rebel8

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Posts by rebel8

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  40

  WTS checklist for Elders to destroy evidence?

  by DarioKehl in

  1. watchtower
  2. scandals

  https://www.reddit.com/r/exjw/comments/3t1yp7/marc_and_cora_posted_on_utube/.

  hot off the presses from exjw reddit earlier today.

  massive leak in uk.. if true, this is big (and very, very disturbing)..

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  rebel8

  I see a reddit page with a bunch of links to youtube and 1 link to an unfamiliar site to download something.

  Anyone have any idea what this supposedly says?

  Corporations have document retention and destruction policies. Is this something different?
  
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  24

  Humans are not wired to want the truth

  by rebel8 in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  that's what i suspect.. perhaps some of us retrained our brains to not surrender to a natural urge to believe the simplest, most drama-laden spins on facts.. examples (at least i think this is the truth!):.

  the clock.

  the son of muslim activists makes a device that, on purpose, looks like a bomb.

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  rebel8

  Within the last few years, I re-examined by beliefs about alt med and GMOs. It was hard to do--I had to seek out legitimate publications and look at evidence as a body instead of anecdotes. It was also a little humiliating to learn that my beliefs were bunk, one by one.

  It takes courage and effort to understand real science.

  It takes no effort to believe quackery.

  I can tell you this: It's worthwhile. Free yourself from the vestiges of jw science denying. It's exhilarating.
  

  Vaccines--this is probably the best, most effective scientific advancement of our time. Overwhelming evidence is freely available proving safety. And most people can get their vaccines at no charge. Yet people are refusing this fabulous technology in favor of believing woo and conspiracy theories. So sad.
  

  With a few clicks on sites like Google Scholar, NIH, or sciencebasedmedicine.org, you can find the truth about why there is an increase in the # of autism cases diagnosed, why girls are going into puberty younger, etc. These are not unknowns.

  Good luck in your pursuits. :)
  
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  24

  Humans are not wired to want the truth

  by rebel8 in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  that's what i suspect.. perhaps some of us retrained our brains to not surrender to a natural urge to believe the simplest, most drama-laden spins on facts.. examples (at least i think this is the truth!):.

  the clock.

  the son of muslim activists makes a device that, on purpose, looks like a bomb.

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  rebel8

  That's what I suspect.

  Perhaps some of us retrained our brains to not surrender to a natural urge to believe the simplest, most drama-laden spins on facts.

  Examples (at least I think this is the truth!):
  

  The clock. The son of Muslim activists makes a device that, on purpose, looks like a bomb. Brings it to school, and plays the victim. The media immediately reports this with a stock photo of a different clock, and people who don't read the farking article believe that's the clock he made. Drama ensues with people criticizing the school and police. Literally 24 hours later, some people try to reason with the Internet hordes by exposing the truth about the stock photo, but nobody listens. They'd rather shout with their torches. [citation]

  The cups. A known con man, who calls himself a pastor, says Starbucks is persecuting xians because their holiday cups this year do not have a bold pattern. (They do have a pattern this year--just not a bold one, and in exactly zero previous years did they ever have a religious theme.)

  A total of 6 people, who obviously are operating with a few xmas cookies short of a dozen, agree with him. They are the people who keep sending him $ for no reason, so they need to believe in him.

  Atheists get a hold of his post and spread this non-story around the Internets. The proportion of atheists outraged at the xians to xians actually upset about the cup is approximately 1:10000000000000. The atheists start a campaign to patronize Starbucks even more. Over nothing.It is on the national news--meanwhile, no cure for cancer.
  

  Vaccines. Need I explain? People are not getting their vaccines because they hear anti-vaxx, foaming at the mouth, nonsense. Truth doesn't matter.

  GMOs. Human beings have been genetically modifying foods since their knuckles dragged on the ground, and they're safe, even when assisted by technology. A known purveyor of snake oil, Food Babe, made up a story about a scientist getting rich from GMOs (all while receiving much more $ from her sponsors). The scientist was harassed and threatened, even after donating the $, that he stepped out of public view for the sake of his family.

  NYT published a BS article.
  

  The apostle who started it all doesn't even believe it anymore.
  

  What do you think? Are people simply hard wired to believe what they want, instead of what's true?
  
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  183

  JWs have more good points than bad

  by lsw1961 in

  1. watchtower
  2. beliefs

  1) many who were on the destructive path have been transformed by their teachings (this includes me who was once vicious, and presumptuous and atheistic).

  2) equal monthly pay to all members of the bethel community regardless of whether they are bc members or sweepers.

  this is something that still remains as an unattainable dream for the world.

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  rebel8

  1) Many who were on destructive paths have transformed themselves without religion.
  
  2) Bethelites are not paid. They are given stipends for living expenses. So, no.
  
  3) Happify.com--not religious, same outcome.
  
  4) Numerous legal victories in favor of human rights have been won without jw involvement.
  
  5) History denying makes jws look stupid.
  
  List can go on and on.
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  35

  A question

  by JeffT in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  has anybody ever written bethel and just flat out asked for an accounting report on the society's finances?

  we all keep batting around speculation about the wtbs and money, and actual information seems non-existent.

  what would they do if somebody asked for a financial statement?

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  rebel8

  There are fragmentory bits and pieces... see citizenaudit.org

  Interesting!

  2009/08 T (Filed 2010/03) (Searchable PDF

  This is a copy of the 990-T, which is what I requested. According to this document, Line C, "Book value of all assets at the end of year"= $399,300,000."
  
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  35

  A question

  by JeffT in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  has anybody ever written bethel and just flat out asked for an accounting report on the society's finances?

  we all keep batting around speculation about the wtbs and money, and actual information seems non-existent.

  what would they do if somebody asked for a financial statement?

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  rebel8

  Yes, in a way. You can find it in my old posts.

  I asked for IRS filings.

  https://www.irs.gov/Charities-&-Non-Profits/Churches-&-Religious-Organizations

  https://www.startchurch.com/blog/view/name/young-church-forgets-to-file-tax-return-irs-penalties-pile-up
  

  IRS said copies could be obtained either from the organization or IRS. I asked the borganization first and got no reply, so I asked the IRS and again got no reply. One would think I would have gotten a reply stating, "We didn't file anything."
  
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  20

  Unbaptised son maybe asked to be in assembly ... Suggestions please!

  by 4thgen in

  1. social
  2. family

  my husband and i are divorced.

  i have custody of my tween son.

  i left 3 years ago on principle.

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  rebel8

  Create opportunities for him to dress up and do public speaking that do not involve a cult. Toastmasters, Explorers Club, do they still have Junior Achievement?

  Emphasize the things he doesn't like about the cult.
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  9

  Does anyone have copies of the WT tax exempt paperwork?

  by WireRider in

  1. watchtower
  2. scandals

  the wt/jw has a presence in my town.

  tax exempt status.

  from what i understand the wt/jw is a for profit group that is taking advantage of the community as a whole.

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  rebel8

  There is no requirement for a church in the US to "give back to the community".

  I researched NY nonprofit law and tried to find paperwork. What I found indicated the NY corporations were established so long ago that any paperwork is long gone.

  I tried to get tax paperwork but could not. As far as I could tell, they did have to file something every few years with the state and fed, but when I did a request from the governments and wts, I got no reply. At the time, I had found a rule indicating the wts was supposed to provide it upon request, and so was the gov't. You may find the details in my old posts--I don't remember more details.
  
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  10

  Damn Satan at it again tampering with evidence!

  by notsurewheretogo in

  1. watchtower
  2. beliefs

  jeepers...we all know that humans have only been on this planet for 6,000 years...stupid scientists getting confused again...must be that satan bloke who goes round fiddling with all the evidence that humans have been on this planet longer than 6,000 years!.

  http://www.sciencealert.com/nasa-can-t-explain-who-made-these-huge-8-000-year-old-glyphs-in-kazakhstan?.

  back in 2007, a series of huge, mysterious geoglyphs were discovered in the grasslands, or steppes, of kazakhstan.

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  rebel8

  Cool. This is what science is all about--being willing to revise one's beliefs as a result of new evidence.
  
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  41

  Special Pioneer Sister-in-Law and Husband just got their letter.

  by cappytan in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  well, my sister-in-law and her husband, special pioneers for only a couple of years, just got their letter.. her comment was along the lines of, "they're having to do this because they forgave all those kingdom hall loans a few years ago and the brothers aren't donating anymore.".

  when my wife told me, i laughed so hard i farted.

  ;).

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  rebel8

  How much of a financial drain on the borg are they?

  They get free housing from the local kh and probably a lot of free meals from the sistas. And I suppose they are on public assistance as well.

  So the borg pays them a stipend or something?

  Am I off base?