Posts by freddo

25

Another One Bites the Dust!

by freddo in

jw
friends

it's goodbye to bristol - hengrove congregation of jw's and the inmates ... err ... members, will be sent to two other bristol congregations either side of it.. i'm told by two elders from bristol, england it is being disbanded on may 1st 2018. this is the 2nd congregation in this circuit to be disbanded recently - the 1st being portishead in late 2014.. hooray!.

freddo

Just a bump to confirm that this congregation has indeed gone the way of the dodo as predicted and Bristol - Hengrove has been removed from the jborg website and only two congs now meet at this location.

Some history.

Bristol- Bedminster; Bristol- Hengrove; Bristol- Stockwood; and Bristol- Bishopsworth; were the 4 congregations that covered south Bristol (UK) in the 1990's. They had 3 halls with Stockwood and Hengrove sharing one and the others having their own.

About 15 years ago Stockwood died a death and it was absorbed, then about ten years ago the three others refurbed the Bishopsworth hall and its accompanying Circuit Overseer's flat and all three shared it and sold off their own halls. The proceeds paid for the smart new hall and the balance (ta da!) went to HQ in London.

In 2014 when Portishead (a cong in a satellite town near south Bristol) got disbanded one third of its members got shunted into Bristol- Bishopsworth.

Now in 2018 with the demise of Bristol- Hengrove it has been shared between Bristol-Bedminster and Bristol-Bishopsworth.

So in fifteen years 4 congregations and one third of another have reduced to two congregations.

Grand theocracy ever increasing!

170

UK justice..

by zeb in

tommie robinson has reported often about what he sees as the demise of british society by the imposition of 'sharia' norms.. https://www.infowars.com/update-tommy-robinson-gets-13-months-for-livestreaming-outside-courthouse/?utm_source=nightly+newsletter&utm_campaign=9e3ceb30f6-email_campaign_2018_05_25_03_10&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_e12661a83c-9e3ceb30f6-38680565.

yesterday he was jailed for 13 months for reporting outside a court in the uk.

his was a non violent offence.. what no community service?

freddo

Password Protected states "That any ex-JW would seek to defend in any way, shape or form a high-control, fanatical religious ideology that seeks to enforce its worldview on anyone, really puzzles me."

Bear in mind that Zeb (A poster for whom I have the utmost respect and whose tireless efforts in Australia with the ARC have won my enduring admiration) started this thread about the relevance of "UK justice" to Tommy Robinson and his conduct on May 25th.

It appears that some on this thread have jumped the gun and having now got more evidence as to what went on and why, are digging their heels in and conflating TR's sentencing with the wider issue of Muslims tolerating and turning a blind eye to their own rapists and groomers. (Who most of, while not dreaming of committing rape or paedophilia will defend their religion's record to the hilt - a bit like JW's?)

Tommy Robinson, to me has done a great deal to expose the tolerance - or at least turning a blind eye - of the Islamic community towards its own paedophiles and rape gangs. However he reminds me of the kind of apostate who shoots from the hip and can sometimes damage the very cause he espouses.

My conclusions for the time being.

Tommy Robinson got what he deserved, he's a twit.

Tommy Robinson has helped expose Muslim rape gangs, he's a hero.

Many/most? Muslims turn a blind eye to pedo gangs and won't report to the authorities.

The authorities are only recently getting away from Political correctness overrulling shouts of racism towards Pakistani Muslims.

Many/most? JW's won't report a suspected pedo either.

Islam as practiced in the middle east and by extremists is not compatible with developed nations populations.

UK justice is ok.

170

UK justice..

by zeb in

tommie robinson has reported often about what he sees as the demise of british society by the imposition of 'sharia' norms.. https://www.infowars.com/update-tommy-robinson-gets-13-months-for-livestreaming-outside-courthouse/?utm_source=nightly+newsletter&utm_campaign=9e3ceb30f6-email_campaign_2018_05_25_03_10&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_e12661a83c-9e3ceb30f6-38680565.

yesterday he was jailed for 13 months for reporting outside a court in the uk.

his was a non violent offence.. what no community service?

freddo

Anyway ... back to the OP's post about Tommie Robinson.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-leeds-44287640

Note ...

A ban on reporting his 13-month sentence at the same court was lifted after being challenged by the media.

Robinson, from Bedfordshire, pleaded guilty to a charge of contempt of court.

A judge told him his actions could cause the ongoing trial to be re-run, costing "hundreds and hundreds of thousands of pounds".

And ...

Dominic Casciani - BBC home affairs correspondent writes ...

Why couldn't we initially report Robinson's arrest and jailing? Reporting restrictions are a long-standing part of the British legal system. In this case, the judge ordered a temporary media black-out because he feared reporting Robinson's conviction could influence the jury in the very case Robinson was targeting.

As I said on page 1 of this thread ...

"As for the case he is protesting about - there is a very real danger that (if he "skews" the case by highlighting details or inciting a view that defendants are already guilty) there is a very real chance that the defence will cry "foul" and there will be a mistrial and they might get off scot-free."

14

Life in Paradise

by Sour Grapes in

jw
friends

so we all survive the great tribulation and now as the dead bodies of 99.9% of the world's population begin to stink up the place, the bodies become bloated and the flesh begins to fall off of the bones what happens when the elders tell us to grab a shovel and haul the corpses to a mass grave site for burial or perhaps a mass cremation and you tell them that you will not bury dead bodies.. what will the elders do?

(i guess they are princes now since we are on the other side of the gt) will they haul the person into the back room of the candlelit kingdumb haul for a judicial meeting?

if the person is unrepentant and doesn't follow direction from god will they be disfellowshipped or forced to move to a colony for troublemakers?

freddo

Here you go Bluesbrother ... (bold italic added by me)

*** kj chap. 20 p. 377 par. 22 Land of Magog No More to Threaten Mankind ***

The fact that Jehovah leaves the bodies of those slain at the defeat of Gog’s attack lying exposed on the ground for birds and wild beasts to gorge themselves upon symbolizes that they will not be laid in respected memorial tombs in hope of a resurrection for them. The unburied dead, “those slain by Jehovah,” will be so enormously many that even the carrion birds and scavenging wild beasts could never take care of their consumption. The burial of even what remains after these lower creatures have their fill would be stupendous. Doubtless the Almighty God will use some highly scientific means, whether including antimatter or not, to dispose of the surplus of decaying bodies in a speedy and sanitary way. This remains for the survivors of the “war of the great day” to see and witness. We remember that Noah and his seven fellow survivors of the global Deluge were not burdened with burying the human victims of that world catastrophe after they came out of the ark and renewed Jehovah’s worship on earth.

11

Film Franchises

by LoveUniHateExams in

so, i'm quite into films, and horror is my favourite genre.. i don't own many franchises in full or almost in full.. but when i first started collecting dvds, i did tend to buy every film in a particular franchise if i enjoyed the first film or two.. i bought alien (1979) and aliens (1986) second-hand for 99 pence each (less than a dollar each!

) and they're fantastic.. so, i went back to the second-hand shop and bought alien 3 (1992), alien resurrection (1997) and prometheus (2012) ... erm, yes.

alien 3 (theatrical cut) was pretty good; resurrection was so bad it's funny and despite the gorgeous shots and good acting by michael fassbender, prometheus wasn't my thing.

freddo

Plus one on "Aliens". A rarity to have a second film that equals or surpasses an original.

Not over impressed with the other Alien films but I actually liked Prometheus. Not as much as the first two, but still watchable.

170

UK justice..

by zeb in

tommie robinson has reported often about what he sees as the demise of british society by the imposition of 'sharia' norms.. https://www.infowars.com/update-tommy-robinson-gets-13-months-for-livestreaming-outside-courthouse/?utm_source=nightly+newsletter&utm_campaign=9e3ceb30f6-email_campaign_2018_05_25_03_10&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_e12661a83c-9e3ceb30f6-38680565.

yesterday he was jailed for 13 months for reporting outside a court in the uk.

his was a non violent offence.. what no community service?

freddo

Hi humbled - thank you.

For clarity - I certainly believe that "Muslim" or Pakistani" men in rape and grooming gangs have been allowed too much slack because of political correctness gone crazy. I believe that is now being addressed, but go back five, ten or fifteen years and the same stupidity that allowed "Muslim" hate preachers "freedom of speech" which I believe radicalised young men went unchecked too often.

170

UK justice..

by zeb in

tommie robinson has reported often about what he sees as the demise of british society by the imposition of 'sharia' norms.. https://www.infowars.com/update-tommy-robinson-gets-13-months-for-livestreaming-outside-courthouse/?utm_source=nightly+newsletter&utm_campaign=9e3ceb30f6-email_campaign_2018_05_25_03_10&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_e12661a83c-9e3ceb30f6-38680565.

yesterday he was jailed for 13 months for reporting outside a court in the uk.

his was a non violent offence.. what no community service?

freddo

Please don't take this as Devil's advocate but just for balance until more detail comes out.

Breach of the peace, along with contempt of court/perjury has occasionally seemed disproportionate in its sentencing to me. For example in speeding cases where a camera has photographed a number plate from behind and the perpetrator thinks he/she may not be identified easily there have been examples of (typically) a wife taking "points" that should have gone against her husband because he was driving the car. He may have - say 9 points - and if he gets another three then he will get banned.

Do this, get caught and you will go to prison. So an offence which of itself would amount to a £100 fine ends up with three months in prison.

So ... Tommy Robinson. I understand where he comes from completely ... but ... like many "crusaders" you can go too far. As I see it he had an accumulation of offences which meant the "slammer" for him. 13 months seems disproportionate but if he is a good boy he will be out after six and a half and as a "known" face he is unlikely to be killed/injured in prison.

As for the case he is protesting about - there is a very real danger that (if he "skews" the case by highlighting details or inciting a view that defendants are already guilty) there is a very real chance that the defence will cry "foul" and there will be a mistrial and they might get off scot-free.

He was jailed for contempt of court for three months last year, suspended for eighteen according to The Independent. And so a second offence can automatically trigger being sent to prison.

https://www.independent.co.uk/topic/tommy-robinson

"Don't jump to conclusions too soon" has been my motto since dealing with JW-ism and it holds good for now. Watch this space.

15

They are increasingly appealing to emotion

by cookiemaster in

they always have but lately, they've taken it to a whole new level.

the new convention video about the end, the many videos at conventions and meetings, the new songs, all highly emotionally manipulative.

and they're working.

freddo

2018 is the third one with a lot of videos. We've had ...

Jesus loves you/Ignore your DF'd daughter's phone call and glare at her.

StarAngel killes 185,000/Hide in a bunker.

Fishy Jonah runs away/Strongbow Jesus gets the soldiers in the nick of time.

Bollocks! All bollocks I tell thee!

32

What’s your favorite "News" website?

by Wonderment in

news in general are supposed to be unbiased.

but given how commercial and political interests get their tentacles around them, finding a fully unbiased news website is not so easy.. here in america some would rather trust bbc or reuters than they do cnn or fox news.

any favorites?.

freddo

The BBC is my general go to site/news channel. I like Channel 4 sometimes too. Generally I'm story led rather than channel led inasmuch as if something is of deep interest then I will look at several sites for information.

It makes me smile when I hear comments about the BBC having a political bias. Anecdotally I hear far more accusations it has a left wing bias than being "run by pro Tory people."

I believe the BBC it is as good as you are going to get for accuracy. At least there are no advertisers to keep sweet.

88

British Sociologist Predicts Possible Collapse in Jehovah's Witness Numbers

by slimboyfat in

jw
friends

a newly published article by british sociologist david voas argues jehovah's witnesses may be about to experience a collapse in numbers.

contrary to claims by american sociologist rodney stark who predicts strong future growth for jehovah's witnesses, voas shows that jehovah's witnesses' efforts at recruiting new members have become increasingly unsuccessful over the past few decades: the rate of increase has steadily declined, and the number of hours each publisher must preach to produce an extra convert has gone up substantially.

voas suggests a reason for the stagnation may be that there is a natural limit to the number of people in a given population that are susceptible to conversion to sectarian groups like jehovah's witnesses - the 'carrying capacity' of the population, and that the limit has largely been reached.

freddo

The numbers are propped up by modern medicine and the no-smoking trend. The oldies (late 60's up) in our cong of 65 publishers = 20 (plus 3 who have died in the last 12 months).

The only incomers are those moving in - no new blood except a few weirdo's who seem to make no progress beyond attending an occasional meeting. Only 3 born-ins under 15 as well.

That's 30% who are between 68 and 88 years old ...

They ain't gonna live forever!