After being placed on the Salt Lake Temple after its completion in 1893, the statue of the angel Macaroni has since been placed on many other LDS temples. It has become an unofficial symbol for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and is recognized throughout the world.
RULES & REGULATIONS
JoinedPosts by RULES & REGULATIONS
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39
The Real History of Mormonism - Outstanding Lecture
by cofty inif you think the mormon church is off-the-scale crazy you probably don't know the half of it.. the historical information in this talk by david fitzgerald is fascinating.
the good news is that, just like the watchtower, their growth is being stunted by the internet.. grab a coffee and be amazed at just how gullible millions of people can be.. lucy harris has become my new heroine.
don't miss the section from 8:50.
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RULES & REGULATIONS
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39
The Real History of Mormonism - Outstanding Lecture
by cofty inif you think the mormon church is off-the-scale crazy you probably don't know the half of it.. the historical information in this talk by david fitzgerald is fascinating.
the good news is that, just like the watchtower, their growth is being stunted by the internet.. grab a coffee and be amazed at just how gullible millions of people can be.. lucy harris has become my new heroine.
don't miss the section from 8:50.
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RULES & REGULATIONS
cofty
I watched the whole video and enjoyed every minute of it!
Mr. Fitzgerald is a wonderful speaker and leaves no stone uncovered.
I always wondered why God would pick a fraudster like Joseph Smith, have an angel named Maroni ( what a stupid name for an angel....must of been an Italian angel) visit Mr.Smith ( who is always by himself ) numerous times and directs him to buried golden plates. According to Smith, he returned the golden plates to Moroni after they were translated and as of 1838 the angel Moroni still had the plates in his possession.
My questions are: Why would God or Maroni need these plates back? Why didn't they leave them if God wanted believers? Who is more bizarre and wacky.....Mr Smith or his followers?
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The term elder should be lowercase not capitalized
by Jay Elle infor some reason ever time i see term, "elder" capitalized i feel like correcting it.
they do not deserve that capital letter.
they are lowercase as a breed.
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RULES & REGULATIONS
elder = older person
Elder = someone who presides at a Jehovah's Witness meeting
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27
The WTBTS and Elders have too many stupid rules!
by RULES & REGULATIONS ini hated ministry book bags.i hated coming out of my home with the book bags looking like i was going to a seminar.so,i starting going to the ministry school and sunday bible meetings holding only the required books for that day in my hand.. for the sunday meetings,i would just carry the song book,bible and watchtower magazine in my hand.
no book bag!
for the ministry school,i would just carry just what necessary for the evening.
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RULES & REGULATIONS
sir82:
Is this the bag? Only self-righteous Elders carried these bags. I think this bag carried every book,magazine and tracts that were ever written by the society so they can show how spiritual they were.
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27
The WTBTS and Elders have too many stupid rules!
by RULES & REGULATIONS ini hated ministry book bags.i hated coming out of my home with the book bags looking like i was going to a seminar.so,i starting going to the ministry school and sunday bible meetings holding only the required books for that day in my hand.. for the sunday meetings,i would just carry the song book,bible and watchtower magazine in my hand.
no book bag!
for the ministry school,i would just carry just what necessary for the evening.
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RULES & REGULATIONS
Thank you everyone for those really funny rules! I forgot about some of those.
sir82:
I believe you were/are an Elder. Can you tell me why that would of bothered the Elders ( by me not having a Service Book Bag in a meeting where everyone was a Witness?) Was that my local Elders deciding the stupid rule or some stupid unwritten rule around all the congregations?
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27
The WTBTS and Elders have too many stupid rules!
by RULES & REGULATIONS ini hated ministry book bags.i hated coming out of my home with the book bags looking like i was going to a seminar.so,i starting going to the ministry school and sunday bible meetings holding only the required books for that day in my hand.. for the sunday meetings,i would just carry the song book,bible and watchtower magazine in my hand.
no book bag!
for the ministry school,i would just carry just what necessary for the evening.
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RULES & REGULATIONS
I hated Ministry Book Bags.I hated coming out of my home with the book bags looking like I was going to a seminar.So,I starting going to the Ministry School and Sunday Bible meetings holding only the required books for that day in my hand.
For the Sunday meetings,I would just carry the song book,bible and watchtower magazine in my hand. NO BOOK BAG! For the ministry school,I would just carry just what necessary for the evening. NOTHING MORE! Carried the books in my hand.
Well,one day two Elders came to my home for a visit to see why I was missing some meetings and why I didn't carry a Ministry Book Bag to the meetings. I told them that since there wasn't that many books to carry for the meetings, I preferred holding them in my hands. They told me that all baptized Jehovah's Witness brothers carried book bags.I would need follow everyone's example. TALK ABOUT HUMAN MAN MADE RULES!
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78
Governing Body Member Stephan Lett Lies On JW.TV
by Finkelstein ini thought it would be important to clearly point in the recent talk by governing body member stephan lett, that he did in fact deliberately lie concerning what he described as lies and false information by apostates, concerning the organization being permissive toward people in the organization who had been involved in pedophilia.
the truth of the matter is thats exactly what the organization has been doing and perhaps for a long time.
the recent candace conti law suit where she was awarded 28 million dollars was levied against the wts for its irresponsible behavior by the elders who gave no notification of the accused jonathan kendrick that he had been charged with pedophilia and spent months in jail for his actions .
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RULES & REGULATIONS
FROM SKEPTIC'S DICTIONARY
ad hominem fallacy
Ad hominem is Latin for "to the man." The ad hominem fallacy occurs when one asserts that somebody's claim is wrong because of something about the person making the claim. The ad hominem fallacy is often confused with the legitimate provision of evidence that a person is not to be trusted. Calling into question the reliability of a witness is relevant when the issue is whether to trust the witness. It is irrelevant, however, to call into question the reliability or morality or anything else about a person when the issue is whether that person's reasons for making a claim are good enough reasons to support the claim.
Good refutations of arguments try to undermine the accuracy, relevance, fairness, completeness, and sufficiency of reasons given to support a conclusion. One of the more common tactics of those who can't provide a good refutation of an argument is to divert attention away from the argument by calling attention to something about the person who made the argument. Rather than criticize a person’s premises or reasoning, one asserts something about the person’s character, associations, occupation, hobbies, motives, mental health, likes or dislikes.
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Rank these religious charlatans.
by RULES & REGULATIONS inthe wtbts has billions in property,factories,warehouses,assembly halls,kingdom halls and branches.
i know that the governing body get free medical care,live rent free in rather small apartments,travel around the world,stay in nice hotels and have no financial problems in their life.
how they live really doesn't bother me!
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RULES & REGULATIONS
The WTBTS has billions in property,factories,warehouses,assembly halls,kingdom halls and branches. I know that the Governing Body get free medical care,live rent free in rather small apartments,travel around the world,stay in nice hotels and have no financial problems in their life. How they live really doesn't bother me!
These following religious charlatans really bother me! They have bank accounts,large homes,travel by private jet and get paid a yearly salary. Rank these five. Starting from the worst. Here is my selection.
BENNY HINN CREFLO DOLLAR KENNETH COPELAND JOEL OSTEEN JOYCE MEYER
1 2 4 5 3
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55
Are we pro-shunning or against it?
by Simon injust to continue my theme about religious freedom and how we approach criticizing the wts, i've also been thinking about 'shunning'.. i think shunning is the most unifying complaint that most ex-members of religious groups that practice it have in common.
it is the layer that runs under every other complaint - whatever the reason for leaving it seems "... and i was shunned" can be added to it as the final rap on the charge sheet.. of course it seems like a no-brainer to many of us and we hardly ever stop to really think about it - shunning is bad, the watchtower believes in shunning therefore the watchtower is bad.
they need to stop it.
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RULES & REGULATIONS
sir82 said:
So, 2 JW teenaged kids bonk each other, and that merits enforced shunning as much as first degree murder? Got it.
To make things crystal clear for the pedantic among us: The issue is the JW method of enforced shunning, and the degree of shunning enforced, for "sins" that range from "trivial" to "well within the normal range of human activity".My cousin ( who was disfellowshipped 15 years ago) told me the reason he was disfellowshipped was due to fornication with his girlfriend. To clear his conscience he admitted that he was fornicating to the Elders.He was ''marked'' the first time.
Later,he was followed around by Elders (who caught him coming out of his girlfriends house). The sneaky Elders would follow him to his girlfriends house, hide in their car and wait until he came out.
That was 15 years ago. He married his girlfriend and to this day he is still paying for this trivial activity. He paid his due by being thrown out of the congregation. The ''enforced shunning'' is cruel punishment.
As I posted earlier as to how he was being treated at his mom's funeral and grandfather's visits and hospital visits,he still is not welcome in anyone's home who is a Witness,isn't invited to any weddings, graduations or any family gathering. His own dad told him unless he returns to the meetings he won't have any contact with him and his wife.
How long can you punish someone for something they did 15 years ago? And, how many times did you see members divorce ( due to adultery ) get disfellowshipped and years later returned with their new partner and all is forgiven?
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55
Are we pro-shunning or against it?
by Simon injust to continue my theme about religious freedom and how we approach criticizing the wts, i've also been thinking about 'shunning'.. i think shunning is the most unifying complaint that most ex-members of religious groups that practice it have in common.
it is the layer that runs under every other complaint - whatever the reason for leaving it seems "... and i was shunned" can be added to it as the final rap on the charge sheet.. of course it seems like a no-brainer to many of us and we hardly ever stop to really think about it - shunning is bad, the watchtower believes in shunning therefore the watchtower is bad.
they need to stop it.
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RULES & REGULATIONS
Here are things that I've written on Jwn about my cousin (who was disfellowhipped over 15 years ago ) and the things he's been through the years with the death of his mom and grandfather.
THE DEATH OF HIS MOM:
* made to leave the house when his mother died because Witness relatives were coming over to the house to visit the family.
* had to stay on the side of the funeral room at the wake by himself while the rest of the family sat in the front chairs.
* Elders refused to greet him in the line. They walked right past him.
*He was told not to attend the luncheon after the funeral. He left alone and went home because some members would not attend the lunch if he was there.
COUSIN WAS TOLD NOT TO VISIT HIS GRANDFATHER:
My cousin( who was disfellowshipped many years ago) told me that he cannot speak to or come over to his grandfather's any longer.
He would stop by every month or so just to see his grandfather and grandmother. They are both in their 80's and not in the best of health.
My uncle who is still serving as an Elder would talk to his grandson only when his grandson would visit his house. Well,someone found out and snitched on my uncle. Now,he's being warned that if he continues to talk or meet his grandson he will loose his position as Elder.
My cousin said that the next time he sees his grandfather will be at his funeral.
WHEN HIS DYING GRANDFATHER WAS IN THE HOSPITAL:
My disfellowshipped cousin,his girlfriend and immediate family are all in the hospital room with his grandfather( who is heavily medicated but seems to recognize everyone.) I'm in the lounge area with other family members taking turns visiting. The elevators open and three Elders from his congregation come to visit and spend the remaining moments with my uncle.
The Elders walk in the hospital room and see that my disfellowshipped cousin is in the room and decide not to greet him. They talk to my uncle and the immediate family in the room for over twenty minutes and decide to offer a prayer.
They tell my cousin to please leave the room. His girlfriend says to the Elders,"Why should he leave the room? That's his grandfather." They tell her that this is a ''spiritual matter'' and that he has to leave the room. My cousin walks out and proceeds to tell me what just happened.
I believe any religion has a right to throw you out of church for bad conduct. They own the building and have the right to not allow any member who's conduct is unbecoming of the congregation.
They don't have any rights out in the streets, funeral homes,hospitals,wedding banquet halls and any other meeting place. The only reason they shun members is to scare the rest of the members (that you will be in the same predicament if you do the same).
