One of the few defences for libel is making a statement that is actually true.
Truth is not always a defense.
this is probably too simple and perhaps to good to be true but the wtbts practice of officially announcing a person by name at a meeting to be "no longer one of jehovah's witnesses", combined with the wtb literature that clearly states how to 'treat' such named person is a clear act of public defamation of the named person... an act that one would maybe have legal grounds on which to take out a lawsuit???.
i suspect this is an angle that may have been over looked from a legal perspective.... it's just a thought.... do we have any lawyers in the house???.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/defamation .
One of the few defences for libel is making a statement that is actually true.
Truth is not always a defense.
i thought it would be good to discuss it to understand what caused some of us to exit suddenly, or some to exit gradually .. myself , i had been in 44 years , had mentally had doubts for years before exiting - but injustices by the elders and my doubts about the " generation " doctrine led me to exit suddenly one night before a meeting.
the elders pissed me off , i went to my seat, picked my books up and walked out - never going back.
so what is your story and reasons ?
he had no idea what he would do or where to go after life in the WT
church?
anyone see the recent cnn special on jonestown?
it really bothered me, particularly when listening to the survivors talk about the amount of control exerted over them; they were afraid, terrified, couldn't just walk away, family members were snitching on each other, families were split up in the end, tugged out of arms, they were well dressed seemingly happy people who were clapping and cheering until you looked in their eyes.. the similarities with the jws isstaggering.
jones preached obedience, obedience, obedience.
They already are making them waste their ENTIRE lives on a freaking pipe dream called " Paradise " and keep them locked into it by fearing an alleged " Armageddon " which will never happen !
I completely agree with all you said except the part about Paradise and Armagedon but that's beside the point right now. I was always amazed how they used THEIR information to tell their people what is going on in the outside world, be it other religions, politics, you name it. Saying this is what these people believe and on and on. Your right, the dissemination and control of information is textbook cult control, right out of Satan's toolbox.
And the sad thing, like a heroin addict's addiction, they don't see it. They scoff, and laugh and think we're the idiots because we have an education which is the mark of the devil. I actually feel sorry for some of them because some are genuinely nice people who were betrayed and deceived.
i thought it would be good to discuss it to understand what caused some of us to exit suddenly, or some to exit gradually .. myself , i had been in 44 years , had mentally had doubts for years before exiting - but injustices by the elders and my doubts about the " generation " doctrine led me to exit suddenly one night before a meeting.
the elders pissed me off , i went to my seat, picked my books up and walked out - never going back.
so what is your story and reasons ?
If Dogpatch is reading this maybe he could see that his newspaper contact in Southern California reads this as well.
He wanted stories? These are great.
i was raised one of jw.
before i was born my dad joined when two jws came to our house around the same time my grandpa (my dad's dad) died.
i remember my mom telling me that my dad took this very hard.
In essence, it is a mental trap. The arguments JWs use are not very good at all, but if they are the only people you are reallly listening to you will begin to agree with them.
http://144000.110mb.com/144000/index.html#intro
This lengthy paper is written primarily for the benefit of those Jehovah's Witnesses who feel trapped by the Society's legalistic arguments and want out. Many are fearful of even glancing at these pages believing that something bad will happen to them, but what they really should be afraid of is not paying heed and the risk of committing an unforgivable sin. When the Pharisees attributed the source of Jesus' power to heal and drive out demons to satan rather than the Holy Spirit they blasphemed the Holy Spirit and committed what some argue is the only unforgivable sin (Matt. 12:22-32).
It is no great secret that the Jehovah's Witnesses attribute the Catholic and Protestant churches' authority to heal, exorcize and minister to the power of satan. But if the Jehovah's Witnesses are wrong, which they are, they are blaspheming the Holy Spirit; this includes all Jehovah's Witnesses who advocate these beliefs through the dissemination of Watchtower Bible and Tract Society literature related to these issues. Rather than dissuading continuous inquiry into the nature and scope of truth, the Bible encourages it for as the apostle Paul cautioned, "be sure of all things."
The Jehovah's Witnesses are hindered in their ability to see their way through the morass of Society literature by four things related to the method employed in analyzing Scripture. First, rather than weighing all of the evidence there is a strong tendency to be satisfied with any answer, argument or supporting fact no matter how weak. But anyone can come up with an answer or opposing argument; lawyers do it all the time. What really matters is whether it is the correct answer, the most valid argument. One must weigh all of the evidence, not just some of it.
Secondly, the Society's theories are laced with hair-splitting and often inconsequential distinctions. Just because the walls in the bedroom are painted green it doesn't automatically follow that the thief buried the treasure in the back yard. Related to this is a third tool used to shore up their doctrines, namely, they too often read things too narrowly which makes it easier for them to deflect criticism. And lastly, one is left with the unmistakable impression that they don't want their own people to really know what the Society is teaching because core doctrine is scattered all over the place resulting in a literary shell game; and great lengths have been taken to muddy the intellectual waters This creates confusion and contradictions to a surprising degree which leaves the reader to rely on the Society's "understanding." Consequently, what might appear to be the work of some lofty, divine will is in all probability the work of some very crafty lawyers, among others.
dictionary of biblical imagery (pdf).. download link.. http://depositfiles.com/files/zv0dm9gs6.
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bangalore.
Mods better snap to on this one, asap.
anyone see the recent cnn special on jonestown?
it really bothered me, particularly when listening to the survivors talk about the amount of control exerted over them; they were afraid, terrified, couldn't just walk away, family members were snitching on each other, families were split up in the end, tugged out of arms, they were well dressed seemingly happy people who were clapping and cheering until you looked in their eyes.. the similarities with the jws isstaggering.
jones preached obedience, obedience, obedience.
how much was the ransom?
gods justice did not require an exact equivalent man-for-man sacrifice between the first adam and jesus, the second adam.
gods gift required more.
my friend's girlfriend is visited by jws at least once a month.
she is not interested in jws but is friendly and always willing to talk.
they came by last friday and saw her boyfriend's car so the husband also came over (usually the jw lady comes with another 'sister').
Be polite. Just say you're not interested and "I really don't mean to hurt your feelings, but I'd prefer that you don't come by anymore. I'm sure you understand. I can get all the information about your faith I need right here if I choose:"
and then hand him a slip of paper with this url on it:
http://144000.110mb.com/index.html
But don't slam the door.
i counted up the deaths/ new partakers over the 71years 1936 to 2007.. i assumed 70 as the average lifespan, which means we can reasonably expect a decline of 1.43% each year.. those dead: 14 707 new partakers: 52 312.. average deaths each year: 207. average new partakers each year: 737.. this gives a combined total of memorial partakers between 1936 - 2007 of 66 839. according to the witchtower of 1988 15/12 there were 27 006 partakers in 1936. smell anything yet?.
1: where those dying (3 figures) exceeded new partakers (2 or single figure) 16 years out of 71.. 2: at no point did the number of deaths in a year exceed 561.. 3: lowest number of deaths 122 in 2003. lowest number of new partakers 3 in 1988.. 4: highest deaths 561 in 1938. highest number of new partakers 10 677 in 1937.
5: nine years where the new partakers are in four figures.. 6: of the 43 years where both deaths and new partakers are three figures new partakers are higher in 21 years.
Numbers blasted in other ways also, here: