Posts by jwfacts

25

Aust Census Data shows decrease while Yearbook shows increase

by shepherdless in

on threads about 8 or 9 months ago, i put up some detailed data from the 2011 and 2006 australian censuses.

data from the 2016 census is becoming available in stages, and i mentioned recently that i would do an update.

finally, as of about today, some data of interest is available, and i have started to look at this, but it is time consuming, and i am time-poor.. anyway, the first search i have conducted is just a simple breakdown of the number of people describing themselves as jw's.

jwfacts

To add to that, it is less than 20 years ago:

1996 - 83,414

2001 - 81,069

Australia's population has grown 33% in that time period.

1996 18 million

2016 24 million

37

What Happens If the JW Beard Policy Stumbles a Person

by Cold Steel in

some of the videos on youtube really make the beard policy look ridiculous.

i wondered what would happen if the jw beard policy caused someone to stumble?

jesus most likely wore a beard, and charles taze russell had a beard.

jwfacts

Drearyweather
Youtube videos do make the beard policy look ridiculous. In fact, Youtube videos can make anything and everything under the sun look ridiculous.

Youtube videos "make the beard policy look ridiculous", because it is ridiculous. http://jwfacts.com/watchtower/beards-jehovahs-witnesses.php shows exactly what the policy is. It is irrelevant that you cannot be disfellowshipped, this is a ridiculous and contradictory policy that shows just what a petty and Pharisaical religion Watchtower really is.

all religions in this world are technically like corporate organizations

You got that correct. Watchtower is nothing but a corporate organization.

27

Dealing with Elderly Parents Who Still Believe the jw Religion is the truth

by lancelink in

i left the religion back in 2008 right after my mother died,( the total lack of natural love/ affection was the final straw for me).. but my dad has become more and more focused on doing the wt bidding.. it just amazes me how he gushes on and on about the last days, his new bible studies, and meeting parts .

but yet he makes no effort to have any type of relationship with his grandkids, there are 5 of them , non are witnesses.

they are the children from several different sisters of mine, and myself.. so how do you deal with the witness stuff always being presented in conversations?.

jwfacts

Respect needs to go both ways; you respect his right and need to cling to his beliefs, and he should respect that you do not want to hear about it. IMO you should explain that he needs to be mindful that you do not want to hear about Watchtower related topics, though that may leave him with little else to talk about.

22

Who holds the Burden Of Proof?

by stuckinarut2 in

when we as former witnesses wake up and choose to leave the society, it is mainly because we value truth and honesty.. the society tries to make out that we are in the wrong.

that we have "left the truth".. but, who really holds the burden of proof?

do we (who leave) need to prove that the society is not the "truth", or does the society need to prove that it is the "truth".. thoughts?.

jwfacts

The onus of proof is usually on the person bringing the accusation. So they need to prove the truth when witnessing, but it is on the "apostate" when confronting a JW.

A JW would say they have 100 years of publications that outlines their proof for the truthfulness of their teachings. It seems that whilst I get your point, it would not make any difference to a JW. It is up to you to prove them wrong, and it takes a lot of work to get through the indoctrination.

15

Far and away the best video I have seen explaining cults

by jwfacts in

this 5 minute ted video perfectly explains what a cult it.

it does not mention jws, but perfectly aligns with them.

it is put in a manner that would make some understand why jws are considered a cult.

jwfacts

Pete, intriguing video. Incredible to see how an atheist sees discussions with JWs, particularly one that had previously been in a Christian religion.

He mentions that the beliefs are childish. I've come to realize that too about JW thinking after researching the beliefs of other Christian groups, yet as a JW I had always thought Watchtower reasoning was so deep.

70

What made you stay "in" even when you knew it wasn't the "truth"?

by mentalclarity in

so i've been thinking a lot about why i stayed a jw for so long even though i had always had doubts about the doctrines.

i was born into the religion, left and came back as an adult for another decade.

some of the things that come to mind (besides the threat of shunning-and this isn't to minimize that very real threat) was:.

jwfacts

Family. If I completely walk away at this point in time there will be NO ONE to look after elderly family. For them I stay...for now. Link
Dislike Like

That is particularly loving of you, considering your elderly family will cast you aside if you left.

43

The denial of 1975 when and how did they go about it.

by Crazyguy in

i was pretty young in 1975, all i remember was a few complaining at the hall after and those at the door that razed us over it.

does anyone remember how they went about denying it and when this started.

i do remember a scripture in psalms about people being mighty and living longer so this was used.

jwfacts

They started damage control before the expected date. In 1975 they were already saying that we don't know the exact time since the year of Eve's creation is not known.

"Another speaker, F. W. Franz, the Society’s vice-president, forcefully impressed on the audience the urgency of the Christian preaching work.
He stressed that, according to dependable Bible chronology, 6,000 years of human history will end this coming September according to the lunar calendar. This coincides with a time when “the human species [is] about to starve itself to death,” as well as its being faced with poisoning by pollution and destruction by nuclear weapons. Franz added: “There’s no basis for believing that mankind, faced with what it now faces, can exist for the seventh thousand-year period” under the present system of things. Does this mean that we know exactly when God will destroy this old system and establish a new one? Franz showed that we do not, for we do not know how short was the time interval between Adam’s creation and the creation of Eve, at which point God’s rest day of seven thousand years began. (Heb. 4:3, 4)
But, he pointed out, “we should not think that this year of 1975 is of no significance to us,” for the Bible proves that Jehovah is “the greatest chronologist” and “we have the anchor date, 1914, marking the end of the Gentile Times.” So, he continued, “we are filled with anticipation for the near future, for our generation.”—Matt. 24:34." Watchtower 1975 May 1 p.285

15

Far and away the best video I have seen explaining cults

by jwfacts in

this 5 minute ted video perfectly explains what a cult it.

it does not mention jws, but perfectly aligns with them.

it is put in a manner that would make some understand why jws are considered a cult.

jwfacts

tuned out after I saw the depiction of one human leader.

This is a good point. A lot of people think a cult has to have a single leader. Discussions on cults should be clearer that it requires a dominant leadership, not leader. Many will start with a strong leader, but after the leader dies the structure may change. The important aspect is not the number of leaders, but whether the leaders use the concept of mystical manipulation and cannot be questioned.

15

Far and away the best video I have seen explaining cults

by jwfacts in

this 5 minute ted video perfectly explains what a cult it.

it does not mention jws, but perfectly aligns with them.

it is put in a manner that would make some understand why jws are considered a cult.

jwfacts

Island Man, that is a good video too. The Ted one is a good introduction for someone that does not comprehend what a cult is or that they are in one. The one you include is far more in-depth, and I dare say would be somewhat incomprehensible to many JWs when listening to it the first time.

15

Far and away the best video I have seen explaining cults

by jwfacts in

this 5 minute ted video perfectly explains what a cult it.

it does not mention jws, but perfectly aligns with them.

it is put in a manner that would make some understand why jws are considered a cult.

jwfacts

This is not getting much response but I think it is a very important approach to take with JWs. There are so many trigger points to get a Witness thinking.

This is potentially a good topic to raise at carts. Don't tell a JW they are a cult, rather ask, "what do you think are the indentifiers that cause a religion to be classified as a cult?" See what they say and then run through the points of this video.