Posts by OnTheWayOut

44

The JW religion has just cost me my marriage & my family life

by jambon1 in

jw
friends

after leaving the organisation 10 years ago i fought with everything i had to stay in my marriage and with my three children.

after a tumultuous number of years trying to maintain a happy family life while living in a divided home, it's finally over.

the religion is single handedly responsible for destroying my marriage and my family.

OnTheWayOut

I feel for you. So sorry to read this.

26

Watchtower Society now PROMOTES using Social Media / Networks?

by FusionTheism in

jw
friends

have you seen this?.

http://www.jw.org/en/bible-teachings/family/teenagers/whiteboard-animations/social-network-smart/#?insight.

OnTheWayOut

"If your parents allow you to have an account......"

WOW!!! That is radically different. I guess it's like this: More than 50% of adults and more than 96% of young ones don't listen to us anyway, so let's just pretend it was okay all along to be on social networks.

Also it sounds like a PSA, most of it is legit, sprinkled with jwism or scripture here and there, but mostly common sense about social networks.

Precisely.

34

No More Money!

by Hold Me-Thrill Me in

jw
friends

as of this june (i've already given my may contributions which are substantial) i am no longer giving money to support useless building projects that serve no good purpose.

i am no longer giving money at conventions or assemblies.

i am no longer giving money toward the circuit overseers upkeep.

OnTheWayOut

I just wanted to throw in my personal congratulations on deciding not to support them anymore.

Good for you.

24

Suggestions for Governing Body 2.0

by FusionTheism in

i realize many people on here are very angry at the watchtower society and/or governing body for various reasons, many of which are likely justified, at least to some extent.

i also can totally understand the cynicism and pessimism i see from certain ones regarding the leaders of the society.. i think one thing that's often forgotten or overlooked, however, is the fact that members of the governing body who've been "in the truth" for 30, 40, 50, 60 years, probably truly believe in this organization.

in my opinion, it's more likely that they believe what they teach instead of being liars who are intentionally deceiving everyone.

OnTheWayOut

In my opinion, it's more likely that they believe what they teach instead of being liars who are intentionally deceiving everyone.

I agree with everything Magnum says on page 2.

I imagine that GB 1.0 was closer to what you describe in the opening post- victims of their own teachings. But since then, the GB has been all about making money and keeping the corporation solvent.

A well-intentioned honest GB would abandon the blood doctrine no matter the cost. They would address pedophile victims no matter the cost. Even the Catholic Church, granted they were forced, had done better on that. (No, I won't defend the RCC- just saying that WTS is not doing the right thing.)

The reasons for GB 2.0 saying anything close to "We were wrong" (and you would have to show me the quote that actually says that before I believe it) is that they want to change directions. They see the future for this massive printing corporation and they see the likes of the LDS and Scientology. LDS has a larger membership and seems more stable with it's donations. Scientology has a tiny membership but is property rich and the leadership live like kings from the donations. GB 2.0 is going to become something else, something they have been learning from other cults. The membership of the GB are embracing the spotlight on jw. tv and enjoying the attention. They are probably building better quarters for themselves and passing more money to their inner-circle friends and family from construction projects.

They also deserve credit for telling people to focus more on Jesus and the main points of His parables instead of getting lost worrying about details. I also like that they tell Witnesses that pretty much anything written before 2000 may be incorrect.

Watch out for the hammer to drop. Whatever new information they have coming, it won't fit with the old. It probably won't fit with the scriptures. It's going to be so radical, similar to the way "overlapping generation" was so radical, that they are just preparing their members for it. All they know is that the old ways are not working for retention and donations, so here comes something completely different.

No credit will go to them for anything seemingly honest or less burdensome. It's all a smokescreen.

29

"So you are an atheist. So would you kill me if it were to your advantage?"

by OnTheWayOut in

jw
friends

i worked a different shift.

i knew the people i worked with, but not as well as i could have.. anyway, religion comes up.

one guy mentions in front of another that i wrote a book about my religious experience.

OnTheWayOut

TTATTelder, it was quite entertaining, not just for me but for others who were listening. The others knew that Ignorance's knowledge of religion and morals would be torn to shreds.

nicolaou, yes. But I wouldn't want him thinking he was right about atheists killing for advantage.

galaxie, me too. Me too.

smiddy, but we agreed that Adam and Eve didn't exist. Just a story. I know, I know- a new can of worms to open.

Onager, yes. I am not lumping in all of one group in a certain way. Actually, Ignorance is a nice guy. While I don't think he would just murder someone, his answers reveal his own morality in sharp contrast with any "rules" from the Bible. But he's a nice guy other than that he probably cheats on his wife and taxes and justifies taking things that don't belong to him.

nicolaou, Witness my Fury: thanks for sharing, but too much information. We don't need to know about your dick.

DJS, maybe you are right. I won't pass judgement that atheists are MORE likely to do the right thing because it is the right thing. But they are highly likely to do the right thing.

Page 2:

Morpheus, he's a good worker. Probably good at figuring out how to accomplish something. Just not good at thinking things through on a higher plane.

OneEyedJoe, I have to agree about the expectation that one will be forgiven. As long as you believe and bow down, Sky Daddy will forgive.

confuzzlediam, it is exactly like what you describe. Thanks for sharing. I don't think I made Ignorance think too much when we were done.

Flipper, I have read of you being the most patient person there is....well, next to me. There was no ill-intent to his questions. That probably helped. He just wanted to understand, but I was helping him see that he doesn't even understand any of what he already thinks he understands.

Viviane, I know. He didn't know the first thing about his Bible.

John Aquila, your picture says it all. I felt like that was what it was like.

29

"So you are an atheist. So would you kill me if it were to your advantage?"

by OnTheWayOut in

jw
friends

i worked a different shift.

i knew the people i worked with, but not as well as i could have.. anyway, religion comes up.

one guy mentions in front of another that i wrote a book about my religious experience.

OnTheWayOut

Seriously, that was our actual conversation. It was a bit longer but I edited the rambling parts.

29

"So you are an atheist. So would you kill me if it were to your advantage?"

by OnTheWayOut in

jw
friends

i worked a different shift.

i knew the people i worked with, but not as well as i could have.. anyway, religion comes up.

one guy mentions in front of another that i wrote a book about my religious experience.

OnTheWayOut

I worked a different shift. I knew the people I worked with, but not as well as I could have.

Anyway, religion comes up. One guy mentions in front of another that I wrote a book about my religious experience. The other guy (we will call him "Ignorance") wants to know what religion I was. I said I used to be a Jehovah's Witness and my wife still is one.

Ignorance: So you wore a white shirt and black tie and rode a bicycle?

OTWO: No, that's the Mormons.

Ignorance: What's the difference?

OTWO: Mormons teach that Jesus came to America after he was killed and the whole thing was supposedly revealed to Joseph Smith many hundreds of years later. Jehovah's Witnesses believe that the end of the world is coming any minute now.

Ignorance: But the end of the world is coming soon. It's in the Bible.

OTWO: Really, where?

Ignorance: I don't know, but I hear it's in there somewhere. So you used to be a Jehovah's Witness. So do they believe the Bible?

OTWO: Yes, they are pretty literal about the Bible and follow it. They think that much of the Bible pointed to their religion returning true worship on the earth in the 20th century before the end of the world.

Ignorance: Well, so you don't think the end of the world is coming?

OTWO: No. People have been saying the end is coming for as long as religion existed, Christians have been saying it for 2000 years.

Ignorance: But you do believe in God, don't you?

OTWO: No, not anymore. I reviewed the Bible and other religions and all the gods were invented by men.

Ignorance: How can you say that? The Bible has been proven to be right?

OTWO: What part is proven?

Ignorance: I don't know. But it has.

OTWO: So you just take someone else's word for it. If it's true, you should be reading it and know what it says.

Ignorance: That's for the preachers to do. But I know God exists. And the Bible is true.

OTWO: So it couldn't be some other Holy books that are true? It's got to be the Bible?

Ignorance: Well, God speaks truth to different people different ways. But science knows Jesus was real.

OTWO: How so?

Ignorance: I don't know, but the preachers say that's true and I know it's true. Plus, people need God or else they have no morals. So would you kill me if it were to your advantage?"

OTWO: WTF? (From now on, I will say "Watch Tower Farms" when I want to say WTF.) Why would I kill you for what advantage?

Ignorance: If I had something you wanted and we were alone, wouldn't you as an atheist simply follow logic and kill me and take it?

OTWO: No. But I see that you automatically assume that I have no morals since I don't believe in God. Is that right?

Ignorance: Well, yeah. You have no belief in heaven and hell, so you can do what you want. You don't accept the rules in the Bible, so you feel free to do what you want.

OTWO: I have morals. I want to do what is right. You don't even know the Bible and you tell me that I won't follow the rules in it. Do you know the rules?

Ignorance: Yeah, pretty much. I don't have to know all the rules because I know Jesus forgives me.

OTWO: So are you a literal follower of the Bible?

Ignorance: What do you mean?

OTWO: Did mankind just start out in the Garden of Eden less than 6100 years ago?

Ignorance: No, then I am not a literal follower. When King James wrote the Bible from the Greek, the 6 days had meant something longer but was translated that way. It's just stories to teach us. It is not literal.

OTWO: Watch Tower Farms......are you talking about? The first part of the Bible, the Old Testament, was written in Hebrew. While you may have something there about misunderstanding the original intent of the writings, I want to know where I should draw the line. What's literal in the Bible? What's a story?

Ignorance: Just about all of it is stories until Jesus.

OTWO: So was there Noah and a flood, or a King David? Were the Jews slaves in Egypt?

Ignorance: I don't know. No matter how many times you ask, I don't really know. I guess not if they are stories.

OTWO: And what does Jesus forgive you for?

Ignorance: My sins.

OTWO: And are those sins you inherited from Adam and Eve?

Ignorance: No, that's just a story to say we need to follow the rules in the Bible.

OTWO: I think we've gone full circle now.

Ignorance: If your wife is still a Jehovah's Witness, shouldn't she divorce you for leaving?

OTWO: You need to read those rules. God hates divorce.

Ignorance: Yeah, but Jesus forgives you for it. Maybe you should leave your wife and start having fun.

OTWO: And you accuse me of having no morals. I am getting off this merry-go-round.

5

guy says he's not guilty of murder because victim refused blood transfusion that could've saved him

by Question_Mans_interpretation in

i wonder if the guy will get off the hook for murder since the jw died during surgery that he refused blood for.

http://www.fresnobee.com/2015/05/15/4526968/did-fresno-shooting-victims-religious.html.

OnTheWayOut

I have always had a problem with intent and results. Someone is charged with "attempted murder" because paramedics arrive quickly or because the object in their pocket slowed the bullet. Someone else is charged with murder when they kick someone's ass but they had a weak heart, and died.

To me, intent is just as important as what happened. I could say, in this case, that the intent was clear because several shots were fired. I could say, as a juror that the blood transfusion thing is not really an issue. If the JW had not been shot, the blood issue would be no issue at all.

I could factor it in for unintentional manslaughter, but not intentional shooting, especially mutliple shots fired.

But it is part of how the system works here in the USA. Who is to say if it won't get him a lighter sentence? It's up to some prosecutor and the law to not give the jury a choice. A choice between guilt and innocence instead of degrees of guilt should result in a "GUILTY."

11

Did I miss something?

by StarTrekAngel in

so sat thru yet another "new light" session this past sunday.

as you may already know, it is a continuation of the previous study.

you know the speech... no more type/anti-type.

OnTheWayOut

I don't keep up with "the chariot." It sounds like they realize that they have no oracle like Freddy Franz and many of their instructions to the members won't sound like they are coming from the Bible pointing to the 21st Century "slave" so they are getting further along in just abandoning Bible application and just sticking to the basics about "listen and obey." ....oh yeah, ".....and be blessed."

They aren't going to try to make parables fit their ever-changing doctrines. They just aren't smart enough.

36

How long until the "Generation" gets Revised/Dropped?

by Lemonp in

if you don't already know this; the latest revision of the insight book has no mention of the "overlapping generation" bs online library, insight book .

obviously that change will not bee seen by the vast majority of people, so when will this "brighter light" shine through in a wt or assembly talk?

predictions?.

OnTheWayOut

"In some way"??? WTF does that mean?

Today it means if they are the anointed now who were alive before the other anointed died, their lives are a measurement of how close the tribulation and Armageddon are.

Next year, it means something completely different.