Posts by carla

16

No Private Beliefs Allowed!

by BereanThinker7 in

looking for references that talk about witnesses not being able to hold any private interpretation or belief that isn't in line with official doctrine.

.

i know i've seen them before but of course now i can't find any of the more in your face statements..

Can people not read? - I realize it is frustrating when searching for something but remember others do not have everything at the tips of their fingers at a moments notice. Where have you already searched?

It is out of the goodness of people's hearts that they give answers at all, be kind when you can. Many here will take time to search out specific jw quotes to help you and out of interest of others. When they do it is a favor granted.

Have you googled, jwfacts.com, ex jw reddit, ex jw sites, youtube's? (just to name a few)

19

How far has Watchtower and the GB of Jehovah's Witnesses gone to stalk and silence critics?

by Balaamsass2 in

we have all watched some of the documentaries about the church of scientology hiring detectives to stalk and harass their former members,( their "apostates").

i have heard of individual cases of rabid jw elders stalking ex-jws, and of course, one would expect some enforcement of corporate copyright infringement on anti-jw websites.. what were the most outrageous jw "stalking" or investigation stories you remember?.

tonight's 60 minutes into ebay stalking a middle-aged couple who writes a newsletter reminded me a lot of the menlo park congregation watchtower "takeover", closure, and stalking of local elders to mind.

carla

I remember a story from here and sorry if not completely accurate as it was a number of years ago. A guy who left the org was living with a woman they broke up and he joined the military. I think he was stationed somewhere and he got a message from his old gf that some elders came by her apartment looking for him. She was never a jw if memory serves. Anyway he sent them a picture of himself in his camo to let them know to leave the woman alone. If he still posts here maybe he can elaborate. I thought it was outrageous they would go to a non jw house looking for someone.

Another story from here years ago- some elders were trying to catch someone behaving badly and set up like the cops on a stakeout outside their house and down the block for an extended period of time.

Stories of elders going to people's places of work to have a discussion. They have no boundaries!

There were so many stories about how elders acted it made me nearly paranoid when my jw joined up. Like elders sticking their foot in the door of a jw who missed meeting or even walking in while a woman alone was coming out of shower in towel, he was there to shepherd her? Elders who took it upon themselves to 'help' a single mother by putting the kids to bed! what the hell? yes, you can guess how well that worked out.

So many stories, what a crazy bunch they can be.

60

What Will JW's Do If They Find Themselves Still Conscious after Death?

by Sea Breeze in

we all know that despite many scriptures to the contrary, jw's believe that when they die, their consciousness will cease.

my question is this: what will be the likely reaction of jw's if they find themselves conscious after death?.

carla

This is an old joke you all probably have heard but maybe some haven't- A group of people were at the pearly gates and St Peter was guiding people through the halls. He cautioned all to be quiet when going past the next door. Once passed a person asked why they had to be quiet past that door? He said, " you had to be quiet because those are the jw's and they think they are the only ones here!- that was the gist of it anyway.

Here is near death experience of a jw if you are into those- https://www.nderf.org/Experiences/1sarah_w_probable_nde.html

16

Most children of Jehovah's Witnesses followers in Japan have been whipped, survey shows

by Rattigan350 in

https://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2023/03/15/national/jehovahs-witnesses-whipping/.

the most cited reason was “napping or talking during congregations.” others included “answering back to parents” and “playing with a schoolmate.”.

some respondents said they have been suffering depression as a result of whipping.. “i still cannot forget the sight of children screaming after they were taken into a large room at a congregation when i was a child,” a 44-year-old victim said, stressing that jehovah’s witnesses should reflect on what followers have done.. in february, a group of lawyers started supporting those second-generation followers.. in a statement issued on march 1, the japanese branch of jehovah’s witness said it does not accept child abuse.. https://mainichi.jp/english/articles/20230315/p2a/00m/0na/006000c.

carla

"Japanese Senator Mizuho Umemura bravely professed to the entire Japanese nation in Parliament that she herself grew up as a 2nd-generation of Jehovah’s Witnesses. At the same time, she severely denounced the JW issue to the Minister of Justice in JPN. We are so proud of her."-- from here- https://twitter.com/TanakaAttorney/status/1637468238656438273

If you can understand Japanese- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jJOEfbSvuHE

28

Pawn to Queen 2034 anyone?

by Fisherman in

not a hint of a new date for the great tribulation.

the attitude of jw is that they expect it immediately although the inter-lapping anointed allows for any additional extended time.

given the time of the end, the end comes after the good news is preached in all the inhabited earth for a witness to all the nations with the internet and 108 years and tons of publications even in finnish.

carla

I remember having the 'soon' discussion with my jw years ago when we still had jw discussions. As usual lots of run around, re-defining the word etc.... you know how it goes with a jw.

After one of the 'soon' discussions I started to use the word as he did in dubland- him- are the kids ever going to clean their room?! me- yes, soon. him- when will we do xyz or z? me- soon. You get the idea. After a bit of that he never would define 'soon' again. Go figure!

23

Is there really any universal issue of Sovereignty?

by Linda14 in

i can agree that satan doesn't see god as a good ruler as stated at gen 3:1-5. he doesn't seem to see gods laws as right or good.

but whether there is an understanding/agreement between god and satan afterward to the effect that he can take the mantle of rulership to show whether his style is best is doubtful.

that conclusion is probably reached because god hasn't destroyed satan, and he is also called the ruler of the world in the bible.

carla

After all these years I still don't get why jw's go on and on and on about sovereignty. If one is already a Christian it is like saying the sky is blue and grass is green, what's your point? It is obvious. No need for article upon article about it, move on. Shall we discuss at length how green grass is? at some point either you clearly understand that in general grass is indeed green.

If one does not believe in God, an Intelligent Designer or whatever name you want to use, then there is no point to be made until you first get them to believe in God.

I had many discussions with my jw years back and said basically the same thing as above. He had no answer as to why he kept going on about it and got the deer in the headlights if pressed about it. I think the wt just has people regurgitate ad nauseam because they somehow think it is a 'deep' issue.

29

why are we interested in what is going on in the JW

by enoughisenough in

for the most of us, we have left the jws...and even though we are no longer jw, many of us are still interested in their beliefs, doctrines and practices as currently practiced.

i was trying to sort out in my mind why i still care about what they are doing.

i think the answer to that is a hope that something will develop in the jws that will wake up a lot of others, and selfishly, a lot of my friends.

carla

As a ubm I have to keep up so I know how whacky my might be next week or next month. I usually know long before he does about anything jw related and know what is coming down the pipeline and how it may affect his mood, more judgy than usual, gloom & doom, etc....

Kind of like a horoscope

25

Being embarrassed by a JW when you were a JW

by punkofnice in

i was out on the ministry(tm) in the 1980's when i was pie-on-earring.

i was only a lowly publisher(tm) being coached by a rather odd elder(tm).. one of the publications(tm) had recently mentioned japan and the growth(tm) of jws there.. the elder(tm), brother(tm) i was with offered the magazines(tm) to the householder(tm).. then he stated, 'there are (gave the reported numbers at the time.

i can't remember the number he stated), jehovah's witnesses(tm) in japan.'.

carla

As ubm I am embarrassed when at a function that plays the National Anthem and the only people sitting down are my jw and people in wheelchairs! Somehow we always seem to be near Vets too. These old guys struggle to stand up and here I am trying to distance myself from my looney jw. And yes, people can see this all the way across a football field, soccer field, basketball court or baseball diamond.

It also embarrassing when at a dinner function (non religious) yet they have someone say a generic prayer and my jw is looking all around trying very hard to make sure people can see he is not participating in anyway. Funny thing is most people have no clue he is a jw and think he is an atheist or something. lol

30

JWs and Prepping

by TD in

jw
friends

the jws i know (which admittedly are more liberal than most) are suddenly into prepping to one degree or another.

some have simply assembled "go bags" with basic common sense supplies in case they need to bug out in the event of a natural disaster and others seem to be seriously into it, almost to the degree to which mormons are.

backup generators and a year's supply of food and water).

carla

My jw has a go bag and brings it with him every time he goes out of town. He once suggested maybe he should leave it for me, just in case. Keep in mind we do not speak of anything jw related anymore. I asked why? He said in case I needed it, he was trying to be the loving husband I suppose. I pointed to my very well stocked pantry and asked where am I going when I have all of this? so he grabbed it and went on his merry way. While I agree having provisions due to storms etc.. is a very good idea in general, the jw way of thinking is just nuts.

To begin with his (jw approved?) go bag has some sort of brick type "food" that will last a whole 3 days, came with like 2 water bottles and few other things that if you truly knew how to survive would be gone within 24 hours. Just to be helpful I told him a number of other things that would be helpful when it arrived. Guess I was in a humorous mood that day. Not only that but I think they suggest that you would bunker down a few days and then go wherever the government (not the gb or the borg) tells you to go for further survival.

I remember telling him that if the 'bomb' dropped I hope I would be smack dab in the middle of it as I remember the movies from grade school about radiation poisoning. He thought I was nuts. For those that don't fear death I can tell you it would be preferable to be gone in an instant than watching those you love slowly die of radiation.

He at times will still say 'they are coming to get me!" in a semi joking manner when we hear police sirens. sad if he actually thinks that.

10

Japan Bethel police raid

by llubrevlis2000 in

i just heard japan bethel has had a police raid?.

something about children but i don’t know the details .

anyone here got any info on this latest police raid?

carla

In attempting to find a story on this, I did find this with todays date of 2-27-https://japannews.yomiuri.co.jp/society/general-news/20230227-93835/ re: blood issue & kids (The Japan News)

and here- https://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/en/news/20230227_28/ (NHK World Japan) again about the blood issue and if it is child abuse or not