Getting to read books such as those suggested above is the best way to expose the organisation for what it really is.
jaffacake
JoinedPosts by jaffacake
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13
Can you help me with some one who is not baptised as JW yet? The story:
by Curious Christian inmy best friend is a stone's throw from jw baptism.
she told me she is not celebrating christmas this year.
(this is a gal who used to make it a point to "mend fences" with disgruntled friends and boy friends, in order to trade gifts!
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New here - question about roommate getting baptized
by oppgirl63 ini've been lurking on different ex-jw boards for a few years now and this is my first post to this board.. .
i am a 42 yr old gay female who has a roommate who is studying to be baptized.
we are not romantically involved.
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jaffacake
Hello and Welcome,
I've never been a JW but my lifelong best friend was baptised earlier this year. When she gets baptised, your friendship will soon be over, sooner rather than later, although your friend does not know that yet.
I've been through the same experience that you will go through.
I am not gay, my friend and I were each best man at each other's weddings in the early eighties. We have been friends since 12 (now 47) closer than brothers all that time. Our wives are (were) close too and all our kids. I researched the JW indoctrination process and told my friend in February that in just a few months we would no longer associate with each other, or be friends. He would never phone me etc etc. He denied this would happen and promised me we would remain friends.
Within a month of that conversation, even before his baptism, communication stopped. He found many excuses, but we only speak when I phone him.
It is probably too late to expose the JWs. There are many books that can help such as Captives of a Concept, by Don Cameron - a poster on this board. It can be ordered online. Another book you could try to persuade her to read, secretly, before making her final commitment is Crisis of Conscience from the Commentary Press website. http://www.commentarypress.com/booklist-eng.html
I wish you well in your difficult situation. This religion destroys lives and friendships. I'll pm you with my email address in case I can offer any help or suggestions.
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Can you help me with some one who is not baptised as JW yet? The story:
by Curious Christian inmy best friend is a stone's throw from jw baptism.
she told me she is not celebrating christmas this year.
(this is a gal who used to make it a point to "mend fences" with disgruntled friends and boy friends, in order to trade gifts!
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jaffacake
Hi, and a Warm welcome,
I hope you succeed where I have failed with my lifelong best friend. I was a few months too late finding out about JWs.
I'll give this some serious thought. Just now, after a year of intensive research and trying everything to stop my friend making such a terrible mistake, I am now emotionally drained.
If you let me have an email address I'll send some ideas I have. What reading have you tried to help you with the sort of questions to ask?
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Removing "God"
by startingover in.
with the continuing thiest-athiest debates that go one here, i have a question, mainly for believers.. as a believer in god, how does it make you feel when you hear about athiest michael newdow's efforts to have "in god we trust" removed from us currency?
i guess this question could include the 10 commandments being displayed on public building issue, or removing reference to god from the pledge of allegiance.
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jaffacake
He does not lie and everything he says comes true.
defd
I do not disagree. But the problem I have is that none of the Watchtowers predictions have come true, so they have to keep abandoning them.
The last example was the "this generation" change. How come the only religion to completely misunderstand this scripture for many decades was 'Gods organisation'?
Is it not more likely that it is the interpretations that are all wrong, just as others keep telling JWs, JWs deny, but then they eventually and reluctantly abandon the teachings, one afer the other?
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Removing "God"
by startingover in.
with the continuing thiest-athiest debates that go one here, i have a question, mainly for believers.. as a believer in god, how does it make you feel when you hear about athiest michael newdow's efforts to have "in god we trust" removed from us currency?
i guess this question could include the 10 commandments being displayed on public building issue, or removing reference to god from the pledge of allegiance.
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jaffacake
defd
Just for starters, what interpretation principles do you employ, for example to establish when the words written are meant literally or symbolically?
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Masonic Infiltration of this board
by stillajwexelder inthere are freemasons infiltrating this board.
i have positive proof.
all be careful
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jaffacake
OOps Swalker
Sorry, I didn't see the fluff through not reading all the posts (blushes & crawls under a stone).
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Removing "God"
by startingover in.
with the continuing thiest-athiest debates that go one here, i have a question, mainly for believers.. as a believer in god, how does it make you feel when you hear about athiest michael newdow's efforts to have "in god we trust" removed from us currency?
i guess this question could include the 10 commandments being displayed on public building issue, or removing reference to god from the pledge of allegiance.
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jaffacake
defd
There is no mention in the Bible of 'this system of things' or a 'new system'. That is not an acceptable translation from the original language.
There is no evidence of paradise earth either, not if you interpret the Bible correctly using accepted scholarly methods. Why are Bethel libraries restricted? Because they contain proper interpretations from sound commentaries which WTS relies on for some of their teaching, but wishes to hide and censor the many parts that will show their wrong understandings.
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If spirits exist, and really communicate with some people, then why...
by AlmostAtheist inif spirits really exist, and really communicate with some people, then why don't the people ever ask anything that anyone cares about?!?!.
"when did you die?".
"did you own any pets?".
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jaffacake
No dave you are not being stupid. Frankly those who communicate with, so called dead, are really getting in contact witht the Demons. Now thats STUPID!
Don't you think a belief in demons is what is really stupid? The adventists taught me the same thing and I once believed it. But then they also were the religion to teach the same demons stuff to the early Bible students.
You didn't think it was originally a JW teaching, did you defd. JWs are just one of dozens of new fangled modern religions to adopt this doctrine.
Well said LDH
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If spirits exist, and really communicate with some people, then why...
by AlmostAtheist inif spirits really exist, and really communicate with some people, then why don't the people ever ask anything that anyone cares about?!?!.
"when did you die?".
"did you own any pets?".
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jaffacake
Swalker
Its not easy to deal with briefly, there are several techniques and these can be mixed and matched. I'm no expert. The good ones are also quite sincere and combine the tricks with genuine sensitivity, perceptiveness, an ability to read people's body language etc etc.
But me, a mere unpracticed sceptic, I just spent a few weeks having a go to prove it was all nonsense to my magical thinking friend who visited psychics, clairvoyants and the like. He's now a JW having swapped one set of superstitions for another.
I also borrowed ideas from TV folks.
On one occasion I told a friend very personal stuff about things he did and said 20 years earlier, I even described the scenario. I easily convinced him I was using a mind reading or telepathy and he bought it hook line and sinker. After 5 minutes I admitted to being a fraud, but refused to tell him how I did it. The explanation was so simple but he wanted a magical explanation so that's what he gave himself. My sole aim was to show him that if I could do it, why should he be impressed when someone who had practiced all their lives were able to sound convincing?
I saw a TV programme where a small team of people went on holiday and mingled with other holiday makers for a few days around the hotel & resort. They met up after the third day having eavesdropped dozens of conversations of various people and making copious notes. After comparing notes they selected their most promising 'victim'. A young woman who had gone on holiday with a friend following a family bereavement. What a good candidate. For three more days and nights the team took turns to be close to the young woman and her companion, watching and listening unnoticed, and making even more notes of course.
On the last night of the holiday, a new member of the fraudsters team, fully briefed by his colleagues, waited for his victim to stop by at her usual cafe for her usual night cap.
He bumped into this complete stranger by accident, and looking into her eyes mentioned something about her past. She was taken by surprise. He kindly offered more comment and advice. This complete stranger in a foreign country proceeded to tell her her life story and innermost feelings. She of course knew that there was no way he could have told her any of these things unless he had some special powers. She then believed everything he said about her future, without question or doubt. Just one example.
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Removing "God"
by startingover in.
with the continuing thiest-athiest debates that go one here, i have a question, mainly for believers.. as a believer in god, how does it make you feel when you hear about athiest michael newdow's efforts to have "in god we trust" removed from us currency?
i guess this question could include the 10 commandments being displayed on public building issue, or removing reference to god from the pledge of allegiance.
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jaffacake
Nark
What a good article.