We had one brilliant DO at a circuit local needs go on about modest dress for women and say that sisters should follow the example of the women shown in the Society's publications. Then he added--and I kid you not--that he didn't mean the modern pictures but the ones from ancient Israel, where they were in long loose garb. Seriously. I think he had money invested in international burqa production.
Cadellin
JoinedPosts by Cadellin
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What have been some of the funniest local needs talks that you have heard?
by DaPriest ini remember once in berlin south germany there was a local needs part for the men only, and how they should use the toilet.
in all seriousness for ten minutes a retarded nigerian was going on about how men need to sit down when using the toilet.
no mention of anything else.. it transpired that some little kraut boy from an "interested" family would aim for the side of the toilet and leave a great big puddle for others to clean up.
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New here..help greatly appreciated
by Confusedandangry inhi everyone i don't even know where to begin.
i recently saw leah remini's series on scientology thanks to my husband (semi-active jw) and i felt like my eyes were being opened for the 1st time in my adult life.
i felt shaken almost sick to my stomach with each episode i watched.
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Cadellin
Confusedandangry, what you are feeling is normal. You are normal. You are entitled to feel like you do. Your feelings are entirely justifiable. Don't ever, ever feel like you are to blame or that there is something wrong with you. To the contrary, there is something very wrong with the organization to which we have all once belonged.
I was in your position about 12 years ago. Here's what helped: I read everything I could, particularly in the area of credible, authoritative research on evolution, ancient history, ancient humans, so-called "flood" geology, the history of the earth and of Jehovah's Witnesses. I also read Crisis of Conscience, which should be on the top of your list. Franz is a gentle, insightful, articulate writer who speaks absolute truth. I know enough from first hand experience about the inner workings of Bethel and everything he says is consistent with what I have seen.
Hang out here! You are among people who have experienced what you are going through. And survived! There's a really great life out there, free from the craziness. You can make it.
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What finally helped you to peek behind the curtain
by UnshackleTheChains ini'm interested in finding out what it was that finally enabled you to open your eyes to the real truth of watchtower.
what started me thinking, was the societys very own book...' 'revelation..it's grand climax at hand'.
i found that book farcicle.
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Cadellin
I can relate to so many of the moments already described, but the first inkling came when I was about 20. I've always loved science and was so excited when the bright turquoise "Creation" book was released, especially since so much of it was backed up by REAL SCIENCE in the form of QUOTES. In particular, Carl Sagan's book Cosmos was quoted, something to the effect that the fossil record could be consistent with a Designer. Only, I looked up the actual quote and found that it was a partial quote, that what Sagan was really saying was that the fossil record was consistent with a capricious, unpredictable, destructive kind of Designer. Not exactly what the WT was saying. I was able to stifle my shock and carry on like a good minion, pioneering for years, marrying an elder, until I was in my late 30's and I thought--I need to look into that again. I started researching everything about creation vs. evolution, Noachian flood, etc. and well, when you actually start looking at real science, everything pretty much falls apart.
This site was invaluable as well, as Leolaia was posting then, some truly scholarly and eye-opening stuff.
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Cadellin
Hi, Cindy:
I was in/am in exactly your shoes. I discovered TTATT and it was a devastating shocker to me. My husband is an elder and fairly zealous but not unbalanced. Essentially, I just did a very long, slow fade and here I am, inactive for about eight years and never happier! We kept out marriage together and just agreed to disagree. In fact, my husband helped me in my fade by running interference between me and elders who wanted to "talk" to me (we know what that means). So I never had to face official questions or anything like that.
It's hard--don't get me wrong. I let my field service time dwindle, as you are doing, right down to an hour a month and then, one August, I just didn't turn one in. And guess what? Nothing happened. About two years later, we moved to a different state and that made everything even easier.
The point is, you WILL get through this. It is quite possible to make a happy life for yourself and keep your marriage intact. And coming here and getting support is part of that.
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Mouthy has Passed Away
by Simon inupdate on mouthy (grace gough)this is graces granddaughter.
i wanted to send an update that today my beautiful grandmother passed away - surrounded by friends and family.
- may 22 1927 - sept 2nd 2016. mouthys_granddaughter.
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Cadellin
We have lost so many this past year. Dear Mouthy.
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"You will never grow old in this present system of things" -- some campaign tools
by FatFreek 2005 ini am approaching 76 years old.
i can clearly recall that awake!
statement and similar during the pre-1975 hype -- "staying alive in '75", et al.
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Cadellin
And yet, if you raise the failed 1914 generation prophecy, many Witnesses will say "Oh, but we're not serving with a date in mind," or something to that effect. That has become the new response which is simply a slogan designed to turn off their ability to critically analyze failed prophecy. It makes me so angry because, once more, this organization wants it both ways--they want to whip up urgency by saying that we're at the very end of the end times and yet, they want to buffer failure by saying at the same time that they aren't serving with a date in mind.
Well, if dates don't matter, then what's the big deal about taking four years to go to university?
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More daming evidence against evolution from an expert
by konceptual99 indon't worry, i'm taking the piss.
it's just another jw.org video promoting one of their own who had the benefit of a university education and medical training before they became a witness and letting him try and debunk years of research with an appeal to emotion about the placenta.
https://tv.jw.org/#en/video/vodintexp/pub-jwbiv_201608_1_video.
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Cadellin
It is astonishing that they are still referencing that atrocious turquoise book! After everything that has been written about that embarrassing piece of deception, I am amazed that they would release a video where this doctor extolls it like he does. So, if it is such a great book, why did the Society stop publishing it?
Moreover, this guy is supposed to be a man of science, of critical thinking. What kind of critical thinker would read something like that and just swallow it down without checking it out thoroughly? Admittedly, it would likely be hard to follow through on the references if you could not read English. Still, I can't imagine there aren't resources in Spanish that would enable a Spanish speaker to investigate the false claims in Life-How did it Get Here?
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All 2016 Convention videos in English and all Talk outlines for download
by Watchtower-Free inall convention videos in english and all talk outlines for download.
http://avoidjw.org/2016-regional-convention/
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Cadellin
First of all, a huge thank you for this! I am horrified at the emotional manipulation. JWs will eat this up and be absolutely terrified at the bunker scene and then swoon at the last one. Of course, everyone would love to be part of that last paradise video, but wow--ach. Have to go.
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RUSSIA: Jehovah's Witnesses face possible liquidation
by AndersonsInfo inhttp://www.forum18.org/archive.php?article_id=2181.
24 may 2016. russia: jehovah's witnesses face possible liquidation.
by victoria arnold, forum 18. if prosecutors proceed with their threat to liquidate the jehovah's witness headquarters near st petersburg, thousands of local congregations across russia could also face prohibition of their activities and individuals could be vulnerable to criminal charges for expressing their beliefs, forum 18 notes.. the jehovah's witnesses' principal body in russia is under threat of dissolution as an "extremist" organisation after the deadline in an official warning from the general prosecutor's office expired on 10 may, forum 18 notes.
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Cadellin
If the state determines that such teachings are hate speech and detrimental to the well being of the state it has a right to limit such teachings
Stop and think about this. Do you really want "the state" liquidating groups they consider speaking hate? In particular, a dictatorship like Russia? Seriously? This is chilling; Russia won't stop with JWs. Freedom of belief, of religion and of speech are fundamental human rights that should not be curtailed except under exceptional and extreme circumstances. JWs have not engaged in any activity that meets that standard. That they teach what some may perceive as hurtful or disagreeable ideas or that they practice shunning does NOT mean that it's okay to liquidate them. Who is next? Buddhists? Scientologists? Jews? Gays and lesbians?I realize that I risk being branded a JW apologist by saying that--nothing could be further from the truth. I have nothing but bitterness for the religion. Instead, I do have a strong belief in inherent human rights that lie beyond the reach of any state.
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New ANTI-GAY video for Kids on jw.org
by ttdtt inhttps://www.jw.org/en/bible-teachings/family/children/become-jehovahs-friend/videos/one-man-one-woman-marriage/.
disgusting!.
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Cadellin
Little Rock Guy: By that standard, virtually anything that makes me feel bad about myself could be classified as inciting hate. I don't think it helps anyone's case to set the bar that low--and I'm NOT trivializing true hate speech or promoting homophobia by saying that. On the contrary. I do think, however, that we need to move past simplistic definitions of what constitutes hate speech.
ttdtt: How do you know I'm not? Something does not have to be necessarily classified as inciting hate to be disturbing, narrow-minded and simply erroneous, as that new JW video is.