If that's the one about the Christians in Jerusalem and Pella, it is historically inaccurate:
Billy the Ex-Bethelite
JoinedPosts by Billy the Ex-Bethelite
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has anyone see the Dvd
by d inthe older couple i talked in my last thread gave us another video called walk by faith not sight.. i have seen it at their house it is okay not the best tell me what do you think about the movie?.
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exJW Psychology 102--How to Ask a Question When Questions Aren't Allowed
by Billy the Ex-Bethelite innow that enough time has passed and i've moved away, i think i'm overdue to share some of the stories from my fade.
i've mentioned some of this before, but i think it deserves its own thread.. we all would like to be able to freely ask questions about jw beliefs and get our family and friends to really think about certain questions.
however, when you're a baptized jw, you really can't ask any good questions or you'll get the "apostate" label slapped on you!
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Billy the Ex-Bethelite
Now that enough time has passed and I've moved away, I think I'm overdue to share some of the stories from my fade. I've mentioned some of this before, but I think it deserves its own thread.
We all would like to be able to freely ask questions about JW beliefs and get our family and friends to really think about certain questions. However, when you're a baptized JW, you really can't ask any good questions or you'll get the "apostate" label slapped on you! Early on when I was trying to fade, I was able to ask some tough questions with interesting results. One of the most effective ways to frame a question, I found, was to frame it as a question raised while preaching. And as long as JWs continue trying to push their beliefs and literature on others, this technique can be used.
Back when I first came to this forum, I was still an active elder and had ignored decades worth of questions. The NBC story was the last straw for me:
http://www.nbcnews.com/id/21917798/ns/nbcnightlynews/t/new-evidence-jehovahs-witness-allegations/#.UboL4JzNns0
At the time, I was working around lots of nonJWs. So, rather than waving around printouts and saying, "Look what I found!", I took the printout around to some of my family, friends, and other elders, explaining that a workmate heard it on the news and knows I'm a JW. I said that he printed it out and asked me if this is standard procedure at our local KH to hide pedophiles.Then I asked the JWs, "What am I supposed to say to this?!?" The conversations that followed were interesting.
Once the article was confirmed as legit on the website, some asked, "Is that person an apostate?"
I enjoyed using maximum sarcasm addressing that question. "Apostate? They've never been a JW, but know that I am a JW. Is that how you respond when you're preaching at someone's door and they ask you a question? You respond asking, 'Are you an apostate?'"
At the time, the CO was soon to visit. Many suggested that I ask him, and so I did, at the end of the elders meeting. That CO was not liked by any of the BoE, so I wasn't timid. I gave him the printout and explained the scenario. His response: "Oh, I don't know about that. You should write the branch and ask them." After that, I gave him a grilling about how he would respond if he had to go to work tomorrow and face the question from workmates. As far as writing the branch, I assured him that they take a year or more to answer any ordinary letter, so he should send the question along with the report to the Service Department. He fled from the conversation and didn't send the question with the report.
I was looking forward his next visit and asking him about it. That would have been his last visit before being moved, but he didn't make it to our congregation and sent a subCO instead.
Moving on to a different example. In conversation, a friend was telling me how he knows he's supposed to preach to his workmates, but he's not comfortable doing it. Rather than twisting his arm to preach, I gave him the perfect reason not to preach. I explained, "Well, I learned that you have to be really careful, because you have to work with them every day. And you don't want to be in front of a group of coworkers when one of them asks the 'kangaroo question.'"
Which, of course, led him to ask, "Kangaroo question? What's that?"
Me, playing coy, "Oh, I think I shouldn't have mentioned that." Of course, that statement just made him even more curious. So then I explained how it was not uncommon for JWs to get asked questions about the flood that we couldn't answer. 'Kangaroo question' was how kangaroos got from Australia to Noah's ark, then from Turkey back to Australia after the flood. Then he was really confounded trying to solve this riddle. I had to tell him that there was no solution to that, nor to a lot of other questions that I hope he never gets asked. Since I was the ex-bethelite, he wanted to know what to do with such a question. I explained, "Since there is nothing helpful published, if you get asked a question like that at the door, you have to say that you'll go and research the question... but you never go back to their door. If you get asked by a workmate where you can't run away, you have to say that Noah's flood is a parable and not literal."
I've got several other stories, but it's such a beautiful day out that I'm tired of looking at a computer monitor. I'll add them another time. And besides my technique for posing questions as a field service situation, my sister has a good method for asking questions. I'll call it the "What is it we believe again?" Technique.
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Candace Conti v Watchtower Society | June 3, 2013 | Respondent's Brief - prepared by Rick Simons | A136641
by jwleaks injw leaks has published the respondent's brief prepared by rick simons in the case: candace conti v. watchtower bible and tract society of new york & fremont congregation of jehovah's witnesses.
(90 pages).
http://jwleaks.org/candace-conti/.
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Billy the Ex-Bethelite
After reading this, I can't help but believe that the District Convention talks about "apostates" are an effort to pressure the sheeple into ignoring all the bad publicity around this and other cases that Watchtower is losing.
And the drama that starts with the announcement of a ban on Jehovah's Witnesses is a switch from the actual scenario where the announcement will be that Watchtower Corporation loses millions in landmark settlements for their efforts to protect pedophiles and subject children to abuse at the hands of repeat offenders.
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JW calendar for this month - no accidents? LOGIC FAIL
by Comatose init shows a bunch of happified people working on a house.
tagged with the scripture they build houses and have occupancy.
but in the picture they are all wearing hard hats and safety harnesses.
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Billy the Ex-Bethelite
If they need hardhats and safety harnesses to protect from accidents and injury, that would indicate that they aren't really perfect, are they? They'll still need OSHA, emergency rooms, doctors, etc.
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Feeling Guilty
by naazira ini am feeling gulity because i will not be going to the summer convention.
i just can not sit through the talks they are sooo boring.
im cutting off all contact with the witnesses.
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Billy the Ex-Bethelite
You can't be expected to honestly "trust your own heart" in this matter. In order to judge whether you should feel guilty for not attending the Discrap Crapvention, we have presented your case to a jury of your peers. Here is their verdict...
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Howdy From Texas
by TexasEX inmy name may be a bit premature...because i'm actually still active within the org, but i guess you could say i've already "left" in my heart.
i'm just scared to take the first steps, because i don't know any "ex's" in my neck of the woods, and i'm very scared of loosing my family.
i just need someone to talk to.. .
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Billy the Ex-Bethelite
Howdy!
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jw.org store in Rouen, France
by breakfast of champions inhttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rvcvnhohno4.
naaaahh.
we're not a business.
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Billy the Ex-Bethelite
Something like this makes them sitting ducks for "apostates". If I had the money, I'd open a TTATT storefront next door!
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Blondie's Comments You Will Not Hear at the 06-09-2013 WT Study (READ BIBLE)
by blondie incomments you will not hear at the 06-09-2013 wt study (april 15, 2013, pages 7-11)(read bible).
4. what does it mean to read the bible in an undertone?.
1:6) how, then, are we to understand jesus words about this generation?
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Billy the Ex-Bethelite
Thanks Blondie!
If WT really thinks that Bible reading is important, why is the Bible Highlights one of the very shortest parts of any of their meetings? And when that part of the meeting is opened to audience comments, why is it so heavily emphasized that the comments must be less than 30 seconds? And I agree 100% with Blondie that most of the dudes assigned the part hadn't really read the material. Obviously, reading and discussing the Bible isn't THAT important!
Bethelites are required to read the entire Bible in their first year. It's certainly not about examining or comprehending any of it. It's just bragging rights. Like the old lady that brags about reading the Bible over 40 times. What's the big deal? It's not like she bothered to learn the original languages in order to really study what she was reading. And I'm sure that reading the Bible that many times hasn't miraculously made her any younger.
The "testimonials" of JWs that gush about the wonderfulness of reading the Bible, so what? Mormons would gush about the book of Mormon or Muslems would gush about the Korah making their lives better and bringing them closer to Allah. For that matter, a child will gush about reading all the Harry Potter books and seeing the movies multiple times and how wonderful that made their lives.
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Leaving the Borg > rebuilding your Life > How to erase your time as Bethelite, Missionary, FTS?
by BluePill2 inso, here i am almost 5 years after the big exit.
life during this time has been tumultous, joyous and sometimes full of tears.
got new friends, social circle moving well (i am an outgoing person), new girlfriend (after messy divorce of jw wife), own business.. but i knew something would come back and bite me into my rear-end:.
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Billy the Ex-Bethelite
Interesting comments. I've had to creatively explain my past. At least it isn't a criminal record that I'm trying to hide.
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exJW Psychology 101--Keeping Your Cool While Fading
by Billy the Ex-Bethelite inin an effort to get some help and hopefully help others, i'd like to start this thread about psychology, specifically starting with the subject of anger management.. .
personally, i don't have much of a temper.
what i do have, i've learned to control.
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Billy the Ex-Bethelite
Oh, and I should clarify on this thread that nearly all of my conversations with believing JWs involving anything controversial about the religion have only been with only one person at a time. I only had one such conversation that involved both of my parents at the same time.
Just in case things ever went badly and I went too far in speaking to a person, there wouldn't be a second witness. Also, the conversations can get interesting when we're one-on-one and the other person can speak freely about their thoughts. Plus it's easier to keep my cool when I don't feel outnumbered.