Posts by sd-7

48

Genuine repentance - if you can fake that you'll avoid getting disfellowshipped

by slimboyfat in

to paraphrase a well known saying.

is it true, in a judicial committee, if you can fake repentance, then they are likely to let you off being disfellowshipped, almost regardless of the "severity" of the sin involved?

can former elders and perhaps victims of the process shed light on the matter?

sd-7

If there has been a "practice" of sin, or if it is an offense for which you have been DF'ed before, then even if you blather on about a "damaged relationship with Jehovah" they'll DF you.

<<<---Not necessarily. My wife had been DF'd before, but she got off with private reproof on our JC (which for her was fornication). I'm guessing it was her reward for turning in a bona fide apostate (me). She was commenting at meetings a month later. It could be argued that since she came forward to confess, whereas I did not, she was 'repentant'. Of course, how would we be found 'unrepentant' since it was fornication? We'd been married for months, after all.

Although...she did play up the whole "if I'd listened to Jehovah, none of this would have happened", so... For whatever reason they seemed to still think the world of her (in stark contrast to the elders in the congregation she got DF'd from before). It's possible they let her off because they wanted primarily to save most of their time and energy for making an example of me. I did get the vibe from the chairman that he had a nearly personal problem with me (why, I don't know--we never even got to know each other at all). As I've often recounted on JWN, he was literally yelling at the other elders on the JC behind closed doors (yeah, I eavesdropped, it was just too tempting) about not wanting apostates in the congregation.

It's clear that this setup is the farthest thing from impartial. More like 'Game of Thrones'-style "king's justice", if anything. The Mad King, perhaps...

--sd-7

48

DC Drama stirs up drama of it's own!!!

by DATA-DOG in

remember the drama about persecution,suffering, that a modern-day job experiences?

the jw's under ban in a " landmark ruling", our faithful brother conversing with job in the new world, it' all too wonderful!

especially job wearing pants and a tunic style shirt!

sd-7

This is just bizarre. Thing is, they have no idea what would happen if there were a resurrection. Heck, mind you, they think the resurrection has already begun, in, what, 1918, 1919? Whatever? No, guys. Just no.

You know, I figure there's a certain point somewhere out there where you say, maybe we can just let them figure it out for themselves, you know, use their 'Bible-trained conscience'? Nope. Conscience? What's that? Obedience to the direction of the WT--that's what "conscience" is to them. There's just no end to the number of ways they can make up rules.

This kind of power is just too dangerous for anyone to have over 7 million people.

--sd-7

5

The unholy trinity of judicial committees

by Blttex in

if judicial committees have jehovahs direction and holy spirit why must they be made up of three members?

is the holy spirit not capable of communicating its wishes to just one person alone?

or is it perhaps to give the appearance of fairness and justice.

sd-7

Well, it maxes out the 2-3 witness rule, for one. On a more practical note, it prevents a tied vote when the decision comes to DF a person. (Or just give 'em reproof.)

--sd-7

52

Needed - a printable 2013 DC badge

by venetian in

is anyone able to post this years dc badge for printing?.

i'm a man with a plan .

mawahhhhhhh!.

sd-7

Unless you're planning to attempt to get literature, it may actually be better to go without a badge. I went in a suit with a goatee, no badge, and I was assumed to be an 'unbelieving mate' and greeted with smiles by people who didn't know me. Some of 'em even did so in the hotel! I think somebody even hugged me, though my wife was trying to 'warn' them! This is a huge recruitment draw, a public event like this, so going 'badgeless' works, in theory.

I made a lovely 'Safeguard Your Sparlock!' District Convention badge awhile back. I didn't wear it, but it was pretty cool. Had a little picture of Sparlock on there, my name, and the congregation I got kicked out of.

--sd-7

13

WTB&TS propaganda success

by smiddy in

you do have to hand it to the wtb&ts for their propaganda success , i remember vaguely an awake ?

or a watchtower ?

article on germanys propaganda campaign during world war two in which they acknowedged their success in acheiving their goals .i can not be specific when this article appeared maybe in the 60`s or 70`s or possibly the 80`s i just cant remember , however i lean towards the 60`s or 70`s .

sd-7

Then, after you have read how well the Awake! writers understand the tools of propaganda and you see how well they use them, you will realize that there is only one reasonable, logical conclusion: the deceptions of the WTBTS Leaders are both willful and deliberate.

It's chilling to realize this. I don't think I fully understood till I started reading the transcript from the Conti trial. By the end of the first day, it was clear: they will say or do anything, anything, to further their agenda.

--sd-7

24

The Watchtower is Over....Jehovah is Ovah!!!!((Please Read))

by Joliette in

jw
friends

no more assemblies or conventions.... no more service meetings, book studies, bible studies..... no more bethelites, gilead graduates, no more missionary work.. no more watchtower studies, field service, pioneers, elders, ministerial servants.. no more 'serving where the need is great.'.

its over, its over.. the watchtower has decided to end it all, suspend the organization work.

no more money.

sd-7

When I say 'radicalized', I mean 'convinced to use violence as opposed to merely shunning'. But it's all hypothetical.

I can't help wanting to say the title of this thread in Arnold Schwarzenegger's voice. Is that just me? Maybe it's just the spelling of "Ovah" that got me.

--sd-7

24

The Watchtower is Over....Jehovah is Ovah!!!!((Please Read))

by Joliette in

jw
friends

no more assemblies or conventions.... no more service meetings, book studies, bible studies..... no more bethelites, gilead graduates, no more missionary work.. no more watchtower studies, field service, pioneers, elders, ministerial servants.. no more 'serving where the need is great.'.

its over, its over.. the watchtower has decided to end it all, suspend the organization work.

no more money.

sd-7

IMHO, better to stick with the devil you know.

And that's the disturbing thing. That the GB could ever be better than the alternative. But sick as it is, you may have a point. Smaller groups could easily lead to radicalized JWs in some areas...

--sd-7

13

Long life spans in the Genesis Account: So where are we with this?

by Black Man in

so (according to the bible) methuselah lived to be 969, noah 950, jared 962 and so on and so on.

did they simply count years differently back then?

what accounted for the long life spans in bible times?

sd-7

This is the same era in which a global flood that killed all but 8 people occurred. A flood in which 8 people and thousands upon thousands of species of animals were able to survive for an entire year on a boat the size of a football field. Also, giants roamed the earth, beating people up. Like, literal giants. If you can ignore the problems posed by those issues, a guy living to be 969 probably isn't all that unlikely. Now, if you don't mind, I've got 5,000 tons of food to load into my boat in one week's time, along with herding predatory animals in with their prey, capturing numerous rare birds, and convincing hippos and elephants to board after I managed to build a platform using ancient tools that could hold several tons of weight easily. Also, you ungodly fool, judgment is coming upon you for your ungodly deeds that you did in an ungodly way. Hope you enjoy the swim, it'll be your last. --sd-7

11

The Governing Body Rewrites the Organizations FUTURE History

by Cameron_Don in

jw
friends

its bad enough when the governing body rewrites the organizations past history.

but last october they also began rewriting the organizations future history relative to the appointment over all of jesus belongings mentioned in matthew 24:47.. for many decades they had insisted that jesus made that appointment back in 1919 because the society had been so faithful and discreet about what they had been teaching down till 1919. .

but as shown in captives of a concept they had not been either faithful or discreet about what they had been providing in the way of spiritual food down till 1919. therefore under that scenario there was no possible way the society could have passed a food-at-the-proper-time examination at that time.

sd-7

They may be shifting the 'belongings appointment' into the realm of the unprovable, but in doing so they end up, as I believe Cedars wisely pointed out sometime ago, attempting to make the decision for Christ, as if they already know what he's going to do. Rather than saying 'we hope we will be found approved and are doing our utmost to that end', they discuss it as if it's a done deal no matter what may happen from now on. This kind of reasoning makes it seem baffling as to how such men can accuse 'apostates' of being prideful, save that they're obviously projecting their own qualities onto others.

It's equally baffling that anyone on the Governing Body could read this material that's talking about them and not feel very uncomfortable about being praised in this way. The fact that this was allowed to be published indicates they have no problem with presenting themselves in a manner that seems very self-righteous to put it mildly. Humility moved Paul and Barnabas to rip their garments and leap into the crowd, begging people not to sacrifice to them. The GB, on the other hand, seems just fine with being adored and the focus of worshipful obedience.

--sd-7

24

The Watchtower is Over....Jehovah is Ovah!!!!((Please Read))

by Joliette in

jw
friends

no more assemblies or conventions.... no more service meetings, book studies, bible studies..... no more bethelites, gilead graduates, no more missionary work.. no more watchtower studies, field service, pioneers, elders, ministerial servants.. no more 'serving where the need is great.'.

its over, its over.. the watchtower has decided to end it all, suspend the organization work.

no more money.

sd-7

I have a feeling some folks would just carry it on independently, start the whole thing over. The leadership may enforce the beliefs, but the system has the potential to be self-sustaining if enough people believe in it.

But based on how I felt as my eyes were opened...yeah, there could be a LOT of suicides. Sad to even ponder, but it's there.

--sd-7