Posts by StephaneLaliberte

20

PREPARE TO GET PELTED BY SYMBOLIC HAILSTONES

by raymond frantz in

https://youtu.be/idhmflud3p4?si=9xc4svrhxslduwvz.

so david schafer a member of the teaching commitee and a helper to the governing body has come out yesterday with a new video that goes through the king of the north, the hailstones message and other things in the wake of the possibility of a ww3 and especially now that tensions are escalating with russia so he is making quite a few end time arguments and i will be expanding on those one by one but today let's see what he has about the hailstones message of the end(video) so this is the paragraph in question, paragraph 14 from article 20 of the watchtower 2020 study edition: "sometime after the start of the great tribulation, “the kings of the entire inhabited earth” will form a coalition of nations.

(rev.

StephaneLaliberte

When text is long and not well formatted, I do this: ChatGPT, please give me a resume, in one paragraph, of the text above.

Answer:

David Schafer, a member of the Jehovah's Witnesses' Teaching Committee, recently released a video discussing the "hailstones message" mentioned in Revelation 16:21, tying it to escalating global tensions and potential End Times events. The Watchtower's interpretation suggests these hailstones are symbolic of Jehovah’s Witnesses delivering a bold judgment message that could provoke global opposition. However, critics argue that the Bible’s consistent depiction of hailstones as literal—supported by detailed descriptions in Revelation and historical precedent in Exodus and Joshua—contradicts this metaphorical view. The notion that Jehovah’s Witnesses, known for their passive ministry, could deliver such a provocative message seems implausible, raising questions about the alignment of this interpretation with scripture and reality.

2908

It's been a long 9 years Lloyd Evans / John Cedars (continued)

by Simon in

jw
friends

uh oh, looks like the mega thread gave up the ghost, so while i investigate / fix it just continue the discussion here .... it's been a long 9 years lloyd evans / john cedars.

StephaneLaliberte

Wow, he sounds like the speech elders were making at all of my congregations throughout my 35 years in the JWs.

"We don't want to make such talk, but you need to give more money cause we're in the red here!"

22

Netflix Live Boxing Event

by moomanchu in

jw
friends

when i was in the org it seemed most brothers were very much into football and other sports.

which looking back makes no sense and makes me wonder why?

it felt like an overcompensating to be masculine.. shouldn't football be deemed unchristian?

StephaneLaliberte

While I was tempted to say that the Tyson/Jake Paul fight was scripted, I changed my mind when I heard Tyson say the following at the end of the match:

"Had 8 blood transfusions. Lost half my blood and 25 lbs in hospital and had to fight to get healthy to fight so I won."

Even if he exaggerated a bit, this is likely the real reason why he was half the speed he was 9 months ago, before he got sick. And as for him not trying to throw punches in the last few rounds, simple: He missed Jake a few times and probably realized he wasn't fast enough. So, he got real defensive.

And I don't buy the idea that it was scripted for the simple fact that it was a sanctioned fight. Hence, illegal to fix it. Hence, even if Tyson had signed an NDA and spilled the beans later, he wouldn't lose a dime as the NDA would be unenforceable. There would be way too much to loose for the promoters and Jake Paul if something like that came out.

People say its fix cause we all wanted to see Rocky Balboa 6 come to life. But life isn't a movie, even if we sometime see it unfold, live, on TV.

14

Do you see it?

by MeanMrMustard in

.

StephaneLaliberte

Aside from this image not making sense, are we supposed to see something else?

20

JW WOMAN VOLUNTEER CRUSHED BY A WALL AT A KINGDOM HALL PROJECT

by raymond frantz in

https://youtu.be/1skm8riz7qc?si=ww3ej9orl_91db4w.

the construction of a new jehovah’s witnesses kingdom hall in cybinka, poland, has once again shed light on the watchtower organization’s relentless drive to expand its real estate empire on the backs of unpaid, vulnerable volunteers.

every day, around 40 jehovah’s witnesses show up at the construction site, some traveling long distances, not for pay or proper protection, but to fulfill a sense of “spiritual duty” instilled by the organization.

StephaneLaliberte

Honestly, I could go on and on about things I dislike about Jehovah's Witnesses, but forcing people into construction work? I don’t think so.

A better angle might be the fact that many Kingdom Halls, once built, were later sold, with the proceeds from the sale not staying within the local community of Jehovah's Witnesses. That is truly reprehensible.

20

JW WOMAN VOLUNTEER CRUSHED BY A WALL AT A KINGDOM HALL PROJECT

by raymond frantz in

https://youtu.be/1skm8riz7qc?si=ww3ej9orl_91db4w.

the construction of a new jehovah’s witnesses kingdom hall in cybinka, poland, has once again shed light on the watchtower organization’s relentless drive to expand its real estate empire on the backs of unpaid, vulnerable volunteers.

every day, around 40 jehovah’s witnesses show up at the construction site, some traveling long distances, not for pay or proper protection, but to fulfill a sense of “spiritual duty” instilled by the organization.

StephaneLaliberte

these volunteers are driven by a mixture of fear and obligation. Many Jehovah’s Witnesses know that refusing to volunteer could result in social ostracism, or worse, a mark against their standing in the congregation.

I believe in personal accountability, and this situation is a good example of that. I’ve never seen anyone forced to do something they felt was unsafe. In fact, I’ve seen the opposite: people sometimes take unsafe actions even after others have advised them not to!

Regarding the lack of insurance coverage, everyone is aware of this beforehand. Is it right? I say: Why not? Are you insured when you hike a mountain or go downhill skiing? Heck, even riding your bike without a helmet? People make a lot of choices in life fully aware of the risks involved.

On the idea of people being "forced" to help with Kingdom Hall construction—well, technically, it might be true to some extent. After all, how would it look if you didn’t assist with building your own Kingdom Hall? But honestly, from my personal experience and observations, these projects are some of the most joyful experiences, especially when it comes to your own Kingdom Hall! Everyone takes pride in sharing which part they helped create. "I worked on the roof, I helped with these walls, I did these tiles," and so on. Yes, it’s hard work, but honestly, it feels more like a big party with lots of friends.

As for construction projects at other locations—such as Bethel or other Kingdom Halls—participation is entirely a personal choice. Like others have mentioned, JWs have plenty of construction workers among their ranks. Sometimes, it’s even competitive and serves as a form of promotion for their business! I’ve even seen one brother bring his own crew to a construction site to handle the interlock entrance of an assembly hall. The quality of that work was so high that it’s still in perfect condition 30 years later.

The point is this: While many JWs may feel pressured to shun close ones, refuse blood transfusions, avoid higher education, or, sadly, even keep silent about certain issues, "feeling forced" when it comes to construction is new to me.

9

WT brags about suing indigenous peoples and winning!

by Slidin Fast in

jw
friends

i know we get a bit cynical and hard boiled about the exploits of wt inc. but this takes the biscuit.

apparently these ecuadorian indigenous people objected to being targeted by the sect.

so wt inc rode in and guess what?

StephaneLaliberte

The OP brings up Child Sexual Abuse (CSA) in something that has nothing to do with it. But from what I am reading, the Jehovah's Witnesses won another court battle to safeguard their right to build a kingdom hall and preach to their neighbors. Forgive me for asking, but what's the problem here?

I believe in freedom of speech (that includes preaching your none sense) and freedom of religion (that includes building your assembly hall, church, mosque, whatever). So, I don't see any problem here at all.

In fact, good for them! Winning this court battle protects the freedoms of everyone else in that country!

9

WT brags about suing indigenous peoples and winning!

by Slidin Fast in

jw
friends

i know we get a bit cynical and hard boiled about the exploits of wt inc. but this takes the biscuit.

apparently these ecuadorian indigenous people objected to being targeted by the sect.

so wt inc rode in and guess what?

StephaneLaliberte

A link might be nice.

https://www.jw.org/en/news/region/ecuador/Constitutional-Court-of-Ecuador-Upholds-the-Right-to-Freedom-of-Worship-for-Jehovahs-Witnesses/

39

Why do most Ex jW W‘s seem to be liberal?

by JaredScott-1977 in

i’m just curious about this dynamic i don’t care personally one way or the other but i do have friends who have chosen to be conservatives and they get totally destroyed on social media pages for their choice.

it’s almost like a lot of ex jw w become as toxic and his judgmental as jehovah’s witnesses themselves what’s up with that?

i also know conservative ex jw’s that can do the same so again i’m not leaning one way or the other i’m just noticing factual observations.

StephaneLaliberte

I consider myself to be in the center.

I'm for abortion rights but don't agree with forcing truckers to get vaccines.
I'm for immigration but within reasonable, controlled limits.
I'm for freedom of religion but not when teachings of that religion goes against basic humain rights.
I'm for free education and healthcare but don't think these should be managed by the state.
I'm for social programs but expect tighter oversight, where people must participate to earn, as with cooperative housing.
I'm for more accessible mental health care but believe we should consider bringing back mental institutions.
I'm for free speech but believe people should be held accountable for spreading deliberate and demonstrable lies, similar to how defamation is handled in court.

17

Dr. James Penton - goin' up yonder dirt nap

by Nathan Natas in

jw
friends

i saw a post on reddit by "big_routine1112" announcing that james penton died.. well, there's always the resurrec... oh, nevermind.. as always, the person expressing the most profound grief and dismay wins!.

"he was my friend" .

"there will never be another of his ilk".

StephaneLaliberte

Nathan Natas: I think I get your point. The older I get, the more I'm exposed to the deaths of people close to me—friends, family, people who influenced me, and even celebrities. The more I go through this process, the less deeply it affects me. Yet, socially, we're still expected to show grief, pain, and other signs of mourning.

So, a lot of people who, like us, feel something but not profoundly, end up expressing more grief than they actually feel, just to be accepted or to be part of some homage. And we see through it; it comes across as phony.

In the case of Dr. James Penton, the world certainly lost someone who helped thousand others have a critical, rational mind. But once I'm done writing this message, I'll go about my day like any other. Such is life.