Posts by Bang

15

Rodney Stark's paper on JW growth

by VM44 in

jw
friends

rodney stark was featured briefly in the short watchtower video exposing the benificial nature of "disfellowshipping" (which is a made up word that does not appear in the bible!).

i found a 1997 paper that he wrote with larry iannaccone entitled, "why the jehovah's witnesses grow so rapidly.

a theoretical application" and which was published in the journal of contemporary religion.

Bang

It's very obvious why they grow (or rather, why they did).

Wolves in sheeps clothing - the effort they put into the outer appearance.

They appear radical to devotion, which is definitely attractive, though the truth is that it is not a 'devotion' generally, but rather a bargain or an enslavement.
They cover up bad publicity.
They eject any 'problem' people and label them.
They focus blame on certain societal groups (that's a big one).
They play on the fear that is generated in people by their own sinfulness.
They make spurious claims in the theological area, which bamboozles those unfamiliar to it.
They appear 'nice'.
They say they love you but don't (the spiritual fornicator)

I could go on all night, but the main thing is "appearance".

Bang

6

Does the society cast doctors in a bad light?

by sleepy in

jw
friends

.

does the society cast doctors in a bad light?.

i'm asking this as i feel that jehovahs witnesses often blame doctors or feel they are not doing their job properly if they wont operate without blood.i feel these negative attitudes toward doctors came from the society, but i'm not sure if it was through publications, rather through talks on assemblies and by circut overseers.. there seems to be an attitude that if a doctor cant operate without blood , he cant be a very good doctor.. what really annoyed me though is that children were taught that having a blood transfusion was like being raped.this is a disgusting attitude to show and teach, and i was vocal about this.. the doctor is there to save lives, to teach that he is like a rapist if he thinks giving blood is the best way to do so , makes me very angery.. are any of these things in print , or was the society clever enough to only teach these things by word of mouth?

Bang

In a bad light? For sure, especially since it's about 7 years study and the end of the world is coming very soon, anytime now, last days, almost here.

Unfortunately, we just can't manufacture haemoglobin carrying cells yet, and I think it will be a while before jw clinical scientists do the necessary work in that field.

Is there any such thing as a jw clinical haemotologist?

Bang

Edited by - Bang on 27 July 2002 8:0:24

20

Friday night mayhem with the "brothers"

by refiners fire in

jw
friends

i dont know whether ive posted on this before, but when i was a young guy we used to get up to some fearfull mayhem on friday and saturday nights.

we burnt down buildings, blew cars up, shotgunned houses and blasted windows out while people slept inside, stole cars and piled them into telegraph poles, and ran cars off the road just for laughs.

now the thing is, while we were doing this...we were all active dubs!.

Bang

That's just the dub 'spirit' in action, rather than waiting for jehovah to do it for you, and naturally you were right to do it, being a dub and all. Young people are often impatient.

Bang

9

What's with the third person ?

by Bang in

jw
friends

has everyone noticed that the wtbts are always talking about jws like some kind of anthropological observer, rather than using "we" or "us".

a quick look at their website and you can see the language.

there's no "we", it's all "them", so i suppose when they get it wrong again it was "them", not "us".. when confronted with blame they can just hang them out to dry - whoever they are.

Bang

Has everyone noticed that the wtbts are always talking about jws like some kind of anthropological observer, rather than using "we" or "us". A quick look at their website and you can see the language. There's no "we", it's all "them", so I suppose when they get it wrong again it was "them", not "us".

When confronted with blame they can just hang them out to dry - whoever they are. It's like a company money trail where no one is ever accountable because it's always owned by another company or another.

Has anyone got wt articles that blame God or the Lord for when they are caught out as wrong?

Bang

14

BEING IN THIS RELIGION IS LIKE BEING IN A GANG

by minimus in

this evening my daughter said: "being in this religion is like being in a gang.

you may join and never understand what's really required and if you ever want to get out, you can't.

you belong to them...."

Bang

I think that "pack" is an appropriate analogy.

Bang

8

"no blood" card prevents fatal beating!

by Incense_and_Peppermints in

from: http://groups.msn.com/jehovahswitnessesontheweb .

(original message)

subject: blood card

Bang

It's too obvious.

Make out that you're from God and even robbers have respect for you. That's why people haven't gotten rid of the dubs - they're in disguise - the sheeps clothing.

Bang

Is truth by mistake actually truth ?

by Bang in

jw
friends

maybe there is always a different way of hearing so we can indeed "believe all things".

"you will find valuable information in the older publications.

" our kingdom ministry, jan 1988, p. 7. as an example: .

Bang

Maybe there is always a different way of hearing so we can indeed "believe all things".

"You will find valuable information in the older publications." Our Kingdom Ministry, Jan 1988, p. 7

As an example:

"Not until 1925 was 'the time of trouble' scripturally understood." {WT Feb 1 1938 35}

Well, by someone on the planet anyway.

"The year 1925 is a date definitely and clearly marked in Scriptures, even more clearly than that of 1914" {WT 1924 211}

Well, maybe for someone with a selective cognition impairment in regard to numbers, and when someone says "years" they can never think 1914 clearly.

On the other hand.......................

Bang

Edited by - Bang on 26 July 2002 4:36:42

17

Religious freedom is being denied!

by tyydyy in

jw
friends

i'm sure someone else has already thought of this but i wanted to see what discussion came from this.

i was raised as a jw and left at the age of 35. i still do the dance to keep from being disfellowshiped so that i don't lose all contact with my family.

the thought just came to me that as i went through my life my religious freedom was being denied by coersion.

Bang

Can you imagine tobacco companies that are pressured saying,

"we've recieved new light, and now we don't say that fags aren't bad for you anymore, so if you have a beef against us, see God about it - afterall, he's the one who gave us the tobacco"

Bang

17

Religious freedom is being denied!

by tyydyy in

jw
friends

i'm sure someone else has already thought of this but i wanted to see what discussion came from this.

i was raised as a jw and left at the age of 35. i still do the dance to keep from being disfellowshiped so that i don't lose all contact with my family.

the thought just came to me that as i went through my life my religious freedom was being denied by coersion.

Bang

Even businesses aren't not allowed to make incorrect and misleading advertisement (lies), to influence whether or not you take your business there. Doesn't that void a contract and leave the perpetrator exposed to coughing up for damages and/or expenses?

Bang

20

For JW's...Where in the Bible does it say...

by Wolfgirl in

...that men are not allowed to grow beards?.

i don't know if this is true where you live, but where i used to live, it was against "policy" for brothers to have beards.

any man who did have one was looked down upon.

Bang

Well, I guess I'M stumbled.

When someone comes to the door dressed in a 'fine' suit and says, "I'm here to explain things about Jesus to you", something inside me says, "you've gotta be fuckin kiddin me" - that is, faster than my cognition can kick in, my self knows that "I think you're attempting to fornicate and give birth to a baby goat within me".

Then I may politely and firmly say no, shut the door and not wish them well.

Bang

Edited by - Bang on 24 July 2002 22:10:13