Posts by Jeffro

42

Will I be disfellowshippwd

by Sydney in

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.

10

Inaccuracies regarding pagan origins

by AEnEm in

easter and christmas have pagan origins.

many of us were told that since birth.

the evidence?

Jeffro

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.

47

Norway

by St George of England in

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.".

Jeffro

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. 🤣

10

Inaccuracies regarding pagan origins

by AEnEm in

easter and christmas have pagan origins.

many of us were told that since birth.

the evidence?

Jeffro

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. 🤦‍♂️🤣

47

Norway

by St George of England in

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.".

Jeffro

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’.

47

Norway

by St George of England in

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.".

Jeffro

It’s always odd when people vote down a comment but give no indication why. 🤣

47

Norway

by St George of England in

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.".

Jeffro

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.

22

The "10 Year Plan" - What is the realistic outcome?

by redsetter2 in

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.

Jeffro

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.

8

Anyone Have a Photo of The Current 9 Member Governing Body?

by Vanderhoven7 in

governing body members.

kenneth eugene cook, jr. (2018).

gage fleegle (2023).

Jeffro

44

Thoughts on Likely Upcoming Changes in the Org.

by Phizzy in

i am thinking that the "ten year plan" that some have spoken of is the most likely scenario.

the org.

has to both attract new members and retain as many existing ones as possible.. so i think they will let the recent changes "bed in" for a while, maybe a year ?

Jeffro

I think much of the ‘ten year plan’ is based more on speculation rather than actual plans. That said, there does seem to be a general tendency toward the mainstream with recent changes.

I do suspect there will be a continuation of the doctrinal changes. It is unrealistic nonsense to believe that all other religions will be destroyed leaving only JWs, so there will probably be a shift towards emphasising the ‘spiritual paradise’, and that other religions are ‘already spiritually destroyed’.

I don’t see them dropping 1914 any time soon but if they do, it will likely be detrimental to their membership numbers. I also don’t see them starting to allow Christmas or Easter soon. But I wouldn’t be too surprised if birthdays are made a ‘conscience matter’.