Posts by blondie
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20Why "Removed" instead of "Disfellowshipped or Shunning"
by blondie ini was mulling this over last night...too much free time, i know.
both disfellowshipping and shunning indicate the action of avoiding someone, taking them out of your sphere of associates.
probably is a better sound bite to say "removed.
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What was your deconstruction process from being a jw?
by Touchofgrey ini became aware of jws and the un ,so i checked the internet and found it was true that they were a member, and that led me down the rabbits hole and started to look into the history of the bible students and the behaviour of russell and rutherford etc ,and how much the teaching changed and the internal politics and the failed end of the world teachings etc.. i then found myself in a no man's land regarding god and the bible, i then began to use critical thinking regarding the bible and if there was a god , looking into the origins of the bible and it's stories eg adam and eve story, flood legends, exodus from egypt and if the jesus story was historical or not etc .. looking at the origin of our universe and the planet earth led me to the conclusion that no god exists.
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the purpose of this topic is just to understand your deconstruction purpose from the jws and not to get into arguments about our now held beliefs or lack of.
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blondie
It was a process for me, brick by brick...finally I was at a circuit assembly and heard this in 3 different talks. 1) We should be trained like baby elephants, tied to a stake with a chain, taught they could only go so far...when elephant was big, even though stake was gone, the elephant still thought it could only go so far 2) Audience invited to look at non-jw spouse and realize that they were walking corpses (yes some non-jw husbands were there) 3) And that if Jesus saw a dirty quarter and a shiny penny, he would pick up the shiny penny ignoring the "dirty" quarter...not quite what Jesus taught! I was out the door that moment, picked up my stuff and told my jw husband I was going out to the car and home, he could come with me or find a ride home, he came with me. Last time I ever had any contact...no explanation to the elders...25 years later still out.
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Why "Removed" instead of "Disfellowshipped or Shunning"
by blondie ini was mulling this over last night...too much free time, i know.
both disfellowshipping and shunning indicate the action of avoiding someone, taking them out of your sphere of associates.
probably is a better sound bite to say "removed.
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blondie
WingCommander, I hope you didn't think I said you were lying, far from it. I was just looking for a direct correlation to that in the vocabulary of the WTS publications. I found that most current use of "adherent" was aimed at non-jw religions. What I found was the terms "fellow believers" or "fellow worshippers" are used now, and agree that the word "member" has fallen by the wayside. Do you have somewhere the WTS has interacted with the legal system and "adjusted" the term "member" in the WTS comments to the legal system? Not for proof for me, but other people who are not familiar with the WTS legal tactics. I don't doubt that the WTS is using careful word choice to establish a so-called "legal" premise in their own mind (the WTS). Like "removed" rather than "disfellowshipping." Or saying that the WTS doens't have a clergy class in past WT publications, but now have "adjusted" it to "paid clergy" to qualify under the "clergy-penitent" exemption that the Catholic Church and others are using to say they are not required to report child abuse. But the idea/meaning is the same.
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Books that are taboo C.O not happy lord of the rings
by Witness 007 inso the c.o and his wife came over for dinner and of course checked out our library and saw lord of the rings and told us off for spiritism books...it's just a damn fantasy book the bible has more magic and devils in it.
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blondie
The only time I saw the WTS mention a specific movie/book and that it was not appropriate for Christians was E.T. Awake 1983 7/8 p.27 "Christ or E.T.?
E.T.—The Extra-Terrestrial burst on the scene in the United States this past summer, attracting theater audiences in record numbers….Interestingly, many have noted parallels in the story to that of the life of Jesus Christ. Said Professor Albert E. Millar, Jr.: “I think the thing that struck me most was the idea of the capacity to heal, and then when E.T. died and was resurrected.” We have in E.T., then, an enchanting Messiahlike figure that gives momentary emotional release to our need for a true friend with powers greater than ours. Therein lies the movie’s great appeal...Later on, when E.T. gets drunk sampling beer, and Elliott in telepathic sympathy feels the effects, it is all portrayed as something cute. Further, some of the language used by these children is gross profanity. This, along with the supernatural aspects of the movie, has bothered many Christians...E.T. may be a skillfully constructed and highly entertaining movie. But it provides no substitute for our True Friend, Jesus Christ, who saves us from this dying, wicked world. After all, E.T. is make-believe. Christ is reality." The WTS makes this seem to be a personal choice but this article is aimed at non-jws because it is in the Awake magazine. But I'm sure some jws used this to browbeat other jws with it.
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Why "Removed" instead of "Disfellowshipped or Shunning"
by blondie ini was mulling this over last night...too much free time, i know.
both disfellowshipping and shunning indicate the action of avoiding someone, taking them out of your sphere of associates.
probably is a better sound bite to say "removed.
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blondie
truthlover123, here is a link I found to pistolpete's posts. https://www.jehovahs-witness.com/users/5191393638088704/pistolpete/posts
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Why "Removed" instead of "Disfellowshipped or Shunning"
by blondie ini was mulling this over last night...too much free time, i know.
both disfellowshipping and shunning indicate the action of avoiding someone, taking them out of your sphere of associates.
probably is a better sound bite to say "removed.
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blondie
truthlover123, I don't doubt the direction, but the WTS uses "fellow worshippers" and "fellow believers" way more than "adherents" and in the publications more often "adherents" refers to non-jws.
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Why "Removed" instead of "Disfellowshipped or Shunning"
by blondie ini was mulling this over last night...too much free time, i know.
both disfellowshipping and shunning indicate the action of avoiding someone, taking them out of your sphere of associates.
probably is a better sound bite to say "removed.
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blondie
WingCommander, no I did not know that. Do they use that term in their publications? I checked and at least 50 percent of time they are referring to "members" of other religions...but some times they say something like this "he Governing Body follows the pattern set by “the apostles and elders in Jerusalem” in the first century, who made important decisions on behalf of the entire Christian congregation. (Acts 15:2) Like those faithful men, the members of the Governing Body " "Frequently Asked Question" ijwfq article 41. They skirt around want people who are baptized jws are called. Perhaps more likely is "fellow believers" or "fellow worshippers."
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They are running out of people to do their stuff.
by liam inthis is the watchtower study article being studied today.
so it’s the current new light!.
what are the new qualifications to be an “elder-aka older man...and circuit overseer?.
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blondie
My husband suggested the MS or elders could take a turn, oh no, they are too important to do such a lowly task (like washing feet). I was in one congregation, very small, some years ago and a sister did sound, accounts, and literature...only 1 elder and MS. That has now been forbidden, better an unbaptized boy.
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Demonic Influence While Intoxicated
by EisMe inscripture consistently warns against intoxication, highlighting how substance abuse weakens judgment and opens individuals to spiritual deception.
while various herbs were used in biblical worship, they were only burned as incense, never smoked or ingested.
additionally, there is no historical record of marijuana being used in ceremonial worship, either in the bible or among ancient civilizations.. warnings against intoxication and loss of judgment.
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blondie
I always how the WTS handles it now that medical marijuana is legal in some states in the US as well in other countries? There are some drugs/medicines that while illegal without a prescription, many are, prescribed to you by a legitimate prescription. No mention in the publications. But then smoking is legal and they found a way of labeling smoking, using coca leaves, chewing tobacco, snuff as "spiritism" in 1973 when using these were labeled as a disfellowshipping (removed now) offense. WT1973 3/15 p. 181 " It is of interest to us that the Greek word used in the Bible for “practice of spiritism,” “sorcery” or “witchcraft” is phar·ma·kiʹa, which is very closely related to our word “pharmacy.” Phar·ma·kiʹa means, literally, “druggery.” Why is this word used for spiritism or sorcery? One authority says:
“PHARMAKIA . . . (Eng., pharmacy, etc.) primarily signified the use of medicine, drugs, spells; then, poisoning; then, sorcery, . . . See also Rev. 9:21; 18:23. . . . In sorcery, the use of drugs, whether simple or potent, was generally accompanied by incantations and appeals to occult powers, with the provision of various charms, amulets, etc., professedly designed to keep the applicant or patient from the attention and power of demons, but actually to impress the applicant with the mysterious resources and powers of the sorcerer.”—Vine’s Expository Dictionary of New Testament Words...Is not the situation parallel today? Many drug users claim they are ‘approaching God,’ they are ‘expanding their minds.’ But actually it has to do with impressing the user with mysterious hallucinations and feelings, leading them to the demons, under the idea that the drug is freeing their minds for higher, broader thinking. If one is led into the practice of spiritism he is open to all sorts of wrong practices, demon influence, insanity and everlasting death. Spiritism, a work of the flesh, will prevent one from entering God’s kingdom..WT1973 6/1 p. 340 "What, then, of those who in the past were baptized while still using such addictive products as tobacco, other drugs, or who are on some treatment such as the “methadone program” and who continue in such practice? They may now be given a reasonable period of time, such as six months, in which to free themselves of the addiction. So doing, they will show their sincere desire to remain within Jehovah God’s clean congregation of dedicated servants...If persons already baptized are not willing to abandon their addiction to damaging and enslaving products, what then? Then they show that, like Esau, they do not ‘appreciate sacred things,’ preferring such habits to the privilege of being part of Jehovah’s clean people. They should therefore be removed from the congregation due to such conduct unbecoming a Christian."
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Books that are taboo C.O not happy lord of the rings
by Witness 007 inso the c.o and his wife came over for dinner and of course checked out our library and saw lord of the rings and told us off for spiritism books...it's just a damn fantasy book the bible has more magic and devils in it.
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blondie
As a new elder in training, my husband was taken on a "shepherding" call, and the elder told him he should check books, videos, music (discreetly of course!) and my husband was shocked and would not let him do that when he was there. But that elder was perturbed when they left because all those things were locked up and wondered what they were trying to hide (so the trainer had looked anyway). Let me add, some of those people loved Disney films, like Sleeping Beauty, Snow White, etc., thinking if it was Disney it was safe.