Posts by dedpoet

30

Lying is fine!

by Gill in

in this article of the watchtower, february 1st 2007, we get some very typical watchtower double talk.. 'why be truthful?

' is the article.

page 6 says,.

dedpoet

Every lie is an untruth, but not every untruth is a lie. Why not? A dictionary defines a lie as 'an assertion of somethinkg know or believed by the speaker to be untrue with intent to deceive.' Yes, lying includes the intention to deceive someone. Hence to speak an untruth unwittingly - such as giving someone incorrect facts or figures by mistake - is not the same as to tell a lie.

When I read this, I thought for a minute they were finally coming clean about the field service. I must have unwittingly lied to thousands in that by telling them about the new system and other wts fantasies.

23

Miss Field Service?

by searching4truth in

jw
friends

i was just thinking today about the old days going door to door and street work and i have some very fond memories of those days.

coolhand and i used to go in street work everyday together when we were pioneering.

i used to be my happiest when i was in the preaching work.

dedpoet

I didn't like field service at all, but I preferred it to the meetings. At least I could talk to the brother or sister I was working with, and if we were really lucky, we might find a few normal human beings to talk to as well, whereas at meetings we had to sit there and listen to the mindless drivel pouring our way from the platform.

Having said that, I don't miss the fs, or any other aspect of jw life.

115

Can we start a Secret Santa Recieved/Sent Thread?

by restrangled in

jw
friends

i'm worried because i sent a christmas card plus had a gift sent by ups over the internet about 7 days ago and haven't heard anything.

i would feel really feel bad if my person didin't receive their gift or card.

so i think we need to have an official post place.

dedpoet

I picked mine up today from the Mail Sorting Office. It actually arrived last week, but I was out when it came.

Thankyou so much Sailor Ripley, for the superb book.

Trev

21

Should you tell them the trutheven if it kills them?

by The wanderer in

jw
friends

should you tell them the trutheven if it kills them?.

a family of witnesses that were good to me in the.

past was always strong in the truth.

dedpoet

Would it be a good idea to let them know the true
nature of the organization—even if it kills them?

If they are that strong in their beliefs, I doubt they'd believe you anyway. They'd quite possibly see you as a bitter apostate who wasn't able to live up to the requirements of being a jw, and is now looking to damage the org.

I think people have to come to their own realisation about the wts, and if they don't want to listen, nothing anyone says about it will have the slighteste effect on their faith. I'd let it be if I were you.

dedpoet

32

Comments You Will Not Hear at the 12-31-06 WT Study (Discipline)

by blondie in

was he married to his own mother?

q1) why should we accept divine discipline?.

does that mean if a jw married their ex-stepmother or ex-stepfather today, they would be dfd?.

dedpoet

Blondie, you are right, it is indeed vomit material. I feel pity for the dubs that have to sit through this tomorrow, and joy that I won't be sitting there with them.

Happy new year to you and Irreverent

dedpoet

33

Ex-JW on YouTube

by seattleniceguy in

jw
friends

some guy started a video gallery on youtube to talk about his experiences coming out of the jws.... http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yqfll5q6c3c.

sng.

dedpoet

Nice one SNG, I look forward to more

dedpoet

27

Preying on the vulnerable

by carla in

jw
friends

i wonder if jw's know that society at large finds it disgusting that they prey upon the most vulnerable?

(this is actually a rant i can't elaborate on, but i'm pissed off about it)

dedpoet

Hi CoCo,

We weren't aware, as jws, that we were spinning a web of deceit. We were merely repeating what we had been taught, which at the time we had accepted as the truth. It's only after you see through the wts dogma and realise the falsehoods they teach that you realise you were telling people things that were simply not true. That isn't lying, because you weren't conscious it was a lie.

I don't think anyone in the congregation is initially aware of the falsehoods either, that realisation comes later. The governing body may have some insight into that, but maybe they totally believe what they are writing and preaching as well, I am unable to ask them, even if I thought they would tell me. It is part of the jws method of teaching to give the prospective new convert a progressive understanding of wts doctrine, starting with the best parts first, and gradually introducing them to the more unpleasant aspects, like shunning, once they are more fully indoctrinated, and hence more likely to accept the necessity for such measures to exist. I was no more aware that I was withholding information that may have influenced the people I studied withs' desire to become a jw than my study conductor was with me. We were brainwashed into believing that the method we used was the best way to help these people, so we followed it without a second thought.

You say that not for one moment did any of us seek to take advantage of the lowly one, and to some extent, I agree with you, we didn't consciously do that, but I know from experience that if a jw came across a vulnerable person, someone obviously in distress in the course of his ministry, he would put a little more into extolling the virtues and promises of the kingdom if that person showed interest. I did so myself when I was a jw, because I felt at the time that I was offerring a person who seemed to have little or no hope something to hope for, at least in the future. I wouldn't say we were trained to be on the lookout for vulnerable people, but I would most certainly say that most jws would try to take advantage of that kind of situation given the opportunity.

dedpoet

27

Preying on the vulnerable

by carla in

jw
friends

i wonder if jw's know that society at large finds it disgusting that they prey upon the most vulnerable?

(this is actually a rant i can't elaborate on, but i'm pissed off about it)

dedpoet

Hi LT,

Thanks for clearing that up. I tend to agree with you on this statement:

Dawkins is a good example of an evangelical atheist. There are a few on this site that enjoy emulating his example, rather than to merely be happy to present evidence for discussion.

My atheism is based on my own experiences, and is an entirely personal view, which I have never conciously tried to persuade anyone else to share. I dislike being told what I should and shouldn't believe, so it would be somewhat hypocritical of me to try and preach to anyone else, and I left the hypocrisy behind when I quit the wts.

I don't find discussions with evangelists, whether their agenda be spiritual, political or atheistic, paricularly stimulating anyway, and generally tend to avoid them.

dedpoet

24

How many JWs die for want of a blood transfusion?

by Gill in

does anyone have a rough or even accurate idea of how many jws lose their lives each year due to the no blood doctrine?.

dedpoet

Gill, I would think that any figures obtained, apart from those the wts may or may not have, would be guesswork, but they would certainly be very high. We have given this matter some thought, and can think of 4, possibly 5, around here who dies because of the no blood rule. I wouldn't be surprised if the worldwide figure runs into hundreds of thousands or maybe even millions.

When you think about it, wts policy has been killing people with their stupid ideas since Rutherfords day. They used to be anti - vaccination, and I'd bet few or no jws had vaccinations then and died because of it. They started publishing anti - vaccination propoganda in the 1920's, and didn't change it until 1952. The information on that is here:

http://www.quotes-watchtower.co.uk/vaccination.html

Personally, I am embarassed to think that I was ever part of an organisation that imposed such evil, death - dealing policies on it's membership.

dedpoet

5

Austerity to lavish and back again How does it affect JWs?

by Lady Lee in

when i was first connected to the wts (late 60s and early 70s) they took a certain pride in having humble looking halls.

the halls themselves were not by any means lavish or comfortable.

the seats were plain stacking chairs with no padding and uncomfortable enough to keep you awake.

dedpoet

Lady Lee,

I think you are spot on with this comment:

Is it possible that the new austerity is going to push them back into believing the end is so close that WT products are designed to not last long?

There have been threads from people still attending that suggest the wts believes that the "end" is very close now, as well as those rumours in the summer that this years' district conventions may well be the last they hold, though I am certain that they will be holding them next summer, and for many more summers to come, probably with dwindling attendances as the "system" carries on. Also, I spoke to a current jw in the past week, and some in her kh are convinced that armageddon is close, though she herself is far from convinced of that.

I am sure the wts is well aware of the fact that many still attending kingdom halls are having private doubts about their doctrines, and see the "armageddon is close" propoganda that they are pushing more and more nowadays as the only way to hold on to these people. All these campaigns, like the recent tract distribution, will hopefully, from the wts's point of view anyway, distract the average jw from thinking too much about the real situation in his religion. The return to austerity may have the same effect, and I imagine that is the main reason behind it.

dedpoet