freddo

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Posts by freddo

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  78

  The handling of child abuse allegations

  by Landy in

  1. watchtower
  2. child-abuse

  there's a lot of criticism surrounding the jw's handling of chiild abuse within their ranks with a lot of it being well deserved.

  but i'm interested to know how people on here think child abuse allegations should be handled.

  there's a few scenarios below, the first couple are easy then it gets a bit more complex.

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  freddo

  In the UK, you (a person who is aware of child abuse allegations) can always contact the social services and have a confidential conversation with them about your concerns.

  I have done this when I believed there may have been child abuse (in one case possible serious neglect, in another two cases - involving allegations of child abuse). In the UK the Social Services will listen confidentially and they can act to get (in an emergency) even without prior police or court involvement.

  Also if it is a case of possible sexual child abuse they will often discuss your options in a reasonable way. If what you tell them is serious enough in their opinion then they can go to the police and importantly they can get court orders, safeguard children, remove children without having a conviction in court which may never even happen.

  I have sat with social services staff to provide information and ask advice on three separate occasions and I have been to the police in two of those cases after a discussion with them. One case I went to the police because I had evidence of child abuse available to "help them with an investigation". In another I had simply an opinion that someone (a jw) was being fitted up by a spouse (also a jw) eager for a more favourable divorce.

  So I have never been afraid of the social services or the police and after a couple of dealings with the (anonymous idiot wankers - sorry was that unprofessional of me?) "brothers" on the service desk I simply ignored them as they hmmmmed and haaaaawed and tried to dissuade me from imparting information to the proper authorities.
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  10

  Over 25 years without a "north king" now.

  by The freewheeling in

  1. watchtower
  2. beliefs

  something jehovah's witnesses do not talk about so much these days is the "north and south kings" of the book of daniel, and the reason is obvious.

  this is one of many failed prophecies of the governing body.. they have not been able to present any new north king since the soviet collapse in december 1991, over 25 years ago now!

  and this at a time when they are "so close to the end.

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  freddo

  King of the North is and always has been Santa Claus.
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  40

  What if Fred Franz had never existed?

  by Magnum in

  1. watchtower
  2. beliefs

  what if fred franz had never existed?.

  those of you who weren’t around in the days when he was the oracle of jwdom or who at least aren’t familiar with the deeper publications he was responsible for probably won’t be able to comprehend the significance of the question.

  i believe he influenced jwdom greatly, and the whole feel of jwdom would have been different without him.. during the 60’s, 70’s, & 80’s (not sure about 50’s), he was considered to be almost superhuman by some (a lot?

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  freddo

  The Nathan Knorr/Fred Franz tag team had luck on its side.

  On the basis that for 50 years from the early forties to the mid-nineties Fred was in charge of doctrine and Knorr (until the mid-seventies) ran the business.

  The current GB and indeed most of the previous GB were of this era.

  The "luck" for them was that - even after 1975, certainly up to about the early '90's - "world conditions" could be made to fit JW prophecy. The 1914 time of the end/the generation/King of the North and South/Babylon's waters drying up, all fitted the rhetoric.

  Time of the end: WW1/WW2 ever present threat of WW3 (Korea/Cuba/Vietnam)

  The Generation: No need to explain this ...

  King of South/North: USA/UK vs USSR

  Babylon: Lessening interest in Christendom in the West and in the Communist block.

  It all seemed to fit - those attracted to it (along with the whackjobs) were solid families/solid wives of unbelieving husbands. Then by the early nineties it all stopped fitting the rhetoric. And in the "west" any JW growth has been at snail's pace since.

  The offspring of these families and these women are the CO's and elders who were running the congregations in the Western world from the 70's to the 2000's. Since then they are dying off and passing the mantle to their sons and to the whackjobs/easily deluded.

  The stability is going and only the brainwashed remain - with no Armageddon or any new order in sight.
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  45

  New light in this weeks WT?

  by Indian Larry in

  1. watchtower
  2. bible

  anybody have any ideas where they are going with the "new light" they have been pushing last week and this week?

  for instance in this weeks study article one section reads:.

  in years gone by, we believed that jehovah became displeased with his people because they did not have a zealous share in the preaching work during world war i. we concluded that for this reason, jehovah allowed babylon the great to take them captive for a short time.

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  freddo

  And of course for the USA WW1 didn't start until April 1917 while the rest of Europe and Russia had been going at it hammer and tongs for over two and a half years.

  So all the sheep-feeding during WW1 in the USA (90% of all bible students) had no real need to be interrupted - CTR was at the helm until the end of October 1916 and the only things that interrupted the flow was Rutherford's coup for control and his being put in the slammer for crass stupidity with his crazy book.
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  23

  The goal in all this 1918/1919 change?

  by careful in

  1. watchtower
  2. beliefs

  as some have recently posted here, there does seem to be a shift going on in their self-interpretation(s) of what happened in 1918 and 1919. if we can look past all the details that emphasize the poor thinking and poor wording (or contradictions/just plain craziness/insignificance) of their message, something bigger seems to be afoot.

  they appear to be attempting to redefine the meanings for some "prophetic" scriptures in light of themselves.

  1. they are trying to somehow fill the void they have themselves created from their rejecting freddie franz's (ff) type–anti-type postulations.

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  freddo

  David Splane:

  "And while we're on the subject of bread, don't forget to hand over your dough!"

  That's an intrinsic part of the message which ever way you slice it.
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  63

  Is it possible to decline preaching in the carts?

  by Skepsis in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  hi folks,.

  i have a difficult dilemma.

  since i'm not pioneering any more, i'm reducing my hours wasted at that artifact known as cart or trolley.

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  freddo

  @Skepsis

  You typed "bear", not "beard".

  That is why Tepid and I posted our silly comments.

  
  
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  53

  Skinned and Thrown About.....

  by Tech49 in

  1. jw
  2. experiences

  this is a little long, but stick with me.. if you recall, when the building work was in full swing at the new lakefront villa (warwick), wt was having workers come and they would put them up for a year, or more, while they were providing "volunteer services".

  with that, and the impending need for hundreds and hundreds of new khs in the usa territory, the congregations were abuzz with the need for "continued construction volunteers".

  recently, as many of you know, wt headquarters has sent pretty much everyone home, and is no longer needing workers at the new warwick site, as the building is mostly complete, with the dedication coming up later this year.

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  freddo

  Three Bethelite couples have left and arrived in our circuit. I know their circumstances fairly well.

  Couple 1 (Sensible) (Age late 30's) Been there at least ten years. Saw the writing on the wall (and noted the unChristian behaviour and superciliousness of some at London Branch), left of their own accord using wife's "depression" as a reason in 2015, stayed with relatives for nine months and set up a small janitorial "mama and papa" business and rent a small flat.

  He is still an elder, but neither pioneer and they are setting themselves up sensibly but modestly. Like he said to me "who knows how long this system will go on for? I won't get a state pension until I'm over 70 ...". She doesn't seem so depressed anymore.

  Couple 2 (Sensible) (Age 40 ish) Booted out in 2016. They were surprised, Wife secretly pleased to be going. Fortunately had only been in Bethel for seven years and had already bought or were buying an apartment. He had a trade (Electrician) before and after going into Bethel and she did "A levels" before pioneering.

  He has started his own self employed business and she works as a clerical officer for a local government department to keep the money coming in for mortgage payments and food. She seems much happier out.

  Couple 3 (Completely floored!) Age early 50's. Booted out in 2016. Twenty five years Bethel service. Not a snooty pair but completely dumbfounded that they were asked to leave. No property. No kids. Renting a flat in a rough part of town off of "an unbelieving husband" - he is doing oddjobs for himself and janitorial work for a younger brother and she is doing secretarial work for the NHS.

  He is "lost" - she is pioneering. They look depressed but are digging deep into the cult and putting on "brave face" . He was interviewed at his kingdom hall and he admitted "the bottom had fallen out of his world".

  He did the same interview a fortnight later at the circuit assembly except that it was spun differently in as much as she was pioneering and he was serving faithfully as an elder in a congregation that needed help. No mention of the bottom falling out of his world on the assembly platform, eh?
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  23

  No Longer a JW Expert But Starting to Figure Out Life

  by AllTimeJeff in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  consider this an update for those that remember me here.... when i left in 2006, it started a 10 year journey into a new phase.

  no more "safety".

  some people want to be their own person.

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  freddo

  Keep posting!

  I endorse what scratchme 1010 says and add I love the nautical comment you made of "Bullshit Boat" which I shall add to another poster's "Ship of Fools" and the hopeful "Titanic". as a description for GB 2.0 and all their little "Helpers".
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  45

  New light in this weeks WT?

  by Indian Larry in

  1. watchtower
  2. bible

  anybody have any ideas where they are going with the "new light" they have been pushing last week and this week?

  for instance in this weeks study article one section reads:.

  in years gone by, we believed that jehovah became displeased with his people because they did not have a zealous share in the preaching work during world war i. we concluded that for this reason, jehovah allowed babylon the great to take them captive for a short time.

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  freddo

  I just hope it is all a sign they are polishing the brass and rearranging the chairs on the Titanic.
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  21

  Why do trolls do what they do?

  by Londo111 in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  i truly don't understand the mindset of a troll.

  i know it's been explained, but i still don't get it.

  it is hard to distinguish between a troll and a jw apologist at times because the reactions are very similar.

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  freddo

  Yup Magwitch - I think it's largely attention-seeking.