Posts by sd-7

26

Checking Bibles for "God's Name"

by sabastious in

i had a ritual growing up every time we traveled to an assembly or convention.

in the hotel i would always take a look at the gideon bible's that were always stored in one of the drawers.

immediately upon finding it i would open up to psalms 83:18 to check if the bible had god's name within it.

sd-7

I use the NIV myself these days. I rather like the simplicity of it. There's just no more need to freak out if JHVH isn't in there. I did find a King James Version back in 2001--a gift Bible--that had Jehovah at Psalm 83:18. But otherwise, I used to wonder about all that, with the four letters and all. Sometimes I'd just try and pronounce the consonants. "Yuh-wuh. Yuh-wuh."

Would be funny if He finally spoke out of frustration from the heavens. "It's YIHWIH, you despicable fools! YIHWIH!!!"

"Oh. Well that clears up a 2,000-year-old debate..."

--sd-7

50

When you were active, did you feel you would survive Armageddon?

by Band on the Run in

jw
friends

i am curious about this issue.

personally, i never felt i would be good enough for a split second.

one would think that knowing you can not be good enough to survive would it make it easier to leave the witnesses and live for the present.

sd-7

I wasn't really sure. I figured that those return visits I never went back on, or those movies I just loved watching that had violence or one scene of immorality in them, or those video games where they used magic, or that music where the woman talks about immorality, would all come back to get me. And that's to say nothing of the masturbation and so on...

On the other hand, I wondered what there really was to look forward to, as a young adult. I figured, maybe I'd have to bury the bones of the woman I loved and know that God killed her and spared me so I could live forever with that image seared into my mind. Or worse, have him erase it all to ensure that I'd feel "better". And then...how many more millions would die once Satan was released? I'd have to spend a thousand years thinking about that, wondering if after everything, I'd somehow fail, or they'd dig up an old copy of 'Star Wars' and put it in a theater as part of the final test, and then I'd be fried by God for going to see it.

So it was up in the air for me, but I figured, at least until I lost my virginity, that I had a pretty fair shot at it. Or at least, that if the great tribulation was going to be as horrible as they always said, that I'd be nuked or otherwise killed well before Armageddon anyway.

Hence, I didn't bother dwelling on it. I figured we would know once it started and that all we could do was deal with the challenges of the present and not worry about it.

--sd-7

5

you guys remember

by J. Hofer in

jw
friends

.

sd-7

He already did. Didn't you read about that, the invisible 'Judgment Day' started, according to him?

The real comedy is that the WT actually mentions him in the Feb. 1st, 2012 WT. They manage to sidestep the embarrassment of being listed amongst Time magazine's top 10 failed predictions and focus on the fact that he said the earth would be destroyed, then they debunk that belief. Straw man...

--sd-7

39

Could we be violating the rights of JEHOVAH'S WITNESSES?

by Terry in

http://www.cesnur.org/2005/pa_brown.htm.

cesnur.

jehovah's witnesses and the anti-cult movement: a human rights perspectivejohn b. brown, ii (social educator, tucson, arizona)human rights issues and religious freedomthe issues created by anticult fervor can be recapitulated in the following points.

sd-7

The anticult movement’s position on Jehovah’s Witnesses and other faith community’s is considered discriminatory by human rights advocates.

Discriminatory? Excuse me? They think everyone else in the world is inferior in knowledge and morality!

Most of the anticult and counter cult organizations have failed to provide credible research.

First, note the word "Most". Who of these groups DID provide credible research, then? Second, the Watchtower Society is the master of failing to provide credible research, and when they can't find it, they just misquote credible research. I call that...incredible.

Most anticult organizations have not mentioned the contribution Jehovah’s Witnesses have made to religious freedom in their research.

Again, "Most". That would be because Jehovah's Witnesses have no interest in religious freedom beyond their own. It is their goal to have only one religion in existence for all eternity--their own. Anyone who leaves is maligned, slandered, persecuted all for just having a different opinion than those in power. Not what I would describe as a beacon of freedom and justice, whatever the law books may say.

Nice try, but....

You lose

--sd-7

23

WT: "Don't be a FOOLISH Christian and OWN things!"

by cedars in

jw
friends

i've taken a bit of a break recently from analysing the more recent articles.

i find it makes my head spin when i dwell for too long on all the lunacy, fear-mongering and paranoia - of which this month's issue is a classic example.

however, this time round i just couldn't help myself.. there were quite a few things that leapt out at me, but one of the funnier quotes was as follows (taken from page 19, paragraph 20):.

sd-7

I don't need to sit around fantasizing, I'm livin' the dream, baby!

Amen to that, bro! I feel richer just being able to read whatever I want...money is of far less concern than that!

--sd-7

23

When Your Adolescent Questions Your Faith

by wha happened? in

has anyone seen this article in the feb 1st 2012 wt?.

it's worth a look.

lots of references to christians, rather than jw's.

sd-7

Well, I never really questioned it as an adolescent. There were flashes of reality, very brief, and gone so soon that I never had a chance to add them up until I was much older. I just figured it pleased Mom if I did the right thing, so I did it, even if it made me depressed that I wasn't good enough or spiritual enough because I liked girls. (Liked, not dated or anything, just liked...) I know Mom had the best of intentions and felt that this religion was just trying to help. I believed the same thing. I was a loyalist all the way through high school. A loyalist has no concept of questioning anything.

Perhaps they have the uh, Darth Vader approach to 'not forcing' children to share their faith. "Perhaps you feel you are being treated unfairly?"

--sd-7

22

The more stories I read on JWN make me long to go back to the hall...

by serenitynow! in

jw
friends

i read the stories of those stuck in, or those who are out but still experience unwelcome, intrusive visits from dubs and i want to go to your hall.

or be at your house when the jackass elders come over.

i could say all the things you want to but can't because you're afraid to out yourself, or because you are just really nice.

sd-7

Well, then carry a big stick, if that makes you feel safer. I just think going down that road would be too dangerous for me, because I'm usually teetering not too far from the edge of sanity with stuff like this. So I guess I can only speak for myself.

--sd-7

32

March 15, 2012 WT on jw.org now

by Gayle in

sd-7

So, I guess this means I really can buy the 2012 Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Issue after all! I'll have to pass on "Gang Bangers!!!! Vol. 5", though... Seriously though, so I guess this also means no girl-on-girl porn, too. Hoo boy--the organization is going to lose at least 10% off that one alone. Terrible! Terrible!

But now I know which porn to limit myself to if I want to stay in Jehovah's clean organization, though. I think I'd reached my limit, so far as the elders knew, with admitting to man-and-woman-sex. Hmm. Wow, if I'd remembered the girl-on-girl stuff I'd seen, I would've been in a judicial committee long before last year! Go figure. They would've been on me like white on rice after this article! Good thing I went and did the real thing and got out before this!

The thing that gets me about this is, how can there be varying levels of seriousness when it comes to this? So it's not as bad to watch a man and a woman actually commit fornication--not like simulate it in a PG-13 movie, but actually do it--but it's DF'ing if it's gay or lesbian sex? They would've been better off taking a harder (pun intended) stance on this, but maybe they knew judicial committees would go up by 300% and there'd be no time to wire $$$ to the Society if that happened...

There's so much running through my head right now (okay, this is getting to be Adult section with just the dirty puns as it is!). I just can see the judicial committee. Teenage Robert, baptized at 16, now admits to viewing hard-core pornography.

Elder: So, uh, how serious has it gotten?

Robert: Uh...it's a...well, there was this one where Sandy Summers and Jana started kissing each other....

Elder 2 [shifts in his seat]: Go on.

Robert: And...well, she, Jana starts going down on Sandy...[holds head in his hands]

Elder 3: Going down. I'm not sure what that means. You mean as in, homosexual oral sex?

Robert: ...Yes.

[Silence as elders look at each other.]

Elder: Okay, um, we're going to need to meet with you again....

--sd-7

22

The more stories I read on JWN make me long to go back to the hall...

by serenitynow! in

jw
friends

i read the stories of those stuck in, or those who are out but still experience unwelcome, intrusive visits from dubs and i want to go to your hall.

or be at your house when the jackass elders come over.

i could say all the things you want to but can't because you're afraid to out yourself, or because you are just really nice.

sd-7

What would be the point? They have a need to be hated by outsiders; if no one hated them, there would be little for them to get excited about. The most frightening thing, I would think, is for them to be proven wrong. That scares the living shell out of 'em. I feel I've done my job if they're having to respond to issues like 607 vs. 587 or the concept of 'organization'.

I do find it odd that they would actually visit me, of all people, to see if I wanted to come back. We had a pretty detailed discussion, and they didn't really want too many details to be said aloud for fear it might upset their faith. It was just easier to go with the emotional abuse/manipulation route, as they probably pegged me as easily manipulated. Perhaps so, but just because I let stuff pass doesn't mean I'm not filing it away for future reference.

On the other hand, would it really be the best thing for me to let loose on these folks, who are just stormtroopers? Nah. I'd end up doing something really, really unspeakable, and that wouldn't help anyone. Better to fight the good fight, in the right way, as the only true liberation for anyone is greater knowledge. What's inside my head is the bane of the Watchtower. That's enough to keep me sane enough to hang in there and not let the rage control me. It's never easy. But I'll be the stronger person for it.

--sd-7

23

WT: "Don't be a FOOLISH Christian and OWN things!"

by cedars in

jw
friends

i've taken a bit of a break recently from analysing the more recent articles.

i find it makes my head spin when i dwell for too long on all the lunacy, fear-mongering and paranoia - of which this month's issue is a classic example.

however, this time round i just couldn't help myself.. there were quite a few things that leapt out at me, but one of the funnier quotes was as follows (taken from page 19, paragraph 20):.

sd-7

I don't recall Paul writing to Timothy, "Give orders to those rich in the present system of things to sell their stuff and go into missionary work." No, he told them to not rest their hope in uncertain riches but to share good things with others and focus on 'the real life'. Wealth can just as easily be used to help those in need as it can be to make one feel 'prominent' or whatever. But far be it from the Society to tell people to actually give to those in need, even inside the congregation...

Want to talk about foolish Christians? "When I was hungry, you told me to go out in field service and hope for a random bag of groceries like in that WT experience; thirsty, drink from the KH water fountain and then put money in the contribution box marked "Congregation" so our water bill doesn't go up; sick, you told me to report 15 minutes of field service or else become 'inactive'; in prison, and 40 years later you reversed the reason why I went to prison in the first place. Why, c'mon into the kingdom, why don't ya????"

--sd-7