I'm with stillMS on this. It is horrifying and no one should be applauding it. I'm no apologist but children should only be removed from parents when there is clear, life-threatening danger--not for a belief system. Russia is an extremist and oppressive regime and JWs will be only the start. The majority of JW parents are good and decent people.
Cadellin
JoinedPosts by Cadellin
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39
Russian Court authorizes seizure of outlawed sect children
by cha ching inhttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nei6lvfl13q.
interesting development in russia... according to this article on youtube, it appears that children that are subjected to being involved in banned social or religious groups can be removed from their parents..
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59
A Little Direction Please
by Brian J ini'm an active elder, cobe, just got home from the meeting where i handled the treasures part and concluded by announcing a friend of mine has been d/f,.....blah blah blah...and over the last year have woken up.
i simply cannot spill my guts to my wife and children as it would be family suicide.
i have zero desire to bash, spread my feelings, or become an "apostate".
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Cadellin
Welcome, Brian. As so many others have said, I feel for you. Reading others' experiences was one of the best things I did when I was waking up. I was/am the wife of a zealous elder but have been inactive for more than 10 years so my situation is a little different. That said, both of our entire families are uber-JWs (Bethelites, missionaries, need-greaters, you name it) so my slow and careful fade was still a heavy shock, no matter how I couched it (depressed, health issues, etc.)
However, our marriage is stronger than ever. I suggest you take the advice to amp up your attention to your wife in completely non-JW ways--make time for the recreational activities that you otherwise never had time for, the things she likes to do. Help her connect with her non-JW personality as much as possible. It will help you "win her without a word!"
Despite everything, I have never been happier (or in better health!) and our life has never been better. My husband is still active with the local cong. but we have come to an understanding about where we each are and are able to accept each other as we are. I truly hope that you are eventually able to accomplish this. Please let us know how it goes.
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Darwin's lack of evidence
by Half banana inwhile making bread this morning and between answering the door and phone calls, i listened on steam radio to the programme in our time with melvyn bragg.
his panel of experts explained how the discovery of thousands of bird fossils has revolutionised our perception of avian evolution.
i recall watchtower literature smugly presenting darwin’s admissions in his origin of the species that the geological evidence for bird evolution is “imperfect” in fact missing.
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Cadellin
The WT's dishonesty in this area was one of the things that woke me up. They delight in presenting such info as Darwin's admission as if it is as true today as it was in the 19th century. Interestingly, their most recent printed (well, online) articles on evolution are pretty flimsy, with few particulars (compared to the Creation book of the 1980's). Rhetorically, they've retreated to a lite version of The Bible Says It So It Must Be True.
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2017 Annual Meeting
by Jules Saturn inthis just in from the 2017 annual meeting:.
1. watchtowers and awakes won't be released regularly, at least three watchtower and awakes per year.
6 magazines a year.. 2. a new book is being released: remain in god's love, more of an update like how they did for the what does the bible really teach book.
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Cadellin
I was at a social event last night with elder hubby, sitting beside an elder and pioneer from his cong. My husband, bless his heart, tried to get a "wasn't that a wonderful annual meeting" conversation going with them, encouragingly asking the pioneer, "And what did you think was interesting/exciting/wonderful?"
You know what she liked the best? The fact that there were only going to be six mags a year now! Such a wonderful blessing from Jehovah...
Hubby purposefully avoided my eye because he can read my thoughts.
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Up date on what I decided to do about back surgery
by Still Totally ADD init has been 4 1/2 weeks since i had back surgery.
i had l4and l5 fused, disk was suck out replaced with a artificial disk and a bracket or what they called a cage with 4 screws holding it all together.
i went in on a tuesday and was out of the hospital the next day.
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Cadellin
Thank you for sharing your experience about opiates. We generally only hear about hardcore addictions but to hear about someone having a "light" brush and what it took to get over them is really useful. Wow! I will never take even one, now.
Glad to hear things are generally going well. Your wife sounds like a treasure!
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September 11, 2017 Re: Global Assistance Arrangement for the 2018 Service Year
by wifibandit inseptember 11, 2017 to all congregations in the united states re: global assistance arrangement for the 2018 service year.
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Cadellin
I thought this line was interesting: It may also be used to purchase commercial “excess” insurance to protect legal entities and properties from large claims or catastrophic losses or to purchase insurance coverage that is legally mandated
So funds contributed could be used to buy third party insurance including, one presumes, liability insurance in case of any large scale lawsuits arising from child abuse claims...for which premiums would be very high (assuming this organization could even purchase such insurance).
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Special Talks now via video
by AverageJoe1 intired of listening to your local elders giving the "special" talk ever year after the memorial?
well don't worry, as of next year we will be spicing things up for your enjoyment.. not only will we be having the talk before the memorial (i know, wild huh), but we will be treating you to the talk via video starring our famous speakers from bethel so you can see how a talk should be given (after all bethel does boast the best speakers in any country, right?!).
here's a copy of the text from our latest letter as i'm sure that with so much excitement you won't believe it at first!.
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Cadellin
Oh, and I heard from my elder hubby that the Annual Meeting is now being streamed via video to all the congs. I don't know if it is a full day or half day but more screen! Just keep them eyes on the screen!
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Special Talks now via video
by AverageJoe1 intired of listening to your local elders giving the "special" talk ever year after the memorial?
well don't worry, as of next year we will be spicing things up for your enjoyment.. not only will we be having the talk before the memorial (i know, wild huh), but we will be treating you to the talk via video starring our famous speakers from bethel so you can see how a talk should be given (after all bethel does boast the best speakers in any country, right?!).
here's a copy of the text from our latest letter as i'm sure that with so much excitement you won't believe it at first!.
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Cadellin
Pixel nailed it. Everyone watch the screen. Remember "keep your eyes on the prize"? Now it's "keep your eyes on the screen"! It's the ultimate way to control the message, to ensure that everyone hears exactly the same thing in the same way. The organization has ALWAYS been about information control.
But I feel sorry for the audience (well, more than usual). Why? Watching someone talk on a screen, a pre-recorded video, is WAY more boring than a live person (even when that live person is pretty boring). A live person can often react to what is happening in the room. In particular, a good speaker makes eye contact, comments on ambient conditions, makes little jokes, and gives the impression that he is speaking right to you. The best talks were like that. But no more, apparently. Now you just have Big Brother hammering at you from the screen. Yuck.
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Field Service By Atheists
by EverApostate ingood morning everyone,.
came across a very funny yet sensible poster on field service and wanted to share.
most of us would have done field service once upon a time and this poster would really make us laugh..
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Cadellin
That's hilarious. Thanks for giving me a laugh!
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Funniest or strangest thing to happen to you when knocking on a door
by usualusername1 inwhat is the funniest or strangest thing to happen to you or your partner when knocking on doors?.
mine was seeing a greenhouse with mannequins inside.
scary...paul.
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Cadellin
I was about 10 or 11 and the best darn little JW you ever saw. Anyway, we were doing rurals (parents, me, younger sister) and I was sent to the door with my sister. My parents were in the car, in the driveway. I knocked on the door and a man with a very bad hare lip came to the door. I gave my best mag presentation but he was not interested--poor guy could barely get the words out. I went back to the car but apparently, my mother was not paying attention, because she rolled down her window and said, "There he is! Go talk to him!" She didn't see me bomb out the first time! So, good little JW girl that I was, I went back and gave my presentation all over again. Boy, was he mad! He yelled at me and I trudged back to the car, totally confused.
I still laugh about how angry the guy was. My mom, to be fair, felt terrible when I asked her why I had to go back a second time. That said, at least I got to count an RV.