Posts by AuntBee

20

The Duggars: The continuing wackadoodle saga

by rebel8 in

jw
friends

i am so sad for these people's delusions..

AuntBee

Some of the things the Duggars are into are not well known. Too much to explain here, but anyone who is interested can google "Bill Gothard" "IBLP" "Visionary Daughters" "Quiverfull" "Vision Forum". There is a lot more behind it than just a personal decision to not use birth control. One guy who is the brother-in-law of their oldest son who got married, has defected from the movement, although still a Christian. He has a blog called IBLP detox"

I was exposed to the Bill Gothard seminar in my late teens - he uses Bible verses in much the same way as the Watchtower, almost all completely out of context. His stuff is extremely filled with extra-biblical rules, odd applications and legalism. It seems to have an appeal for parents who have fears for their teenage kids. Extremely patriarchal - girls should not leave home until married, not go to college, etc.

10

Door to door includes churches?

by AuntBee in

.

is it still common for jws to go right up to a church to share their message?

one of my fb friends who's a pastor posted today about receiving a visit while he was in his office at his church.. can protestants likewise go up to kingdom halls to call on jws?

AuntBee

Here's a short account from my friend Al.

"The conversation was very cordial. One of them opened their bible to Luke 4:3, which in their translation read, "The devil said to him, "If you are a son of God..." I pointed out in my interlinear Bible that the Greek clearly uses the definite article and it should be translated, "If you are THE Son of God" not "A son of God." They do not believe that Jesus is God so this threw them for a loop.

Like I said, we talked for a little more but they lost their train of thought and did not want to listen as I tried to explain the gospel. They excused themselves and went on their way. I tried to give them some CD's of a recent sermon I did on the 144,000 but they declined. "

10

Door to door includes churches?

by AuntBee in

.

is it still common for jws to go right up to a church to share their message?

one of my fb friends who's a pastor posted today about receiving a visit while he was in his office at his church.. can protestants likewise go up to kingdom halls to call on jws?

AuntBee

Is it still common for JWs to go right up to a church to share their message? One of my FB friends who's a pastor posted today about receiving a visit while he was in his office at his church.

Can Protestants likewise go up to Kingdom Halls to call on JWs?

19

BITE model and Mormon missionaries

by AuntBee in

jw
friends

"i am now a missionary for the church of jesus christ of latter-day saints.

i wont be on facebook again for two years so please don't message me, poke me, or write on my wall while i'm gone.

also don't bother trying to call my cellphone either, i wont have it.

AuntBee

Thanks for sharing that qcmbr. Wow! I've read some about their obsession with guys masturbating, but holy cow, to read about actual instances of how this plays out. It's like THEY'RE such pervs themselves for talking/asking about it so much. ICK. I have 2 sons, and to me, it seems like this kind of approach would make them even more likely to be obsessed with sex, no? sheesh.

26

Lessons the Governing Body should take from the Joe Paterno scandal (but probably won't)

by sir82 in

jw
friends

1) when confronted with evidence of child molestation, doing the bare legal minimum is not enough morally.

2) a carefully honed and managed reputation can be destroyed literally overnight if immoral actions / inactions are brought to light.

3) no matter how "high up" someone is, he is still accountable for his actions / inactions, and will have to pay consequences for wrong choices.

AuntBee

http://fbcjaxwatchdog.blogspot.com/

THis guy blogs about the same thing, in relation to Southern Baptist churches. He's written some powerful posts on this topic.

19

BITE model and Mormon missionaries

by AuntBee in

jw
friends

"i am now a missionary for the church of jesus christ of latter-day saints.

i wont be on facebook again for two years so please don't message me, poke me, or write on my wall while i'm gone.

also don't bother trying to call my cellphone either, i wont have it.

AuntBee

THanks for all the interesting comments!

Qcmbr: Did you GO on one? Do tell....i'll be looking forward to hearing about it.

Oh, i also forgot to include at the end, he wrote an email someone could reach him at, but only if they had something IMPORTANT to say. My daughter noticed that the email domain was @myldsmail. SO the only email he can have is through some LDS network. Could they possibly screen the emails??

So generous that they can have snail mail, although if you look at the missionary handbook rules, that has some restrictions too. In this day and age, you may as well say you'll never hear from your peers again. (I'm an avid letter writer myself, but i honestly don't know one other person that is, LOL) It's kind of like saying, your friends can send you a telegram, sheesh.

19

BITE model and Mormon missionaries

by AuntBee in

jw
friends

"i am now a missionary for the church of jesus christ of latter-day saints.

i wont be on facebook again for two years so please don't message me, poke me, or write on my wall while i'm gone.

also don't bother trying to call my cellphone either, i wont have it.

AuntBee

"I am now a missionary for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. I wont be on Facebook again for two years so please don't message me, poke me, or write on my wall while I'm gone. Also don't bother trying to call my cellphone either, I wont have it. If you have something important to tell me my email will be xxx

Also feel free to write me. My address will be:

Elder xxxx"

I just saw this on FB. "Elder" X was a best friend of our whole family since he was 3 or 4. He completely ditched all of us this whole summer, after he had been made an elder, and was preparing for his mission. I saw his mother before he dropped us, and she told me how he will not be allowed to phone her except at Christmas! Steven Hassan is right about the BITE model applied to Mormon missionaries, wow.

25

Evangelical Says Mormonism Is Not Cult; Open To Saying JWs Are

by Justitia Themis in

jw
friends

http://religion.blogs.cnn.com/2011/10/09/my-take-this-evangelical-says-mormonism-isnt-a-cult/?hpt=hp_t2.

editors note:richard j. mouw is president of fuller theological seminary, an evangelical school in pasadena, california.. by richard j. mouw, special to cnn.

some prominent evangelical pastors have been telling their constituents not to support mitt romneys bid for the presidential nomination.

AuntBee

I think part of the confusion is that the word "cult" is used in two ways. One is doctrinal/theological; the other is the coercive/mind-control aspect. Steven Hassan does classify Mormonism as a cult according to the second definition. I don't have time to figure out how to insert a link, but if you go to Freedomofmind.com, there is a great piece on the BITE model applied to Mormonism, especially the young Mormon missionaries. (or google BITE model mormon missionaries.)

I have seen the controlling aspect close up. Long story, but a young man our whole family spent a lot of time with ever since he was in diapers - has basically cut off our whole family since he became an "elder." (He posted that on his FB, made me cringe!) I never once spoke with him about anything concerning his family's religion.

One way i gauge whether a group is a cult, or at least cult-like, is asking - if you were born into it, can you leave it when you come of age, and still maintain warm and loving relationships with your family members? At least in the area where i live and the Mormons we know, no, they can't get out of it. Some have literally been kicked out of the house. A guy at my daughter's school lived with various friends who would take him during his last 2 years of high school, as he didn't want to be LDS.

28

Favorite games and toys as a kid

by littlerockguy in

one of my favorite toys when i was a kid was my spirograph.

i don't know whatever happened to it but i wanted to get another one and didn't realize they didn't make them anymore.

i went on ebay and got a super spirograph (complete except for the pens) for a real good price ($30) - i hit it at just the right time since most are listed for $50 to $100.

AuntBee

Glenster: Oh man, i can't believe someone mentioned the Flintstone Building Boulders!! I was able to find some on ebay for my own kids, when they were little. Huge hit!

I second the votes for Light Brite, and Play Dough, still LOVE the smell, although i think the formula is a bit different now. ? LOL.

Oh, i had spirograph too, but wasn't detail oriented/patient enough as a kid, so it would drive me kind of crazy.

---auntbee

18

What's behind the JW "stare"

by InterestedOne in

in my interactions with jw males guarding the kh entrance or with the various males my study conductor would bring to our study (one i later found out was considered a "heavy," meaning he was supposedly really good at answering tough questions), i notice they stare intensely at me and i start fumbling my words.

in one case, i went to a different kh where no one knew me and got the same stare at the door.

is this stare deliberate, and if so, what is behind it?

AuntBee

Isn't that weird? One of the usher guys at the District Convention here in Tucson was doing that to me because i was chatting with the lone protestor!! I thought it was kind of ironic, because they go around inviting householders to come to the Convention. So i'm a non-JW that went. This is supposed to get me interested in it? IT really creeped me out. LOL. I just smiled and waved at the guy and greeted him with a cheery hello. -- Sometimes people talk about leaving flyers on cars at the KH's , but around here, there is usually one of those glaring guys "keeping on the watch" in the parking lot.