smellsgood

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Posts by smellsgood

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  15

  UPDATE ON MY VISIT TO MY DAUGHTERS..........

  by vitty in

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  i pressed the wrong button .

  please be patient.

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  smellsgood

  just for emphasis
  
  general counsil Mario F. Moreno
  
  WHO IS ALSO AN ELDER!!!!
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  15

  UPDATE ON MY VISIT TO MY DAUGHTERS..........

  by vitty in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  i pressed the wrong button .

  please be patient.

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  smellsgood

  I believe that quote is from the PATYATF
  
  
  http://www.silentlambs.org/howtwowitwork.htm
  
  the "secret" book
  
  this site has some personal stories of how they were affected
  
  http://www.religioustolerance.org/witness7.htm
  
  Another personal story from : http://www.law.com/jsp/article.jsp?id=1083328831112 (a completely neutral towards WT org i'm sure :)
  
  "Internal church documents that reflect the discipline taken against Kelley have become the subject of a hotly contested discovery battle in Amy B.'s civil suit. Norris believes these will support her client's claim of negligence against the congregations and vicarious liability against the higher church authority.
  
  If church practice is any indication, she may have her proof.
  
  After a Jehovah's Witness is accused of child abuse, "a judicial committee of three elders meets to consider the accusation," says Watchtower Society associate general counsel Mario F. Moreno who also is an elder. "According to scripture [Deuteronomy 19:15], for a person to be disciplined, there needs to be at least two witnesses to substantiate the charge or an admission of sin."
  
  "I don't know many perpetrators who come with their own witness in tow," deadpans Norris. "And if they don't have a second witness and the perpetrator denies the accusation, from a disciplinary standpoint, that's the end of it." They are allowed unsupervised access to children, she contends, and are free to molest again.
  
  If the perpetrator admits the sin and claims he is repentant, he will be "reproofed" -- placed on religious restriction during which he is prevented from taking a lead role in church matters, Moreno says. Although the congregation may announce that someone has been reproofed, he adds, "it won't tell who, and it won't tell why."
  
  Again, an abuser is allowed to remain in the church, claims Norris, while the rest of the laity remains ignorant and unprotected."
  
  
  Well, here's hoping he sticks to his word and doesn't adhere to an organization that abides by such odious rules
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  13

  American ignorance and the loss of American freedoms

  by free2beme in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  i am forever in amazement at how much americans wine about all that the government has done since 9/11 to prevent more terror attacks.

  they wine because they have to do fingerprints now in banks, or how much extra time it takes to get through airport lines.

  i work in the telecommunication industry, and i can not believe how much of a big deal people made of the phone tapping done by our government.

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  smellsgood

  Of course there are going to be individuals outside the "profile" but "profiling" is truly the most smart and efficient way to go about things. Let's rule out octogenarians with high socks pulled up to their knees, sensible walking shoes travelling from Oklahoma to Florida. Meaning, that of course don't shut out the possibility of exceptions to the "rule," just start by ruling out obviously benign citizens.
  
  It sucks that even with a profile in place, yes, there will be innocent people who will be screened based on their similarities to it. But, like I said, if there were MAINLY blonde/blue/lets say early twenties this time, causing trouble, and blonde/blue who attacked flew the planes, I couldn't see myself having a problem if I was targeted because I would more closely fit the profile than Billy one tooth from Texas.
  
  It's like shooting all the other circles just so the bullseye doesn't feel like it's being singled out.
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  3

  Works and Salvation

  by Sunspot in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  the wts is hung up on "works" leading to salvation....of course, only through their organization.. basically, we need to be aware of what "works" we are involved in to expect this (or any) salvation.

  we cannot lie, cheat, steal, or murder etc, and expect to have these behaviors and actions all forgiven by jesus as a christian.

  there would be no common sense in that at all.. other than not engaging in the sins and crimes i mentioned above, we can be available to help others, the best we can according to our own personal circumstances.

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  smellsgood

  Wonderfully written, Sunspot.
  
  It's so true. Works are not compulsory conditioned meeting attendance, or compulsory, conditioned knocking on doors.
  
  I've always had the mind that they were to take care of the poor, the widow, the elderly, your family.
  
  Of course they've never understood how to interpret the Bible. Not that they would care too, it wouldn't serve their purposes of course. That scripture interprets scripture, this is basic. "Not by any works of righteousness which you have done, but according to his mercy he saved you."
  "there is none righteous, no not one."
  
  it's simple!
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  13

  American ignorance and the loss of American freedoms

  by free2beme in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  i am forever in amazement at how much americans wine about all that the government has done since 9/11 to prevent more terror attacks.

  they wine because they have to do fingerprints now in banks, or how much extra time it takes to get through airport lines.

  i work in the telecommunication industry, and i can not believe how much of a big deal people made of the phone tapping done by our government.

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  smellsgood

  I somewhat agree. Like the phones thing, I don't mind them tapping into numbers from suspect communications with terrorists
  
  The airport security is a whole different thing.
  
  Let me just put it this way. If the only people who committed these acts against us we could narrow down to blue eyed/blonde haired/females in their late twenties...then, knowing this, why would you hassle brunettes/males/older folks??? To waste effort? Time? Money? Prove your inefficient and backwards? To be politically correct? OH! ding ding ding ding!
  
  It's like having a room full of chests with either standard key or combination locks. You've been given a KEY, but yet you inanely going around messing around with all the combination locks.
  
  It's not smart, period.
  
  uh-oh, someone might get offended by this...should i post it?
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  65

  What Were You Doing When You Found Out about 9-11 5 Years Ago??

  by mama1119 in

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  2. friends

  everyone has a story about what they were doing and the emotions that followed after the twin towers were hit...what is your story?

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  smellsgood

  I was actually travelling abroad for the first time. I was eighteen years old, and Me, my Mom, my Brother and my Sister were in Berlin, Germany.
  
  We were sightseeing that day, and that evening we went to the Parkbuhne Wulhiede to attend a Radiohead Concert.
  
  In line there was a frenchmen who told my brother that the WTC had been "bombed!" We thought this was unbelievable, and well, he was french...
  
  So, Radiohead comes on after APC, and Thom (the lead singer) tells the audience about the two planes flying INTO the WTC, he said this in a very very somber and horrified way.
  
  Then, I think it was the last song, he dedicated Street Spirit to "George Bush in hopes that he doesn't declare WW3" :) which seemed possible at the time...
  
  Then at the hotel there was CNN, the only english language channel so we watched a bit of the coverage.
  
  Travelling back...was strange.
  
  We went through JFK, the way we had come, and while it was lines and people the way to Europe, it was practically vacant on the way back. Quite eerie.
  
  There was also noticeably two or three Air Marshalls on the plane from NY to SLC.
  
  So, that was actually quite an interesting situation to be in on 9/11.
  
  
  smellsgood
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  20

  IS MAN INHERITEDLY GOOD OR EVIL?

  by Mary in

  1. jw
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  all of us were raised by someone and even though our cultures vary greatly as to what constitutes "good" and "evil", there's some pretty basic guidelines that people are generally raised to believe.. if there were no set guidelines as to how we should act, would humans grow up good or evil if there wasn't someone else telling them what to do?

  what is our inherited nature?

  to be like ghandi or hitler?

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  smellsgood

  POTENTIAL for both.
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  39

  It seems ex jw's in the UK are angrier than anywhere else why?

  by hambeak in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  i admittedly am new to this and i am not being judgmental.

  why does it seem that when i read the threads from folks in the uk it seems they are preoccupied with a lot of research into the wts and changes into their beliefs?

  why not just let it go and go on with life.

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  smellsgood

  hambeak says: Why not just let it go and go on with life.
  
  smellsgood says: I have a big problem with that attitude. To me, it is like having gangrene and someone saying to you, what are you focusing on your wound for, just get on with your soldiering.
  
  Its that passivity that would allow the WT to continue to get away with swindling and hoodwinking and any other term of antiquity that describes taking people for a ride.
  
  It's about justice. Should a crime victim just stop trying to pursue justice through prosecution of the perpetrator because they should just "get on with life." Yeah, you got robbed at gunpoint, quit talking about it.
  
  The fact is, there is six million people who the WT strives to make MANIC EVANGELIZERS of. This will in turn bring more people into a system of deceit, lies and manipulation.
  
  It is like a virus. Let's keep seeking to innoculate from and treat after the disease of the Watchtower
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  44

  Whats left for me to say?

  by KW13 in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  i can't describe what i feel, when i see my mum as a jw.

  sometimes (like today) it really gets me down knowing she and millions of others are living a life that is not going anywhere.. she's been to the british musuem, i've gotten e-mails from the british musuem.

  we've read literature/websites/bible e.t.c.

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  smellsgood

  KW13,
  
  I think its always good to inform them about their religion by exposing them to similarities and what you would like them to know of the WatchTower through other cults.
  
  For example, you want similar?
  
  WWCOG before it reformed, Herbert W. Armstrong, published Plain Truth Magazine, said it was the gospel as hasn't been preached since a siege on Jerusalem in 69 A.D. (first century Christianity restored!) didn't celebrate Christmas or Easter, look up his false prophecies, maybe you can open a dialogue of what would biblically constitute a false prophet and then if she were to identify his prophecies as false, how then could she deny the WT?
  
  look up William Branham, good source of false prophecies
  
  The Way international, first century Christianity restored, Victor Paul Wierwille was a total perv granted, but had a structure very similar to WT.
  
  Mormons-First century christianity restored, Joseph Smith false prophet, unity and preaching proves we are the "truth" which they will refer to themselves as.
  
  Also show her the thought processes maybe through use of ex-cult members of different adherence than the WT.
  
  Sun Myung Moon, he's better'n Jesus! Gospel lost then found. The Unification church.
  
  Even Moses David of "The Family" said similar things to the WT.
  
  if you can show her the structure, how they entrap people, how they are entirely exclusive, ask her how these members are supposed to figure out they are being misled when they are not supposed to read any non "kosher" information not approved through their channel. Ask her what this accomplishes for those who are doing the misleading.
  
  They all make claims of being prophets/restored christianity/god's channel. Examine how you would test something like that.
  
  If they make false prophecies, would God truly be using them?
  
  I hope this helps you or gives you an idea of some groups to perhaps research if you think this is a good option :)
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  17

  How much truth is there within the Watchtower Society?

  by The wanderer in

  1. jw
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  how much truth within the organization?

  often times, having spent so many years as being one of jehovah's.

  witnesses, the question crosses my mind, "how much truth was.

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  smellsgood

  Look up the word "supplant" and this is more accurate to what Christendom did with the pagan holidays. Christmas is perfect because it was three days death, then rising again, which, um, is similar to what Christians believe about Jesus :)
  
  of course rabbits and eggs and britney spears are all symbols of fertility
  
  The only time I can imagine the watchtower making an honest proclamation is when they finally admit its all been a lie kids.
  
  They are not right on any of their "specialized" doctrines. Poorly reasoned, thought out and researched, or just plain looney.