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.

Jeffro

Sydney:

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. I don't know how the elders will deal with it. Is there any way that I could just anul m baptism or something I got baptized 2 weeks ago btw.

Based on the timeline, you became pregnant prior to baptism, suggesting you either knew you were pregnant when you were baptised, or at least knew that it was a possibility. If it were not disclosed to 'elders' that you were engaged in sexual activity with someone not your husband, this would also affect the elders' decision in determining the sincerity of repentance.

42

Is there really a Bible rule against sex without marriage?

by Halcon in

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.

Jeffro

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”. 🙄

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.

Jeffro

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.