Joel Wideman

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Posts by Joel Wideman

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  57

  Is it possible that a child molester is NOT a pedophile?

  by sir82 in

  1. watchtower
  2. child-abuse

  i realize many here have (unfortunately) much more experience with this sort of thing than i do.

  any personal insight, or direction to research material, would be appreciated.. there was a letter to all boes about 8-10 years ago, saying that if an appointed elder had any incidents of child abuse in his history, he had to step forward & admit such, so that his status as an elder could be reviewed.

  none of the elders in this congregation said anything.. it was later (maybe 5 years ago) discovered that one of the elders had sexually abused his daughters some time in the 80's, before his appointment.

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  Joel Wideman

  er... just thought I'd point out that 16, or even lower, is legal in many locations, many of them in the USA. What confuses people is that the US has left the age of sexual consent up to states, but the age for pornography is set at 18. As for sexual attraction to developing teenagers, that's ephebephilia.
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  26

  How fast are you?

  by JH in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  http://www.speakeasy.net/speedtest/ .

  download 4776 kbps .

  upload 566 kbps

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  Joel Wideman

  If you're getting faster uploads than downloads, something's wrong.
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  27

  Watching an addicted brain is fun! (quitting smoking)

  by AlmostAtheist in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  so i'm quitting smoking.

  it's no biggee, i've done it before... .

  no seriously, i smoked my last one at lunch.

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  Joel Wideman

  It can be tough. I had to switch from cigarettes to a pipe before I could do it.
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  51

  tions about hello everyone, i'm new here,,,

  by telltruth in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  hello everyone.

  have recently met someone, amazing person!

  however have many questions about jw's and wt.

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  Joel Wideman

  Welcome! Feel free to ask any questions that come up.
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  29

  Where Are All The "Happy" Witnesses????????? :(

  by minimus in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  all the jws that i know of look miserable.

  they look burdened, tired and hopeless.

  do you see any happy witnesses?

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  Joel Wideman

  They aren't doing enough. They need to do more. :D
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  8

  I'm addicted to these, I can't stop!!

  by damselfly in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  if you prefer to keep your bath to yourself and wouldn't dream of allowing anyone else anywhere near the bathroom when you're in there naked, please don't allow the following suggestion to detract from your enjoyment of a bubbly, mauve bathos bath.

  if you prefer to share your bath for reasons of ecological soundness or just plain fun, then bathos is absolutely ideal!

  we make it with some of most sensual, relaxing essential oils on the planet, including lots of violet leaf which is reputed to help people remember why they got together in the first place.

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  Joel Wideman

  Bathos? What, you add one to your nice relaxing bath and it instantly turns into toxic slime?
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  12

  E-Watchman is revealed???

  by PurePeople in

  1. watchtower
  2. scandals

  does anyone know about this???

  .

  http://www.aimoo.com/forum/postview.cfm?id=311102&categoryid=2967&startcat=1&threadid=1800647

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  Joel Wideman

  tyrone, nobody wants to accept that they are in a cult, at least until they begin to wonder if they are. It's an emotionally charged word, along with brainwashing, that brings up images of Jonestown and other atrocities. Maybe you would prefer the terms "high control group" and "thought reform"? There is a checklist, provided by Dr. Michael Langone, for such things. While not evidence, it is thought provoking.
  The group is focused on a leader to whom members seem to display excessively zealous, unquestioning commitment. Typically, the leader is alive, but in some cases may be deceased, but his or her “message” (belief system, ideology, touted practices) is still upheld as the Truth, as law.
  Questioning, doubt, and dissent are discouraged or even punished.
  Mind-altering practices (such as meditation, chanting, speaking in tongues, denunciation sessions, and debilitating work routines) are used in excess and serve to suppress doubts about the group and its leader(s).
  The leadership dictates, sometimes in great detail, how members should think, act, and feel (for example, members must get permission to date, change jobs, marry; leaders prescribe what types of clothes to wear, where to live, whether or not to have children, how to discipline children, and so forth).
  The group is elitist, claiming a special, exalted status for itself, its leader(s) and members (for example, the leader is considered the Messiah, a special being, an avatar; the group and/or the leader is on a special mission to save humanity).
  The group has a polarized us-versus-them mentality, which causes conflict with the wider society.
  The leader is not accountable to any authorities (as are, for example, military commanders, and ministers, priests, monks, and rabbis of mainstream religious denominations).
  The group teaches or implies that its supposedly exalted ends justify the means (what members are expected to do). This may result in members participating in behaviors or activities they would have considered reprehensible or unethical before joining the group (for example, lying to family or friends, collecting money for bogus charities).
  The leadership induces feelings of shame and/or guilt in members in order to influence and control them. Often, this is done through peer pressure and subtle forms of persuasion.
  Subservience to the leader/group results in members cutting ties with family, friends, and radically altering personal goals and activities that were of interest before joining the group.
  The group is preoccupied with bringing in new members.
  The group is preoccupied with making money.
  Members are expected to devote inordinate amounts of time to the group and group-related activities.
  Members are encouraged or required to live and/or socialize only with other group members.
  The most loyal members (the “true believers”) feel there can be no life outside the context of the group, believing there is no other way to be, and often fearing reprisals to self or others if they leave or even consider leaving the group.
  I could go through the list and demonstrate how the WTS fits every single one of these, but that defeats the purpose. These are things that you should investigate yourself, not blindly accept the answers.
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  83

  Do You Know Your Blood Type?

  by RAYZORBLADE in

  1. watchtower
  2. medical

  with all the information we have nowadays, out of sheer curiousity, do any of you know your blood type?

  for some, i know the blood-issue is a touchy subject, but it's interesting to know it.

  you'd be surprised especially when the case of an rh-negative mother may give birth to an rh-positive child.

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  Joel Wideman

  I'm AB something. Negative, I think.
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  2

  It' been five months since I "left" my job...

  by TresHappy in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  and my voice is still on the voice mail in my former supervisor's office.

  i am also getting invitations to various employee functions and the employee newspaper.

  my name is still on the website!

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  Joel Wideman

  Ever see the movie "Office Space"? :D
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  28

  Please welcome my former JW "friend" Rachael to the board

  by unbeliever in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  i have been open with some ex jw friends of mine that i post on this board and have sent several the link.

  one has even posted.

  well i sent the link to someone who was leaving the org.

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  Joel Wideman

  Welcome, Rachael. May your stay here be enlightening.