Athanasius

Joined

• started 27 topics
• posted 1,140 times   see topics posted on
• send a message

Posts by Athanasius

• 
  45

  It's official - JWs have least common sense of any religious group in US

  by slimboyfat in

  1. watchtower
  2. beliefs

  some fascinating results in the latest pew research.

  (how did i miss this before?

  ) including that jws rely on their religion the most of any group to tell right from wrong and rely on common sense the least.

  1. 
  2. 
  3. 
• 

  Athanasius

  One surprise was the political party affiliation of the JWs. In 2014 7% were Republicans or leaning in that direction, while over twice as many JWs or 18% were Democrats. However, reading further in the report reveals another interesting trend.
  

  When asked about the size of government, 50% of the JWs favored bigger government, while 32% were for smaller government.

  No doubt the Bethel lay-offs have contributed to their leftward political shift and the desire for more government among the JWs. But isn't it how they quickly turn to Satan's organization for assistance, rather than wait on Jehovah.
  
• 
  4

  CLAM Instructions - They are irresponsibly stupid

  by Listener in

  1. watchtower
  2. child-abuse

  there will be three presentations during the new christian life & ministry meeting.

  they will be presented by two people and the gb has made specific instructions as to who can be involved in these presentations.

  in all 3 presentations the same explicit instruction is given which is as follows -.

  1. 
  2. 
  3. 
• 

  Athanasius

  It also appears that a brother can't use a sister from the congregation in his presentation, unless she is a member of his family. That is also
  
• 
  5

  An apple doesn't fall far from the tree

  by WireRider in

  1. watchtower
  2. scandals

  http://jwdivorces.bravehost.com/decisions/ctrdivorce.html - the founder of the wt/jw and a reflection about his views of himself and life and the religion he built.

  his legacy is alive and well, even today.. "while professing at all times to be guided by the word of god the undisputed evidence is that he would sulk for weeks at a time and not speak to his wife, and would resort to the pen to have any communications with her; instead of approaching her personally to try to secure reconciliation of their differences and praying with her as a godly man would have done, he went about among her associates and told them she was under the hypnotic influence of satan in the form of her sister, who was his father's second wife.

  " a little bent.. i remember reading an article that had photo copies of a local area news paper that included the facts, from court, that she filed for divorce due to cruelty, an in part because russell would lock himself self in a bedroom with the 14 year old "house girl" that cleaned.

  1. 
  2. 
  3. 
• 

  Athanasius

  Regarding Rose Ball, she was born in 1869 (same year as Joe Rutherford), and was 20 years old when she first came to live with the Russells in 1889. Nor was she an orphan, as both her parents were alive in 1897 when she married Ernest Henninges.

  Russell sent theto couple to Australia, where In 1908 Rose and her husband defected and formed the New Covenant Publishing Company and the New Covenant Fellowship. Henninges died in 1939 and Rose passed in 1950.
  
• 
  16

  "You Became So Beloved to Us"

  by wifibandit in

  1. watchtower
  2. beliefs

  pixel and wifibandit present, in its original form, gmb_e.mp4 "you became so beloved to us".

  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=odfdkl8lwpk.

  1. 
  2. 
  3. 
• 

  Athanasius

  Funny how they try to compare the CO to the apostle Paul. Paul worked at tent making and supported himself and was not a burden on the congregation. The CO expects to be supported by the congregation by "green handshakes" plus he gives the congregation his expense account for reimbursement.
  
• 
  28

  Ray Franz and You.

  by John Aquila in

  1. watchtower
  2. beliefs

  if ray franz would have kept his mouth shut and not disfellowshipped, and remained part of the governing body how many of us ex-jw would still be trapped in the cult?.

  would we have come this far?.

  1. 
  2. 
  3. 
• 

  Athanasius

  When I first read Ray's book Crisis of Conscience, I already had serious doubt about the Org. It was the spring of 1984, Watchtower Vatican II was over, and the purges were in full swing. Reading COC was liberating, and That fall I resigned as an elder and quickly faded.

  However, If Ray Franz had not been DFd, and kept his mouth shut about the Org, my exit would have been delayed a year or two. I probably would have stayed in a little longer, hoping for reform. But there is no way that I would have stayed in with the doctrinal changes and the oppressive atmosphere that developed after Ray's removal from the GB.
  

  
  
• 
  31

  Crisis of Consience market price (we are in a bull market)

  by NewYork44M in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  i was considering getting another copy of one of ray's books and was shocked about the market value.

  is ray's book worth $1,000?

  perhaps, but it is a bit shocking.

  1. 
  2. 
  3. 
• 

  Athanasius

  Back in the 1980s when COC first came out, our local public library had three copies available. But within 6 months they had all been lost. Rumor had it that the JWs were swiping copies from the library and destroying them. The library purchased two more copies of COC, that also disappeared. Back then you could get a hardcover copy for $10, so whoever was stealing them wasn't doing it for profe.

  If the JWs are buying up copies of COC and destroying them, it would help make the book rare and inflate the price for second hand copies.
  
• 
  27

  To My Generation: Jehovah's Witnesses of the Vietnam War Era

  by Hold Me-Thrill Me in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  to my generation: jehovah's witnesses of the vietnam war era .

  if you were a young brother in the late 60's you then remember the burden of the draft and the prospect of going to jail for refusing on religious grounds to be called up.

  in those days we were taught that to do community service was conscientiously the same as joining the military and so we were told to refuse such exemptions.

  1. 
  2. 
  3. 
• 

  Athanasius

  During the Vietnam war the Watchtower considered Alternate Service to be a compromise. Therefore, JWs had to refuse it and go to prison. In order to avoid the cost of sending JWs to prison, some judges merely sentenced the JW to perform community service rather than prison. I knew several JWs who ended up working in hospitals for two years as part of their sentence.

  However, during World War II some JWs did serve in the military as medics. My non-JW dad said there were a couple of JWs in his outfit who were medics. But the Watchtower is noted for constantly changing the rules. So now Alternate Service is acceptable for JWs.

  Like many other young JW men of that era, I pioneered and got married.

  Also remember the 6 month Bible Study program. However, most JW study conductors in our congregation ignored the rule and continued studying with persons who never converted. After all it was easy time. Better than knocking on doors.

  Unlike many JWs, I didn't get excited about 1975, felt it was going to be a bust, which it was.

  By 1984 I'd had enough and resigned as an elder and
  
• 
  34

  Elders want to meet with us, help!

  by All for show in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  my husband is awake,yay!

  we haven't been to meeting since february, although we attended the memorial.

  when jws have called us we say we are amazing, everything is awesome much to their shock.

  1. 
  2. 
  3. 
• 

  Athanasius

  Actually SimonSays your comments reveal ignorance about college life. My college experience was similar to that of the OP. No doubt other members of this forum can also testify to a positive college or university experience.

  Why not take a few classes at your local college, Simon, and see for
  
• 
  33

  Is door to door activity over?

  by badcompany in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  just curious about others experience.

  i've been living just a few miles from a kingdom hall for 9 years.

  i've been called on 0 times.

  1. 
  2. 
  3. 
• 

  Athanasius

  I've lived at my present address for 16 years and have had the JWs stop by only two times. Once they left a tract as my wife and I weren't home. The second time was last year when a JW couple stopped by looking for deaf persons who wanted to study the Bible. Since I didn't have any hearing problems, they weren't interested in talking with me and left to canvas the neighborhood for those hard of
  
• 
  45

  Hold Me, Thrill Me

  by Hold Me-Thrill Me in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  i'm going to be honest and from the heart when i say that for 40 years in the jw religion i was very happy in my ignorance!

  man, what a trip it was.

  i loved every minute of it but then i was absent the bad in my religion.

  1. 
  2. 
  3. 
• 

  Athanasius

  Hi HMTM,

  I too left the JWs voluntarily, resigning as an elder, and making a quick fade. But my exodus from the Watchtower didn't cause me to reject Christianity. My reasons for leaving were doctrinal and the scholastic dishonesty of the Watchtower. I went back to college, got my degree, and a good paying.

  Like you I had difficulties accepting the Trinity and after leaving the JWs attended Unitarian Church services, which is non-Trinitarian. But after doing research and reading the Church Fathers, I accepted the Nicene Creed and was received into the Anglican Church.

  I often refer to my religious journey as "My Spiritual Aeneid." But each person who leaves the JW religion must make their own spiritual journey and do what is best for their circumstances. The important thing to remember is that there is life beyond the Watchtower.