cult.. please answer the three following questions about yourself or about someone you know (for example, if your parents or grandparents were jw's and left).

  1) were you raised as a jw, or did you convert?.

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  Athanasius

  1. Born in. My mother converted to JWism before I was born, my father was not religious.
  

  2. 1955 Baptised age 9.

  3. 1984 woke up and left the JWs the same year.

  29 years from baptism to exit.

  Internet played no role in my awakening. Reading Crisis Of Conscience caused me to examine JWism and escape the Organizx.
  
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  34

  Hypothetical question. There is no more guns on our streets, would the crime rate go down?

  by James Mixon in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  it would eliminate drive by's (gangs).

  bank robbery.

  ( handing the bank teller a note, this is stick up without a gun).

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  Athanasius

  ilovettatt2 posted two tables of interesting statistics of gun violence. What is notable is that the countries with little gun violence are basically homogeneous societies, unlike the US which is heterogeneous. Moreover, the US has perhaps as many as 12 million persons in the country illegally. We have people here from all over the world, who come from different political structures, different cultures, and different belief systems. People don't change over night. It takes time and education, education that problems are solved through the ballot box and not by the gun. None of the other developed countries listed in the table have these particular problems in such great numbers as the US.

  It should also be noted that the US has taken in, legally and illegally, large numbers of persons from the countries that are listed as nations with high rates of gun violence. These people need time to adapt to their new country and learn that political problems are solved through the ballot box and not by gun violence. So to be fair one must compare the US with a nation that has a similar population mix.

  It would also be interesting to see the statistics for France, which is surprisingly not listed in ilovettatt's tables.

  Stricter gun laws are merely a band aid on the problem. Though it won't solve the problem overnight, education and better access to mental health facilities are the way to a permanent solution.
  
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  25

  converting to catholic

  by SloppyMcFloppy in

  1. jw
  2. experiences

  hello i was wondering if any ex jw have converted to catholic?

  i have been tossing the idea around a bit and wondering if it was woth it from personal experience?

  thoughts?

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  Athanasius

  Hi SloppyMcfloppy,

  Seven years after leaving the JWs I was confirmed in the Anglican Church (Catholic lite). Anglican services are similar to the RC Church, but we have a married clergy. However, since you're planning to marry a Roman Catholic, the RC Church may be a better choice for you.
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  194

  For the Supporters of Those Who Love Jehovah

  by lovesjehovah in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  i am jehovah's witness, despite some of the questionable teachings, crimes, and other outlandish behaviors of specific people affiliated with the religion.

  i know that my relationship with jehovah is not influenced by any outside factors.

  i do not condone any crime.

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  Athanasius

  Rather lengthy, but interesting thread. However, LJ most likely is a fringe JW wannabe. He likes JWism cafeteria style, and being on the fringe of the religion,can accept what doctrines and rules he likes, and disregard those he dislikes.

  If he is truthful in what he posts about himself, then visiting this forum may help him to learn what real JWism is about. Then he canmake an educated decision regarding full association with the JWs.
  
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  10

  Preach or Tithe- Publishers choice

  by All for show in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  my siblings and i have been talking about the money woes.

  we have thrown around the idea for them to keep the preaching/pioneer arrangement to keep some busy.

  to increase cash flow they can institute a new tithing arrangement.

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  Athanasius

  Maybe the GB could devise a Watchtower version of selling indulgences. Or instead of reproving anddisfellowshipping, have the repentant JW pay a fine, the amount based on the seriousness of the sin.
  
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  49

  Who would you vote for Today?

  by James Mixon in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  d. trump or h. clinton and why.. i would vote for gun slinging trump..

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  Athanasius