Oh, but they "DO" encourage independent thinking and research.....just so long as your conclusions end up the same as theirs.
Hoping4Change
JoinedPosts by Hoping4Change
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7
Guard against "Independent Thinking"
by PinTail inyes when i heard them say to guard against "independent thinking" at .
assembles, congregation meetings, and in print, i immediately feel a cold feeling run down my back, like something evil and not jehovah.
thinking about it now, i can't" understand how everyone else who is still a witness cannot be just as unsettled by the admonishment to guard against "independent thinking".
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new documentary film about Disfellowshipping - the anti - Knocking
by RubyParker inmy name is ruby parker.
i am 29 years old.
i was disfellowshipped when i was 16, i have completed a double major in anthropology and religion studies.
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Hoping4Change
I think that Paralipomenon is on to something; I think it would be good to invite/allow those organizations that use these tactics to explain themselves, but make sure they are forced to confront questioning of the stances they take; requiring them to fully explain themselves and answer to the criticisms of the reasoning they use to ustify their actions. If they are not willing to participate, at least use abundant material from their publications that demonstrate how and why they practice what they do. The "both sides" approach I believe has the best chance of having an affect on others.
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How about birthdays?
by molybdenum inhi... i'm a newbie here.
i have been associated with jw's for quite some time however there is one aspect of being a witness that i can't quite come to terms with that is the prohibition on celebrating a person's birthday i have of course read the arguments for this but find them somewhat unconvincing.
is it really the case that everyone follows this direction?
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Hoping4Change
That ((Colossians 2:16-23).) would seem to be some powerful refutation on their stance of forbidding holidays and df'ing anyone who chooses to celebrate them. How do they justify themselves? Do they just conveniently ignore those verses? Cut them out of their bibles, or what? I'd really like to know how they explain away this.
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Need help to start Religious Cult, want to have my own kingdom
by Brain Dead inwell actually i was thinking about starting my very own religious cult, i would be king and master over my own kingdom and i would have my very own discrete salves.
and i would live in a big ivory tower so i could stand on top of my tower and look out at my vast kingdom that my discrete slaves had built me........yes.
and once a day i would go down to the financial department and count all the millions that my slaves had brought me....aw millions, millions of pretty little dollars....aw....aw.
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Hoping4Change
I am pretty sure this has been posted before, but you may find this of interest: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mnNSe5XYp6E
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High Ranking JWs removed from ministry?
by jimbo ina freind that listens to srn (salem radio news network) said she heard a news blurb today about several high ranking jws being removed over sex scandal.
any one else heard anything???
she indicated brooklyn ny as the location.
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Hoping4Change
The site's been updated a couple of times. Still not sure if there really is anything to this: http://evenbethel.tripod.com/
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High Ranking JWs removed from ministry?
by jimbo ina freind that listens to srn (salem radio news network) said she heard a news blurb today about several high ranking jws being removed over sex scandal.
any one else heard anything???
she indicated brooklyn ny as the location.
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Hoping4Change
Ok, here's an 'attempt' to figure out what was on that website. I by no means claim to have the story right, but this is how it sounded to me - (I hope this isnt just as bad as the ramblings on that site): It would appear that the writer is claiming to be privy to a certain series of events that he/she believes will touch the top ranks of the organization down to the parents of a certain "he". The events seem to involve a certain "he" who has sexually abused his daughter and also attempted to murder her. The writer claims to have tried to 'help' the 'he' by contacting the father of 'he' (an elder in Pittsburgh). The writer claims to have been 'ganged up on by the wife of 'he' and the motorcycle gang friends of he' once "he" learned that the writer had spoken with the father of 'he'. It was at that point that Bethel sent its representatives (the 'real' apostates' according to the writer)) to try to cover up whatever had happened, by lying to the father, perhaps explaining that the warnings that the writer was telling him werent true. "He", of course is also considered (by the writer) as one of the real apostates who have poisoned Jehovah's Orgnization, and much of the rambling in this piece conveys that 'he' had a certain smugness that he would continue to receive protection from high up in the Organization, and that none of them would ever get caught., when in fact this whole mess of a story is about to be exposed. THe piece is a rambling about how the Organization is about to see a huge shake up, and that a lof of "sleeping witnesses" will be forced to open their eyes.
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Watching "Knocking" Now, Sunday Night, on WGBH Boston...Some thoughts...
by Seeker4 inok, first, this is not a film that would draw anyone to be a jw.
the witnesses come across as a really odd fundamentalist religion.
they are called fundamentalists several times in the film, and certainly seem quite unappealing.. it's not a film that favors jws.
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Hoping4Change
Does this documentary deal with the level of organizational submission required of members? With the attention that it has been getting (PBS, USA Today, Newsweek), it's too bad there's no way to also send these outlets copies of the most recently studied Watchtower to show the level of complete submission TO AN ORGANIZATION and MEN that is required of Jehovah's Witnesses. The simple facts will speak for themselves, no interpretation, comment, or opinion required. Any discussion/documentary/history on JW's that does not bring this point to the front leaves out one of the HUGEST tenets of this movement and perhaps the single MOST IMPORTANT piece of information that the public at large should know about being a member of this organization; forget the holiday thing, the birthday thing, the flag salute thing and the blood thing - the root of all the evils in this organization lye with this; IMHO.
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Notes on Child Abuse Settlement
by Amazing inthe article by silentlambs is somewhat misleading.
yes, the suits were settled with gag orders.
it is customary to do so in almost any settlement case.
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Hoping4Change
Amazing - How long before your book becomes available?
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Sixteen Child Sex Abuse Lawsuits against Jehovahs Witnesses Are Settled
by Dogpatch inpress release 5/10/07.
http://www.freeminds.org/history/16lawsuits.htm.
sixteen child sex abuse lawsuits against jehovahs witnesses are settled.
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Hoping4Change
I would think that the only way it may be possible to get Bill O'Reilly to go with this would be to 1) Of course appeal to his notion of protecting children 2) Reinforce the idea to have him and his staff to do their own research on this issue and 3) Focus on the idea that the intent is not to "bash" the Jehovah's Witnesses and their faith, but to get them to change their policy regarding child abuse. All other doctinral issues and problems that are not directly related should be left out. I think of this becuase I am pretty certain of a recollection of hearing him say once that he wasnt going to give up or renounce his faith just because of malpractice of some Catholic priests around this same issue. I'd love nothing more than to see Bill dig into this becuase I trust that were he to actually investigate behind the Watchtower spin, he would be just a furious as the rest of us with their behavior on this and a number of other matters.
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166
Sixteen Child Sex Abuse Lawsuits against Jehovahs Witnesses Are Settled
by Dogpatch inpress release 5/10/07.
http://www.freeminds.org/history/16lawsuits.htm.
sixteen child sex abuse lawsuits against jehovahs witnesses are settled.
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Hoping4Change
One of the ironies of today has been that I just got out of the book study where a comment was made regarding evil Christendom and the 'child molestation problems therein. I SOOO wish it were possible to show them the REAL news of today.