Posts by possum

14

Fewer christians (and other religions) and more with NO RELIGION in Australia

by fulltimestudent in

jw
friends

the results of the last australian census are trickling out, and the results offer an insight into the changing concepts of contemporary aussies.. in 1966 only 0.8 % marked 'no religion' on their census form.. in 2001 those marking 'no religion" had grown to 16%.. and in 2016 those marking 'no religion" had grown to 29.6%.. so more non-believers than any other group.

catholics (the previous largest group) were now only 22.5% of australians.. ________________________.

the other interesting change is language,.

possum

On the 2011 census (it takes places every five years) 64,390 Australians put "Jedi" down as their religion, an increase of from 58,053 on the 2006 census, according to The Brisbane Times. Numbers like that put "Jedi" right behind Sikh on the list of religions in the country. It seems unlikely that all these people truly believe themselves to be actual Jedi, and most of them make the claim as a harmless way to declare their Star Wars fandom and give the government the middle finger at the same time.

However, a group called the Atheist Foundation of Australia is leading a campaign to get people to stop making this joke. Their reasoning is, that when officially counted, Jedi gets classified as a "Not Defined" religion instead of "No Religion." When that happens, they believe "it makes Australia seem more religious than it really is." Which, again, doesn't sound like a problem, but "data on religious affiliation is used for public policy, city planning, community support facilities and more.

34

7 day conventions?

by HereIgo in

did any of you attend the old school week long conventions?

i have heard stories and it seems like these were mostly in the 70's and 80's before my time.

i couldn't imagine.

possum

My grandmother actually played violin in the live orchestras they had in those days at the assemblies.

23

What are the chances of getting another Raymond Franz default from head office ?

by Chook in

all regimes get defectors and some are more vocal than others..

possum

My 3rd gen family goes back to the 1930s and my impression as an outsider now is one of less idealism and more professionalism. I had relatives in Bethel and if you can ensconce yourself in middle/upper management you can lead a very comfortable, sheltered life. Free of the mundane anxieties of other mere mortals.

22

The Rank Hypocrisy of JW Rank and File

by steve2 in

wtf?

russian jw mr novik is shown in full view on jw org wearing the "parental glory" badge with its prominent cross pattee on his lapel - and not one word of caution is sounded.

similarly, jw forums are abuzz singing the praises of mr and mrs novik and their brood after they received the parental glory honor from no less than jw-oppressor, mr putin.. from the stinking gb heaven all the way down to the dusty rank and file, the hypocrisy is sky-high.

possum

The Watchtower organisation are publicity whores they'll milk anything.

50

A JW explains Blood Fractions

by OrphanCrow in

i was looking around from some information on the wt's stance concerning the use of stem cells, and i came across this article on a defending jehovah's witnesses blog.. rather than informing the reader all that much about stem cells, the author diverts the conversation into a discussion of "blood fractions" (*note: the term "blood fractions" appears to be another one of those wt bloodspeak terms coined by the wt.

"blood components" or "blood products" are the terms used more frequently by the medical world.

"fractions" implies tiny amounts).

possum

Orphan Crow. Thanks for the update great info will get up to speed.

50

A JW explains Blood Fractions

by OrphanCrow in

i was looking around from some information on the wt's stance concerning the use of stem cells, and i came across this article on a defending jehovah's witnesses blog.. rather than informing the reader all that much about stem cells, the author diverts the conversation into a discussion of "blood fractions" (*note: the term "blood fractions" appears to be another one of those wt bloodspeak terms coined by the wt.

"blood components" or "blood products" are the terms used more frequently by the medical world.

"fractions" implies tiny amounts).

possum

Why not? Why should JWs just take, take, take and not be obligated to give anything back? In Australia people don't get paid to donate blood it's dependent on the good will of the community/world. That world JWs are so quick to condemn and at the same time selfishly use to the full.

50

A JW explains Blood Fractions

by OrphanCrow in

i was looking around from some information on the wt's stance concerning the use of stem cells, and i came across this article on a defending jehovah's witnesses blog.. rather than informing the reader all that much about stem cells, the author diverts the conversation into a discussion of "blood fractions" (*note: the term "blood fractions" appears to be another one of those wt bloodspeak terms coined by the wt.

"blood components" or "blood products" are the terms used more frequently by the medical world.

"fractions" implies tiny amounts).

possum

This information comes from the advocate site for reform on blood:

If Jehovah s witness are such a loving organisation why don’t they donate blood?

Hemophiliac preparations (Factor VIII and IX)(Approved): It takes about 9000 kilograms of whole blood to make one 0.1 gram dose of Factor VIII. A person suffering from severe hemophilia typically requires several doses a year.

The Watchtower Society is not ignorant of this:

“Each batch of Factor VIII is made from plasma that is pooled from as many as 2,500 blood donors.” (The Watchtower, June 15, 1985, p. 30)

“Dr. Margaret Hilgartner of the New York Hospital-Cornell Medical Center said: “A severe hemophiliac is exposed to the blood of 800,000 to 1 million different people every year.”” (Awake! Oct. 8, 1988, p. 11)

More than 250,000 blood donations are required annually to produce the factor VIII, and factor IX that is consumed by the Jehovah’s Witness community. Huge vats could be filled with all of the human blood that is stored and processed to meet the needs of Witness Hemophiliacs.The Watchtower ignores these facts when explaining why it allows use of these “small fractions,” but cynically emphasizes them when it uses AIDS as propaganda against blood transfusions.

Albumin (Approved): Blood contains about 2.2 % albumin by volume. (White Cells – which are prohibited – comprise about 1% of blood volume).

Albumin is often used to treat burns. A typical treatment for third degree burns (30-50 %) requires 600 grams of albumin. Producing this amount requires about 45 liters of whole blood. How can anyone call this “a small fraction?”

15

Brought my non-JW wife to Kingdom Hall for a wedding

by keyser soze in

my brother got remarried to his ex-wife over the weekend.

they had been married for 15 years, but divorced in 2011. they decided to give it another try, because they have 3 kids together, and the dating pool is very thin for jws in their 30's and 40's.

we didn't want to attend, but since i was invited, and they were kind enough to attend our wedding, we decided to suck it up.. the most interesting part was the way my wife responded to the whole ordeal.

possum

steve2 Cheated a bit. I copied and pasted part of an essay that I had to submit for a post grad domestic violence course. A worldwide problem for all women caught in fundamentalist cults. We even have an Amish community not far from us and it's difficult for them those women to even access a telephone to get support.

15

Brought my non-JW wife to Kingdom Hall for a wedding

by keyser soze in

my brother got remarried to his ex-wife over the weekend.

they had been married for 15 years, but divorced in 2011. they decided to give it another try, because they have 3 kids together, and the dating pool is very thin for jws in their 30's and 40's.

we didn't want to attend, but since i was invited, and they were kind enough to attend our wedding, we decided to suck it up.. the most interesting part was the way my wife responded to the whole ordeal.

possum

Precious Possessions........ Jehovah witness women's lives are dominated by a religion that demands that women are subject to patriarchal male authority and ideology that dominates women through a theology of ownership. This theological interpretation conditions women who interpret violence and abuse at the hands of their husbands as discipline by a Father-God readily identified with their husband. The JW CULT acts as a high control religion and requires members to live within a closed system and utilises shunning as a method of emotional, behavioural and social control. Jehovah witness women who are experiencing domestic violence can limit or impede her own options to escape, due to the limitation of general religious schemas such as wifely submission, obedience, forgiveness, pious suffering and the conceptualisation of divorce. Elders (the patriarchy) may justify, disparage or disclaim that domestic violence occurs in their congregation.

29

Dr Monica Applewhite's evidence rejected by Australian Child Abuse Royal Commission

by jwleaks in

australian child abuse royal commission rejects dr monica applewhite's evidence and testimony.. [quote] dr applewhite acknowledged that her report did not identify the basis on which she had formed her opinions.657 she accepted that her report failed to identify the ‘current standards’ of other religious organisations658 or which ‘religious organisations’ she referred to in writing her report.659 dr applewhite told the royal commission that her understanding of material provided to parents and families about sexual development in children by other faith-based organisations was ‘anecdotal’.660.

dr applewhite accepted that it would be difficult for the royal commission to accept the opinions expressed in paragraphs 36, 45, and 46 of her report because her report did not identify the basis on which those opinions were formed.661.

we do not consider that dr applewhite’s report and the opinions expressed therein assist the royal commission in its inquiry for the following reasons:.

possum

Steve2, 6 minutes into the recording Angus Stewart attemps to establish Applewhite's credentials. Cross-examination quickly establishes Applewhite's PHD was based on "battered women" not "sexual abuse of children". Angus Stewart also makes it plain that she never published her dissertation and has had NO "peer reviewed" articles published at all. Far from impeccable credentials. Australian courts take a dim view of "guns for hire".