Severus

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Posts by Severus

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  15

  Was it REALLY a Bible Study?

  by fullofdoubtnow in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  i've just been reading an email that an ex jw sent to dedpoet recently, and he raised an interesting point, so i though i'd post it (dp emailed him back, and he gave permission).

  hi trevor.

  i came across your website recently, and as an ex witness living in north derbyshire, i thought i'd share a few thoughts i had recently with you.. like yourself, i joined the jehovahs witnesses in the early 90's, being baptised in 1992 at the district convention (the same one as dp).

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  Severus

  Typical JW "Bible Study":

  Student: So, what does the Bible really teach?

  JW: Hell if I know, just read paragragh two please, and I'll read the questions.
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  5

  Interesting info for the newbies and some of us old-timers

  by TweetieBird in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  i ran across this website and here is the link: http://www.jwfacts.com/index_files/5min.htm (you'll have to cut and paste as i have a mac and for some reason it won't do it) .

  anyway, i thought this was a well written article and helps solidify my belief's of how wrong the wts really is.

  for newbies, it's a real roller coaster ride when you first learn the truth about "the truth" so hopefully this will be of help to someone.

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  Severus

  Great chart on that website regarding circular reasoning.
  
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  43

  Update! The pressure is rising, Elders on my trail!

  by drew sagan in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  here is yet another update on what is going on in my world.

  the elder i talked to a while back just couldn't let it be and now want's to have another discussion.

  he now wants to meet with with another elder from the hall.

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  Severus

  Check out pages 99-100 of the elder manual to see their talking points.

  It is easy to dodge the questions and avoid the "A" stamp if you want to.

  I find that diverting their concerns to other issues than the classic apostate confrontation works well.

  For example, discuss respectfully your "concerns" with child baptisms, this shows you are having a minor problem without heaving 587/607 at them.
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  39

  Combatting Mind Control by Steve Hassan - with WT References

  by ithinkisee in

  1. watchtower
  2. beliefs

  (4) emotional control.

  behavior control

  emotional control

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  Severus

  Another good Hassan/JW Comparison:

  From the Best Of Section: http://www.jehovahs-witness.com/12/78149/1.ashx

  (Weird question mark placement due to errors on JWD at the time.)

  ---

  If asked, Jehovah"s Witnesses will insist that they are not part of a cult. This is a lie.

  The information I use below is based on the book Combatting Cult Mind Control by Steven Hassan. JWs are not mentioned in this book. But their mode of recruiting, indoctrination and mind control are clearly defined. I will ask 8 questions and answer them from JWs own publications. The questions are paraphrased from the book (chapter 8) and provided as a simple test to determine if you are being recruited into a destructive cult. Shall we see how they rate?
  
  
  Are you trying to recruit me into any type of organization?
  
  JWs will never automatically say yes to this - but they are. In fact, when knocking on doors they rarely even mention they are "Jehovah's Witnesses". Instead they use diverting statements such as those recommended in the Reasoning Book (none of the introductions mention JWs):

  "We're endeavoring to share with our neighbors a positive view of the future"

  "I'm calling to offer you a free home Bible course"

  "We are asking our neighbors a question. We'd appreciate your comment on it"

  "We are showing this Bible study aid to our neighbors"

  Can you tell me about the names of all other organizations that are affiliated with this group?
  
  Very few JWs will be able to give you this answer:

  *** km 1/02 p. 7 New Corporations Formed ***
  
  Such entities or corporations are necessary to conform to local and national laws, as required by God?s Word. (Rom. 13:1) Because of the diversity and scope of our work, the Governing Body has approved the formation of additional corporations to care for certain needs of Jehovah?s Witnesses here in the United States. The new corporations are as follows:
  
  Christian Congregation of Jehovah?s Witnesses
  
  Religious Order of Jehovah?s Witnesses
  
  Kingdom Support Services, Inc.
  
  These will operate along with Watch Tower Bible and Tract Society of Pennsylvania and Watchtower Bible and Tract Society of New York, Inc.

  The real reason for so many corps is to compartmentalize and protect the group from lawsuits and charges tax evasion (see http://www.watchman.org/jw/jwreorg.htm for more details).

  Who is the top leader? What is his background and qualifications?

  A JW will tell you no one person runs the organization and that it is lead by a ?Governing Body?, although very few can list all the members of the GB. The official JW website offers no listing, only a brief mention of the ?GB? http://www.watchtower.org/library/jt/article_07.htm. I wonder why it is so easy to get the roster from a non-JW site? http://www.freeminds.org/history/listofgbmembers.htm Needless to say, the background and qualifications of these men are even more mysterious.

  Does your group believe that the ends justify the means? Is deception allowed in certain circumstances?

  A JW will tell you ?the Truth? is a way of life and that JWs are known for their honesty, however?

  ?Cautious as Serpents?
  
  Of course, being truthful does not mean that we are obligated to divulge all information to anyone who asks it of us. ?Do not give what is holy to dogs, neither throw your pearls before swine, that they may never . . . turn around and rip you open,? warned Jesus, at Matthew 7:6. For example, individuals with wicked intent may have no right to know certain things. Christians understand that they are living in a hostile world. Thus, Jesus advised his disciples to be ?cautious as serpents? while remaining ?innocent as doves.? (Matthew 10:16; John 15:19) Jesus did not always disclose the full truth, especially when revealing all the facts could have brought unnecessary harm to himself or his disciples. Still, even at such times, he did not lie. Instead, he chose either to say nothing or to divert the conversation in another direction.?Matthew 15:1-6; 21:23-27; John 7:3-10.

  Find out how this strategy was tried (and failed) in a paticularly political and anti-Semite letter to Hilter in 1933: http://watchtower.observer.org/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20040306/JWANDHITLER4/10810004

  Once I join do I have to cut myself off from family members and friends who might oppose my membership?

  ?Of course not!? will come the answer. This is decetful answer. If your JW family/friends are disfellowshipped, you are required to shun them.

  *** km 8/02 p. 3 Display Christian Loyalty When a Relative Is Disfellowshipped ***
  
  The Watchtower of September 15, 1981, page 28, points out regarding the disfellowshipped or disassociated person: ?Former spiritual ties have been completely severed. This is true even with respect to his relatives, including those within his immediate family circle?states The Watchtower of April 15, 1988, page 28. ?It might be possible to have almost no contact at all with the relative. Even if there were some family matters requiring contact, this certainly would be kept to a minimum,?

  If people are critical of your group, what are their main objections?

  An honest answer will include: refusal of blood transfusions; neutrality in war; disfellowshipping; and unreported child abuse (http://www.silentlambs.org/). But JWs are told that unfavorable news reports are actually false attacks from Satan:

  *** w04 9/1 p. 17 Beware of the Voice of Strangers ***
  
  While we certainly do not distrust all secular information, we do recognize that ?the whole world is lying in the power of the wicked one.? (Italics as printed)

  Have you ever sat down to speak with a former member to find out why he left the group? If not, why not? Does your group impose restrictions on communicating with former members?

  The JW may mention ?disfellowshipping? and ?apostacy?, betraying one of the strongest forms of mind-control practiced by the group.

  *** w86 3/15 p. 12 ?Do Not Be Quickly Shaken From Your Reason? ***
  
  Now, what will you do if you are confronted with apostate teaching?subtle reasonings?claiming that what you believe as one of Jehovah?s Witnesses is not the truth? For example, what will you do if you receive a letter or some literature, open it, and see right away that it is from an apostate? Will curiosity cause you to read it, just to see what he has to say? You may even reason: ?It won?t affect me; I?m too strong in the truth. And, besides, if we have the truth, we have nothing to fear. The truth will stand the test.? In thinking this way, some have fed their minds upon apostate reasoning and have fallen prey to serious questioning and doubt.

  What are the three things you like least about the group and the leader?

  What a great question for a cult member! But if a JW says, ?Nothing?, this is a big warning sign. Hassan writes, ?I suggest you watch his face very carefully. The pupils in his eyes will dilate, and he will act momentarily stunned. When he does answer, he will likely say that there is nothing he can think of that he doesn?t like. Cult members?are simply not permitted to talk critically? (pg 110) You mean like this?

  *** w96 6/15 pp. 21-22 Blessings or Maledictions?Examples for Us Today ***
  
  But what if we were to develop a negative attitude that manifested itself in critical discussions among an intimate circle of friends? We would do well to ask ourselves, ?Where is this likely to end? Would it not be far better to stop murmuring and pray humbly for wisdom?? (James 1:5-8; Jude 17-21) Korah and his supporters, who rebelled against the authority of Moses and Aaron, may have been so convinced that their perspective was valid that they did not examine their motives. Nonetheless, they were completely wrong. So were the Israelites who murmured about the destruction of Korah and the other rebels. How wise it is to let such examples move us to examine our motives, dispel murmuring or complaining, and allow Jehovah to refine us!

  There you have it. If you have not already, I encourage you to read Combatting Cult Mind Control exposing Jehovah?s Witnesses' methods as a destructive cult.
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  13

  NEWS BIG- Church and (pedophile) secrecy

  by DannyHaszard in

  1. watchtower
  2. child-abuse

  the church and secrecy

  jamaica gleaner, jamaica - 1 hour ago .

  ... but, what many don't realise is that the jehovah's witnesses have also been the subject of many scandals in the united states and the united kingdom involving ...

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  Severus

  Who are the religions that people think of regarding child abuse coverup?

  The Catholic Church and Jehovah's Witnesses.

  This article proves it. Good.
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  11

  JWs and the Internet

  by JW_Researcher in

  1. watchtower
  2. beliefs

  i posted the question below but it may have gotten lost in the shuffle.

  nina indicated that the jws have been "instructed" not to use the internet.

  my understanding was that they were to use caution.

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  Severus

  JWs are not officially anti-internet. Otherwise why would they have their own websites? www.watchtower.org and www.jw-media.org

  On the other hand, they make strong general statements against the dangers of the internet, but without instructive details.

  For example, current JW talking points include "NO MYSPACE.COM". But there is no other instruction such as why is it dangerous to post personal info on the internet.

  So JW kids think "myspace is bad, so I'll post my bio on Friendster". This is classic mind control at work, demonizing without educating.

  Compare the huge response from the Dateline NBC "To Catch a Predator" series (http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/10912603/). Here is an informative media war on child predators using the web. Real interviews, real screenshots, real particular.

  And yet Dateline never says "myspace BAD!".

  All this confusion and generalisation leads the unwitting JW to believe that Satan is in their computer. Other, younger or savvy computer users realize this as bogus and have more rational view towards the internet. (And realize that porn pop-ups don't happen unless someone's been where one shouldn't.)

  Even more cognisant JWs may even Google "Jehovah's Witnesses" to see what horrors Satan hides behinds the curtain. We can only hope.
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  63

  Limits on paper towel, tp usage at DA's. What next? Have fun w/suggestions

  by juni in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  2 sheets of paper towel for hand drying, controlled use of toilet paper, don't dawdle while in the stall, covered mirrors, what next?.

  how about maximum of 2 trips to the bathroom per day otherwise you are written up by brother bathroom monitor.

  if more than that you are put on cleaning duty after the day's sessions are done.. .

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  Severus

  Yes, I have seen that. Seems to be a "brother's" answer to the sister's cue.
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  46

  Changes that will come in Jehovah's witnesses organization

  by PeLe, ThE Soccer King in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  i have a strong reason to believe that the change that will be announced in next few days among jehovah's witnesses will bring a major "refining" work among its members.

  take a note of this:

  if are not regular in meetings and service of field than you're signalling that you're no longer a jehovah's witness.

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  Severus

  The organisation could do something like this to firm up the core. Right now it is fairly lax.

  I believe there is a "good cop" attitude currently pervasive in the org. However isolated COs have come down very hard on inactive during the last Circuit Assembly, essentially teaching to "mark" or not associate with inactive JW for their own good. This could be a precursor to a "bad cop" mentality.

  The fact is in developed countries, the only market for new JWs is the kids "raised in the truth". The Society knows this and may bet on the hope that galvanizing the faithful with exclusionary tactics may save more youth in the org.

  If the wee ones see generation after generation simply fade away without reaction, why not for them as well? This is a serious fear to parents, elders, and the GB as well.
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  14

  Dutch Society did announcement about DC at last meeting

  by Ozner in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  friends,.

  the dutch branch of the society, has send a letter to all congregations in the netherlands about the dc this summer.

  they stated that the series of dc in 2006 has end in a loss of 75.000 euro.

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  Severus

  Good one, Severus. (BTW, Sev, I really enjoyed your posts. Very sharp and apropos. ...Are you at all related to Blondie?...)

  Only her devoted underling, thank you.

  I also know many congregration collectively paid for their circuit overseers new digital projection units this year. This so that the CO could show the "fund raising" video of building projects worldwide. Of course the proposal was sprung on the congregation without notice or detail during a service meeting:

  "The CO needs a projector, all in favor raise your wooly hooves..."
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  4

  Status Report- Sentient

  by Sentient in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  i was just stopping by to give an update on how i've been doing, for those of you who did read snippets of my mind and my experience here.

  i'm sorry to report that my life has taken a turn for the worse these past months.

  some things i've learned or understood about life since i was a poster here have been difficult to adjust to.

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  Severus

  For those of you who long for intellectual understanding, I wish you could see what I see.

  Thankfully those of blunter intellect will fail to recognise the slight.

  Forgive my asperger humour, and good luck.