StephaneLaliberte

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Posts by StephaneLaliberte

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  37

  Did you suffer from not saluting the flag in school as a kid?

  by Sea Breeze in

  1. watchtower
  2. beliefs

  what happened?.

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  StephaneLaliberte

  Another instance was in science class, the teacher singled me out at the beginning of the class.

  Back than, the teachers used to let the JW stand in the hallway outside of the classroom and walk into class once the national anthem was over. This way, we didn't have to stay seated in front of everyone in the class. At the beginning of the year, we'd tell them about it and the teachers would usually follow that arrangement.

  But not with that science teacher. She insisted that I stay seated in class. She actually went a step further, every now and than, when the national anthem was about to play, she'd say: "Everyone stand up for the national anthem. Except for Stephane. Stephane is a JW and JWs don't stand up for the national anthem."

  Now, come to think of it, that's the class where one of the kids threatened to beat me up and that I wrote about earlier in this tread.
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  37

  Did you suffer from not saluting the flag in school as a kid?

  by Sea Breeze in

  1. watchtower
  2. beliefs

  what happened?.

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  StephaneLaliberte

  When I was young, I was often late for classes and often ended up in the principals office. In one of those occasions, while the principal was lecturing me about getting to school on time, the national anthem started playing on the intercom of the school. So, he looked at me and was shocked that I didn't stand up. I don't remember word for word what he yelled, but it was along the line of : " I don't care what you believed, you better stand up for the anthem when your in the office in front of me." I responded that the JWs fought this in courts already and if he wanted to keep his job, he better turn around and listen to his own anthem. I was insolant, and he was furious. He turned red and turned around. While he listened to his anthem, I prayed, asking Jehovah to rescue me. When the anthem was over, he was no longer red, gave me a paper slip to get in class and calmly told me to get out of his office.
  
  Back than, I was sure it was Jehovah that intervened for me. I told some elders about it, but none of them wanted to use this as an example in the congregation due to the fact I was "often" in the principal office for being late!

  Now, all those years later, as an adult, I believe that when he turned around, he probably came to his senses, realizing that his career was indeed on the line and the better path was to simply let it go.
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  37

  Did you suffer from not saluting the flag in school as a kid?

  by Sea Breeze in

  1. watchtower
  2. beliefs

  what happened?.

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  StephaneLaliberte

  I am simply asking if the WT asks parents to kick their minors out of the house when they are disfellowshipped.

  No, they don't, never did. However, I have seen many kids leave before adulthood, or before getting any higher education. Now, indeed some parents have thrown their kids out as soon as they turned 18, and yet, I believe that the topic is more complexe than some may think.

  Ex-JW kids around 16 often want to draw their own path, away from an over bearing cult that comes with its mental abuse. Mental abuse that is channelled through their loving parents and all their friends. And so, understanding that they can take small jobs and move away, they do, even if this is against their parent's wishes! They are thinking: "Well, even if I have it hard, it won't be as hard as getting that look from my parents that says I'll die at Armageddon soon".

  And then, there's the kid who's behavior is abusive towards his family for several years. Fighting, disrespecting, cursing, lying, yelling, stealing, breaking things, never participating in any house work. Such behavior can have its toll on the parents and at some point, when the kid is old enough to work, the best think for everyone is to send the kid out, often with the assistance of social workers. This type of thing happens with JWs and non JWs alike.

  In the end, all I'm saying is that its not possible to make a broad general statement about this.
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  37

  s-395 Adjustments-to-handling-serious-wrongdoing-in-the-congregation

  by gavindlt in

  1. watchtower
  2. scandals

  this was posted on jw leaks.. my truth's | dad seeking truth.

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  StephaneLaliberte

  "Appeal committee: If a wrongdoer demonstrates that he is repentant by the time he meets the appeal committee, he will not be disfellowshipped"
  Is there an objective criterion for demonstration of repentance? Or does everything still revolve around the subjective opinions and biases of the elders, JCs and appeal committees?
  Have JCs and appeal committees been ordered to be more lenient?

  Well, the first thing that comes to mind is if the "wrongdoers" get married in between the first JC and the appeal JC.

  Roughly 20 years ago, one of my friend got disfellowshipped, than got married and thought it would stop the elders from announcing his name the following Thursday night. Boy was he wrong! Well, today, that would no longer happen.
  
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  37

  Did you suffer from not saluting the flag in school as a kid?

  by Sea Breeze in

  1. watchtower
  2. beliefs

  what happened?.

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  StephaneLaliberte

  There was a kid, a tough and strong kid, who's grandpa died in a war, I don't know which. Anyways, when he saw that I remained seated for the national anthem, he told me to get up or he'd kick my ass. I told him bluntly that even if he'd threaten me with death, it still be seating. I also said that he should be quiet as he was, himself, lacking respect for the national anthem by talking while it played.

  Somewhere during class, he told me that his grampa died at war. I told him that his grampa died for freedom, which included my freedom not to stand during the national anthem.

  He said he's still beat me up anyways. So, I spent the next two weeks running away from him after classes until he finally let it go.
  
  As for the teachers, they weren't all nice, but they usually didn't push it as word got around that some teachers had been suspended for lacking respect in this regard.
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  37

  s-395 Adjustments-to-handling-serious-wrongdoing-in-the-congregation

  by gavindlt in

  1. watchtower
  2. scandals

  this was posted on jw leaks.. my truth's | dad seeking truth.

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  StephaneLaliberte

  Can someone post bullet points or the cliff notes version of the new changes? There is no way my eyes can read all that small print, plus it's a long document.

  • Sisters can wear dress pants at the hall if not going on stage

  • Brothers don’t need to ware jacket and tie if not going on stage

    • In some areas, this might not even be needed depending on local culture

  • Disfellowshipped ones

    • Family and friends can reach out to disfellowshipped close ones to invite them back to the meetings

    • When attending a meeting, members of the congregation may great disfellowshipped folks without engaging lengthy conversation

    • After many years, if they come back, they will be offered a bible study to come to repentance

    • Disfellowshipped individuals can be reinstated as early as within 3 months. However, this would not apply to sins that puts the congregation at risks, such as pedophiles, apostates and those who break marriages.

  • Judicial

    • Judicial committee are no longer just one meeting. They can be more than one meeting

    • Appeal committee: If a wrongdoer demonstrates that he is repentant by the time he meets the appeal committee, he will not be disfellowshipped.

      • Appeal committee meets only once. (as before)

    • Kids under 18 do not have to undergo judicial committee if parents deem them repentant and have things under control.

  
  
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  4

  Shunning etc. Good Meme

  by Phizzy in

  1. watchtower
  2. beliefs

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  StephaneLaliberte

  I'd like to point out that you can talk to your loved ones that are disfellowshipped ONLY to encourage them to get back to Jehovah. Otherwise, you should proceed as before.
  - No sharing of meals
  - not doing any activities (sports, outings, events)
  - No phone call just talk about anything and everything

  They call it a loving provision, I still call it shunning.
  
  Oh, you can get re-instated real fast IF you are repentant. So, if you want to leave the religion and got disfellowshipped for it, its forever!
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  18

  The ORG'S "foundation" name............

  by BoogerMan in

  1. watchtower
  2. beliefs

  .........jehovah.. the bible's foundation name - (1 corinthians 3:11) "for no one can lay any other foundation than what is laid, which is jesus christ.".

  the org's chosen name for christians - "jehovah's witnesses.".

  jehovah's chosen name for christians - acts 11:26 - "...the disciples were by divine providence called christians.".

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  StephaneLaliberte

  (Mark 7:7, 8) "...they teach commands of men as doctrines.’ (no beards/yes beards) You let go of the commandment of God and cling to the tradition of men.”

  While I agree that JWs teach commands of men, so do all other religions. They are, after all, lead by humans. Unless you'd like to suggest a specific religion, I'm sure this forum will be pleased to show its human flaws.

  
  
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  16

  2024 Addendum to Shepherd The Flock Book-and February S-147-Announcements And Reminders!

  by Atlantis in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  2024-01 addendum to shepherd book.. 2024-02-s-147-february announcements and reminders.. .

  zipped folder.. .

  https://www.filemail.com/d/mcrweztlglnoheb .

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  StephaneLaliberte

  So now they can whine about persecution even more when an irate person tell them to GFY or to get the Hell off my porch and whimper about how hated they are.

  When I was young, I lived in a small town in Quebec (Canada) where people would yell and insult us ALL the time at the door. Then, when I moved in one of the major cities in Ontario, this happened to me exactly once in 20 years. Honestly, in Ontario, I ended up having much more meaningful exchanges where people told me things that made me question my faith and ultimately contributed to me leaving.

  Hate is never a good response. It simply leads to people doubling down in their respective positions and no body wins.
  
  
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  16

  Murder JW Style (True Crime)

  by Tahoe in

  1. watchtower
  2. scandals

  a home remodeling job in england that went wildly wrong:.

  a builder who bludgeoned his client to death with a hammer in a row over her new extension has been jailed for at least 15 years for murder.. peter norgrove killed sharon gordon at her home on 20 july last year.. her daughter rhian brown said norgrove acted like a "wolf in sheep's clothing" after earning her trust at the church they attended in dudley.. wolverhampton crown court heard he led the jehovah's witness service the same night he killed mrs gordon.. he repeatedly lied to her about the work he was doing, which took 15 months instead of six weeks.. .

  "he didn't have the experience to be doing the work he was doing," miss brown said.. "he took full payment for the extension in advance, which we believe to be more than £30,000.".

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  StephaneLaliberte

  Murderers in the JWs are a rare thing. Still, like in any social group, it can and does happen.
  
  But that the murderer is also someone leading service at a meeting?? That means he's, for the very least, a ministerial servant! Honestly, I think its a first. I don't think I've ever heard of that before. Wow!

  As for an elder/contractor ripping off an elderly women? Happens so often, I lost count.