Posts by sd-7

30

New DVD review

by Laika in

i managed to catch the new dvd on youtube last night before the inevitable takedown.

as a film i felt it wasn't anywhere near as good as the prodigal movie, the story wasn't as dramatic, the characters much less interesting and developed and the direction weaker.

i found the prodigal relatively entertaining (all things considered) this one was just dull.. here are some of my random thoughts anyway [spoiler alert - ha!].

Well, from all these comments, I'm getting a picture here. The Society's target is not the minds of its audience, but rather, their hearts. Appeals to emotion rather than reason seem to be the focus here. Even if your brain suspects something isn't right, if they create enough fear, guilt and shame, then that holds you in place. You stick with what's safe not because it makes sense but because the alternative is too frightening to contemplate.

Man, I am not looking forward to this one playing in my DVD player...

--sd-7

43

Assembly News Photo

by snare&racket in

jw
friends

this photograph from a news site is a succinct summary of a life in wt's hands....... look at their faces, it says it all.. also, note the watchtower pr machine in action, explaining that it brings 4 million dollars to the location.

(10,000 x 400 dollars) clearly a watchtower statistic, where is the care and interest for members who are struggling so much, with new videos encouraging less career activity, less work commitments, at an all time economic low for our generation.. http://www.standard-freeholder.com/2014/06/15/thousands-attend-watchtower-convention-in-cornwall.

father: "i'm a wt 'yes' man and proud of it!

sd-7

I like the comment below the news article:

I don't hear the JWs or any other religious group constantly preaching hate against you and your imaginary god. Unlike most religious cults that seem content believing whatever they want, you and your cult are hellbent on spreading hate.

What, did JWs change their message without my knowing? I guess a lot of people really don't know what JWs teach, after all, do they?

--sd-7

41

Critique of new JW DVD: These Words Must be on Your Heart.

by WingCommander in

jw
friends

http://youtu.be/dhn2to663cu.

im really channeling my inner blondie with my observation and critiques of these new watchtower videos.

something about them really turns my stomach.

sd-7

WingCommander, your humor is brutally funny. I look forward to seeing this video at home with my family in...I guess another month or so.

Actually, as I think of it, I know at least one of my JW cousins was living in a 5-bedroom house at some point; I guess her husband who is now an elder, I think, makes pretty good money. My aunt's married to a non-JW who worked at NASA and she was a teacher herself, so she was driving a Benz. I guess in their case they were lucky to have a non-JW bringing in the big cash so they didn't have to feel guilty about where it came from. I say all that to say, it's not impossible, you just have to be in certain areas.

Hmm. You know, it's just nice to no longer have to worry about rushing home for the midweek meeting without having had dinner and all. That's one of the biggest bonuses of getting out of it. 'Cause man, was I hungry.

Anyway, I digress. Thanks for the review. I'm still hoping for The Prodigal Strikes Again! to be made, though...

--sd-7

62

How We Come Across On The Board

by minimus in

jw
friends

most people here have never met you.

we converse, discuss, argue, laugh, agree, question, share our lives..... quite often, you kind of get to know what a person is like.

some people, we tend to gravitate to and others, we shy away from.. how do you think you come across to other people?

sd-7

Usually much quieter, in real life, and probably not nearly as witty--if I can be thought of witty on here, that is. But I can be silly or serious or passionate about something, but most of that stays on the inside if I feel insecure or nervous.

--sd-7

67

WT Society's Paranoia Over Spiral Binding of Elder's Textbook - Crazy

by flipper in

jw
friends

this letter was sent as an addendum to the elders regarding their latest elders textbook.

i think you'll find this interesting and also disconcerting as well.. to all bodies of elders.

re: spiral binding of shepherding textbook.

sd-7

Well, that's strange. But no stranger than having a book that your fellow sisters are not allowed to handle in the first place. If there is any concrete proof of information control, this is one of the best examples of it. So what's the Biblical justification for this? Oh, right..."be obedient".

It makes me wax poetic. I feel a 'Listen, Obey and Be Blessed' coming on here...

We must protect the manual of the elders

This means showing discretion indeed

If we allowed women to read these pages

Can you imagine the things they might see?

Listen, obey, and be blessed

When spiral binding the text

No unbelievers or the female sex

Breathe on baptized brothers' necks

So do not take the manual to FedEx

Don't go to Staples or anywhere else

If you can make spiral bindings in your basement

Then perhaps your fellow elders can help

Listen, obey, and be blessed

When spiral binding the text

No unbelievers or the female sex

Breathe on baptized brothers' necks

So do not leave it inside a gym locker

Not even a safe deposit at a bank

It helps the elders show love to our brothers

It is the faithful slave that we can thank!

Listen, obey, and be blessed

When spiral binding the text

No unbelievers or the female sex

Breathe on baptized brothers' necks

Yes, be right beside them

To keep them in check

Listen, obeeeeeeeeey and be blessed

--sd-7

25

JW.ORG to be the fulfillment of Matthew 24:14

by donuthole in

jw
friends

the organization is shifting away from printed literature in favor of their new jw.org website.

the website contains content that is not printed in literature.

kiosks, trolleys, and storefronts are being used to showcase the website.

sd-7

It'll never happen. Door-to-door is their bread and butter, as important a cornerstone as using the name Jehovah. They will never end door-to-door ministry as it's considered a Biblical command and essentially their trademark. They hold it up as something (among many things) that makes them better than all other Christians. So...yeah, no.

--sd-7

12

Single women with 3 kids returning to the meetings....

by EndofMysteries in

i was talking with a still in relative today who mentioned how they had this sister with 3 or 4 kids over recently.

they said she is returning ot meetings and coming back into the truth, etc.

i remember when i was still in, the only ones i ever saw trying to return were generally the single moms with lots of baggage.

sd-7

This makes me wonder if it's the reason my wife went back to the JWs. She didn't seem to have much interest in going back until she got pregnant by a guy who dumped her shortly thereafter when she wouldn't have an abortion. But as she tells it, JWs gave her stuff for the baby even while she was DF'd. So it was a support system, and no doubt once she got reinstated it made her more loyal than ever and more convinced than ever of JWs' being a loving, supportive people.

Now, years later, she's hard pressed to find someone willing to give her and the kids a ride 5 minutes down the road to the KH without them wanting gas money. It's a bit ironic. But yeah, the support system is a big factor there. The kids get what are imagined to be good male role models and all that.

It reminds me of a JW elder years ago who said to me, "You know, you're like a son to me." In my head I thought, that's funny, 'cause I've never thought of you as a father figure.

--sd-7

122

Disturbing Footnote in Tomorrow's Study Article...

by HeyThere in

article is basicqlly about families where a spouse is working away from home for an extended period, etc...a foot note says basically that some studies have shown that working away from home can cause serious consequences, such as infidelity, homosexuality, or incest.

.

pull it up on jw.org...that is what it says.

sd-7

Well, Apognophos...I just don't think I'd want to concoct a fictional cheating scenario. If you're going to inflict that kind of emotional harm on someone, at least let it be on account of the truth. I think the moral implications of lying about something like that would probably haunt me for a long time. I mean, on its face it's laughable just because I'm thinking of the look on her face, but at the same time, it's the kind of prank that's taking it too far. If there were some set of circumstances that would make it worthwhile to do, then maybe I'd lay out a plan. Or to paraphrase Bane, when my marriage is...ashes, then I have my permission to lie.

--sd-7

122

Disturbing Footnote in Tomorrow's Study Article...

by HeyThere in

article is basicqlly about families where a spouse is working away from home for an extended period, etc...a foot note says basically that some studies have shown that working away from home can cause serious consequences, such as infidelity, homosexuality, or incest.

.

pull it up on jw.org...that is what it says.

sd-7

You could probably convince her you've already cheated, if you play your cards right.

There are days when it feels like she doesn't need any convincing, let me tell you. I admit I've had crazy thoughts of buying lipstick and perfume and smearing it on myself just for the heck of it, but ha ha...I've never allowed myself to go over the edge into madness like that. But you never know--it's a long lifetime. Anything could happen...

--sd-7

122

Disturbing Footnote in Tomorrow's Study Article...

by HeyThere in

article is basicqlly about families where a spouse is working away from home for an extended period, etc...a foot note says basically that some studies have shown that working away from home can cause serious consequences, such as infidelity, homosexuality, or incest.

.

pull it up on jw.org...that is what it says.

sd-7

"Reports from various countries" probably means that the Society received reports about this from elder bodies as a result of actual judicial committees. They're probably not getting this stuff from outer space or some unnamed survey--this is internal information. This is what the late Ray Franz talked a lot about in his books--the letters the Society gets about stuff that happens in the congregations. This may have happened more than once and so was included in a letter or report from some congregations. It's particularly that phrasing, "reports from various countries"--I don't think they would use that phrasing if they were referring to news articles of a general sort about the subject. I'm not disallowing the possibility that they might well be referring to external news reports, but if they were, they'd probably have no problem saying so, especially since it's a good opportunity to knock non-JWs' behavior.

But of course, just because these two events--man or woman working out of town and gay or incestuous behavior--happened does not necessarily mean one caused the other. I'm sure many people work away from home and don't suddenly become gay or do a relative. (If they are talking about a parent having sex with a child, shouldn't they be calling it 'child molestation'? If that's what they mean, I take it they wish to avoid that term for obvious reasons, ie. not wanting JWs who aren't already aware of it to think about the possibility of child abuse happening within their ranks. Otherwise, I can only assume they mean consensual sex between two adults who happen to be relatives, like Bro. and Sis. Lannister from the Casterly Rock congregation. Forgive me if there really are two incestuous JWs in a Casterly Rock congregation reading this...sorry guys...)

I don't think it's necessarily absurd to say all that, because it really depends on the person and the circumstance, except if we assume a blanket statement is being made here, to the effect of 'if you go to another town to find work, you're going to become a gay, incestuous adulterer'. If they're saying that, then yeah, it's nuts. But it also seems to indicate at the same time that a JW at home amongst people he knows is not the same as a JW in a town by himself. As we learned well from the Prodigal Returns video, JWs are apparently poorly prepared to be on their own, away from their home family and congregation, and still follow the same rules. Which underscores the reality that their 'Christian conduct' seems to be dependent largely on group/social pressure/intimidation rather than on any true depth of spirituality amongst the individuals.

Or maybe I'm wrong and it's just a few odd apples. Why am I even commenting on this? Oh. My first--nobody's reading this, are they?--thought was that this article sucks because it's going to mean my wife is going to accuse me of cheating on her again, presumably sometime soon. As evidenced by The Beast-Tower #10, she's expressed some concerns about not knowing for sure who I communicate with while I'm at work. Okay...this should make for some interesting comments, though, right?

--sd-7