Posts by OnTheWayOut

13

How does the WTS view 'ancient humans' (i.e. fossils assigned to the genus Homo)?

by LoveUniHateExams in

having read i love ttatt's thread about evidence for humans living more than 6,000 years ago, i responded by using neanderthals and homo ergaster as evidence.

.

this got me thinking about the wt's current view on 'cavemen' (), etc.. so, how does the wts view 'ancient humans'?

OnTheWayOut

I will try to answer off the top of my head, and I hope it's close enough. They currently say very little about the subject as newer and newer evidence pours in. They lean on their old understandings and misconceptions that carbon dating is wrong because of the flood, DNA is real but only proves how marvelous Jehovah is while using it for backtracking anything is just 'theory,' there is only a small amount (about enough to fill a large coffin or footlocker) of actual fossils that reflect creatures that were not quite like modern humans. They said that science is driven by the need for funding and archaeology is full of nonsense theories and hoaxes and that the scant fossil evidence is largely from a few deformed or inbred human beings who are not millions of years old but miscalculated (because of the flood again), while the vast majority of normal fossils are simply ignored.

If they have any updates to this, I would be surprised. Even the Pope is backing down on this in the face of overwhelming new evidences and how well the Human Genome Project is filling in the blanks.

31

Worldly charity helps Jehovah's Witness child with life-threatening heart defect after Watchtower Society 'charity' refuses help

by jwleaks in

program sponsors child's medical procedure .

indiana, usa.

http://www.greenfieldreporter.com/view/local_story/program-sponsors-children-s-me_1439338349.

OnTheWayOut

Oh, I can remember being a Hurricane Hugo victim. A tree fell on my car and the mobile home I lived in blew off it's blocks. I was out of work cleaning floors and windows for a couple of weeks. (Yeah, I was the very stereotypical JW.) A wonderful family donated a car to me, volunteers fed me and gave me enough canned goods to last two years. Volunteers offered to right my mobile home, but I was just renting and the landlord waited for the insurance company to come through.

But all of that was from individuals, not Watchtower. BUT WAIT: Watchtower determined that I suffered extreme financial loss and wrote me a check. No kidding. How wonderful Jehovah is.

The next year, I was a Hurricane Andrew volunteer, pounding nails on roofs in south Florida and Jehovah was giving some cash to victims there also. How wonderful Jehovah is.

But something different happened after that. Somewhere between Hurricane Andrew and Hurricane Katrina, Watchtower figured it out. They had to spend donated money that was specifically earmarked for disaster relief on the disaster victims. So they did two things: 1. Insist that people donate only money instead of clothing and cars and canned goods and that money should just go into the general funds and not be earmarked. 2. Organize and manipulate the volunteer spirit and use any earmarked money to fund the Watchtower-controlled building committees or buy supplies only from the same channels that they use to build Kingdom Halls.

It doesn't surprise me that they referred someone to a charity that they are not part of. I don't automatically discount them for doing that, but I truly believe that were the Catholic or Lutheran Church to refer a member like that, they would also write a check from Catholic Charities or Lutheran Church Charities to that same Indiana organization. Then Watchtower would say how they are just doing that for self-serving reasons like seeking the limelight.

3

Things to put in the 2015 yearbook of Jehovah's Witnesses

by Brokeback Watchtower in

how about the to subpoena's served on the governing body gerret leosch was a no show claiming austrian citizenship and disavowing anything to do with watchtower controlling him.

and jackson wow they should have trial transcripts.

and of course the prefunctory the govering body loves you blather.

OnTheWayOut

Satan certainly has been busy with his persecution in this last year. He has caused public opinion to sway against Jehovah's people so heavily that many will not openly admit they admire the moral cleanliness and simple proper focus in life of Jehovah's Witnesses. People feel pressure on juries or from the judge's bench to rule against Jehovah's organization when false accusations are brought against that organization. It's all part of the prophecy that people will be sighing and groaning and losing all hope. And it certainly is part of the way that the governments will turn on true religion at the time of the great tribulation. The time left must be severely reduced.

Brother Leosch escaped a kangaroo court in California where his words would be twisted. Brother Jackson did not escape another kangaroo court, this one in Australia. He made a fine testimony with the leadings of Holy Spirit but Satan had already hardened the hearts and minds of Australian officials.

While it may appear that Satan is gaining ground, remember that jw. org is well established and all these schemes of Satan are causing right-hearted ones to be curious about the unbiased facts that they can read about or hear Tight Pants Tony telling us on the internet.

==================================================

I could write crap for them. it's not that hard.

6

Might Geoffrey Jackson attempt or commit suicide as a result of the ARC?

by Esse quam videri in

this may seem to be a harsh subject, but we have repeatedly heard how shunned jw's, of all ages, have committed suicide.

they succumbed to the harsh treatment brought on them by the watchtower society and in turn their families and so-called friends.. is it possible that the 'harsh treatment' the australian royal commission will met out to mr. jackson, by the relentless, probing questions, that he consider suicide?

perhaps losing face under the onslaught of merciless questioning, bringing that which is hidden into the light.

OnTheWayOut

G. Jackson either has his head partway up his own ass if he thinks he is an important cog in the machinations of God's ways ...
OR
he is callous to concern himself with what "worldly" people say and think about him.

35

We're All Going To Die

by Garrett in

jw
friends

life has been busy, but i am now on 2 weeks vacation which allowed me some thinking room.

and here's what's been on my mind.. we're all going to die.

no matter what we do, our fate is sealed.

OnTheWayOut

In 1995, as a still-believing-J.W., I said "I am going to grow old in this system of things, and I am going to die in this system of things." So I had some time to adjust to that kind of thinking.

But it was different when I realized that death is the end of it all. That's not just because such a thought is disturbing, but it is because I realized that as I was also realizing that I was living a lie in a dangerous mind-control cult.

My point is that many of us think heavily about life and if this is all there is, but we only think it's something new. People have been facing mortality as long as there have been people. Thoughts changed as some thought they were going to hell or heaven or Valhalla or were reborn or whatever. But your questions are a major portion of philosophy too.

Your thoughts on leaving a positive impact on lives are great. While nothing we do will last forever, we can make a difference in the temporary spot we hold.

20

Movies/Books for Cult Survivors

by Brighid in

for me, there have always been special movies or scenes in movies that trigger my old jw experience (fiddler on the roof and little mermaid touched me deeply when i watched them as a young jw).

later as a survivor, it was more donnie darko, thx 1138 themes that struck me in particular.. anyway, looking for suggestions on great movies, books (art of any kind, really) that especially speak to or move you as a jw survivor?

there are reasons beyond purely entertainment that i ask..

OnTheWayOut

I agree with:

Worlds Apart
The Matrix
Ninteen Eighty-Four
The Island
The Truman Show
Disney's Tangled
The Village

As far as books, it depends on you. I was inspired to write my story (FADE FROM THE TRUTH) after reading Kyria Abraham's I'M PERFECT YOU'RE DOOMED. I loved all of Steven Hassan's Cult books. But beyond the obvious, books I have read took me to eastern philosophy, Science vs. Belief, skepticism, psychology. The world is your oyster, figure out where you want to go.

37

Can You Really Become Inactive Instead of DA'ing and Keep Your Family

by truth-or-consequences in

oz branch coordinator terrence o'brien opined a number of times at about 1:00:00 until about 1:15:00 of his testimony, that a dub does not need to da, they can become "inactive.".

i sent our beloved angus stewart my personal experience, as well as observations about official borg teachings.

(he replied in short order.).

OnTheWayOut

I am in harmony with Witness My Fury on page 1: ....all my JW "friends" dropped me. BUT, here's the but, if i do anything not approved by watchtower even now i can be disfellowshipped still and then lose my family.

A dangerous mind-control cult doesn't just let you walk away. You have to be quiet about your disagreements with the Watchtower and you cannot be open about breaking the rules concerning birthdays, holidays, any activity that is against the rules.

I am a huge fan of fading/becoming inactive. But it's not the magic answer to everything.

11

Questions for current and former elders re giving evidence

by Mickey mouse in

supposing you were called to give evidence by an inquiry.

how would you answer?

are you concerned that you may end up being called to give evidence for past involvement in judicial committees to future inquiries?

OnTheWayOut

I am with punkofnice. No real involvement in any cases, and in my case- too long ago to be worried.

But if I were called now for some old involvement as a prior elder, I would just be as honest as I could be.

"I was following orders, not given complete information. Regardless of what the other elders say, we always reported to Headquarters and they gave directions. As far as I know, the Governing Body has the largest impact on policies."

25

This too Shall Pass (RC Commission vs WTS)

by undercover in

jw
friends

while i'm glad that the practices of the wts are under review and the australian commission is taking them to task, i'm not really expecting huge changes in the long run.

oh, they may have to agree to some changes in how they report crimes brought to elders' attention, but this excitement over the supposed expose of wt practices shall pass, and jws will soon be canvassing neighborhoods and rolling their carts, looking for converts.

conventions will go on.

OnTheWayOut

Freddo makes a great point:
Instead of people leaving in shame because they've shagged each other or had a cigarette or wanked to porn they can take the moral high ground and go up to the trolley dollies and their minders and embarrass them and say "How can you profess to be a representative of the creator when your leaders are defending child abusers? You white washed grave!"

I can see that happening in Australia. I read of, even met a few people who left the Catholic Church after their problem. I read on here all the time about MS's and elders looking for a fairly honorable way to resign. Maybe they won't wait for such an honorable way and just say they don't want to be called out for these things.

I think the hype here is always to be expected, but I like the "moral high ground." We keep shouting that they are a dangerous mind-control cult and people who were never JW don't care. "Get over it," they say. But tell them how JW's have been worse (by percentage) than the Catholic Church and children are in danger. Now, they want to know more.

8

Regarding not being viewed negatively when one fades.. An experiment?

by disposable hero of hypocrisy in

jw
friends

in joe134cd's recent thread, he mentioned the myth that apparently one should be able to fade or become inactive without repercussions from the community.

he mentioned about the 'dropping-you-like-a-hot-potato' phenomenon from social media sites, even when you've not told anybody why you're not coming any more.. i propose that it may be good to record such a phenomenon when it occurs so that this lie can be readily rebuffed.

i'm not out yet, but when i do, i shall be only to willing to record the response on social media sites.

OnTheWayOut

I am not quite sure what the point here is, nor what Joe134cd was saying, as I tried to find his comments but did not.

But anywho, if you fade, you can't control the gossip. You need to avoid JW's altogether on social media. If you have JW family on Facebook, you can have a generic site with photos and ordinary stuff. If you need an ex-JW life, you will have to have a fake name just like JWN.

And forget your JW friends. Drop them or they drop you. Fading is for keeping family.