steve2: I read it as Akashi complaining that the US branch flew the American flag and adulated the state at meetings, not that the Japanese JWs did such a thing. That would have justifiably been viewed by the Japanese government as seditious, if not outright treason. Akashi was punished because he dared to criticize the US branch for doing what it forbade other branches from doing. Society president "Knole" (Knorr) and his minions were the real hypocrites.
under the radar
JoinedPosts by under the radar
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4
Of things in Japan.
by zeb incame across,.
https://books.google.ca/books?id=lzysbgaaqbaj&pg=pa50&lpg=pa50&dq=the+state+of+the+watchtower+in+japan&source=bl&ots=w4p2b23oky&sig=xhmqh58hm5ye4vv3nmpzv4wcfas&hl=en&sa=x&ved=2ahukewjoxboki5xfahumxkwkhdpzacwq6aewcxoecaaqaq#v=onepage&q=the%20state%20of%20the%20watchtower%20in%20japan&f=false.
..nb "for flying the us state flag and adulating the state at religious meetings".. this during the 2nd world war..and note the way he was treated...
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3
Is there a Will..?
by zeb inhave begun to update my will.. for some who have very severe divisions in family it would be a good idea to avoid orgs or undesirable relatives claiming part of your estate and more to the point making sure it goes to what or who you wish it too.. live long and prosper in wisdom..
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under the radar
Maybe anyone can contest a will, but that doesn't mean they'll be successful.
I've heard of wills that say that anyone who contests it will be disinherited, but I don't know whether that has been test in court or not. My own will says that anyone who contests it will have their bequest reduced to $1 and the remainder of their previous bequest distributed proportionately to the other heirs. My lawyer says it will hold up, but I guess I will never know.
Either way, it's better to have a will you think may be contested that to not have one at all. If you can afford it, it is often better to give gifts to your loved ones before your death. No one can contest a gift given during your lifetime, unless they claim it was given under duress or undue influence.
There will always be people with their hands out, ready to take whatever they can from whomever they can.
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Controlled
by Lost in the fog ini was talking to a friend who is an elder in a congregation near belfast city over in northern ireland.
he was telling me that several of the sisters wanted to put fresh flowers in the hall on a weekly basis just to pretty the place up.
he said "sure, why not, it's a great idea, and the congregation will reimburse the costs as long as they aren't too expensive.
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under the radar
Sometimes it's tiny cracks in the facade like this that lead people to begin wondering what else is wrong. One thing leads to another, and pretty soon another person is freed from slavery to the Watchtower. I certainly hope that happens in this case. Good luck!
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under the radar
Very well done! Now I'll have to spend all day watching the other episodes...
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31
All the culty name that were used instead of JWs
by kairos inthe truththe society.
the friends...you remember.
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under the radar
I used to annoy the dickens out of a very "in" JW acquaintance when I would refer to the Society as "ze organi-ZA-tion" in my very best Nazi accent.
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6
Seven Generations
by Ultimate Axiom inby chance i came across a watchtower of june 1, 2015, and it has an article in it, “a legacy that has lasted seven generations”.
it’s written by a guy called kevin williams and it starts with this ancestor thomas williams (1815-1891) and continues his story down to the present through his family.
but hold on a minute, how can this guy’s twelve relatives span seven generations?
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under the radar
Ah, yes... the overlapping generation: the overreaching explanation.
Just another example of the Society cherry picking scriptures to support the explanation it has already decided on.
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It's My Birthday Today
by pale.emperor intoday is my 34th birthday.
or, my 3rd birthday that i've actually acknowledged seeing as i was raised in the cult.. i woke up this morning to my 4yo running into my room and wishing me a "happy birthday daddy!".
i got a card from my ex-jw brother and i bought myself a birthday gift - a new 50mm lens for my nikon camera (photography is a hobby i took up since leaving the cult).. i dont know about you guys, but birthdays is still something i have to make a conscious effort to acknowledge and enjoy.
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under the radar
Happy birthday, pale.emperor! Here's wishing you many more, and years of happiness with your little family, free of the cult.
Coincidentally, today is also my darling wife's birthday (the year of which shall be undisclosed). She was raised a Catholic (well, kinda), but never confirmed, so I refer to her as a "pending" Catholic. She knows all about my JW upbringing, though, and does her best to ameliorate the missing parts of my childhood. So yes, we celebrate birthdays and Christmas and such, even though we don't believe in any of the superstitious nonsense. We do it for the sheer fun of it, just because we can.
Enjoy your birthday, my friend. And every day thereafter...
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Blood Transfusion Permitted
by Nevuela ini just overheard an anointed acquaintance on the phone with a friend of hers who has just had surgery for cervical cancer.
among the snippets of dialogue i heard on my end of the line, these ones stood out:.
"you lost a lot of blood?
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under the radar
This account just confirms what I have long thought: many JWs don't really think transfusions are wrong. But they have to appear to believe accepting one is violating God's law, and spout the company line when asked about it. This is a clear case of "turning commandments of men into laws of God," but they are so intimidated by the Borg and afraid of the consequences of thinking for themselves that they would rather die, or allow their children to die, than go against their masters.
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I am an idiot..
by zeb ingoing past a 'new-age' shop today i stupidly said to my most 'uber' wife, do you want a reading?
" ..not a good idea.. oh dear.. she opened up correcting my every other word and brought in a stream of jw speak and now many hours later is still steaming under an acute cloud of sol.. oh god keep me from being so stupid; cut out my tongue, glue my teeth together.
aaarrgh!
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under the radar
stan livedeath: I wish I had a born in fat controller...
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My Evening in Paris with the Mysterious Veronica
by TerryWalstrom in(recently i spent 18 days in europe in first, london, then paris, and last of all, madrid.
i was quite bedazzled by paris.
on my first night there, after a long day of sightseeing, i sat down and wrote this.).
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under the radar
What a delightful story, Terry! I know you'll treasure the memory of that night forever.
By the way, my hat's off to you for resisting (the almost inevitable) impulse to hit on her. That would have ruined a magical evening. Maybe she sensed that you weren't just another pickup artist, and that allowed her to relax and indulge in a little tête-à-tête with an intriguing new acquaintance. She apparently felt safe in your presence, and that's a tribute to your gentlemanly manner. Your offer of conversation without guile or ulterior motive was probably a refreshing distraction from her grief. Congratulations, my friend, for a good deed well done.
I obviously don't have your writing talent, but I did have a similar experience many years ago, and I thank you for reminding me of it. My first time in Europe was a two week business trip, beginning in Paris. I was to join a co-worker who was already over there, and who also happened to be an unusually attractive person of the feminine persuasion. Well, I was all wide-eyed tourist who was very happy to be over there on someone else's dime. I was also happily married (at the time). So when she saw I wasn't going to be hitting on her and that I viewed her as the professional she was, she relaxed and we had a great time. She later confided that her former team leader made her feel like he was gonna pounce at any moment, and she never could quite let her guard down. On the other hand, we truly were "just friends" who had a job to do, and we worked together well. We even had a four day weekend off in Milan. We took a train through the Alps to spend one of those days in Venice. We had a very enjoyable time, and there was never a minute when either of us felt uncomfortable or awkward.
Anyway, I do hope Veronica gets in touch and enjoys your story. Could be the start of a beautiful friendship...
Kudos, my friend! Keep those stories comin'...