for those of you who've watched the witnesses documentary, let's suppose for a moment that the org was forced to make their database of abusers available to the courts.
if this database is as detailed and meticulous as it is claimed, how in the world could the org (in its present form) survive that?
assuming they don't go bankrupt after all of the new abuse claims, would they go underground, shut down the kingdom halls, stop the preaching?
It's interesting that records of judicial actions in the congregation are to be destroyed after 5 years. (I destroyed my own envelope when I became an elder). It was a pleasure to do so. I thought it was a sick practice. Many envelopes had the reason for expulsion written on the outside of the envelope, what the hell?!!!
Why wouldn't they do the same with the P database? Seems they would since they evidently don't do anything with the information.
when i was affiliated with the witnesses, there were barely 6,000 who profess to be of the anointed remnant.
i recently read somewhere that today there are over 20,000 who profess to be anointed.
that figure may be more when you consider those who meet and partake privately for fear of the stigma of claiming to be anointed.
I'm sure I've mentioned it before; there was a group in the SF Bay Area of "anointed" who were meeting for study in the 1980-90's. They would meet and discuss a subject. Then take time to pray and study it. If they began rocking in their chair it was a sign from Jehoobedo that their interpretation was correct. Heaven, or (Brooklyn), forbid, they were spreading these teachings among the halls they were associated with. The WT clamped down HARD on these heaven bound types. There were mass DF'ings. I knew one of these "Rockers". She said she Heard a voice calling her to the heavenly hope. What a loon.
i just had this flashback when commenting on another thread about how they used to announce reproof or dfing from the platform.
at least in our congregation, it was a dramatic event (this is what i can remember from back in the mid-late 60's or early 70's when i was a kid).. at the end of the service meeting, just before singing the final song, the brother would announce, "we have a letter that must be read.
the "congregation servant" (my grandfather or later my father) would then slowly walk from the back of the kh to the platform.
As a lad in the 1960's I remember the reading of the sin as a grievous event making me fear any contact with the censured one. How could they do that to Jehovah? I never took it as a warning, it seemed to me to be a death sentence. No one would dare speak the person's name for fear of reprisals by the Stalinist rank and file. It impressed me as a boy just how powerful the congregation was, it must come from God to destroy a sinners life. Bastards. Intimidation at its best.
the full episode 'the witnesses,' from 🇺🇸 us oxygen(viewable from 🧶 outside of the us!
)https://www.facebook.com/jws4justice/videos/543483709706749/
I too found this hard to watch. So I would be informed of its content I watched it all, though it tended to be repetitive. I don't think it will have the desired impact till its leaked on YouTube where anyone can see it. There's no point commenting on its content since it is so straightforward in its presentation. JW's equal permissive rules and cover up of crimes, likely many different ones besides molestation. What a cluster.
i am not talking about the usual crap from the cult writings, but rather things idiots believed on their own.
maybe even helped on by the cult but not directly taught.
i knew an old man now long gone kunde in michigan.
A doctor who practiced "bloodless" surgery once said to witnesses, "If you like your coffee, drink it... don't sit on it."
we don’t get many invitations to congregational social gatherings.
we don’t attend midweek meetings and miss about 1/3 of sunday meetings.
we go in service at least once a month.
Remember, you broke from the herd by making it a practice to miss the meetings. Worse yet, you've shown it has NOT lead to unhappiness. These people are miserable and love others in like misery. Why bring you around when your life is an example of the opposite of theirs? They fear what they cannot control.
every once in a while you hear people say they actually “miss” their old witness friends and or family.
some would have even stayed in the organization if they became a bit more liberal and open minded.
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Never
movie review"1917".
i so seldom seek to sit inside an actual movie theater anymore.however ...some films are absolutely tailored for it.life of pigravityavatar3 examples of movies which do not translate to your home viewing...at all.good, bad, or indifferent - some films are visual and immersive.. here is a sacred pronouncement:movies are a visual medium.in the hands of an orson welles (i.e.
citizen kane) they are a radio play+visual storytelling medium._____.
Because of the camera technique you are made to feel like the third man on the mission across enemy lines. I was exhausted when the movie ended, I truly felt as if I had taken part in the action. (They RUN everywhere it seems.) The clock is ticking from the first moment to the last and you feel each moment as if it might be YOUR last. I saw it twice and noticed that I heard more on the second go. I heard only one F bomb the first time and over 11 the second time. I took a friend who has an aversion to F bombs and she counted them aloud, 1, 2, 3, as they were spoken. Jerk. (Its a war movie for god's sake). Not one was inappropriate.
Neither of the two actors who star were nominated for anything. Perhaps it wasn't a big enough anti war message? I thought the point of it was how futile war is. Live and learn. Yep, its exceptional.
yes, folks, it will soon be that time of year when obscenely wealthy actors, script writers and directors will collect their oscars and give little thank you speeches, strangely working in social commentary and/or extinction rebellion propaganda.. i know it's a huge back-slapping exercise that many people (including me) find off-putting.. but, there is one nomination that i've got my eye on and hope will win its category.
its nomination is for best cinematography and the film is the lighthouse (2019), directed and co-written by robert eggers.
i haven't seen it yet but it's on my 'to see list', as i really liked eggers's previous (debut) film, the witch (2016).. i'll definitely buy the lighthouse when it comes out on dvd.
Extremes breed excess.
I don't watch the Oscars either but I do check out the nominated films when I can, after reading critics I've become familiar with and that I agree with generally. A good film, lefty or righty, is a good film. I saw 1917 and thoroughly enjoyed it. For me there was no heavy handed message. I took away from it that war is futile. No mystery there.
we were supposed to be dedicated unconditionally to jehovah god.
we were willing to be persecuted to the death if need be.
if it came to taking a blood transfusion or dying, we were loyal to jehovah and would be a martyr for god.
I hate to admit it but I think I would have probably died for the faith. I do admit that when a dear sister was dying and went into a temporary coma and then woke up she asked, "Is this the new system?".
It was so pathetic I totally saw the folly of it. (She was young by the way).
