Posts by jwfacts

15

Smiley happy people

by Simon in

jw
friends

up here in canadia we have a lot of filipino people doing jobs that many other people may not want to do.

we often come across them working in low paid jobs at mcdonalds or other fast food places or the bottle depot or wherever.. but boy, do they seem happy !.

not only do they always seem to be really hard working and dilligent but also genuinely happy with big beaming beautiful smiles.. they must have some different outlook on life that works great - anyone know what it is?.

jwfacts

My wife is Filipino, as are my two step kids. I'm not sure if I'm game to enter this conversation.

25

Hubby's Becoming a COP!

by outofthelionsden in

talk about doing a 180* change!!

my husband after much thought went and passed for the police academy.

never would i have ever imagined my jw husband now becoming a police officer.

jwfacts

Congratulations. It must be fulfilling work.

You comment about him being a tradie for the new system reminded me of a quote from the Awake! 1969 May 22 p.15, which stated, “And trades such as carpentry, plumbing, and others, will be useful not only now, but perhaps even more so in the reconstruction work that will take place in God’s new order.”

91

Open letter Re: Mr. Bowen, Mrs. Anderson

by Prime in

"jws leaders need to mandate elder bodies to uniformly report abuse to the authorities no matter what jurisdiction; prohibit elders from being involved in any investigative process to decide guilt or innocence in place of the authorities; do away with the two-witness rule to determine, as if they were magistrates, guilt or innocence of someone accused; prohibit so-called repentant molesters from engaging in the door-to-door ministry, and always inform the congregation if a convicted or confessed molester is meeting with them.

" -barbara anderson .

this is another reason why the watchtower society doesn't require that the elders uniformly report abuse to the authorities no matter what jurisdiction.

jwfacts

What terribly poor use of logic.

A Bible-based organization is to do away with what is stated in the Bible?

The 2 Witness rule, based on Matthew 18, is not about child abuse. It discusses how an adult should approach another adult prior to going to the elders when they have a problem. You take a Scripture out of context, at the beckoning of your human leaders, at the endangerment of children.

The congregation doesn't interfere with the legal system doing its job.

It tried to, hiding behind the seal of confession, but lost.

You state " The Watchtower Society doesn't have the right to ask more of the elders than what's legally and scripturally required of them." Next you claim " It's appropriate for any organization that promotes family values to take some action against anyone who persists in a crime punishable by law. " That is why the Watchtower should go further than the law requires of them, not try to do the bare minimum. Watchtower claims to be superior to any other organisation, yet the issue of child abuse shows it lagging behind other organisations.

90

Can this logic be refuted?

by notsurewheretogo in

i was an elder until march 2012 until i resigned.

i then stopped going to meetings in october 2012 and have enjoyed 9 months of freedom that i have found to be jouful!

i loved learning ttatt and sites like this and jwfacts.com have been excellent.. i told the elders that i needed a break and that they should not contact me unless it was a social visit and true to their word they have done that.

jwfacts

The reasoning is good but your dates are a bit out, it was 1980 that an organ transplant was re-allowed. See Watchtower & Organ Transplants for the quotes.

It would be nice to let the elders and everyone for that matter know you have made a reasoned and logical decision to fade. However, logic does not have a place when pitted against a high control religion, and any attempt to reason can only lead to bad consequences. It could be a good point to make with someone that genuinely wants to know why you have faded, but risky.

51

Symposium with a talk about "Human Apostates"

by Prime in

"there is a symposium with a talk about "human apostates" that is very slanderous and defamatory and has the ex-jw blogosphere up in arms over it.".

if a person doesn't fit the description outlined in this talk, the talk isn't referring to you.. .

.

jwfacts

"For instance, in one country a news report instigated by apostates falsely stated that Jehovah’s witnesses supported Hitler’s regime during world war two."
http://www.jwfacts.com/watchtower/hitler-nazi.php

Prime, are you suggesting that I am being referred to by that statement. I did not instigate any news reports. Neither does the article on jwfacts.com say Jehovah's Witnesses supported Hitler. It quotes in full comments from Rutherford that showed support of some of Hitler's ideal and against the Jews, and allows the reader to draw their own conclusion. I even quote the Watchtower's later explanation and justification, to present a balanced presentation.

What you have posted is terribly dishonest. For instance, “MOST are not content to simply leave the faith they once viewed as true. They want to take others with them. Rather than going out and making their own disciples, many apostates seek to draw away Christ’s disciples after themselves. Most do simply leave the religion and move on with their lives.

There are tens of thousands of "apostates" registered on this web site, yet how many are trying to draw disciples after themselves? I could count on one hand the number that may have set up their own religion, and most of those are very difficult to take seriously. The Christian ones most active in trying to help people leave are not trying to get people to follow themselves, but rather to follow Christ, taking offence that the Governing Body tries to put inself in place of Jesus as mediator.

What is surprising to people that email me, and highlights the dishonesty of the talks against apostates, is that I do not tell people where to go. I tell them they should draw their own conclusions after reading all points of view. I have even told some, due to the information they provide, that it may be the wise thing to remain a JW. The over-the-top information from the Watchtower is very counter-productive, as people coming to jwfacts.com are completely taken by surprise by the tone of the information, and as they read it can very often realise in a matter of hours that they had spent their lives in a cult.

Maybe you will get to that point too, one day. Hanging out on jehovahs-witness.net has been able to get through the indoctrination of many that held similar views to yourself.

44

Newly wed UBM and soon to meet JW in-laws

by UBM101 in

i have been lurking here for a couple of years.

my hubby (inactive & some doubts) and i were just married and i'll be going to his place to meet his family (pretty much dubs).

they seem to be friendly and excited to meet me, and i kind of had agreed to attend the kingdumb hall meeting once (in my life time, yep, that's the agreement) and also meeting an elder who brain-washed my hubby during his teen.

jwfacts

I am somewhat concerned when you say:

Hubby is kind of in-between, doubting in his beliefs, having plenty of worldly friends but very much still mentally in.

If he does not sort that out it is possible something will happen that will push him back in. Your primary concern should be in gently guiding him to understand that the Watchtower is a high control organisation and cannot be trusted. There is a difference between following Jesus and the Bible, and following the leaders of a modern day religious organisation.

Regarding his family, I would recommend option 4:

Smile, nod your head, and then say it is not a topic you wish to discuss. If you have any questions you will discuss it in private with your husband.

38

Yet another Septuagint manuscript using the divine name found

by slimboyfat in

larry hurtado mentioned on his blog that yet another early manuscript of the septuagint has been found that uses the divine name instead of lord (kurios), this time representing the divine name with ancient hebrew letters (yhwh) in what is the earliest extant copy of the psalms in greek.

hurtado argues that the use of the definite article before the divine name indicates that the manuscript relies on earlier copies that used lord (kurios), but the fact remains that all the earliest copies of the septuagint that have survived use some form of the divine name and none use lord (kurios) as a substitute.

that's about ten out of ten for manuscripts of the septuagint earlier than mid-second century c.e so far.. http://larryhurtado.wordpress.com/2013/07/02/new-oxyrhynchus-manuscripts/.

jwfacts

Thanks Vidqun for the interesting information.

40

Post 6: My brother turns on me now - Possible Legal advice

by sosoconfused in

this is a letter i received today with my brother turning on me based on something that was told to him by my crazy mother.

he works for me, yet has not spoken a word to me in months because he is a self-righteous little dick.. .

what i would like to know from someone who knows the law, is it possible i can sue him if he pressures people to not work with me because of my religious beliefs????

jwfacts

You should consider this a lucky break. I have known a lot of exJWs that have employed JW's, and it is common for the majority of JW employees to leave over time. Your brother has opened your eyes to what is going to happen to your business. It sounds like good riddance with him leaving, and gives you time to prepare for the others leaving as well.

38

Yet another Septuagint manuscript using the divine name found

by slimboyfat in

larry hurtado mentioned on his blog that yet another early manuscript of the septuagint has been found that uses the divine name instead of lord (kurios), this time representing the divine name with ancient hebrew letters (yhwh) in what is the earliest extant copy of the psalms in greek.

hurtado argues that the use of the definite article before the divine name indicates that the manuscript relies on earlier copies that used lord (kurios), but the fact remains that all the earliest copies of the septuagint that have survived use some form of the divine name and none use lord (kurios) as a substitute.

that's about ten out of ten for manuscripts of the septuagint earlier than mid-second century c.e so far.. http://larryhurtado.wordpress.com/2013/07/02/new-oxyrhynchus-manuscripts/.

jwfacts

all the Jewish copies of the Septuagint have the divine name and all the Christian copies have kurios (or ku), so the reasonable conclusion is that it was Christians who started the substitution.

I read it the other way around.

Hurtado argues that the use of the definite article before the divine name indicates that the manuscript relies on earlier copies that used Lord (kurios),

The substitution is the putting of YHWH back into the Septuagint. So it is the Jews doing the substitution here. If the Jewish copies were not the substitutions, then there would not be the definite article, according to Hurtado.

Do you have any reference to support that all Jewish copies have YHWH and Christian copies have Lord?

38

Yet another Septuagint manuscript using the divine name found

by slimboyfat in

larry hurtado mentioned on his blog that yet another early manuscript of the septuagint has been found that uses the divine name instead of lord (kurios), this time representing the divine name with ancient hebrew letters (yhwh) in what is the earliest extant copy of the psalms in greek.

hurtado argues that the use of the definite article before the divine name indicates that the manuscript relies on earlier copies that used lord (kurios), but the fact remains that all the earliest copies of the septuagint that have survived use some form of the divine name and none use lord (kurios) as a substitute.

that's about ten out of ten for manuscripts of the septuagint earlier than mid-second century c.e so far.. http://larryhurtado.wordpress.com/2013/07/02/new-oxyrhynchus-manuscripts/.

jwfacts

What conclusion are you drawing? That the Jews started adding YHWH back to the Septuagint to distance themselves from Christians? Christians were not using YHWH and using Lord instead, so Jews would want to make it clear they were not worshipping the same Lord.