Posts by jwfacts

85

My letter to Bethel about the flood

by Cornbread in

i've decided to go full public with a new username on this forum.

it's been almost a decade since i've been out and i don't care at this point who knows.

that being said, here's a letter that i'm mailing to bethel.

Aleph that discussion is an embarrassment that shows how ignorant fundamentalists need to be to force reality into an impossible belief system.

http://www.jwfacts.com/watchtower/flood-noah-global.php gives a brief summary to show how every single line of reasoning proves the flood of Genesis is impossible to be taken literally.

24

i'm changing, but for the worse

by embarrassed in

that is the truth-- that's really how i think now.

so why should i tell the truth?

just look at the person i've become.

jwfacts

If you boyfriend did not trust you when you were saying the truth, then it is a good indication that he is not an honest person.

I have changed a lot of my standards, but honesty is the one thing I have adamantly held to. My level of honesty shocks a lot of people, intrigues them, and results in forming great levels of trust.

It sounds to me that your view of honesty has been damaged by your boyfriend. Don't let that experience taint you.

63

EXACTLY Why JW's Are NOT Christian

by Perry in

a lot of people, ex-jws, believers and unbelievers alike, think that jw's are just a somewhat kooky brand of christianity.

is it possible to "try and follow jesus" and not be christian?

what exactly makes someone a christian?

jwfacts

Ucantnome11 hours ago
'My concern is with helping JWs leave.'
jwfacts do you feel everyone should leave?

No. Many would be worse off if they left, particularly older ones with no one to care for them. I would not like my mother to leave at her age. My activism has two goals:

help those that are suffering within the organisation leave
push the organisation to change, so that those in and out of it are not as badly affected.

The global media and legal attention that Watchtower is getting is helping with point 2, forcing them to change rules on blood and child abuse. Hopefully shunning will eventually be removed as well.

I guess for a fundamentalist Christian that believes following their specific form of Christianity is essential for salvation, then it is essential for every JW to leave and convert to their fundamentalist viewpoint. I find such a concept simply offensive.

23

If your Bethelite Brother Doesn't Know About It, It Musn't Be True

by HomebytheSea in

a few weeks ago my deeply indoctrinated father who is a long time elder was wondering why we hadn't been attending meetings, and why my 8 yr old son wasn't on the theocratic school ( sounds like i almost off the hook with that one...lol).

we live in a different state, but i came to find out that one of the elders in our hall called my father, who he never met, to see why our meeting attendance had been so sporadic (i am in my mid-40's, so that knowledge made my blood boil, to put it mildly!

i tried not to answer, but he kept pressuring me, so i brought up the arc and child abuse cases i had heard of in our area.

jwfacts

He of course said, "Don't worry about it, Jehovah will take care of it!" I said, " Well, he hasn't done anything for the past 65 years, so maybe someone else should!"

Such a horrible comment and great come back. It is the standard comment, but so illogical. Jehovah did not stop any of those children being raped. If he had any interest in the matter he would manoeuver things to prevent the rape in the first place, not wait decades and thousands of victims later to slowly change processes under the pressure of worldly governments.

63

EXACTLY Why JW's Are NOT Christian

by Perry in

a lot of people, ex-jws, believers and unbelievers alike, think that jw's are just a somewhat kooky brand of christianity.

is it possible to "try and follow jesus" and not be christian?

what exactly makes someone a christian?

jwfacts

Ucantnome - excellent point. My concern is with helping JWs leave. It seems Perry would like to encourage the additional step of joining his way of thinking about Christ and judgement day.

I see doctrinal debates as pointless. It reminds me of when I would go toe to toe with Born Again Christians over doctrine, when now I have stepped back I can see both of them as cut from the same cloth. Fundamentalists that are controlled by the undue influence of their human leadership.

98

My Opinions on whats going on in WT land - Insider Information

by thedepressedsoul in

first off, i'd like to state that i currently have "privileges" in the congregation and volunteer at bethel on and off throughout the year.

that's as much information as i will currently give about myself.. starting off, i think something big is coming in the form of lawsuits and bad pr.

they seem to be batting down the hatches in preparation for something the last few years and even more so the last few months.

jwfacts

The economy is in crisis. And IT IS NOT GROWING.

This is an important point. The world is in a technical depression. And whilst there is some growth in the US at the moment due to money printing, it is not real growth. The US economy could quick slip back into a recession. If Watchtower is barely treading water now, then another recession could quickly deplete their bank balances. They may be worrying more about what will happen in the next couple of years than how bad things are right now.

63

EXACTLY Why JW's Are NOT Christian

by Perry in

a lot of people, ex-jws, believers and unbelievers alike, think that jw's are just a somewhat kooky brand of christianity.

is it possible to "try and follow jesus" and not be christian?

what exactly makes someone a christian?

jwfacts

You don't like his words because his words are truth.

Perry you are totally missing the point. I didn't say I didn't like his words. My point is you cannot say JWs are not Christian on the basis that they have a different interpretation of the New Covenant than you. They do not reject it, they just interpret the manner in which it works differently than you do.

There is no benefit in people making ignorant claims that JWs are not Christian. It helps no one. They follow Christ, according to their understanding of his requirements, more diligently than most Christians. JWs need to be helped leave by showing them accurate information about how they are being controlled and misled, not by making outlandish statements that they will instantly dismiss as wrong and put them on the offensive.

63

EXACTLY Why JW's Are NOT Christian

by Perry in

a lot of people, ex-jws, believers and unbelievers alike, think that jw's are just a somewhat kooky brand of christianity.

is it possible to "try and follow jesus" and not be christian?

what exactly makes someone a christian?

jwfacts

This is YOUR definition not Christs' definition.

That was not my definition, it is from a dictionary. Jesus never used the word Christian, so you are misrepresenting him when you say you are giving his definition. You are cherry picking Scriptures to support your position as to what was most important to Jesus, just as JWs do.

63

EXACTLY Why JW's Are NOT Christian

by Perry in

a lot of people, ex-jws, believers and unbelievers alike, think that jw's are just a somewhat kooky brand of christianity.

is it possible to "try and follow jesus" and not be christian?

what exactly makes someone a christian?

jwfacts

And Jehovah's Witnesses are unique in their outright rejection of the New Covenant, the one that offers forgiveness of sins.

The definition of Christian is someone that believes in Christ, it is not someone that accepts the New Covenant. That is just your interpretation of what is important. A Hindu/Muslim would have no difficulty recognizing a JW as Christian, it is only Christians that are splitting hairs to differentiate themselves. I see your definition as nothing other than a marketing ploy.

Jehovah's Witnesses reject the Blood of the Covenant for themselves personally. This is fundamental to what being a Christian is.

Who says acceptance of the covenant is fundamental? Scriptures such as Acts 16:31, John 17:3 shows it is belief in Jesus.

Further, JWs do accept the New Covenant, they just believe it is mediated to them through the anointed. Just because the 144,000 have inserted themselves as an intermediary does not mean the New Covenant is rejected. I disagree with this Watchtower doctrine, but it does not mean they are not Christian.

63

EXACTLY Why JW's Are NOT Christian

by Perry in

a lot of people, ex-jws, believers and unbelievers alike, think that jw's are just a somewhat kooky brand of christianity.

is it possible to "try and follow jesus" and not be christian?

what exactly makes someone a christian?

jwfacts

There are 30,000 Christian sects, with a wide range of interpretations, so to claim Christianity has to do with following your particular doctrinal understanding is illogical.

Of course JWs are Christian.

http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/christian

Definition of CHRISTIAN for Kids

1

: of or relating to Jesus Christ or the religion based on his teachings

2

: of or relating to people who follow the teachings of Jesus Christ <a Christian nation>

http://dictionary.cambridge.org/dictionary/english/christian

someone who believes in and follows the teachings of JesusChrist

JWs believe in Jesus and follow their interpretation of his teachings, just as you do, and people of any of the 30,000 Christian sects do. They think your interpretation is flawed just as you think their interpretation is flawed.

Funny that you say they are not Christian, they say you are not a true Christian, but you are both are both trying to achieve the same thing.