Posts by B_Deserter

53

Would It Have Been Better To Remain In Ignorance About The Organization?

by The wanderer in

jw
friends

would it have been better to remain in ignorance about the organization?the argument on whether it would have been better to remain in ignorance .

about the watchtower society is the question.

on the one hand, had we remain-.

B_Deserter

Would it have been easier? Absolutely. Heck, I haven't even begun to break away yet. I haven't been to a meeting for 3 months, and haven't been in service for far longer, but my family (who know about my doubts) thinks I'll pull through this. I don't want to lie to them, but I can't think of any way to come out of this other than putting on the facade for now. I'm planning on building up a network of friends outside the org. before leaving.

I could have probably kept going on, gotten married, raised a family, etc. etc. My parents lived through 1975 so their big piece of advice for life to me was "SAVE FOR RETIREMENT!" They tell me to be ready for the end to come soon, but plan my life as if it isn't. I guess I'm fortunate to have parents that aren't 100% behind the program. I went to college (though only for 2 years) and my brother is going for a bachelor's degree at a university. So, I could have had a decent life in the witnesses if I wanted to, albeit with some deviation from prescribed witness living. However, honesty and truthfulness and very important to me. One day the blinders fell off and I read the Witness literature without the Watchtower fog in front of my eyes. For the first time I saw through the circular reasoning (that interpretation would contradict our beliefs, therefore, our interpretation is correct because our beliefs are correct) and the leaps in logic (selectively declaring prophecies to have dual fulfillments whenever convenient).

Just because something makes you feel good doesn't make it the right thing to do.

8

putting together an anti-JW video

by B_Deserter in

it's geared toward people who haven't signed the pool contract yet and has information that most witness newbies don't know or don't think about.

what are some things you would tell a person studying or just taking magazines?

B_Deserter

Click on the word "here" on my second post.

8

putting together an anti-JW video

by B_Deserter in

it's geared toward people who haven't signed the pool contract yet and has information that most witness newbies don't know or don't think about.

what are some things you would tell a person studying or just taking magazines?

B_Deserter

I figure a JW will have a problem with the video no matter what, so it doesn't really matter to me. Like you said, JWs have a funny meaning for relationship. At best, a JWs relationship with a non-JW is distant, at arms length. That, in my book, is not a real relationship.

8

putting together an anti-JW video

by B_Deserter in

it's geared toward people who haven't signed the pool contract yet and has information that most witness newbies don't know or don't think about.

what are some things you would tell a person studying or just taking magazines?

B_Deserter

Well, looks like I was able to come up with enough things to finish one movie. I wish the song I picked was longer, I could have filled it with a lot more stuff, but you can see the video here

8

putting together an anti-JW video

by B_Deserter in

it's geared toward people who haven't signed the pool contract yet and has information that most witness newbies don't know or don't think about.

what are some things you would tell a person studying or just taking magazines?

B_Deserter

It's geared toward people who haven't signed the pool contract yet and has information that most witness newbies don't know or don't think about. What are some things you would tell a person studying or just taking magazines?

62

real questions from the readers

by bigdreaux in

jw
friends

i have really been enjoying all the parodies of questions from the readers.

but, sometimes, it's just to easy.

missanna was sent a watchtower from her "loving".

B_Deserter

Oh this is insane. At least it's helped me make my decision to go further away from this garbage. This is the classic Watchtower tactic: giving orders by not giving orders. They write an article about a subject that contains nothing but negative statements about said subject, then, at the end--because they don't have a biblical basis for banning it and they know it--say "it's your choice." Of course witnesses are good at reading between the lines so they impose a self-inflicted ban on it.

11

I went to the Kingdum Hall last night....

by pratt1 in

as some of you may know, i have a close friend who is still a dub that i am the "godfather" of his son.

i mean this in the most literal sense, since it is in his and his wife's will, that if anything should happen to them, i would become their child's legal and custodial guardian.

anyway, i wento hear his second minsistry school talk last night and i have a few observations about the meeting.. 1. i was not aware that the #2 talk is now just a bible reading without an introduction or conclusion by the speaker.

B_Deserter

1. I was not aware that the #2 talk is now just a bible reading without an introduction or conclusion by the speaker. when did this happen?
January 2003. The new Theocratic Ministry book reorganized the entire TMS. #2 talks are bible readings only and are 4 minutes instead of 5. #3 and #4 are the same I believe, except that the people giving them have to look up their own source material.
2. The congo is located in a diverse mid to upper middle class neighborhood that surrounded on all 3 sides by lower income neighborhoods. There are two main halls that enables two separate congos to meet at the same time. I was very surprised to see that the spanish speaking cong was double the size of the english speaking congo.
There's been a huge push for foreign language development the past few years. Immigrants tend not to question the society as much and since many are uneducated and/or poor, the appeal of paradise on earth is much stronger to them. In Latin american countries, many witnesses have a bible study waiting list because all their time is taken up with studies.
3. The congo was made up of middle aged to senior citizen couples with no present children, or single parent families with children under 10.
Not surprising, young adults and teens have been leaving the organization in droves and its been like this for at least a decade. In my old hall in the 90's, there were 10 teens my age. The only one still in the truth actually left for a while but is now back.
4. Very few brothers at all, with many of the duties either being handled by very old brothers or sisters giving the number 4 talk in the main hall. In my old congo years age, we never allowed sisters to give the number 4 talk in the main hall.
This was another 2003 change. The number 4 talk now alternates weekly between a brother and a sister.
5. There appeared to be a general feeling of malise or boredom throughout the meeting with the speakers at times answering their own questions because no one volunteered."
Of course. The meetings are boring and dull. They hear the same things every week (funny how they criticize other churches for "saying the same things over and over" but witnesses doing the same thing is actually glorified) and its hard to pay attention.

50

Is the Watch Tower name going away?

by garybuss in

is the watch tower name going away?

i'm seeing more use of the "jehovah's witnesses" name where the watch tower name once was such as the sponsors of the summer conventions.

is this new, or am i just noticing it?

B_Deserter

I think they're going to shy away from using "Watchtower" to define themselves when the general public is involved. Makes it seem like less of a cult.

125

?Please explain Evolution to me in simple terms

by Guest with Questions in

and please dont give me links to read.

i dont want a complicated version; just a very simple explanation on the theory of evolution, and if possible, in your own words.

many of us are very ignorant on this subject and it seems that a few here are very knowledgeable so i hope you can help me and others also.. also if you believe in the theory of common descent, could you explain that to me also?

B_Deserter

"but I'm being told that I MUST believe in evolution, or I'm just a dumbshit. "

No one is telling you you HAVE to believe in evolution. As was pointed out earlier, science is not a democracy. It is based in facts and evidence. If you're in a room with ten people and all ten of them vote that 2 + 2 = 5, that doesn't make 2 + 2 equal five. You can believe in creationism all you want but belief in God is based on emotion, not evidence and that is the plain, ugly truth. Still, no one cares if you continue believing in God if that's what makes you happy. I've seen this tactic in evolution/creation debates before. The creationist will lash out against evolution/science in general, then when people respond, accuses the responders of doing the very same thing just did. Want examples?

"Simply put, evolution is a myth.

Men wrote the Bible, and men wrote all the books explaining evolution. Those who wrote about evolution are as loony as those who wrote about a creator."

Here you openly attack evolution and call people who wrote about it "loony."

"The reality is that we were not there when everything began, so then, it's all speculation as to how everything got here. I believe there is a God who created the earth and everything in it. Others believe that everything got here by chance. I would say that the most logical, rational and common sensical conclusion one can reach is the existence of a creator. Others would say that I am crazy. All of mans negative qualities aside, do you REALLY believe men evolved from animals? Why is there this large chasm between man and the lower life forms on this planet? Please show me the great cities, financial systems, and governmental structures that the lower animals have created. Not just presently, but thru history. Show me the music halls where the great musical compositions of lower animals are enjoyed. Please show me anything even close. Other than "I've never seen God", show me where I am wrong."

Here you clearly invite a debate while showing your complete lack of knowledge on the subject. The fact that evolution is not by "chance" and the fact that there are millions of "missing links" have already been addressed, so I will not go further"

Just as a side question, why did evolution choose to stop here on planet earth, or did it start here and will soon travel thru space to the other planets?

Not sure what you're going for here, other than to spark more "debate" with your vast misunderstanding of evolution.

So, Alan, the universe is millions or billions of years old, with stars and planets and whatever else, and the evolutionary process started here on earth? Just here? Such a "stupid" question on my part can surely be answered by someone with your superior intelligence. Or is it just a "stupid" question because YOU can't answer it?

Again, more ignorance on the subject, yet still trying to provoke a response.

You are the one calling evolutionists "dumbsh*t." You provoke a debate and then when you've clearly lost you backpedal to the "let's live and let live" high road.

56

If you ain't a PIONEER, You ain't SH**!!!

by Open mind in

my loyal-dub wife had a wonderful morning knocking on empty homes earlier this week.

last night she confided in me with an observation.

she has noticed what she perceives to be a "pioneer clique" in our congregation.

B_Deserter

I've listen to assembly talks that basically say if you aren't pioneering, you won't make it through the trib (ulation, not adism, although I find the latter to be quite enjoyable to watch)