mostlydead

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Posts by mostlydead

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  9

  untitled

  by JeffT in

  1. jw
  2. friends

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  mostlydead

  Excellent analysis...thank you!
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  84

  In general, what is the ethically correct response if a minor tells you someone is molesting him/her?

  by InterestedOne in

  1. watchtower
  2. child-abuse

  i was thinking about what the elders are trained to do versus what i personally would do if a minor confided in me that someone was molesting him/her.

  i'm not sure what the ethically correct first response should be.

  my first thought is to contact some kind of law enforcement that specializes in investigating situations like this with people experienced in getting to the truth of the matter.

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  mostlydead

  djeggnog wrote:

  "There is a semblance of justice in this world, but you have to know that this isn't true justice at all. It may make one feel good that an individual has been "put away," so to speak, for 20 years or so for such criminal offenses, but you know as well as I that the harm done to such children cannot be undone, so for true justice, we will all have to wait for the Millennial Reign of Jesus Christ."

  I care far less about "justice" and "vengeance" than I do about prevention. You rate putting a molester in prison for 20 years as a mere "feel good" experience that in the grand scheme of things doesn't matter one whit. I believe that providing an entire generation of little ones the opportunity to grow up with one less molester in the neighborhood is a very good thing to do, even while "waiting for the Millennial Reign of Jesus Christ." Since, as you mentioned, God is not intervening in such matters today, the protection of children is in the hands of every caring adult. Jehovah is big enough to take care of himself and his own name. Children are not. A system that is set up so that two lambs MUST be sacrificed before action is taken to protect rest of the flock is a blot on the name of the God they claim to represent. An institution that requires children and adults to mix together in frequent and close association, needs to have regular and frank discussions of the dangers that can lurk in any such group, including and ESPECIALLY their own. Convention delegates are warned not to leave unattended purses or other items of value at their seats, because unscrupulous ones frequent such large gatherings and take advantage of their trusting brotherhood. That message could easily be brought down to a congregational level regarding the behaviors of unscrupulous ones who would rob our children of their physical, emotional, and spiritual well-being.

  You've made it clear that you and your children do not need those of our "ilk" making suggestions for improvement regarding the prevention of sexual abuse in your ranks. We don't really mind your resistance....it won't change our commitment to protect our own and, yes, even your own children.
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  68

  STOP being naive - the time has come to use your PRIMAL SENSES

  by Dogpatch in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  a lot of us spend a great deal of time on this board and elsewhere discussing the intricate doctrines of the .

  watch tower as if they were legitimate arguments from the bible.. one of these is the issue of blood and blood transfusion.. another is "who is the faithful and discreet slave?".

  or "what is the definition of "generation" given in the bible, so we can prove the witnesses wrong?.

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  mostlydead

  You're right of course about the reality of the situation with the men behind the curtain. However, it's no mystery why some of us have to spend a long time deprogramming doctrinally. Many of us spent a long, long time convincing ourselves of the "truths" about what the Bible teaches; for some it's the only take they've had on the scriptures in their entire lives. To decide to give up one's internalized viewpoint of what the bible teaches is a separate thing from losing faith in an organization.
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  86

  They really are pooping their pants over these latest "signs"...

  by undercover in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  i've seen a few threads/posts where some of y'all have heard from jw contacts and how they've stepped up their 'the end is close' rhetoric because of the earthquake/tsunami in japan.

  i usually take those things with a grain of salt.

  there's always some jw whose cheese has slipped that reads prophecy into every little thing that happens.

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  mostlydead

  I was a little surprised to see a post on Facebook today from an evangelical Christian acquaintance of mine that included a quote from Luke 21 and a question, "Are you ready?" Didn't expect to see that from a non-witness source.
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  29

  The elders are asking around about me since I faded - they just put this up on the information board at the hall

  by just n from bethel in

  1. jw
  2. friends

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  mostlydead

  laffffffffffinggg!!!
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  81

  Here i am....

  by makersmark in

  1. jw
  2. experiences

  here i am - born in truth, hard-core spiritual everything all my life, early reg.pioneer, ms, elder, assembly parts, tour at bethel, etc, married now...... i'm trying to examine jw teachings a little closer...... i've spent the last two weeks reading many many posts, info , references on where ex-jw's are coming from.

  i'm kind of concerned about a few things lately..... honestly - some points make sense to me - some don't - here are my general thoughts:.

  -wt getting un membership for access to library - doesnt bother me - some passports and other governement documents have similar forms and requirements..... -blood issue - some counterpoints to the jw 'rules' makes sense (original intent of scripture is unbled animals, white blood cells similar in mothers milk) etc -however a lot of 'apostate' reasonings and proof are inaccurate.

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  mostlydead

  Welcome to the board and thank you for your honest response to what you've been reading.

  I'm impressed with the courage you've shown by looking at viewpoints that are alternative to the ones you've held. You owe it to yourself and to those over whom you have oversight to be absolutely sure you know where you stand on these issues. The change to the generation teaching in the 90's was a huge issue for me, but even then I managed to regroup and carry on for a number of years. I think for many of us that went through that, this latest change has stretched the society's credibility beyond the breaking point. I understand the fear you feel. You've embarked on an interesting journey, and I'm confident that having stopped here along the way will not hurt you. I wish you success on your continued investigation!
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  66

  Heads up! Jesus is angry at the churches for their hospitals and feeding the poor......

  by miseryloveselders in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  next week's congregation bible study will explain and illustrate why christendom is toast, and how we can contribute to the joy of christ by supporting "the faithful and discreet slave.".

  the anger and the joy of the messianic king.

  10. like his father, our master is by nature happy.

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  mostlydead

  So Jesus will be infuriated at religions who have done physical feeding but not spiritual feeding (as defined by the WTBS.) What of the religions who have done spiritual feeding, but not physical? Where does he indicate that that's more to his liking?
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  49

  Was I threatened by a student?

  by laverite in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  well, the new semester has just started.

  as some of you know, i'm a college professor.

  i was in my large lecture course yesterday (a couple hundred students).

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  mostlydead

  He not only threatened your safety, but the safety of the entire class. I think your dean is going to take this extremely seriously.
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  3

  Does God Really Answer prayers?

  by SeekingSanity in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  my heart is sitting on my girlfriend.

  i absolutely love her to death and the idea of her not being with me is torturing me.

  we are having problems.

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  mostlydead

  In my experience, the only way you will solidify this relationship is by accepting it as it is, right now. If it goes against your values to consider a sexual relationship without marriage, then you must accept the fact that, for now, that that's the way it is. You have to decide which you want more–to be married or to be with her. You'd be doing yourself a disservice to hang on indefinitely in hopes that she'll change her mind; it's possible she will, but equally possible she won't.

  It's really painful to be in love with someone who doesn't want the same things you want from the relationship. I think the only thing you could ask God for is the ability to decide whether to stay in this relationship exactly as it is now, with no expectation of anything further, or to get back some peace of mind and look for someone who wants the same things in their life as you do.

  I know it's hard. I feel for you...
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  116

  Would Witnesses REALLY drink the "Kool-aid" if the faithful slave told them to? Yes or no?

  by Witness 007 in

  1. jw
  2. experiences

  a "spiritual leader" tells his followers the must put on rebok running shoes and "drink the cool-aid" to join a ufo in the tail of a comet and "go to a better world" so, afew dozen young people do just that to get "beamed up" to the mothership.

  heavens gate cult 1990's.. my mother says "she is faithful to the organisation till her death" which makes me wonder if they ordered a mass suicide like the reverend jim jones did to escape a "great tribulation"....how many witnesses would really drink the cool-aid?...

  without a gun pointed at their head of course!.

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  mostlydead

  I wonder what they DO have in mind though when they say things like, "Are you willing to obey instructions, even if you don't agree/understand/find them strange/etc." At times it's been asked along with the example of Moses leading the people to the Red Sea with the pharaoh's troops in pursuit. They've been conditioning the flock to anticipate such an emergency for as long as I can remember...at least 50 years.