Rattigan350:
"The Bible does condemn "fornication" multiple times."
The Bible doesn't do anything.
This pointless equivocation is up there with “guns don’t kill people, people do”. 🙄
regarding the poster from jw headquarters, who claimed that the gb would eventually loosen the rules regarding sex.
the question is, is there really a bible rule explicitly prohibiting sex without marriage?
because this would be the only possible reason why loosening those rules would even come up in a discussion.
Rattigan350:
"The Bible does condemn "fornication" multiple times."
The Bible doesn't do anything.
This pointless equivocation is up there with “guns don’t kill people, people do”. 🙄
y'all i am an unmedicated bipolar.
i had a mania streak and slept with my bf who is of the world.
i am pregnant from this.
The advice offered by Elena is not good advice, and is a misinterpretation of recent changes to disfellowshipping. There is no evidence that it is 'as simple as just saying sorry'. This is especially the case if you raise requestions about JW doctrines, which could have them label you as an 'apostate'. But even aside from that, your 'repentance' would also be based on whether you continue the relationship with the 'worldly' person.
It is also not the case that there is only 'soft shunning' for disfellowshipped individuals (and no change indicated for any who disassociate or are deemed by the elders to have 'disassociated by their actions'), unless you consider communication limited to inviting you to the meeting or to greet you at the meeting to be normal social interaction.
easter and christmas have pagan origins.
many of us were told that since birth.
the evidence?
TonusOH:
For some reason, my brain initially read this as "Yahweh, originally part of Canadianpantheon."
But it’s true though (Trudeau).
I’m sorry. I’ll show myself out.
so the wt society is going to contest the recent norway ruling.. jehovah’s witnesses to appeal unconstitutional ruling in norway (jw.org).
their true colours are shown in the statement: "the decision to deregister jehovah’s witnesses denies us the financial aid and other benefits that the government provides to over 700 registered religious communities in the country.
additional consequences include losing the right to appoint and authorize ministers of jehovah’s witnesses as officiants for weddings.".
NotFormer:
Did they even once question their own purported infallibility?
Well, they don’t actually claim to be infallible. They explicitly say they’re not infallible. But then they say they never need to apologise for getting things wrong. Which is kind of worse. 🤣
easter and christmas have pagan origins.
many of us were told that since birth.
the evidence?
Yahweh, originally part of Canaanite pantheon
Exodus from Egypt adapted from Cushite myth
Cherubs in Ezekiel adapted from Assyrian mythology
Creation and flood myths adapted from Babylonian and earlier Sumerian myths
The devil as a specific character (rather than ‘satan’ as a generic concept of opposition) from Persian religion
Nebuchadnezzar’s dream about a tree contains elements adapted from a Babylonian legend about Nabonidus
The ‘Word’/logos from Greek philosophy
But Christmas and Easter are apparently a bridge too far. 🤦♂️🤣
so the wt society is going to contest the recent norway ruling.. jehovah’s witnesses to appeal unconstitutional ruling in norway (jw.org).
their true colours are shown in the statement: "the decision to deregister jehovah’s witnesses denies us the financial aid and other benefits that the government provides to over 700 registered religious communities in the country.
additional consequences include losing the right to appoint and authorize ministers of jehovah’s witnesses as officiants for weddings.".
A lot of focus has been put on JWs’ treatment of minors in regard to disfellowshipping, but the actual case in Norway is just as much about the policy of shunning of any former members who wish to leave the denomination. This is especially relevant to ‘apostates’, though individuals who are disfellowshipped for any reason are still shunned, with only a slightly relaxed policy that only really amounts to additional emotional coercion to ‘return’.
The policy, along with pressure from the organisation, to shun ‘apostates’ is also quite separate to the rights of individuals to stop talking to someone as an individual choice. But it is by design that members are officially not allowed to talk to dissenters, and making shunning a ‘conscience matter’ would defeat the purpose of the ‘arrangement’.
so the wt society is going to contest the recent norway ruling.. jehovah’s witnesses to appeal unconstitutional ruling in norway (jw.org).
their true colours are shown in the statement: "the decision to deregister jehovah’s witnesses denies us the financial aid and other benefits that the government provides to over 700 registered religious communities in the country.
additional consequences include losing the right to appoint and authorize ministers of jehovah’s witnesses as officiants for weddings.".
It’s always odd when people vote down a comment but give no indication why. 🤣
so the wt society is going to contest the recent norway ruling.. jehovah’s witnesses to appeal unconstitutional ruling in norway (jw.org).
their true colours are shown in the statement: "the decision to deregister jehovah’s witnesses denies us the financial aid and other benefits that the government provides to over 700 registered religious communities in the country.
additional consequences include losing the right to appoint and authorize ministers of jehovah’s witnesses as officiants for weddings.".
But they have doubled down on shunning 'apostates', which violates Freedom of Religion rights including the right to change religion. So I don't see their appeal going too well, but it depends on who has the best lawyers to some extent.
as there has been some discussion calling bs on this topic, .
i will paste the text from my 10 year plan post and i will critically evaluate how i feel things will turn out.
i will add bold italics my thoughts.. the governing body has a 10-year marketing plan to remodel the organization to become closer to a mainstream christian religion.
redsetter2:
The Governing Body has a 10-year marketing plan to remodel the Organization to become closer to a mainstream Christian religion.
This "plan" has not been initiated by the Governing Body, it has been provided to them as a recommendation by the Legal department, Service Committee, Teaching and Writing Committees
It makes sense that this supposed '10 year plan' is really just recommendations from marketing/legal. As such, there's no guarantee that any would necessarily be implemented. Some are likely, and some are very unlikely.
governing body members.
kenneth eugene cook, jr. (2018).
gage fleegle (2023).