Posts by betterdaze

9

Do the Witnesses still allow women to preach in men's prisons?

by JimmyYoung in

i knew of several women who would preach at the local correctional facility.

some would do the fall in love and get married to a new convert who had a long prison sentence.

if the witnesses had half a brain they would stop this before it ever got started.

betterdaze

Anyone remember the harrowing Jaycee Lee Dugard case?

Sex offender Garrido used Jehovah’s Witness to get early parole

(Story from San Francisco Chronicle, updated with James A. Beckford reference.)

There was another one, also in California, were a convicted pedophile was released from prison after studying with Witnesses, and got baptized.

He violated parole conditions by going door-to-door in car groups including children, and who knows how many doors he knocked on with children present.

The "brothers" were fine with this "arrangement" because he served his time and got dunked. No concern whatsoever for potential, future victims either inside or outside the Kingdom Hall.

So, does it even matter if women can still preach in prisons?

NO.

The "brothers" shelter known criminals all the time.

41

Creepy display

by neat blue dog in

.

i dunno about you, but if i walked up to this display at an expo i'd be a little creeped out..

betterdaze

On the WT website:

JW.ORG Exhibit at the Rio Book Biennial Features Material for Brazil’s Deaf and Blind Communities

21

elders wont pray for someone?

by AuntBee in

a former member said that elders told a relative of his after she was dfed that they would not be praying for her.

is that some kind of policy, or were they just doing their own thing in that instance?

taot.

betterdaze

What about "studies" who never progressed to baptism?

Shouldn't they be prayed for too?

Lurking el-duhs, when will you pray for these lost directly from the platform?

13

#Persecution selfies: what do you think?

by Diogenesister in

so apparently the new watchtower russia exhibition features a pretend cell for jws to take pretend "persecution selfies' and wallow in the glorious suffering that is essential for watchtower theology to work - yet is strikingly missing from the lives of 99% of witnesses.. in fact most governments go to great lengths to protect the rights of witnesses, spending millions in public funds either directly to watchtower - in the form of grants ( norway, germany etc) - in various types of tax relief, or in the money spent in court cases establishing watchtowers rights and freedoms (& protecting their kids, whether they know it or not).. i'm interested to know how everyone feels about this...particularly terry walstrom and other guys who have spent time in jail in the name of watchtower's freedom of conscience.

personally i think it reeks of desperation by watchtower and is another example of the type of fantasizing that witnesses regularly indulge in.. also....funny how the end is soooo close that they've had time to build a museum of watchtower history!!

anyone else see the irony in that?!

betterdaze

Where are these selfies?

Good question.

Can someone please post a link?

36

1975 and 1981?

by Steel in

is it true that in 1975 the watchtower falsely predicted the end of the world and a great number of the membership quit and just a few years later they turned disassociation into disfellowshipping?

.

betterdaze

The OP later asks,

"I don’t doubt 1975. I am more interested in how they closed the door to people trying to escape. Was there actually a policy change in 1981?"

This is an important question. Especially for those currently studying, or non-JW family members who don't understand why former JWs are horrifically shunned.

I'm also interested in marking. What year did they add "marking", which goes right along with DA and DF status, and do they still practice it today?

Is/was marking for behaviors that threatened the spiritual cleanliness of the congregation, or rather a way to weed-out those who studied their bibles too closely and developed valid doctrinal questions like those Randy Watters reported from the '80s Bethel purge?

Both? When?

36

1975 and 1981?

by Steel in

is it true that in 1975 the watchtower falsely predicted the end of the world and a great number of the membership quit and just a few years later they turned disassociation into disfellowshipping?

.

betterdaze

The Watchtower does not believe in "the end of the world."

Only they do. This is what they were teaching in the lead-up to 1975 and continue to teach today:

End of the World

“The world is passing away and so is its desire,” says 1 John 2:17. What is that “world”? How and when will it pass away?

What is the “world” that will end?

WHAT THE BIBLE SAYS

Because the world in question has ‘desires’ that merit God’s disapproval, it is obviously not the literal earth. Rather, it is the world of mankind who disregard God, making themselves his enemy. (James 4:4) The people who make up that world “will undergo the judicial punishment of everlasting destruction.” (2 Thessalonians 1:7-9) On the other hand, people who remain “no part of the world,” in obedience to Jesus Christ, have the prospect of everlasting life.—John 15:19.

Indeed, 1 John 2:17 concludes: “The one who does the will of God remains forever.” Yes, that one has the prospect of everlasting life right here on earth, as stated at Psalm 37:29: “The righteous will possess the earth, and they will live forever on it.”

Search also, site:jw.org world ends

9

What did Charles Taze Russell and the Bible Students believe?

by Pallbearer in

i know that present-day jehovah's witnesses believe that 144,000 are to go to heaven and rule alongside jesus, and that the survivors of armageddon along with those who will be resurrected are to live on earth with the prospect of living here forever.. questions:.

> what did pastor russell and the bible students originally believe about the earth?.

> did they believe that the earth would always exist and that it would become a paradise?.

betterdaze

"By hook or by crook," career criminal Charles Taze Russell and his "Bible Students" mob believed in money-making and laundering through one successive financial scam after another.

Financial Biography of Charles Taze Russell: The Pennsylvania Years

Financial Biography of Charles Taze Russell: The New York Years

Russell and his Racketeers.

13

Mixed up references in "The Origin of Life"

by Doug Mason in

until now, i have never had a reason to read the brochure "the origin of life" so i am certain that what i am about to say has been commented on widely.. page 31 commences the list of endnotes.. endnote 1a gives "francis crick" as its source.

there is no reference to any endnote 1a in the body of the brochure.

however, page 32 credits "nicholas wade" at endnote 18. page 14 of the brochure makes reference to endnote 18, with the nondescript "one science book".. page 31 lists an endnote 7a, which does not exist in the body of the brochure.

betterdaze

Doug and Phizzy, thanks so much for your dedication to details.

Other sloppiness found in a recent study article:

WT quoted a mere phrase lifted from a review of a fictional novel. Since the review is behind a paywall, it is not even clear if they read the entire thing to discover the book is fiction. As in a fake story made up for entertainment purposes.

Head-nodding Witnesses think they received an actual, factual history lesson that day.

But not one lazy Bethelite copy-paster even read the book!

Any kid in a high school writing class would be unceremoniously flunked out if he/she submitted a paper referenced in their style.

Try grade school for New York state where HQ is located.

They Google for garbage to back up their lies, and they can't even manage that well enough not to get caught.

33

Get you surplus Disaster Relief Supplies Here WTF?!?

by HiddenPimo in

make money on stuff already purchased with donations and insurance refunds....

betterdaze

Does the "NY Bathroom Trailer" come full of sh!t like everything else from the Watchtower Organi$ation?

Asking for a friend.

19

Last minute change of venue for 2019 JW regional convention

by sir82 in

jw
friends

jw regional conventions scheduled to be held in rochester ny in august 2019, will instead be held in wilkes-barre, pa.. here is the story:.

https://www.democratandchronicle.com/story/news/2019/07/09/jehovahs-witnesses-pull-conventions-unable-reach-deal-pegula-sports/1685174001/.

looks like the new management of the rochester arena didn't like playing "hardball" with the jw negotiation team, and just decided to close their doors.. the group is looking at returning to rochester next summer, miller said, adding this is "not a cold, hard break.

betterdaze

tell us how you really feel

Oh, I will. Another thing is lost wages. Every time one of these venues are built or refurbished, it's with the promise of job creation for the local economy.

So, what about convention center employees who are put out of work? Single moms, college students, retirees living hand-to-mouth on fixed incomes. Local residents and taxpayers working hard around the clock to ensure a safe and pleasant experience for all visitors, yet they're told to GO SHOVE IT because suited Watchtower heavies have taken command and control their workplace.

"Sorry kids, I know it's really hot you had your hearts set on going to the water park this summer. But Mommy lost days of work to those Witness people and I now don't even know if I can put food on the table next week. Maybe next year..."